All the portraits fell silent, their eyes turning toward the staircase on one side of the office. Zhang Xiao looked that way too.
Dumbledore was not wearing his glasses. Dressed in white robes that looked rather like pajamas, he slowly descended the stairs from the upper floor.
Zhang Xiao's mouth fell open, and he could not help blurting out:
"G-Gandalf! (Note 1)"
Dumbledore walked up to Zhang Xiao, a gentle smile on his aged face, and asked softly:
"Gandalf?"
Zhang Xiao gave the headmaster an embarrassed smile and explained:
"He's a character in a Muggle novel. His description is practically identical to you."
Understanding dawned on Dumbledore, and he winked at him.
"I think you now know what I'm hoping to receive for Christmas this year."
It seemed the headmaster wanted a copy of The Lord of the Rings. That would be no problem. After all, Zhang Xiao had spent ten years in ordinary society before coming to Hogwarts.
He had long since confirmed in all sorts of ways that things were exactly the same as in his previous life. Naturally, The Lord of the Rings existed here too.
Actually, Zhang Xiao preferred its predecessor, The Hobbit. It was an entertaining book, with a witty, humorous protagonist and one extraordinary adventure after another. It had much the same appeal as a wish-fulfillment webnovel.
Ahem, getting sidetracked. Zhang Xiao hurriedly reined in his wandering thoughts.
He had to admit that, most of the time, Dumbledore was a handsome old man with a wonderful sense of humor. Right now, for instance, he produced an assortment of sweets with a wave of his hand, then even bravely picked up a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean that looked like it tasted of bogies and popped it into his mouth.
He told Zhang Xiao that it was actually beef liver flavored.
Zhang Xiao suspected Dumbledore was deliberately putting him at ease, worried that he might be nervous. Then he suddenly remembered that Dumbledore was a master of Legilimency and hurriedly began looping a chant in his head:
"Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony... dedication, integrity, friendship."
Go on, read the core socialist values, old man!
"Zhang, why do you think they suddenly did something like this to you?"
Huh? Zhang Xiao froze, stopped his mental loop, and frowned as he considered the question. After a while, he said uncertainly:
"I think they might have been testing me, but I can't work out why."
Dumbledore nodded slightly and said approvingly:
"Recognizing it as a test is already quite impressive. Now I'm very curious about your upbringing...
"I don't believe ordinary wizards, including the so-called Sacred Twenty-Eight pure-blood families, could raise a child capable of thinking that far ahead."
A child my age? I'm forty! Isn't it embarrassing that this is as far as I got?
Dumbledore's long fingers picked up another sweet from the plate. He slipped it into his mouth and savored it before changing the subject:
"One of the greatest regrets of my life is that I never traveled through the East. I only took a short detour through Tibet while passing through Nepal.
"I thought the peculiar magic practiced there represented the whole of the East. Meeting you has shown me how terribly mistaken I was."
He sighed, his gaze growing deep and distant.
"More than three thousand years. What an extraordinary span of time. I find it difficult to believe that a family could maintain its legacy for so long.
"I once read a few limited accounts of wizards who traveled to the East, dreaming of exploring the world.
"But they were soon driven out by Eastern wizards who called themselves Qi Refiners.
"What is even more puzzling is that, no matter how they managed to sneak in, someone would soon track them down and expel them. (Note 2)"
As he spoke, Dumbledore turned his blue eyes, as tranquil as the sea, toward Zhang Xiao and asked gently:
"Zhang, could you indulge an old man's curiosity and tell me about the East?"
Zhang Xiao shifted uneasily in his seat. The East is that powerful? I had no idea! He chose his words cautiously:
"I'm sorry, Headmaster, but I grew up in Britain. Before receiving my letter from Hogwarts, I didn't even know about my own family. If you'd like, I can tell you about it after I go back and have a look around."
Dumbledore fell silent for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
"Of course. I was getting ahead of myself. Well, let us return to the matter at hand."
Dumbledore tapped his fingers rhythmically on the desk.
"I originally intended to discuss this attack with you, but after seeing your remarkable performance, I feel that this particular lesson would be better taught by your family."
Then the headmaster promptly sent him on his way. Zhang Xiao understood. As the leading figure in the wizarding world, how could he have so much spare time to chat with a child?
