Chapter 887: Dumbledore Betrayed
Chapter 887: Dumbledore Betrayed
Lord Voldemort would not be so bored as to listen to Death Eaters reporting their mundane experiences.
His purpose in doing so was simply to confirm if there were any impostors among them who had consumed Polyjuice Potion.
While Polyjuice Potion could perfectly transform someone into another person, it had a limitation: regardless of whether one took a sip or consumed the entire cauldron, the transformation could last for a maximum of two hours before reverting to the original form.
To maintain the disguise, one would have to consume another dose within that period.
Voldemort gathered them all together to observe them for over three hours, waiting to see if anyone would change back, before finally leaving.
This also showed that Voldemort had indeed been severely harassed by Kyle to the point where he started suspecting his own followers.
Fortunately, Alastor Moody had been prepared, and his true identity remained hidden.
Upon returning to Cornwall, Moody immediately entered a dilapidated shop selling Dark Magic items. He carefully closed the door and approached a murky mirror.
The hair of the 'Lenys' in the mirror had already started to change, with several noticeable strands of white appearing, and his once well-fitting robe now looked tight and uncomfortable.
This was a sign that the Polyjuice Potion was about to wear off.
Moody reached behind the counter and retrieved a bottle. He uncorked it and gulped down a mouthful.
His hair turned back to its dull golden color, and his robe became well-fitting once more.
However, when he opened his mouth, it was noticeable that several of his teeth were now missing, although they were molars that were not easily visible. Nonetheless, if one looked closely enough, they could be spotted.
Moody's throat twitched as if something was being forced out from his stomach, and he spat into his palm.
There were several teeth in his hand.
Under the light, one could clearly see that each tooth had a small hole, resembling a cavity.
Moody placed the teeth on the table, his expression grave.
Although he had been prepared, the tight timeframe had left him with little choice. If Voldemort had delayed any longer, he might have been exposed.
Without hesitation, Moody thrust his wand into his mouth and swished it around.
Three more teeth fell out, and blood trickled down from the corners of his mouth.
But Moody didn't care; he carefully drilled a hole in each tooth with his wand, then waved it and levitated the teeth.
The teeth seemed to undergo some kind of transformation, although nothing was apparent on the surface.
An entire bottle of Polyjuice Potion was poured into the holes, and Moody then resealed the teeth and put them back into his mouth.
He opened his mouth tentatively.
It felt odd, but at least it ensured his safety.
...
As Moody went to great lengths to hide his true identity, Hogwarts was in an uproar.
On Saturday, a day when students could sleep in, they were rudely awakened by loud knocking.
Prefects rushed through the common rooms, dragging sleepy students out of bed and lining them up to head to the Great Hall.
"Gosh, it's finally the weekend, and now we're being summoned to the Great Hall so early. I wonder what's going on," Ron yawned as he led a group of younger students through the common room passageways.
"You've complained about this three times already," Hermione said irritably from behind him. "Ron, remember you're a prefect."
"I know," Ron said nonchalantly. "So, Madam President of the Girls' Student Council, do you know what's happening?"
"No idea," Hermione replied.
She had only received a notification from the headmaster, instructing her to bring all the students to the Great Hall, but he hadn't mentioned the reason.
"Come on, let's go. The headmaster must have an important reason for gathering us," Hermione urged.
As they made their way through the passageways, the portrait of Violet, slightly tipsy, instinctively hid a wine glass behind her back upon seeing so many students.
Her cheeks were flushed from drinking.
"I hope she'll be able to hear the password later," Harry muttered, glancing back.
Violet had been drunk several times, and students wanting to return to the common room had to wait for her to sober up to pass through the portrait.
In fact, the usual portrait for this role was the Fat Lady, but she had been temporarily replaced by this drunkard due to 'health issues'.
It was bizarre to think of a portrait having health issues, but it was true, and Harry had witnessed it himself.
After Kyle's visit to the headmaster's office, the Fat Lady had been highly agitated, changing the password five times within an hour, all of them related to singing.
From melodious tunes to lilting melodies, it had been a musical hour.
But with five changes in an hour, the students couldn't keep up, and Neville had simply given up, choosing to wait for someone else to let him in.
With no other option, Professor McGonagall had to relocate the Fat Lady elsewhere to calm down, and Violet was brought in as a temporary replacement.
However, she wasn't the most reliable choice either.
The group made their way down the stairs to the Great Hall.
When they arrived, they found that many others were already there.
"Something big must be happening today," Ron said, spotting Amelia Bones, the Minister of Magic, at the front of the hall, and he instantly became alert.
It wasn't just the Minister; the director of the Auror Office, Scrimgeour, several important department heads and deputy heads, and even a reporter from the Daily Prophet were present.
This was an overwhelming show of force.
"Do you think the Death Eaters are planning to attack Hogwarts?" Harry asked worriedly.
As he spoke, a loud commotion erupted outside, followed by the sound of something large and heavy hitting the ground.
Then, Hagrid walked in from outside, accompanied by an equally large witch.
