abnabooks Chapter 84, Section 83: He's still just a child, what's wrong with learning from Li Huo?
Chapter 84, Section 83: He's still just a child, what's wrong with learning from Li Huo?
The blue of the flames illuminated the entire corridor, like a painting, as if the scene had frozen in time.
Apart from the sound of Fiendfire burning and the little wizard's soft breathing.
There was no other sound.
Snape's hand holding the wand was trembling.
Along the way, he considered many possibilities he might encounter. He even prepared for the worst, that he might take Ian's cold body away.
Who would have thought that the corpses were there, still warm, but they were all floating in the air. The little wizard, who was expected to pay the price for his recklessness, didn't even have a piece of cloth on him.
"Who taught you Fiendfire?" After a long silence, Snape put down his wand, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He sensed a powerful presence in Ian that was not typical of a young wizard.
Even worse than that person back then.
"Headmaster Dumbledore praised my use of Fiendfyre," Ian said, still not betraying his friend.
He simply gave an irrelevant reason for his "legitimate" possession of the Fiery Blade.
"Are you still hoping Dumbledore will award you an award?" Snape glared angrily at the ruby on the ground, his Fiery Blaze raging but not touching the gem in the slightest.
This control...—it sent a chill down his spine.
"A special contribution award? I think it's appropriate. The guy you asked me to keep an eye on almost burned down the entire school. If I hadn't arrived in time, he might have succeeded."
Ian looked at the portrait of Barnabas.
"I can testify for him."
As Barnabas caught the troll's club with his head, he gave Ian a thumbs-up. "When Dumbledore dies, it would be best if you took over as the next headmaster of Hogwarts. I've long been disgusted with the current academic education system; perhaps you can restore the glory of the traveling school."
As expected of a portrait from over a decade ago, this idea is a little different from others. Of course, being nostalgic is nothing to be surprised about.
"Shut up, you idiot who was humiliated beneath a troll!" Snape glared at Barnabas, then walked to the area where the ruby lay quietly.
He looked at Ian.
Ian then withdrew the fiery flames around the ruby—the fire serpents were still emerging, and only the barrier formed by this fiery flames could protect them from the fire serpents.
"What's he doing here?"
Snape grabbed the gem from the ground, without any careful examination, and smashed it to the ground. A wisp of red mist rose from the shattered gem and then dissipated.
The next moment, the fire serpent, which had been attacking frantically, suddenly began to dart around wildly, as if it had suddenly reverted to its original nature of only wanting to find a safe place to lay its eggs.
"What's the underlying principle?"
Ian withdrew most of the Fiendfire.
"Was he here looking for this artifact of dark magic?" Snape began to investigate, frowning as he looked at the wall where the door to the Room of Requirement had disappeared.
"No, he came looking for something else, but it seems he didn't find it, so he's furious and wants to burn the school down." Ian temporarily concealed the matter of the crown.
There was nothing he could do; the crown had already been returned to its rightful owner, and he couldn't explain where he had taken it. He couldn't very well say that he had just randomly found a shop and sold it, could he?
Hemp egg!
It's all Voldemort's fault!
Why does Voldemort always try to stop others from focusing on their studies?
"Perhaps what he's looking for is nearby?"
Ian glanced at the portrait of Bananaba. Bananaba didn't say anything. Ian remembered that Bananaba also couldn't bring up the crown to others.
"What is he looking for?" Snape pressed.
Ian shook his head.
"He didn't find him, he just kept muttering that Dumbledore wouldn't let him go and that the Dark Lord would kill him. I guess he's working for that person whose name can't be mentioned."
He is still only telling part of the truth.
"The entire Carol family were once followers of that person. Perhaps he wanted to find that person's relics and try to use them to revitalize his own family." Snape's eyes flickered slightly, and it was unclear what he was thinking. His explanation was obviously intended to dispel any doubts that Ian might have.
"Remember, that man is dead. He died ten years ago on that night. This is an open secret in the wizarding world. What you heard was just the ravings of Averison Carroll!"
"He's been affected by that man's evil relics!" Snape warned Ian with a hint of fear in his voice, a flicker of pain in his eyes.
"But what if the professors ask where the relics that influenced Averyson Carroll are?" Ian knew perfectly well that Voldemort was not dead but had simply gone into hiding, and he also understood that Snape had lost his beloved that night. He did not expose Snape's lie, nor did he want to reopen old wounds.
