Chapter 407: End of the Term
Chapter 407: End of the Term
Voldemort quickly mastered Apparition, but Dumbledore didn't end their lessons there.
For the next two days, they continued practicing in the clearing every afternoon.
Of course, there was still a Voldemort attending classes at school, so no one suspected his secret lessons.
The more familiar one becomes with a spell, the simpler it gets. For instance, when Voldemort wanted to transfigure a button into a beetle, he no longer needed to visualize the transformation in his mind; a simple flick of his wand sufficed.
The same was true for Apparition.
At first, Dumbledore praised Voldemort for his diligence, then tried to discourage him, and eventually, he stopped saying anything, silently offering only support and assistance.
However, when Voldemort returned to school, Dumbledore couldn't help but sigh deeply.
Professor McGonagall, who was in the midst of reporting on holiday arrangements, paused and asked curiously, "Is there a problem with these procedures?"
"No, I was just thinking..." Dumbledore hesitated, then smiled bitterly, "When did Hogwarts become a place where students feel insecure?"
Professor McGonagall frowned, her expression almost saying "Nonsense" on her face.
Dumbledore didn't explain. He picked up the list of students staying at school, noticed Harry's absence, and casually asked, "Is Harry going to Hogsmeade for the holidays?"
"I heard Voldemort invited him," Professor McGonagall said. "He should be staying at the Grey's for the holidays."
"Hmm..."
Dumbledore thought for a moment, put down the list, and said with a smile, "Friendships during school days are always precious, but I rarely see such closeness between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw in my memory."
"Yes," Professor McGonagall sighed. "Voldemort Grey's study group is very effective. Everyone is excellent, even Neville has improved a lot—I really wish other kids would study too."
"You can't force these things. A good leader is very important." Dumbledore took off his glasses and wiped them as he spoke. "I'll be going to the Wizengamot in the next few days, so I'll leave the holiday arrangements to you."
"Okay... When will you be back?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Christmas," Dumbledore smiled. "I wouldn't want to miss the school's Christmas feast."
...
On the last day before the holidays, the school also arranged for a Hogsmeade weekend.
But this time, the small wizarding village didn't hold much appeal for Voldemort. He had to meet with the Weasley twins one last time to finalize the production of the Defensive Armor, then rest and recharge before practicing Apparition in the afternoon.
That evening, an exhausted Voldemort sat at the dining table. As he began to eat, someone joined him.
He thought it might be Michael, but the person asked, "Voldemort, why didn't you go to Hogsmeade today?"
Voldemort was startled and turned to see Carrel with a bright smile.
Speaking of which, Dumbledore had also given Voldemort the task of taking care of Carrel!
But Voldemort was too busy. Even with the Time Converter, he always felt like he didn't have enough time, let alone pay attention to someone from another house.
Carrel's attitude also made Voldemort feel a bit strange. He was enthusiastic and cheerful... but Voldemort felt like he was intentionally avoiding him.
Was it because he was afraid Voldemort would notice something amiss, or...
Voldemort had many thoughts running through his mind, but on the surface, he only paused slightly and then said, "I've already bought everything I wanted, and Diagon Alley has a much wider selection."
"Diagon Alley..." Carrel said longingly. "I've heard so much about that place, but I've never been there!"
"If you're staying at school, you'll have to wait until summer to visit," Voldemort said.
"I'm not staying at school; I'm going home!" Carrel said.
Voldemort was taken aback. "You're going home?"
"Yes, of course!" Carrel replied naturally, peeling a baked potato as he spoke happily. "I'll take the train to King's Cross Station like you guys, and then my dad will come and pick me up!"
"Mr. Johnson... Have you been in touch?" Voldemort asked slowly.
He remembered Dumbledore saying that Randolph Johnson had gone missing. How did this person contact Carrel at Hogwarts?
"Of course!" Carrel finished, then winked and said, "Don't tell anyone else, okay? You know, my parents don't like wizards."
"Okay... I won't," Voldemort agreed.
