Ms. Cariman, appearing very assertive, immediately convened the rest of the Board of Governors, and the interrogation of Dumbledore began without delay.
"There is one point in this matter that I find particularly incomprehensible," Ms. Cariman began, "and it's one of the key issues in this educational hearing. I want to know: Is the Philosopher's Stone property of Hogwarts? Is it the property of the students?"
"Ms. Cariman, please speak your mind," Rasmus said.
"If the Philosopher's Stone is neither the property of the students nor of Hogwarts, then why does it need to be protected at Hogwarts?"
"I can understand that Professor Dumbledore accepted his friend Nicolas Flamel's request to protect the Philosopher's Stone from the Dark Lord. But why place it in Hogwarts? Why involve the professors in setting traps to protect it?"
"From the narratives of the few young wizards and Professor Snape, we can see that the traps protecting the Philosopher's Stone included a three-headed dog, Devil's Snare, a troll, transfigured chess pieces, and poison. Any of these could have resulted in a student's death."
"In fact, Mr. Weasley was injured by the chess pieces, and the troll almost caused harm to several students, creating chaos in the school."
"Protecting the Philosopher's Stone was a personal commitment and responsibility of Professor Dumbledore, but was it an abuse of the Headmaster's authority to command the professors to assist? And isn't it too careless to put students at risk for this?"
"Professor Murphy," Ms. Cariman turned to Murphy, "I heard that you had previously warned Professor McGonagall about this, correct?"
"Yes," Murphy said, "I mentioned this when Professor McGonagall approached me to participate in the task of protecting the Stone. I pointed out that these risks should not be borne by the students."
"Deputy Headmistress McGonagall," Cariman then addressed McGonagall, "As the Chairwoman of the Board of Governors, I'd like to ask you, did you relay Professor Murphy's concerns to Headmaster Dumbledore?"
Professor McGonagall, sensing trouble, replied truthfully, "Yes, I informed Albus, but the Headmaster had more considerations..."
"Then, Professor Dumbledore, what are these 'more considerations'? What could possibly justify exposing students to life-threatening dangers by setting those traps in the school?"
"Furthermore, there's a crucial point," Ms. Cariman continued, "Did you anticipate that the person intending to steal the Philosopher's Stone was the Dark Lord?"
"What I mean is, did you, knowing that the Dark Lord might infiltrate Hogwarts for the Stone, still decide to bring it to Hogwarts, exposing students to his threat?"
This accusation was far more severe than the previous one.
After all, the danger of the traps could be mitigated with sufficient warning to the students.
But bringing the Philosopher's Stone to the school, knowing Voldemort was after it—and when it wasn't even Hogwarts' responsibility to protect it—clearly showed prioritizing personal commitments over the safety of the students.
Dumbledore remained silent.
He couldn't answer this question.
To do so, he would have to admit that his motive was to expose Harry to the test, to let Harry learn to face Voldemort early.
But this was also a paradox; to others, this action seemed like pushing a young wizard into Voldemort's path.
And to explain why he wanted Harry to face Voldemort, he would have to mention the prophecy.
No, it was too early.
Too early for Harry, and for Voldemort.
If Voldemort's minions knew about this prophecy now, when he returns, he might reassess his relationship with Harry... which could be disadvantageous for Harry and the entire wizarding world.
Moreover, even if he explained his motives now, he still couldn't absolve himself of abusing his authority.
This was a trap he couldn't avoid.
Dumbledore now fully understood the course of events. Looking at Murphy, he felt both shock and deep puzzlement.
The shock was because Murphy had hit his most vulnerable spot with a grand and sophisticated move that left him in awe.
The puzzlement was because he still couldn't fully grasp the full extent of the situation.
Lucas Brightson, what exactly was going on?
In fact, the methods he left behind the trapdoor weren't just a fake Philosopher's Stone.
Using the Mirror of Erised wasn't just about its ability to reflect desires; he could also directly see everything happening in that room through the mirror.
Otherwise, how could he be sure of Harry's choice?
How could he ensure Harry's safety?
He previously told Harry he was invisibly in the room, but was he actually waiting by the mirror every day for Harry?
He had to keep everything under his control.
The other professors' traps were just a minor test of Harry's intellect, of course, knowing they couldn't stop Voldemort.
The real obstacle for Voldemort was him.
And the mirror was his window to observe the unfolding events, ready to appear immediately if things went out of control, preventing the worst from happening.
That day, when he saw Lucas suddenly appear through the Mirror of Erised, he sensed trouble. But Snape took the two away in time, relieving him momentarily and making him believe Harry was temporarily safe.
Without Voldemort's appearance, having ensured Harry's safety, he had no further worries.
But everything that happened afterward was completely unexpected.
Voldemort couldn't have devised such a scheme.
None of this should have happened.
Everything boiled down to Lucas Brightson.
And to understand Lucas, one must understand the diary mentioned by Quirrell.
When Quirrell mentioned the diary, Dumbledore immediately thought of the notebook supposedly Voldemort's diary he had seen in the Wizengamot a few years ago.
That item was fake, a prop Murphy used to frame Lucius.
But what if it had an original? Otherwise, why would Lucius have seemed so flustered?
If Murphy spoke a bit of truth in that trial, the notebook might indeed have been a tool for Voldemort's planned resurrection.
Dobby said Murphy took the notebook. If Dobby spoke of the real notebook, then it had been in Murphy's hands since then.
Following this line of thought, considering the mysteries surrounding Lucas Brightson, such as his discovery by Murphy's confidant, Dumbledore felt he was touching the edge of a puzzle.
Is there a possibility that Lucas Brightson was not under Voldemort's control but under Murphy's?
If so, Murphy Darkholme might have laid this intricate, bewildering chess game even before the school year began.
And even now, he still couldn't figure out how it was done.
What kind of intellect is this?
What kind of methods are these?
What kind of enemy am I facing?!
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