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Chapter 77: Dumbledore's Memory
Chapter 77: Dumbledore's Memory
Dumbledore was in his office, deep in thought as he examined a document on his desk.
Apart from being the headmaster of Hogwarts, he held several other prestigious positions.
For instance, he was the Chief Magician of the Wizengamot and the President of the International Confederation of Wizards, among other roles.
Therefore, his daily routine not only involved handling Hogwarts' administrative tasks but also required him to devote more of his energy to matters unrelated to the school.
As Sherlock walked in, Dumbledore looked up, set down his quill, and smiled at him.
"Would you like some sweets for afternoon tea?"
As soon as he spoke, a small pile of cookies and two steaming cups of black tea appeared on the empty silver platter on his desk.
"Thank you, Professor, but I just came back from the Three Broomsticks, where I had afternoon tea with Professor Sprout and others."
Sherlock took a seat opposite Dumbledore.
Dumbledore picked up his teacup and assumed a listening posture, asking, "Since you're not here to join me for tea, what brings you to my office?"
Without any unnecessary formalities or beating around the bush, Sherlock got straight to the point.
"It's about the attacks that have been occurring in the castle since the start of the semester, Professor."
"Oh? What have you discovered?"
"The news about the school has leaked, and I heard a rumor at the pub today that I wanted to verify with you."
Sherlock's expression was serious, and his tone conveyed his earnestness.
Dumbledore, who had just lifted his teacup, set it back down upon hearing Sherlock's words. He asked softly, "What is the content of this rumor?"
"Fifty years ago, the Chamber of Secrets was opened, and Hagrid was expelled at that time."
Sherlock spoke calmly, not implying any doubt about Hagrid, but rather seeking confirmation of the event from Dumbledore.
After hearing Sherlock's words, Dumbledore did not remain silent or try to hide anything. He nodded matter-of-factly, as if discussing a minor incident like a student fight at Hogwarts.
"Yes, the rumor is true. It did happen fifty years ago. I wasn't the headmaster then, and although I wanted to prevent them from unjustly blaming Hagrid, I was powerless to stop it. I could only ensure he remained at the school and had a place to stay."
"So, the Chamber of Secrets was indeed opened before, and Hagrid was implicated in it?"
Sherlock furrowed his brow, surprised that the Chamber of Secrets involved three different timelines: the ancient era when the founders created Hogwarts, fifty years ago, and now.
This time, Dumbledore did not immediately respond to Sherlock. Instead, he fell into a brief contemplation.
Sherlock did not disturb him and waited for him to think.
After a moment, Dumbledore seemed to have made a decision. He stood up from his chair.
"Since you already know about this, would you be interested in seeing what happened back then?"
His blue eyes were clear and bright as he extended the invitation to Sherlock.
Sherlock did not hesitate for long before nodding, indicating his keen interest in understanding what had transpired.
Dumbledore retrieved a stone basin from a cabinet in his office and placed it on the desk.
Subsequently, he pointed his wand at his temple and gently rotated it, as if reeling in a thread, drawing a silver light strand from his mind. He then guided it and placed it into the stone basin.
"The Pensieve from Hogwarts. Sometimes I extract my thoughts and place them here to organize them, making it easier to see things more clearly. Now, it can also allow us to revisit past events."
As he spoke, he looked at Sherlock and gestured for him to proceed.
"You can put your face into the basin."
Sherlock approached the Pensieve, observing the silver light particles swirling inside. He bent down and slowly submerged his face.
In the next moment, a sensation of weightlessness as if falling from the air enveloped him, but soon his feet touched solid ground again.
The darkness around him dissipated, and Sherlock realized he was standing outside a corridor in Hogwarts.
The sky outside had turned pitch black, and only the torches hanging on the ancient, weathered walls illuminated the surrounding space.
Shortly after, Dumbledore landed beside Sherlock.
Seeing the environment around him, which was clearly Hogwarts but different from what he remembered, Sherlock took a deep breath of the ancient air and asked,
"Is this Hogwarts from fifty years ago?"
"More precisely, it's Hogwarts from fifty years ago as it exists in my memories", Dumbledore said softly.
As he finished speaking, a tall Wizard with flowing auburn hair and beard, resembling Dumbledore, passed by them.
Dumbledore motioned for Sherlock, and they followed this younger version of Dumbledore.
"Is this you when you were younger?" Sherlock asked, his voice tinged with surprise.
Dumbledore nodded slightly.
"Yes, at that time, I was just a Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts."
Sherlock didn’t ask any more questions and followed the younger Dumbledore to the entrance hall on the ground floor.
There, a handsome boy wearing a Prefect badge happened to encounter the younger Dumbledore. He greeted the student.
"What are you doing, Tom? It’s very late to be wandering around."
The boy named Tom remained calm and composed as he replied,
"I was going to see the headmaster, sir."
"Alright, off to bed with you", the younger Dumbledore said, his gaze as piercing as it would be in his later years. "Don’t wander around the castle these days, especially since—"
He sighed and shook his head, leaving the sentence unfinished, but Sherlock caught the underlying meaning.
"Attacks have already occurred, and students have died?" Sherlock asked in a grave voice to Dumbledore beside him.
Dumbledore nodded solemnly.
"Yes, at this time, Hogwarts was already considering closing the school."
As they spoke, the younger Dumbledore had bid goodnight to the student Tom, and they parted ways.
But Dumbledore grabbed Sherlock's arm, stopping him from following his younger self. Standing in the entrance hall, he explained,
"Since this is my memory, we can only see events that I witnessed at the time. However, you will soon see the final outcome."
No sooner had Dumbledore finished speaking than a violent explosion erupted from the underground classrooms of Hogwarts!
(End of Chapter)
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