"That's not your concern. The professors won't ask you because they won't know you've been here. I'll cast an unspeakable curse on this damned portrait!"
Snape looked at the portrait of Barnabas, took out his spell and cast a spell on it. Barnabas's fierce resistance did not make him hesitate at all.
"You're all equally bad—."
Silly Banaba lay sprawled on the ground, looking utterly dejected.
Many years have passed.
He never expected to be cursed in the same way. He was just a painting. What had he done wrong? It wasn't like he wanted to be placed at the entrance of this place of trouble.
"Is everything alright now?" Ian breathed a sigh of relief, while also memorizing the spell Snape used, preparing to go back and look up this useful magic.
"Why weren't you this naive when you were killing people with Fiendfyre?" Snape said through gritted teeth, then looked at Ian with a fierce expression.
"I only told you to keep an eye on him! I didn't tell you to kill him! No! You shouldn't have come with him in the first place!" Snape still felt a chill run down his spine when he thought about it.
Hearing this, Ian sighed helplessly, "You said you were ordered to lie down and do nothing, and the professors are too busy to handle it. He's obviously planning to sneak out and do some naughty things."
"I was indeed just keeping an eye on him as you instructed. If it weren't for him trying to burn down the entire school..."
I would never willingly step forward to stop his utterly insane behavior.
As he spoke, Ian pointed to the suit of armor he had manipulated with Transfiguration, "Can you believe it? That idiot actually threw two Unforgivable Curses at me the moment we met. We couldn't even have a proper talk. He's like this in seventh grade. Who knows how many more bad things he'll do after graduation?"
The tone was full of amazement and emotion.
This made the veins on Snape's forehead throb.
"How dare Carlo compare to you? Blaze! You stole this kind of magic in your first year, what do you want to do? Try to use it to make everyone submit to you?"
Snape stared intently at Ian.
"This is the kind of romance that only existed in the Middle Ages. I remember that year, two of my friends died in a friendly sparring match. Today's scene makes me feel much younger."
Barnabas on the wall seized the opportunity to remark, but Snape simply flicked his wand, sealing the entire frame with some kind of substance, preventing any sound from emanating from it.
Poor ballet teacher.
"Wasn't I protecting everyone with Fiendfire? Evil is only found in wizards, not magic. You're a professor; how could you not understand such a simple truth!"
Ian's eyes widened.
"You killed someone! And the worst part is that you used such vicious dark magic!" Snape's voice suddenly rose, his tone becoming even more agitated through gritted teeth.
"You think Dumbledore is your kind headmaster? A recipient of a special award? No matter how justified you think your actions are, Dumbledore will not tolerate you continuing to live at Hogwarts!"
His face, though visibly annoyed, also held a hint of barely concealed worry.
"You have no idea how sensitive Dumbledore is to the Dark Arts. If you want him to spare you from being sent to Azkaban, I'll probably have to plead with him on your behalf!"
obviously.
Snape didn't think killing was a big deal; what was really troublesome was Ian using Fiendfire to kill people. His anger and unease stemmed more from his concern for Ian.
In his view.
Ian's behavior has undoubtedly crossed Dumbledore's line.
"Didn't you already handle it?"
Ian looked at the portrait, which was shrouded in a bubble membrane.
"This might fool the other professors, but it certainly won't fool Dumbledore. He always knows things he can't possibly know. That's the headmaster of Hogwarts right now!"
"The most powerful wizard of the 20th century! If you knew about your friend's family, you would understand that Dumbledore's power and terror far exceed people's praise!"
"Prince, he's not the savior, he's the victor!"
Under normal circumstances.
Snape would never say such things to anyone else.
But Dumbledore's madness today terrified him. He could no longer fathom Dumbledore's thoughts, so he had to make this gifted and audacious blood relative realize the cruelty of the world.
"Hiss~"
Ian sensed Snape's seriousness, but he didn't think he had done anything wrong. He couldn't just watch Averson Carroll burn down the whole school, could he?
Dumbledore didn't appear when the professors were dealing with the Fire Serpent, so he was most likely not at the school at that time, which was when Hogwarts' defenses were at their weakest.
Indeed.
Hogwarts may have some defensive measures, but this is clearly not something to gamble on; if you lose, at the very least, large areas will be burned down. Ian had made a promise to Hogwarts when he took those Galleons and the diadem from the nearby Room of Requirement.
