Chapter 580: Night Talk
Chapter 580: Night Talk
Dumbledore handed the dazed Umbridge over to the Aurors in Hogsmeade. She had been roughly interrogated by Voldemort, and her mind was still reeling, possibly leaving her with lasting effects.
He then spent some time calming the anxious villagers of Hogsmeade, assuring them, "Apart from the recent sandstorms, there will be no other impact." After that, he made his way to the Hog's Head.
Aberforth sat at the bar's entrance, looking exhausted and battered.
"You shouldn't have come out; your injuries are too severe—"
"Stay among the dead bodies?" Aberforth shouted angrily, "Why don't you try it?"
Dumbledore fell silent for a moment, "Alright, then I'll take you to St. Mungo's. You need proper treatment."
"It's not that bad. That bastard wanted to see me beg, but I didn't give him the satisfaction", Aberforth said roughly, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the ground. "You came quickly, faster than I expected."
But Dumbledore insisted on taking him to the hospital. At St. Mungo's, Dumbledore took the opportunity to chat with his portraits. Dumbledore had once been the Headmaster of Hogwarts and also served as a healer at St. Mungo's, making him a renowned wizard with portraits in many wizarding institutions.
"The Ministry of Magic is swamped. Those Dark Wizards completely disregarded the secrecy laws and blew a huge hole right through the visitor entrance", the old witch with long silver curls said, chattering away.
"That red phone booth?" Dumbledore interrupted her.
"Yes, many Muggles saw it", Delores said indignantly, "The Ministry of Magic will be busy with this for a long time. I hope it doesn't delay the Wizengamot trials. They've caught many Dark Wizards." She added.
Dumbledore smiled, "It might not be that quick. The trials after the last war took a long time. But our new Minister is competent; she will handle it well... How are things at the school? Minerva sent a Patronus with some updates, but I want the latest news."
"Oh, those kids are becoming more capable every day!" Delores said enthusiastically, "They truly impressed me. They seem unwilling to wait for the Ministry's support and are taking matters into their own hands—forming a rescue team and leaving the school to help Hogsmeade with the shades and Dementors. It's quite exciting!"
"Minerva agreed to this?" Dumbledore asked, surprised.
"Her objections were in vain; the students are very passionate..."
A few minutes earlier—
Felix, Harry, Sirius, and others returned to the school. Ron, Neville, and Fred jogged over.
"How did it go?" Ron asked, looking at the returning group. "We found Avery on the way; he was in a bad state. We didn't dare move him and left him there for the professionals. What about Umbridge?"
"She ran", Harry said briefly. Ron's eyes widened, and Harry added, "But her plan failed. Professor Hup appeared at a 'crucial moment'—" He glanced sideways, and Felix smiled at him, not rejecting the story.
This made Harry quite frustrated. He had given such clear hints, but the professor didn't respond. Well, he planned to discuss it privately with Ron and Hermione.
"Alright, a minor character got away, I understand", Ron said, smacking his lips. Then he added excitedly, "Neville just had an idea, and I think it's good. Do you want to hear it?" He looked at Harry and the others.
The group turned to Neville, who said shyly, "There are a lot of shades and Dementors outside, and some might have reached Hogsmeade. Many Wizard families live there, and not everyone can handle these creatures..."
"You want to support Hogsmeade?" Harry asked, surprised. Felix also looked over, finding the idea intriguing. Harry praised him generously, "Neville, your idea is great. We can indeed help."
Neville shook his head, "I just suggested it. Ron, Luna, and others helped refine the plan, especially Luna. She solved the problem of not having enough brooms—"
"She's here too?" Harry asked, looking in the direction of Hagrid's Hut. He easily spotted Grawp, who was too large to miss, wandering at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Using Grawp as a reference, Harry could faintly see a few dots around him. He strained to spot the blonde hair and found Luna petting a black, winged horse-like creature—
"A Thestral?" he said, both surprised and enlightened.
"Our brooms were taken, so we had to use our brains to find an alternative", Fred said with a grin, glancing nervously at Moody's magical eye. "Just a joke, Professor Moody, don't take it seriously!"
