Harry bent over and walked out a short distance, then straightened up and walked briskly towards the great hall door.
"Hey, Harry!" He heard someone call behind him and Harry turned around to see that it was Neville, with a confused look on his face, Harry waved at him and slipped into the entrance hall.
Dumbledore and his group had disappeared.
Harry guessed they would have headed upstairs, probably to the Headmaster's office, but on the other hand, he seemed to have heard movement from outside. After a slight mental weighing, he quickly ran to the stone steps outside the castle and looked hard into the distance, it was almost completely dark, and he could barely make out two blurry figures.
One was Professor Flitwick, who looked conspicuous due to his height, and the other ... Harry assumed that figure was Professor Sprout. He strained to peer further into the distance; there was no one else, and he realized something was wrong: Headmaster Dumbledore's white beard would be quite discernible even in the dark.
So they had separated in the entrance hall? Headmaster Dumbledore had given the two professors some other task?
There was a dense sound of footsteps behind him and Harry realized that the prefects started to organize the underclassmen to return to the common room. He didn't hesitate any longer and ran with great strides in the direction of the Headmaster's office, there was silence in all directions, only his heavy footsteps were heard, and he wondered if he had taken a wrong turn. After climbing two more flights of stairs, he heard a faint sound from above his head.
It was Headmaster Dumbledore's voice!
A jolt of excitement went through Harry, but his speed inevitably slowed down, and when he finally reached the seventh floor, he went through a door, turned a corner, and picked up his pace, knowing he would soon meet the Gargoyles in the corridor, he knew this path too well to lose track of it even with his eyes closed.
And, as it happened, he knew the password.
A dark figure suddenly stepped in front of him and Harry was so startled that his feet slipped, and he almost fell on his back.
It was Snape.
"What are you doing here, Potter?" He asked coldly.
"I, I was looking for - wait, you got kicked out?" Harry asked in surprise, his eyes moving past behind Snape, where it remained empty.
Snape's face stiffened.
"You're right, Potter." He said in a curt tone, then his thin lips twisted into a sneer, "The important people are talking inside, the unimportant people - like me - are tasked to stop the equally unimportant but unaware fools."
"Headmaster Dumbledore asked me to come over!" Harry said in annoyance.
"When did that happen?" Harry was dumbfounded and Snape's tone became even snappier, "I was right behind him earlier, and I didn't hear Dumbledore speak to any students ... I advise you to make a trip back to the great hall immediately, while Madam Pomfrey is still there."
Harry glared at Snape, resentment building inside him as he took a deep breath and drew his wand, debating whether or not to cast a Patronus charm to inform Dumbledore that he has arrived.
Snape's eyebrows jumped hard.
He thought Harry was planning to attack him, and Snape narrowed his eyes, resisting the urge to mutter: is this what Dumbledore was after? To get himself angered by Potter and thus get disarmed of Elder Wand? Should he resist or not?
But Harry had already put away his wand and given up on the idea of using the Patronus to deliver the message. He was quite sure he had read the hints Dumbledore had given him correctly, and Dumbledore had told him explicitly last night that he would resolve the soul fragment on his body after dinner.
But since there are other professors present, it means that the Headmaster does have other matters that need to be dealt with urgently.
There weren't many who knew about the existence of the Horcrux.
"Where did Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick have gone?" Harry asked Snape calmly, "I saw them go out through the entrance hall."
Snape looked at him quietly for two seconds and just when Harry thought he would learn absolutely nothing, he spoke.
"They went to pick up someone in front of the school. Who is that someone? Oh, Potter, I suppose that's what you are wondering? You're always intensely curious about things that don't concern you ... but, I can tell you that they were ordered to bring the former headmaster's brother here, I guess it is probably to say goodbye? You see, Dumbledore did want to see someone, but it wasn't you."
Harry paid no mind to Snape's sarcasm as he stood frozen in place.
Yes ... Dumbledore is no longer Headmaster, and he handed in his resignation. It was only then that Harry found himself in the mood to contemplate the impact the news brought upon him, an emotion called sadness churned in the pit of his stomach and he couldn't help but remember the moments he had spent with Dumbledore.
