Harry Potter: I started checking in from Diagon Alley

If Eric hadn't activated his mental field, he would have already been affected.

Throughout the entire process, he remained completely unaware of Dumbledore's actions.

Dumbledore himself didn't make any unnecessary movements; he simply kept chatting with Eric.

He didn't even change his expression.

Oh, no, we have it now.

That was the blankness that followed the failure of the mind-capturing technique.

Dumbledore's expression faltered for a moment, showing obvious surprise.

Even though it was only for a fleeting moment, Eric saw it all.

After realizing he had given himself away, Dumbledore, no matter how agitated he was inside, quickly composed himself on the surface.

He decisively canceled the transfer of magic, his face still beaming with a smile. If Eric didn't know what had happened, he would have thought that expression was just his imagination.

Dumbledore was no longer calm!

He used Legilimency on Eric, but all he saw was a grayish-white mist.

There was no memory, no visual feedback, only a bottomless, grayish-white mist.

Dumbledore certainly meant this.

This means that his Legilimency technique has completely failed!

This result shocked Dumbledore even more than learning that Eric was proficient in using the Patronus Charm.

Dumbledore had a very clear understanding of his own abilities.

He understood that his Mind Control technique had been cultivated to its peak and could not possibly fail to be released.

He's not that old yet.

Then, only one possibility remains.

Eric is able to stop his Legilimency!

Admittedly, mind control is not invincible.

As a mental detection spell, Legilimency naturally has an antidote.

The solution to this curse is the Occlusive Therapy.

As the name suggests, this is a type of magic specifically designed to target the mind and thoughts of those who try to control their thoughts, thus blocking out information from their brain.

However, not everyone can learn to perform Occlumency.

It's not something you can easily stop Dumbledore just by learning it.

In Dumbledore's mind, only a wizard like Snape, who was proficient in Occlumency, could rival him in this regard.

But who is Snape?

He was one of the most outstanding potions experts, a former Death Eater, a double agent personally protected by Dumbledore, and a staunch supporter of Voldemort.

It took Dumbledore a great deal of courage to trust him.

Snape was perhaps the world's greatest master of Occlumency, bar none.

Even so, Snape had to keep his Occlumency active at all times to ensure his safety and allow him to maneuver between Voldemort and Dumbledore.

It must be done at all times, without the slightest slackening.

The side effect is that Snape always has the same deadpan expression, looking at everyone with the same look.

Dumbledore was absolutely confident that his Legilimency had not revealed any prior intent.

Even so, his attempt to seize the mind failed.

How could Dumbledore not be shocked?

Either Eric has mastered Occlumency to at least Snape's level, maintaining a closed mind at all times and calmly blocking Legilimency.

Or perhaps Eric had already prepared himself for Dumbledore's possible actions.

He initiated the brain shut-off procedure as soon as he entered the principal's office.

If he hadn't verified it himself, Dumbledore would never have believed that a wizard as young as Eric could possibly withstand his Legilimency.

Either of these possibilities was difficult for Dumbledore to accept.

The former means that he cannot control Eric and cannot determine Eric's goals and ambitions.

It is also impossible to determine exactly how high Eric's magical talent is.

It is dangerous to let a genius like Eric grow up freely.

After all, Voldemort was once an outstanding student at Hogwarts.

With Voldemort as a precedent, how could Dumbledore possibly allow anyone to run rampant under his nose?

The latter implies that Eric was also aware of Dumbledore's idea and was already on guard against a possible invasion.

This was even worse for Dumbledore.

Faced with someone who was already wary of him, he could no longer use his personal charm to ensure Eric's side, just as he had with others.

Seemingly sensing Dumbledore's doubts, Eric smiled and said, "Professor, please rest assured, I have no hostility towards Hogwarts."

Dumbledore's pupils dilated slightly as he stared intently at Eric, only to be met with Eric's composed smile.

Chapter 50 Take the initiative

The smile on Dumbledore's face vanished instantly after Eric uttered those words.

Eric saw right through his plan and his purpose today.

His attempt to test Eric's abilities has completely failed.

Today, Dumbledore has no chance of gaining the slightest advantage over Eric, who is well-prepared.

Dumbledore stared intently into Eric's eyes, trying to discern what lay hidden within them.

Eric didn't urge him, nor did he try to avoid him.

Anyway, he has a soul barrier, what is he afraid of?

Could Dumbledore possibly lock him in the headmaster's office and not let him leave?

Eric is so reckless because he is a student.

Dumbledore has a weakness, a weakness that he himself is unaware of.

That is, Dumbledore is the most powerful person in the world.

This brought him immense prestige, but inevitably also imposed many limitations on him.

As a highly respected person, you must play by the rules that people have set for you.

This rule looks complicated, but it's actually quite simple.

People don't want you to use your superior magical abilities to do whatever you want and act recklessly.

Only in this way would the Ministry of Magic, the ancient families with their proud wizarding bloodlines, and the various non-human races be willing to play this game of thrones with Dumbledore.

They recognized Dumbledore's dominance and, based on that, worked diligently for their own interests.

Otherwise, if someone tries to physically eliminate another person who doesn't listen to your advice, who will care about you?

From this perspective, there is actually no difference between magical society and Muggle society.

You need to respect other people's needs in order to gain their approval.

Voldemort didn't understand this, so he died while Dumbledore lived.

Voldemort's destruction was not accidental, but inevitable.

Even without Harry and that war, Voldemort would still have been opposed by everyone for his violent ways.

Even if he had defeated Dumbledore back then, it would still have been the same.

Therefore, if Dumbledore wants to accept this reputation, he must give up something in the process.

This also included using magical power to forcefully suppress Eric, compelling him to reveal the information Dumbledore wanted.

He could certainly do that today; after failing to use Legilimency, he would have attacked Eric in the principal's office.

Soul-stealing curse, truth serum, memory extraction...

If Dumbledore wanted to, he certainly had countless ways to achieve his goal.

But if he can do this today, what about in the future?

Does he intend to use force to subdue everyone who opposes him?

Who exactly is the dark wizard?

Dumbledore couldn't do that, simply because he wasn't Voldemort.

Fortunately, Dumbledore was also happy to accept these restrictions.

……

The two stared at each other for a long time, as if a bolt of lightning was constantly crackling between them.

During this time, their consciousnesses interacted tacitly.

They seem to understand what the other is thinking, but they can't reach a consensus.

In the end, it was Dumbledore who compromised first.

He adjusted his crescent-shaped glasses and said, "You're very frank, Eric. That makes me think the best of it. It's always better to be with a frank person than to be constantly on guard against them causing you trouble, especially when you have the ability to do so."

"I won't say anything more. I'm just curious, what exactly do you want?"

This statement is tantamount to acknowledging Eric's talent.

This also indirectly acknowledges that Dumbledore at this point was completely helpless against Eric.

Eric had already entered Hogwarts and become a student there.

In a sense, Eric has already signed a contract with Hogwarts and is recognized and protected by Hogwarts.