Harry Potter: Shadow Eminence

Chapter 27.

Upon hearing Dumbledore's remarks, Brian smirked slightly. He sensed that Dumbledore was being a bit boastful.

Nonetheless, this relaxed atmosphere made Brian feel significantly more comfortable.

The two were seated across from each other at a table, and Brian could distinctly see Dumbledore's bright light blue eyes behind his crescent-shaped glasses, his silver-white beard, the wrinkles on his face, and his crooked nose.

Dumbledore was enjoying a cupcake, his expression serious and reverent in front of the sweet treat.

"Brian, I taught your father and mother," Dumbledore winked at him, "Your father, Albert Walker, the troublemaker from Slytherin, I remember him well, or rather, I was quite impressed."

"Back then, he was always sneaking into the Restricted Section and the Forbidden Forest. I can't recall how many times I caught him; he almost pulled off what the Weasley twins do today all by himself," Dumbledore said with a smile. "He was always very popular, and of course, still is. He always had many friends."

Brian swallowed the steak in his mouth and smiled faintly, "Aside from having many friends, what you said doesn't sound like my father at all."

Mr. Walker was now incredibly mature.

"Yes, nothing transforms a person more than time," Dumbledore sighed and took another cream cake.

"And your mother, Betty Prewett, ah, now she is Mrs. Walker."

"She used to be a shy little girl, always hiding behind her older siblings, yet full of curiosity like a little kitten. The four siblings had a wonderful relationship. By the way, they all graduated from Gryffindor."

"Mother was in Gryffindor?" Brian asked with curiosity, "She never mentioned it."

"Yes, yes, she must still harbor some resentment," Dumbledore lamented.

"Oh?" Brian adopted a listening posture.

"No, I think this shouldn't be shared by me," Dumbledore shook his head. "What I can tell you is that she genuinely cares a lot about Molly, the current Mrs. Weasley."

"But they never kept in touch, and Mom holds a grudge," Brian said.

"Sometimes, you can't just rely on your eyes; you need to feel with your heart, Brian," Dumbledore said, looking deeply into his eyes. "That's an unbreakable family bond, flowing eternally in the blood, even if there are differences that cannot be erased..."

"That is love, Brian."

"Love..." Brian murmured this somewhat unfamiliar term, something he had never experienced in his previous life, and something he felt unworthy of now.

"So, whether it's you or the Weasley kids, regardless of how different your ideals may be, please always remember that they are your family, okay?"

Brian nodded, but his drooping eyelids were filled with indifference.

He could not accept this love with a clear conscience; it never belonged to him. This body constantly reminded him that he was forever an intruder, wearing a hypocritical mask, burying his true self.

He would feel guilty, wanting to compensate his current parents, but he would never truly feel that love. It was too heavy and too false.

Dumbledore's gaze seemed to penetrate him, as if trying to see through him.

Brian exerted all his mental fortitude to block his thoughts, yet surprisingly felt no signs of his mind being invaded.

It seemed Dumbledore just wanted to have a conversation with him.

"Ah, it seems I've been talking about your parents. How about we discuss you instead?" As the atmosphere gradually became stagnant, Dumbledore said lightly, pushing a cake towards Brian with his left hand.

"Have you made a few like-minded friends like your father?"

"I have," Brian took the cake, raising his eyelids and pretending to be relaxed.

"Draco Malfoy, he can be considered a friend. And Crabbe and Goyle, they are more or less friends from the same dormitory," Brian said, "And Zabini can be counted as one too. Although there are occasional disagreements, we understand each other."

"There are also some amusing incidents, but they do add color to life."

Dumbledore listened quietly, his eyes full of encouragement.

"And Daphne Greengrass, we share similar ideals," Brian smiled, "She always shows me tolerance and support."

"Of course, there's also Hermione Granger; she's the smartest girl I've ever met."

"I'm glad you can become friends with Miss Granger," Dumbledore said with a smile.

"Yes, it's truly unbelievable," Brian replied meaningfully. Being able to become friends with a character from a book he once liked is indeed an incredible thing.

"Friendship is always the purest and most beautiful thing," Dumbledore sighed. "Cherish your friendship, Brian, cherish this feeling... don't lose it, okay?"

"Friendship?" Brian lowered his eyes and murmured to himself.

He didn't know how to face it, especially since he knew the plot and had his own plans. He couldn't truly open his heart to them and was destined to disappoint them because of his own schemes; with just a slight misstep, he could drift further away from them.

The more he knew, the less happy he was.

In this world, he was ultimately alone.

"Am I avoiding it?" Brian closed his eyes, confronting his inner self for the first time. "Because I'm afraid of disappointment and loss, I also dare not give."

"What should I do then?" he murmured.

