"—It's been more than fifteen hundred years!"
"—Since Lord Merlin, Britain finally has another Legendary Wizard of its own!"
"—Professor Dumbledore truly deserves to be called the greatest White Wizard in all of Europa!"
"—My family used to live in Godric's Hollow, right next to the Dumbledore Family. My grandmother told me that when Professor Dumbledore was born, the entire valley was filled with a strange red glow, and everywhere smelled sweet, like a hundred flowers blooming in spring! A Phoenix named Fawkes, which had secluded itself deep within the valley, personally descended upon Dumbledore Manor and bestowed an undying blessing from an Ancient Bloodline upon the newborn..."
"—I heard that Professor Dumbledore was already a qualified Animagus at the age of five and could transform into a true Phoenix. It must have something to do with that blessing..."
"—But aren't Phoenixes Magical Creatures? An Animagus can only turn into an ordinary little animal without magic, right? Can one turn into a Phoenix?"
"—That's exactly why it's so miraculous!"
Zheng Qing sat at a small table against the wall, holding his Butterbeer as he listened to the flushed, excited Hogsmeade villagers recount all sorts of strange tales from Dumbledore's childhood to the guests. His expression was somewhat subtle.
Unlike the clueless outsiders who only knew how to marvel, Zheng Qing, as a Legend, was extremely sensitive to stories steeped in the aura of "legend." Like the tale that wrinkled Old Witch had just told about Dumbledore's birth—it sounded as though someone had already begun cultivating his Legendary Status.
Hermione sat beside him, listening with rapt attention.
Unlike the Dean of the Edge, who had much on her mind, Miss Wesley, only a first-year university student, was simply interested in the Hogwarts of this world. That was why she had begged