July 1992, London, England, Knowledge Society.
Li Wei was teaching a class on the Dark Arts with his two capable assistants.
"Last time, we discussed how the power of the Unforgivable Curses depends on the depth of our malice, and how spells can instantly amplify our negative emotions to increase the lethality of the Dark Arts.
"Today, we'll continue that discussion. Qiao Weili, you'll give the first report."
"Yes, Professor!"
Qiao Weili, the assistant who had been called upon, stiffened inwardly and walked toward the podium with a serious expression.
Once Qiao Weili had taken his place, several students who knew him quietly clenched their fists in encouragement. Qiao Weili returned their gesture with a smile.
To anyone watching, the atmosphere in the classroom was harmonious and commendable.
That was, if they had not been studying the Dark Arts.
"Ahem."
Qiao Weili cleared his throat twice and was just about to speak when he caught sight of the professor gripping his wand tightly and striding forward.
That action usually meant one thing—the Aurors had arrived!
"A wizard has infiltrated the building."
"Qiao Weili, take them away by Portkey. Jiamer, face the enemy with me."
"Yes!"
Qiao Weili gripped his wand and led the students away. No one panicked throughout the entire process—they were thoroughly familiar with Aurors by now.
Those people might have been among the best of the wizarding world, but before the professor and his two teaching assistants, they were still far from enough.
Rather than worrying about being captured by those "pests," they were more annoyed that their lesson had been interrupted.
"Damn Aurors! I stayed up for two nights straight preparing for this class. Did they have to come looking for a beating now?"
"Relax, brother. The professor probably won't need half an hour to deal with them. We're just changing locations and continuing."
A long-haired student soothed his irritable companion as the two quickly followed the group out.
No one rebuked them for their complaints.
In fact, not only did the students think so, but the two teaching assistants—and even Li Wei himself—thought the same.
They were only dealing with a few Aurors. If they did not have to hold back to avoid killing them, the three of them could end the fight in a minute.
But this time, the situation seemed somewhat different.
"This entire classroom was created through your Transfiguration? Li Wei, you are even more outstanding than I imagined."
A gentle, aged voice arrived with a speed no one had expected.
Then came a tall figure stepping out of the light. Once they saw who it was, all sound and color seemed to vanish from the classroom in an instant.
Everyone's eyes were helplessly drawn to that figure, their hearts trembling with fear!
Because the man standing before them was Dumbledore, the strongest white wizard recognized by the entire wizarding world since the nineteenth century.
In his hand, he was still holding Barton, the house-elf responsible for security.
Even knowing who his opponent was, the loyal house-elf still bared his teeth and claws, desperately trying to break free from the old man's grasp.
"Oh, my friend, could you relax a little?"
Dumbledore lowered his head and murmured to the loyal servant.
An invisible pressure enveloped Barton's entire body along with those words, leaving him unable to move. He could only let out weak whimpers.
"...Everyone, leave immediately. Qiao Weili and Jiamer, stay."
Li Wei gave the order calmly.
Qiao Weili, who had been meant to lead the students away, tightened his grip on his wand and stepped without hesitation to his professor's side!
He exchanged a glance with Jiamer. Both saw the tremor in the other's eyes, but no matter when or where, they would stand firmly beside their professor!
"Qiao Weili, Jiamer, Three Talents Formation."
"Yes, Professor!"
The two stood behind Li Wei, one to either side. Their stances formed a fixed sixty-degree angle, and with a bang, Li Wei pointed his wand at the ground. Blue light emerged beneath his feet and instantly linked to the two behind him, forming a hexagram array.
"Three Talents Formation? Is that the result of your personal research?"
Dumbledore held his wand and smiled at his former student, in no hurry to make a move.
He carried the composure that only absolute confidence could bring, as though simply by standing there, everything here had already been decided. No matter how the dozen or so people before him resisted, the outcome would not change in the slightest.
The only question was what exactly Dumbledore should do. He was still considering it.
"Professor, have you come to arrest me?"
Seeing that Dumbledore did not intend to attack immediately, Li Wei was not foolish enough to launch an attack first.
"The Ministry of Magic came to me, insisting that 'a dark wizard comparable to Grindelwald' is emerging. They say he beguiles people, gathers followers, repeatedly uses force to resist Auror arrests, and poses a grave threat."
"Professor, you don't believe that, do you? It's completely alarmist nonsense."
Dumbledore looked at Li Wei, carefully studying this student who had graduated fourteen years ago, his feelings complicated.
Fourteen years ago, all his attention had been focused on James and the others. He had rarely noticed this low-key student.
During the wizarding war, this student had never appeared in anyone's sight. Dumbledore had thought he was already dead.
Yet fourteen years later, he had quietly risen to prominence, gradually becoming someone even the Ministry of Magic had to fear and worry over.
In every era, there were wizards with ulterior motives pursuing the power of the Dark Arts.
This time, had evil fate once again descended upon a Hogwarts student?
"Li Wei, you put me in a difficult position."
"If possible, I do not wish to fight a student I once took pride in."
Dumbledore held his wand and watched the students leave in silence, quietly sensing their emotions.
Unease, sorrow, anger, hope... amid the many tangled emotions, there was only one thing absent: fear.
No.
There was fear, but only fear of his arrival.
Toward Li Wei, these students felt only concern and hope. There was not the slightest sign that they had been controlled or coerced. Though they were all pursuing the Dark Arts, he truly was different from Tom.
But it was precisely because the danger had not yet spread that Dumbledore had to persuade himself to make up his mind and nip this dangerous seed in the bud.
"Then, Professor, can we reconcile?"
As a transmigrator who had read Harry Potter, Li Wei naturally knew how powerful Dumbledore was.
He was a T0 existence in the entire wizarding world, a figure who existed only in legends and biographies.
After defeating Voldemort, there had been no second wizard worthy of making him personally take action.
That was precisely why Li Wei found it increasingly difficult to understand why Dumbledore had come for him personally.
Although researching the Dark Arts was expressly prohibited by the Ministry of Magic, Li Wei had never used the Dark Arts to harm anyone.
Even when dealing with the Aurors who came to arrest him, he had defeated them using Transfiguration and the Sleeping Curse. Those people had not even suffered minor injuries.
Dumbledore should not possibly believe the Ministry of Magic's baseless accusations. There were countless dark wizards outside who were far more "heinous" than him, so why had they singled him out?
No matter how much Li Wei thought about it, he could not have imagined that it was precisely because of those "lenient" actions that the Ministry of Magic felt challenged. After repeated failures, they had become enraged with humiliation and sought out Dumbledore.
And at this very moment, there was only one thing on his mind.
Could this battle be avoided?
Before you continue