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Chapter 52 - Chapter 52. Rules Are Made by People

Chapter 52. Rules Are Made by People

Duncan followed the spiral staircase up and stopped before the bright doorway, on which there was a griffin-shaped door knocker.

Taking hold of the knocker, he rapped lightly a few times.

A gentle voice sounded from within: "Come in."

Duncan pushed the door open and entered.

Inside was a beautiful, curved room, with portraits of Hogwarts' successive Headmasters hanging on the walls.

They seemed to have been arguing about something just now, but as Duncan entered, they all fell silent.

Duncan looked suspiciously at the portraits and was about to greet Dumbledore, when a clear, pleasant cry rang out.

A deep-red bird trailed a glittering golden tail as it flew past Dumbledore and perched on Duncan's shoulder.

"Fawkes, long time no see," Duncan said happily, and he took out a few little snacks to feed Fawkes.

"How is it?

Bored staying in the office?

Come with me.

I guarantee it'll be far more interesting than sitting here guarding an old man and a bunch of portraits who only ever shout all day!"

The portraits on the wall exploded at once at these words, scolding Duncan one after another.

"Boy, what are you saying?

When have we ever shouted?"

"Which House are you in now?

If I were still Headmaster, I'd take a hundred points from you!"

"Yes, Dumbledore, take points from him at once!"

"Even if we're hanging on a wall now, we were Headmasters of Hogwarts once.

You ought to respect us!"

"Rude child—send him to clean the Great Hall!"

...

"You see?

I'm not wrong," Duncan shrugged.

"If I had to stay with them all day, I'd probably go mad!"

His words were like pouring a bucket of oil on the flames burning over the portraits' heads, making them even more irritable.

The hot-tempered Phineas Nigellus Black even rudely rolled up his sleeves, as if he wanted to step out and teach Duncan a lesson.

Only his head kept bumping forward, and no matter what, he couldn't break through the frame to enter reality.

Duncan pulled a face at Phineas and smiled triumphantly.

"Old Headmaster, you're retired—have a proper rest.

Don't work yourself up like that; it's terrible for your health."

"You blasted brat!" Phineas gnashed his teeth, his goatee practically floating.

If he'd had any descendants at Hogwarts, he would have called them in at once to give this kid a thorough thrashing.

Seeing that the portraits on the wall were about to burst into flames out of sheer fury, Dumbledore, who had been watching the show from the side, hurriedly put down his quill.

He smiled and said, "All right, Duncan.

Did they not just give you a fright once when you were small?

Must you wind them up every time you visit?"

"What do you mean, 'just' gave me a fright once?" Duncan said exaggeratedly.

"If my nerves hadn't been strong, I'd probably be hanging up there with them right now!"

Dumbledore did not wish to keep wrangling over this point with Duncan.

Smiling, he said, "Did you come to see me about something today, or only to rile them up and, by the way, make off with my bird?"

"I'm busy every day; I wouldn't waste time on those old men!" Duncan said with disdain.

"You little wretch, what did you say?" Phineas rolled his sleeves up again.

"Quiet, old man, I'm going to discuss serious business with Professor Dumbledore now!" Duncan waved a hand behind him without turning his head.

"I'm furious!" Phineas threw back his head and howled.

"Call me back after he's gone!"

Dilys Derwent smiled gently.

"That's what you get for teasing Duncan before.

Now you know regret, don't you?"

"You're absolutely right, Headmistress Derwent!" Duncan gave a thumbs-up to the kindly-featured lady in the portrait.

When the noise had died down a little, Dumbledore said, "Go on, then.

What important matter brings you to me?"

Putting away his playful expression, Duncan rather seriously told Dumbledore all the information he had gathered at Hagrid's hut.

"Hmm..." Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, his eyes deep as the sea fixed on the boy before him.

"Harry called out your name the first time he saw you, and even said he had seen you somewhere before, only he can't remember the specific place?"

Duncan said, "If my memory isn't wrong, before coming to school I shouldn't have seen him at all."

"Then why would Harry have that feeling?" Dumbledore's fingers tapped lightly on the desktop.

Duncan speculated, "Harry said he fell unconscious that day.

Could those people have done something to him?"

Dumbledore replied uncertainly, "The professors and I gave Harry a careful examination and found nothing amiss, but we can't rule out the possibility..."

"Professor, when you found Harry, did you notice anything unusual?" Duncan asked.

