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Chapter 620: Unfit
Chapter 620: Unfit
When did I become a psychological mentor? Albert quietly watched as Harry Potter disappeared around the corner of the corridor and couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling a sense of self-mockery well up within him.
Even Harry Potter has come to seek my guidance.
It's understandable with Hermione; after all, they are good friends, and it's pleasant to occasionally chat about trivial matters with a girl. But what about Harry Potter?
It wasn't difficult to guess, or rather, it was too obvious.
Hermione must have told Harry Potter about the Chamber of Secrets, the basilisk, and her suspicions about the heir of Slytherin. That's why this savior suddenly came to consult him.
Things are starting to feel out of control! Harry Potter now knows about the basilisk in advance.
Although this development was within his expectations, Albert couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
To be honest, Albert had no doubt that Harry Potter and Dumbledore could easily take care of the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets when they felt like it.
If that were to happen, it would be embarrassing for him as the "manipulator" behind the scenes.
Once the basilisk is dead, Tom Riddle's Horcrux would become a hot potato, and he wouldn't even know how to deal with it.
Should he just throw it away and let Harry Potter "accidentally" obtain it? Then, he could guide Harry and subtly remind him that there's something wrong with the diary.
If things were to play out that way, his mission rewards would be down the drain.
It wouldn't be bad to have Dumbledore deal with the basilisk, which poses a significant danger to him, but the cost would be heart-wrenching.
Of course, this possibility wasn't very high. Otherwise, after learning that Harry Potter had a Parselmouth ability, Dumbledore could have taken action to deal with the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets.
Fifty years ago, Moaning Myrtle died in a bathroom, which was already a big enough loophole. Just by questioning that ghost girl, or even without doing so, Dumbledore could have roughly narrowed down the range of the Chamber's entrance.
What Harry Potter could think of, couldn't Dumbledore figure out in the decades he'd spent at Hogwarts? Fawkes' appearance actually proved this point.
Perhaps, Dumbledore was more interested in uncovering the Slytherin heir lurking in the shadows.
After all, Dumbledore was also well aware that Voldemort was the last heir of Slytherin, and whoever opened the Chamber of Secrets would inevitably be Voldemort.
These mysteries were more worthy of the headmaster's attention, and the basilisk could be dealt with whenever Dumbledore felt like it.
What Albert didn't know was that there was another reason for Dumbledore's inaction: the reborn Fawkes had not yet fully matured, and a young phoenix was no match for a basilisk.
During the following History of Magic class, Albert didn't even pay attention as his mind was occupied with thoughts of releasing Tom. The problem was that he wasn't fully prepared yet. Moreover, who knew what Tom, disgusted by Lockhart, would do if he were released now—he might go completely berserk.
What if he directly controlled the basilisk to finish off Lockhart? Although Albert had long planned to let Lockhart take the fall, he certainly didn't want the situation to spiral out of control.
Most importantly, giving the diary to Harry and making sure Ginny Weasley knew about it required careful timing. He also needed to ensure that the poor girl would steal the diary back from Harry.
This required careful calculation, and Albert felt he wasn't very skilled in that area.
But one thing was certain: if Tom caused the situation to spiral out of control, Albert would rather pay a price to ensure that the Chamber of Secrets incident passed smoothly.
Sigh! It's challenging to extricate oneself from this mess.
More preparation is needed to minimize the impending threat and maximize the benefits—that's what a true manipulator behind the scenes should do.
As for Harry Potter, charging straight ahead with his protagonist's halo, Albert had no intention of following that path to doom.
...
Unbeknownst to them, time had swiftly carried them into March. The weather around Hogwarts Castle began to warm up.
After more than half a month, the students' interest in Snape's first love had waned compared to their initial fascination. No matter how many rumors they spread, they couldn't escape Snape's detentions, and over time, people stopped paying as much attention to it.
However, this incident became one of Hogwarts' unsolved mysteries.
"We've already defeated the Slytherin team, and Wood thinks we have a good chance of winning the championship again," Fred said to Albert as they ate roasted sausages for dinner. "Wood hopes you can come back for emergency assault training, just in case."
The importance of a good Seeker to a Quidditch team was undeniable. If anything happened to Harry, Albert could step in and ensure that Gryffindor secured the victory.
Regarding Wood's request, Albert didn't know what to say.
He wondered if the Quidditch match would be canceled.
It should be... maybe... yes! "Having Harry is enough; he's the best Seeker Gryffindor has right now, and I don't think I'll be of much use," Albert glanced at Wood, who had just sat down not far away, and politely declined the offer to join the emergency training. "I don't even have time for Quidditch right now."
"You're always so humble," Angelina said, resting her chin on her hands and looking at Albert. "Don't forget that you've brought us victory numerous times when it mattered."
"No, Angelina, I think you might be mistaken," Fred bluntly exposed Albert's true thoughts. "Albert just finds the training troublesome and doesn't want to go back."
"Maybe he'd rather spend his time on dates," Alicia steered the topic towards something that interested her. "A few days ago, I saw Albert and Isabelle on the sixth floor. Is there a good place for dates there?"
"I think they might have gone to the prefects' bathroom," Wood winked at Alicia. "No one usually goes there."
At that moment, the surrounding girls seemed to have thought of something, and their cheeks turned red.
"Y-you wouldn't have...?" Shanah stammered.
"If it were you, would you?" Albert glanced at Wood and suddenly said, "I remember that the Quidditch captain can also enter that prefects' bathroom, right?"
Wood didn't answer, but he felt that the situation was a bit awkward.
Albert continued, "Wood must have wanted to take his girlfriend there, so he had that idea. Otherwise, why would ordinary couples even think of doing that?"
Albert didn't hold back in his accusation of Wood, dragging him into the pit with him. After all, Wood would be the one in trouble, not him.
"Wood has a girlfriend? I thought he only cared about the Snitch!" Angelina exclaimed in surprise.
"Of course he does, and he's had one for a long time," Fred and George chimed in, ready to pile on the misery. "We once caught him with a girl in the secret passageway..."
"Cough, cough, cough!" Wood clenched his fists against his mouth and started coughing uncontrollably, interrupting Fred and George.
"Is your throat feeling uncomfortable?" Albert suggested with a smile. "If so, you should go see Madam Pomfrey sooner rather than later."
The people around them couldn't help but burst out laughing.
(End of Chapter)
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