"Headmaster," Cassandra said immediately, lifting her chin proudly, "I've heard you're one of the greatest Legilimens in the world."
Her finger pointed directly at Panessa.
"Why don't you just read that slut's mind and find out what happened?"
The room fell silent.
Professor McGonagall closed her eyes briefly.
Hermione looked horrified.
Even Snape's eyebrow twitched slightly.
"Miss Greengrass."
His cold voice cut through the room.
"Mind your language."
Cassandra merely crossed her arms.
Dumbledore, however, didn't seem offended.
"I don't intend to use Legilimency in a matter like this."
His voice remained calm and gentle.
"Everyone present deserves a reasonable expectation of privacy."
Blue eyes swept across the room.
"Only if this matter cannot be resolved through ordinary means would I consider such a step."
"Hmph."
Cassandra clearly disagreed.
Panessa immediately seized the opportunity.
"Headmaster!"
Tears appeared in her eyes.
"I was humiliated in front of everyone!"
"She hit me with the Fuchsia Jinx and threw me upside down!"
"My underwear was exposed!"
She pointed accusingly at Cassandra.
"And Kurat was attacked too!"
"Then she set him on fire!"
"If Hermione hadn't extinguished the flames, he could have been seriously injured!"
As Panessa spoke, Liam quietly shifted his attention toward Dumbledore.
Then his silver eyes brightened.
A self-created spell activated.
Magical Sight.
The world transformed.
Streams of magical energy became visible.
The spell Liam had developed allowed him to observe magical power directly.
Not merely its quantity.
Its quality.
Its distribution.
And its refinement.
Most magical power originated near the heart.
As a wizard grew stronger, that power gradually expanded throughout the body.
Liam categorized magical strength into different stages.
The weakest manifested as blue.
The next level evolved into cyan.
And beyond that—
White.
Pure white.
The highest level he had ever imagined.
Most Dark Wizards and Death Eaters possessed blue magical power.
The stronger among them reached cyan.
Until today, Liam had never seen anyone who truly reached the white stage.
Now he was staring at one.
Albus Dumbledore.
White magical energy flowed throughout the old wizard's body.
Nearly eighty percent of him was completely saturated.
The sight was astonishing.
No wonder he was considered the greatest wizard alive.
Compared to Dumbledore, everyone else looked considerably less impressive.
Cassandra's magical power was already remarkable for her age.
Blue energy extended through roughly half her body.
Far beyond normal first-years.
Panessa and Kurat were far weaker.
Most of their magic remained concentrated near their hearts.
Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall stood at the cyan stage.
Their magical power filled their entire bodies.
Strong.
Very strong.
But still far below Dumbledore.
As for Liam himself—
His magical power had already entered the cyan stage.
Roughly halfway through its development.
Not because he possessed unusual talent.
Rather, because years of constant magical experimentation had continuously expanded his reserves.
Magic grew stronger through use.
That was one of the most fundamental principles Liam had discovered.
If forced into a fight, Liam was confident he could compete with Snape or McGonagall through superior spell modification.
Against Dumbledore?
Different story.
The old man's magical power was overwhelming.
At a certain level, sheer magical force could overcome elegant theory.
As Liam studied Dumbledore, a subtle sensation suddenly washed over him.
Someone was watching.
Not physically.
Mentally.
His eyes narrowed.
At almost the same moment, Dumbledore's gaze shifted toward him.
Legilimency.
Liam immediately recognized the feeling.
The Headmaster had activated it instinctively.
Curiosity rather than hostility.
Unfortunately for Dumbledore, Liam's Occlumency remained firmly in place.
The old wizard encountered a wall.
A very solid wall.
Nothing beyond it.
For the briefest moment, surprise flickered through Dumbledore's eyes.
A ten-year-old.
Blocking Legilimency.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Liam immediately deactivated Magical Sight.
Continuing would only attract more attention.
He had already learned what he wanted.
Meanwhile, Cassandra noticed the exchange.
Without hesitation, she stepped slightly forward.
Positioning herself between Liam and Dumbledore.
Protective.
Possessive.
Perhaps both.
By then, Dumbledore had already withdrawn.
Using stronger Legilimency would reveal what he was doing.
And probing deeply into a child's mind without cause was something he refused to do.
The moment passed.
...
"Panessa."
Snape's voice suddenly broke the silence.
The girl's shoulders trembled.
"Professor?"
"Tell the truth."
His black eyes were terrifying.
"Now."
A chill swept through the classroom.
Even Liam found it mildly impressive.
Panessa immediately lowered her head.
"I..."
Her confidence vanished.
"I challenged Cassandra to a duel."
"After I lost..."
She hesitated.
Snape's expression grew colder.
"Continue."
"Kurat attacked her."
The words finally spilled out.
"He used a Blasting Curse."
The room became silent again.
Kurat's face turned pale.
The moment Panessa confessed, his resistance collapsed.
"I only wanted to teach her a lesson."
His voice sounded miserable.
"She was acting so arrogant."
"So I cast the curse."
"Hmph."
Snape's expression darkened.
"A third-year."
"Attacking a first-year."
His voice dripped with contempt.
"How very impressive."
Kurat lowered his head.
"Twenty points from Slytherin."
Panessa and Kurat both winced.
"You will each copy your Potions textbook twice."
"And spend one week cleaning the castle's toilets."
The punishment was immediate.
Final.
"Professor."
Liam suddenly spoke.
Every eye turned toward him.
"Yes?"
Snape asked.
Liam pointed out something very simple.
"I don't think deducting House points is fair."
The room fell quiet.
"Why not?"
"Because Cassandra and I are members of Slytherin now too."
Liam shrugged.
"If points are deducted, we're punished as well."
"Despite being the victims."
The logic was flawless.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then something unusual happened.
The corner of Snape's mouth twitched upward.
Not quite a smile.
But close.
Very close.
The professor's dark eyes lingered on Liam.
Approval flickered within them.
He had deducted points because House rules required it.
But Liam had just handed him a perfectly reasonable excuse.
An excuse he was more than willing to use.
A first-year who immediately thought about protecting House interests.
A Hatstall.
Gifted.
Polite.
Practical.
Snape found himself increasingly pleased with Liam Hale.
Far more pleased than he intended to be.
....
Join my P*atreon for 100 premium chapters ahead of the public release.
Link: pa*treon.com/MysticVerse (Remove the *)
Free members also get 2 advanced chapters for free.