...
"Well, Minerva, Felix, I'm dying." Dumbledore whispered in the Headmaster's office.
Professor McGonagall was stunned.
Not only because of this revelation, but it was as if a brilliant drama had come to an end and all the previous suspense and clues had been strung together and would soon be answered, giving her some clarity when she had been surprised and overwhelmed by the situation:
From all of Dumbledore's unusual actions from the beginning of this school year (not that she couldn't accept them), to Dumbledore's sudden announcement of his resignation as Headmaster this afternoon, and Professor Bagshot's rather out of-character attitude after Dumbledore had sent Pomona and Filius not long ago.
Professor McGonagall could discern that Professor Bagshot was forcing himself to hold back.
When he, Dumbledore, Felix, and herself are the only ones left in the Headmaster's office, Professor Bagshot finally pressed on and loudly questioned Dumbledore about what he is really up to. After that, the development became even stranger, as Dumbledore handed him a fairy tale book with a guilty face to pass the time when he got bored, and said he would take some time to write to him.
Associating this with Dumbledore's talk of travelling this afternoon, Professor McGonagall barely understood.
But then something truly damning had happened: Felix had suddenly struck behind Professor Bagshot's back and knocked him unconscious. As if it had been negotiated, Dumbledore stepped out and grabbed Professor Bagshot, who had lost control of his body, and staggered to move him to the sofa.
Dumbledore stuffed The Tales of Beedle the Bard into Professor Bagshot's robe pocket and placed a soft cushion under his neck, and after doing so, he turned to the other two and spoke the words above.
Professor McGonagall stared seriously at Dumbledore's face.
If it had been a prank, he would normally have compromised at this point, but Dumbledore at the moment looked at her without shying away.
"It's not April Fool's Day, Dumbledore!" She yelled, "If you expect to shock me, which you did, you did ... oh my merlin..." she suddenly choked up, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Tell me, Albus, it's not true." She said weakly.
Dumbledore repeated what he had just said again in a weak, but firm tone, "I'm sorry, Minerva, but I really am going to die."
Tears broke out and flowed down Professor McGonagall's no longer young cheeks.
"But - you said before - the trip -" she asked as if grasping for the last straw.
"That was a lie." Dumbledore said calmly, "It was a ruse I devised. Calm down, Minerva, you are a veteran who has lived through two wizard wars as a warrior. Look at Felix-"
"Don't bring me into this." Felix said stiffly from the sidelines.
Dumbledore shook his head slightly.
"Fine. To the level-headed, death is just another great adventure. I do not fear death, what really daunts me are those in the present world who are worth keeping ... and for that, I have prepared this. Felix, can I ask you a favour?"
Dumbledore asked politely, and Felix and Professor McGonagall followed his gaze to the two large boxes placed on the left side of the long-legged table. Felix's lips twitched, and he didn't say anything, but the two boxes floated up in the air and landed in the open space between the three men.
"This should do it." Dumbledore nodded approvingly and said, "Please, if you could--"
"Click!"
"Click!"
There were two crisp clicks and the cover of the box popped open. Felix looked into the box, which is stuffed with letters.
"I was inspired to do this after the matter of Miss Lovegood - and given the current use of my identity, I hope that you will keep these letters hidden after my death. These letters will help you, and I have deliberately sorted them so that they can be easily distinguished. All it will take will be sending a few letters at a later date, or occasionally bringing up the things I have seen on my travels in public, to create a false illusion. Oh, yes."
Dumbledore looked over at Felix with delight, "That splitting magic of yours will probably come in handy. You have some experience acting like me."
Felix knew what those words meant. He had disguised himself as Dumbledore deep in Voldemort's memory, and in a way, he did indeed have the experience required.
Professor McGonagall's body shook sharply.
"Albus, is that what you left us behind with? To send a letter after your death and pretend you're still alive somewhere in the world?" She said in a loud voice, but her face turned pale.
Those blue eyes seemed infinitely tolerant and understanding.
"I know it's difficult, but believe me, I have reasons why I must do it. After tonight, you can question Felix and get more detailed information from him."
