Murphy raised an eyebrow.
Tsk, it seems the persuasion didn't quite work; she's asking for conditions now. And she didn't even specify what the condition is. Is the girl finally starting to think more critically?
But no matter, whatever the condition, just agree first and see if it can be fulfilled later. After all, Murphy Darkholme never claimed to always keep his word, did he? Storing the letter away, Murphy continued to discuss Lucas's "special ability" for a while longer, ultimately assigning her the task of researching whether Horcruxes could be transferred.
He pondered if transferring Lucas's Horcrux from the diary to something else, like a server, could significantly enhance its memory storage and retrieval capabilities. Of course, this would undoubtedly involve many technical steps, but it was worth some preliminary research.
After Murphy left, Lucas sifted through her memories, preparing to revisit the Horcrux-related knowledge for further study.
However, as she delved into memories of the past year, she inadvertently started watching those scenes, feeling somewhat lost in nostalgia.
She wondered how Harry and the others were doing now...
...
White Stoat Hill.
It was the summer holidays, and knowing Harry was not in high spirits, Sirius had taken him out for a bit before recently returning.
Upon their return, Harry received a pile of letters, including ones from Ron and Hermione and even Cho Chang and Malfoy. However, the most surprising was a letter from the Dursley family.
Although Uncle Vernon's tone was still harsh, he actually inquired if Harry was still alive or if any wizard had turned him into a frog.
Harry didn't know if he was seriously ill, but he actually felt a bit of concern in those words. He initially wanted to write back and thank Uncle Vernon, but as he picked up the quill, a thought struck him.
Forget it. We'll no longer have any interaction. They're Muggles, and I'm a wizard. We probably won't see each other again, so why maintain this pretense?
Instead of wasting time and energy on such matters, it would be better to read a few more books and practice more spells.
With that thought, he returned to his room.
Harry's room was on the second floor of Sirius's cottage.
A desk was placed near the window, and hanging on the wall next to it was a clipped article from The Daily Prophet.
The main picture on the newspaper was of a melancholic blonde boy, with the headline: "Student Suddenly Dies, Dumbledore Resigns as Headmaster."
"Tom..." A shadow of pain crossed Harry's eyes.
Tom had died protecting him, just as his mother had died to protect him—he had learned from Sirius why he was able to defeat Voldemort as a baby.
Though he knew Quirrell and Voldemort were responsible for Tom's death, Harry couldn't help but feel partly to blame.
"If only I were stronger, if only I didn't need others to protect me, maybe this tragedy wouldn't have happened, maybe..."
He looked at his reflection in the window glass, a bespectacled melancholy boy, looking frail and helpless. He suddenly disliked this version of himself.
"I should become stronger. I need to grasp more power. Only then can I prevent such things from happening again..." Red glimmers flashed briefly in the reflection's eyes, unnoticed by Harry.
Just then, with a distortion in space, a tall figure with white hair suddenly appeared outside the cottage.
The red in Harry's eyes vanished instantly as he saw the man, "Dumbledore? What's he doing here?"
The old man, sensing Harry's gaze, raised his head and nodded towards him, then knocked on the door downstairs.
Sirius, hearing the knock, opened the door.
"Professor, how... Please, come in." Sirius let Dumbledore into the house and served him a cup of honey grapefruit tea.
"This is a cozy place," Dumbledore looked around Sirius's house, "When you wrote to me about wanting to adopt Harry, I wanted to visit but never found the chance. Do you find living here happier compared to the old house?"
"Yes, professor, that old house was nauseating," Sirius said, "I've found a long-lost peace here."
"I'm sure Harry feels much more comfortable by your side," Dumbledore said, "Though I'm a bit concerned about that magic, I trust you can take good care of him."
"I would give my life for him," Sirius said without hesitation.
That was also why he had convinced Dumbledore back then.
No matter how powerful a spell, once Voldemort caught on, there would be ways to break it. But Sirius, willing to sacrifice himself for Harry, was a living shield and barrier, more reliable and secure than any magic.
After a moment of silence, Sirius spoke, "Professor, how have you been? I heard you resigned as headmaster."
Dumbledore nodded, "To be honest, not very well. I somewhat underestimated the other party, but in the end, it was my oversight, a price I must pay."
"They say, Murphy Darkholme framed you, is it true?" Sirius couldn't help asking.
Dumbledore shook his head, "Not exactly framing. He just selectively told some truths and hid some facts. As I said, it was my oversight."
Continuing, Dumbledore sighed, "I'll stop beating around the bush, a habit I've yet to break, but perhaps I should learn from this experience. Sirius, I need your help. I need the Order of the Phoenix. I came here to ask if you would come back to help me."
"Help you... against Murphy Darkholme? Is he the enemy? Or, as others say, is he a dark lord?"
Dumbledore, however, shook his head, "Not quite the same. Murphy... he's not entirely a bad person, unlike Voldemort. Yes, he's ambitious and ruthless, but he's not cruel. In fact, sometimes I feel he tries to use the most compassionate methods possible."
"But he's dangerous. More dangerous than Voldemort."
"I... don't quite understand, Professor..." Sirius said, "To be honest, I've met Murphy a few times. In fact, he even brought Remus to see me. He also has a house nearby; we're practically neighbors... He seemed nice to me, and I find it hard to believe he's a dangerous person."
"The danger in Murphy lies not in his character or his actions," Dumbledore explained. "As I said, he's not entirely a bad person. In fact, many professors and students at the school quite like him."
"His danger lies in what he intends to do."
"He wants to break the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy. What he's doing will expose our existence to Muggle society," Dumbledore stated. "And this, more than Voldemort's reign of terror, is far more terrifying, many times over!"
A moment of silence fell over the room as Sirius processed Dumbledore's words. Then, looking troubled, he voiced his confusion.
"Professor, during our previous encounters, Murphy didn't strike me as someone who'd rashly endanger our world. He helped with Lupin, and from what I've seen, he's contributed positively to our community... I find it difficult to view him as this grave threat you describe."
Dumbledore sighed deeply, "That's precisely what makes him so dangerous. His actions, under the guise of progress and mutual benefit, could irreparably change our world. It's a change that we might not be prepared for."
"Sirius, I'm not asking you to confront him directly. What I seek is your support, to strengthen the Order of the Phoenix. We need to be ready, to offer protection, and if necessary, to stand as a bulwark against the coming storm."
Sirius remained silent, deep in thought. Dumbledore's request weighed heavily on him. The thought of standing against someone who, at least to him, seemed to be making a positive difference was daunting.
"Professor, I will always stand by you, and by Harry," Sirius finally said, his resolve clear in his voice. "But I hope, before it comes to that, we can find a way to understand Murphy's true intentions. Perhaps there's a path forward that doesn't lead to conflict."
Dumbledore nodded, a mixture of gratitude and sadness in his eyes. "I hope so too, Sirius. For the sake of our world, I truly do."
As Dumbledore finished his tea, the atmosphere in the room was one of somber determination. The future was uncertain, and the path ahead fraught with potential peril. But for now, at least, they had each other, united in their resolve to protect their world, no matter what challenges lay ahead.
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