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Chapter 1064: Plan
🕑 Added 2024-03-31 11:48:31 +0000 UTCWhat the Ministry of Magic ushered in was not victory, but the beginning of a comprehensive defeat.
Fudge's plan was destined to be impossible to realize. He simply could not find Umbridge who was imprisoned in the giant's cave.
And he would soon discover that Hogwarts was going to be a mess after driving Dumbledore away.
An unstable Hogwarts was going to be a big problem for the Ministry of Magic, as Fudge would soon find out.
Looking at Fudge who was smug, Professor McGonagall said nothing but marched Harry to the door. As it swung closed behind them, Harry heard Phineas Nigellus’s voice
“You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts … but you cannot deny he’s got style!"
Meanwhile, Evan only felt a flash of golden fire in front of his eyes, and they came to Grimmauld Place...
It was not a Portkey, nor Apparition. This time, he could be sure that the Phoenix had the power to transcend space.
With Fawkes's help, they traveled across space from Hogwarts to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.
This kind of spatial crossing was a unique magical power, which felt much better than Apparition and Portkeys.
Not to mention, this kind of magic was not part of anti-Apparition enchantments surrounding Hogwarts.
This meant that Dumbledore could come and go anywhere as long as Fawkes was around, ignoring the protective magic.
From this point of view, the phoenix was really a practical pet, much better than a cat that could do nothing except act cute and lick.
"Unbelievable, we actually left Hogwarts like that!" said Hermione breathlessly, looking around.
They were standing in the dim kitchen of the Black family's ancestral home. In front of them was a long wooden dining table with chairs scattered around.
Not far away, the fire in the fireplace had extinguished!
There was only a little light in the house, eerily quiet, with no sound; Sirius and Kreacher were nowhere to be found.
Fawkes screeched and flew to the snake-shaped chandelier. The chandelier swayed and made a creaking sound.
"Professor, what should we do now?"
"Well, where’s my uncle?" Elaine also asked. "You just said that his injuries have healed!"
“Yes, but I need to go get him," said Dumbledore. "This house is safe. You stay here and don't go anywhere. Sirius will be back soon, and Fudge and the Ministry of Magic will definitely be looking for us frantically."
There was no doubt about this, in just a few hours; they would become the Ministry's most wanted criminals.
Tomorrow morning, people would know from the newspapers that Dumbledore teamed up with the vampires to plan the Death Eaters' escape and defected from Hogwarts.
He also took away three students. Elaine would definitely be wanted, and Evan and Hermione might end up as wanted criminals too.
For most people, this was probably the most unbelievable thing, just like the sun rising from the west.
As the greatest white wizard in the world and currently the most powerful wizard, Dumbledore suddenly became an evil Dark wizard, contacting vampires and rescuing Death Eaters. Except for idiots like Fudge, there was probably no one in the entire Wizarding World who would believe it, nor would anyone be pleased to uncover Dumbledore's true face.
On the contrary, it would be the beginning of chaos, bringing panic to the Ministry of Magic.
Anyone with a functioning intellect would know that the truth of the matter couldn't possibly be this.
In the past few decades, if Dumbledore wanted to rule the Wizarding World, he had had so many opportunities. He didn't have to wait until now, and no one could stop him.
This kind of news was as hard to believe as Voldemort's resurrection and return, and even more difficult to accept emotionally.
Fudge would soon realize that what he'd brought upon himself was not victory in struggle, but endless trouble.
All in all, on the face of it, the current situation looked dire.
But apart from forcing Dumbledore away from Hogwarts, they actually hadn't suffered any losses.
Instead, they could turn this setback into an advantage, lull Voldemort, and then proceed with the next plan.
Again, Fudge would regret it soon.
Hogwarts and even the entire Wizarding World without Dumbledore would be a problem for him.
"Professor, are we just staying here?"
"Yes, at least for now!" Dumbledore nodded.
He waved his wand, and flames burst up in the fireplace.
The flames dispersed the darkness and cold, and they no longer had to sit in the dark kitchen with pale faces.
"I still have a few things to deal with, some preparations to make. After Caresius comes back, we will set off to Norway. Well, the situation there also needs to be dealt with urgently. From this point of view, Fudge helped us; otherwise, I would have to find another way to leave Hogwarts."
Leaving Hogwarts was not only Evan's need, but also Dumbledore's recent plan.
Of course, Elaine, who was the cause of this incident, had no sense of guilt.
Although Hogwarts was interesting, it didn't give her much of a sense of belonging.
From the moment Umbridge offended her, she'd been eager to give her a good lesson, even if it meant leaving Hogwarts.
The only one who was a bit anxious and innocent was Hermione. She’d been involved purely because of Evan. She didn't actually need to take the risk in Norway.
Hermione was willing to sacrifice for Evan, and she did so willingly.
Evan held Hermione's left hand tightly, saying nothing; everything was understood without words.
Dumbledore didn't ask about Umbridge and seemed to already know everything.
He briefly talked about the recent arrangements and told Evan and Hermione not to worry about their parents.
He thought Fudge might think they were going back home, or have their homes under surveillance, and he would send someone to deal with it.
"Professor, what about what I said earlier?" After Dumbledore finished speaking, Evan asked, "About the plan to lure Voldemort to the Ministry of Magic?"
“Your plan is good, but you have to understand that this is a battle of endurance. After splitting his soul so many times, I don't believe he will have the patience to endure for too long," said Dumbledore. "Time will slowly drive him insane, as time passes, he will gradually lose his sanity and eventually become mad..."
In this way, Dumbledore disagreed with Evan’s suggestion, maybe because he thought his plan was too risky.
After all, there was a problem here, Harry needed to be used as bait, and Dumbledore still did not want to do that.
"It's impossible for Harry to learn Occlumency, Professor!" said Evan, looking into Dumbledore's eyes. "His scar fundamentally prevents him from closing his mind to Voldemort. It's not just a mental connection like Legilimency; it's on a soul level. Occlumency simply can't prevent Harry from further exposing his thoughts to Voldemort, especially since it's Snape teaching him. We need to take the initiative, rather than relying on Harry's defense."
"It's Professor Snape, Evan!" said Dumbledore simply. He stared at the burning fire and seemed to be thinking, "Maybe you are right. Old men are prone to mistakes, too conservative! We should be more proactive, especially since our current enemy is not just Voldemort..."
