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Chapter 112: Dumbledore's Afternoon Tea
Chapter 112: Dumbledore’s Afternoon Tea
Young wizards in the Great Hall whispered to each other during breakfast.
Hermione borrowed a newspaper from the seat next to her and pointed to a passage, saying, "Look here, ‘Lockhart tampered with wizard memories, obtaining their stories and then using a memory charm to make them forget everything. So far, only seven victims have been found, and their memories have been permanently damaged.’”
Ron’s chicken leg suddenly lost its appeal. "So, I almost lost my memory forever?"
He still found it hard to believe that Lockhart, with his usual display of mediocre magic, could repeatedly pull off such stealthy attacks.
Harry, still shaken, added, "You might not even realize you’ve lost your memory. Who would have thought he was a true master of the forgetfulness charm?"
"Scary, I actually spent a week in the same office with such a person." Ron took a large gulp of Pumpkin Juice.
"Who caught Lockhart, do you know?"
"Wasn’t it the Ministry’s Aurors? Dean told me that."
"Impossible. I asked the Fat Lady, and she said no outsiders came that day." Hermione said casually.
"How would she know?" Ron looked shocked. "She’s just a portrait."
"Ron, portraits retain their personalities. The Fat Lady is passionate about opera and gossip. She often visits other portraits when no one is around." Hermione narrowed her eyes. "If you compliment her singing, she’ll be happy to share some gossip with you."
"And to be fair, her singing isn’t that bad."
...
That afternoon, in the Headmaster's Office, Felix and Dumbledore sat face to face, discussing the aftermath of Lockhart's capture.
A few plates of small cakes and cookies, along with two cups of Pumpkin Juice, were on the table.
"Unfortunately, the number of people harmed may exceed the initial estimates", Dumbledore said softly.
"More than his adventure stories?"
"Yes, he couldn’t guarantee that every story he encountered would be sufficiently interesting."
Felix flipped through the newspapers on the table. "Why isn’t there any report from Rita Skeeter?" That was unlike her.
Could she be afraid that her attack on Lockhart would be exposed? But memory can be fabricated, and especially when the perpetrator is a memory master. Even if Lockhart identified Rita Skeeter in court, it wouldn’t have much impact.
"She’s run into some trouble", Dumbledore said, spearing a piece of cake with a small fork. "It’s quite delicious, Felix. I highly recommend it."
Felix took a piece and put it in his mouth. "Would she put herself in trouble? She’s a clever person."
Dumbledore glanced at him. "Clever people make mistakes too, and they often find loopholes in the rules, so their mistakes can be bigger."
"So her trouble is—"
"According to my sources, she went to great lengths to uncover the details of Lockhart’s capture and then hurriedly registered as an Animagus at the Ministry that day."
"Animagus." Felix swallowed the cake and repeated it. "Yes, an Animagus, an illegal Animagus…"
He finally understood why Rita Skeeter had targeted Lockhart.
"I suspect her transformation must be into a very small creature", Felix said confidently.
"It’s a beetle", Dumbledore replied calmly. "If our suspicions are correct, her access to information over the years makes sense. From your previous assessment, Lockhart was under the influence of a forgetfulness charm, but he has now broken free from it, placing her in a very awkward position."
Memories can be fabricated, but magic cannot lie. If Lockhart truly testified that Rita Skeeter was an illegal Animagus, many in the Ministry would be interested in investigating.
Rita Skeeter had acted with impunity for years, offending countless people.
"I doubt she’ll get away with it easily", Felix said.
After a moment of silence, Felix spoke up. "Headmaster Dumbledore, with five months until the next school year, what will we do about the Dark Arts Defense course?"
Dumbledore’s expression turned troubled, and he sighed. "The turnover for professors in that course is quite high."
"So, the Dark Lord’s curse is real?"
"I believe so. Ever since I refused Voldemort, no professor of Dark Magic Defense has lasted more than a year", Dumbledore said. "I think he must be very angry, having been refused twice."
"Twice?" Felix looked at him with a peculiar expression. "You refused him twice?"
And here he was, the one refused three times, eating cake in the Headmaster's Office.
"No, Felix", Dumbledore blinked and said lightly. "Headmaster Dippet thought he was too young and refused him. He then disappeared for ten years. When he returned to apply for the position, I hardly recognized him, and I firmly refused him."
