Fudge and Amelia Bones exchanged a look.
No wonder there were still so few masters of Memory Magic, even with a Sacrificial Ritual like this.
Apparently, you had to be capable of becoming a master before you qualified to perform the sacrifice. People with that kind of talent were rare to begin with, and that number included people like Dumbledore.
They had more—and better—options. Few would devote themselves entirely to Memory Magic.
Besides, the Sacrificial Ritual was obscure.
So despite its existence, the number of masters in Memory Magic remained as pitiful as ever.
"Oh, I can answer Amelia Bones's earlier question," Dumbledore said with a mischievous smile. All that talk had been leading up to this, hadn't it?
"The threshold to mastery held me back for a few months, but then it simply clicked.
"Chatting with friends and getting out into the Wizarding World helped. A change of mood makes it easier to take in knowledge, after all."
When Dumbledore finished, he made a point of winking at them both.
His meaning was perfectly clear: Did you two get that? Or should I spell it out?
Fudge and Amelia Bones fell silent, thoroughly shown up by Dumbledore.
They weren't fools. Of course they understood what he meant.
For a genius like him, becoming a master of magic was apparently as easy as eating and drinking.
I thought I wasn't one of those once-in-a-century geniuses. Now I realize I was wrong.
It turns out I'm the Wizarding World's once-in-a-century genius.
As for how many centuries, don't ask.
"Ahem. Let's discuss something serious." Amelia Bones wished she could apply for a Time-Turner on the spot and go back to the moment she'd asked Dumbledore that question.
To hell with the restrictions on its use. She'd give herself a good slap before