Chapter 1154: Locating the Pendant Box
Chapter 1154: Locating the Pendant Box
In the morning, bright sunlight shone through the windows and illuminated the marble floors of the headmaster's office.
Dumbledore, who had stayed up late last night, was already awake and sitting at his desk, enjoying the breakfast tea prepared by his house-elf while reading the latest issue of Today's Transfiguration.
Ever since Albert stopped contributing articles, the magazine rarely featured eye-catching pieces anymore.
The September issue even included a few filler articles, which left Dumbledore somewhat disappointed.
Setting down his teacup, Dumbledore picked up the latest newspaper that had been placed in the corner of his desk by his house-elf.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much news worth his attention, and the headline only served to dampen his morning mood.
Yesterday, two more "Dark Wizards" had been sentenced to death by the Wizengamot court.
To be honest, Dumbledore disliked the new Minister's penchant for executing people at the slightest provocation, even though Scrimgeour was willing to take his advice on certain matters. However, when it came to sentencing heinous Dark Wizards to death, he remained steadfast and uncompromising.
"The Ministry has been using Veritaserum to interrogate prisoners. We strive to ensure that no innocent person is wronged, but we will show no mercy to those who are truly guilty and deserving of the harshest punishment."
Dumbledore put down the newspaper and recalled the unpleasant memory of his last conversation with Scrimgeour regarding the execution of prisoners.
Scrimgeour's unwavering stance on this matter was surprising, and he didn't shy away from sharing the reason behind it.
In fact, even the members of the Wizengamot court and the higher-ups in the Ministry were well aware of the reason.
"Even if the Ministry continues to strengthen the defenses of Azkaban, we will never be able to prevent You-Know-Who from breaking them out."
Dumbledore remembered the resigned expression on Scrimgeour's face when he spoke of this matter at the Wizengamot court.
"Unless we appoint Dumbledore as the warden of Azkaban, but I believe that the students of Hogwarts are far more important than dealing with these scum."
"Instead of giving these despicable criminals another chance to wreak havoc, it's better to ensure they never have the opportunity to harm innocent people again. That is what truly serves the best interests of the entire wizarding world."
"We are at war, and we must not show weakness to our enemies, lest we endanger those who bravely stand on the front lines."
From that day on, the Wizengamot court had been unflinching in sentencing criminals who would otherwise have received life imprisonment to death.
Even Dumbledore couldn't refute Scrimgeour, as he too realized the grim reality that You-Know-Who would undoubtedly raid Azkaban to free his followers.
If the Aurors made sacrifices to capture these criminals, only for them to eventually escape punishment and be released by You-Know-Who, it would be a disservice to the valiant warriors who had perished in the process.
A perfectly crafted argument! Decisive and bold.
Scrimgeour was a hero in the eyes of many, the ideal choice to lead the wizarding world through these trying times.
However, Dumbledore's intuition told him that there was more to it than met the eye.
Something must have happened to make Scrimgeour set aside all his reservations and confront the forces of darkness head-on.
Dumbledore suspected that this had something to do with Albert, and he was curious about what Albert had said to Scrimgeour.
It wasn't until last night that Dumbledore finally got his answer.
"Mr. Anderson told me that I would die in office, murdered by You-Know-Who. He advised me to either give up the fight or prepare for a deadly struggle," Scrimgeour calmly revealed the cruel truth.
At that moment, Dumbledore understood everything.
He was certain that Albert had deliberately shared this information with Scrimgeour.
As for lying, it was obviously out of the question.
The reason wasn't difficult to guess:
The Death Eaters' attempt on Albert's life during his wedding had finally pushed him over the edge.
Even though Albert hadn't killed anyone that day, he had used the Ministry's hand to execute the captured Dark Wizards one by one.
The trial had lasted for over a month, undoubtedly intended to make a statement—a warning to all who dared to cross him.
Stop it?
That was obviously impossible.
There was simply no evidence to support any accusations.
And Scrimgeour would not tolerate it, as his ruthless slaughter of Dark Wizards was aimed at weakening You-Know-Who's forces as much as possible.
