บท 35: 035 The Curse Of The Dark Lord
Since that fateful night when Bryan had first entered Dumbledore's office after Christmas, there had been an underlying tension between them. It wasn't because Bryan was particularly afraid of the contemporary greatest white wizard, but rather due to a sense of caution and wariness. As the saying goes, one should not fear a thief but rather fear the thief's intentions. Bryan couldn't shake off the feeling that Dumbledore had ulterior motives for summoning him once again.
The circular office remained largely unchanged since Bryan's previous visit, except for one notable difference. The phoenix he had encountered before, still a young bird back then, had now matured into a resplendent creature. Its once vibrant red and gold feathers now adorned its entire body, shimmering in the soft light of the office. However, the phoenix seemed undisturbed by Bryan's presence, sleeping soundly with its head tucked beneath its wings in the brazier. Even the sound of Bryan's footsteps passing by failed to rouse it from its slumber.
As Bryan entered the office, Dumbledore appeared occupied, engrossed in the act of answering someone's letter. Upon noticing Bryan's slightly fatigued appearance, the light in Dumbledore's blue eyes softened considerably compared to their initial meeting
"Good evening, Headmaster Dumbledore, I hope I didn't disturb you," Bryan nodded, "I heard from Professor Snape that you seem to have something to discuss with me."
Dumbledore beckoned him to sit down, with a smile on his face, but there was some blame in his tone of voice, " Ah, that is indeed true, Bryan. Unfortunately, I'm afraid I won't be able to offer you any decent wine this time. Moreover, considering your current mental state, I believe it would be best for you to abstain from alcoholic beverages."."
Bryan smiled and didn't speak, he could see that the old man was holding something bad in his heart!
There was nothing new in the words of greeting. Dumbledore expressed his heartfelt thanks to him for his noble behavior of staying out at night for many days and doing his best to guard the safety of the young wizards. He also implicitly expressed his concern about his current physical condition and asked if Bryan needed some time off.
"Thank you very much for your concern, Headmaster Dumbledore," Bryan cautiously refused to say a word, "It is the task entrusted to me by the school board to catch the attacker of the attack, and I have to be serious about my work. As well as the safety of the students, I will not leave my post without permission until the culprit surfaces."
"Oh, such noble sense of responsibility. The safety of the young wizards is indeed important, but Bryan, your well-being is equally of concern to me," Dumbledore seemed moved by Bryan's response. He sniffled, took off his glasses, and wiped the moisture from them.
"Severus and Minerva have mentioned their concerns to me on several occasions," Dumbledore admitted, his voice tinged with a mix of gratitude and worry. "They expressed their concerns about your overly dedicated work style. Both of them hope you can try not to be so tense. Even if new attack incidents occur, it is not solely your responsibility."
Bryan furrowed his brows, a bit puzzled. Did Dumbledore call him here just to express gratitude?
"—Especially Minerva. She believes that, in the absence of more leads, instead of spending a lot of time searching for the attacker, it would be better... cough, cough. She told me that she mentioned it to you during the Christmas break. Oh, speaking of that, I feel ashamed. It seems she thinks that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor I brought in is not quite competent and has hindered the young wizards 'learning'."
As expected, Dumbledore had an ulterior motive for calling Bryan to his office.
Dumbledore frowned in distress and fell silent, while Bryan raised an eyebrow high, his mouth twitching, without an immediate reply.
An awkward and suffocating silence abruptly descended, leaving only the alchemical apparatus of uncertain purpose in Dumbledore's office chiming and clinking like wind chimes.
"Let me ask first, Headmaster Dumbledore—" Bryan was the first to break the embarrassing silence after a long while, "If I refused your request, wouldn't you arrest me and send me to Nurmengard or Azkaban or somewhere else?"
"Oh, of course not, Bryan," Dumbledore laughed, "It's all my fault, Bryan, I'm here to ask for your help... Actually, hey, sometimes I really wish someone could take care of my difficulties. Well, finding a qualified Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is much more difficult than finding out the twelve uses of dragon's blood—" Bryan pursed his lips, his expression showing no excess emotion, "About the professor of this course has always had unconfirmed rumors in private, Headmaster Dumbledore."
"I can't lie to you, Bryan," Dumbledore said with a solemn expression, nodding his head, "Although there is no direct evidence, since I rejected Voldemort's application for this teaching position, no professor has been able to stay in this position for more than a year."
Bryan sat calmly, without expressing any hasty opinion.
"——However, there are two Defense Against the Dark Arts professors in the school at the same time, and in the case of only teaching for a few months, I think the risk is controllable."
You think the risk is controllable, why don't you go and teach yourself?, Bryan secretly rolled his eyes but remained silent.
"—But let me assure you, Bryan, if you choose to assist me, I am willing to provide you with a year's worth of payment for your services. Think of the bright futures of those children who would benefit from your guidance," Dumbledore earnestly pleaded.
Inside the office, Bryan sat in contemplation, pondering his next move. He did not readily accept or decline Dumbledore's request, instead informing the Headmaster that he needed time to consider the matter.
The curse that loomed over the Defense Against the Dark Arts position was no secret. Its power had remained formidable throughout the years, defying all attempts to weaken or break it, even from Dumbledore himself. It was evident that the Dark Lord had invested great effort into establishing the curse.
According to Bryan's thoughts during the Christmas vacation, he would definitely not accept this risky and unpredictable job.
As for why he didn't immediately refuse now, it was because Bryan had new considerations.
Before receiving this task and entering Hogwarts, Bryan subconsciously believed that this commission would only take a few months to solve; otherwise, the Chamber of Secrets case would interfere with the great savior Harry Potter's adventures for the next school year.
However, that may not be the case in reality.
Because of his own intervention, the plot of the original book must have changed a lot, and this also means that the originally destined ending has actually changed.
If that heir is really a very cautious person, then he doesn't have to touch Bryan's mold.
If the heir is determined to be patient with Bryan, Bryan, who is passively waiting for clues, is almost doomed to fail in this protracted battle because it is impossible for Bryan to stay in school for the rest of his life because of this matter.
In this case, the information that the Golden Trio has acquired is very important. As long as he can provide a key clue, Bryan is confident that he can follow the clues and find the secret chamber before everyone else.
How to further gain Potter's trust, Bryan has also thought about this issue, and the result of his thinking is that if he has always been labeled as an investigator, then it may be difficult for him to breakthrough the relationship between him and Potter,
However, if Bryan assumed a different identity, such as that of a professor, it might facilitate a closer connection. Frequent interactions and shared opportunities would foster a friendlier relationship..
"Then..." After making up his mind, Bryan took a deep breath. He waved his wand to clean up the messy desk, "Let me experience your curse, Mr. Dark Lord."
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