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Chapter 96: Education is the Most Important
🕑 Added 2025-04-06 10:45:09 +0000 UTCThis wasn’t Noah’s first visit to Dumbledore’s office—he was already quite familiar with it.
Aside from Noah and his friends, the Heads of the various Houses were also present.
Argus Filch had tried to come along but was dismissed by Dumbledore. Gilderoy Lockhart, on the other hand, directly stated that he had other matters to attend to and didn’t come.
Clearly, even though Harold's magical ability wasn’t exceptional, his insight into people was decent.
At the very least, he could sense that the House Heads didn’t trust him, so there was no need for him to get involved in the situation. Besides, it wasn’t like he planned to stay at Hogwarts long-term anyway, right?
Following Dumbledore to the entrance on the third floor, the Headmaster spoke the password to the two stone gargoyles, and they instantly sprang aside.
The wall behind them split open, revealing a spiral staircase that led directly to the office door.
Ascending the staircase, they entered the office, and the first thing that caught their eyes was the majestic phoenix perched on a tall, gilded stand behind the door.
Noah knew the phoenix’s name—Fawkes. Honestly, if he hadn’t known Fawkes belonged to Dumbledore, Noah might have really wanted one for himself.
Dumbledore’s office was neat and organized, though strange noises echoed around the room even as they stepped inside.
Neither Noah nor his friends were surprised. Professor McGonagall and the other professors were used to it, and Noah and his group had long gotten familiar with this place too.
“Please, everyone, take a seat. Would anyone like something to drink?” Dumbledore said as he took his seat. With a casual wave of his hand, several chairs appeared, just enough for everyone present.
“No, thank you, Professor,” Noah replied with a polite smile. “If we drink coffee this late, I don’t think it would be good for our sleep.” Kate and the others nodded in agreement.
“Coffee? Ah, a Muggle drink. It’s supposed to be energizing and is quite popular in the Muggle world. I tried it once, many years ago. Merlin, it gave me the same feeling as a dose of Skelegro.”
“It’s quite bitter, yes,” Noah chuckled. “But it tastes much better with sugar.”
That was coffee—people who got used to it found it rich and flavorful, and often, the more bitter it was, the better it tasted.
But to those not used to it, it was absolutely revolting. Noah had once complained, “Who in Merlin’s name would drink something this bitter voluntarily?”
To hardcore coffee lovers, Noah was something of a heretic. He always added loads of sugar—and milk too. While that weakened the intensity, Noah simply liked it better that way.
“Thank you for the suggestion. I might give it another try.” Dumbledore smiled warmly, then grew more serious. “Now then, Noah… can you tell me what exactly happened tonight?”
“Of course, Professor,” Noah replied, his expression turning somber.
“Everything tonight begins with Harry.”
“Harry?” Dumbledore glanced at the boy, puzzled, but said nothing more, waiting for Noah to continue.
“Yes. After leaving Professor Lockhart’s office, Harry said he heard a strange voice. As he was following the sound, he happened to run into us. We found it suspicious and decided to follow him. That’s when we saw the Acromantulas retreating—and then we saw it.”
“There were blood-red words scrawled across the wall, and next to it… was a petrified cat.”
“You believe that mysterious voice is responsible for this?” Dumbledore asked.
Noah explained their encounter succinctly, and his words plunged the room into deep thought.
It was Professor Snape who finally broke the silence, clearly troubled by something. “Why would Harry Potter hear a mysterious voice?”
“I don’t know,” Noah admitted. “But I think it’s tied to the source of the voice itself.”
“As we all know, hearing strange voices is rarely a good sign. But I believe these mysterious sounds are made by a creature—likely one that’s extremely bloodthirsty. Otherwise, why attack?”
“A creature?” Professor McGonagall frowned. “You mean the monster in the Chamber of Secrets? But—wait, how do you know about the Chamber?”
“I found a book in the Room of Requirement,” Noah explained. “It was called Secrets Hidden Through the Ages: Hogwarts. And from there—”
“Merlin's beard! You didn’t read all the forbidden dark magic books, did you?” McGonagall gasped.
“I admit I’ve read through some,” Noah said calmly. “In fact, all of us have read them to some extent. But I must say, Professor, I don’t agree with the view that all power is inherently evil. Power itself isn’t good or evil—only people and how they use it determine that.”
“Who taught you this?” McGonagall asked sharply. But she stopped mid-sentence, realizing something.
Noah hadn’t learned from Hogwarts professors. This philosophy… it came from someone else.
His words left Dumbledore, Snape, and the others deep in thought.
Indeed, the idea that power itself is neutral—that only people and their actions define good and evil—was not something a boy of twelve usually said.
It sounded like the teaching of a powerful, mysterious mentor. And while profound, they also recognized the potential danger in that line of thinking.
“There’s more to that quote, isn’t there, Noah?” Dumbledore asked, eyes glinting with curiosity.
“Yes, the rest goes like this: ‘Any power can be dangerous. But if a magician is determined, properly educated, and understands right from wrong, then they won’t be led astray—even by dark magic.’”
“Well said, Noah,” Dumbledore nodded approvingly. Snape, too, glanced at him with a much softer expression.
That look made Noah’s scalp tingle. He remembered that Dumbledore was… well, a bit eccentric in some ways. And he was pretty sure Snape’s sudden kindness was misinterpreting him as a future prodigy—or worse, a student of The Ancient One.
Yes, that’s who had said those words originally—The Ancient One from the Marvel Universe.
But no one here could know that. Noah silently prayed that no one would discover the truth, or he might be in real trouble.
“But Noah,” Dumbledore said gently, “you must remember—don’t experiment with dangerous magic lightly. Understood?”
“Of course, Professor. I give you my word. I won’t use any dark magic lightly—especially not against my classmates. I swear it on Merlin’s name.”
Dumbledore seemed truly pleased by that. With such a mature promise, he had no further concerns. Noah had always been a thoughtful and disciplined child. Sure, he was impulsive sometimes, but that was perfectly normal at his age.
“Well then,” Dumbledore continued, “since you already know about the Chamber of Secrets, tell us your thoughts.”
“Alright, Professor. I believe everything is connected to the monster in the Chamber. And somehow, Harry can hear and understand its voice. That’s the key.”
With those words, the room fell silent again—everyone now fully realizing that Harry’s connection to the creature might be the very reason why it could be found.
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