Chapter 680: The Gaunt Residence
Chapter 680: The Gaunt Residence
From Chris, Kyle also learned about the events that transpired earlier that morning.
The process was not complicated. Umbridge had left early with the Aurors to Hampshire, intending to gather material for the front page of the day's Prophet.
She was now very familiar with such tasks, so the team she brought along were all seasoned veterans who worked together seamlessly, having had ample experience in such operations.
Upon arriving at their destination, the Aurors skillfully dispersed to search for any useful clues or traces. However, they happened to stumble upon Death Eaters who were there on business—a most unfortunate coincidence.
And when the Aurors returned from their search, they beheld a most horrifying scene.
The usually haughty Umbridge was rolling on the ground in agony, desperately pleading for mercy, while Bellatrix, wand in hand, stood beside her, laughing maniacally.
Almost instinctively, one of the Aurors with a camera captured this scene. However, to maintain the Ministry's image, this photo was not chosen for the newspaper; another one was used instead.
"So, Umbridge walked right into their path?" Kyle asked, incredulous.
"You could say that..." Chris replied, "The mystery person has been keeping a low profile and hasn't shown themselves lately, clearly hiding something. Typically, the Death Eaters wouldn't do something so pointless unless they felt threatened.
"But Umbridge is an exception. Everyone knows by now that she is a staunch opponent of the Death Eaters, and her attitude and rhetoric are even more extreme than Bartemius Crouch's were back in the day.
"And as for Bellatrix, she is one of the most fanatical and loyal followers of the mystery person. So, of course, when they crossed paths, she wanted to eliminate such a threat for her master."
"Then why didn't she just use the Killing Curse?" Kyle asked, glancing at the photo in the newspaper. "Why use the Cruciatus Curse, which can't kill?"
"I think she probably wanted to extract some useful information from Umbridge first," Chris said after a moment's thought. "Information like the Ministry's plans or the location of the Order of the Phoenix headquarters, perhaps. That's her usual modus operandi."
"So, she thinks Umbridge is a member of the Order?"
Chris gave Kyle a strange look, as if surprised that he would ask such a question.
"In your opinion..." he began, "Is there anyone more fitting to be in the Order than Umbridge right now?"
"Well, it does seem that way," Kyle mumbled.
Indeed, based on her recent behavior, Umbridge seemed more like a standard member of the Order of the Phoenix than anyone else, including even Sirius or Moody, who were actual members.
The presence of Dumbledore in the newspaper further reinforced this notion.
"Umbridge must be delighted," Kyle muttered. "She's suddenly become an important figure in the Order, and she's also kept her promise to the public... to fight the Death Eaters to the bitter end."
Chris shook his head but remained silent.
Half an hour later, Kyle left the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and returned to his office.
To his surprise, Fudge seemed rather nonchalant about Bellatrix's appearance and actions. He was certainly astonished, but he quickly regained his composure, as if he had truly accepted the fact that Voldemort had returned.
Since Voldemort had indeed returned, there was no reason to be surprised by the day's events.
Around 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 could hear Umbridge's shrill voice echoing through the corridor.
"Let me out of here... I demand to see the Minister!"
"It's not safe. That madwoman could show up at any moment..."
"You can't keep me here. I'm a Senior Minister of Magic. Get out of my way!"
At her last statement, Fudge's expression changed slightly... If Umbridge was a Senior Minister, then what was he?
Suddenly, for some unknown reason, the screaming stopped.
A healer rushed out of the room, perspiring profusely, and spotted Fudge standing in the corridor.
"Apologies, Minister," the healer explained. "Ms. Umbridge's screams were too loud, and to prevent disturbing the other patients, we had no choice but to put her to sleep temporarily."
"Oh, don't worry about it," Fudge said, showing no signs of blaming the healer. "Shouting like that here is certainly inappropriate, and you've done the right thing."
Hearing this, the healer breathed a sigh of relief.
"It looks like our trip here was for nothing," Fudge said to Kyle, his tone laden with meaning. "I think it's best we let her rest a while longer. It will aid in her recovery."
"Yes, Minister," Kyle agreed. Since Fudge had suggested it, he saw no reason to argue.