If not.
Why would he actually follow Averson Carroll up all the stairs just because Snape gave him a word of advice? Of course, Ian hadn't been unaware of the current situation when he dared to use Fiendfire.
"I might have to ask a friend to write a letter to plead my case."
If Snape's assessment wasn't an exaggeration, and Dumbledore truly always seemed to be able to figure out things he shouldn't know, then some of those things were probably no longer secrets.
This was something Ian hadn't anticipated at all. Before helping his friend inquire, how could he have possibly expected to find out about the school principal?
Ariana is so delicate and frail—how could she have such a fierce brother! When Ian received news of Penelope, he was quite unsettled for a while. Penelope and Dumbledore had clearly been exposed.
And Dumbledore's line, "I hope you tell me," is definitely a very interesting reply.
Even if Penelope didn't know what the secret was, she had already subtly conveyed Dumbledore's feelings to Ian.
"If you're hoping that Grindelwald Jr. will plead for you, you'd better give up that ridiculous idea as soon as possible. Grindelwald Jr. is probably in trouble himself right now."
Snape recalled the look in Dumbledore's eyes earlier.
He still felt a chill run down his spine.
"What happened to Aurora? I haven't seen her today."
Ian frowned and asked.
"What happens to her depends on what she does." Snape clearly didn't want to say much more, his face stern as he stared at Ian with a look of utter disappointment.
"She's been temporarily placed under protection by some people; you should worry more about yourself!"
The cold-faced but warm-hearted Potions professor scoffed and whispered, "Aurora isn't the only friend I have."
Ian felt that Snape had some misunderstandings about him.
Is he the kind of person who is withdrawn?
"Besides relying on me, if you could get Gryffindors to crawl out of their graves and plead for you, that might be of some use. Now, obediently come back to the Great Hall with me and pretend nothing happened."
"I'm going to find Dumbledore. We absolutely cannot discuss this until he finds out. Until I give you an answer, you'd better behave yourself and not cause any more trouble."
Snape, wand in hand, strode forward. The Ash Serpent was no longer unusual and therefore less dangerous, but it was still not entirely without warning.
After all, all animals have a sense of territory. If you approach the place where the fire ash snake lays its eggs, the fire ash snake that has laid its eggs and has not yet dissipated will still be aggressive.
"Is Gryffindor buried near Hogwarts?" Ian followed Snape around. He didn't know Gryffindor, but he had a Ravenclaw shirt that had been touched.
I wonder if I could sell it for a high price. Sigh, I didn't quite seize the opportunity. If only I could have gotten Rowena Ravenclaw to sign it for me. Then I could have quickly added some words before the signature and, by divine decree, it would have been delivered to the Ravenclaw lounge—
"I told you to behave! Can't you understand human language?" Snape slapped Ian on the back of the neck. Ian's words reminded him of what he had seen in Hogsmeade.
Corpse Control Spell.
Now there's the Fiendfyre spell—sigh, compared to this troublesome magic, learning the Corpse Control spell is probably quite sensible; at least playing with corpses is just a moral issue.
Li Huo is different.
Snape only hoped that Dumbledore would consider his years of loyalty and not have any "old friend" reaction because of this—the Prince family had indeed not produced any good people in recent generations, but they had obviously not produced any geniuses in dark magic either, so how did a little bastard like Ian suddenly appear!
Completely baffled, Snape urged Ian to return to the Great Hall.
Because Snape destroyed the ruby containing unknown magic, the crisis in the Great Hall was averted. However, the professors still needed to lead the upperclassmen to assist Professor McGonagall in cleaning up the source of the problem.
It would take more than one fierce demonic flame to give birth to such a large number of fire serpents; any corner of Hogwarts could be a breeding ground for fire serpents.
"Go back to sleep with them."
Snape led Ian into the Great Hall through a side door. Madam Pomfrey, whose fighting prowess wasn't particularly strong, was organizing the students to return to their respective houses with Madam Hooch, the flight instructor, and other faculty members. The first place to clean was the common room, as the young wizards needed a night that might not be a very restful one.
Of course, compared to the anxious and nervous young wizards of the other three houses, the students of Gryffindor were mostly very excited.
"I must write to my dad and tell him that tonight was absolutely thrilling, and he will be so envious of my experience."
"Did you see that? I just saved Professor Flitwick. Although the snake was more than ten meters away from Professor Flitwick, I bet he didn't see it."
