The manufacturing of the counterfeit Philosopher's Stone was complete. The next step was to find a plausible reason to present this fake Stone to the Dark Lord...
The approach needed to be foolproof, ensuring it wouldn't arouse his suspicion...
After all, although the Stone had been tampered with, it wasn't guaranteed to kill the Dark Lord outright.
If he were to turn on him now and try to sabotage the Dark Lord but fail to finish him off, the consequences would be endless...
His identity would be exposed, and his side would lose a major advantage.
'I need to make him believe I put a lot of effort into finding the Stone for him. I also need to find a way to distance myself so that even if he realizes something is wrong, he'll think it had nothing to do with me...'
'How should I go about this?'
While Victor Wick pondered, he placed a piece of fresh beef on a plate and set it before Lucky.
Lucky quietly lowered his head to eat his meal while Victor absentmindedly stroked his head.
His fur wasn't particularly smooth—it was even a bit prickly—but Victor felt a rare sense of peace in his heart.
*Perhaps... Quirrell would be a good entry point...*
...
Hogwarts.
Professor McGonagall was buried in work in her office.
Thanks to Dumbledore's trust, her workload was always heavy...
And out of respect for Dumbledore, she always kept the tasks that should have been his perfectly organized.
In fact, she had always felt that a man like Dumbledore should have more important matters to attend to.
Trivial matters like school administration really shouldn't trouble him...
*Whoosh!*
The fireplace suddenly flared up, and a figure stepped out from the flames.
"Oh! Victor! You've finally come to report. Technically, you were supposed to be here last week." Professor McGonagall stood up, looking at the man before her who seemed impossibly young.
Victor Wick carried a suitcase and brushed the soot off his clothes. "Sorry, Professor McGonagall," he said apologetically. "As you know, Professor Dumbledore has been keeping me busy with quite a few tasks..."
Professor McGonagall found this hard to believe. You-Know-Who had been gone for years; what tasks could Dumbledore possibly have for Victor? More likely, the man was just avoiding his ex-girlfriends...
However, she didn't call him out on it. "Since you're here, I'll take you to your office. Then I'll brief you on some school matters."
Seeing Professor McGonagall's expression, Victor knew Dumbledore hadn't told the Deputy Headmistress the news that Voldemort had returned.
"May I see Professor Dumbledore first? I'd like to report on the tasks he assigned me," Victor said.
"Oh... of course. You've never been to Hogwarts before; I'll take you to the Headmaster's office." Professor McGonagall set down her quill and walked quickly toward the door.
Victor had indeed never been to Hogwarts because he hadn't graduated from there. In fact, even when his body became younger upon transmigrating, he had already been eighteen, long past the age for enrollment.
Actually, the first magic he ever practiced was learned from Dumbledore...
Strictly speaking, even though he never attended Hogwarts, Dumbledore was still his teacher.
"Ahem... Professor McGonagall, may I ask a question?"
"What is it?" Professor McGonagall turned back just as she opened the office door.
"Are professors allowed to bring pets to school?" Victor asked as he opened his suitcase, and a dog's head popped out...
Professor McGonagall was startled to see that Victor's so-called pet was a dog.
She looked at Lucky, appearing somewhat tense. "Oh... yes, of course, as long as the pet isn't dangerous... there's no rule forbidding professors from bringing pets."
Lucky was just an ordinary dog, not even a magical creature. In the wizarding world, he was perfectly safe.
Still, Victor couldn't understand why Professor McGonagall seemed so nervous.
But since he had permission, Victor happily let Lucky out.
Lucky was very smart; he didn't bark, just wagged his tail and followed closely at Victor's side.
This seemed to put Professor McGonagall much more at ease.
Soon, Professor McGonagall led Victor to the entrance of the Headmaster's office on the eighth floor.
"Climbing these stairs is quite exhausting. If Professor Dumbledore permits, I might design an elevator system for him... the same type as the one in the Ministry of Magic. No electricity needed, just magical maintenance," Victor said as he surveyed the surroundings.
"That's actually a good idea. After all, Albus is getting on in years." Professor McGonagall seriously considered the feasibility of the proposal. "You can ask for Albus's opinion first..."
Professor McGonagall turned to the stone gargoyle at the office entrance. "Lemon drops."
The gargoyle leaped aside, revealing an oak door.
"Albus is inside. You can go see him. When you're done, come find me, and I'll show you to your office. Or... you can just let Albus take you there," Professor McGonagall said.
"Alright. Thank you, Professor." Victor nodded, then pushed the door open and stepped inside...
Behind the door was a spiral staircase that wasn't very long.
Victor soon entered Dumbledore's office.
It was a large, circular office filled with all sorts of strange alchemical objects. As he entered, the portraits of former headmasters on the walls turned their gazes toward Victor and began to whisper.
Dumbledore was perusing a thick book at his desk. He looked up and saw Victor.
"Please, sit. I trust you've brought more good news this time." Dumbledore smiled, his gaze quickly falling on Lucky. "Oh... I'm glad to see that this time, you finally haven't come to see me alone."
Victor went to Dumbledore's desk, pulled out a chair, and sat down. Lucky sat obediently by his legs.
"I do have some good news... I've come up with a plan," Victor said.
Dumbledore folded his hands. "Shouldn't you introduce me to your new friend first?"
Victor felt a surge of frustration...
*We're talking business here! Can you be serious? Why do you always break my rhythm?*
"This is Lucky. He was a gift from Mr. Scamander..."
"If I'm not mistaken, this breed of dog comes from China..." Dumbledore's gaze toward Victor became very soft, even somewhat relieved.
Victor understood Dumbledore's thoughts. The old man always felt Victor was too repressed, that he didn't live like a normal person.
That was why he wore such an expression upon discovering Victor actually kept a pet like a normal person...
"Don't tell me you think I'm finally starting to understand love..." Victor said helplessly.
"We truly are on the same wavelength, Victor," Dumbledore said happily. "A pet is usually a reflection of its owner's soul. This is the beginning of you stepping out of your isolation and opening your heart. Just as you said, you'll soon be like any other normal person, slowly coming to understand what love is."
To Dumbledore, making Victor a normal person seemed even more important than news about Voldemort.
"But Voldemort is back... turning back into a normal person just means I'm one step closer to death," Victor said somberly.
Dumbledore's expression froze. A flash of sorrow crossed his eyes as he looked at Victor.
"These hard times will soon pass, Victor. No one should have to keep their heart hidden forever. You really need some friends..."
"In that case, I would have too many weaknesses... You know that someone like me... cannot afford to have weaknesses," Victor said calmly.
"It's my fault..." Dumbledore sighed. "If I hadn't told you then that Voldemort might return, you could have at least lived a dozen years in complete peace. You wouldn't be hiding yourself like this, making preparations in silence while everyone else lives happily. Do you know, Victor? I actually quite liked how you used to be, even if that reckless persona was just a disguise. More than anything, I want to see your true smile..."
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