There was a noise from outside.
"Here I am! Albus, let's see what you have to say!" Aberforth's roar came from a distance.
"All right, Minerva, pull yourself together!" Dumbledore said in a stern tone, and when he finished he looked over at Fawkes, the phoenix lying on its perch, sickly and seemingly covered in a black and red layer of ash.
"Fawkes." He said softly.
The phoenix braced itself and looked at Dumbledore. "Take him to Minerva's office." Fawkes answered with a low cry, unfolding his wings and landing on the unconscious Grindelwald, and with a flash of fire, the man and the bird disappeared.
Dumbledore turned to Professor McGonagall, "Minerva, I need you to return to your office now, Pomona will bring some people to you, they are enforcers from the International Confederation of Wizards and have been ordered to transfer-"
"Professor Bagshot?" Professor McGonagall asked in surprise.
Dumbledore nodded.
"Keep it a secret."
"But, Albus, he's-"
"Let Felix explain it to you later," Dumbledore cut in, "my brother is here, and if I don't let him come up here soon, I'm afraid he'll use violence, and he's been very upset with me lately ... By the way, let Harry come over here as well, he should have been waiting for a while."
The voices outside were getting louder and louder, so his words seemed convincing. Professor McGonagall gave him a deep look, "It's been a pleasure working with you, Albus."
"So have I, Minerva." Dumbledore smiled at her.
Professor McGonagall left in a hurry, seemingly tripping over the door as it closed again with a clear intake of breath coming from behind it.
Silence returned to the spacious office, although an even grumpier man would soon be welcomed, but at least, for the moment, it would be quiet.
Dumbledore slowly moved to the edge of the sofa, sitting close to where Grindelwald had just been lying.
"Put those letters away, Felix, I've never been able to guess Aberforth's temper, in case he insists on reading them."
"Hide this from even him?" Felix asked quietly.
"Possibly. I've always been an irresponsible brother in his mind, and it's good to keep that impression, but I couldn't be bothered to think that far ahead, and if you're going to tell him, it's best to wait a while."
Felix put the two boxes of letters away.
"I thought you'd try to live because -"
"Because of Ariana?" Dumbledore asked softly, Felix nodded at him and the old man smiled. "You forget, Felix, there's another me in classroom seven."
"Thirteen-year-old Ariana should be accompanied by seventeen-year-old Albus Dumbledore, not waking up next to two elderly brothers. I went ahead and didn't let her keep the last year of her life, it would have been too cruel for her, but she has soul power in her, which sets her apart from the usual memory bodies and ghosts and makes her more real ... If she ever gets bored, she has the right to decide her own fate."
The door suddenly crashed open from outside.
"Albus! And that bastard!" Aberforth's burly body rushed in, followed by Harry, Snape, and Filius. "I don't know what kind of flowery words you are going to use this time--"
He froze when he realized that there are only two people in the room.
"Where is he?" Aberforth asked with a fierce expression as he licked his lips.
"Gone." Dumbledore said, closing his eyes. Aberforth made an odd face, and for a moment, Harry beside him even thought he would shout, but Aberforth just grimaced and stared at Dumbledore.
"Count yourself ... lucky," he muttered, and after a moment he said, "Where is the key?"
Dumbledore opened his eyes and looked over at Felix. Felix held out his hand with an expressionless face, countless tiny ancient runes gathered between his fingers and finally materialized into a solid key. He tossed the key to Aberforth.
"Filius, please make another trip down and take Aberforth to classroom seven." Dumbledore asked in a requesting tone.
"Oh, er, yes, Headmaster Dumbledore." Professor Flitwick said obediently. "Dumble- um, please follow me."
Aberforth stared at the key in his hand and then at Dumbledore sitting on the sofa, "Thank you." He grunted vaguely and followed the short Professor Flitwick out.
In the office, Dumbledore, Felix, Harry, and Snape remained behind at the moment.
Snape's eyes darted around the office and finally fell on Dumbledore, "Do I still need to guard the door? There are quite a few professors gathered at the door, and they all want to know more about the inside story, I don't know if you all heard Hagrid's loud voice ... Professor McGonagall left in a hurry and didn't say anything."
