Harry Potter and the Candy Factory

"I think… you should recognize this thing, right?"

Dumbledore said slowly, his eyes slightly narrowed as he looked at Charlie, as if trying to read something from his face.

Charlie looked up and followed his gaze, and there on the desk sat a round sphere, like some kind of container, resting quietly.

It was made of brass, its entire body uniform and seamless, without any trace of hammering or forging.

On the surface, if one looked closely, one could clearly see densely packed magical symbols, miniaturized to just millimeters, evenly spread out, each one exquisitely engraved, making one marvel at its delicacy.

These symbols interlocked with each other, like an extremely precise machine, where even the absence of a single screw would cause it to collapse…

However, at this moment, they were all perfectly packed onto this sphere, no bigger than the palm of a hand, and formed a profound magic spell that even the vast majority of alchemists could not understand.

Charlie naturally recognized it… At just the first glance, he immediately understood the cause and effect… Because this extremely ingenious thing came from the Charlie's Candy Factory, and was, in fact, an alchemical item personally created by Peng Peng, one of the six supervisors!

"Hmm…"

Facing Dumbledore, Charlie didn't try to hide anything. He simply nodded, directly admitting it, without even a change in his facial expression.

Having received the answer he wanted, a flash of complex emotion flickered in Dumbledore's eyes as he looked at Charlie.

Secretly sighing, he withdrew his gaze and refocused his attention on this mysterious and exquisite alchemical item, continuing to explain:

"This was found at the scene where the troll was defeated. I once heard Hagrid mention it to me, intentionally or unintentionally, that Daub brought a backpack full of alchemical items when he came… That's why I called you here again."

"It was probably given to him by Peng Peng. That guy looks fierce, but he cares most about Daub. Although I have forbidden taking alchemical items produced by the factory outside the factory, it's not surprising that he would do such a thing, given his personality…"

Listening to Dumbledore's words, Charlie smiled, then lowered his head and put the candy that Dumbledore had just handed him into his mouth, beginning to savor it carefully.

Hmm, it's a Halloween special edition… As the candy gradually began to melt, Charlie thought to himself.

"Manufacturing alchemical items has always been a very private matter in the factory, and until now, none have ever been leaked and entered the public eye…"

Charlie continued, following up on his previous words, then raised his head, looked sincerely at Albus Dumbledore, and earnestly pleaded:

"So… if possible, I hope Headmaster, you can keep this a secret for me… At least, don't let the public know."

"Alas…"

The expression on Dumbledore's face changed subtly, accumulating a great deal of complexity… finally turning into a sigh full of melancholy.

"I don't understand… Charlie, why? Clearly, your candy factory has reached an unprecedented level, and you have even invented magical candies as ingenious as the Sniffer Violets on the basis of the original candies… Why, then, do you still secretly research such aggressive alchemical items?"

"Because we need it."

Facing Dumbledore's doubts, Charlie directly answered. There was not a trace of hesitation or struggle in his tone, as if stating a simple question, although it was unacceptable, it clarified the essence of everything.

These words caused Dumbledore, whose expression was still complex, to pause. His eyes widened slightly as he listened to these words, staring blankly at the student sitting in front of him, and for a moment, he felt a strange familiarity that he had only felt on someone else before…

Charlie stood up and slowly picked up the hollow sphere placed on the table.

It felt slightly cool to the touch, yet heavy, and even though it no longer contained the original stored substance, the incantation on it, once activated, would still emit light, bringing about a faint chain reaction…

"You know, in today's Muggle society, there is an interesting little thing… called a hand grenade. They compress gunpowder together and load it into a small and sealed container. Then they control it through a firing device—as long as the firing device is opened, all the gunpowder compressed within will be completely ignited in the shortest amount of time, causing a violent explosion… and turning the outer container that wraps it into fragments, forming an effective lethal attack."

"Unheard of…"

Dumbledore quickly recovered from his initial pause. He closed his eyes and shook his head earnestly, answering Charlie's question while also trying to dispel the absurdity and unease rising in his heart, answering in this way.

"I borrowed their design and had the craftsmen in the factory use it as a blueprint to create it. It stimulates the core in the sphere in a similar activation method, causing it to be instantly activated and unleash a terrifying power."

Charlie continued, explaining its principle to Dumbledore as he fiddled with the sphere in his hand.

"It's just that, compared to the area-of-effect damage of a hand grenade, it is more inclined to concentrate the unleashed power into a single point for attack.

Because the workmanship of each spherical container is extremely expensive, but the core inside is very simple. If it is designed as a single-target attack, it will not damage the outer container, and it can be reused to avoid excessive waste…"

Dumbledore began to sit up straight, placing his hands on the desk, listening quietly to Charlie's narration, while also rapidly turning his thoughts in his mind, in order to keep up with Charlie's jumping knowledge… It must be admitted that although he is one of the few wise men in the entire magical world, and has the experience and knowledge accumulated over a hundred years.

But when he really faced the new knowledge that his student showed him, he would always feel shocked and surprised.

"There are hundreds of alchemical tools like this in my factory… Although I have no intention of using them, it is undeniable that with their existence, everyone's hearts will be at ease, and facing the impending invasion, we will have the power to protect ourselves."

"Alas…"

Another sigh sounded, this was the third sigh in just over ten minutes, and it also represented the process of change in his state of mind.

