Chapter 680: Gant Manor
Chapter 680: Gant Manor
From Chris, Kyle also learned about the events that took place earlier that morning.
The process was not complicated. Umbridge had taken the Hit Squad to Hampshire early in the morning to gather material for the Daily Prophet's front page.
She was well-versed in such matters by now, so the team members she brought along were all experienced and worked seamlessly together.
Once they arrived at the location, the Hit Squad skillfully dispersed to search for any useful clues. However, by an unfortunate coincidence, they unexpectedly encountered Death Eaters who were there on business.
And when the Hit Squad returned after their rounds, they witnessed a chilling scene.
The usually haughty Umbridge was writhing in pain on the ground, pleading for mercy, while beside her stood Bellatrix, wand in hand, laughing maniacally.
Almost instinctively, one of the photographers captured the entire scene on camera. However, to maintain the Ministry's reputation, the newspaper ultimately chose not to publish this photo and instead used another one.
"So, did Umbridge intentionally provoke them?" Kyle asked incredulously.
"I guess so..." Chris replied, "The mysterious person has been keeping a low profile, obviously hiding something. Normally, Death Eaters wouldn't engage in such pointless actions unless they felt threatened.
"But Umbridge is an exception. Everyone knows she's a staunch opponent of Death Eaters, and her attitude and rhetoric are even more fervent than Barty Crouch's were back then.
"And Bellatrix is one of the mysterious person's most fanatical and loyal followers. So, when they encountered each other, it's natural that she'd want to eliminate such a threat on behalf of the mysterious person."
"Why didn't she just use the Killing Curse?" Kyle glanced at the photo in the newspaper. "Why use the Cruciatus Curse, which can't kill anyone?"
"I think she probably wanted to extract some useful information from Umbridge," Chris said after a moment's thought. "Like the Ministry's plans or the location of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. This is one of her usual tactics."
"Did she consider Umbridge a member of the Order of the Phoenix?"
Chris gave Kyle a strange look, seemingly surprised that he would ask such a question.
"Do you think... there's anyone more like a member of the Order of the Phoenix than Umbridge right now?"
"Well, I guess that's true," Kyle muttered.
Judging by her recent behavior, Umbridge indeed seemed more like a standard member of the Order of the Phoenix than anyone else, including Sirius Black or Alastor Moody, who were actual members.
This was especially evident in the final appearance of Dumbledore in the newspaper.
"Umbridge must be delighted," Kyle muttered to himself. "Overnight, she became an important figure in the Order of the Phoenix and fulfilled her promise in the newspaper... to fight the Death Eaters to the end, with no room for compromise..."
Chris shook his head without saying a word.
Half an hour later, Kyle left the Department of Magical Creatures and returned to his office.
To his surprise, Fudge remained calm and did not panic over Bellatrix's appearance and actions.
Of course, he was surprised, but he quickly regained his composure, seemingly having already accepted Voldemort's resurrection.
Since Voldemort had returned, there was nothing strange about what had happened that day.
At noon, at Fudge's request, Kyle accompanied him to St. Mungo's to visit Umbridge.
As soon as they arrived on the fifth floor of St. Mungo's, Kyle heard Umbridge's shrill voice echoing through the halls.
"I want to leave! I want to see the Minister!"
"It's not safe here; that crazy woman might come at any moment..."
"You can't stop me! I'm a Senior Assistant Minister! Get out of my way!"
Upon hearing her last statement, Fudge's expression changed slightly... If Umbridge was a Senior Assistant Minister, then what was he?
Then, for some unknown reason, the screaming abruptly stopped.
A Healer rushed out of the room, drenched in sweat, and immediately spotted Fudge standing in the corridor.
"Apologies, Minister," he explained hastily. "Ms. Umbridge's screams were too loud. To ensure the rest of the patients could rest, we had to put her to sleep temporarily."
"Oh, it's quite alright," Fudge assured the Healer, smiling. "She shouldn't be shouting here. You did the right thing."
Hearing this, the Healer finally relaxed.
"It seems we've come here in vain," Fudge said to Kyle, with a meaningful look. "I think it's best to let her rest more, as it will aid her recovery."
"Yes, Minister," Kyle agreed. Since Fudge had said so, he naturally wouldn't argue.
However, it must be said that Umbridge was quite formidable. Despite having just endured the Cruciatus Curse, she was still able to scream. Not everyone could do that.
