harry potter book of crimes

"Professor, is your place... much cleaner than before?"

In the principal's office, Maka immediately noticed the difference as soon as she walked in after bidding farewell to Hermione.

"Actually, it used to be very clean. It's just that the things piled up were too messy. I just sorted them out recently..." Dumbledore stood up from behind the desk with a smile and walked towards him.

"At least the Sorting Hat must be clean," Maka picked up the pointed hat on the shelf. "I told it during the Sorting Ceremony - it should have taken a bath long ago!"

"Hey? Little badger, don't use your claws to turn me around. I have a new hat now!" The Sorting Hat immediately turned around and shouted loudly.

"Are there any patches for new hats?" Maka rolled her eyes.

But the Sorting Hat was quite unconvinced, and used the brim of the hat to block Maka's hand again, and straightened the tip of the hat majestically.

"This is fashion! Do you understand fashion? If you don't understand, don't talk!"

"Okay, okay, you are the most fashionable..."

Maka put him back on the shelf dumbfounded, then turned around when the Sorting Hat muttered, only to see Dumbledore looking at them with a smile.

"Professor, what do you want to give me?" he asked curiously.

"Well, don't worry about that yet..." Dumbledore greeted him, "Would you like to sit down and have a cup of tea together? Let's enjoy some sunshine and relax?"

"Oh -" Maka thought for a moment and said, "Well... I mean, why not?"

The two sat face to face at the small round table vacated by the window. Dumbledore casually took out his wand and pointed at the table. Two teacups with saucers and a steaming teapot immediately appeared on it.

And as he tapped it again, a plate of jelly cookies appeared.

"Try it! Honeydukes' new product - wishing cookies."

Dumbledore said, taking the lead in picking a piece, then he pointed his mouth at the jelly-filled depression in the middle of the cookie, and said eloquently: "Lemon flavor!"

Before he finished speaking, the originally red jelly immediately turned yellow.

"Look! That's it..." He showed it to Maka as if offering a treasure, then opened his mouth and took a bite, "The advertisement said that any wish can be granted! But I tried 'Troll Snot' after dinner last night.

After smelling it, I found that the smell didn't seem very similar..."

"'Troll snot smell'?" Maka grinned and said, "Next time you can take snacks to the boys' bathroom in the basement. It will look similar without having to make a wish..."

"Really?" Dumbledore asked curiously, "I haven't been there for a while... You know, Hogwarts Castle is really big!"

"That bathroom is also clogged - it's not Myrtle's fault, it's really clogged!" Maka spread her hands and said, "But almost no one goes there."

As he spoke, he also picked a piece of cookie and followed Dumbledore's example by pointing his mouth at the depression.

"Hmm... does it smell like moonflower nectar?" Maka said tentatively.

However, the jelly on the cookie has not changed at all and is still the default red color - it is probably strawberry flavor or something.

"This won't work, the requirements are too high!" Dumbledore said with a smile and waved his hands.

Maka shrugged and compromised: "It tastes like butter pudding."

The old man and the young man sat opposite each other. After thinking about this cookie for a while, they turned their attention to other topics.

"I heard about the potion recently from Severus, how is Kingsley?" Dumbledore took a sip of black tea and asked like a casual chat.

"Oh, the antidote has been researched, and I just gave it to Kingsley yesterday... His symptoms have become more advanced, and it looks like he needs to take the medicine several more times." Maka replied, "But the risk should be

It’s gone.”

"That's good..." Dumbledore nodded understandingly.

"Well...Professor, I just heard from Hermione that Professor Trelawney made a new prophecy." This time, Maka asked, "What do you think of that prophecy?"

"Don't worry too much. Although it doesn't look good on the surface, it shouldn't be a big problem." Dumbledore said casually, "As for the details, you can figure it out yourself..."

"Oh - really?" Maka said hesitantly.

"Don't worry! Just do what you want and do it boldly -" Dumbledore said easily, "You can be on your own now, but I can't help you with anything... Maybe I will ask you to help me with something.

!”

"Don't say 'request' or anything like that..." Maka immediately shook her head, "If you need anything from me, just say it!"

"Of course, if there is anything I need your help with, I will definitely tell you." Dumbledore looked at Maka meaningfully and said.

Hearing what Dumbledore said, Maka also murmured a little in his heart. Although it couldn't be called a burden, he knew that Dumbledore would not do anything wrong.

