Three months later, Hogwarts, Great Hall.
Today was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's annual end-of-term feast, which also served as the graduation feast for the seventh-year students. This was originally nothing out of the ordinary. However, due to the presence of a wizard named Alan Wilson among the graduating class this year, the conclusion of this school year became exceptionally special.
"Have you heard? Alan seems to be returning to school today for the graduation feast!" a first-year wizard from Ravenclaw whispered to a fellow student beside him.
"So what if he's coming back? What's there to make a fuss about?" a fifth-year nearby couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Merlin's beard, that's Alan Wilson, recipient of the International Alchemy Conference Gold Medal for Pioneering Contributions! A few months ago, he was even awarded the Order of Merlin, Second Class, making him the youngest recipient ever! I haven't seen him since I started school," the first-year exclaimed, his eyes wide with excitement.
Alan had spent most of this school year away from the castle, so most of the newly enrolled wizards had never seen him in person.
Another first-year nearby leaned in. "Yeah, I heard he's also the owner of the Silver Lightning Trading Company. My mom is a loyal customer of that shop. Do you think if I go up and try to get close to him later, I can get a discount?"
"What are you thinking? Even us older students who know him don't get discounts, so why would you?" the fifth-year muttered speechlessly, then gestured with his chin toward the Slytherin table. "And Alan is not an easy person to talk to. See? Because of him, the entire Slytherin house has been incredibly well-behaved these past few years. Who knows if things will change after he graduates."
"Is Alan a very fierce person?" the young wizard who wanted a discount looked at the Slytherin students sitting upright. "I noticed that the students from Slytherin don't dare to mention their Prefect, as if he's terrifying."
"Uh..." the fifth-year paused. "I actually haven't had much contact with him either. In fact, I didn't even know there was such a person in the school before Alan's fifth year. He usually keeps a very low profile, until he became Prefect." At this point, he leaned close to the two young wizards' ears. "I heard that the reason why Slytherin is so... disciplined now, is because of him. Legend has it that he's especially terrifying, and he casts spells on people in his house at the drop of a hat. The students in the same house don't dare to cause trouble anymore because they were subjected to the Imperius Curse."
"Oh? What kind of spell is the Imperius Curse?" The two young wizards immediately widened their eyes upon hearing the gossip.
"You shouldn't be spouting nonsense like that," another sixth-year witch nearby spoke up to stop him.
"What, am I wrong? If it weren't for that, why would Slytherin be so well-behaved these past few years? They must have been cursed," the fifth-year insisted stubbornly.
"What are you thinking? Casting illegal spells on classmates in your own house—do you know how serious of a crime that is? Would the professors allow that?" The sixth-year witch glared at him speechlessly.
"Who knows? Maybe even the professors were controlled by his spells. Haven't you heard that Alan was a combat hero before? His strength must be immense!" The fifth-year said, exaggerating wildly.
But because what he said was so unreliable, even the two young wizards knew that this senior was just boasting, so they turned to look at the sixth-year witch instead. "Do you know Alan? He seems to be only one year above you. Are you two close?"
When asked, the sixth-year witch shook her head. "I'm not very familiar with him either. Alan is usually very reserved, but I know he's very close to our Head of House, and he's also a member of the Charms Club." With that, she looked at Aliana Hinkley next to her. "Oh, Aliana, you and he are in the Charms Club. You see each other often, right?"
Aliana, whose name was suddenly called, froze for a moment, then couldn't help but recall Alan, who had entered school at the same time as her.
"He is indeed very quiet, and not nearly as exaggerated as Tucker makes him out to be," she said, glancing at the fifth-year wizard who was full of hot air. "He's quite conversational in the Charms Club and is a true genius. The reason he rarely interacts with other students is, I feel... he doesn't seem to regard other young wizards as peers. I don't know why, but it feels like he's been more like an adult wizard from the very beginning."
Aliana used to be a little envious of this guy who had joined the Charms Club before her, but she soon found that she couldn't even understand what Alan was researching, so she had lost her desire to compete.