"Headmaster Dumbledore should give us three days off so I can take a few friends to the Forbidden Forest for one more adventure—I mean, so we can calm our nerves down."
Although Ian also disliked the Gryffindor students' big mouths, it was undeniable that the Gryffindor students were indeed formidable in combat, and they were the house that provided the most help to the professors.
"Aren't you going to comfort the Slytherin children?" Ian watched Snape turn to leave, then glanced at the first and second-year wizards crying their eyes out in the Slytherin group.
"This is a lesson for these slugs to learn; hothouse flowers can't uphold their family's glory." Snape flicked his cloak and disappeared around the corner of the corridor in front of the side door.
"Slytherin has half-blood wizards too—" Ian watched as the Ravenclaw prefects began organizing people to return to the common room, and immediately joined the large group.
Tonight's events may have been a crisis, but after things calmed down, everyone was reflecting on the experience. Some of the older wizards walked around, discussing their shortcomings in today's performance.
The young wizards, on the other hand, were more concerned with the possessions they had left behind in their dormitories.
"I'm still a bit smarter."
Ian shook his bulging robe; all his valuables were on him, and the books he had borrowed were wrapped in oil paper and stuffed into the water tank in the washroom.
Go back to dorms.
As it turned out, Ian's decision was correct. Although there were some signs of fire serpent activity in the bathroom, the books hidden in the water tank were still intact.
Michael and William, however, were not so lucky.
"Damn it! The Fire Ash Snake burned my underwear!" William felt that his loss was extremely heavy. His face turned pale, and he seemed to be swaying and about to faint at any moment.
"Those are my underwear that I just bought not long ago! They even have a moving Dumbledore character on them!" William's boastful words made Ian glance at him sideways.
He felt he needed to be careful around his roommate. What decent person would buy such bizarre underwear? Wouldn't it feel strange to wear it?
"It's all gone! All the food I painstakingly stockpiled is gone! Those damned fire ash snakes! When I grow up, I'm going to invent a snake-killing agent that can wipe them out!"
Michael, the black guy, also suffered a significant loss; almost all the food he had secretly brought back from the auditorium was gone. However, Ian thought it might not be such a bad thing.
"Everything from last night has already been taken care of."
He offered his kind words of comfort.
The Black guy looked even more frustrated. "They're just diarrhea. It's not like they can't eat them. It's just diarrhea. Mrs. Pomfrey's medicine at the school infirmary tastes as good as a beverage."
That's a very insightful statement.
Ian thinks his roommate probably has some mental issues.
"Remember to sneak me two bottles next time."
He wasn't exactly a normal person, and he was actually somewhat curious about the smell of the potion. After briefly checking his bed, Ian realized that it wasn't entirely unscathed either.
The blankets and sheets were tattered and had a burnt smell and color. Even the suitcase under the bed had not escaped the fate of being ravaged by the fire ash snake.
These are not major issues.
After all, there is magic.
"If you ask me, the school should compensate us for our losses," William complained indignantly. His clothes and socks were also damaged, but his reaction was not as strong as when his underwear was gone.
"Whoever committed the crime should pay for it. I don't know if the professors can even find out who it was." Michael was quite reasonable, but unfortunately, his idea was destined to be impossible.
The person who needs to pay compensation is still at Hogwarts—but Avarison Carroll is now everywhere.
I need to calm down.
Ian rummaged through his suitcase; some of his clothes were already badly damaged, but the few cans of soda he had brought from the Muggle world to the wizarding world were still intact.
"Thanks to Emaar Klinan Frazier for inventing the can." Ian pulled the tab on one of the cans of Coke and gulped down several mouthfuls.
"Restored to its original state!"
Ian cast a restoration spell on the bottle opening, and the can, which had been pulled open, closed back up, as if it had never been opened at all.
I love magic!
Ian pulled the tab again.
Well known.
The first sip of cola is the best-tasting cola.
"Could you help me restore my underwear?" William approached Ian's bedside with a handful of ashes; he clearly hadn't yet mastered the spellcasting required for the late first year.
For Ian's Coke.
He and Michael had met before, and neither of them seemed particularly interested. For someone who's only just encountered it, Coke certainly doesn't appeal to its most devoted fans.
In terms of sweetness.
Many wizarding drinks are much sweeter than cola.
