LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 28: "Meeting in the Headmaster's Office"
"Meeting in the Headmaster's Office"
"So, why do Mr. Weird Eye and Mrs. Bones need my presence?" Stephen asked as he sat on a sofa in the headmaster's office.
In front of him sat Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and beside her stood Mad-Eye Moody, captain of the Aurors, observing every interaction as if he never let his guard down.
"It's Mad-Eye, kid. Before they start with their chatter, answer me something. Two young recruits who joined the Auror Corps use the same type of magic as you, but they use wands, while you don't. Explain why," Moody said. Though it sounded more like an interrogation, Stephen wasn't surprised, as he was familiar with the Auror's personality from the stories he had heard.
"What do you mean... without wands? Wait, from what I saw, they also used spells without incantations," Amelia commented, recalling how, on her way to the headmaster's office, she had seen the twins training.
"Oh, that. First, I'll answer Mrs. Bones: Eldritch magic can be activated through gestures, seals, and a lot of imagination, obviously," Stephen replied.
"Is it similar to the magic used at Uagadou School of Magic? Although they only use very basic spells there."
"Well, let's say it's somewhat similar. Ah, by the way, we don't use wands because we have bracelets that serve the same function. They also have a compartment for our wands." Raising his hand, he showed a golden bracelet adorned with runes. "And for those who use wands, they just need to add a grip with the necessary enchantments," Stephen explained. "As for Weird Eye, the answer is simpler: habit," he added, looking toward where Moody stood.
"What do you mean by that, kid?" Moody asked, ignoring the nickname Stephen had given him.
"It's simple. As you know, children aren't allowed to use magic before attending a magic school. They don't even have a wand to do so."
"Of course, that's to prevent magical outbursts and because their magic isn't fully awakened yet," Amelia responded, intrigued by the conversation.
"Then, when they enter school, they are taught wand movements and incantations. Honestly, aside from explaining the spell, there's not much to it. If they want to go deeper, they can study runes, but most don't choose that class."
"I see. So that's why you say it's habit," Dumbledore, who had remained silent throughout the conversation, commented.
"What do you mean? Just say it already, kid!" Moody snapped, growing impatient.
"Sigh. What I'm saying is that senior students are accustomed to casting spells with their wands. On the other hand, my companions, who started with me in our first year, can adapt more easily to Eldritch magic because they didn't know how to use magic before. It's easier for them to accept a different method of magic because of that. Also, since the age of eleven, they've been training in hand-to-hand combat, while students, for example, in their seventh year only cast spells, stand still, or dodge—because that's how they were taught for a longer time," Stephen explained, making his point clear. "That's why they fight differently. In this case, they cast spells normally."
"And one fact no one seems to take into account is that Hogwarts hasn't had a decent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in years. I wouldn't be surprised if the Aurors coming out of Hogwarts are getting weaker," Stephen added with a hint of mockery. Though Moody didn't like the comment, he knew it was true, so he said nothing in response.
After an awkward silence between the three adults, Stephen broke it.
"So, what exactly do you need me for? I doubt it's just to ask me these questions," Stephen remarked, already a bit tired of talking.
"The truth, Mr. Stephen, is that I'm here as a representative of the Ministry—or rather, as the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement—because of the object that one of the young recruits showed us. It was this," Amelia said, placing the rune-covered glove on the table. "According to the young man, it was created by you, and it's something that would greatly assist the department in capturing criminals. We'd like to know if you can produce them in quantity for the Auror force. Of course, you will be paid for each unit," Amelia explained quickly.
"I see. I have no problem with that—10 Galleons per glove," Stephen replied without much thought, as he already knew why they had come. Besides, the glove they used was only made of dragonhide and cost three Galleons, but he wasn't about to mention that, given they'd need to enchant a large number of gloves.
"Really? I'm very glad you decided so quickly, and the price is clearly acceptable. Please come to the Ministry to sign the contract whenever you can," Amelia said, relieved at how quickly they had reached an agreement. Especially since she had secured such a sophisticated item at such a low price, though she didn't know the real cost.
"When you go to the Ministry, why don't you show the Aurors some of your magic, kid? I'd like to see what you're capable of against trained Aurors," Moody commented with a challenging look.
"Moody, I don't think that's appropriate," Amelia interrupted.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Bones. I'd love to see what your Aurors are made of," Stephen replied with a smile.
"But that will have to wait until the end of the school year. I hope you understand," Stephen added, remembering that he still had many things to take care of.
"Of course, we were prepared for that. Don't worry. Now I must go—I have a lot of paperwork to deal with," Amelia said, bidding farewell to the headmaster and Stephen as she prepared to leave.
"Remember to come, kid. I'll be waiting for you. Looks like I can delay my retirement a little," Moody commented as he followed Amelia.
Once they left, Amelia stopped along the way, watching the young ones train.
"What are you planning, Moody? You're not usually this confident," Amelia asked, noticing that Moody was also watching the training with interest, his magical eye constantly rotating.
"I was thinking the Aurors need an instructor. And if Dumbledore trusts him, maybe it's not such a bad idea," Moody responded.
"Are you crazy, Moody? He's just a kid! How could he train adults who have been on the battlefield for years?" Amelia protested, slightly agitated.
"Seriously. From what I see, the training those kids have surpasses that of many Aurors," Moody said, pointing at the twins, who, despite playfully sparring, displayed elegant and well-coordinated movements, making many adults look ridiculous.
"We'll see what happens when he comes for a visit," Moody said as he walked away with his cane, leaving Amelia somewhat doubtful.
Meanwhile, in the office, Stephen remained seated, eating Dumbledore's candies.
"So, old man, were you able to use Eldritch magic?" Stephen asked. He knew Dumbledore had struggled a bit more to learn it—after all, he had spent over 100 years using traditional magic. Not to mention his grandfather, Nicolas Flamel, who, despite being over 700 years old, could barely produce sparks.
"A little better than yesterday, perhaps," Dumbledore replied softly.
"So that's a no, huh? Well, I'm off, old man. See you later. If you need anything, you know where to find me," Stephen said as he left without looking back.
Dumbledore watched as Stephen walked away, and when he reached for one of his candies, he noticed the jar was empty.
Sigh.
He headed to the cabinet to get more, only to discover that it was empty too.
"Hahaha, he took them all again, Dumbledore. I can't believe a child deceives you so easily," former headmaster Dippet mocked.
"If he can trick you like that, let's hope he doesn't become your enemy, Dumbledore," former headmaster Phineas Black said sarcastically.
"Enough, Black, you sound like a broken record. The boy has never shown any malice in what he does," former headmistress Derwent interjected.
Dumbledore ignored the former headmasters as they started arguing—those who supported Stephen and those who didn't, though the only ones against him were Phineas Black and former headmaster Vindictus Viridian, who merely disliked noisy things, and Stephen was quite loud for his taste.
Without paying attention to the commotion, Dumbledore searched his hidden stash for more candies, unconcerned with the background discussion.
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