Chapter 1032
Long Talk 2
Chapter 1032 Long Talk 2
Time flowed quietly for a few seconds.
Wade looked up at Dumbledore with a complicated expression, and after a long while asked, "Professor, is her memory... valuable to you?"
“Of course,” Dumbledore said. “It answered some long-standing questions in my mind. Sophie Rake… I never imagined he was still pursuing his delusions.”
Wade's spirits lifted: "You know that person?"
"Yes, I've heard of him—"
Recalling the past, Dumbledore's expression grew somewhat somber. He leaned back slightly in his chair, and after a long while, he let out a soft sigh:
“The geniuses at Iphamoni School entered the school a few years later than me and…”
At that time, Albus Dumbledore of Hogwarts, Gellert Grindelwald who was expelled from Durmstrang, and Sophie Rake who once caused a great deal of discussion in Ilvermorny were the most famous and popular figures in their respective schools.
Although Dumbledore had graduated from school several years before Rick began to make a name for himself, he maintained close correspondence with his former professor and frequently exchanged ideas and discussed issues with many prominent figures in the wizarding world.
Even in the United States and Russia, Dumbledore had several pen pals.
That's why he caught glimpses of that increasingly unavoidable name in the words of different letter writers on more than one occasion.
Sophie Reck, in his youth, caused some brief and unpleasant discussions in academic circles, and was referred to as a 'disturbing genius'.
"It's also because of him that the Ilhamoni Magical School has set very strict requirements for students applying for time converters, and in most cases, they cannot be allowed to apply."
Of course, this is also because Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has several times more professors than Hogwarts. Even if students choose to take all courses, the school can ensure that students can complete all courses by adjusting the timetable or moving class time to the weekend.
Recalling Abigail's memory of the refined and elegant old man, Wade asked curiously, "What kind of person was he?"
"Genius—pure, astonishing genius."
Dumbledore frowned and slowly said, "It is said that Rake was born into an ordinary pure-blood family. His parents were very poor. When he was in school, they didn't even have the money to buy a wand. In the end, his father gave him his own wand."
"Under these circumstances, just like you, he learned everything that the school could teach him in just two or three years, read a lot of books, and even became curious about some scientific theories of Muggles."
"But at that time, Ephamoni was very strict and did not allow students to study non-teaching content without permission, let alone read books written by Muggles in the school."
“But Rex is different from you… After studying alchemy for a while, he lost interest in the subject and instead began to delve into the soul, history, and legends…”
Dumbledore looked at Wade, his expression a mixture of admiration and melancholy:
“Wade, I’ve noticed that you never try to find or restore those legendary powerful magical items. You’re always creating things that are never before seen, forging ‘possibility’ itself with your own hands.”
“That’s…really remarkable.”
"And back then..."
His gaze became more distant, as if he were staring at a scene that only existed in his memory.
"We all love chasing legends, sacred objects... and even gods!"
"They are ancient and perfect, powerful and mysterious, symbolizing an ultimate answer—to conquer death, to seize power, to be omniscient and omnipotent, capable of bringing destruction or salvation to the world with a mere gesture."
“This is what Rake wanted…” In a daze, Dumbledore seemed to return to the time when he first heard Sophie Rake’s theories.
The young man's ambition made Dumbledore, who had only ever thought about seeking the Three Deathly Relics, feel that his own goals were far too insignificant.
The other party's theory was so cold that Dumbledore felt a chill even in Godric's Hollow.
Dumbledore continued:
"He is not satisfied with the existing magic system, believing it to be a regression of magic. What Rick wants to pursue is a more ancient source of power."
"He even wanted to use Muggle instruments and methods to analyze the origin of magic. Even today, most wizards would not accept such a suggestion, and it caused great controversy and rejection at the time."
“Wade, the research that Lake proposed back then was different from what you now consider ‘science’. Muggles back then would dissect living bodies, put themselves in near-death situations to study the soul, and even shock corpses to make them sit up, claiming to have discovered a way to come back to life.”
"And Lake..."
Dumbledore considered for a moment before speaking tactfully: "His research methods are even more brutal than those of Muggles."
"He was as if he had been stripped of all emotions, morality, tradition, and life, leaving only an endless, greedy thirst for principles and power."
"His evil lies not in his cruelty or bloodlust—though he would never have minded using such methods—but more importantly, in his inhuman indifference. Everything in the world is, in his eyes, material to be consumed at will."
At this point, Dumbledore sighed deeply.
At that time, he even received three letters from the same person in a short period of time, all of which were about Sophie Reck.
In the first letter, his friend introduced the genius young man to Dumbledore with great enthusiasm, using all sorts of flattering words that made Dumbledore, who considered himself a genius as well, feel somewhat jealous and unconvinced.
But that afternoon, another letter was delivered to Dumbledore's window by a weary Arctic tern. In it, his American friend listed several of Rick's remarks and concluded with an anxious question:
"Isn't this young man's idea a bit unconventional? But he's still young after all... Perhaps as he gains more experience, he'll realize how absurd and ridiculous his ideas are."
How could a mortal become a god?
"That's incredibly far-fetched!"
Two days later, while Dumbledore was still deliberating his reply, the third letter arrived across the ocean.
If you do the math, Dumbledore hadn't even received the first letter when that friend wrote it.
In the third letter, his friend hurled insults at Lake, each letter sharp and incisive, as if he wanted to stab Sophie Lake to death through the parchment.
"Rake's radical views were just a flash in the pan." Back to the present, Dumbledore said to Wade, "Because of the fierce opposition and rebukes, Rake disappeared quickly after graduation, and I haven't heard from him since."
"Many people believe that his theories have reached a dead end, or that he has finally given up on those naive ideas. Due to the turbulent times, some people also believe that he met with misfortune."
"But now it seems that Rick is not lost or dead. He knows that he cannot gain widespread recognition and support, so he chooses to actively and thoroughly disappear into the deeper darkness."
(End of this chapter)