"Ugh~"
Ian let out a long burp and looked at the handful of fragments in William's hand. "I think even if Merlin came, he probably wouldn't be able to turn this thing back."
As he spoke.
Ian also gave it a try.
As expected, for something that has completely transformed into another substance, only Transfiguration can handle the workload; however, the ash will still turn back to ash after the [Influence] is removed.
"Let's buy another one."
Ian didn't want to see himself having to give it his all one day, while his roommate's underwear turned to dust on the spot, and he could only shake his head to show that he was powerless to do anything about it.
"This is a limited edition!"
William looked sad. He took the handful of ashes to his bedside, put it in a small box, and kept it there. It was unclear whether he kept it to motivate his magic studies or for some other reason.
"Restored to its original state!"
Ian began to restore the dormitory to its former state, making everyone's beds look brand new and restoring the damaged furniture and tables to their original condition.
"You're really amazing! No wonder you don't study much at night. You must have already learned all the first-year material!" William praised Ian even in his grief.
"You're only eleven years old, why are you so timid even in your imagination!" Ian started repairing his suitcase last, and he didn't feel tired at all after all that work.
Magic power of level eight.
The raging fire in the corridor today didn't seem to bother him much.
"Where did you go when we were in the auditorium? I wanted to share the Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans Rebecca gave me with you, but I couldn't find you anywhere." Michael had recovered from the sadness of losing the food, and he pulled an empty box from his robe.
"This was the first gift she ever gave me. Even though it was leftovers, I will cherish it for the rest of my life."
We'll use this to tell our children our story later.
Michael looked like he was embracing some kind of treasure.
"I need to pee, I'm going to find a toilet." Ian didn't want to anger Snape. Some things don't necessarily have to be faked, and he didn't want the whole school to know that he had killed someone.
He didn't know if it was because he had witnessed the effects of Aurora killing people with Fiendfire before, but today he could only bear to look at the Fiendfire as it surged onto Averison Caro.
Looking back now.
The emotional turmoil he felt was far less than he had imagined—perhaps the Fiery Flame had burned quickly enough; Ian couldn't find any other reason besides that.
"But when you came back, I saw Professor Snape coming back with you. Were you two having a contest to see who could pee the farthest?" Michael's eyesight was really sharp; he had actually noticed Ian's movements the whole time he went out and came back.
"Ian must have his reasons for going out. He must have something important to do. Maybe he saved the world without us even knowing!" William smoothed things over for Ian. Although he certainly hadn't watched Ultraman, he clearly knew how to flatter.
This is perhaps what is called talent!
The accumulation of genes from several generations!
"Saving the world? That's an exaggeration. I'm not Harry Potter. Don't flatter me like that, or I'll have to treat you to chocolate frogs tomorrow."
Ian had already seen the name of the savior in many books, which is why many people in the wizarding world get excited when they see Harry Potter.
Too many people have mentioned this savior in the book.
"You know Harry Potter? I'm really grateful to him; he avenged my father." Even Michael is a fan of Harry Potter, which shows that Harry Potter has a great influence on the younger generation.
There's a reason why Zhai Ge Ma Fen wants to be friends with Harry Potter.
"My grandfather always said that the Man of Darkness was just a terrorist who waved a wand around everywhere, and that his defeat was inevitable. Even without Harry Potter, I think Ian would have been able to defeat him when he grew up!"
"Together with Lord Grindelwald!" William, eager to cultivate a good relationship with Ian, went to great lengths to praise Ian, the leading figure of the "new generation of saints."
He didn't even try to hide it from Michael. In fact, William had tried to persuade Michael to join more than once today, and it was unclear where he got this kind of enthusiasm and drive.
He himself is clearly a person without a job, income, or social status.
"brush!"
Ian suddenly stood up.
William and Michael were both startled.
Are you going out?
William thought he had said something wrong, and his expression looked somewhat anxious and nervous.
"I need to revise your recommendation letter. I realized that my understanding of your strengths was not clear enough before. I'm a person who is always quite meticulous in my work."
Ian sat down at the small table.
He actually started writing.
William was overjoyed and showered him with auspicious words. Even Michael couldn't stand his flattery and covered his face, muttering under his breath.
"With William's skill, I probably wouldn't be able to learn it even after seven years. I'm doomed, I'll never be able to get into the Ministry of Magic."
Outside Hogsmeade Village.
