" Professor Dumbledore, what is it?" Morris asked.
Dumbledore nodded slightly, gesturing for him to come closer.
By this time, most of the people in the Great Hall had left, leaving only Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.
Morris glanced between the two professors; the former's expression remained unchanged, while the latter's face was serious.
"I think you've already seen the Daily Prophet's report on Lockhart," Dumbledore said.
"Yes."
The news had already spread throughout the entire school.
" The Ministry of Magic examined Lockhart's physical condition," Dumbledore said slowly. "His brain has been tampered with, and the condition is very bad. We believe that someone at Hogwarts has cast extremely powerful mental magic on him."
Morris blurted out, "You don't suspect it was me, do you?"
Professor McGonagall shook her head. "Don't worry, Morris, I was just asking if you know anything. There have been reports of ghosts seeing you frequently near Professor Lockhart's office lately, often quite late."
We've been discovered.
"That's right." Morris readily admitted, "I did use Legilimency on Lockhart."
"It doesn't matter if you don't know anything... Wait, what did you say!?" Professor McGonagall's voice suddenly rose, her eyes widening slightly.
Morris smiled, his tone relaxed. "To be honest, Lockhart turning himself in might have been partly my doing. Can I get a reward for that?"
Professor McGonagall was incredulous and about to say something when Dumbledore raised a hand to stop her.
Dumbledore asked curiously, " Morris, why did you use this magic on Lockhart?"
"I just suspect he's done something wrong and want to confirm it," Morris replied briefly.
Of course, the main reason was that he wanted to practice Legilimency —but that reason sounded rather frivolous, so it was better not to say it.
Professor McGonagall took a deep breath, her expression serious. " Morris, Legilimency is an extremely sensitive and dangerous high-level spell, and it must never be misused. Even if you have reason to suspect Lockhart, you should report to us first, rather than taking extreme action on your own."
"I understand, Professor." Morris lowered his head obediently.
He had expected McGonagall to say that.
but...
He suddenly looked up and asked, "Professor, is the spell Legilimency itself forbidden?"
Professor McGonagall frowned. "Strictly speaking, it's not forbidden, but this kind of magic is often accompanied by criminal activity."
Dumbledore said, " Morris, in the magical world, the boundaries of many spells lie in the user's intention and method. Legilimency; it involves a person's most vulnerable points. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, I do not recommend that you use it."
Not recommended for use?
Morris smirked and shrugged. "Alright, I won't overuse it. But Professor Dumbledore, didn't you use it on me last semester? I managed to defend against it, but was that a last resort?"
Professor McGonagall looked sharply at Dumbledore, her eyes filled with shock.
She had never heard of this.
Dumbledore and waved his hand somewhat awkwardly. "That's enough for today, Morris. You can go back now."
Don't change the subject, Professor.
Morris smiled, gave a curtsy, and turned to leave.
The moment the Great Hall doors closed, Professor McGonagall immediately turned to Dumbledore, " Albus, what's going on?"
"It's a long story, Minerva..."
Dumbledore rubbed his temples.
Morris Black is quite a troublesome student.
He had a premonition beforehand that Lockhart's unusual state was related to the other party.
However, there was one more point that puzzled him.
That is... can Legilimency really destroy a person's memories and emotions like Lockhart's?
At least, he couldn't do it himself.
Hogsmeade Station was bustling with activity.
With nearly half an hour to go before the train arrives at the station, students are standing on the platform, creating a noisy scene.
Everyone seemed particularly excited and looking forward to the upcoming summer vacation.
Morris is chatting with the Weasley Twins.
"I want to start an organization," he said suddenly, seriously.
Fred immediately raised his eyebrows. "What organization?"
"To bring together a group of ambitious and exceptionally talented individuals, and then move towards greatness."
Upon receiving this answer, the twins exchanged a glance.
"What's this all about?" George asked, puzzled. "Isn't there a more specific goal?"
Morris stroked his chin.
What I just said was just a whim.
But he did have the idea of starting his own organization.
The reason, as he just mentioned, is to bring together a group of ambitious and exceptionally talented individuals.
Morris believed that the clash of different ideas was very important.
When outstanding people come together, interesting things always happen.
He likes fun.
However, it's best to first establish a specific goal, preferably one that can attract others.
Morris for a moment, then said, "The organization has only one goal: to explore the unknown."
George crossed his arms. "Explore what? You still haven't made anything clear, Morris."
Morris looked up at the sky. "Then... let's explore the universe."
This answer was completely unexpected by the twins, and even a little strange.
Fred blinked. "Are we members?"
"Of course," Morris nodded matter-of-factly, "So now the organization has three people in total."
He thought the twins would play with him.
"Your goals are ambitious, Morris," George said, his tone unusually serious, "And very unrealistic."
Morris smiled slightly. "Yes, but I think it's achievable."
Fred looked at him, and suddenly felt a pang of emotion.
This is Morris Black, always full of confidence.
Such arrogant words, coming from the other person, were surprisingly convincing.
"We need more partners," Fred said.
"There's still funding," George added. "Lots of funding."
Money?
Morris nodded. "It is indeed necessary."
He is not a dreamer.
No matter what kind of research you do, it requires a lot of financial support.
"Then invest in us," Fred grinned slyly, lowering his voice. "We're planning to open a shop. Don't think I'm joking; we've been planning this for a long time. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, that's the name, and we're currently finalizing the product list."
Morris knew the twins were always tinkering with various inventions, but he didn't expect them to have already planned to open a shop.
This was unexpected.
I'd be happy to invest.
The twins' eyes lit up immediately when Morris was halfway through his sentence.
However, the next sentence is:
But I don't have enough money on hand to open a store right now.
The light in the twins' eyes went out.