Interview

The morning fog still hung over London.

Ian Alvin pushed open the wooden door of his potion shop, the bell chiming crisply. The witch behind the counter hurriedly rose and bowed, still holding a thick ledger in her hands.

"Sir, here are the sales figures for the past three months."

Ian took the ledger, his gaze sweeping over the densely packed numbers. The profits remained astonishing, especially from that bottle of "Eternal Youth Potion"—it was practically a money-printing machine for the Wizarding World.

This potion could restore a person's appearance to any age she desired. Whether forty or twenty, one sip was enough to bring back youth.

It did not extend one's lifespan, but it allowed women to see their youthful selves in the mirror. Young witches used it to maintain flawless beauty. Better yet, the potion carried a faint beauty-enhancing Genjutsu, like a real-life beauty filter.

Of course, the potion did not come without a price.

Excessive use would build up resistance, gradually weakening its effects. So Ian developed a second potion to remove that resistance.

With the two potions monopolizing the market, coupled with the popularity of Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, he had become a publicly acknowledged millionaire in the Wizarding World.

But wealth was not the end goal he sought.

He needed money—to support far greater experiments.

The union of nuclear energy and magic, dimensions and souls, alchemy and science—that was his true objective.

After confirming that everything in the shop was in order, Ian draped himself in a black robe and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder.

"Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall's office."

Green flames instantly swallowed him.

The next second, he appeared in that familiar office. Professor McGonagall sat behind her desk, as meticulous as ever, her green robes immaculate and her eyes sharp.

"Mr. Ian, it has been a long time." Her tone was cool.

"To be exact, five years," she added. "For those five years, no one knew where you had gone. If not for the occasional letters you sent, we would have nearly assumed you had died in some laboratory."

Ian smiled faintly. "Professor, you should have a little more faith in me. It will not be so easy to kill me."

McGonagall frowned deeply. "That is not the issue. You vanished without a trace after graduation. So many people worried about you. Even the headmaster mentioned your whereabouts more than once."

"Sorry." His attitude was sincere. "I truly became consumed by research during those years, and later ran into some... minor trouble."

"'Minor trouble'?" McGonagall snorted. "I do not believe there is anything someone like you would describe as 'minor.'"

With that, she rose and led the way.

The two passed through the corridor, and the magical statues silently moved aside, revealing an ancient oak door.

"Please go in. The headmaster is waiting for you."

Ian pushed the door open. Familiar warmth washed over him. Blue flames burned in the fireplace, and the sweet scent of lemon drops drifted through the air. On a perch in the middle of the room, a Phoenix leisurely preened its feathers.

Ian smiled and reached out to stroke its crest.

"Fawkes, have you considered my proposal? Come with me. I can give you a better life."

The Phoenix lifted its eyes and lazily replied, "Not interested."

"Heh, just as stubborn as ever." He chuckled softly.

"This spell is truly remarkable, is it not?" a gentle voice suddenly sounded.

"Voice of Nature, allowing one to converse with living creatures. I must admit, it is one of your finest inventions."

Ian turned around.

"Professor Dumbledore, you look more spirited than I remember."

"Thank you. Would you like some tea?"

"If you do not mind."

With a wave of his hand, the teapot floated up on its own, releasing fragrant steam. The two sat facing each other in silence for a moment. Dumbledore studied him with deep eyes, the kind of gaze that seemed to see into one's soul and made people uneasy.

Has he already reached that stage? the headmaster sighed inwardly. Faster than Gellert and I were, faster than Tom.

He took a sip of tea and asked, "Mr. Ian, where did you go during those five years?"

Ian replied calmly, "When my application for a teaching position was rejected, I followed your advice—traveling.

"I went to the United States, the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, the pyramids of Egypt, and also the Soviet Union and China. Not only the Wizarding World; I traveled through the Muggle world as well."

Dumbledore nodded slightly, yet caught a trace of concealment in those calm eyes.

He had not told the truth, of course.

Traveling?

That was merely the surface.

In truth, over those five years, Ian had become the world's most mysterious "academic thief."

He infiltrated magical academies, alchemy towers, and Muggle research institutes across various countries, stealing knowledge, spells, ancient fragments, and unpublished experimental data.

In the Americas, he disguised himself as a potion-maker and infiltrated shamanic tribes. In the Soviet Union, he slipped into the underground magical-energy reactor of the Academy of Sciences. In China, he visited the Kunlun Ruins at night and discussed arrays and the principles of souls with a Daoist priest.

What he stole was not wealth, but "wisdom."

Sometimes, he did not even need a single soldier or weapon. All it took was one conversation for him to plunder the core theories of an entire school of thought.

And so, a legend appeared in the world—

"Shadowless Thief," whose trail spanned the globe, feared alike by the Wizarding World and the Muggle world.

Yet no one knew that this mysterious thief was Hogwarts' youngest genius graduate—Ian Alvin.

"I see." Dumbledore slowly set down his teacup. "I imagine your so-called 'travels' must have been quite... fruitful."

Ian merely smiled without confirming or denying it.

After a moment of silence, Dumbledore turned and walked toward an ancient table carved with runes.

"The teaching position at Hogwarts has been vacant for many years. I need someone who can spark the students' curiosity. And you—are clearly a dangerous yet fascinating choice."

Ian rose, his fingers lightly tapping the tabletop.

"Danger and curiosity are the essence of magic, are they not?"

Dumbledore smiled faintly, blue flames dancing in his eyes.

"Welcome home, Professor Ian."