"Unusual?" Dumbledore repeated, then pulled open a side drawer and set a small object before Duncan.

"That day we encountered a figure in black.

By the time we gave chase, he had gone, leaving only this behind—a chess piece."

Duncan's gaze was immediately drawn to the black, coarsely made wizard chess piece on the desk, and he stared without moving.

[Your luck is in.

You have discovered another extremely important clue: a wizard chess piece left by that mysterious organisation.]

[Unlike the symbol you found last time, this piece is a bishop.]

[Your clever mind begins to ponder what connection might exist between the two.]

[A sudden thought:

could these pieces respectively represent their ranks within the organisation?]

[You begin to consider why they knocked Harry unconscious, but alas, the clues are too few and you reach no answer.]

[Still, you have a hunch that this matter seems related to you, as though a hidden great net is closing in around you...]

[Optional task completed (partial).]

[Task reward: Virtual Coins ×1000.]

"What have you found?" Seeing Duncan staring, entranced, at the piece, Dumbledore couldn't help asking curiously.

Duncan startled as if waking from a dream.

When he closed his eyes and opened them again, all the small lines before him had vanished.

"Professor, the letter my grandfather sent you last time—did you receive it?" Duncan said.

"You mean the one telling me to watch out for that mysterious organisation?" said Dumbledore.

"I received it long ago, and I also notified some of my friends to help keep an eye out, but so far there's been no sign whatsoever of those people's activity."

Duncan nodded.

"The ones who knocked Harry out that day..."

"They may have been the same people," Dumbledore cut in.

"But afterwards I searched near the station for quite a while and found nothing useful.

For the moment we still can't be certain of their true purpose."

"All right then, Professor.

I only came to ask you to pay more attention.

Now that I've said my piece, I should go," Duncan said with a smile, rising to his feet.

"Don't worry," Dumbledore said with a smile—light in tone, but seriously meant.

"The school is very safe.

When you've nothing on, go and have a bit of Quidditch.

If I remember correctly, Hufflepuff seems to have a very good Chaser, only the other positions are a little weaker.

You could go and help him."

"Professor, first-years aren't allowed to join the Quidditch team!" Duncan shrugged.

Dumbledore winked mischievously.

"Rules are made by people..."

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nd entered.Inside was a beautiful, curved room, with portraits of Hogwarts' successive Headmasters hanging on the walls.

They seemed to have been arguing about something just now, but as Duncan entered, they all fell silent.

Duncan looked suspiciously at the portraits and was about to greet Dumbledore, when a clear, pleasant cry rang out.

A deep-red bird trailed a glittering golden tail as it flew past Dumbledore and perched on Duncan's shoulder.

"Fawkes, long time no see," Duncan said happily, and he took out a few little snacks to feed Fawkes."How is it?Bored staying in the office?Come with me.I guarantee it'll be far more interesting than sitting here guarding an old man and a bunch of portraits who only ever shout all day!"

The portraits on the wall exploded at once at these words, scolding Duncan one after another.

"Boy, what are you saying?When have we ever shouted?"

"Which House are you in now?If I were still Headmaster, I'd take a hundred points from you!"

"Yes, Dumbledore, take points from him at once!"

"Even if we're hanging on a wall now, we were Headmasters of Hogwarts once.You ought to respect us!"

"Rude child—send him to clean the Great Hall!"

...

"You see?I'm not wrong," Duncan shrugged."If I had to stay with them all day, I'd probably go mad!"

His words were like pouring a bucket of oil on the flames burning over the portraits' heads, making them even more irritable.

The hot-tempered Phineas Nigellus Black even rudely rolled up his sleeves, as if he wanted to step out and teach Duncan a lesson.

Only his head kept bumping forward, and no matter what, he couldn't break through the frame to enter reality.

Duncan pulled a face at Phineas and smiled triumphantly."Old Headmaster, you're retired—have a proper rest.Don't work yourself up like that; it's terrible for your health."

"You blasted brat!" Phineas gnashed his teeth, his goatee practically floating.If he'd had any descendants at Hogwarts, he would have called them in at once to give this kid a thorough thrashing.

Seeing that the portraits on the wall were about to burst into flames out of sheer fury, Dumbledore, who had been watching the show from the side, hurriedly put down his quill.

He smiled and said, "All right, Duncan.Did they not just give you a fright once when you were small?Must you wind them up every time you visit?"

