Chapter 1313: A Difference of Opinion
Chapter 1313: A Difference of Opinion
At this moment, an uninvited guest arrived at the empty Headmaster's office. The stone statue outside, responsible for guarding the entrance, couldn't stop the intruder and was easily dealt with by a Confundus Charm.
"Harry has come to Hogwarts in search of the Diadem of Ravenclaw."
Standing in front of the headmaster's desk, Albert looked up at the sleeping old man in the portrait.
"Have you told him?"
Dumbledore's portrait opened his eyes and looked at Albert standing before him, guessing the reason for his visit.
"What do you plan to do?" Albert asked directly.
Dumbledore's portrait murmured, "It's rare to see you hesitate. I thought..."
"You're already dead, so you have no worries," Albert said, winking at the portraits of the previous headmasters who had opened their eyes and perked up their ears to listen in. He then raised his index finger to his lips, gesturing for them to be quiet.
"The situation in the British wizarding world is worse than I imagined, and the Dark Lord is becoming more troublesome."
"You've pushed Voldemort into a corner," Dumbledore acknowledged the reason.
"Maybe," Albert said noncommittally, "but war is never a pleasant affair; people die."
"Not a pleasant affair?"
Dumbledore heard the sarcasm and discontent in Albert's words, but he couldn't deny the truth in them.
"You can't expect a single savior to solve everything."
"You seem displeased with the current situation. Has something happened?"
Dumbledore was surprised by Albert's reaction. He hadn't come to discuss matters but rather to complain—about the decisions made, about Dumbledore's untimely death, and about the burden that had been placed on his shoulders.
"Harry Potter is no fool. I believe it won't be long before he guesses the true identity of Madam Grese," Albert reminded him. "Perhaps Madam Grese promised to keep the secret of the Diadem, but Harry and Hermione will surely go to Professor Binns for proof, leading them to realize she's lying. If they can figure it out, how can we not?"
"Harry will soon realize that I'm deliberately hiding something, and he will suspect that the Diadem might be hidden in the school by the Dark Lord."
"It's too early," Dumbledore shook his head. "Harry needs time, and..."
"Are you afraid that Harry will walk down the same path as you?"
Looking at the silent old man before him, Albert said, "I don't know if Snape has told you, but Rita Skeeter used Veritaserum to pry open Bathilda Bagshot's mouth and learned many of your secrets, which she then used to write 'The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore'."
"Now everyone knows about your little feud with Grindelwald."
"I never intentionally hid that," Dumbledore shook his head. "You already knew, didn't you?"
"Knowing doesn't help."
"They'll be here soon. You can tell them yourself," Albert reminded him. "This was your plan, and the choice is yours."
Choice? There was never a choice to begin with.
Dumbledore guessed that Harry's recent changes had something to do with Albert. He asked, "Have you found the Hufflepuff Cup?"
"It's probably hidden in one of the Death Eater's vaults in Gringotts."
"If what you say is true, then it's likely one of those few families," Dumbledore mused. "That's truly unfortunate."
"What are you worried about?" Albert asked in return.
"I'm not worried that Harry won't be able to find the Hufflepuff Cup," Dumbledore said. "I'm just a little concerned about Harry. I'm afraid he'll make a mistake at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons, just as I did. Not everyone can resist temptation as you have."
"Resist temptation? No, it's that ancient wand that I fear," Albert shook his head. "It was a mistake to give it to me from the beginning. It's too powerful. I've tried using it, and you can hardly imagine...it's like creating miracles."
"Believe me, you are more qualified than anyone to possess it and safeguard it," Dumbledore said with a smile. "In fact, you've greatly underestimated yourself. You are equally qualified to possess all three Deathly Hallows."
"I've never aspired to be the Master of Death," Albert said self-deprecatingly.
"I know," Dumbledore said softly. "I just hope that Harry will truly conquer death, but that is no easy task."
"Are you worried that Potter won't follow through with your plan and willingly face death at the right time?"
"Very few have the courage to accept their mortality willingly," Dumbledore admitted.
"Well, I certainly don't want to die, and I hate the idea of someone else deciding my fate," Albert said with a touch of self-mockery. "Anyway, I know what you're worried about, but believe me, no one likes to be deceived. It's best not to let Potter develop a rebellious mindset."
Dumbledore remained silent, seemingly considering Albert's words, but then he shook his head. "I still believe the time isn't right. When the moment comes, I trust that Harry will make the necessary arrangements and calmly accept his destiny."
"That also means that Tom Riddle will face his true end."
Dumbledore looked at the most outstanding student he had ever taught and said, "I hope that you will be the one to tell him when the time comes."
"I thought it would be Snape," Albert raised an eyebrow.
"I did mention it to Severus," Dumbledore admitted.
"He must be thrilled," Albert commented.
"It seems you know a lot," Dumbledore wasn't entirely surprised.
"I think your worries are unnecessary," Albert said suddenly. "Not long ago, Harry deciphered the secret of the Deathly Hallows in the 'Tales of Beedle the Bard' that you left for Hermione. Once he figured out that you had left the Resurrection Stone in the Golden Snitch, he understood that his ultimate enemy was Death itself."
"Did you tell him?" Dumbledore frowned slightly, realizing that Harry's progress was much faster than he had anticipated.
"I only gave him some insignificant information. They figured out most of it themselves," Albert countered. "I'm just curious. Why didn't you tell Potter the truth directly?"
"The truth?"
"If Harry knew that he might not die if the Dark Lord cast the Killing Curse on him, and that he could even destroy the Horcrux within himself, I believe he would be more than willing to give it a try. After all, he's going to face death eventually."
"It seems something has happened to upset you," Dumbledore suddenly changed the subject.
"Do you want to know?" Albert raised an eyebrow.
"Perhaps, speaking about it will make you feel better," Dumbledore said, all ears.
"It's nothing. I've just witnessed too much evil, too much death, too much human nature, and too much hypocrisy lately," Albert said.
He then briefly told Dumbledore about the recent events, including Draco Malfoy's complete downfall.
Yes, he had killed.
Despite the calmness in Albert's tone, Dumbledore could sense his disgust and dissatisfaction.
"To be frank, you shouldn't have chosen to face death. Things would have been much better if you had," Albert said, looking at the silent Dumbledore.
"You probably don't know how much Scrimgeour hates you."
"Nevertheless, it's time for you to explain things to Harry yourself."
(End of Chapter)
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