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Chapter 352: The Truth Revealed, The Whole Story
🕑 Added 2025-04-29 16:39:05 +0000 UTCHogwarts, During the Holiday Break
Even though many students had chosen to visit Hogsmeade, the castle remained unusually lively.
Gryffindor Common Room
With a flash of orange-red light, Hermione suddenly appeared in the common room.
"Merlin's beard!" Ron exclaimed from a corner, staring in shock.
But when he saw who had arrived, he muttered under his breath, almost unconsciously,
"Not even married yet, and the phoenix already follows her?"
His voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't exactly quiet either. The comment drew several annoyed huffs from the girls nearby.
Hermione, however, had no time to spare for gossip. Confirming that she was indeed back at Hogwarts, her first instinct was to seek help.
Without hesitation, still holding the phoenix Brighid tightly in her arms, she strode out of the common room.
Eighth-Floor Corridor
Standing in front of the Fat Lady's portrait, Hermione hesitated.
Time was of the essence, but she wasn't sure who to turn to. Her first thought had been to find Dumbledore. But then she remembered the morning's issue of the Daily Prophet—the headmaster was still away, attending the International Confederation of Wizards.
A few seconds passed before Hermione's indecision vanished, replaced by determined resolve.
"Brighid, take me to the castle's lower corridors."
At the Same Time — The Dungeons
Slytherin students were startled by a familiar figure.
That bold Gryffindor girl who had once marched into their territory alone a year ago… she had returned.
But unlike last time, no one jeered. Many quietly stepped aside to make way.
After all, yesterday's events at the ball were still fresh in everyone's minds—and more telling than anything was the phoenix in her arms.
Not everyone might recognize Dumbledore's phoenix, but the vibrant orange-and-gold Brighid had become somewhat iconic, thanks to the proliferation of magical recordings. Her presence at the Quidditch World Cup had been preserved and widely circulated.
Hermione took a deep breath as she stepped into the dungeons once again. After a brief pause to get her bearings, she headed straight toward the Potions office.
And Coribelle never left her grasp for even a second.
Snape's Office — Meanwhile in Hogsmeade
While Hermione knocked on Snape's door, Voldemort sat in a modest house in Hogsmeade, looking across at Ino.
"…In the midst of everything incomplete, I saw something whole. So, do you still have that die?"
The mention of the die caught Ino off guard. But after a brief pause, a flicker of understanding crossed his eyes.
So that's the root of it.
It was all too clear now. Back in the summer of his first year, to avoid being alone with Voldemort, he had clutched that very die for protection.
"It's still with me," Ino replied. After a moment's thought, he reached into his inner pocket and pulled it out.
The current situation was no coincidence—Voldemort had come prepared. And if today didn't yield results, there would surely be a next time… and another after that.
He placed the die in the palm of his hand.
Voldemort's expression shifted. His scarlet eyes grew brighter, glowing like enchanted lanterns locked onto the die.
"Yes! That's it… I knew it! Behind every complete object lies a complete rule… Ha ha ha ha!"
Sitting back on the sofa, Voldemort broke into laughter.
There was relief in that laughter, and awe—but more than anything, there was triumph.
A Moment Later
The laughter slowly faded. Voldemort's eyes remained locked on Ino no longer, and he raised his head, his expression softening.
"Well then. If you're willing, I'd like you to gift that die to me. Galleons, gold, rare potions—you name the price."
But Ino shook his head without hesitation.
"I'm sorry, but I've yet to encounter anything more valuable than this."
Truthfully, if it were the divination die Voldemort wanted, Ino might've considered it—under the right conditions.
But the one in his hand wasn't just a tool for survival. It was a coordinate to the world where Professor Hans resided. It was a chance to once again play the role of the story's protagonist.
Not even the fabled Philosopher's Stone could match its worth.
Voldemort didn't seem offended by the refusal. In fact, he continued with perfect composure.
"No? Then forget it. After all, a deal should be mutual, not forced."
"However," he added calmly, "I would still like you to take me to the place where you discovered it. And my offer remains the same—whatever you ask, I'll provide. Surely that's not too much to ask?"
His tone was calm and pleasant. Even in rejection, he maintained decorum and grace.
For a moment, Ino genuinely considered agreeing. A Voldemort like this—rational and restrained—was someone he would rather not provoke.
But both of Voldemort's offers, while seemingly reasonable, were in fact traps.
Take him to the die's origin? If all Horcruxes had already been destroyed, maybe. Ino wouldn't have minded leading him into the sanctuary again, pulling off another rule-based execution.
But that wasn't the case. Including Harry's, they had only found six.
And Ino… he no longer lived alone under a bridge, forgotten by the world. He had Hermione. Draco. Snape. And other friends.
He couldn't take that gamble. And he wouldn't.
Because there was no benefit to doing so—only the risk of turning a calm Voldemort into a relentless enemy.
Faced with Voldemort's request, Ino felt the true meaning of being caught between a rock and a hard place.
Meanwhile, Voldemort—seeing him hesitate—didn't press further. He simply opened a paper bag beside him and began to eat candy slowly.
Time ticked by.
When Voldemort reached for his third sweet, Ino finally spoke.
"If you don't mind, could you wait here a moment?"
And with that, he vanished on the spot.
The moment Ino disappeared, Voldemort abruptly sat upright.
His pleasant expression, worn since his arrival, vanished completely. His face darkened into serious contemplation.
His glowing red eyes narrowed, scanning the room with intense scrutiny.
A moment later, Ino reappeared in the same seat, and the sound of slow, deliberate applause echoed through the room.
"Incredible… truly incredible. Your capabilities exceeded my expectations."
Voldemort clapped, his voice filled with genuine admiration.
The magic ward he had personally constructed around this room forbade Apparition of any kind. Not even Dumbledore could have left without walking out the door like any other guest.
And yet, Ino had done it.
But Ino didn't respond to the praise. Instead, he pulled several objects from his pocket and placed them on the table.
Three gemstones—and a different die.
Unlike the irregular, multifaceted one from before, this was a simple wooden six-sided die, each face clearly engraved with numbers one through six.
Once everything was laid out, Ino smiled faintly at Voldemort.
In truth, both the divination die and the gemstones had been in his pocket all along.
But compared to simply pulling them out, deliberately stepping into the sanctuary and returning in front of Voldemort made the stronger statement.
Magic could restrict phoenixes, house-elves, even alchemical items—but it could not restrain the sanctuary's unique nature.
A brief demonstration—and the impact was undeniable.
He much preferred Voldemort's current expression—confused, wary—to the smug confidence he'd worn earlier.
"I'm afraid I still can't grant your request," Ino said gently. "That place remains off-limits."
"However, these items here—these can be exchanged."