Dumbledore couldn't be sure if Scrimgeour knew about his impending death, but he knew that Scrimgeour was doing everything he could to turn the situation around.
"To minimize Voldemort's assistance, a lone Dark Lord isn't as terrifying as one might imagine."
"Divination?" Dumbledore asked as he pocketed his watch, noting that it was nearing nine o'clock.
The person he was expecting should be arriving soon.
Soon enough, a knock sounded at the door. "Come in!"
The door opened, and Albert walked in.
"Have a seat," Dumbledore said with a smile. "What would you like to drink?"
"Milk tea," Albert replied.
A steaming cup of milk tea appeared in front of him.
"Get straight to the point, then," Albert took a sip from his cup. "I have another appointment later."
"It seems you've been quite busy lately," Dumbledore observed.
The elderly wizard added a generous spoonful of honey to his own tea, stirring it slowly before taking a sip, a look of enjoyment on his face.
"No, today I just happened to have some free time," Albert said as he also added honey to his drink. "I've been writing memoirs for the Leomays lately."
"Memoirs?" Dumbledore's eyebrows rose slightly.
"Yes, and if you need one, I can write one for you as well," Albert took another sip of his tea.
"I don't think I need such a thing," Dumbledore shrugged. "But I would appreciate it if you could divine the exact location of the Slytherin pendant box for me."
"You still haven't found it?"
"No, after Sirius Black killed the house-elf, the pendant box went missing. I suspect it's no longer in the Black family's possession," Dumbledore explained.
He then led Albert to the cabinet where the Pensieve was kept, retrieving a small vial from within and pouring its swirling contents into the stone basin.
Soon, an image appeared in the Pensieve—a deep red velvet cushion, upon which lay a small, golden pendant box.
"This is the Slytherin pendant box," Dumbledore introduced.
"The young Tom Riddle was indeed quite handsome," Albert commented as he observed the handsome young man beside the pendant box. "Did he turn into what he is now because of his Horcruxes?"
"Your focus never ceases to surprise me," Dumbledore's eyebrows arched, not expecting Albert to bring up Tom's appearance so suddenly.
"Well, the current appearance of the Dark Lord is certainly memorable," Albert replied.
"It's likely due to the many insane experiments he performed on himself in pursuit of eternal life and power," Dumbledore mused.
"I thought it was because of his soul-splitting," Albert said.
"That was indeed a mad act," Dumbledore said softly. "I've always suspected that his current state is connected to his soul-splitting, and the after-effects of abusing Dark Magic continue to plague Voldemort."
"You don't have to worry about me being tempted by the dark side," Albert said with disdain. "I have no interest in that."
"I know, but... perhaps you could try divining the location of the Slytherin pendant box?" Dumbledore added.
"I can't guarantee I'll find it, but I can try," Albert returned to the desk and began to use the crystal ball that Dumbledore had prepared beforehand to divine the location of the Slytherin pendant box.
As Albert's hand touched the crystal ball, the white mist inside began to swirl rapidly, and an image of a briefcase appeared.
"I see, I think I understand now!" Dumbledore narrowed his eyes as he studied the briefcase in the crystal ball.
"That's good news," Albert said, guessing who had taken the Slytherin pendant box.
"Then I'll take my leave," Albert stood up to go. "You can give me those notes when you're done organizing them."
"Wait, Albert," Dumbledore called out.
"Is there something else?" Albert paused and turned around.
"The Malfoy Manor was burned down recently," Dumbledore said.
"I just wanted to give the Malfoys an impression they wouldn't forget," Albert didn't deny that he had burned down the Malfoy Manor. "I'm not like you, so forgiving towards those who try to kill me."
"Mr. Malfoy plays a crucial role in my plan," Dumbledore said suddenly.
"Oh, so you plan to let him kill you?" Albert asked.
"It seems you've already guessed part of my plan," Dumbledore shrugged nonchalantly.
"After you die, I'll remember to write that memoir for you," Albert said.
(End of Chapter)
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