Chapter 1213: The White Demon King
Chapter 1213: The White Demon King
He finally managed to bluff his way through! When Severus Snape left Number 12, Grimmauld Place, his expression remained unchanged, but his mind was in turmoil. He never expected that his role in Dumbledore's death would be predicted by Anderson.
No wonder that guy treated him with such disdain! It seemed that Dumbledore had known about it all along.
Snape felt it was necessary to have a chat with Dumbledore about this matter, lest he lose his life over it one day.
This was no joke. If he hadn't been quick-witted enough to bring up Dumbledore, he might never have left Grimmauld Place.
Snape wasn't foolish enough to think that Sirius Black was the only one who wanted to take his wand. Kingsley Shacklebolt, Mad-Eye Moody, and the other members of the Order of the Phoenix were equally wary and cautious of him.
His Death Eater identity made it impossible for him to truly fit in with the Order.
While Snape usually didn't care about such things, he was taken aback by how much the members of the Order trusted Albert's prophecies.
If killing him would change the prophecy and save Dumbledore, Snape believed that they would do so without hesitation.
The fact that they hadn't meant that they had likely gone to Dumbledore for confirmation.
He suspected that Anderson was trying to take advantage of the situation to get rid of him, and for a clever and cunning person like him, it wouldn't be a difficult task.
That guy was dangerous.
If Black had taken out a Prophecy Orb just now, he might have truly met his end.
Snape knew he had to talk to Dumbledore.
That night, instead of attending the meeting called by the Dark Lord, Snape rushed back to Hogwarts to contact Dumbledore and discuss the matter with the elderly wizard.
"Oh, you're talking about this," Dumbledore nodded after hearing Snape's words, indicating that he was indeed aware of the situation. He then reassured Snape, "I've already discussed this with Mr. Anderson, and he won't do anything to you, so you can rest assured."
"Rest assured?" Snape couldn't help but raise his voice. "If I hadn't been quick-witted enough, I might have died at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix just now."
There was a reason why Voldemort always wanted to get rid of Albert. Such a person, with his brains, abilities, and prophetic cheating abilities, was truly terrifying.
Thinking of the unfortunate fates of Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, Snape felt it was a miracle that they were still alive.
"That guy knew about your plan from the very beginning? He knew that I would kill you?" Snape asked suddenly.
"Yes, Mr. Anderson did predict it, and while he may not have known all the details at first, he has likely figured out the full picture by now," Dumbledore said calmly.
"You told him everything?"
"No, a lot of it was information that Mr. Anderson already knew."
"That's impossible."
"No, it's true. He's very intelligent, more so than most people," Dumbledore said softly, "I must say that we are quite lucky to have Mr. Anderson. He is a guarantee, a reassuring guarantee."
"A guarantee?"
"If Harry fails, someone has to be there to clean up the mess."
"You..." Snape couldn't help but widen his eyes, and it was only after a moment that he asked, "Then why didn't you..."
"...ask for his help?" Dumbledore finished the sentence for him.
"Yes, if that guy is as powerful as you say," Snape said, unable to understand what Dumbledore was thinking.
"He hates trouble."
"I don't think so. That guy is not how you imagine him to be," Snape said with a cold smile. "Perhaps, in just a few years, he will completely replace you, and everyone will believe his words without a doubt. You know he has that ability, even your loyal followers in the Order of the Phoenix trust what he says."
"I have to admit that Mr. Anderson's prophecies are very accurate."
"Dumbledore shook his head. 'To be honest, he is the most powerful divination master I have ever seen.'"
"You trust him a great deal."
"He is worthy of trust."
"But he's using it to control the Ministry of Magic and make Scrimgeour act according to his wishes. Haven't you noticed that he's inciting the Ministry to carry out bloody massacres against those Dark Wizards? Snape said coldly, "He's clearing the remnants and using this opportunity to wage war on the pure-bloods."
"That's a serious accusation, Severus!" Dumbledore said solemnly.
"You should be well aware that he's a scheming fellow. He's already started building his own faction. I believe that after this Wizarding War is over, he will gain unprecedented prestige. People will be willing to follow him and cast aside the remnants of the old era that he dislikes. Then he will establish a new order. In this regard, he is far superior to Voldemort, and people may even come to address him as the 'White Demon King.'"
"You're afraid of him." Dumbledore said suddenly.
"He wants me dead. If he had given Sirius some useful evidence, I probably wouldn't have been able to walk out of Grimmauld Place unscathed just now." Snape said with a cold smile.
"Mr. Anderson won't do anything to you," Dumbledore reassured, "Otherwise, you would probably be dead by now. Besides, his credibility is trustworthy."
"He knows about your affairs, at least most of them."
He looked at the expressionless Snape and continued, "Of course, I won't deny that Mr. Anderson doesn't like you very much. Perhaps it has something to do with the way you treat Gryffindor students."
"You think that's my problem?" Snape was annoyed.
"I think it's pointless to waste time arguing about these things," Dumbledore interrupted, giving Snape some face.
After all, Snape was the only professor in the entire school who had a poor relationship with Albert; even Filch, who disliked students the most, didn't have a terrible relationship with Albert, which spoke volumes.
Snape opened his mouth but couldn't be bothered to argue with Dumbledore anymore.
"You'd better make sure that fellow doesn't come out to make trouble, or your plan may fall apart."
At this moment, in Snape's eyes, Albert was as dangerous as Voldemort. His conversation with Dumbledore had made him realize just how formidable Albert was, to the extent that even Dumbledore was on his side.
"Don't worry, we have an agreement."
"I have to go. The Dark Lord is calling me. There's a Death Eater gathering tonight, damn... I'm probably late." Snape felt a burning sensation in his left arm, signaling that it was time for him to leave.
Not long after Snape left, Kingsley, Moody, and Professor McGonagall appeared in Dumbledore's office through the fireplace.
The group immediately brought up Albert's prophecy with Dumbledore.
"I know that everyone may have suspicions about Severus due to his past as a Death Eater, but..." Dumbledore didn't want any mishaps before the plan was executed.
"You're too trusting of others," Moody shook his head. "You should be aware that Anderson's prophecies have hardly ever been wrong. You're risking your life again."
"The last time I returned to Hogwarts injured, it was Severus who took care of me. If he really wanted to kill me, he would have done it then. That was his best opportunity, yet I'm still alive." Dumbledore raised his charred hand and said to everyone, "I know Severus very well, and I can tell you unequivocally that his remorse is genuine... Alright, I don't want to hear any more of your suspicions about him. As for the prophecy, I'll find time to talk to Mr. Anderson and get a clear understanding of the situation!"
I was invited to a wedding tonight. Luckily, I wrote this chapter yesterday.
(End of Chapter)
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