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Chapter 608: Dumbledore's Expulsion
Chapter 608: Dumbledore's Expulsion
In the days following the start of the school year, an odd atmosphere enveloped the castle.
The most noticeable change was the increased number of owls during breakfast, delivering a constant stream of letters.
Usually, at this time of year, students were still buzzing with excitement from their vacations, eagerly sharing stories with friends, and the Great Hall was never quiet.
But now, everyone was preoccupied with reading and responding to letters, leaving no room for conversation. An outsider might have thought an important exam was taking place the next day.
This shift in atmosphere had persisted since the first day of school.
"My mom is asking about the situation at school again," Justin Finch-Fletchley casually tossed aside a half-read letter and muttered, "She's sent me five letters in the past few days. And my dad too. They seem to think there's a crazy person in the castle who might snap at any moment."
"Isn't that the case?" Zacharias Smith, sitting nearby, replied, "The senile Dumbledore, playing a cruel joke on everyone with Harry Potter..."
He had just finished writing a brief reply and was inserting it into the owl's talons.
"A renowned headmaster, yet he's siding with a fraud. Their concerns are not unfounded."
"I don't think Professor Dumbledore would do such a thing," Macmilian whispered.
He shared Finch-Fletchley's opinion, choosing to trust Dumbledore, but since they were classmates, he didn't argue.
"In fact, my family read the Daily Prophet, and they were hesitant about letting me continue here... But I'm still here, because I don't want to give up magic."
Zacharias Smith continued, "However, I have to write to them every day to assure them of my safety at school."
"That's quite a burden on you."
Macmilian's silence didn't mean others would follow suit.
Mikael, unable to bear it any longer, sarcastically interjected, "If you're so worried, why not just stay home? That would be much safer, and you'd save the cost of a parchment every day."
"I don't mind buying a parchment daily," Zacharias said, "And why should I give up my studies because of two frauds? They're the ones who should leave."
"Dumbledore is not a fraud," Ryan said firmly, "He's the greatest headmaster Hogwarts has ever had, and my family chooses to believe in him."
"Me too," Mikael added.
"Suit yourselves," Zacharias shrugged, "The Daily Prophet has made it clear, and if you insist on being stubborn, there's nothing I can do."
"You're the stubborn one, choosing to believe the Daily Prophet," Mikael retorted without hesitation, "In my opinion, this newspaper is utterly rotten for doubting Dumbledore."
"Unless he can provide compelling evidence that the Dark Lord has truly returned, I won't be convinced."
Zacharias Smith pushed the empty plate in front of him and, with his chin raised, said, "Until then, I'd rather trust the Daily Prophet."
"Oh, and by the way, your trusted Dumbledore has been expelled by the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards for losing his mind."
With that, he stood up and left the Great Hall.
An awkward silence filled the room as everyone exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.
"It's normal for some to be unconvinced," Justin Finch-Fletchley attempted to ease the tension.
"Hmph, who cares if he believes or not," Susan Bones scoffed, "Whoever expelled Professor Dumbledore will surely regret it!"
"You're right.
In their wake, the dining table soon buzzed with activity once more.
"Zacharias Smith must have been talking nonsense," someone remarked.
Not far away, Cedric, who had been listening to their conversation, frowned. "Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards... How could they dismiss Professor Dumbledore? It's impossible..."
"In fact, it's true."
Kyle held up the Daily Prophet, where it was clearly written that Dumbledore had indeed been dismissed.
The entire article mocked Dumbledore as a senile old man, suggesting his dismissal was well-deserved.
It was evident that while some trusted Dumbledore unconditionally, many others, like Fudge, were unwilling to believe that Voldemort had returned.
Kyle recalled the meeting at the Hog's Head Pub during the holidays, where the attendance was not particularly high, with only about thirty people present.
They had taken advantage of their numbers and voted to dismiss Dumbledore.
The International Confederation of Wizards had dismissed Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard... Kyle couldn't help but feel that this was the first time he had witnessed such a fantastical maneuver.
However, Dumbledore seemed to have anticipated this outcome, just as he had said at the end of the Welcoming Feast...
"The Dark Lord's methods of creating conflict and hostility are highly effective. We must demonstrate an equally unbreakable bond of friendship and trust..."
Perhaps it was Voldemort's intention to drive Dumbledore and most wizards apart. A divided magical world is what he desires."
As long as Voldemort remained hidden, this misunderstanding would persist.
Of course, there was another possibility—Dumbledore had intentionally gotten himself dismissed.
According to the newspaper, the Wizengamot's vote was 19 to 17, a narrow margin for the proposal to dismiss Dumbledore.
As far as Kyle knew, there were fifty official members of the Wizengamot with voting rights, but forty of them had cast their votes.
Where were the remaining ten?
Had they abstained or not participated at all?
The same was true for the International Confederation of Wizards; the number of voters was insufficient, and the margin was only two votes.
If it was intentional, Kyle couldn't fathom Dumbledore's purpose. Was it to stall Voldemort or some other plan?
Kyle shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it further. Instead, he picked up a letter lying nearby.
It was from the Wizengamot, perhaps the only good news of the day.
The letter concerned Lucius, Kakarov, McNair, and Umbridge's application for adjudication, which had been concluded.
The two parchments briefly stated that Lucius and the others had voluntarily dropped their charges against themselves the previous day.
The progress was much faster than Kyle had anticipated.
The investigation into Bartemius Crouch had taken half a year, but this time, it was resolved in just a few days.
As for the outcome... The letter mentioned that Lucius and the others would publicly apologize in the newspaper and were also fined a sum of gold.
Umbridge, however, faced no punishment. According to the letter, she insisted that she had been deceived, and that was the end of it.
Kyle couldn't shake the feeling that there was a strong sense of sweeping things under the rug.
But...
He glanced at the letter, which specifically mentioned Fudge's name. Well, that made sense.
"Who knows what will happen next," Cedric sighed. "What if the school board also believes the Daily Prophet? I don't want to see anyone other than Professor Dumbledore as the headmaster in my seventh year."
"Don't worry about that," Kyle assured him. "The one role Dumbledore will never give up is being the headmaster of Hogwarts."
(End of Chapter)
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