Power Above All

Just as Skylar was about to take his leave, Professor McGonagall spoke up, "You're welcome. I also hope you can win this competition and bring glory to the school."

Skylar smiled and replied, "Professor, thank you for your encouragement. I can't guarantee I'll win the match, but I can promise I'll give it my all!"

"You!" Professor McGonagall's eyes lit up with a rare smile. "You dare to say that! You actually broke the agreed-upon rules and participated in the Triwizard Tournament on your own. I really don't know what to say about you!"

"However," Professor McGonagall's smile faded, "the Goblet of Fire is sentient. Since it has chosen you as Champion, it means you meet the eligibility requirements." She couldn't help but think of another Champion from Hogwarts, "I wonder what Potter will do. This competition is no easy feat, and there are quite a few dangerous events involved—I advise you to be careful and not to overexert yourself, understand?"

When McGonagall found out that Skylar had signed up for the Triwizard Tournament without permission, she was initially angry. She hadn't expected the usually well-behaved Skylar to act so recklessly. However, she later let it go. After all, Skylar was already a fourth-year student, and given the tournament's five-year cycle, Skylar wouldn't have the chance to participate in the next one.

Moreover, his strength is undeniable; in McGonagall's opinion, he is at least capable of competing with seventh-year students.

"Yes, Professor, I will be careful," Skylar said obediently.

"Also," Professor McGonagall seemed to remember something, "there's something else I think you'd better go see Professor Dumbledore as well. After all, as a lower-year student participating in such an upperclassman competition, it would be best to hear his opinion. He's in the Headmaster's Office right now; the code is 'Cockroach Cluster.'"

Hmph, Dumbledore?

"Yes, Professor, I understand," Skylar replied.

Skylar wasn't naive enough to believe that meeting Dumbledore was truly Professor McGonagall's idea; he could tell from Professor McGonagall tone and eyes. Professor McGonagall, you may be an excellent witch, a master of Transfiguration, but you are certainly not a qualified con artist...

What could Dumbledore want with him?

Several thoughts flashed through Skylar's mind, the most likely being that it was because he had participated in the Triwizard Tournament.

Skylar thought it over carefully and was quite certain that he had not given anything away anywhere. Whether it was the establishment of the Sleeping Dragon Society or the killing of Kingsley, there was almost no possibility of it being leaked.

He absolutely had to see Dumbledore; after all, what's meant to happen will happen eventually. And having learned about Meredith and Morgan le Fay, he certainly had reasons to consult Dumbledore.

In the Headmaster's Office, the portraits of past headmasters hanging on the wall were all pretending to be asleep, but their slightly exposed eyes were actually fixed on Skylar. At the other end of the desk sat Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, with a kind smile but deep eyes.

"It's been a long time, Skylar. How was your summer vacation and fourth-year school life?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

This wasn't the first time Skylar had dealt with this seemingly kind elder, who was actually a chess player with extremely brilliant strategies.

Skylar knew that no matter how discreetly he tried to conceal his actions at Hogwarts, it would be difficult to hide them from the Headmaster. If Dumbledore's attention was out of 10, 5 would be on Harry, 2 on Ron and Hermione, and the remaining 3 would probably be mostly on himself.

This is why he had Daphne establish the Sleeping Dragon Society on his behalf. With him and Harry drawing attention, and with Mad-Eye Moody and Draco adding fuel to the fire, Skylar didn't believe Dumbledore could really handle everything. He's not a god!

Skylar had no intention of beating around the bush with Dumbledore; he went straight to the point. "Dear Professor, let's be frank! You didn't come to me just to ask about me, did you?"

This time, it was Dumbledore's turn to be taken aback. He had been the headmaster for many years, and even though he was easygoing, his status and power meant that every student would feel awe and even trepidation when facing him. This was the first time he had ever seen a student so bluntly confront him.

He smiled and said, "Child, I didn't mean any harm by calling you here. As a principal, it's my duty to care for every student. I just wanted to know if you had anything you wanted to say to me, like... Meredith?"

As expected, Skylar was right; it was indeed Dumbledore's idea to call Skylar to the Headmaster's Office. However, he didn't expect that Dumbledore would pinpoint his weakness with just his first words.