However, he had to admit that Umbridge was quite formidable. Despite having just endured the Cruciatus Curse, she still had the energy to scream like that. It was definitely not something an ordinary person could do.
For example, Sirius had been weakened for several days after being hit with the Cruciatus Curse, and Kyle doubted that Bellatrix's Cruciatus Curse was any weaker than anyone else's.
Kyle chose the black pieces, and with each move, the white pieces would automatically adjust to the corresponding positions, making it a perfect pastime when alone.
The day passed quickly, and by the time Kyle returned to Hogwarts, the people in the castle were also discussing the content of that morning's newspaper.
Although recently, the Prophet would occasionally publish some news about Death Eaters, it was mostly relaying statements made by the Hit Wizards or someone else, as if the Ministry could only follow in the Death Eaters' footsteps and never catch up to them.
But today's newspaper included a clear photo of Bellatrix's manic appearance, which sparked another wave of panic.
Fortunately, some 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 finished."
"No wonder the Headmaster hasn't been at school recently, he's been dealing with Death Eaters..."
"But if the Headmaster isn't here, what if the Death Eaters decide to attack Hogwarts..." Someone worriedly said.
"Don't worry, we still have Professor McGonagall..."
"That's right, with the professors here, the Death Eaters will regret it if they dare to show up."
...
The Great Hall buzzed with speculation, and wherever you went, you could hear such voices.
However, this situation soon disappeared.
With less than a week until the exams, the increasingly heavy workload left them with their minds full of the upcoming tests, and they couldn't spare any attention for other things.
And the Quidditch final, which was originally scheduled for this week, had been postponed by Professor McGonagall until after the exams, for reasons unknown.
Perhaps she felt that revision was a better distraction than Quidditch.
After a Transfiguration class, they received their exam timetable and specific requirements.
"The N.E.W.T. exam is the same as the O.W.L.s, it will last a full two weeks." Cedric said at dinner, "One subject a day, theory in the morning, and practical in the afternoon, with the rest of the time free for revision."
"I think it would be better to get it over with quickly." Mikkel seemed to recall his experience from the previous year, his face grim, "To be honest, during the O.W.L.s, I was always nervous and couldn't focus on anything. How about you guys?"
"I'm okay." said Cedric, "And I think I should be able to pass the exam."
Although he said so, Kyle noticed that Cedric kept rubbing his hands and taking deep breaths, indicating that Cedric was also tense about the upcoming exams.
Hogwarts entered exam week.
At the same time, on an empty country road, a group of flames suddenly appeared out of thin air, and soon an old man with a white beard appeared on the road, and next to him, a man in a black cloak with a sinister expression.
"Dumbledore, your plan was a success, and the Dark Lord seems to believe that before you found Ogden, he was already dead..."
"Severus, whether you believe it or not, Umbridge's appearance there was not my doing." Dumbledore said.
Snape snorted through his nose, clearly not buying it.
Bellatrix had just located where Ogden was being held, and Umbridge just happened to show up there too? If this wasn't prearranged, what were the chances of such a coincidence? Did he take him for a fool?
Seeing his expression, Dumbledore knew that no amount of explanation would convince Snape, but what he said was the truth, it truly was a coincidence.
Dumbledore sighed, deciding not to explain further, as he had more important things to do.
"Thank you for your help, Severus. You may return to Hogwarts."
"I don't think that's a good idea." Snape remained still, "The Dark Lord has been quite displeased with me lately, and I need to know what you're up to."
Dumbledore turned to him, "Trust me, Severus, if you tell Tom what I'm about to do, he'll kill you instantly.
"It concerns his greatest secret, and he won't let anyone know about it."
Snape remained silent for a moment.
"It's about Horcruxes, isn't it?" he said, "Have you found any new clues?"
"Ogden's memory should be of some help to us." Dumbledore said.
He didn't try to persuade Snape further but continued walking forward, arriving at a wooden signpost.
There were two arrows, one pointing to 'Great Hangleton, 5 miles', and the other to 'Little Hangleton, 1 mile'.
Dumbledore headed towards Little Hangleton, and Snape followed.
They walked for a while, along the high hedges on either side, until they reached a valley, and in between two steep slopes, a village stood.
