https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-762-The-Death-Eater-Who-Got-Away/12539389/
Chapter 763: Plans and Changes
Chapter 763: Plans and Changes
During the spellcasting class, Professor Flitwick spent ten minutes going over the key points of several spells before letting everyone begin practicing.
Soon, the classroom was filled with the sounds of students chanting spells, interspersed with lively discussions.
Most of the students were casually chatting while idly waving their wands. Professor Flitwick didn't bother them much, only stepping in to correct mistakes.
However, halfway through the class, a milky-white head suddenly poked through the wall from outside.
"Sorry, Filius, to interrupt your class," said the fat monk, the Hufflepuff ghost. "But Headmaster Dumbledore has something to discuss with Kyle. Could he come to the office now?"
The classroom immediately fell silent, and all eyes turned to Kyle curiously.
"Of course, no problem," Professor Flitwick, who had been correcting Ryan's gestures, said immediately. "Go ahead, these simple spells shouldn't trouble you, right?"
Kyle nodded and stood up to leave the classroom, making his way to the corridor outside.
"Monk, what does the headmaster want with me?" he asked the ghost beside him.
"I don't know," the plump monk shook his head. "I ran into Albus in the entrance hall. He was seeing off the Ministry of Magic folks, but he didn't say what it was about. He just asked me to come and fetch you."
"Thanks," said Kyle.
"You're welcome," the monk said, and then he dove through the floor like a diver, disappearing from view.
Kyle continued on his way to the eighth floor.
The door to the headmaster's office was open, and he didn't need to give a password, so he walked right in.
The visitors from the Ministry of Magic had already left. Dumbledore sat behind his desk, and the portraits of the previous headmasters were snoring gently in their frames.
Just as Connor had said, he seemed to have spent the night awake, as deep fatigue marked his face.
"You're here, have a seat," Dumbledore said, pointing to a chair in front of him.
"Would you like some tea?"
"No, thank you," Kyle shook his head.
"Very well, but I might need some," Dumbledore said. "At my age, staying up all night is not a pleasant experience."
As he spoke, a cup of steaming hot tea appeared on the desk, and Dumbledore proceeded to add an entire dish of sugar cubes to it, as was his custom.
"You must have a lot of questions," he said, taking a sip of his tea. "Fortunately, I have some time now, so I should be able to clear up some of your confusion."
"Are you sure you don't want to rest first?" Kyle asked, looking at the fatigue on Dumbledore's face. "I'm not in that much of a hurry."
"No need," Dumbledore said. "I'll be heading to Grimmauld Place in half an hour anyway, so I can rest there."
"Alright," Kyle nodded. As he hesitated about where to start his questions, Dumbledore spoke first.
"Let's start with the Room of Requirement... Yes, just as you thought, I blocked the exit and placed a plate inside that connected to the kitchen."
"When did you do that?" Kyle asked, puzzled. "I don't remember any of it."
"I've only been there once," Dumbledore said. "You were concentrating on your class at the time, so I took the opportunity to do it."
"How did you manage that?" Kyle asked. "This is the first time I've heard that the Room of Requirement can be closed by someone else."
"Let's call it a perk of being the headmaster," Dumbledore said. "Interestingly, I found the original Hogwarts map in the library, which marked the location of the Room of Requirement and explained its use.
"The headmaster can alter the distribution of the castle's magic, moving the magic on that wall elsewhere. Without the magic, the door naturally disappears."
Kyle understood.
No wonder the entire Room of Requirement relied on the magical power of Hogwarts Castle... If Hogwarts were considered a painting, Dumbledore's method was like using a small knife to cut out the section with the door.
With this, Kyle's key would have been useless.
"Speaking of which, I do have a question," Dumbledore said, lifting his head. "How did you get out? I checked just now, and that place still has no magic."
"Because Rowena Ravenclaw's memory ended," Kyle explained. "The Room of Requirement was constructed based on her memory, and when the memory ended, it naturally disappeared."
Just as Dumbledore had stumbled upon the Hogwarts map, Kyle's exit from the Room of Requirement was equally coincidental.
In theory, the Room of Requirement doesn't exist without a specific need, and when the room was disbanded, Kyle, as an extra person, was naturally kicked out.
This was a rule of the Room of Requirement itself, regardless of whether there was a door or not.
"Are there other instances of this happening?"
After listening to Kyle's explanation, Dumbledore paused, evidently hearing about it for the first time.
"Ravenclaw mentioned it the first time she took me there," Kyle elaborated. "I asked her how long that memory would last, and she didn't give a specific answer. She only told me to stay in the room without worry, and when the memory faded, the Room of Requirement would send me out."
Dumbledore's hand, holding the teacup, paused for a moment, and he let out a bitter laugh.
"What a coincidence. It seems I went to a lot of unnecessary trouble."