"I must remind you", Felix interjected, "Your idea is good, but you need the school's approval first. Professor Mcgonagall is in charge right now." He nodded toward Professor Mcgonagall, who was running over quickly, her hair disheveled and looking quite stern.
“Uh...” Harry hesitated, looking at Felix tentatively. “Will you speak up for us, Professor?”
Felix blinked. “I wish I could stand by you, but... I need to maintain good relations with my colleagues, so you’ll have to convince her yourselves.” Harry stared at him in disbelief.
In the end, Professor Mcgonagall was persuaded, but she insisted that several professors accompany them. Sirius, Flitwick, Sprout, Tonks, the Longbottoms, and Emmeline Vance led the group, with thirty-odd students riding brooms and Thestrals soaring into the sky.
The students who had rushed out of the castle looked at them like heroes, clapping and cheering enthusiastically.
Harry, riding his Firebolt, circled in the sky, feeling exhilarated as he watched the students and professors set off from the bright Hogwarts School, heading towards Hogsmeade. When he turned back, he caught sight of Draco Malfoy in the crowd—staying behind, his eyes fixed on the sky. Harry saw resentment and jealousy in Malfoy’s eyes, but surprisingly, he didn’t mind. He suddenly realized that Malfoy wanted to be one of those riding brooms to support Hogsmeade.
Resentment and jealousy could also be called envy.
Those who stayed behind took on their respective roles.
Mad-Eye Moody guarded the captured Dark Wizards, Madam Pomfrey treated young wizards who had been scratched by shades or tripped over stones, Kingsley Shacklebolt returned to the Ministry of Magic, and Felix and Professor Mcgonagall stayed at the school, calming—more accurately, ordering—the students to return to the safety of the castle. They were too excited and seemed to want to party outside all night.
“We can move the kitchen outside and wait for them to come back from Hogsmeade.”
“Do you think they’ll bring back some Honeydukes' Sweets?”
This idea was quickly squashed by the school’s dark forces, led by Professor Mcgonagall. Although the sky above Hogwarts was as bright as daylight, the area outside the castle was not safe. A shade or Dementor could be hiding in some corner.
They needed to conduct a thorough search.
Later, Dumbledore returned to the school. He spoke with Moody, Mcgonagall, Felix, and Snape one by one, and the night grew deeper. Snape, feeling the burning and pain in his arm, stood up expressionless.
The Dark Lord was summoning him.
...
“So you come to me empty-handed, Severus?”
“Master, I did everything I could. Exposing myself would not have been better,” Snape said, lowering his head. “Please allow me to explain. I dare not hide anything from you.” A beam of moonlight streamed through the broken window, casting a pale light on his face.
Voldemort sat in the darkness, surrounded by complete obscurity, the snake wand in his hand hissing softly. He had seen some fragments of what Snape had done through Umbridge’s memories, but his heart was still filled with fury.
Snape waited a moment, and when Voldemort did not stop him, he continued:
“You told me to act on my own judgment, and I did. I provided Umbridge with the Headmaster’s Office password at a critical moment and then led Potter away. The shade army then entered. Although Dumbledore was not there, Mcgonagall immediately exercised her authority as Deputy Headmistress: she summoned the other three Heads of House and all the professors. My absence would have been too suspicious, as you know, I have not gained much trust in the Order of the Phoenix, and there are too many people watching me at the school.
Sirius Black is my enemy, and I have little rapport with Minerva Mcgonagall. Harry Potter and his friends are openly hostile to me, and Potter has the original Marauder’s Map. Even if you told me how to hide myself, I could not do so easily, as it would raise more suspicion.
I have a mentor-student relationship with Felix Hep, but my last attempt to gather information on the diadem may have cost me some trust. As for Dumbledore, he never puts all his secrets in one basket. He secretly arranged for members of the Order of the Phoenix to enter the school this time... He must have sensed something, but I know nothing.