For example, Sirius Black had been weakened for several days after being hit by the Cruciatus Curse. Kyle didn't think Bellatrix's Cruciatus Curse was any less powerful than others'.
Action: Because of this incident, Fudge only walked around the fifth floor of St. Mungo's and then returned to the Ministry of Magic without even entering a ward.
For the rest of the afternoon, Kyle resumed his previous state of idleness, with nothing to do but play automated Wizard Chess in his office.
Kyle chose the black pieces, and with each move, the white pieces would automatically respond, making it an ideal way to pass the time when alone.
Time flew by, and before Kyle knew it, he was back at Hogwarts, where the castle's inhabitants were also discussing the morning's newspaper article.
Although the Daily Prophet had been publishing articles about Death Eaters from time to time, they were mostly relaying statements from the Hit Squad or someone else, making it seem as if the Ministry of Magic was always one step behind the Death Eaters, never able to catch them.
However, today's newspaper included a clear photograph of Bellatrix's crazed appearance, which caused another wave of panic.
Fortunately, some people also noticed Dumbledore in the corner of the photo.
"The Headmaster is also there..." a Gryffindor girl said with relief, "That Death Eater is definitely done for."
"No wonder the Headmaster hasn't been at school recently, he's been dealing with Death Eaters..."
"But what if the Death Eaters choose to attack Hogwarts while the Headmaster is away..." someone worriedly said.
"Don't worry, remember we still have Professor McGonagall..."
"That's right, with the professors here, the Death Eaters will get their just deserts if they dare to come."
...
The Great Hall was abuzz with discussions, and these voices could be heard wherever one went.
However, this situation soon came to an end.
With less than a week until the exams, the increasingly heavy workload left them with nothing on their minds but the upcoming tests, making it impossible to focus on anything else.
The Quidditch final scheduled for this week was also postponed by Professor McGonagall until after the exams, perhaps because she believed that studying was a better way to distract them than playing sports.
After a Transfiguration class, they received the exam schedule and specific requirements.
"The N.E.W.T. exams, like the O.W.L.s, will last for two full weeks," Cedric said during dinner, "One subject per day, with theory exams in the morning and practical exams in the afternoon, and the rest of the time is for further revision."
"I think it's better to get them over with sooner," Mikael said, recalling his experience from the previous year, "To be honest, during the O.W.L. exams, I was always nervous and couldn't focus on anything. What about you guys?"
"I'm fine," Cedric said, "And I think I should be able to pass the exams."
Despite saying this, Kyle noticed that Cedric couldn't help but fidget and take deep breaths, indicating that he was also nervous about the upcoming exams.
Hogwarts entered exam week.
Meanwhile, on an empty country road, a ball of flame suddenly appeared out of thin air, and an old man with a white beard materialized. Then, a man in a black cloak with a sinister expression appeared beside him.
"Dumbledore, your plan was successful. The Dark Lord believes that before you found Ogden, he was already dead..."
"Severus, whether you believe it or not, Umbridge's appearance there was not part of my plan," Dumbledore said.
Snape snorted through his nose, clearly not buying it.
Just as Bellatrix had found where Ogden was, Umbridge appeared before her. If it wasn't prearranged, how could it be such a coincidence? Did they take him for a fool?
From his expression, Dumbledore knew that no matter how he explained it, it wouldn't be clear, but what he said was the truth. It was all just a coincidence.
Dumbledore sighed and decided not to explain further. He had more important things to do.
"Thank you for your hard work, Severus. You should return to Hogwarts."
"I don't think that's a good idea," Snape said without moving, "The Dark Lord has been quite displeased with me recently. I need to know what you're up to."
Dumbledore turned to look at him, "Trust me, Severus, if you tell Tom what I'm about to do, he'll kill you immediately.
"It involves his greatest secret, and he won't let anyone know about it."
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Snape fell silent for a moment.
"It's a Horcrux, isn't it?" he said, "What clues have you found?"
"Ogden's memories should be of some help to us," Dumbledore said.
He didn't try to persuade Snape to leave again but continued walking forward until he reached a wooden signpost.
There were two arrows on it, each pointing in a different direction: Great Hangleton, 5 miles. Little Hangleton, 1 mile.
Dumbledore turned towards Little Hangleton, and Snape followed.
