Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office.
On the sofa, Ino was still digesting the content he had seen in the Chamber of Secrets earlier.
It was simply too sudden—his name was recorded in the Book of Admittance, right after Dumbledore's.
Considering the ten or so renowned wizards whose names appeared on that list, its significance was already clear.
According to the original story, the headmastership of Hogwarts changed frequently in its final years.
From the ridiculous pink toad Umbridge, to Snape, and finally to the rightful Professor McGonagall.
But today's events were indeed unexpected for him.
With these thoughts in mind, Ino glanced again at Dumbledore, who sat opposite him.
"Professor! I'm only a fourth-year student. Don't you think this decision is a bit too hasty?"
"Hasty?" Dumbledore mused for a moment, "It seems... you might have misunderstood something. As I said earlier, the one granting you this authority has always been Hogwarts itself."
"Look at how many portraits there are here! And how many headmasters are recorded in the history of Hogwarts?"
Dumbledore pointed to the portraits on the wall, but this gesture caused several former headmasters to roll their eyes in displeasure. One of the more temperamental ones, Phineas Nigellus Black, even swore under his breath.
In the past, Ino might have watched this scene with great interest, but now…
He was preoccupied, pondering Dumbledore's words and recalling the history of Hogwarts. Founded in 990 AD, its history recorded a total of 17 headmasters.
However, neither the list he had seen earlier nor the portraits on the walls matched that number.
...
After a while.
Ino gradually sorted through his thoughts. Perhaps there were two types of headmasters.
One type was chosen and recognized by Hogwarts itself, while the other was appointed in the absence of a suitable candidate, recommended by wizards, the Ministry of Magic, or the school governors.
After voicing his guess, Ino once again turned his gaze to Dumbledore.
"Exactly!" Dumbledore nodded affirmatively.
"As I've told you before, no one can fully understand the castle—not only because of the countless secrets hidden within, but also because the castle itself possesses its own will."
At this point, Dumbledore paused briefly, then opened his hands with a slightly melancholic expression, saying in a heavy tone:
"And that is the key. Just as no one can truly understand a person, most of the time, that person doesn't even understand themselves."
After Dumbledore finished speaking, Ino didn't respond immediately. Instead, he replayed his experiences of the past few years in his mind.
Perhaps it was because he had just visited Nicholas Flamel, but he found himself linking magic and alchemy together more often.
If the entire castle were indeed considered a living entity, a powerful alchemical creation, then everything seemed to make sense.
Whether it was the Sorting Hat, the Room of Requirement behind the tapestry, or even the Basilisk from his second year...
Especially the Basilisk. Ino finally understood the series of coincidences in the original story—a puddle of water, a ghost standing in his way...
If he had previously suspected Dumbledore, he no longer did now. Everything was thanks to the will of the castle.
Come to think of it, suspecting Dumbledore was rather far-fetched. Magic can influence character, but Dumbledore, as a great white wizard favored by Fawkes and a member of the Dumbledore family…
It's unlikely the headmaster would let a 5X-rated Basilisk rampage freely through the castle for the sake of some so-called 'scheme.'
Similarly, Ino thought of another matter: why Dumbledore never knew where the Basilisk was hidden.
The Basilisk, placed by Salazar Slytherin himself, must have taken into account the authority of future headmasters.
If any random headmaster could find it, then Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets would be a joke, utterly meaningless.
...
Gradually, everything started to connect.
For a brief moment, Ino even thought of the Gaunt family's diary.
Was it really that Lina had found it in the Restricted Section of the library, or had the castle itself allowed her to find it?
After a long pause.
"Alright! I think I understand now!"
Ino leaned back on the sofa, slowly extended his finger, and lightly tapped the empty coffee table.
A rather magical scene unfolded: a glass of freshly squeezed grass juice suddenly appeared on the table.
Though it was just a drink, it involved the authority of the headmaster.
Ino had spent three years at Hogwarts and had seen countless professors dining in the Great Hall, including several heads of houses, and even Deputy Headmistress Professor McGonagall.
But he had never seen Dumbledore there. At first, he thought it was just a matter of timing. But now… it seemed the headmaster always had his private meals.
Noticing Ino's thoughts, Dumbledore spoke naturally:
"Sometimes I fill myself up with sweets. Honeydukes' products are always delicious. Would you like some?"
Although it was phrased as a question, Dumbledore had already stood up and walked to the cabinet where he stored sweets.
Two plates piled high with sweets were placed on the coffee table.
One was full of creamy white nougat, the other piled with wriggling Cockroach Clusters.
Seeing the familiar sweets, Ino couldn't help but recall the Astronomy Tower from his first year.
That was his first time alone with Dumbledore, and he had greedily eaten several pieces of candy.
It seemed that ever since then, Dumbledore had always brought out an entire plate of nougat for him.
"Thank you for your generosity!"
Ino smiled and took a piece of candy. As Dumbledore had said, the taste hadn't changed; it was still rich and milky as always.
Dumbledore responded with a silent smile.
...
Time passed as quietly as water.
After finishing the last piece of candy, Ino wiped away the crumbs left at the corner of his mouth.
"Professor! There's something I want you to know. On the train to start this school year, Harry told me something."
"He said that before the holiday ended, Trelawney gave him a prophecy, saying that he would kill you..."
After speaking, Ino looked up at Dumbledore, waiting for his reaction.
However, instead of panic, Dumbledore showed a hint of amusement, as if he had heard something quite entertaining.
But soon, that smile quietly faded, replaced by an expression of sympathy and compassion.
"Sybill is always like this! Every word of a Seer comes at a price."
"But I didn't expect this content this time. To be killed by Harry—that sounds rather interesting..."
"This is not interesting at all!" Ino interrupted Dumbledore.
"If you get killed by Harry, who will take care of Voldemort? Even if Hogwarts recognizes me, I don't have the ability to take care of so many people."
When mentioning Harry, Ino deliberately emphasized his tone. The meaning was clear.
If it comes down to it in the end, Harry likely cannot escape the fate of perishing alongside Voldemort.
After all, his opponent is Voldemort. If he hesitates, he'll only meet the same end as Dumbledore did in the prophecy.