(To avoid confusion with the card names later, the [ Dumbledore ] card in the first few chapters will be renamed [ Hogwarts Headmaster Dumbledore ])
The afternoon sun streamed through the high window of the Headmaster's Office, warming the large desk piled high with documents and parchment.
Fawkes stood on the perch, preening its golden-red feathers, occasionally letting out a low chirp.
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, his Half-moon Spectacles slipped down to the tip of his nose, and he was looking down, turning a small card over and over in his hand.
The face printed on the front of that card looked remarkably like him.
His silver-white beard hung down to his chest, and his blue eyes gazed gently ahead through his Half-moon Spectacles, a smile on his lips that was hard to decipher.
The background is the Headmaster's Office, with portraits of past principals hanging on the wall. Fawkes stands upright on his shoulder, his wings slightly spread, as if frozen in time at the moment of spreading his wings.
The card's attributes are clearly labeled: 8 mana, 10/10, a powerful card.
Dumbledore turned the card over and his gaze fell on the line of small print.
Everyone remembers the Sherbet Lemon in his pocket, but often forgets that he was the only wizard the Dark Lord feared.
He stared at the words for a long time, and the corners of his mouth involuntarily curved upwards.
"Quite interesting," he muttered to himself, turning the card over to look at his portrait again. "It really does look like me. Fawkes, what do you think?"
Fawkes turned its head from its perch, glanced at the card with one round eye, and then let out a short chirp that sounded like it was saying, "Not bad."
Dumbledore placed the cards on the table and was about to reach for another when there was a knock at the door.
"Please come in."
The door was pushed open, and Professor McGonagall walked in.
Today she was wearing a dark green robe, the collar buttoned up perfectly, and her hair was styled into a tight bun at the back of her head.
Her expression was that of someone Dumbledore very familiar with, a look that straddled the line between seriousness and helplessness.
She clearly saw the card in Dumbledore's hand; McGonagall paused, her brow furrowing instantly.
" Albus," she said, her tone slightly reproachful, "Are you also studying these Muggle world cards?"
Dumbledore looked up, his face bearing the expression of someone caught red-handed by a student stealing candy.
" Minerva, you've come at the perfect time." He held up another card and waved it at her. "Look, there's another one of yours on here."
McGonagall ignored the card, strode to her desk, placed her hands on the edge of the desk, leaned forward slightly, and spoke in a relatively serious tone.
" Albus, do you know what's going on in the castle right now?" Her voice was very serious. "These cards from the Muggle world... almost everyone in the castle is obsessed with them."
" The Ravenclaw students held some kind of competition in the common room, and the bulletin board was covered with scoreboards."
"It's even more outrageous in Hufflepuff. Someone brought the cards into the greenhouse, and Professor Sprout said she's been finding cards under the flowerpots for several days in a row."
Dumbledore listened quietly, his fingers still holding the corner of the card.
" Gryffindor goes without saying." McGonagall took a deep breath, as if gathering her patience for what she was about to say.
Fred and George somehow got hold of a huge pile of stuff and set up a stall in the common room, saying things like, "Beginner tutorial, guaranteed to teach you until you learn."
" Weasley was caught playing cards in the back of the classroom by Professor Binns during History of Magic class yesterday, and Harry was still discussing some 'bond effect' with others in the Great Hall this morning, without even having breakfast."
She paused for a moment, then added, "They have some in Slytherin too."
"I saw Malfoy and his two henchmen playing cards in a corner of the library, and Madam Pince almost kicked them out."
McGonagall withdrew her hands from the edge of the table, straightened up, and looked into Dumbledore's eyes.
"Final exams are less than two months away, Albus."
"The students' minds are completely focused on these cards; they're daydreaming in class, doing their homework half-heartedly, and eight out of ten students in the library aren't studying but playing games."
"I know this thing isn't bad," McGonagall added, slowing her speech slightly.
"I don't object to students having some entertainment, but the current situation is affecting normal teaching."
"We need a management method to keep these things within a reasonable range."
Dumbledore gently placed the card on the table, among the other cards.