Harry recognized the woman, Madame Maxime, the headmistress of Beauxbatons.
But why was she here? It wasn't time for the Triwizard Tournament.
"Hagrid, what are you up to?" Madame Maxime asked sternly. "When I received the message, I thought it was a prank."
"Sorry, Olympe," Hagrid said. "You may not believe me, but as soon as I got the message, I set out and happened to see your carriage."
"Are you joking?" Madame Maxime turned to him instinctively.
"I swear, I'm not," Hagrid said firmly.
"This is too strange," Madame Maxime frowned deeply. "Dumbledore is still alive, isn't he?"
Hearing their conversation, Harry's heart sank further.
What could have brought Madame Maxime all the way from France...
He wanted to ask, but Hagrid seemed to have not noticed him and walked straight ahead.
Helpless, Harry could only sit down at the long table with the other Gryffindors.
More people arrived after that, but he didn't recognize any of them.
The one constant was that everyone wore solemn expressions.
Harry even began to suspect that Voldemort might be at the school gates, and they were about to hold a pre-battle rally.
"Hey, move aside and make room for me."
A familiar voice interrupted Harry's train of thought, and he turned around instinctively.
"Kyle?" He looked at the newcomer and blurted out, "What are you doing here?"
"Just here to watch the fun." Kyle replied.
This conversation felt too familiar, as if they had just had it yesterday.
But the question was, what kind of excitement could there be at Hogwarts?
However, Kyle didn't explain, and he squeezed himself awkwardly between Harry and Ginny, earning a glare from the latter.
"Sorry." Kyle smiled. "This is the best spot. Sitting any further forward might catch Professor McGonagall's eye, you know. She doesn't want me here anymore."
"Then you shouldn't come." Ginny retorted. "You've graduated. Why do you keep coming back to Hogwarts?"
"I can't come at other times, but today is different." Kyle wagged his finger. "Today is a big day. It would be a shame to miss it."
"So, what's going on?" Harry asked curiously.
"You'll see soon enough." Kyle fiddled with a camera. "I guarantee it will blow your mind."
Seeing Kyle's mysterious demeanor, Harry grew even more curious.
"Just wait and see. It won't be fun if I tell you now." Kyle took out a bottle of potion and placed it on the table. "Also, you might not believe it anyway."
Revelation Potion—it could bring photographs to life, and after taking the pictures, they could process them immediately, killing two birds with one stone.
Harry half-lowered his eyelids. If it weren't for the fact that he couldn't beat Kyle in a fight, he would have... Never mind, he had to maintain his manners. Hitting someone would get him docked points.
However, they didn't have to wait long. Soon, the guests arrived, and the professors entered as well. Everyone turned their eyes to Dumbledore, who was fashionably late.
He wore a purple-red robe, and his beard and hair were neatly groomed.
Several hundred eyes fixed on Dumbledore, not blinking.
"Welcome, welcome, dear guests who have traveled from afar, and to you, dear students, who had to leave your warm beds on this precious weekend. My apologies for taking up your time."
Murmurs filled the Great Hall.
"Well, to not delay your breakfast any further, I shall be brief."
Dumbledore cleared his throat and said solemnly, "I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, once abandoned my responsibilities due to personal issues and nearly caused an irreparable catastrophe. Here, I would like to apologize to all those who have believed in me."
The hall filled with louder whispers.
"What's the headmaster done?" Ron asked, confused. "He's been here all along, hasn't he?"
Hermione frowned, equally perplexed.
She didn't understand what he meant by personal issues causing a near catastrophe. She had no memory of any such event... Lately, the wizarding world had been so peaceful that nothing significant had happened.
Apart from those who knew the truth, most others shared this sentiment.
The representative from the Prophet rapidly clicked his camera, capturing this rare moment.
The greatest wizard of their time, Hogwarts' Headmaster Dumbledore, was apologizing to everyone present... Although he didn't know the reason, he knew this was big news. If written into an article, it would surely be a bestseller.
But that wasn't the end of it.
Dumbledore stepped forward again and declared, "I am ashamed of my actions, and after much contemplation, I have decided to step down as the Headmaster of Hogwarts!"
This statement was like a bomb dropped in the Great Hall, instantly causing an uproar.
"Are you joking?!" Someone shouted.
"This is madness! I must be dreaming!"
"This isn't funny at all!"
...
All sorts of chaotic voices filled the hall, and nearly half of the people stood up, agitated.
No one could accept Hogwarts without Dumbledore; it would be a disaster.
"Silence!"
Dumbledore's voice boomed, silencing the entire hall.
"I am not joking, Mr. Finnegan." He said. "And I am over a hundred years old. I can't keep occupying the position of Headmaster; it's unfair to others."
He made a small joke, but no one found it funny.
They didn't care who the Headmaster was, but Hogwarts couldn't lose Dumbledore.
"Of course, I will still be at the school, just in a different capacity." Dumbledore continued, "As for my successor, after much discussion with the Board of Governors throughout the night, we unanimously agreed that Professor McGonagall is more than qualified for the job."
