The Shopkeeper of All Worlds in the British Wizarding World

Chapter 572 is in hand (please subscribe, please collect, please vote)
Professor Slughorn was curled up beside a square table in the middle of an empty classroom like a fat walrus. Harry was half-kneeling in front of him, looking up at Slughorn's tearful eyes, which made the Potions Professor unable to turn his face.

"What you said makes some sense. I really feel very sorry for your mother's death." He whispered, "If I can help you... Of course it's no problem... But that thing is useless..."

"It is useful," Harry said clearly, "that part of your memory Dumbledore needs to know, and I need to know. I think it is the key, the only key, to avenge my mother."

Harry looked Slughorn in the eye and leaned forward a little closer to him. "I am the savior, and I must kill him. So, I need that memory."

Under Harry's gaze, the blood color on Slughorn's face slowly faded. Now his face not only did not have the flush of alcohol, but also looked a little pale. Sweat also seeped from his broad forehead. "Are you the savior?"

"Of course I am, and everyone here knows it," Harry said, pointing at Lionel and Hermione, who nodded in unison when Slughorn's eyes met theirs.

"But... my dear child... you are asking too much... In fact, you are asking me to help you destroy a powerful dark wizard that no one has ever destroyed -"

"No, it's not as terrible as you say." Harry softened his tone and comforted. "Don't you hate the person who took away your friends, your students, and even your normal life, forcing you to hide everywhere?"

"Harry, of course I hate him. But -" At this point Slughorn looked very frightened.

"I know what you are afraid of. You are afraid that he will find out that you helped Harry. But the problem now is that with the mysterious man's personality, he may not ask you whether you have revealed his secret. He will kill anyone he thinks is not good for him." Hermione said in a flat voice.

"But I'm his teacher, his headmaster—" Slughorn was interrupted before he could finish his words. "He killed his father and grandparents with his own hands, and indirectly killed his uncle."

After hearing this, Slughorn turned his head back and looked at Harry with a hopeful look. "Isn't what they said true?"

"What they said is true." Harry did not give Slughorn the answer he wanted to hear. "So the only way for you to keep yourself safe now is to face him bravely like my mother, and face this terrible situation now."

Slughorn looked like he had collapsed. Actually, he had been in a state of extreme mental tension since Voldemort's resurrection. So after drinking a lot of wine today, he immediately lost his composure when Harry suddenly revealed the bloody reality. He was shaking all over and sobbing continuously. He looked like a huge baby.

"I feel dishonorable..." Slughorn covered his face with his hands, then whispered through his fingers, "I am ashamed of - of what that memory shows... I think I may have caused great harm that day..."

"It's okay. If you give me your memory, it will cancel everything out," Harry said. "It is a very brave and noble thing to do. It can help you get rid of your inner anxiety and protect your safety as much as possible. So please tell me the secret. It will be a very good thing for both you and us."

Afterwards, Harry and Slughorn stared at each other for a while in the dim candlelight. Finally, Slughorn reached into his pocket very slowly and pulled out his wand. With his other hand, he fished out a small empty bottle from his cloak. He still stared into Harry's eyes and put the tip of the wand against his temple, then slowly lifted the wand. The tip of the wand brought out a long silver thread of memory. It stretched longer and longer, and finally broke, with silver light glittering and floating on the tip of the wand. Slughorn put it into the bottle, and the silver thread first rolled up, then unfolded, swirling in the bottle like a wisp of green smoke. He put the cap on the bottle with trembling hands and handed it to Harry across the table.

"Thank you so much, Professor." Harry thanked him from the bottom of his heart after taking the bottle.

"You're a good boy," Slughorn said to Harry, tears running down his fat cheeks into his walrus beard, "You have eyes like hers... Don't think of me as a bad person after reading this, and I wish you all the best..." After that, Slughorn fell asleep on the table.

"Well, I think I'm going to go find Professor Dumbledore now. Would you like to come with me?" Harry asked Ryan and Hermione after putting the bottle in his pocket.

"Of course I went with you. After all, this memory is related to us, and I think we should know about it." Ryan said, and then he asked worriedly, "Will our interrogation today make him angry and leave Hogwarts? If he falls into the hands of the mysterious person, we will be in real trouble."

"No." Harry shook his head. "The Felicis Felix tells me that Professor Slughorn will remember nothing when he wakes up tomorrow morning."

"That's good, but what about Professor Slughorn now? Are we going to throw him here?" Hermione asked, looking at Slughorn who was snoring on the table.

"It must not be thrown here, otherwise he will be wrong tomorrow morning. Let me think about it - I got it." Harry clapped his hands in front of his chest and whispered to the empty space beside him: "Dobby, Dobby, I need your help now."

Before he finished speaking, there was a slight snap and Dobby appeared in front of everyone. "Dobby heard Harry's call and is happy to serve Harry."

"It's like this, Dobby." Harry looked at Dobby and said, "We just had a party here with Professor Slughorn, and Professor Slughorn drank a little too much. Can you find a few more helpers to help us take the drunk Professor Slughorn back to his office? He will definitely catch a cold if he sleeps here for a night."

"Of course, of course no problem." Dobby said in a sharp voice. "It is our duty to serve the professors and students of Hogwarts. Don't worry, my companions and I will settle the professor down."

"Thank you, Dobby." Harry said and looked at Ryan and Hermione. "Okay, let's go find the headmaster now. I have a feeling that he is waiting for us in his office now."

Just as the three of them stepped out of the classroom, the curfew bell rang. They looked at each other and quickly ran upstairs. Fortunately, they had a smooth journey and did not encounter the night patrol professors or Filch. A few minutes later, they came to the outside of the headmaster's office. After Harry said "Toffee Fingers" to the stone monster at the door of Dumbledore's room, the monster jumped aside and let the three of them walk up the spiral staircase.

"Come in." Dumbledore's voice came from inside after Harry knocked on the door.

(End of this chapter)