"Can you tell me why?" Kyle asked, his curiosity piqued. "Why go to such lengths to trap me in the Room of Requirement? I can't see the point of doing so."
"To prevent you from getting involved in last night's events," Dumbledore said softly. "About ten days ago, Phineas told me that Malfoy had moved the Vanishing Cabinet out of the common room, so I knew their plan was about to begin.
"After that, everything went smoothly. You were trapped and unable to leave. But what I didn't anticipate was Malfoy's hesitation. He didn't immediately summon his Death Eater companions but waited until yesterday to take action.
"And I certainly never expected you to emerge right at that moment."
Speaking of which, Dumbledore suddenly heaved a sigh, and he seemed to grow even more weary.
"A plan?" Kyle frowned. "Don't tell me that letting Malfoy kill you was your plan."
"No, no, no." Dumbledore shook his head. "While I long for new adventures, Malfoy couldn't kill me, even with the Killing Curse. The most he could do would be to make me lose a few beard hairs or strands of hair."
Kyle found this assertion believable.
After all, the Killing Curse relied not only on malicious intent but also on magical power.
It was basically impossible for a sixteen-year-old student who hadn't even graduated to kill a wizard over a hundred years old with the curse.
Take Nicolas Flamel as an example. He could be said to be the wizard least afraid of the Killing Curse, having accumulated magical power for over six hundred years. Even Voldemort would likely fail to kill him with Avada Kedavra.
Of course, this only applied to the Killing Curse.
"Then, what was your plan?" Kyle asked. "Or, rather, what plan required you to throw away your wand?"
This time, Dumbledore didn't answer Kyle. He merely shook his head silently.
"It doesn't matter now," he said, looking up at the portraits above the bookshelf behind him. "Up until now, all the facts indicate that my plan was wrong. It was a selfish decision, and I was merely wishful thinking that I could pull it off."
Selfish?
Wishful thinking?
Kyle furrowed his brow, unsure what Dumbledore was talking about.
But it seemed that Dumbledore suddenly changed his mind and didn't want to continue this topic of conversation.
"In any case," Dumbledore said, "locking you up in the Room of Requirement was my mistake, and I sincerely hope you can accept my apology."
"Ah, it's fine." Kyle waved his hand dismissively.
While Dumbledore's actions had indeed been a bit underhanded, when Kyle thought about it carefully, he hadn't really suffered any losses. In fact, he had even gained by being forced to stay and attend a few more of Rowena Ravenclaw's memory lessons.
"What was Fudge's purpose in coming here?" Kyle asked, taking the initiative to change the subject. "He seems overly worried about Hogwarts."
It was just a Death Eater sneak attack, and although it took place at Hogwarts, it wasn't a full-scale war with Voldemort's personal involvement. Including the disposable minions, there were only about a dozen attackers. Was it really necessary to discuss it all night?
"He wanted me to close Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, his tone conveying his unabashed disappointment.
"Close Hogwarts?" Kyle was taken aback. "What about the younger students? Are they supposed to face the Death Eaters on their own?"
"Fudge didn't consider that at all." Dumbledore's voice was tinged with frustration. "He insists that the school is no longer safe, and gathering so many people in one place is a mistake.
"But we both know that he's only concerned about himself. I assume you've seen the latest issue of the Prophet?"
Kyle nodded.
Indeed, he had seen it, and he knew that Death Eaters had recently been frequently targeting the Ministry of Magic. It seemed they were trying to establish their dominance and spread fear. So far, they had killed over a dozen Ministry employees, including two deputy directors.
Even Amelia Bones of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had been attacked. Although she had successfully defeated the assailant, she had paid a heavy price, spending two months in St. Mungo's before she could be discharged.
As the Minister for Magic, Fudge had naturally become a key target. Three attacks on him had been reported so far, but fortunately, the Aurors had arrived in time each instance to resolve the crisis.
"Do you think Fudge wants you to protect him?" Kyle asked.
"Cornelius did indeed hint at that," Dumbledore replied. "He invited me to become the Ministry's special advisor on combating Death Eaters."
"But when he spoke to me, he deliberately implied that he is the wizarding world's hope and that gaining more support is the way to defeat Voldemort."
"He's scared," Kyle commented.
"Understandably so," Dumbledore said calmly. "Before this, Fudge seemed to believe that Voldemort wouldn't dare attack Ministry employees."
"Ha, how could that be possible?" Kyle scoffed at Fudge's naive notion.
Not dare to attack the Ministry? That was laughable. If it came to a fight, Voldemort would target the Ministry first and foremost, and Cornelius Fudge, as the Minister, would be at the top of his list.
The decision to suspend ministerial elections during wartime served not only to facilitate more efficient command of the war effort but also to prevent a potential scenario of a minister deserting his post... Even though such an occurrence had virtually no precedent in history, one could never be too cautious.
