Lin Du: A Man

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

"Albus! Wait!"

Professor Minerva McGonagall hurried, her expression unusually urgent, and stopped him at the door of the Headmaster's office.

"Minerva," Dumbledore's blue eyes held a gentle surprise, "I have a rather urgent matter to attend to right now--"

"I know what you're going to do, Albus."

Professor McGonagall interrupted the Headmaster, a rare occurrence, her tone serious, "It's about Lin Du, that young man from the East, isn't it?"

Dumbledore stopped, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Minerva, I must go. The Ministry's request, and the... potential risks of Lin Du's current actions, all require a resolution."

"A resolution? What kind of resolution? Like dealing with those Dark Wizards, subduing him and throwing him into Azkaban?"

Professor McGonagall suppressed her agitation, "I cannot agree! Albus, that child might act erratically, but he is by no means evil!"

Dumbledore calmly looked at her, "You seem to know more about him than is usual, Minerva."

"Because he's a Gryffindor!" Professor McGonagall's voice was decisive.

"Gryffindor..." Dumbledore repeated softly.

A flicker of remembrance flashed in his blue eyes, "Yes... Gryffindor. I remember now..."

"During the darkest days when Voldemort's power was at its peak, a few Death Eaters tried to kidnap students in Hogsmeade... It was Mr. Lin, then just an exchange student, who stepped forward."

"He bought time with his exquisite Freezing Charm and Obstruction Charm," Professor McGonagall immediately picked up the thread, the details as clear as if it happened yesterday, "protecting younger students until reinforcements arrived. His courage and composure at the time were truly worthy of the Lion House crest."

"A person who chooses to protect others in times of crisis," Dumbledore's gaze deepened, "his nature is indeed trustworthy. But Minerva, studying Dark Magic is another matter; it is a dangerous path."

"I am equally worried!" Professor McGonagall admitted, "But I believe his original intention was never to descend into darkness. It's a curiosity bordering on obsession with the very source of magic."

She stepped forward, trying to make Dumbledore understand, "He once told me that the conventional spellcasting and Transfiguration systems no longer challenged him."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow slightly, "No longer challenged him?"

"He yearns to understand deeper, more ancient powers," Professor McGonagall explained, "not just Dark Magic, but also those lost Ancient Magics. He believes the true mysteries of magic lie there."

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

"But he believes it's worth it," Professor McGonagall continued.

"He said that rather than lingering on known paths, it's better to explore unknown peaks. It's just that, for now, he believes the Dark Magic system is more mature and a better entry point."

After speaking, Professor McGonagall sighed with worry.

"Alas, this obsession with dangerous knowledge is truly unsettling. If only he could explore it in a more structured, guided environment..."

Her gaze inadvertently swept over a calendar on the wall, where a certain date was circled with "Recruitment Deadline" scribbled beside it.

This reminded her of another equally troublesome matter.

"Speaking of structure and guidance, Albus," Professor McGonagall's brow furrowed even tighter.

"We have an even more pressing mess to deal with—the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for the next academic year. Ever since Professor Quirrell... that unfortunate incident, this position has become a curse that all qualified wizards avoid. Every recruitment letter I send either disappears without a trace or receives a polite yet firm refusal. With September's start fast approaching, we don't even have a single candidate."

A brief silence fell between them, the air filled with a shared understanding of the position's unfortunate history.

Suddenly, Professor McGonagall looked up, her eyes brightening, "Albus, since this position is vacant, and Lin Du possesses such profound magical attainments, even having a unique, academically inclined understanding of Dark Magic... why don't we invite him to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow slightly; the suggestion was clearly unexpected, but he didn't immediately dismiss it, instead falling into thought.

Placing such an uncontrollable element within Hogwarts was obviously risky; but on the other hand, this might indeed be the best way to guide rather than stifle his talent, and it would also allow him to be kept under surveillance.

"That is a very bold suggestion, Minerva." Dumbledore said slowly, his gaze sharp as he looked at her.

"But there's a problem. Mr. Lin only exchanged at Hogwarts for one year back then. Even with his exceptional talent, how could one year allow him to understand the Western magical system, especially those... less accessible forms of knowledge, so deeply? To the point where you believe he's qualified to be a professor?"

Professor McGonagall's expression became somewhat subtle. She uncomfortably adjusted her glasses, her gaze shifting slightly.

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

She paused, as if choosing her words carefully, "I thought he was eager to learn and had a rigorous attitude at the time, so... on certain occasions, I granted him some limited permissions and signed a few passes."

Dumbledore listened quietly, the eyes behind his half-moon spectacles blinked, and he didn't interrupt, merely making a "please continue" gesture.

Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, as if resolute, "He has an extraordinary memory and shorthand ability. He not only read, but he also transcribed word-for-word everything he deemed valuable, including most of the important texts in the Restricted Section..."

Dumbledore's eyebrows truly rose this time, but he immediately thought of another problem.

"Even if he could transcribe," he said slowly, a hint of incredulity in his tone, "such a massive amount of parchment and scrolls, how did he 'properly store' and take them out of Hogwarts? That's not something a small bag could hold."

An obvious look of embarrassment appeared on Professor McGonagall's face. She could barely meet Dumbledore's eyes, her voice as faint as a mosquito's:

"That... the thing used to hold these 'notes'... was a dragonhide bag with an exceptionally powerful Undetectable Extension Charm applied to it... It was also a parting gift I gave him when he left school. I just wanted... to make it convenient for him to continue his academic research."

A meaningful silence spread between the two Headmasters.

The portraits of past Headmasters, especially Phineas Nigellus, seemed to emit a sound of suppressed laughter, then quickly fell silent.

Finally, Dumbledore let out a soft sigh, and then, a knowing smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

After a long moment, he slowly turned around and looked at Professor McGonagall.

"Minerva," he said softly, "you have made a suggestion that is... very much in the Gryffindor spirit of boldness. Perhaps, it is worth a try."

With a gentle tap of the Elder Wand in his hand, the traveling cloak he had just donned quietly slipped off and hung back on the hanger.

"Then, let us change our approach and 'invite' our wayward... lion back."