"Over the course of eleven years, Dumbledore holed himself up at Hogwarts to protect his students, creating a haven where Lord Voldemort would not dare enter." Douggart's words were half-admiring, half-ironic.
Because of the deaths of countless students' parents by Death Eaters, or simply joining the ranks of the Death Eaters, students were happy at school, but not so happy at home…
"As far as I know, he did some things, like the Order of the Phoenix…"
According to Ivan, Dumbledore created the Order of the Phoenix, a secret resistance group, to rally resistance against the Death Eaters at the very beginning of Voldemort's rise to power.
Since he had been in contact with Sirius, he did not have to worry about anyone asking where he got his information from.
It is true, however, that Dumbledore spent most of his time as Headmaster of Hogwarts, and that the members of the Order of the Phoenix were mostly spontaneous rebels, rather than regular soldiers.
Ivan conjectured that, like in the Second Wizarding War, the Minister for Magic was reluctant to place the command of the Auror in Dumbledore's hands, and that the two sides were at loggerheads.
"I'm well aware of the Order of the Phoenix, as my father was one of Dumbledore's best friends." Dougett pursed his lips disdainfully as he continued.
"But everyone in the wizarding world knows that Voldemort is at the heart of the Death Eaters, and that they will only grow in power if he is not killed!"
"So the best thing to do would be to stage an ambush, or to force the Dark Lord to meet him head-on and kill him! The Ministry of Magic once planned a siege, and fifty Aurors were deployed, but none of them returned alive!"
"Where was Dumbledore at the time? Don't tell me he couldn't find Voldemort in the last eleven years…" Douggart's face was ferocious, his best friend among the dead.
He attributed much of this to Dumbledore's inaction.
Without even needing Dumbledore to kill Lord Voldemort, the Death Eaters' cohesiveness would be greatly reduced if Lord Voldemort were defeated fair and square.
If Voldemort were no longer invincible, the Death Eaters would not have grown to such an extent that they could do as they pleased…
Doggett then exclaimed.
"But yes, Dumbledore is the most famous wizard in the wizarding world, and would not risk his life in a mortal duel with Lord Voldemort…"
"Perhaps he also planned to save the day as The One when there was nothing anyone could do. After all, he did the same when he defeated Grindelwald…
Yes, the great Dumbledore, the greatest white wizard in the wizarding world!"
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, thinking that Professor Dumbledore would not be such a person, but did not know how to respond.
Ivan knows better, and understands that Dumbledore delayed his final battle with Grindelwald for five years because the non-confrontational Blood Curse was restraining them.
However, it is strange for Dumbledore to sit and watch Voldemort grow for eleven years.
Decades ago, Dumbledore fought Grindelwald to the death,
How could Dumbledore, who had the most powerful wand of his time, fear the new Lord Voldemort?
The white wizard who speaks of death as nothing more than a great adventure, and will not fear it…
Could Dumbledore have known that Voldemort could not be killed for some reason?
Or perhaps Dumbledore knew he couldn't keep him…
After all, Grindelwald was willing to fight Dumbledore to the death because of their special relationship, but Voldemort had no such qualms. Wizards of this level would be very difficult to catch and even more difficult to kill if they avoided battle.
This may be the reason why Lord Voldemort, who claims to be more powerful than any living wizard, is suspected by many to have always feared Dumbledore…
Some thoughts passed through Ivan's mind, but he kept them to himself, keeping his doubts to himself. He should not know so much.
After venting for a while, Doggett calmed down and spoke.
"At the height of Lord Voldemort's power, St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries was no exception for the resistance to save Aurors and Dark Lords.
They organised a total of seven large-scale attacks throughout the year, with over a hundred hospital staff and over four hundred casualties in the hospital… By the seventh attack, there were fewer than fifty able-bodied people left!"
Doggett's tone was mournful as he spoke. He had seen too many tragedies and deaths.
Some were heavily injured and still fought on the front lines of the battlefield, while others who might have been joking yesterday became cold names on the list of casualties today.
The hopelessness of not seeing hope nearly engulfed St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and everyone knew that they would most likely not survive the next attack…
"It was during one of those battles that I was captured by a Death Eater!" said Doggett, shuddering at the memory. "They tortured me all day, trying to get me to join them and work for the Dark Lord!"
'So, you surrendered?'
Ivan looked at Doggett without stating the obvious, but his eyes betrayed his thoughts.
"Of course I didn't agree!" snapped Doggett, then sighed.
"But the next day, the Dark Lord himself found me!
Tell me how many Death Eaters have been killed trying to attack St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, much to the Dark Lord's annoyance, and how his patience has worn thin, and how he is prepared to break into St Mungo's himself… only a massacre will calm his anger!
He will kill everyone there, resistance and innocent alike!"
Doggett could not help but recall the scene. St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries could no longer withstand the next attack, let alone Lord Voldemort himself…
There were his friends, hundreds of wizards who had lost their ability to fight, and his… father.
"The Dark Lord promised that if I joined the Death Eaters and took down St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, he would not kill anyone and would let me do whatever I wanted with everyone in there," said Doggett.
"You believe what Lord Voldemort tells you?" Ivan frowned. Wasn't Doggett worried that the Dark Lord would go back on his word and kill him?
Doggett shook his head and explained.
"He had no choice! In the war against the Resistors and the Aurors, the Death Eaters suffered equally heavy casualties, and the Dark Lord required a large number of Healers, and nobody but me could control St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries! That's why the Death Eaters didn't kill me…"
(P.S.: Doggett did not know that wizards of Voldemort's level were difficult to deal with, as he believed Dumbledore to be capable of defeating Grindelwald and thus ending the Wizarding War, as well as dealing with Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters in the same manner, hence his complaint about Dumbledore's inaction.)