Before long, Breeze arrived at the Headmaster's Office. Percy brought him there, then left without a word or expression. What a stiff, rule-abiding Weasley. That was what the twins had said.
"Come in, Mr. Order." The door swung open with a bang, and Dumbledore's voice came from within.
"I hope I haven't disturbed your rest, but this is important. I had to ask you to come in person."
As Breeze entered the Headmaster's Office, he heard a warm, welcoming phoenix cry.
"Looks like it likes you," Dumbledore said with a smile.
Professor Flitwick was standing inside the office. When he saw Breeze enter, he looked a little nervous, but there was also a hint of excitement.
Professor McGonagall was standing nearby, holding an ancient-looking parchment book.
The phoenix cry had come from Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes. He was perched on his special stand, staring at Breeze as though he wanted to fly down.
Breeze came back to himself and looked straight at Dumbledore. "May I ask what this is about, Headmaster Dumbledore?"
Clearly, Dumbledore was leading this meeting, while Flitwick must have been the one who called it.
"Well, you see..." Dumbledore studied Breeze's pure-black eyes and the faintly purple glow in his ear-length hair, then smiled. "You possess a special kind of magic. It's very ancient. Professor Flitwick discovered it, and he was worried you might not be able to control it, and that it could harm you."
Dumbledore was clearly trying to ease the tension, because Breeze's body had stiffened for a moment when he heard this.
Breeze clenched his palm, then looked Dumbledore in the eye. "I can control it. The professors can keep an eye on me whenever they like. I can prove it with time." A hint of anger crept into his voice.
Flitwick anxiously watched Breeze's angry expression. He understood that he had effectively pried into Breeze's secret, but he had no choice.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was worried. I mean, I have to protect you—that's a professor's duty. And this is for the sake of that incredible power. There are traces of it in Goblin history."
The more Flitwick spoke, the more excited he became, leaving Breeze somewhat bewildered. McGonagall coughed twice and frowned in warning. "Filius, calm down. We need to help Mr. Order understand this power, not ramble on."
"R-right." Flitwick fiddled with the hem of his robes as he looked at Breeze. "My boy, do you know what this power is?"
Breeze's expression darkened as he considered what was happening. In the end, he gave a half-truth. "It's the power of nature. Nature has been close to me since I was little. It's helped me a lot, so I trust it, and I can control the power it gives me."
"Oh, you know what it is, and you've lived with it for so long? Incredible!" Flitwick's eyes widened. "My boy, I have Goblin and human blood. Because of that, I was able to discover the power hidden inside you. But I never imagined it would obey you so well. You see, the power of nature is always free—or, you might say, willful."
Willful?
Breeze didn't agree with that description, but he didn't argue. Faner had said the same thing before.
Dumbledore pushed up his half-moon spectacles. "I think we need to see this power for ourselves to make sure it's safe."
"Of course. I can show you." Breeze took out his wand and cast Transfiguration on the notebook in his hand. Boosted by Natural Magic Power, the notebook quickly turned into a little bird. It spread its wings, flew up, and landed in Dumbledore's hand.
Professor McGonagall's eyes lit up, while Flitwick stared at the wand in Breeze's hand, which still held traces of magic. He murmured in a daze, "That's right. The scent of nature. What an incredible power..."
Dumbledore stroked the little bird's feathers, finding them smooth, then touched its belly, which felt somewhat hard.
The magic was gentle, and didn't resist him at all.
"I still haven't fully understood the structure of Transfiguration," Breeze said helplessly.
"No." Dumbledore shook his head and praised him with a smile. "This is already very impressive. The bird has a great deal of life to it, and you're very skilled at controlling your creations. You just need to practice more and observe things more closely, and you'll master this part of magic."
The little bird flew from Dumbledore's hand and landed on Professor McGonagall's. McGonagall handed the parchment book to Professor Flitwick, then began examining Breeze's Transfiguration. Clearly, once she understood that Breeze could control this power, she had turned her attention to his Transfiguration.
Dumbledore watched Breeze's expression with a kindly smile. When he saw nothing amiss, he quietly ate a sweet, apparently reassured for the moment.
Professor Flitwick handed the parchment book to Breeze. "This book was passed down from my ancestors. It mentions Goblin magic, though I don't have a talent for it. Perhaps you could give it a try. It may help you control this power better."
The parchment book wasn't very thick. Breeze didn't rush to open it, but first gave Professor Flitwick a sincere smile. "Thank you for your concern, Professor."
"Oh, there's no need. It's my duty. The pursuit of magic always has its limits, but Ravenclaw doesn't want knowledge to die out. I hope you can learn it."
Professor Flitwick truly lived up to being Ravenclaw's Head of House. He was always passionate about knowledge.
Breeze turned to Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall as well. "Thank you, too. When I was little, I always thought I was a freak. I kept this power hidden and didn't dare use it. I only relaxed after I discovered wizards. Coming to Hogwarts was the greatest stroke of luck in my life."