In the future, or not long after, Dumbledore will definitely speak to him. But what kind of "request" he will say, Maka doesn't know.

After Dumbledore's words, the two of them drank fragrant black tea and lazily basked in the sun. Occasionally, a gust of wind blew over the sides of their necks, bringing a touch of warmth.

Once upon a time, Maka had always longed for such a comfortable life; but now, he only felt that such leisurely life was a bit too luxurious.

"Professor, it's time to tell you why you called me here this time, right?" Maka couldn't help but ask again, "When the current matter is resolved, we will have many opportunities to drink tea and chat together."

Dumbledore looked away from the window and said with a smile: "Okay, since you are so anxious, let's talk about today's business..."

"Well...it's said to be 'business', but actually it's just a small matter..."

As he spoke, he picked up the wand at hand quite casually, turned the handle and handed it to Maka.

"I heard Garrick say it last time... He said you seem to be able to use any wand?" Dumbledore asked curiously, "How about... try this too?"

"Uh... are you talking about Mr. Garrick Ollivander from the wand shop?" Maka was stunned for a moment, but did not immediately reach out, "Professor, do you want me to try the Elder Wand?"

"Huh? Do you know it too?" Dumbledore nodded indifferently, "Yes! Give it a try... and see which one is better, it or you?"

"this--"

Maka really wanted to take it and study it, but the origin of the wand in Dumbledore's hand was really extraordinary and its characteristics were quite distinct. He really didn't dare to reach out and take it rashly.

"Pick it up and take a look," Dumbledore said. "You should know that the saying 'the wand chooses the wizard' has always been a truth that Garrick believes in. And your existence has always troubled him!"

As Dumbledore said, the transformation of wands began when Garrick Ollivander officially took over the family's wand shop.

Before that, wizards had to order their wands to order.

They will go to the wand shop with various wand cores, and use some magical materials inherited from their ancestors, related to family beliefs, or other magical materials that they think are suitable as wand cores.

It was Garrick Ollivander who proposed the concept of "the wand chooses the wizard" and thus led the trend of an era.

Of course, he actually discovered this concept from an ancient book.

But in fact, Maka himself doesn't believe in the saying "the wand chooses the wizard" at all. This is not only related to his own situation, but also mainly because the wand is a tool created for the convenience of casting spells.

That's all.

Maka admitted that what Ollivander did back then was correct.

After all, the knowledge scope of wandology is too broad, making it difficult to get started, and in-depth research is even more time-consuming and laborious. In addition, the inheritance of knowledge is fragmented, so that not to mention choosing a wand, even making a wand is difficult.

Therefore, it is indeed much better to use a large number of wands to match the wizard than to customize the wand core materials for the wizard himself.

Just because the approach is correct does not mean that the concept proposed by Ollivander is also correct.

According to the ancient books in Rowena's Chamber, at that time, wizards who were knowledgeable enough made their own wands.

Just as those fairies who are good at making magic props insist - the ownership of magic props should always remain in the hands of the maker.

But now, not only the inheritance of wizards is getting weaker and weaker, but the persistence of goblins has also changed.

Maka told Dumbledore her opinion, which indeed aroused some of Dumbledore's interest.

"...To be honest, I'm not very familiar with wand science, but..." Dumbledore said with interest, "Do you want to make your own wand? That sounds really good..."

"That weird wand you use, was it something you made yourself - the dementor's spinal cord?"

"Yes!" Maka spread her hands and said, "It's a pity that it was lost recently..."

"Isn't that just right?" Dumbledore smiled and handed the wand over again, "This was originally meant for you."

"But, why suddenly-" Maka said doubtfully.

"You need it more than me, don't you?" Dumbledore said naturally, "You are the main one facing danger now...and I only need to be responsible for guarding Hogwarts!"

While saying these words, Dumbledore seemed unusually brisk.

"Speaking of which, I have to thank you! It's you who allowed me to put down the burden in my heart and embark on a more 'selfish' magical journey."

Maka couldn't help but feel something in her heart - this old wizard who had devoted most of his life to the magic world seemed to have finally come out of the self-imprisonment called "ideal".

"Uh..." Maka paused and said with a slight embarrassment, "Although this is indeed the case... but..."

After a little hesitation, Maka still didn't pick up the Elder Wand, but stretched her hand to her waist...