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Chapter 316: Voldemort: A Startling Revelation
Chapter 316: Voldemort: A Startling Revelation
The current headmaster of Hogwarts had silver-white hair and a long beard that reached his waist, with a hooked nose and a pair of half-moon glasses perched upon it.
He had clearly come in a hurry, still wearing the purple-red robe of a Wizengamot member, with a silver 'W' embroidered on the chest, and a black cloak draped over it, giving him an air of mystery and fashion.
"Professor Dumbledore!"
Harry, who was taking a small cake from the refrigerator, quickly swallowed it, almost choking himself.
"Luckily, Voldemort came up with a plan, and the Ministry of Magic gave up on capturing Sirius. Fudge and his men left just a few minutes ago."
Lupin said, using a "Clear as Spring Water" spell to get Harry a glass of water, then invited the headmaster to sit down and asked, "Would you like some honey mead, sir?"
"Oh, is this the honey mead from The Three Broomsticks?" Dumbledore inquired.
"Of course."
"Then by all means, pour me a glass."
Dumbledore sat on the sofa, a hint of regret in his voice as he spoke, "It's a bit unfortunate that I couldn't catch up with Fudge. So, what clever method did you use to convince him? As far as I know, Fudge isn't one to easily abandon his goals."
"Well, you see..."
Voldemort touched his nose, briefly recounting the previous events.
Lupin poured the honey mead into several transparent glasses, the golden liquid emitting a sweet fragrance and a faint alcoholic aroma.
With a wave of his wand, the glasses floated towards each person.
"Me too?" Harry asked in surprise.
"This honey mead has a very low alcohol content, almost like a drink. You can have a glass too," Lupin assured him.
Harry took a small sip, finding it as refreshing as a beverage, sweet and tangy, with the unique scent of honey. He listened to the conversation while taking small sips, finishing the glass.
Voldemort, who had previously mentioned being thirsty, now held the glass of honey mead like a drink, taking sips between sentences as he spoke about Fudge's second departure and the final blessing from the dark-skinned Auror.
Lupin found the children's greediness amusing and, with a wave of his wand, refilled their glasses.
After listening to Voldemort, Dumbledore's lips curved upwards, and his blue eyes sparkled with laughter.
"A very clever approach, helping Sirius avoid prison without causing any conflict. You never cease to amaze me, Voldemort."
"Yes, I was ready to cast a spell... I never imagined that a single sentence would make Fudge leave."
Lupin echoed this surprise.
"I thought you might be unhappy, Professor Dumbledore." Voldemort hesitated, then spoke honestly.
"Oh? Why?" Dumbledore asked.
"Because the first time I drove Fudge away, I had Sirius use the Purist Movement and Grindelwald's name..."
Voldemort confessed.
He had learned about the Purist Movement's slogans during their reign of terror, thanks to Dumbledore's secret assistance, and he was also aware of the complex relationship between Dumbledore and Grindelwald.
His gray eyes looked at Dumbledore with a hint of worry, as if concerned about causing him harm.
Dumbledore paused for a moment before laughing, "Fudge would be afraid of such a big trouble, so he would hesitate. Once he realizes the absurdity of his suspicions, he will naturally back down."
"Your approach was correct—using the limited information you had to cleverly protect those around you. I'm proud of you, Voldemort."
"Oh... Thank you."
Voldemort contemplated, holding the glass.
There was a question he knew he shouldn't ask, but an impulse within urged him to speak.
"Professor Dumbledore," Voldemort said, "If you believe that Grindelwald's desire to break the Statute of Secrecy was wrong back then, is it right now?"
Professor Dumbledore was taken aback once more. After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "No one is absolutely right, Vold. But starting wars and harming the innocent is undoubtedly wrong—only in the cradle of peace can wizarding civilization truly flourish and develop."
"Oh..." Vold responded nonchalantly once more, causing Dumbledore to wonder if he was even listening. His next question confirmed this suspicion: "Professor, I remember you had red hair when you were younger."
"Of course," Dumbledore sighed, sensing something amiss.
"Oh, so are you related to the Weasley family?" Vold inquired.
"Red hair doesn't signify a special race, nor are all redheads connected to the Weasley family," Dumbledore explained.
"Oh," Vold replied.
Harry blinked and, pointing at Vold, whispered to Lupin, "What's wrong with him?"
"Is he... drunk?" Lupin wondered, noticing Vold's empty glass. "This honey mead isn't even that strong!"
"Either way, he probably needs some sleep now. I'll take him to the bedroom," Lupin decided.
Dumbledore stood up and waved his wand, causing the small sofa Vold was sitting on to levitate slightly and then float gently.
Harry quickly led the way, saying, "My room is upstairs!"
The layout of this house was similar to the Dursleys', with only three rooms suitable for bedrooms—one for Lupin, one for Sirius, and one for Harry.
Due to the strict regulations enforced by the Ministry of Magic in this area, Lupin and Sirius couldn't freely use Undetectable Extension Charms to expand the space. Otherwise, they might have received two tickets to experience Azkaban firsthand.
Although Harry hadn't been able to stay overnight in this house recently due to his living situation with the Dursleys, his room was already cluttered with his homework, textbooks, Quidditch models, and discarded wizarding robes.
Embarrassed, Harry quickly rushed to his room to tidy up, shoving all the clutter into the wardrobe in one go.
Vold seemed unaware that he was being moved, sitting on an escalator-like sofa as it ascended the stairs while continuing his serious line of questioning.
"Professor, do you think abolishing the death penalty is the right thing to do?"
"If the British wizarding world still had the death penalty, Sirius would have been executed twelve years ago without the chance to clear his name," Dumbledore replied.
"Professor, if you could turn back time and return to your youth... would you make the same choices as you did in this lifetime?"
"I don't think so. I have many regrets I'd like to change, but life doesn't offer second chances," Dumbledore admitted.
"Professor, can you Apparate to the moon?"
"No, I would die even if I tried to travel that far. Moreover, the moon lacks air, so there's no way to breathe up there," Dumbledore explained.
Vold's questions were peculiar, but Dumbledore patiently answered each one before gently floating him to the bed, tucking him in.
"Get some rest, Vold," Dumbledore said softly. "You look exhausted today."
"Professor Dumbledore!"
Just as Dumbledore was about to leave, Vold suddenly sat up, waved his hand, and a wardrobe space clicked open in the center of the room.
Dumbledore turned around, surprised by this development.
Suddenly, the wardrobe door swung open with a bang, and several enchanted cats dragged out a bearded man, backing out of the wardrobe.
"This is one of the werewolves who kidnapped the alchemist," Vold explained, then collapsed onto the bed, pulling the covers up to his chest and falling asleep instantly.
The enchanted cats outside the wardrobe exchanged glances before darting into the wardrobe space. The large wardrobe quickly folded in on itself, eventually shrinking into a small pen on the floor.
Dumbledore stood there, speechless.
After a while, he picked up the pen from the floor and placed it gently next to Vold's pillow, then levitated the bearded man out of the room.
Only one chapter tonight.
Chapter 2 will be updated tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
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