"Professor Snape has always been eager for that position", Felix said, supporting his Head of House.
"Severus…" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "I won’t entrust that course to him."
"Why? During the years I attended school, no one died. Only one or two people were lightly injured. It seems the curse doesn't have much of an effect."
"That's because no one has held the position for more than a year." Dumbledore sighed softly. "This was the only solution I could come up with. But over the past thirty years, the course's reputation has worsened, and finding a qualified teacher has become increasingly difficult."
This was indeed the case.
Felix's reluctance to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts stemmed from two reasons: the position had a one-year term, without exception, which didn't align with his goals; and the job itself was cursed, with each professor experiencing some sort of mishap by the end of the year.
However, he didn't think the risk was significant this time. Snape could easily cover the course for half a year, and at worst, hand it over to a new professor the following year.
Felix shared his suggestion.
"But Severus will still be teaching at Hogwarts next year, won't he?" Dumbledore looked at him meaningfully.
"You mean, as long as this person remains at the school, the curse won't stop?" Felix asked sharply.
"From my observations, that seems to be the case. I've invited several former Defense Against the Dark Arts professors to take on other roles, and serious accidents occurred..." Dumbledore fell into a reverie. "However, substituting for a few classes doesn't seem to be a problem."
The information he revealed was astonishing. It suggested that once someone was affected by the curse, they had to leave Hogwarts within a year, or they would suffer even if they left the Defense Against the Dark Arts position.
Dumbledore wouldn't choose Snape for this.
Felix completely abandoned the idea of helping Snape secure the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. The two began to discuss the curse itself.
"How did he manage it?" Felix asked.
This seemed impossible to him because Voldemort's curse was too closely tied to the school.
Yet Hogwarts itself had an excellent defense system, making it difficult for external influences to penetrate.
"Everything I say next is just speculation, a casual chat during afternoon tea."
"Of course."
"I believe Voldemort cleverly used his identity as the heir of Slytherin, combined with his expertise in curses. The result of this combination is astonishing", Dumbledore said.
"Voldemort can influence Hogwarts' operations?" Felix asked, alarmed. This was a shocking claim...
"No, Felix. Hogwarts' order has existed for a thousand years, and even if Salazar Slytherin returned, he couldn't reclaim the school."
"Then—"
"Voldemort paid a great price. From all the signs, he permanently forfeited Hogwarts' protection, a right exclusive to the descendants of the four founders, and cast this curse out of his hatred."
After a long silence—
"What is the method to lift the curse?"
"Voldemort's death." Dumbledore lowered his gaze.
"So you knew he hadn't died, long ago?"
"Yes, I've always known", Dumbledore murmured. "The existence of the curse explains everything."
They discussed the curse for a long time, and Felix learned a great deal about Hogwarts.
When Felix took his leave, Dumbledore sat quietly in his chair. On the long-legged table, a set of peculiar silver instruments spun, emitting small puffs of smoke.
The portraits of former Headmasters and Headmistresses on the walls whispered and discussed the topic the two had just covered.
On the shelf opposite the table, a worn, crumpled wizard's hat sat. The Sorting Hat's crack near the brim opened like a mouth: "Dumbledore, this isn't like you."
Dumbledore steepled his long fingers. "Do you have any insights, Sorting Hat? I'm all ears."
"You said a lot today. I thought... you would keep these secrets to yourself."
"Perhaps I was just in the mood to talk. Felix is an excellent listener."
"Maybe... but you're revealing the school's secrets, a privilege exclusive to the Headmaster. Dumbledore..."
The portraits on the wall stared at the Sorting Hat.
"...I guess you want to mentor that boy?"
Dumbledore smiled, his beard trembling slightly. "Sorting Hat, what do you think of him, from your perspective?"
"He wants to study me, I can tell, even though he hides it well. He's an excellent wizard, reminding me of Rowena Ravenclaw. I look forward to his growth", the Sorting Hat said with a grin.
Dumbledore looked surprised. He had been with the Sorting Hat for nearly half a century and knew that while the hat respected the four founders, it had a special bond with two: Gryffindor and Ravenclaw.
This was high praise from the Sorting Hat.
The old man calmed down and said, "Voldemort's presence is growing stronger. I have a feeling his return is near. I need to prepare, even if it may not be necessary."
(End of Chapter)
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