Hogwarts: Bloodline Legend

Chapter 862 244: Baiting with Potter

The scene just now was absolutely explosive.

Dumbledore, who'd bulked up and then "burst his clothes," looked like the protagonist of some old-man hot-blooded anime, but before Ian could marvel at it and whip out a camera, Dumbledore showed an abnormality.

Also thanks to Dumbledore being in that shirt-bursting state, the Little Wizard managed to catch a glimpse of the changes on Dumbledore's body—some strange symbols had actually appeared on his skin.

There were two different kinds of symbols, silver and black, and judging from Ian's observation and Dumbledore's own explanation, those silver symbols Ian couldn't make heads or tails of were clearly the power suppressing the black marks.

The black marks screamed ominous at a glance.

The shape and arrangement of this mark faintly resembled Deathly Hallows overlapping in a single pattern—of course, even though his eyesight and memory were both excellent, the Little Wizard still couldn't be completely sure. After all, the intense swelling and contraction of Dumbledore's muscles just now had also affected the mark.

Like how the same person, the same tattoo, will look different when they're fat and when they're skinny, the mark on Dumbledore only looked vaguely similar.

That made Ian hesitant to be too sure of his own judgment. However, before Dumbledore covered the mark, the attentive Little Wizard had also noticed another anomaly. When the silver runes and black runes appeared, Ian caught that the edges of the Headmaster's shadow had become unnaturally jagged.

As if countless tiny black tendrils were writhing there.

He later dispelled the Magic, and once Dumbledore climbed back to his feet, that abnormal scene vanished again, as if it had just been the Little Wizard's momentary hallucination.

It really was a bit creepy.

"Professor, you…" Ian's voice stuck in his throat. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask Dumbledore about the origin of those symbols, but when he saw the look on Dumbledore's face that clearly said he didn't want to discuss it, the words swallowed themselves back down. He could only mull over it silently in his heart, trying to guess what was going on.

There was no doubt this had to be a Curse. Ian didn't know what method Dumbledore was using to suppress it, but from the actual situation, it still clung to the man who had already become a Legend like maggots gnawing at bone, which from another angle also showed that even the Rank of a Legend might not be able to shake off this Curse.

"I might be able to help you?"

Ian wanted to try using the power of paradox.

However.

Dumbledore only hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, very decisively. He flicked his Magic Wand and smoothed his wrinkled robes back into a close-fitting shape.

Very clearly.

The brief pain just now hadn't affected the old Headmaster's Casting ability.

"They're just some old injuries, child. No need to worry, and certainly no need for any special treatment." When he turned around, that familiar, reassuring smile was back on his face, but Ian clearly saw that both of the old man's hands were still trembling ever so slightly.

Maybe the pain hadn't completely faded.

But he clearly didn't want the Little Wizard to know that; his voice was completely back to its old gentleness. "Once you're old, your body will always have a few minor problems."

"You have to learn to accept it, because that's life." Dumbledore could still spout a bit of philosophy at a moment like this; it had to be said that people in the Profession of teaching and nurturing others might have already turned lecturing into an instinct.

Ian neither agreed nor disagreed.

Since he had also dispelled his own Magic, the entire valley returned to its dusk-state; the Headmaster's shadow was stretched long under the setting sun.

Many of the animals who had been blessed before, now that they had lost the blessing, were driven by a primal yearning from their instinct for life, and began to gather toward this spot from all directions in the valley.

Not just ordinary animals, but Fantastic Beasts as well—even the timid Tree-Protecting Leprechaun was no exception. After all, any living being's instincts will long for a leap in the level of its own life.

Seeing more and more animals crowding around.

"It's getting late, Ian."

Dumbledore raised his head and glanced at the darkening sky. "We should be heading back. Let what happened today become nothing more than a dream in these animals' hearts."

He seemed to be implying something more.

Before the Little Wizard could taste any deeper meaning in that, he saw the old Headmaster lift his hand and rest the hand wearing a ring on Ian's shoulder.

The next instant, there was the familiar feeling of Apparition.

The two of them went straight back to Hogwarts, to the Headmaster's Office. Inside the office, the sweet scent of honey tea mingled with the old smell of parchment. The fire in the grate crackled softly, candle flames reflected off silver objects and cast flickering spots of light, throwing Dumbledore's shadow onto the bookcase behind him.

The abnormal scene the Little Wizard had observed earlier truly was no longer present.

Even so, Ian's gaze couldn't help drifting, skimming lightly over Dumbledore's collar. The silver runes he'd glimpsed for a split second in the canyon were likewise long gone, as though those lines flowing with mysterious power had never existed at all; even using Magic Power to sense them yielded nothing.

As for the Little Wizard's stare.

The old Headmaster could of course sense it.

"Regarding what you saw today, I hope you can keep it absolutely secret, and not tell anyone." Dumbledore shook his head a little helplessly.

His voice was still gentle, but Ian noticed the old man's right index finger was unconsciously tapping the Elder Wand, its rhythm perfectly in sync with the ticking second hand of the clock on the wall—that was a rare sign of Dumbledore being nervous.