Trouble

Found! Someone had actually seen through Matthew's Illusionary Body Spell!

The person standing on the marble staircase had auburn hair and a beard—it was Dumbledore in his prime.

"D-Dumbledore... Professor Dumbledore!"

Matthew had actually been discovered by Dumbledore! And how did Dumbledore on this timeline even recognize him?

Matthew felt his scalp tingle. How had Dumbledore seen through his Illusionary Body Spell? He hadn't even sensed Dumbledore's presence with his Magic Sense. Dumbledore was already this formidable decades ago.

"Matthew's been found. Are we not going back, meow?" Preserved Egg was still tucked inside Matthew's hood.

Matthew's brain was like a high-speed machine, churning through thoughts rapidly.

"Maybe the 'Black' Dumbledore mentioned isn't necessarily me." He suddenly remembered something—he looked almost exactly like his grandfather, Alfat Black, when he was young.

Alfat had once said that when he was at school, Dumbledore was still Hogwarts' Shapeshifting Technique professor. Counting the years, Alfat would be attending Hogwarts around this time.

Moreover, Matthew had heard Alfat talk about his school days. He'd been caught by Professor Dumbledore while on a nighttime date with Matthew's grandmother.

Dumbledore had probably mistaken Matthew for Alfat. After all, unless you'd lived through it yourself, who would imagine that someone who looked exactly like your student was that student's descendant decades later?

Matthew sorted through his thoughts in an instant. With a tense expression, he said, "Professor Dumbledore, I borrowed Lina's notes for the Shapeshifting Technique class. You know, she's way better at it than I am."

Matthew's grandmother was a Gryffindor student and excelled at Shapeshifting Technique—one of Dumbledore's favorite students. Matthew himself had learned Shapeshifting Technique from Lina's portrait.

Dumbledore gave a slight smile. "It's getting late. Hurry back to sleep and don't let it affect tomorrow's lessons."

Matthew grinned and nodded. "Going right now. Goodbye, Professor Dumbledore."

Dumbledore smiled as he watched Matthew walk away. He had a good impression of this student—born into the Black family, which valued bloodline above all else, yet he'd chosen a Muggle-born girlfriend. If other pure-blood wizards were like this student, with a little less prejudice, how wonderful that would be.

He knew this young couple from Gryffindor and Slytherin faced immense pressure. To avoid being disturbed, they often went out on dates at night.

He stroked his auburn beard, a hint of confusion in his voice. "When did Black get a black cat?"

Maybe he'd been too caught up in his own troubles lately, paying less attention to his other students.

Hagrid had already been expelled. He had to find a way to keep Hagrid at Hogwarts—otherwise, the boy would struggle to survive out there. He was a half-giant, accepted by neither giants nor wizards. At the thought, his hand gripping his beard tightened unconsciously.

Matthew returned to the Slytherin common room. After parting with Dumbledore, no further trouble arose, but his heart was uneasy. He didn't know if this counted as affecting the "Collective Consensus" or if he could still return to his original timeline.

Entering the room with the portraits, Merlin's portrait flashed with sharp light in its eyes. The surfaces of the other portraits were shrouded in a layer of mist.

Merlin asked, "Did the trial go smoothly?"

Matthew voiced his concerns.

"The basilisk is dealt with.

But when I came back, Professor Dumbledore from this timeline spotted me and saw through my Illusionary Body Spell.

He mistook me for my grandfather Alfat. I look a lot like Alfat when he was young—he's at Hogwarts right now.

Does this count as affecting the 'Collective Consensus'?

Will it affect my return to the original timeline?"

Merlin smiled in response. "Don't worry. I've already seen all this in time. It hasn't affected this timeline's 'Collective Consensus.'"

Matthew thought to himself: on this timeline, his encounter with Dumbledore had already happened before he made his decision.

If he hadn't met Dumbledore this time, it would have created a new parallel timeline instead.

The event happened before his decision—time's logic was truly bizarre.

"I'll send you back."

Merlin in the portrait raised his wand high, the tip radiating dazzling halos of light.

In an instant, Matthew was enveloped in white light.

A moment later, Matthew entered a strange place. It was still the same room, but everything except Matthew was only in black and white. The whole world seemed composed of black-and-white sketches.

After a while, Merlin's portrait seemed to be colored in by an invisible painter, gradually filling in its original hues.

Once the portrait was fully colored, Merlin's image came back to life.

Merlin pointed his wand forward, and a light door radiating a white glow appeared before him.

Matthew stepped through the light door. In an instant, the black-and-white world was filled with its original colors.

He was back in 1991.

The other portraits in the room were still shrouded in mist.

After Matthew regained his bearings, Merlin said, "You've passed the basilisk trial and proven your strength.

Next, you need to obtain the Philosopher's Stone. Through it, I can send you further into the past."

Matthew was startled. "The Philosopher's Stone? The one made by the famous alchemist Nicolas Flamel?"

Merlin smiled and nodded. "I'm just a portrait now. I don't have the power to send you to a much more distant past without the Stone's help."

Matthew frowned. Getting the Philosopher's Stone would be far harder than killing a thousand-year-old basilisk.

He knew that Nicolas Flamel had entrusted the Stone to Dumbledore. It was currently at Hogwarts. Dumbledore was using it to bait Voldemort. In two or three months, Hogwarts would be the stage for quite a show.

Matthew didn't think Dumbledore would give him the Philosopher's Stone. To obtain it meant taking it from right under Dumbledore's nose, while also avoiding arousing Dumbledore's suspicion—an extremely difficult task.

Frowning, Matthew said, "The Philosopher's Stone is now in Dumbledore's possession. That won't be easy to manage."

Merlin blinked. "You still have time. Slytherin isn't so bound by rules; perhaps you'll find a way."

It seemed Merlin expected him to figure it out on his own. "Alright," Matthew said. "Thank you for your help. I'll head back now."

Merlin nodded. The mist Enveloping the other portraits in the room gradually dissipated.