If a minister were to flee in the face of danger, the impact would be enormous. Thus, it was only prudent to be cautious.
Fudge was likely frightened out of his wits, what with so many Ministry employees being killed and him being attacked multiple times. He must be seeking someone more reliable than the Aurors to protect himself.
And Dumbledore was the ideal candidate. As long as he stayed by Dumbledore's side, Fudge would be absolutely safe.
However, no matter what he thought, he absolutely couldn't say it, especially not as the Minister of Magic.
"What did you say to him?" Kyle asked.
"Of course, it's out of the question." Dumbledore said without hesitation, "The school will only take a break, it will never be closed."
"Did Fudge agree?"
"I think he still wants to try and persuade me." Dumbledore said, "Fudge isn't the type to change his mind easily, but the school is my bottom line, and no matter what, it won't be closed."
"He won't hold us back, will he?" Kyle asked worriedly.
To be honest, Fudge's biggest use was in the early days of Voldemort's resurgence, when he helped the magical community accept this news. The silver-tongued Fudge was adept at this kind of thing.
But now that Voldemort had stepped out of the shadows, Fudge's usefulness was diminished.
In comparison, Amelia Bones, who had been attacked but remained steadfast in her declaration of war against the Death Eaters in the pages of the newspaper, even while recovering in St. Mungo's, seemed much more suitable for the position of Minister.
"Rest assured on that front." Dumbledore waved his hand dismissively, speaking calmly, "The Ministry of Magic is no longer a one-man show, and even for his own safety, Fudge won't make any irrational decisions."
"I hope so." Kyle said.
Dumbledore looked up at the time, "Do you have any other questions? If not, I need to head to Grimmauld Place, there's an important meeting at eleven, and we agreed to it yesterday."
Kyle also looked up, it was already 10:50.
"There's one more thing, Professor."
"Then ask quickly." Dumbledore said, "But I'm not sure how detailed my answer will be, you know, this meeting is important, and I can't be late."
"Was Draco Malfoy rescued early this morning?" Kyle asked directly.
Dumbledore was slightly taken aback, apparently not expecting Kyle to ask about this.
"Where did you hear that from?"
"There are no secrets in Hogwarts." Kyle shrugged, briefly explaining what he had heard and his own speculations.
Dumbledore fell silent again, and after about a minute, he said, "I don't want to lie to you, yes, Mr. Malfoy has been rescued and is no longer at the school.
"But Kyle, I must say that he was forced into this situation by Voldemort, who threatened to kill Lucius and Narcissa.
"As far as I know, he also felt guilty and anxious, and cried out loud in the school bathroom, he had no choice."
As he listened to Dumbledore, Kyle felt more and more puzzled.
"Wait, Professor." He interrupted Dumbledore, his expression strange as he asked, "You don't think that I wanted to make things difficult for him, do you?"
"Ahem..." Dumbledore cleared his throat, not saying anything, but Kyle understood that this was indeed what he meant, and what he had said before was to speak well of Malfoy.
"I was just curious." Kyle explained, "I never thought about doing anything to him, nor is there any need."
"Really?"
"Of course, Malfoy didn't point his wand at me, why would I hold a grudge against him?" Kyle said.
Hearing this, Dumbledore seemed to relax a little.
"Ah, yes, he was rescued." Dumbledore said, "It's my fault, I was too engrossed in my conversation with Fudge, and I didn't expect the Death Eaters to return to Hogwarts."
"Are you sure it was the Death Eaters?" Kyle looked at him calmly, "Not Professor Snape?"
Dumbledore seemed to be scalded by the hot tea, his hand shook, and he spilled quite a bit.
"Of course not, Severus was in charge of guarding Malfoy, and he was injured."
"Is that so, then maybe I'm overthinking it." Kyle said, "But he's quite popular, isn't he? Some Death Eaters were willing to risk returning to Hogwarts, which is full of dangers for them, just to save him.
"He's also lucky, if he had stayed at the school, he would have been taken back to the Ministry of Magic, and if his connection to the Death Eaters who attacked Hogwarts had been confirmed, he probably wouldn't have been able to come back."
"But isn't going back to Voldemort even more dangerous?"
"That depends on the situation, the one leading the Death Eaters was probably Antonin Dolohov, and he fled in a hurry, so Voldemort wouldn't have any reason to blame Malfoy, who is still a minor.
"He'll only take it out on me."
As he said this, Kyle stared directly at Dumbledore without blinking.
"Yes, who's to say otherwise." Dumbledore seemed a little guilty, turning his head slightly to avoid Kyle's gaze.
Then he quickly put down his tea and stood up, "Well, that's all for today, I really need to go to the meeting, you should head back to class too."
Before Kyle could say another word, Dumbledore disappeared from the office.
Kyle checked the time, it was exactly three minutes to eleven, and it would probably take Dumbledore less than three seconds to apparate to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.
(End of Chapter)
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