Skylar's pupils contracted slightly. Meredith was a sore spot in his heart; he couldn't forget, nor could he forgive himself for the mistakes he had made that had hurt those around him. He had told himself he must protect everyone around him...

"Since you've brought up Mei, Professor, you must already know that she was captured by the 'Shadow of the Magic Dragon,'" Skylar's eyes sharpened. "I swear—I will definitely rescue her, but—"

Skylar's tone was filled with unwavering determination. "Before that, I need more power, and no one can stop me—" Skylar's gaze was fixed on Dumbledore, "Professor, please understand, I don't want anyone around me to get hurt again!"

Skylar made it very clear: I am pursuing power, and anyone who dares to stand in my way is my enemy!

Dumbledore silent.

He looked at Skylar as if he were scrutinizing him.

To be honest, he could no longer see through Skylar's true strength. This feeling of being out of control was very unpleasant for a control freak like him, and he could vaguely sense the power of that realm in Skylar. He was almost certain that, although the conjecture sounded absurd, he believed that Skylar had already taken that step.

Right now, Skylar isn't the only one causing him this kind of trouble that's beyond his control.

Several recent events involuntarily surfaced in his mind.

His intelligence network told him that a Muggle named Bryce had gone missing in Little Hangleton, a small town in Britain. This Muggle was responsible for guarding Riddle House. He had a feeling that this was definitely related to that person.

Also, Kingsley Shacklebolt, whom I relied on greatly at the Order of the Phoenix, is dead! Although he died in a mission, how could three Aurors fail to defeat five Werewolf? That doesn't seem right at all!

That wasn't all. The International Confederation of Wizards also sent him very bad news: the Indonesian Ministry of Magic had been forcibly breached by a dark wizard who used its International Floo Network to escape to Europe. No matter how weak the Indonesian Ministry of Magic was, it was still the authority of the Wizarding World of a country; how could an ordinary dark wizard accomplish such a feat?

Having discussed the distant past, let's return to the more recent events. Within Hogwarts alone, there are already many unusual occurrences.

Hagrid reported that there were numerous signs of burning in the Forbidden Forest. He personally inspected the site and was certain it was Fiendfyre Curse. This suggests that traces of what appears to be a dark wizard have appeared in the Forbidden Forest?

Those who can use Fiendfyre Curse without suffering a backlash are generally quite powerful, enough to threaten the safety of the Hogwarts students. Moreover, the caster of this Fiendfyre Curse is probably very skilled in the Fiendfyre Curse; the vast number of Acromantula in the Forbidden Forest were almost wiped out by the fire, and he hasn't seen such a powerful Fiendfyre Curse in a long time.

Earlier, on the first day of school, Minerva told him that the Malfoy twins had clashed with Alastor. He later found out the details: Draco blocked Moody's attack, and then Draco and Skylar joined forces to unleash a powerful attack spell, forcing Moody to use a strange Shield Charm to defend himself.

This matter was unusual in too many ways—whether it was Draco blocking Moody's attack, Draco and Skylar working together to threaten Moody, or the Shield Charm that Moody used, which even he had never seen before, all of these things made him very concerned.

As if he didn't have enough troubles already, in his opinion, all four contestants in this Triwizard Tournament had problems!

Skylar and Harry's participation in the competition was already strange enough, but he could still roughly guess the reason behind it and had some suspects in mind.

He suspected that Skylar was able to participate because he had broken through some unspeakable realm. He suspected that Harry's forced participation in the competition was manipulated by the Mysterious Man behind the scenes, though it was unclear through whom at Hogwarts this was done.

However, the involvement of the Moreau Family and Hohenheim Families was truly unexpected. Dumbledore knew a little about the background of these two families; they were definitely not as simple as they appeared, just two famous Pure-blood families.

The Hohenheim Family's alchemical school most likely involves dark Necro-Alchemy, a form of Human Transmutation —a forbidden area of alchemy!

The fact that Katarina's surname in the Moreau Family contained the name "Grindelwald" particularly intrigued him. The reason is self-evident, isn't it?

