Chapter 576: Discussion and Change
Chapter 576: Discussion and Change
After Harry closed the door to the Headmaster's Office, Liam watched Dumbledore, who was sitting across the table, and asked, "Why didn't you tell Harry the truth just now?"
"Tell Harry that he is the true final Horcrux?" Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples with both hands. "What good would that do? Besides making Harry more depressed and easier for Voldemort to invade his soul, I see no benefit."
"So that's why you were vague about judging Nagini as a Horcrux. You could tell Nagini was a Horcrux because Harry once saw an attack through her eyes in his fifth year. That must be a manifestation of the soul fragments in the Horcruxes resonating with each other", Liam said.
"Yes", Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "While Harry has the Prophecy, I don't believe he must act like a puppet according to it. Not every Prophecy in the Hall of Prophecy has come true."
"But Professor, the first part of this Prophecy has already been fulfilled", Hermione pointed out, voicing a concern.
"Yes, but that wasn't predestined. It happened because Voldemort made a grave mistake by acting on Professor Trelawney's Prophecy. He killed Harry's parents, thus earning Harry's hatred and the magical protection his mother bestowed upon him, which Voldemort could not penetrate. As a Dark Lord, Voldemort is always looking for someone to challenge him. Upon hearing the Prophecy, he immediately took action, only to select the person most likely to defeat him and give him a particularly deadly weapon!"
"Are you talking about the power of revenge?" Liam asked.
"No, hatred is a double-edged sword coated in poison. It helps one reach their goal but also harms them in the process. The true power Harry possesses is love. It is love that has allowed him to maintain his original intention after so much soul contact with Voldemort. Harry could see into Voldemort's inner world, a power countless Death Eaters would give anything to have, yet he never showed the slightest desire to follow Voldemort, not even for a second! This is how love protected his heart."
"So I believe his inner strength far exceeds anyone's imagination. He doesn't need further encouragement. Therefore, I don't think it's necessary to tell him the reality that he is Voldemort's Horcrux. This information would only add to his psychological burden without any real benefit."
The Dumbledore in this scenario is quite different from the original. In the original story, Dumbledore was near death after touching the trap Voldemort set on the ring, and the task of eliminating all the Horcruxes seemed far from complete. He hoped Harry could grow as quickly as possible to take up the mantle of resistance. That's why he used various methods to inspire Harry and left clues for him to discover that he was the final Horcrux.
But now, things are different. Most of Voldemort's Horcruxes have been destroyed, and Dumbledore himself has not suffered any fatal injuries. For a great wizard like Dumbledore, even at over 100 years old, living another dozen or so years is no problem. In this situation, Dumbledore is naturally not as urgent as before.
"I believe I can still carry on, so there's no need to put a young wizard like Harry, who is still lacking in strength, on the front lines of the resistance against Voldemort", Professor Dumbledore said, sounding somewhat weary. "Of course, because of your abilities, I think I need your help at this time."
"Is this what they mean by the greater the power, the greater the responsibility?" Liam thought. This must be the biggest disadvantage of having Dumbledore as his Shield—he couldn’t refuse any reasonable requests Dumbledore made.
"There’s nothing to worry about; defeating the Dark Lord is our goal too", Hermione said. "Our backgrounds have already determined that we can’t coexist peacefully with him. This war will only end when one side falls."
"Yes, it will be a brutal war", Dumbledore sighed. Perhaps because today was a good day for conversation, the Headmaster didn’t end the talk but continued. "Liam, what were your thoughts when you learned that Voldemort had split his soul into seven pieces today?"
"Splitting one's soul into seven pieces is a utterly insane idea", Liam said after Professor Dumbledore's question. "As you mentioned, the Dark Lord's education was not systematic, and he lacked knowledge of many common Magical World facts. His pride and arrogance also made him unwilling to seek help from others, even when he knew he was doing something wrong. He believed he was the chosen one, destined to achieve greatness that others could not. But our problem is that, from the results we see now, he seems to have achieved his goal and completed what others considered impossible."
"Yes, no one has ever managed to split their soul into so many pieces and still remain alive. From that perspective, Voldemort has indeed succeeded", Dumbledore said. "What other thoughts do you have?"
"I believe the cruelty of this war might exceed everyone’s imagination", Liam said slowly.
"Why do you think so?" Dumbledore immediately perked up.
"Because, in every sense, he can no longer be considered human", Liam explained his theory. "He was conceived through Amortentia, which inherently damaged his soul. After splitting his soul into eight pieces, the issues compounded, leaving him devoid of normal human emotions. During his resurrection, he abandoned his original body and created a Dark Magic construct as his new form. So, from both soul and body, he is no longer human."
"Go on", Dumbledore sat up straighter.
"Normal war leaders have a clear goal, and all their actions revolve around that goal. For example, Grindelwald aimed to make wizards the rulers of the world, so his killings, speeches, and violations of the Secrecy Act were all centered on that core objective. Others could predict his actions and take steps to minimize harm."
"But the Dark Lord is different. Aside from a hollow Pure-Blood slogan, he has no core goal. This means he can attack at any time and place without warning. Facing a powerful and unpredictable madman, I fear we will pay an unprecedented price."
"Your concern is valid. From what I know, Voldemort has been much harsher with his followers since his resurrection, even using the Cruciatus Curse for minor infractions. We must indeed be more vigilant in this regard", Dumbledore nodded, then glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner.
"Ah, it’s quite late. You should go back and rest. By the way, I hope you find a way to safely remove the piece of Voldemort’s soul from Harry’s scar soon."
"We’ll do our best", Liam stood up, ready to leave. But then he seemed to have another thought. "If possible, I’d like to capture Nagini alive. That way, we can experiment on her, which would greatly increase our chances of successfully removing the soul piece from Harry."
"I understand", Dumbledore nodded. "I hope everything goes smoothly."
(End of Chapter)
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