Looking at the alchemical item in Charlie's hand, shimmering in the sunlight, Dumbledore fell silent.

Indeed, he understood the path Charlie was taking was becoming distorted. Ever since he decided to bring a group of house-elves together to form the so-called [House-Elf Resistance Front], the future was destined to be rugged.

If he wasn't clear about these things, Dumbledore would never have repeatedly hinted in public that Hogwarts was willing to provide him with a final umbrella of protection. His purpose was to protect one of the most outstanding students in history, preventing him from following the old path once trod by his senior, "Tom Marvolo Riddle."

To have reached this point today is, from any perspective, a remarkable achievement. In this, Charlie Black's wisdom and methods have played a crucial role, allowing him to navigate between various parties and create a miraculous balance…

Therefore, Dumbledore was probably the one who understood Charlie's current actions the most.

But for some reason, the unease that faintly emerged in Dumbledore's heart still made him ask:

"What are you worried about, Charlie?"

Charlie shook his head, placed the hollow sphere back in front of Dumbledore, and silently returned to his seat.

As he spoke, he habitually stroked his ring, gently running his finger over it, causing the red gem to flicker with subtle light.

"I don't know, there are too many uncertain things in the future. Perhaps it's the Ministry of Magic, perhaps it's the nobles, or perhaps it's something else… These are all things I cannot foresee. The only thing I can do now is to make thorough preparations before things happen."

The sphere that Charlie had placed back on the table swayed slightly, like Dumbledore's heart, struggling along with it.

Time seemed to enter a state of stagnation, and even the portraits on the walls all kept their mouths covered, not daring to make a sound and disturb them.

"Alright…"

After a long while, Dumbledore nodded and gently gave Charlie his advice:

"You are my proudest student, I believe in you, I believe you have the will to control yourself…"

Having received the response he wanted, Charlie, who was also tormented in his heart, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry, Headmaster, I will."

Charlie stood up and bowed gratefully to Dumbledore.

Immediately afterward, he inconspicuously put the gold coin he had just quietly taken out back into his ring…

"If that's the case, then there's no problem."

After saying this, Dumbledore's expression returned to his usual kind and amiable self.

His body also relaxed, and he slowly leaned back in his chair.

"However, after you go back, remember to focus on candy… After all, I have always been looking forward to seeing what kind of delicious treats you can create!"

"Charlie's Candy Factory will always prioritize satisfying the happiness of others. You can rest assured about that."

After speaking, Charlie straightened the wrinkles on his clothes, said goodbye, and walked towards the door.

Opening the door to the office, just as he was about to walk out, he heard Dumbledore's voice again from behind.

"You forgot this."

Charlie looked back and saw Dumbledore pointing to the spherical container on the table, gesturing to him.

"You can have that."

Without picking it up, Charlie waved his hand casually, then walked straight out of the office door, leaving Dumbledore with a helpless expression as he picked it up from the table again, played with it in his hand, and then put it in the drawer of his desk.

… … … … … … … … … … … … …

After walking out of the office, Charlie walked quietly downstairs along the corridor. His brow furrowed slightly, lacking the casualness and ease he had shown in front of Dumbledore.

"It seems that after I go back, I should talk to Peng Peng."

He muttered to himself, his tone already carrying a seriousness that he usually didn't have…

If it hadn't been for Headmaster Dumbledore's kindness this time, if it had been anyone else, the matter of Charlie's Candy Factory privately manufacturing offensive alchemical items would have been very likely to become a serious public relations incident.

Although Charlie could completely use his funds to settle everything, once a flaw was exposed, it would be impossible to completely repair it perfectly.

At that time, it would undoubtedly become a very dangerous hidden danger.

And this, in Charlie's eyes, who had always adhered to a cautious attitude like crossing a single-plank bridge, was absolutely not allowed.

Therefore, even though he spoke lightly when talking to Dumbledore, he absolutely could not condone the things that needed to be dealt with. Because he was particularly clear about the principle that a thousand-mile dike can collapse due to an ant hole…

As for Dabu, Charlie planned to find a suitable time to talk to him about the fact that some of those alchemical tools could not be used casually.

After all, he didn't know anything. He had even saved Draco and Harry's lives by accident. He couldn't thank him enough, so naturally, he couldn't punish him.

Just as Charlie was considering these things bit by bit, suddenly, a voice came from behind him.

"Hey, Charlie, where are you going?"

The voice pulled Charlie back from his thoughts, and he realized that he had already walked past the stairs leading down.

Turning his head to look, he saw that the person standing at the entrance of the stairs and calling out to him was none other than Lucius Malfoy, whom he had just met not long ago.

"Lucius!"

Seeming surprised that Lucius was still here at this moment instead of leaving, Charlie couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and subconsciously said:

"I thought you should have left by now."

Lucius's expression was much more relaxed than before. He nodded, raised the cane in his hand, walked to Charlie's side, and said with a smile:

"Yes, I originally planned to leave after finishing my business with Dumbledore… But I didn't expect to run into you here."

As he spoke, he paused for a moment and looked at the black car parked in the open space at the entrance of Hogwarts outside the corridor window.

"How about it, are you interested in having a couple of drinks with me? By the way, I still have something I want to discuss with you…"

"Of course… With pleasure."

After a moment of hesitation, Charlie finally did not refuse and nodded happily.