#70 - Dumbledore's conjecture

The phoenix chose the most outstanding wizard in the Dumbledore family, Hogwarts Headmaster Albus.

So, when McGonagall saw Fawkes standing on the windowsill, she knew Dumbledore was looking for her.

Coincidentally, she also had many questions to ask him.

"Albus, is that thing alright?"

Just as she reached the top of the spiral staircase, McGonagall saw Dumbledore feeding a phoenix some kind of unknown berry.

"Oh, it's fine for now, but I called you here because of this matter."

As Dumbledore spoke, he stopped feeding the phoenix and turned to look at his assistant.

"Severus strongly suspects Quirinus and suggests I strengthen the protection of the Philosopher's Stone."

"Quirrell, is it? That child is indeed a bit strange. Logically speaking, even if he were frightened by a vampire, he shouldn't have become like this."

McGonagall sighed and then, remembering something, continued,

"You didn't go to the staff cafeteria yesterday. The pungent smell of garlic was unbearable."

"Really? I thought he rarely went to the staff cafeteria?"

"Exactly, that's why I remember it so clearly."

"Well, it seems necessary to have Pomfrey find a way to help this child."

McGonagall wasn't sure what Dumbledore thought of Quirrell.

Anyway, as Deputy Headmistress, she was very uncomfortable with him bringing useless garlic to teach students magic, especially Defense Against the Dark Arts.

"Quirrell should indeed stay in the hospital wing for a while, but the protection of the Philosopher's Stone also needs to be strengthened. Do you have any suggestions in this regard?"

Dumbledore was the leader of the whole matter, so McGonagall asked him first.

"Oh, your mechanisms are actually very clever. It's unlikely to redo them, so I was wondering if you could increase the difficulty or make them more complex."

After hearing Dumbledore's words, McGonagall pondered for a moment.

She was very confident in her own [Wizard's Chess Challenge].

Although it was difficult to increase the difficulty further, there were ways, so she agreed after a little thought.

"Alright, as for Pomona's and Filius's challenges, I will inform the two professors."

"Well, that puts my mind at ease. After the holidays, I will also find something to serve as the final challenge."

Hearing that Dumbledore was going to take action, McGonagall felt a little relieved.

To be honest, the professors' challenges were indeed good, but they could only deal with ordinary dark wizards.

Although there was still no news of that person, if it really was him coming, with his intelligence, he would definitely find flaws in the challenges.

Fortunately, Dumbledore was now going to set up a challenge as well. As the only person who could make the other party fearful, McGonagall believed that only the Headmaster setting up a challenge was true protection.

And thinking of the challenge, McGonagall unconsciously thought of the one that had run out tonight.

"About the troll incident, Albus, what do you think?"

"Are you asking about Mr. Scarlett?"

Dumbledore smiled knowingly.

"That's right. Yesterday, Filius even told me that Mr. Scarlett had a talent for dueling. I didn't believe it at the time, but tonight, that [Leg-Locking Curse] of his... it was..."

"It was just like an excellent Auror."

"Yes, exactly!"

McGonagall originally wanted to say that Moon was like a wizard with combat experience, but thinking that in the British wizarding world, only the outstanding members of the Aurors possessed such ability, she agreed with Dumbledore's statement.

"Yes, Mr. Scarlett's jinxes are fast and accurate, but you and Filius are actually wrong about this."

"Hmm? Wrong about what?"

McGonagall asked, somewhat puzzled.

"What Mr. Scarlett has mastered is not dueling skills, but a combat technique tempered by war."

"Combat technique? How is that possible?"

Hearing Dumbledore say this, McGonagall was immediately skeptical.

In her opinion, Moon was at most an eleven-year-old wizard with a talent for spells. How could he have experienced the tempering of war?

However, Dumbledore had experienced two wizarding wars, and thinking of this, McGonagall couldn't help but doubt herself.

"Perhaps it's not that he has experienced war, but the person who taught him these things must be a battle-hardened warrior."

Dumbledore was very sure of his guess.

He had once gone to see the underground wizard dueling competitions, where people mostly used skills to find their opponent's weaknesses, and then unexpectedly defeated them.

The winners of such competitions mostly had a very clear understanding of themselves.

Knowing their own strengths and being good at discovering the other party's weaknesses during the competition, they could easily win.

And although he only saw this first-year wizard cast a spell.

But that swift, decisive, and all-out determination was completely different from dueling.

"But as far as I know, he's an orphan?"

As soon as McGonagall said this, she immediately remembered the strange reaction of the Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admittance.

If the school's two magical items were not mistaken, then Moon's identity would be very suspicious.

Thinking of this, McGonagall couldn't help but worry.

"He's living in the dormitory now, Albus. Do you think he might be...?"

"Don't scare yourself, Minerva. As for Mr. Scarlett's identity, we will slowly figure it out. For now, you just need to take care of his spell training room in your spare time."

"Spare time? How could I have spare time!"

McGonagall was about to retort when she caught the words in Dumbledore's statement.

"Spell training room? What's that? I've never heard of it."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. I agreed to grant Mr. Scarlett a classroom to use for his spell training. The location is on the far right of the second-floor corridor."

"A first-year student, he's only learned so many spells, and he already wants to...?"

McGonagall was already annoyed by Dumbledore's question about whether she had spare time.

Now that she heard that Dumbledore had placed this classroom on the second floor, she knew what the Headmaster was up to.

However, just as she was about to retort, she remembered the [Leg-Locking Curse] that Moon had cast from behind her.

"Alright, I'll take a look when I have time."

Seeing McGonagall agree, Dumbledore smiled.

"Don't worry, I also asked Filch to be the temporary caretaker of this classroom, so it shouldn't bother you much usually."

After receiving Dumbledore's assurance, McGonagall sighed helplessly and left the Headmaster's office.

And not long after she left, [Fawkes] pecked Dumbledore's hand twice with its sharp beak.

"What is it, Fawkes? Have you also noticed something unusual about that boy?"

The phoenix let out a cry and then retreated.

"He just finished making his wand and probably wanted your feathers, not to harm you."

Hearing Dumbledore say this, Fawkes actually tilted its head and pondered for a moment.

It had lived for many years, even longer than the white-haired old man in front of it.

But it could be sure that the look in that boy's eyes was definitely the first time it had seen it in so many years.