As soon as the afternoon class was over, Andy couldn't wait to run to the Headmaster's office on the seventh floor.
Andy had been waiting a long, long time for this very moment.
From the very first day he arrived at Hogwarts, from the moment he realised that this was the world of Harry Potter, Andy had dreamed of becoming the most powerful wizard in the world.
Great power! Eternal life!
These had been Andy's dreams all along!
Andy had been working hard to achieve them.
Challenging Dumbledore is just one step towards achieving this dream because the 'future Andy' will continue to get stronger.
On the journey he has embarked on, Andy is still far from reaching the end.
Albus Dumbledore... was the greatest wizard of the twentieth century and is unanimously viewed as the strongest wizard of all time.
Grindelwald lost to him in a one-on-one duel, and Voldemort also lost to him in a battle not long ago.
Andy witnessed that battle.
To this day, Andy still feels that Dumbledore held back in his battle with Voldemort – that he didn't use his full power.
It could be said that this was the duel Andy was most looking forward to.
The secret of Dumbledore's power was also the secret Andy most wanted to find out.
"Iced lemonade!"
Immediately after Andy recited the password, the huge gargoyle guarding the entrance to the Headmaster's office jumped to one side, and the wall behind it slowly slid away to reveal a spiral staircase.
"Andy, are you really sure about this?" Hermione asked hesitantly.
Although she had long known that Andy wanted to challenge Dumbledore, when the time came, Hermione was actually more nervous than Andy himself.
It was actually a matter of a sense of substitution.
Because in Hermione's eyes, she and Andy are one and the same, and Andy challenging Dumbledore is the same as she challenging Dumbledore.
Unfortunately, Dumbledore is also a professor Hermione respects the most.
At this moment, every single cell in Hermione's body is against it.
As for Andy...
Andy doesn't feel a thing about it.
Challenging someone to duel is just like asking an elderly person for advice: you need to be thick-skinned and dare to ask.
Once you've taken the plunge, if they say yes, you've struck gold; if they say no, you've still lost nothing.
If you're too hesitant to ask, you'll just miss out.
"Of course!"
Andy looked back at Hermione and raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry; I already spoke to Professor Dumbledore about this, and he knows about it."
"Fine!" Hermione nodded, her palms starting to sweat.
At the end of the spiral staircase was an oak door. Andy walked up to it and knocked gently.
Knock, knock, knock!
After a while, a slightly aged voice was heard from inside the room, "Come in!"
Andy pushed open the wooden door.
"Good afternoon, Headmaster Dumbledore!" Andy said with a smile.
"Good afternoon, Professor Dumbledore." Hermione looked a little flustered, and her face flushed slightly.
"Hello, Mr Collins, Miss Granger."
Dumbledore didn't seem surprised by their arrival. "Please, sit down. What would you like to drink?"
"Iced lemonade, please," said Andy, casually repeating the password for the Headmaster's office.
Dumbledore turned to Hermione, "And you, Miss Granger?"
"Thank you, I'm fine," Hermione said.
Dumbledore gave a gentle smile, then tapped his finger on the table, and two glasses of iced lemonade appeared in front of Andy and Hermione.
Andy took a sip.
It was sour!
"I didn't expect this day to come so soon."
Dumbledore's tone carried a hint of reminiscence: "I thought it would take a few years more."
"Professor, is that a yes?" Andy asked.
Andy didn't say what he was here for.
But Dumbledore clearly knew Andy's purpose.
Because Andy had long since said that he would challenge him this academic year.
Dumbledore looked at Andy and laughed, "Mr Collins, I'm afraid you won't stop until I say yes, right?"
Andy felt a little embarrassed when he heard this.
It made him feel like a bad guy.
"Sorry..."
Andy touched his nose. "I'm just too curious."
Andy didn't want to challenge a 100-year-old man if he could find another way. Although Andy was not yet an adult, to a 100-year-old, a teenager like Andy was definitely young and full of energy.
In the Muggle world, Andy would be ridiculed if he did this.
"Curiosity is not a bad thing..."
Dumbledore said slowly, "Our exploration of the unknown is precisely because of our curiosity about everything... This is also the source of human progress."
"However..."
"Collins, I'm afraid you will have to wait a few more months."
Er...
Andy was stunned.
"Professor, is there something wrong?" Andy asked curiously.
That being said, Andy really didn't think Dumbledore was in trouble. He had definitely planned something by postponing the duel for a few months.
And Andy was most worried that he had planned something involving him.
"Yes!" Dumbledore nodded.
But then?
Andy waited for the rest of the sentence.
Dumbledore looked at Andy.
Andy also looked at Dumbledore.
The two stared at each other for a while until Andy felt a little embarrassed and had to ask, "Is it something confidential?"
"Yes," said Dumbledore.
It was confirmed!
Andy was finally sure that this old guy definitely planned to arrange something for him. He just didn't know what kind of nasty plan he had in mind, but it couldn't be anything good.
"Okay then," Andy said with a hint of disappointment.
But postponing the duel was fine; it was only a matter of a few months; Andy could wait.
Especially since the person he would be waiting for is Dumbledore.
Andy was very patient in this regard.
As for Dumbledore's 'confidential' matter...to be honest, Andy didn't really care. Even if it really involved him, he would just deal with it as it came.
If Dumbledore wanted Andy to help,
Andy wouldn't mind if he were in a good mood.
This was the confidence that came with strength... At this moment, Andy could finally proclaim loudly that nothing in the wizarding world could hinder him.
On the contrary, Hermione, after hearing that Dumbledore had agreed to Andy's 'unreasonable' request, was inwardly relieved.
Because the matter had been settled.
As for postponing the duel for a few months... In Hermione's opinion, wasn't that how it was supposed to be?
How could Dumbledore, as the Headmaster of Hogwarts, be as idle as Andy?
Every day, he only creates trouble!
"Professor..."
Seeing that neither Andy nor Dumbledore was speaking, Hermione hesitated slightly before asking, "In the history of the wizarding world, has anyone ever established a wizard kingdom?"
"Although wizards are a minority compared to muggles, if all the wizards in Europe were united, they would be a large group, wouldn't they?"
"Has no one ever thought of establishing a wizard kingdom?"
Dumbledore visibly seemed taken aback by Hermione's question. "Miss Granger, why did you think of this question?"
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