His gaze swept over the cards, then he looked up at McGonagall, a gentle smile in his blue eyes.
He shook his head.
" Minerva, we can't just look at the bad side."
McGonagall's brow furrowed even more.
"We can't control what students do," Dumbledore, as if stating a very simple truth. "The more you try to forbid something, the more they want to do it."
"That's just how young people are; you and I were the same back then."
He smiled, as if recalling something from a long time ago.
"We need to learn how to guide."
McGonagall was silent for two seconds, her brows furrowing even deeper instead of relaxing. "Guidance? Albus, you make it sound so easy. How am I supposed to guide?"
Dumbledore blinked.
"Let me find Fudge," he said.
McGonagall was stunned.
" Fudge?" She repeated the name, her expression turning utterly blank. " Cornelius Fudge? What does this have to do with Fudge?"
Dumbledore did not answer; he gathered the cards into a stack and put them into the inside pocket of his robe.
"This will be a surprise," Dumbledore said, his expression the kind of utterly mischievous old man that made McGonagall both want to sigh and laugh.
"Fine," McGonagall finally said, her tone carrying a sense of resigned helplessness.
"Then please handle this matter as soon as possible. I hope the atmosphere in the castle can return to normal before the final exams."
"Don't worry," Dumbledore nodded to her, "I'll handle it."
McGonagall stared at him for two seconds, as if assessing the veracity of the promise, then gently shook her head and turned to walk towards the door.
She paused as she reached the door and glanced back at Dumbledore.
He had already looked down at the other cards, seemingly having forgotten what had just happened.
McGonagall reluctantly pushed open the door and walked out. The wooden door closed behind her with a soft thud.
The next morning, the Great Hall was filled with students having breakfast, just like always.
The aroma of toasted bread and fried eggs mingled together, wafting between the four long tables.
The owls had already delivered the letters and packages earlier and were gradually flying out of the domed windows.
But the atmosphere today is a little different from usual.
From the moment Dumbledore stepped onto the small platform in front of the faculty table, the buzzing below never stopped.
What does the principal want to say?
"I don't know, but there was a notice posted at the entrance of the Great Hall this morning saying that there would be an announcement after breakfast."
"Is something going to happen again?"
"Shut up, don't talk nonsense."
Dumbledore stood at the front of the platform, wearing a deep purple robe, his silver beard gleaming softly in the morning light.
Instead of tapping the cup as usual, he pulled a card directly from inside his robe.
He held it up so everyone could see it.
The noise in the Great Hall immediately subsided by half.
The front of the card depicted his own face—a silver-white beard, crescent-shaped glasses, and blue eyes gazing gently ahead.
But unlike regular cards, the Dumbledore in the image is moving.
He winked ahead, his beard swaying slightly with his movement. In the background, Fawkes flew down from his perch, circled him once, and then landed back down.
The card is like a small window, inside which is a living Dumbledore.
A collective gasp filled the Great Hall.
" Merlin's beard..." Fred muttered to himself at the Gryffindor Table, dropping his fork onto the plate.
"Is that animated?" George leaned closer, his eyes wide.
After the gasps of surprise from Dumbledore and the others subsided somewhat, he moved the megaphone closer to his mouth.
"Dear students," his voice carried clearly to every corner of the Great Hall.
"Starting today, the top ten students in each grade's final exams, as well as students whom professors deem to have made significant progress, will receive a dynamic card."
He twirled the picture of [ Hogwarts Headmaster Dumbledore ] in his hand, making the animated version of himself wink at all the students once more.
"The effect is exactly the same as a regular card," Dumbledore added, "But it's dynamic, a very cool, very cool dynamic effect."
The Great Hall fell silent for a moment, then erupted as if someone had lit a string of firecrackers.
"Dynamic!"
"You get it if you're in the top ten of the final exam?"
I'm starting to study today!
" Merlin's beard, I must get it!"
Dumbledore smiled and raised his hand, pressing it down slightly. The sound in the Great Hall gradually subsided.
"Of course, it's not just me."
He put the card away and then pulled out another one from inside his robe.