Chapter 30

Dumbledore used the Hogwarts wards to open the gate remotely and let Remus in.

Not soon after, Remus said opposite Dumbledore in the headmaster's office, nursing a cup of tea.

"So, what brings you here today, my boy?" Dumbledore inquired conversationally.

"I'm applying to the new business in Hogsmeade that you mentioned. There is a break until the next part of the interview starts, so I wandered through the village. I was a little distracted during my walk and didn't really watch where I was going. Without realizing it, I suddenly found myself standing in front of the gates." Remus explained.

"Oho, how did you get so distracted that you lost sight of where you were going?" Dumbledore asked, bemused.

Remus hesitated for a moment, then handed Dumbledore the magic mirror.

It wasn't like Dumbledore couldn't get one of his own when the sales started...

And the thought that Dumbledore would steal the mirror's secrets and open a rival business was laughable.

Dumbledore observed the handheld mirror, activated it effortlessly, and met Dragon.

Then Dumbledore communicated with the artificial magical intelligence and explored the magical mirror's functions.

Lupin quietly drank his tea and helped himself to the cookies Dumbledore had served, listening to the comments Dumbledore muttered during the exploration.

"Wow."

"Ingenious."

"What a convenient function."

"This innovation has the potential to influence the whole wizarding world. I wonder about the reach it's capable of..."

Dumbledore turned the mirror off and started probing the enchantments with his magic.

"You know that there is a tracking charm cast on this mirror?" Dumbledore asked conversationally.

"Yes. It's so that the applicants don't run away with them. They told us about it as they were handed out."

Lupin wanted to protest against Dumbledore taking the enchantment apart and remind him that he shouldn't damage the mirror, but then he remembered who sat before him and kept his mouth shut.

"What a clever enchantment." Dumbledore praised appreciatively, but then he furrowed his brows.

"These enchantments are fairly simple... How, in Merlin's name, could it achieve this level of functionality? The highly developed artifact spirit alone..."

A few more advanced diagnostic spells, and Dumbledore discovered the Bismuth Crystal Stick.

He had never seen this material used for enchantments.

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He recognized the metal, but the crystallized look was unfamiliar to him.

The method was really mind-blowing with how exceptionally efficient it wore the enchantment.

It was impossible to decipher the intricacies of this enchanted crystallized metal stick in a short time and what magic had been used on it specifically...

But one thing became obvious...

Part of the enchantment was blood magic.

Dumbledore couldn't discover its actual role in the enchantment, but he definitely detected a faint trace of blood magic.

"By Merlin, there was actually blood magic used in this enchantment, and not even in the security features." Dumbledore muttered deliberately.

This alarmed Remus appropriately.

"What?! For real? Is this mirror dangerous? What should I do?" Remus asked, concerned.

"I don't think the mirrors themselves are dangerous, but there was definitely blood magic used to create and empower this sophisticated enchantment." Dumbledore explained.

"Did they use sacrifices to create this magic?" Remus asked, disturbed at the thought.

"I can't tell what manner of blood magic was used in its creation, only that it was used. My expertise with blood magic is almost nonexistent." Dumbledore exaggerated his ignorance a little but what he said wasn't false.

Thereafter, Dumbledore steered the conversation away from the magic mirror and blood magic to the job interview itself.

Without much prompting, Remus told Dumbledore everything he had observed...

About the interviewers, about the interview itself, about the Black Malfoy Tower, about the other applicants, and even about the reporter from the Daily Prophet.

Only afterwards did Lupin realize that he had actually informed Dumbledore about everything, as if he really were a spy.

But it didn't worry him; if they used blood magic, someone should really keep an eye on them...

Who better than the Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, the infallible Albus Dumbledore?

And who was better positioned than Lupin to make sure Dumbledore had all the right information?

But was he really the right man for that task?

Lupin questioned himself.

If it was actually dangerous what they were doing there, Lupin didn't want anyone else to suffer in his stead, so he steeled his resolve.

Someone definitely had to keep an eye on what's going on in the Black Malfoy business, that's what's important.

'Even though Dumbledore didn't ask for it, in the end, he actually got a voluntary spy in the Black Malfoy business.' Lupin thought to himself.

Of course, first he had to get the job.

The werewolf and the headmaster were just discussing their expectations for how the second part of the interview would go when the magic mirror suddenly vibrated.

The two wizards shared a serious look over the office table.

Remus hesitated to touch the blood magic mirror.

"Pick it up." Dumbledore encouraged with his grandfatherly tone.

Remus took the mirror in hand, and the cute face of Dragon appeared.

"You received a message from Mr. Ted Tonks. Do you want to play it?" Dragon smiled.

After he shared another look with Dumbledore, Remus answered: "Yes."

Dragon's floating face disappeared in a white swirl, and the image of Ted Tonks, including head, neck and shoulders, appeared instead.

"Hello applicant, for your information, this is a recording, and unable to answer any questions. The second part of the interviews starts in thirty minutes at 4 p.m. sharp. Please be back on time. See you soon."

Afterwards, Ted Tonks' image disappeared from the mirror, and Dragon reappeared, asking if he could help with anything else.

Lupin let go of the handheld mirror, and Dragon's face disappeared too.

Now that he knew about the blood magic and had decided to spy there, Lupin was much less excited for the second part of the interview and for the job in general.

Instead he was more apprehensive.

"I should probably be on my way then. Thank you for the tea, headmaster. I will keep you informed. Goodbye, see you soon." Lupin pocketed the blood magic mirror with a grimace and left Dumbledore's office.

"Take care, my boy. Until next time. If you need anything, you can come by any time, you know where to find me."

When the office door closed behind Remus, Dumbledore's mouth turned up into a satisfied smile.

At least something had gone right.

After Dumbledore had had to find out about how advanced these magic mirrors actually were and what an impact they could and probably would have on the whole wizarding community, it was a small relief to know that he at least had someone on the inside.

If you counted Severus, he even had two people on the inside.