Before he left, however, the headmaster offered one last, meaningful remark:
"Zhang, I'm very glad you stopped them from bullying their classmates. Your presence has shown me another possibility for Slytherin, and I look forward to seeing what changes you might bring to it."
After hurriedly leaving the Headmaster's Office, Zhang Xiao rushed back to his dormitory. Since he had sent all his roommates to the Hospital Wing, he would have the room to himself tonight. That did make it easier to contact his parents, though.
He quickly connected the Far-Seeing Mirror, but before he could speak, his father's voice came through:
"Son, I was just about to call you. I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"
Zhang Xiao choked back his words, then said helplessly:
"The bad news."
"The bad news is that your Gyrfalcon fell through! They have to have their intelligence awakened before becoming messengers. Afterward, it refused to come. It thought it was too far away, and it didn't like the climate over there."
Zhang Xiao was speechless. "Then what's the good news?" he asked listlessly.
Zhang Chengdao exclaimed excitedly:
"The good news is that an Azure Luan elder wants to travel abroad for a change of scenery and is willing to visit you! And stay with you for a few years while there."
Zhang Xiao cried out, his voice even changing pitch. "An Azure Luan??? The Azure Luan from 'If the Azure Luan brings word, send it often'??? The legendary messenger of the great Queen Mother of the West?" (Note 3)
Zhang Chengdao scoffed:
"What are you dreaming about? Not that one. It's an azure bird with just a trace of Azure Luan blood. I'm telling you, when Elder Azure Luan arrives, you'd better show some respect.
"The elder took very good care of me when I was little, and looked after your grandfather when he was a child too. If you dare behave disrespectfully, I'll break your damned legs when you get home!"
What's the point of that? I'm getting another ancestor to serve... Zhang Xiao agreed aloud, then hurriedly brought up his own problem.
Zhang Chengdao listened silently to the whole account, then gave a cold chuckle.
"Son, you're right. It was a test. Your headmaster made exactly the right call telling you to ask your family. What a dirty, low-class trick!"
He cleared his throat, apparently having found somewhere quiet, and said gravely:
"Listen closely. Let me give you a lesson!"
Zhang Xiao hurriedly gave him his full attention as his father continued:
"Remember the time you stepped in to help someone who was being bullied? My guess is that, because of that incident, these people decided you weren't on the same side as them and gave up on approaching you normally.
"Only that boy named Malfoy is still on friendly terms with you. I've heard a little about the Malfoy family too. They're experts at betting on both sides and trimming their sails to the wind.
"So attacking you was merely the means. Their aim was to draw us out-the Zhang family-and see how we responded before deciding how to approach us.
"There are only three possible outcomes.
"First, we're powerful enough to exceed their expectations.
"Second, we're evenly matched.
"Third, we're unexpectedly weak.
"That's all there is to their little scheme. As you said, they were minor jinxes, barely more than pranks. When the time comes, they can wash their hands of the whole thing by saying it was just children fooling around.
"But the third possibility..."
Zhang Chengdao's voice turned icy.
"The third is the most interesting, and probably the one they're hoping for most... They're looking to fleece us like a fat sheep!"
Note 1: Dumbledore and Gandalf are not played by the same actor, but their costumes and appearances are extremely similar, making them easy to mix up.
Note 2: This concerns the basic setting of the East in this novel. A reasonable explanation will be provided later.
Note 3: The Azure Luan is recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas as the Queen Mother of the West's messenger. It can seek out food, and its song is unrivaled. Since I can't weaken the East, I can only dilute the bloodline. Here, it is an azure bird with a trace of that bloodline, with habits similar to an Azure Luan's: delivering messages, finding delicious food, and singing beautifully. It is similar to Fawkes, just much more senior, and won't upset the balance.
P.S. I made some revisions to Chapter 31 and added a few things, mainly to flesh out Daphne Greengrass's characterization. Otherwise, as one reader pointed out, she would come across as rather awkward.
I hurried to get a chapter written while my child was asleep. This chapter introduces quite a lot, and I'm not sure whether everyone will find it acceptable. Feel free to share any concerns. I'm off to bed now. Good night, everyone.
Before you continue