Lin Du

Time rewound slightly, to before Dumbledore donned his traveling cloak and prepared to leave Hogwarts Castle.

"Albus! Wait!"

Professor McGonagall hurried after him, her expression unusually urgent as she stopped him at the entrance to the Headmaster's office.

"Minerva," Dumbledore said, mild surprise in his blue eyes, "I have a rather urgent matter to attend to now—"

"I know what you are going to do, Albus."

Professor McGonagall unusually interrupted the headmaster, her tone grave. "It is because of Lin Du, that young man from the East, isn't it?"

Dumbledore stopped, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "Minerva, I have to go. The Ministry of Magic's request, as well as the... potential risks of Lin Du's current actions, require a resolution."

"A resolution? What sort of resolution? Subdue him like one of those Dark wizards and throw him into Azkaban?"

Professor McGonagall suppressed her agitation. "I cannot agree with that! Albus, that child may be obsessive in his ways, but he is by no means evil!"

Dumbledore regarded her calmly. "You seem to know him better than usual, Minerva."

"Because he is a Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall said firmly.

"Gryffindor..." Dumbledore repeated softly.

A glimmer of reminiscence passed through his bright blue eyes. "Yes... Gryffindor. I remember now..."

"During those dark days when Voldemort's power was at its height, several Death Eaters tried to kidnap students in Hogsmeade... It was Mr. Lin, still only an Exchange Student at the time, who stepped forward."

"He used masterful Freezing Charms and Obstruction Charms to buy time," Professor McGonagall immediately continued, the details as vivid as though they had happened yesterday. "He protected students younger than himself until reinforcements arrived. The courage and composure he showed then truly did not disgrace the Lion House crest."

"A person who chose to protect others in a crisis," Dumbledore said, his gaze deepening, "certainly had a nature worthy of trust. But Minerva, studying Dark Magic is another matter. That is a dangerous road."

"I worry about it as well!" Professor McGonagall admitted. "But I believe his original intention was never to walk into darkness. It was an almost obsessive desire to explore the origins of magic."

She stepped forward, trying to make Dumbledore understand. "He once told me that the conventional systems of spells and Transfiguration had ceased to challenge him."

Dumbledore raised his brows slightly. "Ceased to challenge him?"

"He longed to understand deeper, more ancient powers," Professor McGonagall explained. "Not merely Dark Magic, but also those lost forms of Ancient Magic. He believed the true mysteries of magic lay hidden there."

"Ancient Magic..." Dumbledore mused, genuine interest showing in his eyes. "That is a field far more obscure and profound than Dark Magic."

"But he believed it was worthwhile," Professor McGonagall said.

"He said that rather than wander along known paths, it was better to explore unknown peaks. At present, he simply believed the system of Dark Magic was more mature and therefore a better point of entry."

After speaking, Professor McGonagall sighed heavily.

"Ah, this obsession with dangerous knowledge truly is worrying. If only he could conduct his explorations in a more regulated environment, with better guidance..."

Her gaze inadvertently swept across a calendar on the wall. A date had been circled, with the words "Recruitment Deadline" scrawled beside it.

It reminded her of another equally troublesome concern.

"Speaking of regulation and guidance, Albus," Professor McGonagall said, her brow furrowing even deeper.

"We have an even more urgent mess to deal with—the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for next year. Ever since Professor Quirrell... met that unfortunate end, the position has practically become a curse that every qualified wizard avoids. Every recruitment letter I sent either vanished without a reply or received a polite but firm refusal. September is almost here, yet we do not even have a single candidate."

A brief silence fell between them, the air filled with their mutual understanding of that position's unfortunate history.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall looked up, her eyes lighting up. "Albus, since the position is vacant, and Lin Du possesses such profound magical knowledge—even a unique, academically inclined understanding of Dark Magic... why do we not invite him to become the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

Dumbledore raised his brows slightly. The suggestion had clearly taken him by surprise, yet he did not reject it at once and instead fell into thought.

Placing such an uncontrollable factor within Hogwarts carried obvious risks; yet on the other hand, this might indeed be the best way to guide rather than stifle his talents, while also keeping him under observation.

"That is a very bold suggestion, Minerva," Dumbledore said slowly, fixing her with a sharp gaze.

"But there is one question. Mr. Lin only spent one year at Hogwarts as an exchange student. Even if he was exceptionally gifted, how could one year have allowed him to gain such a deep understanding of the Western magical system, especially of those... less accessible areas of knowledge? Deep enough that you believe him qualified to serve as a professor?"

Professor McGonagall's expression instantly turned somewhat delicate. She awkwardly adjusted her glasses, her gaze drifting slightly.

"Er... regarding that, Albus," she cleared her throat, lowering her voice, "in fact... during that year, he spent nearly all his free time in the library. Even... well... the Restricted Section."

She paused, as if choosing her words carefully. "At the time, I believed he had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and a rigorous attitude, so... on certain occasions, I granted him limited permission and signed several authorization slips."

Dumbledore listened quietly. His eyes blinked behind his half-moon spectacles, and without interrupting, he merely gestured for her to continue.

Professor McGonagall drew a deep breath, as though she had made up her mind. "He possessed an extraordinary memory and note-taking ability. He did not merely read—he copied down, word for word, everything he considered valuable, including the contents of most of the important books in the Restricted Section..."

Dumbledore's eyebrows truly rose this time, though he seemed to immediately think of another question.

"Even if he could copy them," he said slowly, a trace of disbelief in his voice, "how did he properly store and take such an immense quantity of parchment and scrolls out of Hogwarts? That is hardly something a small bag could hold."

A clear look of embarrassment appeared on Professor McGonagall's face. She could barely meet Dumbledore's eyes, her voice almost inaudible.

"That... the Dragonhide bag used to hold those 'notes'... had been given an especially powerful Undetectable Extension Charm... It was also a farewell gift I gave him when he left the school. At the time, I only wanted to... make it easier for him to continue his academic research."

A meaningful silence spread between the two headmasters.

The former headmasters in the portraits, especially Phineas Nigellus, seemed to let out a desperately suppressed snicker before quickly falling silent again.

At last, Dumbledore sighed softly. Then a knowing smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

After a long while, he slowly turned to Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva," he said softly, "you have made a... very Gryffindor-like suggestion, full of courage. Perhaps it is worth trying."

With a gentle tap of the Elder Wand in his hand, the traveling cloak he had just put on silently slipped down and returned to its hook.

"Then let us change our approach and 'invite' our lost... lion to return."