One evening in mid-October, as the students gathered for dinner, the Headmaster rose from his throne. Slowly and dignifiedly, he approached the podium, by which time the noise in the hall had subsided enough for everyone to pay attention to the Great Wizard. After coughing and glancing around the students with his benevolent gaze and a kind and friendly smile on his face, the man spoke.
— Friends, I have some wonderful news to share with you. As of today, two new students have joined our school, please welcome them. — The elderly man pointed to two Asian girls in uniform robes who had been standing in the shadows. The girls approached the principal. — Zanzen and Ju Lan will be studying in Gryffindor. — The girls made a shallow bow, supported by polite applause from many of the students. — Go to your table. — He pointed to the Gryffindor table, noting with displeasure that there were representatives of other faculties among the Lions, and that the Gryffindors themselves were not all at their table.
But at the moment, the elderly but still very sturdy wizard was only interested in one particular Gryffindor. Oh, his reaction to the Chinese girls was to Albus' liking! Before the announcement, the boy had taken an active part in the conversation at the table, smiling, joking, eliciting a few bursts of laughter, but afterward he had turned into a stone statue, and only narrowed eyes followed the Chinese girls' entire path.
Yes, the agents were right: not in vain, oh not in vain, a group of Chinese magicians under the command of a very strong woman with the habits of a militant came to London! And their interest was even easier to trace, so Albus waited with confidence and a broad smile for the Chinese woman's call. Her "gift of friendship" came in very handy, as the agent network in France needed constant funding. Well, let's see you get into my business now, boy. Will you survive?
Albus ate his dessert with particular gusto, his eyes sparkling with joy and an affectionate smile.
***
Albus Dumbledore had remained a very ambiguous person to me up to this point. In the sense that as a politician you can't tell everyone the truth all the time, there will always be something "peculiar" about your behavior, with shades of cruelty. When you get into politics, you accept certain rules of the game, that's why I think that politics — to hell with it, and you should live according to your conscience, according to your spirit, without double standards... well, as much as possible, because and as much as possible....
Well, as much as possible, because I have my faults. But I'm talking about the headmaster of Hogwarts. This "old man" has clearly stuck his nose in deeper than he should. Now, I don't want to play games. I thought I'd done my job to the minimum, but now it's just beginning!
And I think I'll start with...