If Dumbledore actually drew his wand and tried to force his way into Liam's mind, Liam already knew exactly what he would do.
He would exchange a few blows to prove a point, then immediately escape using his improved Apparition.
After that, he would extract portions of his own memories and deliver them to every major magical newspaper in Britain.
The story would be simple.
The great Albus Dumbledore had secretly attempted to invade the mind of a nine-year-old child immediately after that child captured Voldemort.
The newspapers would love it.
Negative stories about ordinary wizards sold papers.
Negative stories about Dumbledore sold entire print runs.
Liam was completely confident he could turn public opinion against him.
There was no helping it.
Dumbledore's magical power was already at a level Liam couldn't currently challenge head-on. If brute force didn't work, then other methods became necessary.
That was how he had survived in Knockturn Alley.
Victory mattered.
Methods were secondary.
Whether it was a powerful spell or a dirty trick, if it achieved the desired result, Liam would use it without hesitation.
Fortunately, Dumbledore didn't take things that far.
The old wizard slowly relaxed.
The magical pressure in his eyes faded away.
"Take it easy, Liam."
His voice remained calm.
"I apologize for making you uncomfortable."
Liam's grip on his wand didn't loosen.
"I was simply curious," Dumbledore continued. "How exactly did you discover Voldemort hiding on Quirrell?"
"Then you should have asked."
Liam's response was immediate.
"Not attempted to read my mind."
His voice carried a noticeable chill.
"Legilimency without permission is incredibly rude."
Dumbledore accepted the criticism without argument.
Despite his kind appearance and gentle demeanor, Liam had no intention of trusting him easily.
Growing up among dark wizards had taught him one lesson above all others.
Trust was dangerous.
Whether the person standing before him was a criminal or Albus Dumbledore made very little difference.
"Can you tell me how you discovered him?" Dumbledore asked again.
Liam stared at him for several seconds.
Then he laughed.
"You attempted to violate my privacy and now you expect me to reveal my secrets?"
He shook his head.
"That isn't how friendship works."
His wand disappeared back into his sleeve.
"If you want access to my secrets, become my friend first."
"After that, we'll see."
With that, Liam turned around and walked toward the office door.
Even while leaving, he remained vigilant.
Part of his attention stayed focused behind him, ready to react if Dumbledore tried anything unexpected.
The attack never came.
Dumbledore simply watched him leave.
The office door closed quietly.
For several moments, the Headmaster sat in silence.
Then he sighed.
"What a remarkable child."
There was genuine admiration in his voice.
For perhaps the first time in many years, his reputation had failed him completely.
Most people trusted Albus Dumbledore automatically.
Liam Hale clearly did not.
That realization forced Dumbledore to examine his own actions.
His intentions had been sincere.
He truly wanted to understand the boy.
He genuinely feared the possibility that Liam's future choices might bring disaster to the wizarding world.
But regardless of his reasons, he had still attempted to read the thoughts of a child without permission.
Viewed from Liam's perspective, the reaction was understandable.
Dumbledore sighed again.
He had already witnessed one brilliant young wizard become Lord Voldemort.
The thought of creating another was enough to keep him awake at night.
And Liam was arguably even more extraordinary.
At nine years old, Tom Riddle had never been imprisoned in Azkaban.
Tom Riddle had never hunted dark wizards.
Tom Riddle had certainly never discovered a hidden fragment of Voldemort's soul that Dumbledore himself had overlooked.
Most importantly, Liam possessed something incredibly rare.
The courage to stand face-to-face with authority and refuse to bend.
"The Sorting Hat."
Dumbledore glanced toward the shelf nearby.
"Why wasn't he placed in Gryffindor?"
The old hat stirred.
A mouth appeared along one of its folds.
"Because that's not what he wanted."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"The young lady from the Greengrass family has quite a fondness for him."
The Sorting Hat sounded amused.
"During the train ride to Hogwarts, they agreed to join Slytherin together."
Dumbledore rubbed his forehead.
That was somehow both surprising and completely unsurprising.
"What about his character?"
The Headmaster leaned back.
"If I can't examine his mind, perhaps you can tell me something."
The Sorting Hat immediately became uncomfortable.
"Ahem."
"Student privacy is important."
Dumbledore narrowed his eyes.
The hat coughed again.
"All I can say is that he's extraordinarily talented."
"How talented?"
The Sorting Hat paused.
"Let's put it this way."
"If any of the four founders of Hogwarts were still alive, they'd all be fighting over him."
Dumbledore stared.
The answer was suspiciously vague.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
"Ah."
The old wizard nodded knowingly.
"So even you couldn't see through his Occlumency."
The Sorting Hat instantly exploded.
"Who said that?"
Its voice rose several octaves.
"I never said that!"
Dumbledore's smile widened.
The reaction alone was answer enough.
The hat huffed angrily.
"He literally told you himself."
"If he says powerful Occlumency can't be broken without serious effort, why are you surprised?"
The Sorting Hat grumbled for several moments before finally settling down.
"Stop worrying so much."
"He's going to become someone extraordinary."
That much, at least, was undeniable.
Dumbledore nodded slowly.
"I know."
The problem wasn't whether Liam would become exceptional.
The problem was what kind of exceptional wizard he would become.
That answer remained frustratingly unclear.
His gaze drifted toward the table.
Toward the small crystal bottle resting quietly beneath layers of powerful magical restraints.
Inside, a gray soul fragment was thrashing wildly.
Voldemort's twisted face continuously appeared and disappeared within the swirling mist.
He was screaming.
Cursing.
Threatening.
The advanced containment spell isolated all sound completely, preventing even the faintest whisper from escaping.
Throughout the conversation with Liam, Voldemort had been shouting continuously without anyone hearing a word.
To be honest, this was a rare experience.
For decades, Dumbledore had fought against Voldemort repeatedly.
He had defeated him many times.
Yet he had never successfully captured him alive.
Voldemort was too cautious.
Too cunning.
Whenever defeat became likely, he fled without hesitation.
Sometimes he even sacrificed his own followers to buy time.
The Dark Lord valued survival above everything else.
That was precisely why Dumbledore had never managed to imprison him.
And yet Liam had somehow helped accomplish the impossible on his very first day at Hogwarts.
Dumbledore picked up the bottle.
The soul fragment inside immediately became more frantic.
Destroying it would be easy.
A simple matter, really.
The real question was whether destroying this fragment would truly kill Voldemort.
Dumbledore wasn't convinced.
There were still too many unanswered questions.
Too many mysteries.
Too many possibilities.
Ideally, he would keep Voldemort's capture secret.
Study the fragment.
Investigate quietly.
Discover every hidden contingency Voldemort had prepared.
Only then would he attempt a final strike.
Unfortunately, that option no longer existed.
Liam had exposed Voldemort in front of an entire classroom full of witnesses.
The secret was already out.
Sooner or later, the entire school would know.
Then the Ministry would know.
And once the Ministry learned the truth, the situation would become much more complicated.
Dumbledore frowned.
The current Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, was not a brave man.
He feared uncertainty.
He feared danger.
Most of all, he feared anything connected to Voldemort.
If Dumbledore handed over this imprisoned soul fragment, Fudge would almost certainly demand its immediate destruction.
Every possible lead.
Every clue.
Every opportunity for investigation.
Gone.
And if Voldemort somehow survived again—
The next time he returned, he would undoubtedly be even more cautious than before.
....
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