Chapter 1194: Threats and Intimidation
Chapter 1194: Threats and Intimidation
As Harry's retreating figure disappeared from view, Dumbledore averted his gaze and turned his head towards the tall clock by the wall. He walked over to the fireplace, took a handful of Floo powder from the box, and threw it into the burning hearth. Amidst the roaring flames, he spoke, "Severus, I need to speak with you."
In a short while, Severus Snape emerged from the swirling emerald flames.
"What is it?" Snape asked, though he already had a good idea why Dumbledore had summoned him.
"You handled Miss Bell's situation well," Dumbledore said, fixing his eyes intently on Snape. "But I don't want to see a repeat of such an incident. We were fortunate this time, but we cannot rely on luck forever. I want you to get a hold of the situation and offer guidance to Mr. Malfoy, dissuading him from pursuing such dangerous endeavors again."
"I will do my best, but Draco won't give up easily until he experiences failure himself. This time, I will make sure he follows my instructions," Snape replied, feeling somewhat helpless about the situation.
To be honest, he was relieved that Katie Bell hadn't died; otherwise, who knows what else might have happened.
If Katie Bell had indeed perished due to the assassination attempt, Snape didn't think Dumbledore would have easily forgiven the Malfoys for taking a life.
He understood Dumbledore all too well.
"Very well. I hope everything proceeds as planned. You know how important this is to everyone," Dumbledore said softly. "There's one more thing I must remind you of. If a similar incident occurs again, the Ministry will definitely intervene. All suspicious students may be subjected to Veritaserum interrogation, and you know how Bartemius Crouch operates."
"You think the Ministry will get involved?" Snape was taken aback.
"The Malfoy family has made quite a few enemies," Dumbledore said meaningfully.
"I know what to do," Snape said as he grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the fireplace. Soon, he vanished into the emerald flames.
"Let's hope there won't be any more mishaps," Dumbledore murmured to himself. He was well aware that with Harry's suspicions about Malfoy, it wouldn't be difficult to verify certain things. Whether it was through Albert's divination or the use of Veritaserum, Draco Malfoy wouldn't be able to hide his crimes.
Especially since Lucius Malfoy had tried to kill Albert at his wedding, such hatred was not something that could be easily resolved.
Perhaps Albert could choose not to implicate Lucius' family after getting his revenge, but after the previous bounty incident, Dumbledore didn't harbor any illusions that Albert had let it go. He believed that Albert wouldn't mind destroying the Malfoy family and sending them straight to hell.
Albert was capable of such actions, and forgiving others was never an easy task for him.
Just look at what happened to the Lestrange family—the Lestrange brothers had been conveniently disposed of not long ago.
As for Bellatrix, her fate probably wouldn't be any better.
Snape returned to his office with a heavy heart. From what Dumbledore had said, he realized something important.
If Draco continued down this path, even Dumbledore might not be able to protect him.
Yes, Dumbledore had forgiven those who tried to kill him, but others might not be so forgiving. From the statement, "The Malfoy family has made quite a few enemies," Snape already had a good idea of who it might be.
Albert Anderson.
The person who had been wronged the most by the Malfoy family in recent years.
Thinking of the Lestrange brothers who were struck down by the Aurors, and Bellatrix's recent miserable state, Snape couldn't imagine what would become of Draco if he were targeted.
He knew he had to stop Draco from digging his own grave.
Snape asked a Slytherin ghost to find Draco Malfoy and ask him to come to his office immediately.
Upon receiving the message from the ghost, Draco Malfoy's face fell, and he made his way to Snape's office with a gloomy expression.
As he stood before the door to the Slytherin Head's office, Malfoy clenched his fists and knocked stiffly.
"Come in and take a seat," Snape said, gesturing towards the armchair next to his desk after Draco entered the room.
"What did you want to see me about, Professor?" Malfoy asked, though he already had a good idea.
"You failed, and you almost got Katie Bell killed in the process," Snape said expressionlessly. "You should be thankful that Katie Bell survived, or you would have been in deep trouble."
"It wasn't me. I wasn't even in Hogsmeade. Professor McGonagall can vouch for me," Malfoy said, his lips trembling as he tried to defend himself.
He knew he had to distance himself from the incident, and staying at Hogwarts under the watchful eyes of the professors was the best way to do that.
"Don't treat others like fools," Snape said coldly, his eyes fixed on Malfoy. "Do you really think Dumbledore is unaware of your actions? He is already suspicious of you, and he has asked me to keep an eye on you."
