Hogwarts: My Yorozuya has no taboos!

Chapter 33 Back Then

The rain intensified, the rumbling of the rain mingling with the sound of surging waves crashing against the lake shore, as if ten thousand fire dragons were roaring around Hogwarts.

The temperature was also unusually low. As Ares walked along, he noticed that a thin mist rose from the ground in many of the water-seeping corridors, just like the clouds and mist rising from the mountains and valleys in spring and autumn.

However, we have long since left the cold spring behind and the height of summer is just around the corner.

Ares's expression was not as sickly and listless as usual, but rather a calm that showed he had seen through the impending end.

It's as if the things that might happen to you right now don't exist at all.

He walked up the small tower where Dumbledore's office was located with the same calm steps as his expression, and faced the outcome with equanimity.

It's ironic, really—he studied here for five years, but Dumbledore never once came to his office.

Of course, many students never set foot here during their entire Hogwarts student life, and his only chance to enter here was because he was about to be expelled.

"Come in, Ares, Professor Dumbledore would like to speak with you alone—"

Professor McGonagall, who was waiting at the door, went up to Ares and put her arm around his shoulder, looking at Ares' face with pity.

The boy, who was three months shy of turning sixteen, was so thin that it was almost unbelievable. Minerva could even feel her hand on Ares's shoulder touching his shoulder blade directly.

Objectively speaking, this kind of figure is never the kind of style that young women would be attracted to.

The problem is that the boy in front of them is just too outstanding in appearance—clear black eyes, a high nose, thin red lips. If it weren't for the hint of masculine features between his brows and his short hair, it would be easy to mistake him for a girl.

However, everything has two sides.

Minerva felt sorry for Ares in her heart. She never expected... and she was even sure that Ares never expected that her handsome face would cause him such a big trouble.

"Thank you, Professor McGonagall."

Ares remained expressionless and gave Professor McGonagall a slight bow.

"Here's a piece of advice, Mr. Delfino—"

Severus stood in the shadow of the stone beast, his expression indifferent, but he did not mock or ridicule the Gryffindor students as he usually did in class.

Before Ares stepped into Dumbledore's office, he suddenly spoke.

"Whatever problems you face, try to tell the truth—if you want to stay."

Young Ares turned to face Professor Snape and raised his delicate eyebrows.

After a long silence, Ares bowed slightly again.

"Thank you too, Professor Snape."

After saying that, young Ares took another step and walked into the principal's office.

Inside this legendary headmaster's office, many magical creatures cast intrigued glances at Ares, including the portrait of the previous headmaster on the curved wall, which almost represents the history of this ancient magic school, and Fawkes, the phoenix that almost became Albus Dumbledore's symbol.

Under the calm gaze emanating from those azure eyes, Ares stepped forward. As he passed the golden branch where the phoenix perched, Fox, who had been sleeping, suddenly opened his ruby-like eyes.

唳—

Fox tilted its head, curiously examining Ares, before suddenly flying down to the fire pit below and nudging Ares's shoulder and arm with its hard beak.

"How astonishing, Mr. Delfino—"

Even Dumbledore couldn't help but express surprise at Fawkes' unusual behavior.

"I've never seen Fox before... This phoenix has never been so friendly to anyone else, you're the only exception."

"I don't think this is my problem."

Ares delivered a sarcastic remark with a polite tone.

Dumbledore's silvery eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly as he scrutinized Ares, his gaze deep and penetrating his star-like eyes—not because of the student's 'disobedience,' but because of... Ares Delphinore's calm demeanor... and his posture of equal dialogue.

The greatest wizard of our time is still scrutinizing Ares Delphinor as he approaches.

He never considered himself superior or above others.

However, people are always used to making his life story legendary...mythologizing it, and very few people can show such calmness in front of him.

Dumbledore watched Ares sit down, and watched Ares's gaze sweep over the parchments on the desk.

"This is yours..."

Homework from first grade onwards.

Ares nodded, his handsome face frozen in place, utterly expressionless.

"I know, Professor Dumbledore. I've also seen Mrs. Pince's records of all my borrowings over the past five years... Is there anything wrong with them?"

The vertical lines between Dumbledore's brows deepened, and his heart pounded more uneasily within his aged body.

A long silence followed—

"no."

Dumbledore said,

"Your borrowing records are flawless, there isn't even a single record of you entering the restricted section... So it seems that the Corruption Curse on Mr. Foley was indeed not your doing, Ares."

"But what about it?"

"But your homework—"

Dumbledore's tone deepened, but his gaze pierced Ares's eyes like an arrow.

"There are some... confusing aspects."

"Please give an example, Professor Dumbledore."

Ares' tone remained polite.

"You seem to be hiding your true skill level, Ares. You're being very subtle... but my intuition tells me that my judgment is accurate—"

Dumbledore said,

"For example, at the end of May two years ago, Professor Flitwick assigned you a paper, asking you to list as many spells as possible that could make people laugh. You gave two correct answers."

This question reappeared in the final exam of the Spells class two weeks later, and you only listed one—a completely different spell from the one you had listed in your previous homework.

For example, when you were in your second year, Professor Sprout asked you to write a paper about the precautions for repotting mandrake and its medicinal properties. The quality of that paper... was at least rated as acceptable by Professor Sprout.

Just three days later, Professor Snape asked you to write a foot-long essay on a potion: analyze the specific effects of each ingredient in the potion, which contains mandrake, and your answer...

"Oh, while I don't quite agree with Professor Snape's assessment of your paper, you did... I mean, your points were even remotely related to the correct answer."

Every wrinkle on Dumbledore's aged face conveyed seriousness. His long, slender fingers were clasped together as he gazed intently at Ares.

"Not to brag, Mr. Delfino, but I'm very good at finding patterns in seemingly unrelated things... This is one of the few things I can be proud of."

In the suffocating air, Dumbledore's eyes radiated a penetrating gaze, a cold ruthlessness emanating from their depths.

"I found at least a dozen similar problems in your assignment... I believe they can't all be coincidences, right?"

So, this leads me to the conclusion that, as a junior wizard, your achievements are actually quite remarkable... perhaps far surpassing those of Bill Weasley, but you consistently try to appear incompetent.

The flickering candlelight cast shifting shadows on Dumbledore's face, his sharp, eagle-like gaze never leaving Ares's eyes.

"Excuse me, Mr. Delfino, but I cannot understand your behavior. It also goes against my understanding of the typical behavior of young people... So, can you satisfy the occasional curiosity of a centenarian, Mr. Delfino?"