The land, ravaged by flames, has become a shocking scorched wasteland. The forest within a radius of hundreds of meters has completely vanished, with only the lingering steam bearing witness to what happened here.
Dumbledore held his wand.
More than a dozen corpses lay around him, having become one with the ruins.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh~"
A plume of black smoke drifted over.
With a calm expression and gentle breathing, Dumbledore raised his head and watched as the rolling black mist landed and transformed into the Hogwarts Potions professor in a black robe.
"I thought you would leave a few alive," Snape said in a low voice, the acrid smell of smoke and burning filling the air, causing him to frown and cover his nose.
"Riddle is in such a hurry, sending these people to their deaths to hold me back. What is he looking for?" Dumbledore's gaze fell on Snape's empty hands.
He was clearly well aware of what had happened at Hogwarts before.
"The thing is probably lost. Ronnie Ehrlich probably took it before he died—or maybe it's with Grindelwald Jr.." Snape's gaze remained fixed on the dozen or so corpses of the Death Eaters.
The corpse was charred and twisted, making it impossible to recognize what it looked like before it was born. Although Snape was mentally prepared, he was still deeply shocked by the scene.
It was a horrific and cruel scene, the fragility of life and the devastating effects of magic, which made him, the sole witness, feel Dumbledore's power once again.
"If the item hadn't been lost, Riddle wouldn't have been in such a hurry." Dumbledore nodded without changing his expression, then asked Snape a question.
"Do you know what he's looking for?" Snape had a strong intuition that Voldemort's things might be with Ian, but he dared not mention it to Dumbledore.
This was no longer the Dumbledore he knew. Before he could figure out what had happened to Dumbledore, he had already lost Dumbledore's trust in him.
"I have some guesses. In his early years, before he went mad, he came back to me and made a request. Perhaps it was during that trip back, when I refused him, that he took the opportunity to hide something very important to him at Hogwarts." Dumbledore stared at Snape.
"The one we've been looking for."
Dumbledore's words caused Snape's expression to change slightly.
He quickly averted his gaze.
"Where is Marcus Flint?" Snape asked, mentioning his own students. The scene was too gruesome; he suspected they might be among the corpses.
"The one who cast the Imperius Curse on Mr. Flint was not a Death Eater; I left him in Hogsmeade."
He is being looked after by someone I trust very much, but who may harbor hatred towards me.
Dumbledore's response brought a sigh of relief to Snape; at least the headmaster of Hogwarts wasn't ruthless enough to wipe out the entire school along with its students.
"It seems you've dealt with the murderer of Ronnie Ehrlich." Snape frowned slightly and spoke in a low voice, but then, to his surprise, he saw Dumbledore shake his head.
"I used some tricks, but that person was cunning and didn't show up. All that's waiting for me here are the henchmen Riddle sent to their deaths."
Dumbledore's voice carried a hint of helplessness.
He was ultimately just a powerful wizard.
"I remember you warned me that the mastermind behind this wanted to frame me. Since we haven't found the target we were looking for..."
"How can you be so sure it's not one of those Death Eaters who hate me, this traitor, to the core?" Snape's brow furrowed even deeper. "Isn't the fact that the Death Eaters are waiting for you here proof enough?"
Upon hearing this...
Dumbledore sighed.
"I've already checked the memories of these people. They originally wanted to start a massacre to lure me here, but they didn't expect that I would arrive here before them."
His voice was somewhat low, "Perhaps in a way, the Imperius Curse user we are looking for saved Hogsmeade from an undeserved disaster."
The meaningful words made Snape's eyes flicker.
"Are you sure your old friend is still where he belongs?" Snape couldn't help but overthink, though he preferred to believe it was all just a coincidence.
otherwise.
Thinking hard!
"Of course."
Dumbledore nodded firmly.
"Then you should still check Grindelwald's memories. I still maintain my judgment: only Grindelwald could have gotten Ronnie Ehrlich to eat something poisonous!"
"Averison Carroll is just cannon fodder, a Death Eater descendant temporarily conscripted. He obviously couldn't be the rat who poisoned Ronnie Ehrlich."
Snape remained steadfast in his initial assessment.
"Averison Carroll is dead, isn't he?" Dumbledore didn't respond, but simply asked in a low voice, clearly knowing who Voldemort was commanding.
"That's another thing I wanted to tell you. He attacked Ian on the eighth floor of the castle, and Ian had no choice but to burn him to ashes with Fiendfire."
