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Chapter 420: Deteriorating Situation
Chapter 420: Deteriorating Situation
"Do you think Harry can control himself?" Hermione leaned in and whispered to Liam as she watched Harry pull Ginny to the other side of the Common Room.
"Very unlikely", Liam shrugged. "I believe Harry was sincere when he said it, but with his mind now connected to the Dark Lord, it's hard to say if he can really control it."
"Didn't Snape start teaching him Occlumency? I heard Snape is a master of it. After a few lessons, shouldn't it help him disconnect from the Dark Lord?"
"Hermione, you're making it sound too simple", Liam said with a hint of exasperation. "Not everyone learns as quickly as you do! Besides, practicing Occlumency involves being attacked by a Dementor's Kiss, and the learner has to try to repel the force that invades their mind. Think about the relationship between Snape and Harry—how could Harry possibly learn Occlumency when Snape is constantly prying into his private thoughts?"
"Scary", Hermione shuddered. The idea of her enemy rifling through her private thoughts was terrifying.
The situation became even more alarming when Liam saw Hagrid's face the next day in the Great Hall. Hagrid's face hadn't improved; in fact, there was a new wound on his nose. This wasn't normal, even though potions worked slowly on Half-Giants. With their healing abilities, such minor injuries should have healed by now.
"Good morning, Hagrid", Hermione waved and greeted him. "Your face looks worse. You haven't been keeping dangerous creatures in the Forbidden Forest again, have you?" She lowered her voice, making sure Hagrid heard only when he looked down.
"No, of course not. I just slipped and fell", Hagrid said, feigning cheerfulness, and waved his hand, nearly hitting the startled Professor Viktor. "You know, I've been really busy lately, not just with lesson preparations, but some little creatures have been causing trouble. For example, the Fire Lizards for the first years have developed a skin condition, and their scales are rotting. And recently, being on probation has been weighing on my mind, so I had a few accidents, like my face."
"Probation? Umbridge seems intent on replacing all the professors with Ministry of Magic appointees. She's eager to get rid of those she doesn't like", Liam said indignantly. "So you should stick to the exam content when preparing magical creatures. Don't give Umbridge any more reasons to target you, especially since she's a repulsive racist."
"Alright, I'll try my best. But really—never mind." He sighed deeply. "It's no use burdening you kids with these problems. I shouldn't have mentioned it."
Hagrid changed the subject: "Now I should go apply some pepper to the Fire Lizards, or their tails will fall off. Goodbye, Liam, Hermione."
With a heavy heart, Hagrid left, his large and solitary figure walking out the front door, down the steps, and into the damp grounds. Liam sensed a profound sense of desolation.
"I think he's hiding something from us", Hermione said as she walked over to Liam. "Especially with his history of keeping dangerous animals. His face clearly shows he was hit by something. There aren't many things that can hurt a Half-Giant like that."
"I'll ask Wolf. The only place big enough to hide a large animal around here is the Forbidden Forest. Wolf and the Centaurs spend most of their time there, so they should know if it's a large animal." Liam calmed down, suspecting Hagrid had brought his brother over, which was not a good sign.
Given Umbridge's latest use of Dark Magic items to torture students, Liam decided to strike back again. This time, it wasn't about spreading rumors but uncovering someone's secrets—things Umbridge had been trying to hide.
Soon, he used the Weasley Twins' secret passages to deliver the letter to Hogsmeade. The Quibbler is likely to publish this article next month. I hope Umbridge can maintain her current composure when her secrets are exposed.
After Christmas, Umbridge's madness escalated. Perhaps she felt that she hadn't made much progress over the past few months, so she resolved to tighten her grip on Hogwarts even further. Firing a teacher is the most direct way to demonstrate her power, and recently she has been choosing between Trelawney and Hagrid.
Now, every Divination and Care of Magical Creatures class is conducted with Umbridge and her clipboard present, which has left both professors on the verge of a breakdown. Trelawney, in particular, is in a dire state. Liam has seen her several times, looking terrified and reeking of alcohol, wandering the corridors by herself, occasionally glancing over her shoulder in fear.
Even though Trelawney is not a particularly competent professor, it is still excessive for Umbridge to drive a normal person to a mental breakdown. Besides, although Trelawney's teaching skills are average and she often speaks in an unpleasant manner, she has never had malicious intentions. If anyone in this castle needs to be fired, Liam thinks it should be Umbridge.
Unfortunately, Umbridge, who now holds the power, won't fire herself. Meanwhile, Voldemort has likely discovered the connection with Harry and the lack of progress in Harry's Occlumency. Harry now dreams almost every night about walking down a corridor toward the Department of Mysteries, always ending up standing before the Black Gate, filled with longing.
After hearing Ginny's account of Harry's condition, Hermione felt this was not a good sign. Liam, on the other hand, bluntly told Ginny that Snape's brutal teaching methods are actually destroying Harry's soul defenses. Every intelligent being has these defenses, but the repeated Legilimency sessions are weakening Harry's already fragile defenses, pushing him toward a worse state.
"I think Harry should go to Dumbledore and tell him about this. Otherwise, the outcome will be something we all dread", Liam concluded.
"I've tried, but Harry is determined not to go. I don't know what to do", Ginny said, on the verge of tears. Hermione, as Ginny's friend, comforted her for a long time before her mood improved.
"What do you think Harry's dream represents?" Hermione asked after Ginny had walked away. "While I dismiss Trelawney's dream interpretations, I know that such specific and recurring dreams must mean something."
Voldemort is indeed still fixated on the content of Trelawney's prophecy. Liam immediately guessed that the Black Gate in Harry's dream of the Department of Mysteries represents something significant, indicating that some things haven't changed. He saw this as an opportunity to make some preparations, as the butterfly effect means that such clear insights into Voldemort's actions will become rarer in the future.
At the very least, he needed to eliminate a few Death Eaters, Liam resolved.
"What are you thinking about?" Just as Liam was planning what preparations he should make for the potential battle, he felt someone shaking him. He came back to his senses and saw Hermione looking at him with concern.
"Why were you so distracted? Is it because you've been too busy and tired lately?" she asked in a caring tone.
"Oh, no", Liam smiled at Hermione. "I was just thinking about what you said. I believe Harry's dreams are likely a sign that the Dark Lord's desired object is behind that Black Gate."
"What could it be? A spell, a magical artifact, or—" Hermione began to speculate.
"The Phoenix Order knows about these things, which is why they have people stationed there. We don't need to worry unnecessarily", Liam concluded.
(End of Chapter)
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