Seven parts of what Breeze said were true and three were false. After hearing him, Professor McGonagall's gaze immediately softened.
"It's our duty. Guiding young witches and wizards is the professors' responsibility, and it has been Hogwarts' responsibility for a thousand years."
"Rest assured. We'll help you keep this secret."
Professor McGonagall was stern, but considerate. She understood that Breeze didn't want too much attention, so she promised to keep his secret. That eased some of the resentment in his heart.
"Thank you very much." Breeze smiled, his eyes narrowing.
Just then, the little bird in Professor McGonagall's hand turned back into a notebook.
"I was actually planning to come find you, Professor McGonagall. I've returned that book to the library and written down some thoughts. I was hoping you could give me some guidance."
Professor McGonagall took the notebook. "I will. I'll give it back to you after class next Tuesday."
Professor McGonagall was fond of studious young wizards, especially those with both diligence and talent.
At that moment, Dumbledore picked up a box of sweets from the table and winked at Breeze. "This is to make up for keeping you from your rest. I hope you like Sherbet Lemons. But, Mr. Order, be sure to use your power carefully, especially around other young wizards."
"Of course, Headmaster Dumbledore. I'd rather be liked and accepted than hated. Who would want to be a bad person?"
Dumbledore saw the earnestness in Breeze's eyes and smiled warmly as he handed him the Sherbet Lemons.
Dumbledore's gaze flickered. "Go back and get some rest, my boy."
Breeze nodded, said good night to the professors, and left the Headmaster's Office. He took a roundabout route before returning to the Owlery.
"Today's events were really unexpected, but they weren't all bad."
The bad part was that the professors were watching Breeze now, so he couldn't do whatever he wanted... The good part was that he could show off his talents freely and get help from the professors.
Why would I want to do whatever I wanted? I came here to learn magic, not to be some gang boss.
When it came to the "bosses" at the Orphanage when he was little, Breeze had only thought they were childish and stupid. What was the point of enjoying empty flattery? Compared with all the time and effort it took, the payoff was nowhere near worth it. What a losing bargain. Slytherin was the same now. Would becoming the boss of Slytherin really take his magic to the highest level? This was a world of magic. Becoming a great wizard like Dumbledore—or surpassing him—was what would stir Breeze's interest.
At this stage, Breeze just wanted to enjoy his seven years of magical education, and then...
"Use magic to travel the world. Professor Sprout may be right; I could become a Herbology master and collect all kinds of magical plants... Or I could study Alchemy using the books in the Owlery..."
"Or... Natural Magic."
Breeze squeezed the parchment book in his hand. He understood what his advantage was: the power of nature. It was unique, and he might be the only one in the whole world who had it, so...
"The combination of Natural Magic Power and modern spells is incredibly powerful. Why should I take the long way around? Alchemy, Herbology, and Transfiguration are all just fuel for Natural Magic. I was such a fool—I've only just figured it out."
"I hope that one day, wizards all over the world will know my name—Archwizard Order."
"Hahaha!"
Breeze happily pushed open the door to the Owlery and went inside. There he spotted Faner, who had lit a lamp and was staring at him with a pair of yellow, slit-pupil eyes.
"Did something good happen?" Faner twisted his body and crawled onto the edge of the table, eyeing Breeze curiously.
"I just figured a few things out." Breeze sat down, laid the parchment book on the table, and slowly opened it. Faner turned up the lamp so Breeze could read more easily.
"The origins of the Goblins?"
As time passed, Breeze finished reading the thin parchment book. The text was in Latin. He could read it if he took his time, but something about it struck him as odd: the book seemed to describe how Goblins had been born from nature.
"At some point, nature decided that living creatures should exist, and so the Goblins were born on the edge of a swamp. They possessed unique magic that could bless objects. With this power, they became the masters of the swamp and built their kingdom on a green patch of grass at its center..."
"A war broke out. The crude Orcs attacked the Elves in the forest, but the Elves were exceptionally gifted in magic, so the Orcs retreated for a time. Soon, though, the Orcs set their sights on the Gnomes in the caves and the Goblins in the green swamp. The Gnomes were defeated and fled, but the Goblins were captured."
"Under the weight of their extreme hatred, the Goblins' blessings turned into curses. The curses broke through the Orcs' defenses, and the Elves took the opportunity to attack and defeat them. The Goblins won their freedom and returned to the green swamp. They used the power of curses to cut off contact with the outside world and establish their own kingdom. They also discovered large Mithril deposits in the swamp. The Goblins used their magic to craft exquisite and powerful magical items, but once the Mithril ran out, they began invading the Gnomes..."
The rest of the account had been lost, but Breeze could imagine that whether they won or lost, once a war born of greed began, it wouldn't stop.
Thanks to everyone for your recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and tips.
Love you all (holding back).
Before you continue