Dumbledore's life was riddled with regrets.After one painful mistake, a person would do everything in their power to avoid falling into the same trap twice. The saying "You can know a person's face, but not their heart" had never been truer. Despite having watched Harry Potter grow up under his own guidance, Dumbledore couldn't shake the lingering doubt after the events with Voldemort. He felt the need to have an additional insurance policy in place.
This was why the Mirror of Erised had appeared in Roger's memory. By showing Harry Potter's deepest desires, it could give Dumbledore a chance to verify if his judgment was truly sound.
'He's back so soon?' Roger thought, noticing Harry, once again absorbed by the mirror, and turning his gaze to Dumbledore. The Headmaster had appeared quietly, seemingly out of nowhere.
Dumbledore met Roger's eyes, understanding the unspoken question. But instead of responding directly, he asked, "Roger, what did you see?"
"A lot," Roger replied calmly.
In the Mirror of Erised, Roger saw a dazzling array of beautiful, fleeting images—countless desires and possibilities. The only problem was that the images kept flickering, constantly shifting. Before one scene could even fully form, another would appear in its place. The Sorting Hat had been right. Slytherin had always been the right house for Roger. His heart burned with greed for everything, forever unsatisfied, always yearning.
For all that he craved, a hundred years was far too short.
"Headmaster?" Harry's voice pulled Roger from his thoughts.
Harry blinked, as if waking from a dream. Dumbledore took a moment to explain the Mirror of Erised's purpose to him, warning that it would soon be removed. He advised Harry not to seek it out again.
In truth, Dumbledore had already gotten the information he needed the first time Harry looked into the mirror. But Harry, having never known the warmth of family, had stood in front of the mirror for long stretches of time. At times, tears fell as he gazed at the reflection of his parents. The sight stirred something in Dumbledore, a feeling of nostalgia and sadness, and that was why he hadn't intervened sooner.
But now, Harry, choosing to honor the trust of his Quidditch teammates, finally made the decision to turn away from the illusion in the mirror. He embraced reality, walking away from the scene in the old classroom.
Once Harry had left, and only Dumbledore and Roger remained, the Headmaster looked at Roger and said, "It's not that I just got back. I was just about to leave."
Roger frowned. The matter was more complicated than it seemed. The Eastern wizarding world had been embroiled in endless debates about Roger's situation. By the time Roger had returned to England, no one had come to arrest him, so the responsibility was passed to the British Ministry of Magic. But even after the verdict, there were still those in the Middle East who continued to stir trouble, even after Roger had entered Hogwarts.
Dumbledore, being the Chairman of the International Confederation of Wizards and one of the most powerful wizards of the age, couldn't simply Apparate into the region without first establishing diplomatic relations. After all, the Gulf War had only recently ended, and tensions were still high. Any wrong move could be seen as a magical escalation, which was something Dumbledore wanted to avoid at all costs.
His entry into the region had to go through a slow, formal approval process to demonstrate goodwill. Upon hearing that Dumbledore was coming, those who opposed Roger because of his 'prophet' status had immediately backed down, silencing their objections. Dumbledore assumed they had truly been intimidated and canceled his trip.
But when the trip was called off, those who had been quiet once again stirred trouble, believing Dumbledore had only been bluffing.
A month after giving Roger the Philosopher's Stone, Dumbledore had no choice but to send another entry notice to the Middle Eastern wizarding world. This time, he would be leaving in two days to make it clear what it meant to cross the greatest wizard of this century.
"...Thank you for your trouble," Roger said after hearing the full explanation. He wasn't sure what else to say, but he made a mental note of Dumbledore's plans. A few years down the line, when Roger had the power, he would make the trip to the Middle East himself.
Roger repaid kindness and dealt with enemies.
"It's nothing. Just a pity I couldn't spend Halloween with the kids," Dumbledore remarked casually, not overly concerned."When will you be back?""It's hard to say. It depends on how they react once I arrive."
...
"Pfft, Roger, what on earth is up with that hairstyle?"
Time had a funny way of slipping away when you were engrossed in something, be it entertainment or study. Before long, Halloween had arrived.
The scent of roasted pumpkins filled the halls of Hogwarts early that morning, and the castle had been transformed with eerie Halloween decorations. Strange, spectral objects were hung everywhere, setting a spooky mood.
It was a holiday, so there were fewer classes than usual. The students, having finished their morning lessons, were hurrying toward the Great Hall. Rumor had it that the professors had outdone themselves with the grand banquet for the occasion. A thousand bats fluttered along the walls and ceilings, while a thousand more seemed to hang low, casting dark shadows like an ominous, starry sky. It was a sight to behold.
But as they made their way to the hall, something else caught their attention.
Roger's usually neat blond hair had been styled into several distinct strands, while the back of his hair had been dyed a peculiar shade of dark red.
The students exchanged confused glances as they passed him. At first, they had been in awe of Roger because of the rumors surrounding him, but after spending time together, they had come to understand that those stories were likely just exaggerated tales. How could their classmate, Roger, be a murderer? He was clearly a good person.
As their perceptions of him had shifted, some of the more outgoing students had started to get closer to him.
One of them, unable to resist, asked, "Roger, what's with that hairstyle?"
Roger looked at his hair and then back at the curious faces around him. "This?" he pointed to his unusual style with a smile. "Well, shouldn't we dress up for Halloween?"
Usually, Halloween meant dressing up as skeletons, zombies, mummies, or other spooky costumes. Kids would knock on doors, shout "Trick or treat," and ask for candy. It was a tradition, and without costumes, Halloween wouldn't feel quite right.
"But we're wizards..." the classmate replied, blinking in surprise.
Roger shrugged nonchalantly. "Dressing up as a wizard is already a Halloween costume, isn't it? Besides, when have you ever heard of Hogwarts not dressing up for the occasion?"
The student hesitated. "But usually, everyone just goes back to their dorms after the feast. No one really does anything else. We can't exactly go 'trick or treating' here, can we?"
Roger chuckled, understanding the sentiment. "Exactly. But just imagine how boring it would be if everyone dressed up the same way. And I don't think there's any school rule saying we can't have a bit of fun, right?"
... patreon Seasay .