"Isn't that great? You can keep him in the dark indefinitely," Malfoy said, his expression turning strange.
"Don't be so foolish as to think others are stupid," Snape said angrily. "If Katie Bell had died from that damned opal necklace, do you really think you'd be standing here talking to me right now?"
"What do you mean?" Malfoy asked, his face suddenly devoid of emotion.
"Dumbledore is already suspicious of you. Even if you can prove it wasn't you, what good will it do? He's certain that someone has controlled Rosmerta," Snape said expressionlessly. "He only needs a bit of Veritaserum to make you spill everything. By then, you won't even have the chance to go to Azkaban; you'll be executed directly like the other Death Eaters."
"You can give him fake Veritaserum or give me an antidote," Malfoy said without hesitation.
"Has Bellatrix infected you with her stupidity and arrogance?" Snape looked at Malfoy coldly as he considered how to handle this matter. "Let me tell you directly: if it ever comes to that, I dare say Dumbledore will definitely be vigilant about your state and easily discern the truth from the false. And I don't think you can take an antidote for Veritaserum under Dumbledore's watch or in front of a group of Aurors."
"It's time to stop your foolish plans," Snape warned.
"If I don't follow your plan, are you going to expose me?" Malfoy sneered.
"No, even if I don't expose you, you'll surely be exposed. When Dumbledore suspects you, whatever you do will be suspicious. Also..." Snape paused for a moment and continued, "I think he probably wants to observe you to figure out what the Dark Lord is up to, so that's why you're still standing here talking to me!"
"So, you think it's best for me to do nothing now?" Malfoy said coldly.
"That's right. It's best to take Dumbledore out in one fell swoop instead of foolishly reminding him that someone wants to assassinate him." Snape warned coldly, "I promised your mother to protect you, and I made an Unbreakable Vow that would kill me if I broke it. But the Dark Lord's plan to kill Dumbledore will also fail, and do you think he'll forgive your mother, Narcissa, after waiting so long?"
"No, he won't. He'll turn his wrath upon the entire Malfoy family." Snape said calmly, his words sending a chill down Malfoy's spine. "Of course, the Dark Lord will definitely not let you off the hook, so you're as good as dead. As for your family, perhaps the Malfoy name will be wiped out altogether."
Malfoy felt nothing but coldness as Snape's words didn't seem like a bluff, and he wouldn't underestimate the Dark Lord's ability to annihilate his entire family.
"What are you going to do?" Malfoy asked, his fists clenched and his lips trembling slightly. "Tell me your full plan!"
Malfoy finally decided to listen to Snape's so-called plan. After all, Snape had made an Unbreakable Vow with his mother, so he didn't have to worry about being betrayed.
Moreover, if they figured out that Rosmerta was controlled by the Imperius Curse, his plan to poison her would likely fall apart.
"Use the Vanishing Cabinet. There's one in Hogwarts that can connect to another Vanishing Cabinet," Snape was pleased that his threats had successfully intimidated Draco. At least he wouldn't have to resort to extreme measures.
"Vanishing Cabinet? What's that?"
"It can help you move in and out of the school without any obstacles." Snape explained, "But it's broken, and I need you to fix it."
"Why not use the Floo Network?"
"The school's Floo Network has been sealed again, so no one else can use it unless the Ministry arranges a one-time Floo connection, but that's obviously difficult to do." Snape shook his head, "So, if you want to appear in the school without a trace, using the Vanishing Cabinet is undoubtedly the best option."
"But I don't know how to fix it, and what if I can't?" Malfoy remained silent for a moment before shaking his head, "I think they should choose another way to infiltrate Hogwarts."
"Infiltrating Hogwarts through secret passages isn't necessarily reliable. They might be discovered by other professors soon after entering Hogwarts, and they could easily miss the best opportunity." Snape didn't favor the use of secret passages as it would take too long and was likely to be noticed.
Once they lacked secrecy, the plan would essentially fail.
"Can you fix the Vanishing Cabinet?" Malfoy asked suddenly, "And if you can't..."
"I'm not sure, but I think the probability of fixing it should be high." Snape interrupted.
"Since that's the case, why don't you fix it yourself?" Malfoy asked, puzzled.
"If I fix it, what good will it do for you to do nothing? Do you really think the Dark Lord will acknowledge you?" Snape sneered, "You need enough achievements to save your entire family's lives. The reason is simple: you saw a similar Vanishing Cabinet in Borgin and Burkes' shop and successfully completed the task using it."
(End of Chapter)
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