Chapter 433: The Past
Chapter 433: The Past
After being kicked out of the office, Harry wandered around the castle in a daze for a long time, only returning to the Gryffindor Common Room very late.
The next morning, Harry was in a daze during breakfast. He simply couldn't accept that his father was the kind of person he despised the most.
His unusual behavior was so obvious that even those who were only slightly familiar with him could tell something was wrong. After breakfast, under Ginny's persistent questioning, Harry finally told her what had happened in the Potions classroom.
Liam and Hermione also expressed their concern for Harry, but Harry only said that Snape believed he had some foundation and could continue learning on his own. Liam could guess what had happened, but since Harry didn't want to talk about it, he didn't pry.
"So, you're not going to have Occlumency Lessons anymore?" Hermione asked, frowning. She had always thought Harry shouldn't stop Snape's training until he could fully control his dreams. However, Harry seemed somewhat impatient.
"Alright." Seeing the tension rise, Liam put a hand on Hermione to stop her. "It's not necessarily a bad thing that Harry isn't taking Snape's guidance. I think Harry's recent nightmares are largely due to Snape's harsh Legilimency. Those spells made Harry's mind more vulnerable. I believe it might be better for Harry to take a break and rest before continuing to study on his own."
"Maybe you're right", Hermione finally conceded, dropping the subject.
With Headmaster Dumbledore being forced out, many articles denigrating Dumbledore began appearing in Ministry of Magic-controlled magazines, as Trevor aimed to completely destroy Dumbledore's reputation.
However, the situation was different from when Dumbledore died in the original story. A living top Light Wizard wasn't someone who could be easily disrespected, at least not by journalists of their caliber.
Especially in any world, journalists are typically well-informed individuals. They now had a vague idea about the extinction of the ancient Vampire Clan and the last Giants in Europe. In this context, they could only hint at these matters vaguely, and they certainly wouldn't dare to publish books like "Albus Dumbledore's Life and Lies" as in the original story.
Even these extremely vague descriptions caused a stir in the Wizarding World. People began to question what the most powerful White Wizard and symbol of justice, Dumbledore, had done in his youth.
Since wizards generally live longer than Muggles, many who lived through the Grindelwald era were still alive. As a result, many young wizards at Hogwarts learned stories about Dumbledore's youth from their elders.
As these stories spread, the Ministry of Magic achieved part of its goal. Many negative rumors about Dumbledore began circulating within the castle.
"Are the stories about Dumbledore true?" On the third day of the Easter break, Liam was in an empty classroom, crafting a new Defensive Bracelet, when Hermione burst in, a book tucked under her arm, clearly fresh from the Library.
"What stories?" Liam gently shaped the floating crimson solution into a bracelet and placed it on the metal stand, then turned to ask.
"About... Dumbledore's youth", Hermione said, looking incredulous. "I heard from a Ravenclaw girl whose great-grandmother lived in Godric's Hollow and saw Dumbledore and Grindelwald together when they were young."
"It's not just that", Liam said, pulling Hermione to sit down at a table. "I know a lot more than you do. If you want to hear it, I can tell you."
Hermione immediately nodded at Liam's words and then stared into his eyes. Liam smiled, musing that the human penchant for prying into celebrities' private lives was indeed a universal trait, regardless of age, gender, or personality.
Half an hour later, Hermione sat in a daze, leaning against her chair. The information she had just received was too unbelievable. From the moment they entered Hogwarts, Dumbledore had always preached that love was the greatest power, giving the impression of a kind and grandfatherly figure. But from Liam's account, she learned that Dumbledore, in his youth, had once tried to establish a world where Wizards ruled over Muggles, alongside Grindelwald. This was something she found hard to accept.
"Which part do you find hard to accept, Dumbledore's treatment of his family or his idea of ruling the world?" Liam took out a tea set and poured a cup of black tea for both himself and Hermione.
"Of course, it's the idea of ruling the world", Hermione said, picking up a teacup and taking a sip. "If his sister was an Obscurial, I can understand why Dumbledore would hide her. Just think about how Wizards treat Werewolves today, and you know that hiding her was the best choice back then. Her death was an accident, and blaming it all on him isn't fair. What I can't understand is why he would have the idea of ruling the world when he was young, especially the phrase 'for the greater good,' which he proposed."
"That's quite normal", Liam said, raising his teacup and taking a sip. "Think about how the tragedy in his family was caused by three Muggle boys who did something terrible to his sister. In that situation, hating Muggles is very natural."
"However, you should note that even in such circumstances, Dumbledore eventually came to his senses. He recognized his mistakes and personally corrected them, defeating his lover in a duel and then dedicating his life to doing good and raising generations of young Wizards. From the results, we can see that Dumbledore was at most confused in his early years, but after he woke up, he consistently fought for justice and against evil forces. This is why, even though I don't agree with some of his views, I still consider him a great Wizard."
"Yes, our Headmaster is not a god, and he naturally makes mistakes. But he corrected his mistakes after he made them and even made up for the damage he caused. We can't deny his greatness just because of his mistakes in his youth." Hermione suddenly seemed to realize something and became more lively. "By the way, you said Grindelwald was Dumbledore's lover?"
Having clarified her biggest doubt, Hermione shifted her focus to a peculiar direction.
"You heard right. Our Headmaster's sexual orientation is not mainstream. But the Wizarding World is much more open-minded about such things compared to the Muggle world—" For the next ten minutes, the two of them discussed the differences between Wizards and Muggles, gathering some interesting material for their magazine.
"By the way, when is the next issue of the magazine coming out?" Liam asked shortly after.
"Mid-month, on schedule", Hermione said confidently. "Thanks to the Ministry of Magic's foolish policies, we've recruited several excellent Muggle-born Wizards like Penelope. As people who understand both worlds, they have a significant advantage in compiling this magazine. Honestly, I think they are more than capable of holding important positions in the Ministry of Magic. Even the least skilled among them is better than Umbridge."
"These excellent Wizards can only do the most menial work in the Ministry of Magic and have no chance of promotion. Just because they are Muggle-born, this is why we are determined to change everything", Liam said solemnly.
"Yes, this is definitely worth fighting for, no matter the cost", Hermione nodded in agreement. "Whether it's the lives of the Dark Lord and his followers or our own."
(End of Chapter)
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