Harry Potter and the Cataclysm

Carnie had just sat down, activating his magical perception when he suddenly noticed something strange.

The room was still filled with traces of magic—remnants of the energy from his earlier sword strike. But there was something else, something even denser, radiating from a corner he had never paid much attention to before.

A humanoid mass of magic.

It was glowing—so intensely bright that it nearly blinded him.

Carnie jumped to his feet in alarm, grabbing his sword and pointing it toward the glowing figure.

"What manner of demon are you?! Surrender at once!"

The dramatic line came out of his mouth instinctively—probably from watching too many TV dramas.

Dumbledore, meanwhile, simply sighed.

He had set this all up in advance, patiently waiting for the fish to take the bait.

The Room of Requirement had been locked under special restrictions. If Carnie couldn't access it, he would have to find another place to train. And of course, this particular classroom had already been cleared out and prepared just for this moment.

Even the Mirror of Erised had been moved here.

While discussing things with McGonagall and Snape earlier, Dumbledore had already sensed Carnie outside the Room of Requirement, hesitating before moving downward in search of a new training ground. As expected, he had ended up in this very room.

The moment he heard the lock click, Dumbledore had cast an Invisibility Charm, blending into the shadows.

The fish was in the net.

A small, almost imperceptible smile crossed Dumbledore's face.

He always enjoyed a successful setup.

This—laying traps, creating plans, and guiding young minds—was one of his many hobbies.

"One of them," he mused, because after all, he was an old man now. There weren't many entertaining activities left in life. A bit of amusement made things much more interesting.

And the Mirror of Erised—well, that was one of the most powerful psychological weapons ever created.

Originally, he had intended to test Harry with it.

But why not have a little fun with Carnie first?

Just to see how he would react.

Carnie stood frozen at the doorway, staring straight at the mirror.

He wasn't moving. His eyes were locked onto it, as if he were a lovestruck fool gazing at his crush.

Dumbledore chuckled inwardly. He's already hooked.

Step by step, Carnie approached the mirror.

But then, something unexpected happened.

He stopped.

His face shifted—as if realizing something.

Then, without hesitation, he backed away and turned toward the door.

"Interesting…" Dumbledore stroked his long white beard. "Strong willpower. He can resist temptation. Not bad at all."

But then…

"Wait a minute. If he leaves now, how am I supposed to continue with my plan?"

Dumbledore frowned slightly. He was about to raise his wand, ready to nudge Carnie back toward the mirror.

But before he could do anything—Carnie suddenly turned back on his own.

His expression was a mix of excitement and hesitation.

Once again, he walked toward the mirror.

"Hmmm. Maybe I overestimated him," Dumbledore muttered, resuming his beard-stroking. "Seems like his willpower isn't that strong after all."

But then—again—Carnie's face shifted.

A moment of realization.

And this time—he walked away completely.

His steps were swift, determined.

Dumbledore nearly pulled out his own beard in frustration.

"Oh, you naive child! Do you really think you can just leave after coming this far?!"

Fine.

Time to force his hand.

Dumbledore waved his wand.

Outside the door, Filch appeared, carrying a lantern.

Carnie barely had time to step outside before he spotted Filch in the corridor.

Without hesitation, he flung himself back inside and shut the door as quietly as possible.

"Hehehe…" Dumbledore smirked in satisfaction. "Perfectly arranged. I never miscalculate."

Carnie was just too unpredictable.

This kid's train of thought was completely erratic—sometimes brilliant, sometimes utterly chaotic.

"I see now why old Chinese sages liked stroking their beards all the time," Dumbledore mused. "It's actually quite therapeutic."

But…

"Why isn't he moving toward the mirror?"

Instead of approaching the Mirror of Erised, Carnie had started training.

Dumbledore had secretly watched him train in the Room of Requirement many times.

He had to admit—this child's focus was beyond remarkable.

Most students needed structured learning.

Carnie, however?

Carnie was creating his own magic system from scratch.

He wasn't studying spells—he was studying the raw elements themselves.

And the more Dumbledore watched, the more he realized—

Carnie wasn't acting like a wizard.

He was acting like a sorcerer.

A long, long time ago—long before even Merlin's era—there were two great magical factions: Wizards and Sorcerers.

They had once been one, collectively known as the Mageborn.

But at some point, they had split into two separate schools of thought.

The Wizards were structured, using spells, wands, and charms to control magic.

The Sorcerers?

They wielded raw, unfiltered elemental power—no wands, no incantations.

It was said that their magic was instinctual—flowing through them like a part of their very being.

However, for reasons lost to time, the Sorcerers had disappeared.

No records of them remained—only whispers in forgotten ruins and half-buried myths.

Merlin had later founded modern wizardry, structuring magic through wands and verbal spells.

But now, as Dumbledore observed Carnie…

"Could he be a Sorcerer?"

It would explain everything.

But—Sorcerers weren't supposed to exist anymore.

Well, there was one place where something similar had been seen.

Kamar-Taj.

Dumbledore was still deep in thought when suddenly—

CLANK! CLANG!

The sound of metallic objects hitting the ground snapped him back to reality.

On the floor, Carnie had just dropped a slightly blue-tinted crystal arrow and a massive greatsword.

Dumbledore silently cast a Summoning Charm, pulling a small fragment of one of the objects toward him.

Carnie was still too absorbed in his work to notice.

Dumbledore turned the piece over in his hands.

"A crystal?" He inspected it carefully.

No… it's… water?

It looked like crystal.

It felt like crystal.

But the moment he applied force—

The fragment melted back into water.

"What in the name of Merlin…?"

Dumbledore's mind raced.

This wasn't ice.

It was water—hardened into something new.

He could sense magic within it, but not much.

"How is he changing its structure? Is he reshaping the very nature of water?"

His gaze returned to Carnie.

Carnie was now creating a spear—then a helmet.

And then—

He did something unexpected.

He poured a strange energy into his sword.

At first, the change was subtle.

Then—

The blade glowed.

And then—

BOOM.

With a single swing, Carnie released a blade of energy—a visible arc that sliced through stone like butter.

Dumbledore's eyes widened.

"That… That wasn't normal magic."

This was dangerous.

He had seen many powerful spells.

But this?

This was something else.

"I hope he remains a good person," Dumbledore thought, rubbing his temples. "Otherwise, we're all in trouble."

His expression darkened.

"If he ever turns against us… even an ordinary Shield Charm won't save anyone."

He exhaled sharply.

"What kind of magic is this?"

And then, watching Carnie sloppily attempt to channel raw magical energy into his sword, Dumbledore sighed.

"Trash. Amateur. Waste of potential. Absolute novice. Complete idiot."

Shaking his head, he silently observed.

He had so many questions—but for now, he would simply watch.

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