My Hogwarts has a serious problem.

Chapter 67. A Long Conversation with Dumbledore (Seeking Recommendations)

"You mean Kira?" Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Yes, it attacked the young wizards in the castle, and since the Ministry of Magic has no punishment for house-elves causing harm, I think dismissing it is a deserved punishment."

Ghosts believe.

Lynn rolled his eyes inwardly, organized his thoughts, and continued.

"Professor, I'm not sure if you know I'm an orphan. I grew up in a Muggle orphanage. My parents died when I was very young, but they left me a considerable fortune. In my memory, they were just ordinary people, as normal as could be. After being accepted into Hogwarts, although I was sorted into Slytherin and faced discrimination from my classmates based on my bloodline, I never resented or doubted my origins..."

He looked up at Dumbledore, who nodded gently and met his gaze, seemingly encouraging him to continue.

"But Hubert was attacked immediately after he insulted my bloodline, and Raphael was attacked as well, which gave me the feeling that someone was secretly protecting me at Hogwarts. On the night Professor Fawkes fought the Death Eaters, you told the whole school that the killer was that dark wizard, and of course I believed you."

Professor Fox told me the reason why that dark wizard was hiding in Hogwarts. Perhaps he was the real culprit, but who knows, he might have accomplices in the castle?

So I devised a plan with Ian Cedric and the others.

Ian and I deliberately clashed in the Great Hall. He insulted me with the same words as Hubert Raphael. Two weeks later, just yesterday, a house-elf named Kira attacked Ian. I caught it on the spot, and it knelt down in front of me, crying and calling me master, and admitted that it was responsible for the previous two attacks.

I've read many books about the magical world and know that only ancient pure-blood wizarding families keep house-elves. If he calls me "master," it means one of my parents must be a pure-blood. I'm very curious about my origins, so this morning I went to the castle kitchen to look for him, but a house-elf told me he was dismissed by you. So I came here to ask you what my next step should be.

Lynn's now completely candid advice is to pass the buck to Dumbledore.

The attack was all done by the house-elf; he knew nothing about it. He just wanted to find the house-elf to find out about his origins, and since you just chased it away, Lynn wants to know where it is. Of course, if all else fails, you can tell him if you know anything.

With the brain-closing technique rewarded by the system, Lynn felt fearless as long as Dumbledore couldn't probe his thoughts.

The old bee listened quietly to Lynn's story, then nodded in approval.

"A remarkable experience, Belloc. The decisions and methods you made after this series of events were impeccable, enough to amaze anyone with your wisdom and composure. The Sorting Hat's decision to place you in Slytherin is one of its most correct choices."

"But you're wrong about one thing. The dark wizard killed by Adrian wasn't the one who attacked the students. I lied to the whole school that night."

Of course I know you're lying, but if I were to say I don't believe you, wouldn't that be disrespecting you? Wouldn't you just secretly write it down in your little notebook?

Lynn silently complained in her heart, but on the surface she still cooperated wholeheartedly and asked the questions.

"Then... Professor, why did you lie?"

Dumbledore didn't hide anything; instead, he told Lynn his intentions directly.

"Because I didn't know who the murderer was at the time, and Adrian happened to have killed the dark wizard hiding in the Forbidden Forest. At the time, he was the prime suspect. Although I also suspected it wasn't him, I had no other clues, so I simply declared him the murderer. If it really was him, then of course everyone would be happy. If it wasn't him, it would be good to make the real murderer lower his guard, and maybe he would slip up. But you gave me a big surprise, Belloc. In the end, I didn't expect it to be you and your friends who worked together to lure it out."

Lynn didn't completely believe Dumbledore's words. It seemed that the old bee was being completely open and honest with him, but in reality, he might have wanted Lynn himself to be the one who slipped up.

It is estimated that Dumbledore also discovered Lynn's connection to the two attacks and knew about Lynn's relationship with Kira. After realizing that he and Ian Cedric had staged a play to lure Kira out, he caught them red-handed and expelled Kira from Hogwarts.

As for his purpose in doing so, Lynn couldn't guess. He felt that if Dumbledore really just wanted to catch the real culprit himself, the result wouldn't be as simple as just expelling Kira from Hogwarts.

A house-elf, in a rebellious act, attacked two young wizards with dark magic and even attempted to attack a third, but failed. When caught, he received only a mild punishment.

Dumbledore wasn't some saint, and Lynn always felt that his purpose was very likely to be himself.

"Professor, is it possible for me to find that house-elf? Should I ask it about my origins?" Lynn asked tentatively.

Dumbledore looked intently at Lynn.

"Since Kira considers you its master, it will continue to appear by your side, so you don't need to worry about that. As for whether or not to ask it about your origins, that's a decision you have to make yourself."

I can only offer some advice. Sometimes, not knowing can make life easier and more peaceful. But if you want to understand something, then you must be prepared to bear the responsibility that comes with knowing it.

Lynn felt that Dumbledore's words had a hidden meaning, and after hesitating for a moment, he asked Dumbledore.

"Professor, do you know about my background? Could you tell me a little about it?"

Dumbledore shook his head.

"I know some things, but I think if you really want to know the truth, it's better to find the answer yourself. Only by experiencing it firsthand can you understand its significance."

Lynn was secretly annoyed; Dumbledore was clearly playing cryptic with him.

Dumbledore suddenly looked at Lynn and said with a smile.

"Actually, you are very similar to one of my former students. He also grew up in an orphanage, came from a prestigious family, and was also a smart and calm Slytherin. Unfortunately, he later went down the wrong path."

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Lynn's hair stood on end in terror, and large patches of sweat appeared on his back, soaking his robes.

(End of this chapter)