A Conversation in the Headmaster's Office

Lin An climbed to the highest tower of Hogwarts. After entering the password, the spiral staircase rose slowly.

Pushing open the door, he found himself in a circular office filled with strange instruments and magical scrolls.

But Dumbledore was not at the door. He seemed to be busy behind the bookshelves.

Lin An did not sit down immediately. Instead, he walked over to the Phoenix perched on a golden stand—Fawkes.

"It is time to honor our deal."

Lin An's tone was steady, yet his voice carried an undeniable force.

Fawkes ruffled his wings, his fiery red feathers dimming slightly under the light.

"Since you kept your promise—the Christmas gift truly pleased me—then, as agreed, you may take the blood you need."

"Very good." Lin An took out a specially made syringe and several crystal vials, his movements practiced and precise.

With a light tap of his wand, a low hum filled the air as he began drawing the blood that symbolized rebirth.

But when he stopped, he realized that he might have been too greedy.

The Phoenix's feathers had lost their golden sheen, and its body was visibly thinner, as though it might burst into flames and be reborn at any moment.

Lin An frowned slightly and immediately took several bottles of prepared restorative potion from the pouch at his waist, pouring them one by one into Fawkes's beak.

As the potion flowed down, the color of its feathers gradually returned.

He let out a breath of relief, then turned to see that Dumbledore had already returned to his chair, a trace of amusement in his blue eyes.

"Sorry, Professor."

"It is all right," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Since Fawkes agreed to it himself, he must bear the consequences."

Fawkes shot the headmaster a sidelong glance, gave a low cry, and closed its eyes to rest.

"How was your holiday?" Lin An asked, trying to ease the atmosphere.

"Quite pleasant," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Especially the sweets you gave me. Every one had a different emotional flavor, though I did not much care for the 'sadness' one."

"You are not the first to say so. Susan also complained that those two—'sadness' and 'Fear'—were hard to swallow."

"That is only natural. She is still young." Dumbledore took a light sip from his teacup and casually asked, "And your holiday? Did you spend it with anyone special? A lady, perhaps?"

Lin An remained composed and replied evenly, "A few."

"It seems you are as amorous as ever," Dumbledore teased with a smile.

Lin An shrugged. "I would rather call it—part of human nature."

Laughter echoed softly through the room. Dumbledore waved his wand, and two servings of tea and pastries appeared on the table.

Their fragrance spread through the room as the fire crackled.

Once the atmosphere had settled somewhat, Dumbledore suddenly asked, "Are you planning to use Bloodline Modification to break through the limitation?"

"Limitation?" Lin An set down his teacup, his brows drawing together slightly.

Though he vaguely guessed what the professor meant, he did not dare jump to conclusions.

Dumbledore sighed. "This is extremely ancient knowledge. Almost no modern wizard knows of it. Nicolas Flamel was the one who told me."

He lightly tapped the tabletop. "You have heard of the Magic Core Theory, have you not?"

Lin An nodded. He had studied that theory deeply long ago and had even verified it himself.

"I have, Headmaster Dumbledore. Please continue."

"A wizard's magic power increases with age until the Magic Core reaches its limit—that is the so-called limitation.

Most wizards never reach that limit in their entire lives. Only a very small number of exceptionally gifted people can reach it in their old age."

Dumbledore's tone was calm, yet it made the air feel heavy.

"An even smaller group touches it while still young—such as myself, Tom—Voldemort—you, and... an old friend."

He was probably referring to Grindelwald.

That sense of restraint was precisely the barrier he had felt when his magic power had increased to twenty-five times that of an ordinary person.

"Professor, could you explain this limitation in more detail?"

"According to Nicolas, there are three levels of limitation.

What you are facing now is the First Limitation. If you successfully break through it, your magic power will reach a level comparable to mine."

Lin An narrowed his eyes slightly.

"As for the Second Limitation, perhaps only Hogwarts's founders—Rowena Ravenclaw and Salazar Slytherin—ever broke through it.

As for the third... perhaps only Merlin and Morgan le Fay truly crossed it."

Dumbledore paused, his expression complicated.

"However, all of this is merely speculation. After all, such power has long surpassed mortal understanding."

Lin An fell into thought.

If he calculated according to the ratios the professor had described:

Those at the First Limitation possessed twenty-five to fifty times the magic power of an adult wizard;

Those at the Second Limitation possessed fifty to seventy-five times as much;

Those at the Third Limitation possessed seventy-five to one hundred times as much.

Voldemort's magic power was around sixty times that of an ordinary wizard. Could he have broken through the second level?

Lin An swiftly recalled the scene when he had extracted Voldemort's memories, and a thought flashed through his mind—

"No, he merely forcefully expanded his Magic Core, using the energy from splitting his soul to forcibly build it up."

"That is why, although his magic power is strong, it has always remained unstable."

He looked up and asked, "Professor, what about Gryffindor? He is known as one of the strongest duelists in history. Why was he not included in the second level?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Lin An, you must understand that breaking through a limitation only means an increase in magic power. It does not mean being 'the strongest.'

Whether a wizard is truly powerful depends on knowledge, skill, and application.

If one cannot control one's power, then no matter how much magic power one has, it is merely wasted."

Lin An nodded in deep agreement.

He knew well that his true advantage in battle was not power, but his proficient command of various magical systems.

His tone remained calm, but his gaze drifted toward Fawkes, whether intentionally or not.

A thought stirred in Lin An's mind, and he secretly speculated—

Grindelwald might have broken through the limitation with the Elder Wand,

Nicolas Flamel might have relied on the Philosopher's Stone,

and Dumbledore—perhaps he had completed his breakthrough through the power of the Phoenix.

He did not ask again and merely finished the last sip of tea in silence.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling upon the tea set and feathers on the table, casting a gentle glow.

The air was filled with the scent of mint and honey, as though all of Hogwarts had fallen silent.

Dumbledore said softly, "Lin An, the path you are walking is destined to be anything but ordinary."

Lin An smiled faintly, his tone peaceful. "Professor, I only want to see a little farther."

Alchemy, space, elements, even necromancy—he could wield them all with ease.

"Professor, then what about you? How did you break through?"

Dumbledore's gaze flickered, as though he were recalling something.

"I... had some special experiences."