"Is Pomona back yet?" Dumbledore asked.
"Not yet, as far as I know." Snape whispered.
"It is hard on you, Severus."
Snape stared at Dumbledore for a moment, his expression cooled down as he flung back his sleeves and left the office with a stern face. As if he didn't notice, Dumbledore greeted Harry and asked him to sit opposite him.
"Harry, Harry," Dumbledore said in a near murmur, "I've thought long and hard about telling you directly that perhaps by just being passive and meeting your intended fate, you would burst forth with power and strength ... "
"I'm dying?" Harry asked, his voice slightly trembling, but his gaze held a very firm look.
Dumbledore looked at him lovingly for a long moment before he spoke again.
"You'll live through this ultimately, I promise you that, Harry. Only - yes, you do need to die once." With some difficulty, he pulled the Resurrection Stone ring from his pocket and put it on himself, and Harry and Felix stared at his hand, which, though thin and slender, was glowing with a shimmering light at the moment.
Dumbledore shook the ring, "You see, I will protect you."
Harry pursed his lips, "What do I have to do?"
"You have to be killed by Voldemort once, it has to be him for reasons you can guess without me telling you. Voldemort is now relocated to the Slytherin Chamber of Secrets. Felix and I have made some changes to the place, and it will allow you to unleash your power. Of course, you can't just show up in front of Voldemort, he knows you're a Horcrux and won't likely lay a hand on you."
"Then-"
"But there happens to be someone in the school now who can appear openly before Voldemort without fear of arousing any suspicion - I'm not saying that Voldemort trusts him, quite the opposite, it's quite possible that - "
"Snape!" Harry said suddenly.
"It's Professor Snape." Dumbledore stopped talking and said with a smile in his eyes, "I think you understand."
Harry nodded.
"I need another wand, I can't use my own wand."
"Severus is out there." Dumbledore nodded, "Oh yes, maybe you'll need it - Voldemort's wand is in the left drawer of my desk, you've seen it, the grip is like a beast's claw."
Harry remained silent for a moment, then stood up, walked around the sofa, pulled open the long-legged desk drawer, and took a wand from it.
After a few seconds of reflection, Harry placed his own wand on the table.
"Will you accompany me?" He walked to the door and looked over at Dumbledore.
"Yes, I will."
Dumbledore smiled and nodded.
The door closed behind him and Harry heard a crisp phoenix cry. He gaped in place for a few seconds and took a deep breath as the revolving staircase began to descend, and finally, the wall in front of him cracked open and the light shone in from the corridor.
Half a dozen professors gathered in the corridor, whispering and talking as they looked towards the gargoyle.
"Harry!" Hagrid shouted, waving his arm at him to signal him to walk over.
But Harry walked straight up to Snape, and the two men stared at each other.
"I need your wand."
Snape looked at him coldly.
"I need your wand - to avenge her." Harry intoned as he finished his sentence.
Snape slowly pulled his own wand out of his robes and looked at him with two vacant eyes and whispered hoarsely.
"Brittle wood, thirteen and a half inches, with a dragon heartstring wand core."
"Thanks." Harry said, flinging the wand twice as if trying to get the feel of it in his hand, and then he pointed the tip of it at himself. Hagrid made a loud inhaling sound.
Harry's face began to morph, his size stretched, his figure became more slender, his skin colour dulled and the scar on his forehead disappeared little by little ...
He took on the appearance of Snape.
Then Harry pointed his wand at himself again and his clothes turned into a wide black robe.
Hagrid looked shocked and rubbed his eyes so hard that half of his words stuck in his throat. The other professors were also startled. Someone whispered, "Animagus can greatly boost the level of Transfiguration."
"But Potter has only mastered it for less than two months, hasn't he?"
Harry is quickly adjusting to the change in his body, he recalled the way Snape walked in his head and found it unexpectedly familiar, he took a few steps back and forth and soon found the feel of it - he strutted, the hem of his black gown raised high like two deadly vipers. As he passed Hagrid, he stopped and grinned.
Hagrid's expression looked like he had seen a ghost coming to life.
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