The scent of tea filled the Headmaster's Office, teasing the nose. Apart from the bubbling of boiling water, the room was peaceful and quiet.
Shawn had already left, leaving Dumbledore alone at his desk, drinking ginseng tea and considering the three ground rules Shawn had just laid out.
Shawn's firm voice seemed to still echo in his ears.
"First, I won't promote any overly dangerous ideas at school. I'll only restore it to what a school ought to be."
"Second, I'll help you protect Harry and keep a close eye on Quirrell."
"Third, judging from the few words my father left behind, I've deduced that Voldemort left at least five to seven Horcruxes. I can help you gradually find them all."
The sheer amount of information contained in those three statements was staggering.
As for Shawn's promise not to promote overly dangerous ideas, that would require further observation. For now, Dumbledore had never opposed improving the young wizards' ability to protect themselves.
What worried him was Shawn following the same path as Voldemort. Power and prestige could nurture ambition.
But compared with the matter of Grindelwald, he had no time to spare for any of that just now.
After all, he couldn't very well imprison Shawn or send him to Azkaban.
Once he had some free time, he would have to give Shawn more care and guidance.
And Voldemort truly had gone mad, daring to toy with his soul like that! He had split it into so many Horcruxes!
Just how many clues had Regulus, Voldemort's former confidant and Shawn's father, left him?
Who exactly was Shawn's mother? He still hadn't managed to find out.
As for Shawn wanting to help him find the Horcruxes, and already taking action, that was quite welcome. Having someone run around on behalf of