Redemption and Cage

Hogwarts.

This castle, with its magnificent exterior, intricate internal structure, and pervasive magical aura, had become the dream academy for countless wizards and witches.

The outer walls were constructed from massive grey stones, standing firm and indestructible through wind, frost, and snow, as if every stone had witnessed the rise and growth of countless wizards.

The spacious Great Hall, the winding corridors, the well-stocked library... and the unique Headmaster's office—these were childhood memories that many wizards would find hard to forget, even after a lifetime.

Every year, when school was about to begin.

People would gather here.

"Fawkes, you've been flying out quite a bit these past few days. Is there something new and exciting out there attracting you?" Dumbledore watched the fiery red figure flying in from the window, looking slightly curious.

Because school had not yet started.

The atmosphere within the castle was somewhat quiet.

All the students were on holiday, and even the professors had their own homes... perhaps only people like Snape and Dumbledore would remain at the school.

It was not that they were homeless.

It was just that... they could no longer feel the presence of a home.

"Chirp!"

A high-pitched, resonant cry expressed the phoenix's good mood.

"School is about to start soon; you mustn't fly around the castle too much, or you'll frighten the little wizards." Dumbledore groomed the slightly ruffled feathers of his phoenix.

This was one of his few pastimes.

For Snape.

Staying at school was no different from staying in what he called home.

And for Dumbledore.

He simply lacked the courage to face Godric's Hollow again.

Yes.

Courage.

Many people only saw the brilliance and power of Albus Dumbledore; few could discern how lonely this Hogwarts Headmaster truly was behind his many dazzling halos.

When a Gryffindor loses their courage.

It is proof enough that they have already fallen into the abyss and are completely lost.

"If you really want to find something to do, perhaps you could help me search for the location of the Chamber of Secrets again." Dumbledore did not actually understand the language of phoenixes.

However.

That did not mean the phoenix could not understand human speech.

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

The phoenix agreed.

Dumbledore could sense this on an emotional level.

"I'll leave it to you."

He took out some small treats.

However.

The fiery red phoenix perched on Dumbledore's arm, ignoring the snacks offered to it, and instead let out a crisp cry toward the outside of the school.

"Severus."

Dumbledore looked up.

He saw Snape walking into the school with a heavy heart. Judging by the direction he had returned from, Dumbledore could roughly guess where Snape had been.

"So, you finally went to visit that poor child."

Dumbledore's figure vanished from the office window, and the next moment, he appeared in the castle corridor where Snape had stepped—this was the Apparition of Fawkes the phoenix.

Although the rules within Hogwarts Castle might not necessarily restrict a wizard like Dumbledore, he rarely broke the rules that had been passed down through Hogwarts for a thousand years.

"That damned brat is not 'poor' in the slightest."

Snape seemed startled by Dumbledore, but upon hearing his words, he couldn't help but twitch his face, recalling the terrifying scene he had just witnessed.

Playing with Dark Magic, of all things.

Could that be called poor?

"Do not always suppress your emotions; that child needs your care."

Dumbledore's voice seemed to possess an eternal, calming magic.

He patiently persuaded Snape.

Many had once believed that Dumbledore merely used Snape, or perhaps pitied him... yet, the truth was that Dumbledore saw his own past in Snape.

Perhaps the events had unfolded differently.

But Dumbledore could be considered the person most capable of empathizing with Snape.

Both men had once pursued extreme paths.

And both had been jolted into realization by sudden, drastic changes.

Only.

Unlike him.

Snape still had a chance at redemption.

"I admit my previous words were somewhat extreme. He has only you as kin; if even you were to reject him, he would have no one left to rely on in this world."

Dumbledore truly hoped to see something in Snape that he himself could no longer hope for.

"..."

Snape's eyes flickered slightly.

For once, he did not retort.

"Ian is a child with love in his heart. Don't let him lose that love, will you?" Compared to before, Dumbledore had clearly changed his approach to persuade Snape not to close off his own heart.

Of course.

He was certainly also considering Ian as an orphan. With a wizard like Snape to rely on, a young wizard's path would undoubtedly be much easier to walk.

"He is doing well in Hogsmeade Village. I see he is quite adapted... to life in the wizarding world." Snape's expression was slightly unnatural as he spoke.

Dumbledore did not mind.

"He is capable of taking good care of a group of children, and naturally, he knows how to take good care of himself." After all, Dumbledore had personally conducted a background check on Ian.

He was well-informed about many aspects of Ian's situation.

"Hmph! Audacious brat! He's taken care of himself a little too well!" Snape gritted his teeth; just thinking about what he had seen made his blood pressure rise.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Dumbledore chuckled softly.

He clearly did not know the full story.

"..."

Snape merely gave Dumbledore a strange look. Without saying anything more, he shook his head and walked past Dumbledore, intending to return to his office.

He still had a cauldron of potions brewing.

"You might want to bring him into the castle to live with you."

Dumbledore made the suggestion to Snape's retreating back.

"I don't wish to be angered to death."

Snape's voice was cold.

He dragged his robes, which looked like a rag, as he continued to walk forward.

Suddenly.

As if remembering something.

He stopped in his tracks.

He turned back.

Dumbledore remained standing where he was, his hand supporting his phoenix.

"Albus."

Snape spoke with hesitation.

"What year were you in when you learned compound magic, and how long did it take you?" The Hogwarts Potions Master stared straight at his Headmaster.

This left Dumbledore slightly puzzled.

"Although the outside world often praises my magical talent, in truth, I only had slightly better aptitude than most." Dumbledore first offered a modest disclaimer before answering.

"If my aging brain recalls correctly, it was an afternoon in my second year. It wasn't magic I should have been exposed to at the time, and it took me an entire afternoon."

For most wizards.

This was definitely Dumbledore's moment of humble-bragging.

However.

"Damn it, it seems your reputation is somewhat undeserved..." Snape was not mocking him, but sighing. As he turned to leave, his expression was far more worried than before.

"????"

Dumbledore was stunned for a long moment.

Immediately after.

He seemed to realize something.

A flicker of... shock passed through the eyes behind his spectacles.