I even pretended to accidentally stop Potter when he tried to catch Umbridge, but Felix Hep’s sudden appearance ruined the plan.
When Dumbledore returned, he immediately took the locket and the diadem, leaving me no chance to intervene.”
Snape recounted the events in detail, and then he frowned. “There is one strange thing: I hinted at my spy status to Umbridge, but she was caught by Dumbledore. If she reveals anything—”
“Do not worry, I have muddled her mind,” Voldemort’s high, clear voice echoed in the darkness.
"Felix Hep is a Memory Master..." Snape reminded.
Voldemort let out a few cold laughs.
"If they investigate, they will find that Umbridge will identify a large number of spies, and you are just one of them. You didn't reveal your identity to Avery, did you?"
"No. I have always been cautious", Snape replied.
"That's not enough", Voldemort stood up and paced around the empty room. "Is he in St. Mungo's now?" Snape nodded, "Avery is severely injured, it seems his head was affected, and he hasn't woken up yet."
"Then he should never wake up again", Voldemort said with a menacing tone. The hissing of the Snake Wand grew louder, as if thousands of snakes were hissing in the room.
"Master? Do you still want me to return to the school?" Snape asked in a low voice, showing a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Do you not wish to, Severus?" Voldemort asked softly. He approached, bathed in moonlight, his pale skin almost glowing. The red eyes on the snake-like face stared at Snape.
"No—of course not—" Snape stammered, "I thought—I thought this time—I could—return to the Death Eaters' ranks."
Voldemort silently watched him for a moment.
"Has the long undercover life made you weary?" he said slowly, his fingers twirling the Snake Wand. "I need you to do one last thing for me, Severus. Once this is done, you can return to the Death Eaters' family."
Snape looked up, his eyes shining with excitement, then lowered his head, "Thank you, Master. I am willing to serve you, just as I did over a decade ago."
"Very well. I have agreed to a duel with Dumbledore, and one of us must die... but I haven't set a specific time. Do you know why?"
"I do not know, Master", Snape said.
"How is the injury on Dumbledore's hand?" Voldemort suddenly changed the subject.
"He has contained the injury to his right hand and needs to take a potion periodically. I have never seen such powerful magic, stronger than any curse. An ordinary person would have died long ago—"
"I have confidence in my magic", Voldemort said, and Snape fell silent.
After a long pause, Voldemort spoke, "Weaken Dumbledore as much as possible, Severus, but do not kill him. I want to see him fall before me. Your talent with potions is unparalleled, and I believe you can tamper with them without being detected."
"But Dumbledore might notice..."
"By then, it will be too late, Severus. Once you have accomplished your task, I will restore all the glory that belongs to you. So be bold, Severus, I am waiting for your good news."
...
"Voldemort is already prepared to abandon you."
Dumbledore said gravely. Snape stared at him with wide eyes. It was already the early hours of the morning, but Dumbledore showed no signs of sleep. He was neatly dressed, sitting at his desk, playing with a black gemstone ring.
"He is unsure whether Umbridge will leak information. Those words were just to comfort you. I suspect he has given you another task, one with a tight deadline?"
"He wants me to poison you", Snape said coldly, "as quickly as possible."
Dumbledore smiled.
"Ah, I see. This might be the greatest risk tonight. Voldemort was in a foul mood when he left, and he hasn't been in a good state of mind lately... I have always been worried he would take his anger out on you."
...
"Voldemort is already prepared to abandon you."
Dumbledore said gravely. Snape stared at him with wide eyes. It was already the early hours of the morning, but Dumbledore showed no signs of sleep. He was neatly dressed, sitting at his desk, playing with a black gemstone ring.
"He is unsure whether Umbridge will leak information. Those words were just to comfort you. I suspect he has given you another task, one with a tight deadline?"
"He wants me to poison you", Snape said coldly, "as quickly as possible."
Dumbledore smiled.
"Ah, I see. This might be the greatest risk tonight. Voldemort was in a foul mood when he left, and he hasn't been in a good state of mind lately... I have always been worried he would take his anger out on you."
(End of Chapter)
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