However, what Snape didn't expect was that Dumbledore didn't head towards the village; instead, he turned onto a side path, veered to the right, and disappeared through an opening in the hedge.
A hidden entrance, much like St. Mungo's and the Ministry. Before the invention of the Muggle-Repelling Charm, this was also an ancient method used by older wizards to protect themselves from discovery, and it worked quite well.
Snape quickly followed.
The two found themselves on a narrow dirt road that was exceptionally desolate. The road twisted and turned, full of potholes and scattered with rocks, while vines from both sides encroached onto the path, indicating that no one had passed through in a long time.
The road led to a dark forest, and as they reached it, Dumbledore drew out his wand and gave it a slight flick.
The intertwined mass of roots and vines before them was parted by an invisible force, revealing a strangely shaped house hidden within.
The house, too, seemed long abandoned, with vines covering its door so thickly that it resembled a giant cocoon.
Dumbledore once again waved his wand, and the vines parted to either side. With a creak, the door, which hadn't been used in who knows how long, swung open.
Snape noticed a brightly colored snake on the door, which seemed to have been nailed there just yesterday, standing out starkly against the surrounding ancient and rustic appearance.
"Where are we...?" he couldn't help but ask.
"The Gaunt residence." Dumbledore bent down and stepped into the house.
"Gaunt..." Snape's expression shifted slightly.
"Yes." Dumbledore said, "This is where Tom's mother last lived... Be careful, I don't know if Tom has placed any additional magic here, so it's best not to touch anything unnecessarily."
"I know, no need to remind me." Snape said, "How did you find this place?"
"Bob Ogden." Dumbledore said, "As a former member of the Magical Law Enforcement Squad, he had come here for a case, and I happened to obtain this information."
With each step they took inside the room, the floor let out an ear-piercing creak, and despite it being daytime, the place was unusually dim, as if all the sunlight was blocked by the trees outside.
"What are you looking for?" Snape asked.
He glanced around, finding the place even more dilapidated than he had imagined. Most of the furnishings were gone, leaving only some worn-out furniture and chipped cups.
Dumbledore didn't answer; instead, he circled the room and finally stopped in front of a small, slender-legged table.
Snape guessed that the table should have been adorned with exquisite and valuable decorations, but now, it was covered in a thick layer of dust.
"Not a very sophisticated method... It seems this isn't the way Tom chose to protect it." Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped the tabletop lightly.
Then, like a glove being turned inside out, the tabletop flipped over, revealing an ugly ring that suddenly appeared before the two of them.
The ring was golden, with a black stone the size of a copper coin set in the middle.
Snape examined the ring carefully, feeling that it looked vaguely familiar.
Dumbledore's gaze also fell on the ring, and his eyes were unconsciously drawn to the black gemstone.
In an instant, his breathing became heavy, and he subconsciously reached out.
"Stop!" Snape exclaimed, "That ring is not right; there's a terrible curse on it!"
However, it seemed as if Dumbledore hadn't heard his warning, as he showed no signs of stopping.
Just as Snape watched, helpless, as Dumbledore's hand was about to touch the ring, he was startled to see golden threads suddenly appear on Dumbledore's arm.
These threads, like ropes, bound Dumbledore's arm, forcing his hand to stop less than an inch from the ring.
Dumbledore's first instinct was to forcibly break free from the restraints on his arm, but this only resulted in a sharp pain.
The golden threads embedded themselves into Dumbledore's body, and in a mere moment, several bloody streaks appeared on his arm.
Yet, this pain also seemed to bring Dumbledore's muddled mind back to clarity.
He stared at the ring, which was so close yet so far, and breathed heavily.
"I..."
Dumbledore had just opened his mouth to say something when Snape, who had been watching in surprise as the golden threads appeared on Dumbledore's arm, suddenly rushed over. He didn't seem to notice the threads, only seeing the bloody streaks that had inexplicably appeared on Dumbledore's arm.
Moreover, Dumbledore's fingers were dangerously close to the ring, so in his panic, Snape didn't hesitate and simply kicked out.
"Damn it, don't touch that thing!"
With a dull thud, Dumbledore felt a sting on his body, and then he watched as the dusty floor and the sole of Snape's shoe flashed by.
(End of Chapter)
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