Magical Studies at Hogwarts

On the eighth floor, the principal's office.

Compared with the offices of Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick and Quirrell that Ike had visited, the principal's office was more interesting.

In the spacious circular room, there are various silverware and alchemical gadgets, making a buzzing sound.On the wall are portraits of past principals, both male and female. Most of them looked at Ike curiously, and some were asleep on their chairs.

A red bird stood on a tall gilded perch, preening its feathers as if no one else was watching.

"Milk comes with cockroaches, right?" Dumbledore pushed a cup towards Ike and took out a plate covered with crawling cockroaches.

Zi Gu picked one up and put it into his milk cup, then took a sip and praised: "It's a very creative way to eat it. The feeling of milk mixed with bursting chocolate is so delicious that it's hard to describe in words!"

Ike smiled, took a sip of the special "chocolate milk", and even narrowed his eyes.

"Few people like this kind of candy. People prefer Bee Bee Candies." Dumbledore was like a kind old man, pushing up the glasses on his nose, "Just like Severus and Minerva, I They recommended me many times but were rejected.”

"Same, Stuart and Terry don't like it either." Ike threw another one into his mouth, took a sip of milk, and felt it for a while before eating it.

"You are a very interesting person, Mr. Strider." Dumbledore said. "I have heard many professors mention that there is a very outstanding little wizard in Hogwarts this year. He is good at spells, transfiguration, and magic." Medicine, herbal medicine, almost all the classes were great.”

"Besides flying lessons?"

"Except for flying lessons." Dumbledore nodded, with a smile on his face. "It is said that Mrs. Hooch also complained that you didn't pay attention to her lessons."

"I just don't have the talent." Ike shrugged.

"Of course, of course, everyone has something they are not good at and everyone has their own secrets..." Dumbledore said with a smile, leaning forward slightly and looking at Ike, "Then Mr. Strider, can you tell me……"

"Why are you there?"

Ike looked into Dumbledore's eyes and showed a standard smile. He turned his wrist and a red stone appeared. He slowly played with it in his hand: "I want to see the Sorcerer's Stone and what it is."

Dumbledore leaned back, his tone a little erratic: "You remind me of a person, Mr. Strider..."

"Both were born in an orphanage, both have extraordinary talents, and both showed surprising strength from the very beginning..."

"However, he later went astray, and that's another story..."

"Fortunately, you are different from him, Mr. Strider." Dumbledore pushed up his glasses, his eyes were complicated and difficult to understand, "Can you tell me, following him, you What to do?"

"Learn magic, Professor Dumbledore." Ike looked into Dumbledore's eyes without hesitation and replied firmly, "That is an excellent opportunity, I cannot miss it."

"Sorry..." Dumbledore was silent for a long time and said in a deep voice, "The courses at Hogwarts can allow you to learn magic step by step, and the books in the library can also satisfy your pursuit of magic knowledge, and as far as I know You know, the forbidden book zone can't stop you, you know, very few first-year wizards can do this."

"That's not a relaxing answer, Mr. Strider."

"What if I make an unbreakable vow with you?" Ike said, "What if I never hurt my friends and never harm Hogwarts?"

Dumbledore's eyes flickered, as if he had a magical power that made people inadvertently indulge in it.After a long silence, Dumbledore couldn't help but admire: "I didn't expect you to have learned Occlumency."

"Yes, I found relevant books from the forbidden book area. They are written in great detail." Ike replied.

"So, we need a witness." Dumbledore waved his wand, and a silver-white phoenix appeared from the tip of the wand and quickly disappeared into the principal's office.

After a while, Snape walked over quickly, his robes blown up by the wind, and stood next to Ike coldly.

"Severus, we need you to be a witness to complete an unbreakable oath." Dumbledore stood up and came to the other side of Ike.Ike also stood up, and Dumbledore and he held each other's right arms.

Snape said nothing and lit his wand on the arms they were holding.

"Mr. Strider..." Dumbledore looked at Ike, "You should know that once the ceremony starts, it cannot be stopped, and those who violate the oath will die miserably..."

"I know." Ike interrupted Dumbledore's next words and turned to look at Snape, who was standing aside with a cold face. "Professor Snape, I'm ready."

Dumbledore and Snape looked at each other, nodded, and asked loudly: "Ike Strider, can you promise to never use magic to harm innocent people?"

"I promise."

"Can you promise never to hurt someone who truly considers you a friend?"

"I promise."

"Can you promise never to do anything harmful to Hogwarts?"

"I promise."

During the question and answer, three hot red threads spurted out from the tip of Snape's staff and wrapped around the place where Dumbledore and Ike held it.Ike felt a burning sting, and the three red lines gradually blended into his skin until they disappeared.

"The ceremony is completed." Snape put away his wand and said the first words after entering the door.

"Thank you, Severus." Dumbledore nodded slightly, and then said to Ike, "Mr. Strider, you can keep the Sorcerer's Stone until the last day of July, and then you need to return it to me. , its owner still needs it."

"Okay, Professor Dumbledore." Ike nodded, put the Sorcerer's Stone back into his pocket, raised his hand and pointed to the plate full of cockroaches on his desk, and asked, "Can I take some away? ?”

"Okay." Dumbledore waved his left hand, and most of the cockroaches on the plate flew up and went into a paper bag.Ike took the paper bag and nodded slightly at the two of them: "If there is nothing else, can I leave?"

"Of course, it's getting late, I think you need a good rest." Dumbledore nodded, watched Ike leave the principal's office, and then sat back on the chair.

Snape watched everything coldly until Ike left and then said: "Is this the end? Dumbledore."

"We made an unbreakable oath," Dumbledore replied.

"So you believe it? A little wizard who can trick the Dark Lord into turning around. Are you sure he can't find a way to bypass the oath?"

"I know that an unbreakable oath cannot bind him, even if he proposed it first, Severus." Dumbledore was silent for a while before continuing, "About a month ago, I went to the Corner Alley, I learned a very interesting news from Ollivander..."

"It is difficult for a wizard who uses unicorn hair as a core to succumb to black magic. The experience passed down by the Ollivander family is worthy of belief."

"I think you are an old fool!" Snape scolded.

"I don't deny that I am indeed a little older, Severus." Dumbledore replied with a smile, "But I can still see some things clearly."

"Also, I think I need to apologize to you. There is one thing I didn't tell you..." Dumbledore blinked, suddenly looking very playful, "Strade likes cockroaches very much. I think he has the same thing as me. People who love it are trustworthy.”

"What do you think, Severus?"