Snape's heart leaped into his throat.
however.
"You sent that kid to deal with Averson Carroll?" Dumbledore's eyes suddenly narrowed, his focus taking Snape by surprise.
"I only asked him to keep an eye on Averyson Carroll in the auditorium, but he recklessly acted cleverly and dared to follow Averyson Carroll all the way to the eighth floor!"
Snape felt a chill run down his spine from Dumbledore's gaze.
"Fortunately, he still has some skill. He burned Averson Carroll to death with Fiendfyre, and he was completely unharmed." Snape noticed that Dumbledore's gaze wasn't as sharp as before.
He then unleashed the excuse he had prepared to defend Ian: "It was Grindelwald, you can believe it, it was definitely her who taught Ian Fiendfire!"
Snape was filled with righteous indignation.
Emotions can be genuine or fake.
He genuinely disliked Aurora Grindelwald, a Slytherin student, perhaps because he felt that the girl from a bad family had corrupted Ian, who was born into the Muggle world and was full of thirst for magic.
"A first-year wizard knows Fiendfire, heh heh, that must have surprised Averison Caro."
It's fortunate that nothing we all wanted to happen went wrong. Dumbledore's leniency surprised Snape.
He didn't think Dumbledore was the type to allow his students to kill with Fiendfire.
To know.
Just two years ago.
A student tried to learn the Killing Curse, but before he could, he was expelled from Hogwarts by Dumbledore. Everyone knows that Dumbledore has almost zero tolerance for evil magic.
"What's wrong with you?"
Dumbledore was puzzled by Snape's sudden silence.
"I'll put him in solitary confinement for a while so he'll realize that some magic shouldn't be learned or used." Snape thought Dumbledore's reaction might be out of consideration for him.
He should still make some statement.
"The danger of Fiendfire lies in its uncontrollability, not in the fact that it is an unforgivable curse. Severus, you shouldn't be so harsh on a young wizard who protected the school and his classmates."
"After all, Mr. Prince has a very good control over Fiendfire, which I have personally verified." Dumbledore even smiled slightly and tried to persuade Snape instead.
"???"
Snape always believed that Ian was lying when he said Dumbledore knew he could Fiendfyre. However, it's so absurd and unbelievable that Dumbledore actually praised him!
"But."
Snape was at a loss for words. Although he didn't want Ian to be expelled or sent to Azkaban, Dumbledore was being far too lenient.
Is this still the same Dumbledore who was extremely sensitive to dark magic?
When did someone learn the Fiery Spell? They shouldn't be criticized so harshly!
Looking around at the corpses.
Snape seemed to have realized something.
perhaps.
Dumbledore probably really has something wrong with his head.
"St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Injuries and Illnesses is open at night too. Come with me." Snape tried to grab Dumbledore's arm, but Dumbledore dodged him with a puzzled look on his face.
"I only asked you to pretend to be injured. Did you really hurt yourself?" Dumbledore looked Snape up and down but didn't find any injuries on Snape's body.
Snape's expression was extremely distorted.
"Miss Grindelwald will be going back to school tomorrow, so you need to keep an eye on her for me."
suddenly.
Dumbledore suddenly gave him an order.
"Didn't you say it wouldn't be Grindelwald Jr.?" Snape's attention was successfully diverted. He frowned, completely baffled as to what Dumbledore was thinking.
really.
He's lost his mind.
He's talking incoherently.
"I already have some guesses in my mind."
Dumbledore looked at Hogwarts Castle and said in a low voice with a somewhat ambiguous tone, "But I also want to know whether Miss Grindelwald knew about this."
His words left Snape completely bewildered, giving him no time to think.
"You should go back now."
Dumbledore's tone left no room for argument.
"And you?"
Snape did not take any action.
"I need to make some arrangements, just in case."
Dumbledore was about to leave when he remembered something, so he turned back and handed Snape something.
He walked away into the distance under Snape's incredulous gaze.
An ancient and towering tower stands beside a cliff, with waves crashing against the precipice.
The air trembled slightly.
Dumbledore then appeared in front of the tower.
His robes swayed gently in the morning sun, and as soon as the illusion ended, he seemed to sense it and calmly looked up at the top of the tower.
In front of the dimly lit windowsill.
There was a person standing there.
Their eyes met.
It seems that my dearest friend from the past has been waiting for a long time.