Dumbledore took a step back and extended his hand, gesturing towards a bewildered Professor McGonagall, and he began to applaud first.
Amelia Bones quickly followed suit and started clapping as well.
She had known about this ahead of time, so she wasn't surprised.
More and more people joined in the applause.
After a moment, the sound of clapping filled the Great Hall.
As long as Dumbledore remained at Hogwarts, everything else was irrelevant, and having Professor McGonagall as the new Headmistress was acceptable.
A few Gryffindors even stood up in excitement.
The only one who seemed overwhelmed by the applause was Professor McGonagall herself, who was still trying to process what was happening.
This isn't right. This isn't right at all. How did I become the Headmistress?
Who can tell her what just happened?!
At that moment, Professor McGonagall felt someone push her gently...
It was Professor Sprout, who quietly moved next to her and whispered, "Millie, what are you waiting for? Everyone is looking at you."
Only then did Professor McGonagall come back to her senses and looked up.
Indeed, all eyes had shifted from Dumbledore to her.
But the problem was, she had no idea what was going on!
"Congratulations, Millie." Dumbledore walked over and said softly, "Now, you need to give your inaugural address. It's a necessary procedure."
Professor McGonagall's eyes twitched.
At that moment, she realized what was happening.
It must be Dumbledore's doing.
He didn't want to deal with those documents, so he simply passed on the position of Headmaster to her. That had to be it!
Professor McGonagall took a few deep breaths.
She never expected Dumbledore to be so decisive, knowing that she would never agree, so he used this underhanded method to force her hand...
The representative from the Prophet was furiously clicking his camera, capturing this historic moment.
If she refused the position now, by noon today, Hogwarts would become a laughingstock in the wizarding world.
Left with no choice, Professor McGonagall, who felt like a duck being pushed onto a shelf, had to step forward to address the students, reporters, governors, the Minister of Magic, and other Heads of magical schools. She forced a smile and said:
"I am honored..."
Professor McGonagall's mind was in a daze, and she didn't even remember how the inauguration ceremony ended.
The students were equally bewildered. They had imagined many scenarios, but never expected that they would be summoned to the Great Hall on a weekend morning to witness a change in Headmasters.
There was supposed to be breakfast after the ceremony, but no one was in the mood to eat. Instead, the students gathered in small groups, discussing the surprising turn of events.
On the other hand, Dumbledore, who had resigned of his own accord, had already returned to the Headmaster's office and started packing his belongings: the Erised Mirror, the Pensieve, Fawkes' perch...
He decided to leave the silverware behind, as they could still be of use to the next occupant.
Just then, the door opened.
Kyle poked his head in.
"Well, Headmaster, are you stepping down?"
"Yes." Seeing Kyle, Dumbledore breathed a sigh of relief. "At least I can leave with some dignity. It would've been embarrassing if I had been forced out."
"I don't think Professor McGonagall would do that." Kyle shook his head. "She probably wants to kill you, though. I could hear her grinding her teeth while she was speaking."
Dumbledore didn't say anything, but he quickened his packing.
"There's no rush, sir." Kyle smiled. "Professor McGonagall is just outside the door. You can't escape now."
Dumbledore's hands paused for a moment.
"How did you know...?"
"Because I brought her here." Kyle smiled even wider. "After I saw you leave the Great Hall, I went to find her."
"Why... child." Dumbledore felt a sense of betrayal. "What's in it for you?"
"I told her you might try to flee, and she forgave me for returning to Hogwarts. It was a fair trade."
"I can do the same." Dumbledore said, "Hogwarts welcomes every graduate to come back for a visit."
"You're not the Headmaster anymore." Kyle wagged his finger. "Times have changed, Mr. Dumbledore. Now it's Headmistress McGonagall who's in charge. Your promises don't hold any weight."
How pragmatic.
Dumbledore sighed. Just a while ago, everyone was calling him Headmaster, and now, mere minutes after his resignation, he was being addressed as 'mister'.
Alas...
Dumbledore sighed and resigned himself to his fate, waiting for McGonagall to arrive.
However, he waited a long time, and the door remained silent.
"We still have time." Kyle said, "Headmistress McGonagall promised to let us have some time alone first, so I can give you my gift."
"A gift?"
"Yes, a resignation gift." Kyle said, "It's a little something from me."
Dumbledore turned his head and looked at Kyle with interest. Knowing that McGonagall wouldn't barge in immediately, he no longer felt rushed.
As long as he wasn't caught, he could use Fawkes to escape the Headmaster's office... It seemed Kyle's betrayal wasn't absolute.
"I'm curious. What gift do you have for me?" With his improved mood, Dumbledore even poured himself a cup of tea.
"This." Kyle slapped the table.
Then, Dumbledore saw a photo appear in front of him.
"What is this?" he asked subconsciously.
"It's the entire process of you and Grindelwald performing the Blood Pact in 1899." Kyle said, "I think you'll like it."
...
(End of Chapter)
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