"Is this true?" Katie asked with a bit of uncertainty in her tone.

"What? No!" Cormac refuted. "If there really was a nest of large snakes and monsters, would we still be alive?"

"Not to mention being alive, would the Headmaster allow us to come here without dealing with it beforehand?" George added.

"But it is true, there was a big snake inside the castle grounds," Sol corrected. "The Headmaster isn't as omnipotent as you think, George."

"Come on, Sol! He is the strongest white wizard! He should be able to handle something like this, right?" Harry had an unwavering trust in Dumbledore.

Sol looked at Harry's face blankly, then his expression changed as if he was looking at a retard.. "B-But the snake was here. Doesn't that mean-?"

Katie cut him off, "Don't destroy his dreams!"

"Haah~" Sol sighed in resignation. He threw his hands up, "I don't care anymore. I just want to take it easy for a while."

"I understand what you're saying but with the Ministry guys here, that'll be hard to do," Fred said.

"I don't care about them. As long as they don't call me-!"

From behind a voice sounded, cutting him off, "Mr. Balor, the Headmaster has summoned you."

Sol turned around to see Professor McGonagall behind him. His face slacked. "No..." he groaned, burying his face in his hands. The others laughed.

He looked up at the Professor, " Can it be postponed?"

"No."

"I see. Haah~" Sol sighed and stood up. "I'll catch you guys later." He bade his friends goodbye and followed Professor McGonagall out the Great Hall.

As they walked through the halls, the Professor spoke, "You are perhaps the only student who would reject a summons from the Headmaster."

"Am I really?"

"Not mentioning the difference in authority, no one would reject a meeting with the strongest white wizard."

"I mean, I just met him a week ago. The novelty is wearing off."

Professor McGonagall was flabbergasted. She couldn't say anything to retort because she was unable to comprehend what Sol just said. T-The novelty is wearing off?

"Oh, we're here Professor," Sol's voice brought Professor McGonagall back to reality as she tried to make sense of what was just said.

"O-Oh right!" The Professor looked at the eagle statue, "Sherbert Lemon!"

Like before, the eagle statue shook and started ascending. It spun upwards and revealed a set of spiral staircases. After the statue stopped rising, the two walked up the staircase towards the Headmaster's office.

"In you go, Mr. Balor!" Professor McGonagall stepped aside.

Sol took a deep breath and muttered, "Hopefully, this wraps up quick."

Sol went through the door and was greeted by the sight of the Headmaster's office, which hadn't changed a bit. The closet with the potions, the Pensieve, and vials of memories were all in their original places. Even Fawkes was there, though he looked a bit older.

"Ah, Mr. Balor!" An aged voice broke Sol out of his reverie. The Headmaster was looking at him from behind his desk. "Come here and take a seat!"

Sol walked forward and took a seat on one of the wooden chairs in front of the Headmaster's desk. It was made out of Spruce and had red cushions.

"Headmaster, you've called for me?"

"Yes, Mr. Balor! I wanted to talk to you about Gryffindor's Sword." Dumbledore took out two teacups and a porcelain teapot.

"I see," Sol watched the Headmaster pour tea into the cups. It had a rich dark-red color.

"How many sugar cubes would you like?"

"One would suffice."

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Plop!

The Headmaster dropped a sugar cube into the cup and handed it to Sol. Sol took the teaspoon from the saucer underneath the cap and stirred the tea.

Tink! Tink! Tink!

Sol stopped stirring and took a sip. It had the rich taste of tea and a mild sweetness. Sol put the cup on the saucer which he set down on the desk.

"So, Headmaster, what would you like to know?" Sol shifted his gaze towards Dumbledore who was drinking tea from as well. Dumbledore set down the cup and looked at Sol with a content look on his face.

"Right, why was the sword there?"

"I haven't the slightest clue. That's something you need to ask Colin."

"Mr. Balor, let's not talk about the dead."

Sol shrugged, "I'm not disrespecting Colin, just speaking facts."

"I see," Dumbledore wore a contemplative look, "Do you know how he got it?"

"I could infer if I knew where it was kept."

"I do not know. But I presume it was in the Sorting Hat."

"I see, and just anyone can pull it out?" Sol asked with a strange look on his face.

"No, there are some requirements."

"Those are?"

"Quoting Godric Gryffindor's words, 'Only a true Gryffindor can pull it out'. You can understand that as you deem fit."

Sol rubbed his chin, "So anyone in need and with courage can do it, I suppose."

"Oh?" Dumbledore had a peculiar look on his face, "That's a rather flawed thought process, no?"

