The Power of the Heart

"Are you alright?"

When Li Wei came back to his senses, Dumbledore was still sitting opposite him.

Realizing his lapse in composure, Li Wei didn't answer immediately, taking a deep breath.

"Hoo."

After feeling the cold sweat on his forehead again, he slowly regained his senses.

It would be great if there was a second cup of hot chocolate on the table right now. Or maybe not. I don't want to drink hot chocolate again anytime soon.

Just as Li Wei was thinking this, Dumbledore suddenly waved his wand.

"Clink."

The crisp sound of ice cubes colliding rang out.

A cup of iced lemon black tea appeared before Li Wei.

"I thought you might need this?"

Dumbledore's voice sounded in his ear.

Li Wei's mind, however, went back to his last conversation with Snape.

[Are you sure you want to drink that? Drinking tea late at night will affect your sleep.]

[It's something a small bottle of calming draught can solve. What are you fussing about?]

It was a strange feeling.

He had just mocked Snape last time, and now it was his turn?

"Thank you."

Li Wei picked up the lemon black tea and drank it in one gulp.

By the time he put the cup down, his mind had completely calmed down.

"It seems you understand without me having to say too much."

"Professor. What I lack is love?"

As he said the word 'love,' Li Wei's eye twitched involuntarily.

Love is the most powerful magic in the world—he had certainly heard Dumbledore's oft-repeated saying, and he was completely dismissive of it.

Protagonists charge in to kill enemies shouting about faith and friendship.

He, however, was a wizard. A wizard who believed only in knowledge and power.

If one could become stronger just by relying on some damn love, his journey of learning magic wouldn't have been so arduous.

Besides, Lily Evans and James Potter, who seemed like the embodiment of 'love' for their generation, still died at Voldemort's hands?

As a Slytherin who emphasized results, Li Wei clearly couldn't accept their fate.

"Clearly, you cannot accept this statement."

Dumbledore clearly sensed Li Wei's disdain.

"I truly cannot accept it. If I had held such a naive idea before, I probably wouldn't even be sitting here discussing this with you now."

"I understand what you mean, but this is indeed the answer. Perhaps we should rephrase it?"

Dumbledore earnestly extended two fingers and gently tapped his chest.

"Not love, but the heart. Feel with your heart."

Through today's conversation, Dumbledore had fully understood Li Wei's ambition—this was a person so devoted to magic that he was practically willing to die for it.

If he wanted to move Li Wei and bring him back from the brink, there was no better time than today, than this very moment.

A deep sadness suddenly appeared in Dumbledore's eyes.

He sat in his chair, dusting his hands as if to dispel something.

"Li Wei, how do you view life? Or rather, what do you think is the purpose of living?

Let me tell you my answer first—I believe people live for a single moment.

Saying this might sound regrettable, even foolish.

But it's actually an attitude of pursuit—we live for a certain moment's experience, and by living this way, we will always have many memorable moments, both good and bad."

"Sad—unforgettable—"

"Of course—and happy ones too—unforgettable—the kind that make you laugh uncontrollably even when recalling them in bed late at night—"

"Countless such moments, both good and bad, make up you and me."

Looking at Li Wei, who seemed lost in thought, Dumbledore suddenly wore a somewhat strained smile.

"You might find it absurd, but for a long time in the past, I believed there must be a God of Magic in the world. Otherwise, how could I have encountered such devastating events?

He gave me unparalleled talent, but what was the result? I used it to hurt the person I loved most."

Dumbledore was still smiling, but his eyes seemed to be crying.

"If I could choose, I would rather not have had these talents, and just be an ordinary wizard, able to stay at Hogwarts to teach after graduation, teaching until I'm old.

That way, I wouldn't have been drowned by my own ambition to that extent."

"Of what you said earlier, there was one sentence that deeply resonated with me—magic is an unreasonable existence."

"It has no heart; it only responds to spells, and any wizard can use it." Dumbledore slowly pointed a finger at Li Wei, positioned over his heart. "And what do you think truly responds to us, as opposed to those spells?"

"It's love."

Li Wei couldn't find an answer that encompassed more directions at that moment.

Even though he still didn't fully agree with the answer in his heart.

"That's right, it's love. I think you've understood it fully."

Dumbledore reached out with a look of gratification, stood up, and patted Li Wei's shoulder.

"The past you created the present you, and that's good, and it suits you.

But if you want to go further, I think it will be difficult to keep dwelling on past ideas.

Since you can constantly update your views on magic, how about trying some things in life as well?"

Li Wei pondered, his mind racing.

According to Dumbledore, it was because he had neglected the expression of emotions and interactions between people for too long that he was now struggling so much.

But similarly, if he hadn't done so before, he might not even have the qualification to be 'struggling' now.

However, there was no need to examine whether his past actions were good or bad.

What mattered was the future.

"What should I do next? Do you have any suggestions?"

"I think even if I don't say it, you should be able to guess it yourself. If I must offer one suggestion—why don't you focus more attention on the school?

Not to teach students out of a sense of responsibility, but to focus more on experiencing the job of a teacher, to experience everything about campus life."

"."

Li Wei nodded, taking Dumbledore's words to heart and preparing to try them out later—it was time to give those younger Little Wizards some extra attention.

Seeing his serious expression, Dumbledore chuckled, his eyebrows curving.

"Alright, we've finished discussing the commendation; I need to talk to you about the reason we're sitting here."

"Oh—I almost forgot about that."

Li Wei tried to relax a little.

Dumbledore nodded at his change, but his expression turned serious again.

"Thank you for your honesty today; it has made me completely resolute.

To be honest, just an hour ago, I was still hesitating about this matter."

Dumbledore opened the drawer in front of him, and his right hand, which had somehow acquired a dragonhide glove, reached inside.

Under Li Wei's gaze, Dumbledore took out a black diary with that hand and placed it in the center of the table.

Li Wei almost instantly realized what it was—Voldemort's diary.

Or rather, a Horcrux.