"Fairy tales are beautiful, but everyone must grow up," Murphy said. "One must step out of childhood to truly mature, to take on their own responsibilities, and to move towards a future built on a more mature and clear understanding."
"Even if the process of growing up comes with growing pains, it is a price that must be paid."
"So, you see our world as a fairy tale," Dumbledore said. "Then, do you think we are all fools?"
"Sometimes, perhaps," Murphy smiled. "More often, I find it endearing, innocent. Most wizards are clumsy yet interesting. Unfortunately, I've gradually grown tired of this carefree and simple way of living."
"I've grown up, Professor. This cradle feels confining."
Confining, hence the desire to break free.
But why does it feel confining, or rather, why grow up at all?
The vast majority of the wizarding world chooses to live under this set of "fairy tale" rules you speak of. Why are you so different from them?
Dumbledore's deep blue eyes gazed at him, "I've always had a question, are you still Murphy Darkholme?"
"No matter who you're referring to, the person standing before you now is me, Professor."
After a while, Dumbledore sighed, "Maybe you're right, but you know, I will still stop you. The wizarding world doesn't need to be too awake and rational to exist well. If one could stay in childhood forever, what's wrong with that?"
"There's no such thing as forever, Professor," Murphy said.
"Closing your eyes and ears, burying your head in the sand, refusing to see, hear, or think, pretending the world won't change, that's just deceiving oneself."
"The forever you want can only be achieved by erasing everything outside this utopia, making the world truly have nothing outside our little realm."
"Otherwise, your so-called forever is just handing your fate to others, always at risk of being shattered."
Dumbledore frowned, "Your words remind me of a friend."
Murphy smiled, knowing who he was referring to.
"Then your friend might be the one who truly saw the truth."
"But you, you won't choose the same path as him, will you?" Dumbledore asked.
"Seeing things different from oneself, some people feel fear and choose to destroy them to eliminate this fear," Murphy said. "But when I see something different, I think of another way of living and possibility."
"The existence of different things, different people, provides us with more to explore, more patterns. I prefer to absorb them, turning others' experiences into my own nourishment."
"How do you ensure, as the 'different existence' in others' eyes, we won't be destroyed by their fear?" Dumbledore asked.
"Ha," Murphy laughed, "This is the chain of suspicion and the dark forest theory."
"Chain of suspicion, dark forest?" Dumbledore didn't understand these terms but felt their confrontational nature.
"The so-called chain of suspicion means I don't know if you're a good person, so I assume you're a bad one, which is most advantageous to me. The dark forest theory says that in a forest, every hunter, because of the chain of suspicion, will shoot at any target that reveals itself."
Murphy briefly explained.
Dumbledore nodded in understanding, "A very wise description. So, how do you break this chain of suspicion?"
"Clearly, communication and dialogue are the only ways," Murphy said. "The chain of suspicion arises on the premise that there is no communication between the two sides. Once a channel of communication is established, we can always seek common ground while preserving differences."
"Also, refusing to communicate, to interact, also leads to the creation of the chain of suspicion. We want to destroy things different from us because we lack understanding of them."
"Not just us, Professor," Murphy said. "They—the Muggles—are also growing up. They are rapidly maturing, and by the time they grow up to a certain extent, step out of their cradle, and discover that this planet is inhabited by not just one kind of people, I sincerely hope we won't be seen as enemies."
Dumbledore frowned, "Your tone, Murphy, is like that of a prophet."
"Prophet?"
Murphy thought of the prophecy he had made up.
He shook his head, "I don't have the ability to foresee the future, but this doesn't require magic, it requires a far-sighted vision."
Dumbledore fell silent for a while again, "Who are your people, Murphy? Sometimes, I try to understand you, but I find that I simply can't comprehend you."
"Your past is clear, but I can't find the thread that made you who you are today," Dumbledore sighed. "Perhaps, it's because of this, I can't trust you."
"I might trust Tom to some extent, but you, you're completely unknown. I can't predict what you'll do; I don't even know which side you stand on."
"That's not trust, Professor," Murphy smiled. "That's just a desire for control. Deep down, you're probably like me, a control freak, wanting everything to go as you envision."
Murphy probably understood Dumbledore's thinking.
Just as he would study Tom Riddle's life to understand Voldemort and then decide how to defeat him, Dumbledore wanted to understand him.
This understanding would let him figure out whether he's an enemy or a friend.
But Murphy's personality didn't originate in this world, so Dumbledore couldn't find out how the real Murphy grew and changed. He could never trust Murphy.
"After all, we're skeptics," Murphy said.
"We're always skeptical of things, not easily believing in something until it's confirmed. For me, I'm skeptical of the rules of everything, while you're skeptical of the human heart and nature."
He had discussed this issue with Dumbledore half a year ago, and their attitudes hadn't changed.
But now, he didn't have to follow the other's lead anymore.
"We're destined to be different," Murphy said. "It's unfortunate, but it seems unavoidable."
"We each have our understanding of the world and want it to develop in the way we wish. That's the fundamental contradiction between you and me, Professor. We can't convince each other. There's only one world, and it can only have one future. And only the victor can decide that future."
"You want this fairy tale to continue forever..."
"And I, I want to bring an end to this childhood."
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