"Are you sure, Severus?"
In a hidden corridor of Hogwarts, Dumbledore and Snape stood bathed in moonlight. By now, all the first-years had returned to their dormitories, preparing for bed. The professors, too, were settling in for the night.
"It's hard to be completely certain," Snape replied. "I've lived with him for a long time. A year ago, there were some subtle changes, but no matter what methods I used, I couldn't find any real issues. He still seemed like the same person."
"But just this month, he suddenly became... different. Not in personality—his behavior hasn't changed—but his abilities. He suddenly became a genius, as if—"
Snape's face grew serious, a rare look of genuine confusion crossing it.
"—like his father, perhaps?" Dumbledore's ancient, steady blue eyes gazed out the window at the glowing moon.
"Yes... Exactly. That's why I'm beginning to wonder if something went wrong on the other side, something that caused this sudden transformation."
Snape's voice was tense, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists.
"It's difficult to observe, Severus. All we can do is protect him as best we can... if he really is the Savior."
Dumbledore remained calm, his gaze still fixed on the night sky.
"The Savior? Do we even need one now?" Snape snapped, his voice rising in emotion. "The prophecy was fulfilled seven years ago! There's no need for a new savior!"
There was pain etched into his face, a sorrow that seemed rooted in the past.
"I'm sorry, Severus, for not telling you sooner. You hadn't returned yet. This morning, just before the train departed, Sibyll made another prophecy."
At last, Dumbledore turned to face Snape. His deep blue eyes reflected immense sadness, and in them, Snape's pale face was mirrored.
— — —
Professor Snape pushed open the heavy wooden door of a classroom. A chill greeted him as he stepped inside. Develo shivered slightly.
It was a large room, lined with tall bookshelves filled with spellbooks and magical artifacts. In the center stood several dummies clad in tattered robes. Their faces were blurred, as if damaged by countless spells.
But what caught Develo's attention most was not the dummies—it was the people standing in the classroom.
Headmaster Dumbledore!
Develo froze, unsure what to do. He hadn't expected this.
Snape didn't acknowledge him. He walked to the podium, turned sharply, and his piercing gaze seemed even colder under the dim lighting.
"Let's see if your so-called 'genius' lives up to its name," he said icily. "I'll cast a spell, you watch. When you think you've learned it, show me. The Headmaster and Head of Ravenclaw, Professor Flitwick, are both here. They're very interested in your so-called talent—so you'd better deliver."
Only then did Develo notice Flitwick standing off to the side. It was easy to overlook him—after all, the Head of Ravenclaw was barely waist-high.
Develo gave a small nod. He glanced nervously at Dumbledore and Flitwick—two giants of the magical world. He had dreamed of being noticed by Dumbledore, but he never thought it would happen this quickly.
Dumbledore met his eyes and smiled, as if offering encouragement.
Develo took a deep breath, drew his wand from his belt, and stepped into the center of the room. He gave Snape a nod—he was ready.
Snape nodded slightly. Then, with a wave of his wand—
Squeak squeak!
Gah gah!
The dummies suddenly seemed to come to life. They writhed and twisted, their ragged robes mending themselves, their hollow bodies filling out. Soon, they stood upright like real people, even walking about the room.
Develo's eyes lit up with excitement. Target practice with moving opponents—now that was thrilling.
Snape raised his wand again.
"Stupefy!"
A bolt of red light shot from his wand and struck a dummy, sending it tumbling to the ground.
Develo quickly raised his hand to signal—he had already learned the spell.
That fast?
Dumbledore and Flitwick exchanged surprised glances.
Snape stared intently at Develo, his expression unreadable.
Develo silently reviewed the wand motion and pronunciation. Truthfully, he had already learned Stupefy back at the Leaky Cauldron. He just hadn't used it in front of Snape before. Watching it again just helped reinforce the details.
"Now, your turn," Snape said.
Develo raised his wand, took a deep breath, and pointed it at another dummy.
"Stupefy!"
A clear red beam shot from his wand.
Bang!
The dummy fell instantly.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
Flitwick and Dumbledore applauded, clearly impressed. Flitwick, in particular, looked delighted.
Snape remained expressionless.
Then came more complex spells. Snape began with basic charms, gradually increasing the difficulty to hexes and intermediate-level spells. Develo watched each one closely. Whenever he saw something new, he studied it several times. Thanks to his highly compatible wand, he almost never made mistakes.
Each time he succeeded, Dumbledore and Flitwick offered generous applause. Eventually, Flitwick walked over to shake his hand.
"What a shame you didn't end up in Ravenclaw," Flitwick said, clearly regretful.
(Develo also regretted it!)
At that moment, Develo opened Flitwick's status panel.
[Name: Filius Flitwick]
[Age: 56]
[Spell Library: Silent Spell (Unmatched), Banishing Charm (Proficient), ...**
[Entries: Magical Genius (Gold), Duelist (Purple), Goblin Bloodline (Purple)**
Magical Genius (Gold): Learns spells at incredible speed; highly creative. Destined to become a magical master.
Duelist (Purple): Exceptional combat instincts. Nearly unbeatable in one-on-one duels.
Goblin Bloodline (Purple): As a goblin-wizard hybrid, possesses unique magical and physical traits. Skilled in enchantment and magical crafting.
Nice!
Develo instantly added Flitwick's entries to his "shopping cart." He would load them all when Charms class began.
Snapping back to reality, Develo smiled and said all four houses were great, and he liked them all.
But Snape's expression darkened. Was he seeing Develo get too close to Flitwick? Maybe he was afraid of losing his "favorite student."
In that moment, Develo realized that showing off his talent had been a masterstroke. Snape would have to treat him better from now on.
Clap! Clap! Clap!
"You performed very well, Develo," Dumbledore said as he approached, clapping his hands.
"A rare magical genius. The last time I met someone this talented was over twenty years ago."
Develo had grown used to Snape's cold demeanor, so hearing genuine praise from Dumbledore warmed him deeply.
"Thank you, Headmaster. I am a genius," he replied without hesitation.
Flitwick laughed. "Now that's a Slytherin answer if I've ever heard one."
Dumbledore chuckled too. "Indeed. Humility is not a Slytherin virtue."
"Decades ago, another student said something quite similar to me…"
As he spoke, Dumbledore walked to within three meters of Develo.
Without hesitation, Develo opened Dumbledore's panel.
[Name: Albus Dumbledore]
[Age: 109]
[Spell Library: Legilimency (Unmatched), Transfiguration (Unmatched), Fidelius Charm (Unmatched), ...**
[Entries: Great Power (Red), Magical Spirit (Red), Mentor of Great Existence (Gold), Transfiguration Aberration (Gold), Owner of the Elder Wand (Gold), Alchemy Genius (Gold), Redeemer (Purple), Language Expert (Purple), Magical Creature Affinity (Purple), ...**
What a collection!
Develo could hardly wait to unlock these in the future.