"What do you mean, 'just' gave me a fright once?" Duncan said exaggeratedly."If my nerves hadn't been strong, I'd probably be hanging up there with them right now!"

Dumbledore did not wish to keep wrangling over this point with Duncan.Smiling, he said, "Did you come to see me about something today, or only to rile them up and, by the way, make off with my bird?"

"I'm busy every day; I wouldn't waste time on those old men!" Duncan said with disdain.

"You little wretch, what did you say?" Phineas rolled his sleeves up again.

"Quiet, old man, I'm going to discuss serious business with Professor Dumbledore now!" Duncan waved a hand behind him without turning his head.

"I'm furious!" Phineas threw back his head and howled."Call me back after he's gone!"

Dilys Derwent smiled gently."That's what you get for teasing Duncan before.Now you know regret, don't you?"

"You're absolutely right, Headmistress Derwent!" Duncan gave a thumbs-up to the kindly-featured lady in the portrait.

When the noise had died down a little, Dumbledore said, "Go on, then.What important matter brings you to me?"

Putting away his playful expression, Duncan rather seriously told Dumbledore all the information he had gathered at Hagrid's hut.

"Hmm..." Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully, his eyes deep as the sea fixed on the boy before him."Harry called out your name the first time he saw you, and even said he had seen you somewhere before, only he can't remember the specific place?"

Duncan said, "If my memory isn't wrong, before coming to school I shouldn't have seen him at all."

"Then why would Harry have that feeling?" Dumbledore's fingers tapped lightly on the desktop.

Duncan speculated, "Harry said he fell unconscious that day.Could those people have done something to him?"

Dumbledore replied uncertainly, "The professors and I gave Harry a careful examination and found nothing amiss, but we can't rule out the possibility..."

"Professor, when you found Harry, did you notice anything unusual?" Duncan asked.

"Unusual?" Dumbledore repeated, then pulled open a side drawer and set a small object before Duncan."That day we encountered a figure in black.By the time we gave chase, he had gone, leaving only this behind—a chess piece."

Duncan's gaze was immediately drawn to the black, coarsely made wizard chess piece on the desk, and he stared without moving.

[Your luck is in.You have discovered another extremely important clue: a wizard chess piece left by that mysterious organisation.]

[Unlike the symbol you found last time, this piece is a bishop.]

[Your clever mind begins to ponder what connection might exist between the two.]

[A sudden thought:could these pieces respectively represent their ranks within the organisation?]

[You begin to consider why they knocked Harry unconscious, but alas, the clues are too few and you reach no answer.]

[Still, you have a hunch that this matter seems related to you, as though a hidden great net is closing in around you...]

[Optional task completed (partial).]

[Task reward: Virtual Coins ×1000.]

"What have you found?" Seeing Duncan staring, entranced, at the piece, Dumbledore couldn't help asking curiously.

Duncan startled as if waking from a dream.When he closed his eyes and opened them again, all the small lines before him had vanished.

"Professor, the letter my grandfather sent you last time—did you receive it?" Duncan said.

"You mean the one telling me to watch out for that mysterious organisation?" said Dumbledore."I received it long ago, and I also notified some of my friends to help keep an eye out, but so far there's been no sign whatsoever of those people's activity."

Duncan nodded."The ones who knocked Harry out that day..."

"They may have been the same people," Dumbledore cut in."But afterwards I searched near the station for quite a while and found nothing useful.For the moment we still can't be certain of their true purpose."

"All right then, Professor.I only came to ask you to pay more attention.Now that I've said my piece, I should go," Duncan said with a smile, rising to his feet.

"Don't worry," Dumbledore said with a smile—light in tone, but seriously meant."The school is very safe.When you've nothing on, go and have a bit of Quidditch.If I remember correctly, Hufflepuff seems to have a very good Chaser, only the other positions are a little weaker.You could go and help him."

"Professor, first-years aren't allowed to join the Quidditch team!" Duncan shrugged.

Dumbledore winked mischievously."Rules are made by people..."

Enjoyed the story? Support me and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!

Find me at: Patr*eon*.com/Resium

Free members can read 10+ Chapters Ahead of Release

Paid member can read 150+ Chapters Ahead of Release

Stories Available 

Honkai? No, This Is Daily Life

Hogwarts Pet Master

Pokémon: Who Let Him Leave Pallet Town!

Scrolling Yu-Gi-Oh! Shorts

More Chapters