"What?!"
Dumbledore was stunned, his expression mirroring the shock Kenn and the others had shown earlier.
"That's how it happened," Noah said with a helpless shrug.
While he found it amusing to watch people be shocked, the novelty had worn off. Every time, he had to go through the same explanations, answer the same questions. Honestly, it was exhausting.
But there was no avoiding it—whether it was Dumbledore or Kenn, Noah had to make things clear.
With a sigh, he stood there, watching Dumbledore, hoping he would process everything quickly.
Noah wasn't physically tired. During the eight-hour train ride, he had stayed inside his system space, reading the Ancient One's notes. To everyone else, it had looked like he was asleep, which wasn't entirely untrue. As a result, he was in perfect condition now.
Dumbledore studied Noah in silence, his gaze sharp. Sensing that Noah was a little uneasy, he finally sighed and said, "I never expected you to reach this level so quickly. Your talent is truly astonishing, Mr. Finnell."
"Uh… thanks?" Noah replied, feeling a bit off.
Was that it?
Shouldn't Dumbledore be asking something like, 'Why did the Ancient One take an interest in you?'
Strangely, Noah felt unsatisfied. There was a saying—people who get things too easily tend to be more demanding. He didn't think of himself as ungrateful, but even he had to admit he was being a little hypocritical right now.
Dumbledore must have noticed Noah's confusion because he smiled knowingly.
"Are you surprised that I didn't question you endlessly and simply believed you?"
"Well… yeah. I gave Evan and the others the same information, and they—"
"Found it hard to believe?"
"Exactly."
"Well, it is unbelievable. To be honest, you startled me too," Dumbledore admitted, though his expression was more amused than worried.
To Noah's surprise, there was also a hint of relief on the old wizard's face—like a proud mentor watching a student succeed.
That reaction threw Noah off. Shouldn't he be looking at Harry like that instead?
"But—"
Just as Noah was trying to figure out what was going on, Dumbledore continued, "Don't forget, I'm the Headmaster of Hogwarts. The moment you walked into this office, I could feel the immense magic radiating from you. Coupled with the information I received from the MACUSA, I chose to believe you."
"You felt my magic?" Noah was surprised but quickly accepted it. Given that Dumbledore was one of the greatest wizards of all time, it wasn't that shocking.
Dumbledore only gave him a knowing wink instead of answering directly.
"Your talent is remarkable, Noah. You're completely different from last year."
"The Ancient One gave me one of her notebooks…"
"I see." Dumbledore's expression turned serious. "You must never tell anyone about that notebook. Do you understand?"
Though he was clearly curious about how the Ancient One had accelerated Noah's magical growth, he didn't press for details. The Supreme Sorcerer must have had her own methods, ones beyond normal understanding.
After all, the Ancient One had been the guardian of Earth's mystical forces for centuries—perhaps the most powerful sorcerer in over four hundred years. There was no doubt she had ways to enhance someone's magic in ways ordinary wizards couldn't even comprehend.
So, rather than pry, Dumbledore simply accepted it.
"I understand, Professor," Noah nodded.
That saved him from having to explain too much. He had originally intended to discuss his magic-related concerns with Dumbledore, but now… it didn't seem necessary. It might just complicate things.
With a polite bow, Noah turned and left the office.
Classes started tomorrow, and even though he wasn't remotely tired, there wasn't much to do here. He might as well return to the dormitory, chat with his friends, and get some rest.
As he walked, his mind drifted back to his system.
The system had kept its promise—the time ratio in his system space had increased from 1:1 to 1:3. That had been a pleasant surprise.
He had expected only a minor improvement, but the system had proven him wrong.
"I haven't experienced the second level yet, so I don't know what that would be like. But if the time ratio at level three is 1:3, does that mean it doubles with each upgrade?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
This change was incredibly valuable. More time in the system space meant more hours to meditate and refine his magic. It was essentially a shortcut to mastery!
And not just that—more time meant more opportunities for magical experimentation.
After all, magicians weren't that different from scientists. In fact, when it came to obsession and madness, magicians often made scientists look tame.
"With this much extra time, I can finally refine my new spells properly. I will get a chance to use them!"
Noah still felt frustrated that he hadn't been able to unleash most of the magic he had learned. He was mostly stuck using simple spells—practically parlor tricks compared to what he truly knew.
But now?
With the Ancient One as his backer, he finally had the freedom to experiment without restraint.
"At worst, I'll just say I researched it myself based on her notes."
He absentmindedly responded to the questions of the Ravenclaw bronze eagle knocker before stepping into the common room.
The atmosphere inside was peaceful. Only a few upper-year students remained, absorbed in their books, while most of the younger students had already gone to bed.
Seeing this scene, Noah smiled. He truly enjoyed the quiet, scholarly life at Hogwarts.
But then, an unsettling thought crossed his mind—Voldemort.
That man had once plunged Hogwarts and the entire wizarding world into chaos.
If Noah wanted to maintain this peace, he couldn't just ignore Voldemort. He had to find a way to deal with him before things spiraled out of control.
Sure, even if Noah did nothing, someone else would eventually take care of Voldemort.
But Noah didn't like leaving things to chance.
His very existence in this world was already a major variable. Who knew how the future might change because of him?
"With a butterfly like me flapping its wings, the future could shift in any direction… No, I need to start planning now."
A cold glint flickered in his eyes.
"It's time to seriously consider—how do I kill Voldemort before he becomes a real threat?"
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