Of course, it was precisely because so many of these factors occupied most of his attention, and the simultaneous implementation of Harry's training program left him exhausted, that Daphne was able to successfully establish the Sleeping Dragon Society without his knowledge—he simply couldn't afford to pay any more attention to the other young wizards at Hogwarts.

After a long silence, he spoke in the gentlest tone, "Child, remember, you are not alone. Meredith is also a student of Hogwarts. If a student is in trouble, as the headmaster, I have a duty to help. You can ask me for help at any time."

Skylar remained expressionless, but inwardly he wondered, "Is this old man trying to make amends?"

Dumbledore didn't intend to dwell on the topic any longer and continued, "The pursuit of power is not inherently wrong. I just want to remind you not to lose yourself and not to forget your original intentions. I have seen far too many students as outstanding and ambitious as you..." After saying this, Dumbledore fell silent. He seemed to recall some past events, and he looked as if he had aged ten years, revealing a weary expression.

A pang of pity stirred in Skylar's heart. Yes, no matter how powerful or wise Dumbledore appeared, he couldn't change the fact that he was already a 113-year-old man, carrying too much on his shoulders...

He has already dedicated his life to two generations of Dark Lords, and judging from his tone, he now has to worry about the emergence of a third Dark Lord.

Moreover, Skylar knew that he had now provoked at least two groups of enemies: the Shadow of the Magic Dragon and the Ghosts Society.

After careful consideration, although he was reluctant to owe Dumbledore favor, he knew that building a complete intelligence network would take a long time, and he couldn't afford to waste any more time. Utilizing Dumbledore's network was clearly a better option. However, his own plans, the promise he had made to his own destiny and his family's fate—did he ultimately need to compromise?

Meredith's face flashed through his mind, along with the touching kiss in the teahouse and the girl's promise to spend her life with him. A sharp pain shot through his heart, a real, agonizing pain, as if he were being torn apart. But enough, enough. He wasn't a heartless person after all. He could abandon Hermione's friendship for his family and ambition, but Meredith's place in his heart was far greater than Hermione's.

He gradually made up his mind.

"Professor, let's stop playing games here," Skylar couldn't help but say. "I know you've been suspicious of me and worried about me. Ultimately, it's because I'm a member of the House of Malfoy. Are you worried that I'll join the Death Eaters like those Pure-blood families?"

Skylar said firmly, "I can tell you now that you're worrying too much! I will not join the Death Eaters. In fact, everything I've done all along has been to extricate my family from the Death Eaters, so that we wouldn't get bogged down in the quagmire of war between the Death Eaters and your faction..."

Dumbledore laughed, and said with a smile, "To be honest, I never worried that you would become Voldemort's henchman," his eyes gleaming, "Because he doesn't deserve it!"

"I must say, living long enough does give me an advantage in judging people. I've seen too many people—you can't possibly be second to anyone, even if that person is Voldemort." Dumbledore's tone was very certain.

Wow, there are so many ways to interpret this statement! For example, does it imply that Skylar will be the next Dark Lord?

Skylar sighed and slowly said, "Professor, what I pursue is nothing more than the power to protect those around me and to live with dignity."

Skylar said, "Professor, you probably know that I learned some wizarding law from Aunt Leah during the summer vacation. I discovered that the wizarding world appears to be a society governed by the rule of law, but there are obvious loopholes everywhere in the legal regulations. Modifying radios and sports cars isn't considered illegal Muggle products, but televisions and blankets are not. What's the logic behind that? Not to mention, the Minister for Magic, as the executive officer, has the power to change the law at any time, and also has the power to dismiss members of the Wizengamot, who are part of the judicial system..."

"No matter how nice the slogans sound, they can't hide the cruel reality of the wizarding world's supremacy of power," Skylar said eloquently. "Professor, you possess power, and you can choose to be friendly to others, but you can't expect everyone to be like you, uncorrupted by power. Look at them—the officials of the Ministry of Magic usually talk about having immense power, but in the last Wizarding War, they were all more cowardly than grandsons in front of the Dark Lord. They were among the many perpetrators who persecuted Muggles and innocent people..."

Skylar concluded in a deep voice, "In the Wizarding World, those without power are unworthy of wealth and status. That's the harsh reality!"