"As flawed as the sorting system, but that's just how it is," Sol shrugged.

"I see, then how do you suppose Colin took it out of the Sorting Hat which resides within my office?"

"He sneaked in here...?"

"I understand that much, Mr. Balor. I'm asking you how he did it."

"It should be easy."

"Oh?" Dumbledore had an amused look on his face, "Please do tell."

"You haven't changed your password since I came here last year. It's been 'Sherbert Lemon' ever since then. Not to mention, the Professors have to recite it to the eagle statue downstairs whenever they want to meet you. Anyone could hear it if they were within earshot. I'm pretty sure some students have already heard it."

Dumbledore was silent.

Sol continued without caring, "The only reason why they haven't broken in is because of your title as the 'Strongest White Wizard'. And also because the students think you to be omniscient to some extent."

"And you don't?" Dumbledore asked after all this time.

When Sol heard this question, he almost ended up sneering at Dumbledore's face. Contempt welled up inside him but outside he had a calm facade. He simply replied, "No."

"I see," Dumbledore didn't pursue anymore and moved on. "So, why did he do it?"

"I mean, it was probably to kill the Basilisk, right?"

"Then how did he know that there would be a Basilisk down there? It's not like Voldemort would show him, now would he?"

Sol's finger which was on his lap, away from Dumbledore's sight, twitched. He calmly replied, "Maybe he would. The Basilisk could've been shown to instill fear into Colin, I presume?"

"Apt guess, I say!" Dumbledore praised, "But as of now, it's all in the air."

Sol took a sip of his tea. Placing the cup back on the saucer, he shook his head, "There are too many holes in the story and most of it can only be deduced and theorized."

He continued whilst looking at Fawkes who was pecking at his feathers, "But it is known that Colin Creevey was indeed controlled by Voldemort and was nothing but an unfortunate pawn in his games."

"But that's just what-"

Sol cut the Headmaster off, "I suppose Headmaster has a theory then?

"I do not."

"Then I rest my case." Sol took a sip from his cup.

"I'd like to ask you one last thing."

Tink!

Sol put down his cup and looked at the Headmaster, "Yes?"

"What do you think of this school?"

"Flawed," Sol replied without hesitation.

"Would you please elaborate?" Dumbledore had intrigued yet worried expression.

"To begin with, the Sorting system is unneeded and even if it was, it is poorly executed. The sorting happens too early and the basis is too vague. Some of the house qualities are just synonyms to one another. And it tends to group and create a rift between students. This system is only slightly better than the single-gendered schools of the muggle world which is even more flawed.

Though with time, this is changing as well as the outlook of parents. Also, it seems Hogwarts and the Wizarding World are stuck in time. It has stagnated in the middle ages. The muggles have progressed since then and are making great strides in the Technological field." Sol stopped as he was out of breath. As he was inhaling, he coincidentally looked at Dumbledore's face. His eyes had silent contempt in them.

Sol continued, "Headmaster, do not look down on the muggles. We are not in a position to do so. If the muggles learned of our existence which sooner or later, they will. But if they did right now, it would be 100% possible for them to annihilate us. Their technology has progressed far enough to threaten us. And it has ended up rivaling our magic. A muggle writer has a brilliant quote about this, 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic'[1].

It truly fits our circumstances. Their technology has progressed far enough to become magic to us. And their magic rivals if not exceeds ours. We have continued to stagnate in an era with no ambition to progress. Mundane discoveries such as 'the Twelve Uses of Dragon's Blood' will not help us in any significant way."

"You seem to have diverged quite far from the initial topic, Mr. Balor," Dumbledore smiled.

"It seems I have. I'm sorry. But these problems are connected."

"Then do you have a solution?"

"I do. But only you can make use of them."

"Why is that so?"

"Headmaster," Sol smiled slightly, "That was a rather useless question."

"Right."

"Fixing the Wizarding World can fix the problems with Hogwarts and vice versa."

"How can changing Hogwarts change the Wizarding World?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"The phrase 'Little drops end up making a mighty ocean' is applicable here. Hogwarts is the most famous wizarding school. So, modernizing Hogwarts should end up making waves in the Wizarding World. And your voice as the 'Strongest White Wizard' should help as well." Sol lifted the cup to take a sip but saw that the cup was empty. He reluctantly set the cup back on the desk.

Dumbledore had a contemplative look on his face. "It seems I have much to think about now."

"Then Headmaster," Sol stood up, "I'll take my leave now."

"Yes, thank you for cooperating. This conversation has been particularly insightful."

"I just did what I have to." Saying that Sol left the office leaving Dumbledore with a myriad of worries and thoughts.