"Dumbledore?" Hearing the name, Godric paused for a moment. Salazar seemed to have mentioned this name before. Right—when talking about the Headmaster of Hogwarts, he had introduced this person, saying that Dumbledore was a Gryffindor who had awakened a domain.
"It seems you've heard of my name," Dumbledore said with a smile.
In just four sentences since arriving, Godric had already revealed a great deal of information. His ability to keep secrets was no less than Hagrid's.
First, he had mentioned Salazar, which indirectly confirmed one of Dumbledore's conjectures. Moreover, the attitude Godric showed when mentioning Salazar was rather ambiguous, not quite matching the common stereotype.
Gryffindor and Slytherin now didn't seem like sworn enemies after all—their relationship appeared somewhat subtle.
Dumbledore couldn't help but think of someone, but he quickly shook his head, driving that figure out of his mind.
Compared to probing the relationship between the two founders, the fact that Godric knew him was far more interesting to Dumbledore.
Through what means had he learned his name? Someone must have told him. Several bold speculations arose in Dumbledore's mind.
Dumbledore's words made Godric wary. He suddenly realized that he might have revealed quite a bit of information.
Logically speaking, as a dead man, he shouldn't know Dumbledore's name.
"My goodness, is that my hat?" Godric abruptly changed the subject.
Following Godric's gesture, Dumbledore looked over and saw that the apparition's attention had shifted to the Sorting Hat on the shelf.
"Yes, we use the Sorting Hat you left behind to sort new students—" Dumbledore immediately began to proudly introduce the Sorting Hat.
He very much wanted to gain the approval of the apparition before him.
Unlike the other three founders, this was the founder of Gryffindor House. His approval meant a great deal to Dumbledore.
But Godric directly interrupted him.
"Why does this hat look so dirty? Do you never wash it?"
Dumbledore: ???
"Ah?" He didn't react for a moment.
Godric repeated his question.
That question left Dumbledore silent.
"Since I came to Hogwarts, this hat has never been cleaned. Its current condition is already much better than before, because last year a rather bold professor cleaned it once. But after that, I haven't cleaned it again—it hasn't asked me to do such a thing."
Godric rolled his eyes. No owl would ever ask a human to bathe it. This hat of his must also be doing everything it could to avoid being cleaned.
He suspected that at the very beginning, some headmaster had simply been lazy, and over time, it had gradually been turned—under the Sorting Hat's influence—into the idea that the Sorting Hat must not be cleaned.
"We couldn't help it—we were afraid of damaging it by washing."
"A creation infused with the wisdom of the four of us isn't so easily damaged. You can wash it with confidence." Just thinking about how Hogwarts students in the past had to wear a hat that was never cleaned during the Sorting Ceremony made even the usually carefree Godric feel his scalp tingle.
Dumbledore nodded, indicating that he would make sure to clean the Sorting Hat regularly.
"By the way, I assume you've already mastered the secret within the Sorting Hat?" Godric suddenly remembered something and quickly asked.
Dumbledore had already walked over to the Sorting Hat. Hearing Godric's question, he paused for a moment, then picked up the hat. Reaching inside with his other hand, he pulled out a gleaming silver sword.
"Well done!" Godric's face lit up with joy.
Seeing Gryffindor suddenly become so pleased, Dumbledore recalled an ancient legend: those recognized by the Sword of Gryffindor would receive Gryffindor's aid.
But did that "aid" merely refer to being able to draw the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat? Even in ancient times, that alone wouldn't have been particularly effective, would it?
As the Headmaster of Hogwarts and a graduate of Gryffindor House, Dumbledore had been in possession of the Sword of Gryffindor for decades. However, in recent years, he had rarely examined it closely. In his understanding, the Sword of Gryffindor was simply a goblin-forged longsword with certain magical properties, capable of absorbing external magical power.
But now, after mastering a domain and taking up the sword again, he gained a new insight: Godric had left something invaluable within this blade.
Dumbledore raised the sword and gave it a casual swing. A flicker of flame appeared along the blade.
The flickering flames startled the former headmasters in the portraits on the wall. As they opened their eyes, they saw Dumbledore pacing back and forth in the office, muttering to himself.
The headmasters fell into panic—had Albus Dumbledore gone mad?
What they didn't know was that, at this very moment, Dumbledore was conversing with one of the oldest beings within the castle.
"This sword still has many uses. You must make sure to develop them properly." Godric looked at the longsword in Dumbledore's hand, his gaze gentle.
"Of course." Holding the sword, Dumbledore felt a steady stream of power flowing into his body.
With this sword, his domain would receive a stronger enhancement, and even without deploying his domain, the flames rising from the blade could produce an effect similar to a miniature domain.
This longsword was a fine artifact, though only those proficient in the flow of magic could truly wield it.
"In truth, you don't really need it that much," Godric said with a smile. "It's best suited for those who have just begun to touch upon domains, or those who possess non-elemental domains."
In other words, in Godric's view, given Dumbledore's strength, the sword could only serve as a finishing touch.
Hearing this from the Gryffindor founder, Dumbledore understood—the Sword of Gryffindor was a foundation left behind by Godric for Hogwarts.
If one day Hogwarts were to face a gap in talent, unable to produce even a single domain-level wizard, the Headmaster could still wield the Sword of Gryffindor to contend for a time against true domain-level experts, ensuring that the school would not be entirely without such power.
As for how the entire magical world would later decline to this extent, that was something even Godric could never have foreseen.
"We've lost a great deal of valuable knowledge." Dumbledore felt somewhat dejected. If he had encountered knowledge of domains earlier, perhaps everything would have been different.
____
12 Chaps ahead at Patreon.com/HornyFBI