After all that had happened, it was understandable that Mr. Johnson didn't like wizards. It was already quite open-minded of him to allow Carrel to study at Hogwarts.
But Vold felt that something was amiss, an uncanny sensation that made his scalp tingle.
"Oh, come to my house during the holidays!" Carrel suddenly said, "My parents miss you too, and they said they wanted to visit your family."
Before Vold could think it through, he instinctively declined, "I might not be able to. I'll probably be busy this holiday... and my parents are planning to vacation in Australia."
"Oh... what a pity. Let's make it for the summer holidays then, when we'll have more time."
Carrel didn't seem disappointed at all. He dipped his tomato sauce and finished the roasted potatoes in a few bites, then returned to the Gryffindor table on the other side.
It was at this moment that Michael, who had arrived late, sat down next to Vold.
"Was that Carrel? Did he have something to ask you?"
"He was asking about holiday plans," Vold said. "What about you? Did your parents agree to you going to my house for Christmas?"
"They were more than happy," Michael said with a smirk. "My mom was thrilled, saying she could finally have a relaxed Christmas! They've decided to have a couple's holiday and told me not to disturb them."
He glanced over, and saw several Muggle-born girls giving Carrel their home phone numbers, reminding him, "Remember to call during the holidays, Carrel."
"Sure!" Carrel smiled and put the notes away.
"This guy's almost as popular as me!" Michael hummed.
This time, Vold didn't respond. His fork paused in mid-air, and goosebumps rose on his back.
He finally realized what had been making him feel uneasy.
Carrel kept talking about "my parents" as if Mrs. Johnson were still alive.
But this... was just too strange.
Wasn't Mrs. Johnson already deceased?
Had Mr. Johnson concealed the news of his wife's passing when he contacted Carrel? But from Carrel's tone, it seemed like his mother was still personally contacting him... Even though he was a bit careless, wouldn't he notice if his mother was always "invisible" during their communication?
Vold put down his fork, feeling as if he had swallowed a block of ice. He had completely lost his appetite.
"Hey, look at Professor Abigail!" Michael suddenly exclaimed. "Haha, she's already dressed up for Christmas!"
Vold turned and saw Professor Abigail wearing a rather cartoonish Christmas gown. The red gown had fluffy white edges and was adorned with patterns of Christmas trees, bells, and stars.
She even wore a red, pointed hat, just like the kind Santa Claus would wear.
Professor McGonagall looked at her in surprise, while Hagrid stood there, looking a bit dumbfounded, hesitating to remind his colleague that Christmas was still a few days away.
Dumbledore admired her outfit and even transfigured a pointed Christmas hat for himself, with a sparkling star at the top.
On the Gryffindor side, Fred blew a whistle and shouted, "Professor, your outfit is fantastic!"
"Haha, isn't it great!" Professor Abigail proudly put her hands on her hips, showing off her unique outfit. "Even though I'm not staying at school during the holidays, today is my Christmas at Hogwarts!"
"Yes! That's right! Today is our Christmas!"
"Merry Christmas, Fred!"
"Merry Christmas, George!"
The Gryffindors cheered, some banging on the tables, some clapping, and some even singing Christmas carols.
The previously dull atmosphere instantly became lively. Professor Flitwick waved his wand upwards, and large flakes of white snow began to fall from above, along with some fairies carrying flowers flying around the Great Hall.
Lee Jordan, a Gryffindor, jumped up and shouted towards the staff table, "Professor, can we have some mead? Professor!"
"Why not?" Dumbledore said cheerfully.
With a wave of his wand, golden-yellow mead appeared on every table, and although there wasn't much, the students were overjoyed.
Only Vold's expression remained unchanged, and he quietly moved his apple juice in front of him.
"Don't get too drunk, kids."
Amidst the cheers, Dumbledore happily said, "So you don't oversleep and miss the train tomorrow morning."
But the students were no longer listening. They happily started pouring drinks, and the house-elves timely delivered some Christmas candies to the long table. The air was filled with festive cheer.