"Stop talking, Alan is here!" The sixth-year witch interrupted their conversation and winked at the younger students.
The young wizards nearby stared eagerly at the young man walking into the Great Hall.
"Wow, Alan is even more handsome than in the newspaper photos," a younger witch whispered with a flush, her eyes sparkling.
At this moment, Alan, who was still at a distance, seemed to catch the whisper and glanced in her direction, which immediately made her lower her head, her face turning crimson. However, Alan showed no reaction and walked straight to the Slytherin table.
His sudden appearance immediately drew the attention of all the teachers and students, and even the new students of Slytherin couldn't help but look at him sideways. Although Alan had rarely appeared at Hogwarts in the past two years, he was more famous than ever. Teachers and students would occasionally see his name headline the newspapers. But even so, Alan maintained a very low profile. Throughout the entire feast, from beginning to end, he did not say a word, which honestly disappointed the curious students around him.
After the feast, Alan noticed that Dumbledore specifically winked at him.
*Dumbledore wants to see me?* Alan received the signal and understood the meaning in the old Headmaster's eyes.
Dumbledore had always paid close attention to Alan, seeing in the young wizard many shadows of old friends, and even his own. As for whether there was any concern that Alan would become another Voldemort, that thought had never truly crossed Dumbledore's mind. Dumbledore could almost certainly conclude that the future Alan would be far more terrifying than Voldemort; after all, in his eyes, Voldemort was just a paranoiac with exaggerated strength.
If one had to make a comparison, Alan was actually more like another Grindelwald—possessing the same firm will, powerful strength, and mature mind. It was just unknown whether Alan also harbored the ambition of reshaping the wizarding world. If he planned to start a revolution, it might have an even greater impact than Grindelwald's, and he might even succeed. But Alan's long-standing behavior and the stance he displayed were so correct, and even now, Alan's influence on the Ministry of Magic was something Dumbledore could not ignore.
However, Dumbledore always had a strange premonition in his heart; he always felt that Alan had been hiding something all along, and that his performance over the years might all be an elaborate act. This feeling of being unable to see through the young man made Dumbledore feel a little uneasy.
*Alas, it seems I really am old. I'm always so suspicious. Perhaps I'm just overthinking it,* Dumbledore sighed with some emotion.
Moreover, even if Alan showed any malicious intentions now, Dumbledore probably wouldn't be able to stop him, because the young man was already deeply entrenched. He estimated that if he dared to say two bad words about Alan in public now, the Ministers and directors of the Ministry of Magic would collectively roll their eyes at him.
The sound of stone turning came from outside the office, meaning that the hidden door to the Headmaster's office had been opened. Soon, Dumbledore saw Alan enter.
"Headmaster Dumbledore," Alan greeted politely, then placed a note he was holding on the desk. "Is it really wise for you to just hang the entrance password on the gargoyle? What if someone accidentally trespasses?"
"Heh heh, if that were truly the case, I would be very happy to have a good conversation with them, but I think no one would dare to make such an attempt except for Gryffindor students," Dumbledore said with a gentle smile, gesturing to the chair opposite him. "I can't believe you've graduated in the blink of an eye. I still remember young Alan who once fought Deathers with Lily," Dumbledore smiled.
Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, a hint of melancholy appeared on Alan's face. "Yes, unfortunately, so many years have passed. I already have the strength to protect myself and them, but Lily is no longer here."
Dumbledore sighed. "If Lily could see your achievements today, I think she would be happy for you." With that, Dumbledore looked at Alan with a serious expression. "The matter with Sirius is still not progressing smoothly. Have you made up your mind to request tracking the Silver Spears?"
"Actually, Bagnold and Amelia mean that they hope you give up this transaction, or at least postpone it, so that we can make more efforts."
Dumbledore had always known about the transaction, and when he learned that Alan might be able to find the Silver Spears' lair, they were all secretly quite supportive of the deal. But the situation was a little different now. After the trip to Egypt, Alan's safety became even more critical to the British Ministry of Magic. Even if it was just a tracking mission, letting him venture abroad still made people uneasy.