"It's simple, when someone treats you sincerely, please return the same sincerity, Brian." Dumbledore looked into Brian's eyes as if trying to see into his heart.

"Friendship is a mutual give-and-take. Don't do things that will disappoint your friends, okay? Friendship can deteriorate through repeated disappointments and ultimately become irretrievable," Dumbledore said earnestly. "It is very strong, yet very fragile."

"Okay." Brian pressed his lips together and nodded gently.

As they spoke, the two had finished dinner. Dumbledore waved his wand, making the table empty again.

"You know, Brian, you are very smart, with an immense thirst for knowledge and a steadfast pursuit, which reminds me of a student I taught long ago." As Brian was about to take his leave, Dumbledore said softly.

"You are very similar to him, really very similar," he continued. "Despite coming from entirely different backgrounds and experiences, unexpectedly, you share similar character and will."

Brian looked at him quietly, his gaze serene and reserved.

"But you are also decisively different, Brian." Dumbledore smiled slightly, his light blue eyes narrowing with delight.

"That child, he went astray, blindly pursuing power, yet lost the most precious and powerful thing."

"But you are different. You yearn for love, want to understand love, and possess love, Brian."

"This is the light in your heart." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled, as if wanting to illuminate Brian's soul.

"There is such a dazzling thing existing in your heart..."

"Under its guidance, you will never fall into darkness."

Brian looked into his eyes, slightly moving his lips.

"Perhaps you are still confused..." Dumbledore's slender hand rested on his shoulder, allowing him to feel the warmth.

"But do you know? Just now, when you spoke of your friends, what kind of radiance blossomed in your eyes." Dumbledore smiled kindly, "That was truly beautiful. Perhaps you are unaware."

"Don't do anything irretrievable, don't lose them, okay? They belong only to you and will be the most precious treasure of your life... don't regret it only after losing it."

"Mm." Brian opened his mouth slightly but only gave a low "mm."

In the silence, Brian bid farewell to Dumbledore and left on the rotating stone staircase.

He silently descended the spiral staircase, and the stone wall in front of him split in half, allowing him to walk out.

Standing in the familiar corridor, Brian turned back to glance at the ugly monster statue and slowly walked back.

"There's no sign of Legilimency; did Dumbledore really just want to talk to me?" Brian looked up at the lights ahead.

With the improvement of his Occlumency skills, he could easily detect traces of Legilimency. Dumbledore clearly had never invaded his mind tonight.

"Am I really similar to Riddle?" Brian murmured to himself. He certainly knew who Dumbledore was referring to, Tom Riddle, who was also Voldemort.

"Is it because he sees a familiar shadow in me that he wants to talk?" Brian speculated about the old headmaster's thoughts. "What kind of attitude does he actually hold towards me?"

"I will not walk the same path as Voldemort," Brian thought.

He unknowingly returned to the common room, the slightly greenish light illuminating the space brightly.

"Hey, Brian, how's it going? You're not in any trouble, are you?" Malfoy waved at him, leaning closer.

"Um." Brian nodded gently, his expression calm.

"You don't look so good." Malfoy raised an eyebrow, his eyes darting mischievously, and continued, "If there really is something, I can write to my dad and ask him to help you. Even the headmaster would consider the opinions of two board members."

"Really, it's nothing, just a little chat." Brian helplessly pushed Malfoy's golden hair back, shoving his head away.

"Okay, you can actually tell me if something's up." Malfoy muttered, doodling and scratching on his homework, making a mess of it.

"If we team up, we'll be unbeatable at Hogwarts, and we can definitely turn that nasty Potter and his friends into street rats!"

As he spoke, Malfoy narrowed his eyes, his gaze gleaming with mischief, as if he were brainstorming some nasty tricks.

Brian shook his head and smiled, noticing Daphne not far away, listening intently to their conversation, her expression slightly worried, the quill making big ink blots on her paper.

Seeing that she had been caught, Daphne's face turned red, and she buried her head pretending to work on her homework. Brian could see her flushed ears.

Brian laughed, feeling much better.

"Friends, huh?" he asked himself, "It really is wonderful."

"When someone treats you sincerely, you should reciprocate with equal sincerity… right?" Brian recalled Dumbledore's words.

"Perhaps, it's worth a try."

Suddenly, he felt a sense of anticipation for the future that was completely different from before.

Maybe he was still walking his own path, but at least he could seek a better outcome for those who treated him sincerely.

As for the process, there was no need to get tangled up in it; he just needed to do what he thought was right. The road ahead was long, and he just needed to stay true to himself.

"Hmm, I still need to go with the flow." Brian chuckled.

When I came to this world, the direction of all stories should be in my hands.

He could choose a better future.

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