They all exclaimed—
"Merry Christmas, Hogwarts!"
"Hmm—"
Voldemort faintly felt as if he had heard a long, drawn-out sound. Instinctively, he activated another layer of his vision, and the protective magic flowing throughout the castle remained unchanged.
It was just that the golden runes seemed more vibrant, and the delicate magical patterns became clearer, as if the castle were joining the students in their cheers and excitement.
And then...
The next morning, while students with hangovers were still nursing their heads in bed, Voldemort had already packed his belongings and left the dormitory.
He first went to the library and used the Duplication Charm to copy the books he wanted to read during the break, bypassing the library's borrowing limit.
Unfortunately, many books with strong protective spells couldn't be copied; otherwise, Voldemort could have built another library in no time.
There were quite a few books to copy, but Voldemort could rewind time. Once he finished, Hermione also arrived at the library.
She borrowed several hefty tomes and stuffed them into her bag, which had been enlarged with a Seamless Expansion Charm.
"Let's go, Voldemort," Hermione urged, checking the time. "Everyone's about to leave."
"Okay."
Voldemort slung his bag over his shoulder, and they headed towards Professor McGonagall's office.
Along the way, Hermione suddenly asked, "Voldemort, do you plan to keep taking these classes like Percy, aiming for twelve O.W.L. certificates?"
"Yes, that's the plan," Voldemort replied.
He glanced at Hermione, who looked troubled, and said, "You don't need to follow my example. Just do what feels right for you."
"I also want to get all the certificates, but..."
Hermione furrowed her brows, a subtle hint of annoyance flashing across her face. "Professor Trelawney's Divination class is completely pointless. She just encourages students to babble nonsense. Honestly, Arithmancy Divination is much more interesting."
"Every class has its purpose... but for now, Divination class isn't necessary," Voldemort agreed.
All the useful knowledge was in the books; Professor Trelawney's feigned mysticism was just that—feigned.
Although Voldemort felt he might have some talent for Divination, he always approached it with extreme caution.
In historical legends, those who believed in Divination, rarely had a good outcome. Almost no one could change their so-called "unfavorable" fate.
Rather than struggling in vain to change the outcome and potentially becoming a catalyst for their own fate, it was better to move forward in blissful ignorance.
"So, do you still plan to continue with the class?" Hermione asked.
"Well... you could say I have a habit of collecting all achievements," Voldemort replied.
Hermione was speechless for a moment, then said, "Muggle Studies isn't very helpful to me either... I think I'll discuss it with my parents during the break and might drop a couple of classes afterward."
"That's a good idea. You've been pushing yourself too hard lately," Voldemort agreed. "Focusing on your strengths will be more beneficial."
Hermione gave Voldemort a resentful glance.
He seemed unaware that his decision to take all the classes was the very reason Hermione felt pressured. Even though she disliked Divination, she gritted her teeth and attended every session.
Her indecision stemmed from this very reason—as a Muggle-born student, Hermione had a subtle sense of insecurity and unease.
So, she pushed herself to excel, fearing poor exam results, unprepared answers to professors' questions, and being outperformed by others.
But to Voldemort, her dilemma seemed straightforward—suitability or lack thereof.
Hermione took a deep breath and made a decision—
She would persist for another half-term. If she couldn't find a matching reward from those two classes, she would... just give up.
As they spoke, they reached Professor McGonagall's office. Voldemort knocked on the door, and they heard the professor's voice, "Come in!"
They entered the office and removed the Time Converter from their necks. As they handed it over, Hermione unconsciously sighed in relief, while Voldemort felt reluctant to let it go.
Professor McGonagall couldn't help but smile, "Don't worry, you'll get it back in three weeks."
She locked the Time Converter in a box and placed it back on the shelf. "Go on... the carriage is waiting for you."
Voldemort bid farewell to Hermione and left. As he exited the castle, he saw students from various houses preparing to depart, and Hagrid was already waiting outside with the Thestral carriage.
The short yet lengthy term had finally come to an end.
(End of Chapter)
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