They walked for a while, following the tall hedges on both sides, until they reached a valley between two steep slopes, where a village stood.
Action: On the hillside across the valley, there stood an impressive mansion.
"This is where Riddle lives," Snape frowned at the sight of the mansion, "So, you're going there? Why such a detour?"
However, to Snape's surprise, Dumbledore didn't head towards the village but instead took a side path, turned right, and disappeared through a gap in the hedge.
A hidden entrance, much like St. Mungo's and the Ministry of Magic. Before the invention of the Muggle-Repelling Charm, this was the most common method used by older generations of wizards to protect themselves from being discovered, and it worked quite well.
Snape hurried to catch up.
The two arrived at a narrower dirt road, a desolate place where the road twisted and turned, pockmarked, and strewn with rocks. Vines from both sides had encroached onto the road, indicating that no one had passed by in a long while.
The path led to a dark forest. Dumbledore approached the forest, drew his wand, and waved it gently.
An unseen force parted the tangled roots and branches, revealing a strangely shaped house hidden within.
The house, too, had been uninhabited for a long time, and the door was covered in lush vines, resembling a giant cocoon.
Dumbledore waved his wand again, and the vines parted to either side. With a creak, the long-unused door opened.
Snape noticed a snake on the door, its colors vivid as if it had been nailed there just yesterday, contrasting sharply with the house's rustic appearance.
"Where are we...?" he couldn't help but ask.
"Gunter Manor," Dumbledore bent down and entered the house.
"Gunter..." Snape's expression changed slightly.
"Yes," said Dumbledore, "This is the last place Tom's mother lived... Be careful, I don't know if Tom has placed any additional magic here, so it's best not to touch anything."
"I know, you don't need to remind me," Snape said, "How did you find this place?"
"Bob Ogden," Dumbledore replied, "As a former member of the Office of Law Enforcement, he had come here for a case, and I happened to get this information."
With each step they took in the room, the floor emitted a piercing creak, and although it was daytime, the place was unusually dim, as if all the sunlight were blocked by the trees outside.
"What are you looking for?" Snape asked.
He glanced around; the place was even more dilapidated than he had imagined. Most of the items were missing, leaving only some worn-out furniture and chipped cups.
Dumbledore didn't speak. He circled the room and finally stopped in front of a long-legged, small table.
Snape guessed that the table should have been filled with exquisite and valuable decorations, but now there was only a thick layer of dust.
"Not a very clever method... It seems this wasn't how he protected it," Dumbledore tapped his wand lightly on the tabletop.
The tabletop, like a removed glove, flipped over entirely, revealing an ugly ring between the two of them.
The ring was golden, with a coin-sized black gemstone set in the middle.
Snape examined the ring carefully, feeling it looked somewhat familiar.
Dumbledore also saw the ring, and his gaze unconsciously fell on the black gemstone.
In an instant, his breathing became heavy, and he subconsciously reached out his hand.
"Stop!" Snape hurriedly shouted, "There's something wrong with this ring, it's been cursed with a terrible curse."
Dumbledore seemed not to have heard his warning and showed no signs of stopping.
As Dumbledore's hand was about to touch the ring, Snape was terrified that he wouldn't have time to do anything.
However, at that moment, golden threads suddenly appeared on Dumbledore's arm.
The threads, like ropes, restrained Dumbledore's arm, forcing his hand to stop just an inch short of the ring.
Unconsciously, Dumbledore tried to break free from the restraint on his arm, but it only brought him intense pain.
The threads embedded themselves into Dumbledore's body, and in a short moment, several bloodstains appeared on his arm.
Yet, this pain also helped Dumbledore's increasingly confused mind regain clarity.
He stared at the ring, just within reach, gasping for breath.
"I..."
Dumbledore was about to say something, but at that moment, Snape rushed over. He seemed not to have noticed the golden threads, only seeing the inexplicable bloodstains on Dumbledore's arm.
Combined with Dumbledore's fingers being too close to the ring, Snape, in a panic, lifted his leg without further thought.
"Damn it, don't touch that!"
With a dull thud, Dumbledore felt a sharp pain, and the scene before his eyes suddenly began to retreat rapidly.
When Dumbledore finally realized what was happening, he saw the dusty floor and a fleeting glimpse of Snape's shoe sole.
(End of Chapter)
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