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    Chapter 73: Your Ambition Is Simply Too Obvious

    A singlehood curse? Does Hogwarts even have such a curse? How come I didn’t know about this? Dumbledore lived for over a hundred years, experiencing countless storms and waves in his life. Almost nothing could move him, unless he couldn’t help it.

    I suspect you’re subtly criticizing me.

    Dumbledore looked at Andy and chuckled, “Where did you hear this rumor? Hogwarts has no such curse.”

    Is that so?

    Andy looked innocent.

    To investigate the curse, Andy had already done his research. The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor changes every year. No matter how careful and guarded they are, something always happens to the professor.

    Minor inconveniences at best, serious injuries in the middle range, and even death in the worst cases.

    Furthermore, Andy also investigated the marital status of other Hogwarts professors. The results weren’t pretty. Single, widowed… the reasons varied, but the results were roughly the same. Either they were single because they couldn’t find a partner, like Dumbledore and Snape, or they were married but widowed, like McGonagall and Sprout.

    It’s a tragedy on a grand scale.

    Since Dumbledore admitted that a curse exists in the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, what about Hogwarts as a whole? Andy decided to subtly hint, “Headmaster, think about yourself, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick…”

    Andy named all the Hogwarts professors one by one, then asked suspiciously, “Headmaster, the professors at the school are either single or widowed. Haven’t you investigated the situation?”

    Dumbledore: …

    Andy wouldn’t have said anything, but hearing this, Dumbledore suddenly realized how tragic the Hogwarts professors were! Either single or widowed. From the Headmaster Dumbledore to Hagrid and Filch, not a single one could grow old with a partner. A human tragedy!

    “Hogwarts doesn’t have a curse. As for the situation you mentioned…”

    Dumbledore paused for a moment, “Everyone has different lifestyles and pursues different dreams. We can’t demand that everyone get married and have children. That’s a societal standard for life, but it’s not necessarily suitable for everyone.”

    Andy: …

    Can this excuse fool anyone?

    Andy didn’t dwell on the issue, “Headmaster, how did Voldemort curse the Defense Against the Dark Arts position?”

    Hearing Andy directly call him ‘Voldemort’ instead of ‘the Dark Lord’ or ‘You-Know-Who’ like others, Dumbledore felt a pang of relief. Voldemort had disappeared for ten years, yet the wizarding world still feared him like a tiger, unwilling to utter his name. This is, undeniably, a kind of sadness. Even the professors—Snape still referred to him as the Dark Lord, while others called him You-Know-Who. Even to utter his name was considered taboo. If Voldemort were to return, how many people would have the courage to fight him?

    “I don’t know either.”

    Dumbledore explained, “As far as I know, Voldemort is a descendant of Slytherin. Perhaps he used some kind of blood magic!”

    You don’t know?

    Andy was doubtful.

    Seeming to see Andy’s doubt, Dumbledore chuckled lightly, “I’m not omniscient. There are many secrets in this world that I don’t know.”

    Andy shrugged and probed, “Headmaster, tonight…?”

    Dumbledore winked, “You should have guessed, haven’t you?”

    “I don’t understand!”

    Andy pretended to know nothing, “Since the Philosopher’s Stone will attract danger, why did you bring it to school?”

    “Is it for Harry?” Andy guessed, “You had Hagrid take Harry to Gringotts to get the Philosopher’s Stone. Did you want Harry to do something?”

    Dumbledore was a little surprised, “I must say, you’re a perceptive young wizard, Mr. Collins.”

    Andy asked curiously, “Is there anything special about Quirrell?”

    Dumbledore looked at Andy. Although he was proficient in Legilimency, he wouldn’t abuse his power. But at this moment, he was genuinely curious about what was going on in this young wizard’s mind.

    However, Dumbledore ultimately restrained himself. Many people are complex, and Dumbledore was no exception. But the reason he was respected was that he could strictly adhere to his own bottom line.

    “Since you’ve already guessed these things, you should also be able to guess my intention, shouldn’t you?” Dumbledore’s tone remained calm, but his eyes revealed a hint of complexity.

    “Hiss—”

    Andy gasped.

    “No way!”

    Andy showed a look of astonishment, shocked, “Could it be that Voldemort… is still alive?”

    Thanks to my family, to maintain the façade of a normal child in front of them, Andy has been acting for eleven years. If it were the first few years after his arrival, Andy would surely have revealed a flaw.

    “Yes!”

    Dumbledore sighed, “Unfortunately, he didn’t die that night ten years ago.”

    Andy shrugged, “Okay, I understand!”

    Dumbledore looked at Andy, “Even though Voldemort has disappeared for ten years, many people are still terrified of him and dare not mention his name.”

    But Andy not only dared to speak Voldemort’s name but also, upon hearing the news that ‘Voldemort was still alive,’ only showed a moment of surprise before quickly regaining his composure. Dumbledore felt that this young wizard was unusually calm.

    “As long as it’s not the end of the world, life must go on.”

    Andy decided to put on a grand show, showing off his presence in front of Dumbledore, “Besides, I’ve never thought I was inferior to Voldemort.”

    If anyone else said that… well, no one else would say that.

    Dumbledore almost immediately believed Andy’s words. When he first met Andy, Dumbledore saw that this young wizard had ambitions that surpassed his own. This ambition was impossible to hide.

    For Dumbledore, this was actually a good thing. He was old, but the wizarding world still needed someone to protect it. As long as Andy wasn’t corrupted by dark magic, some minor flaws were insignificant.

    Everyone is complex, and the human heart is not simply good or evil; it is multifaceted and unfathomable. Even Dumbledore was the same.

    Dumbledore never considered himself a saint; his heart was also complex, but he could strictly adhere to his bottom line, never abusing his magic or influence. But dark magic is different.

    Dumbledore had seen many excellent wizards drawn into the abyss by dark magic. A little dabble was fine, but once they delved into dark magic, the temptation to the soul was something that willpower couldn’t counteract.

    (End of Chapter)

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