Chapter -25.
"Here's the deal," Theodore said, feeling a bit unsure about whether he'd get any help. He shared his thoughts in detail, carefully leaving out his secret desire to dabble in black magic if it came to that.
The old man had given him a task and was now placing his trust in the matter regard savior, "Harry Potter." Even though Theodore was a Slytherin, he didn't want to push his luck too far.
On the other side, Dumbledore listened to Theodore's ideas and paused for a moment, impressed. He thought to himself, 'He would have surely made a good Ravenclaw student.'
The idea of combining the framework of Pensieve with the magic lantern to enhance its capabilities was brilliant! If it worked, it could open up so many possibilities for the future.
"Well, young Theo, your ideas are always so creative! The only help I can offer is sharing my knowledge on how to draw the runes used in the Pensieve that activate the memory viewing effect. As for merging them with the magic lantern and making everything work together, that's all up to you," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, recalling how Theodore had mentioned trying something unique to teach the boring subjects during their interview.
"Runes, huh? That sounds like it could really help me out! If I manage to get it right, I guess I'll have to throw a feast for the headmaster or something," Theodore said, a bit disappointed that the help seemed so limited. But hey, it was coming from the greatest wizard of the age, so it would definitely help him move forward, and that was what mattered most right now.
"Haha, you really don't have to do that," Dumbledore replied with a warm smile, feeling his spirits lift as he chatted with Theo. "But if you really want to treat me, I wouldn't say no to a packet of sherbet lemons! They're delicious and help clear ones mind."
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind! I'll make sure to bring some when I get to Hogwarts," Theodore said, all smile. He figured it was better to keep this old man on his good side; it might even help him sneak past his watchful eyes now and then. Plus, with the character summoning system, he'd definitely need to be clever about it!
With that, the two continued their friendly chat about the magic lantern and Harry Potter as they strolled out of the Leaky Cauldron.
"Alright then, young Theo, I'll see you on the first day of school!" Dumbledore remarked with a sparkle in his eye before he disappeared with a loud pop, leaving Theodore smiling until he felt the chilly breeze hitting his neck; then he too apparated to the residence he had taken over for now.
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"Welcome back, young sir." As Theodore knocked on the door twice, the dwarf house-elf named Kreacher opened it for him.
"Did your mistress go to sleep?" Theodore inquired as he entered the house; although he hoped she would be awake to discuss the matter from before, he doubted that would be the case since it was already late at night. However, what he heard next from the small Kreacher proved him wrong.
"Mistress Bella is in the dining room; she has been waiting for the young sir for quite some time now," the little Kreacher said, his expression appearing slightly puzzled, which Theodore could somehow understand. Nevertheless, since she was waiting for him, he quickly made his way to the kitchen, where he found Bellatrix dressed in a lovely black nightgown, sitting at the dining table lost in thought.
Taking advantage of her distraction, Theodore stealthily approached from behind, wrapped his arm around her neck, and kissed her cheek, saying, "I heard you were waiting for me?"
Bellatrix, who was contemplating the course of her life and her next steps, turned to look back upon feeling the warm lips on her cheek; although she already suspected who could be so bold, seeing Theodore's face somehow brought calm to her previously chaotic mind.
Though she didn't mind the kiss for some reason, which she had inadvertently voiced, she still said, "Didn't I tell you not to do something like that out of the blue?"
However, Theodore, disregarding her small protest, removed his hand from her neck, walked to the seat across the table, sat down, and said, "I don't recall hearing anything like that, and more importantly, we're alone in the house, so it's not like anyone will see us kissing."
Kreacher, who had also entered the dining room after warming up the food, interjected, "Young sir, Kreacher is also here."
"Haha, that's right, you're here, Kreacher, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind me assisting your mistress Bella a little, would you?" Theodore, amused by the little house-elf's choice of words, couldn't help but smile while simultaneously using a silent spell to clean his hands before enjoying the delicious food.
"Sigh, anyway, putting that aside, what did you discuss with Dumbledore?" Bellatrix asked, fully aware that there was no point in prolonging the matter, as she would ultimately have to accept defeat.
"Nothing noteworthy; he just asked me to help deliver a Hogwarts admission letter to a child whose situation seems a bit complicated," Theodore replied, glancing at Bellatrix, who had also begun eating, and then added, "Oh right, I asked the old man for some assistance regarding something I want to create, and for some reason, interestingly he agreed and had promised to send some notes in a few days."
Since he didn't want to involve her in Harry's matter at that moment, he included the latter part so she would focus on that, and as he anticipated, she said, "Do you really think he plans to help? I don't recall Dumbledore being that generous."
"Haha, it's not like that; I think when it comes to the future of a Hogwarts student, he might make decisions like this; and anyway, if we receive his help, things will surely progress more smoothly." For Theodore, whether Dumbledore was cunning or kind didn't matter, because if he was strong and careful about his plans, he could easily avoid being manipulated by Dumbledore, and moreover, he also had the entire plot of the wizarding world in the back of his mind.
Note : please give me some power stones, it will motivate me to write more. [You can also share ideas if you have some] :)