The Return to Hogwarts

“You seem to have a lot of trust in Granger from Minerva Academy—”

Snape said softly,

"But I discovered that someone sneaked into my office last night and took some things from my private storage room: powdered unicorn horn and fragments of African tree snake skin. The person who didn't accept my invitation wasn't greedy; he didn't take much, but ever since I lost those items last time, I've been quite careful about comparing their stock."

"You believe Miss Granger used the polydox again, Severus?"

"Dumbledore said calmly."

Amostella's confusion was also resolved. Like Dumbledore, he thought Professor Snape had somehow discovered something. Indeed, on the night he returned to Hogwarts for the first time since graduation, he did see Hermione in the hospital, suffering from the effects of drinking the wrongly prepared Polyjuice Potion.

"If you're determined to believe Granger is innocent, Dumbledore—"

Professor Snape said,

"I can turn a blind eye, just like last time."

Amosta was amused by the sarcasm in Snape's tone.

"Then let's just pretend we didn't see it, Professor Snape. By the way, I suggest you put those materials in an easily accessible place, so that thieves don't blow up your office trying to get them—"

Dumbledore's lips twitched, but he remained silent. However, their attitudes undoubtedly revealed something. Snape's eyes narrowed instantly. He didn't look at Dumbledore, knowing he wouldn't get anything out of him. Snape stared sharply at Amos Tower and asked softly,

"You know who did this. You knew this would happen, didn't you, Amosta? Tell me, who's trying to harm that self-righteous and foolish girl?"

"Do you want to test your skills in Occlumency techniques with me, Professor?"

Amosta smiled calmly.

"Please forgive my lack of modesty, but in this respect I have fully inherited your skills, and perhaps even surpassed them—"

Dealing with two scheming individuals was exhausting, especially with the ever-smiling Amostella irritating him, so Snape stormed off.

"Tell me your thoughts, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

Amosta, who had been amusedly watching Professor Snape leave in a huff, finally stopped laughing. Having barely slept last night and not given a chance to slack off today, Amosta felt a bit tired and got straight to the point.

Chapter 573 Attitude

2023-11-04

Crackling!

Dumbledore pointed his wand at the fireplace, causing the flames to blaze rapidly. Then, he politely invited all the portraits on the walls to leave. Portraits at Hogwarts were subject to strict obedience to the school's headmaster, a principle protected by the contract, but Dumbledore still allowed them to leave.

"My opinion is that this wasn't Tom's idea—"

Dumbledore said calmly, as if the surprise and shock of the accident just now had completely faded away.

"you mean"

Amosta rubbed his temples.

"Just like his unauthorized actions at the Quidditch Cup, this wasn't Voldemort's idea, but rather a brilliant little scheme that Professor Moody came up with himself?"

“I can’t give you a definite answer, Amosta—”

Dumbledore found himself a sofa and sat down. He leaned back in the soft chair, gazing at the exquisite chandelier hanging from the ceiling, his long, slender fingers interlaced on his knees.

“What I can tell you is that unless Tom has truly reformed himself during his years of suffering, he is unlikely to choose Miss Granger. He doesn’t have your keen and insightful eye to see Miss Granger’s extraordinary qualities. We all think he will go for Harry, which is consistent with Tom’s past behavior, unless—”

Dumbledore looked at Amostella, his azure eyes shining brightly.

"Something happened that made Tom think he had to change his plans to avoid me discovering his scheme to use Harry's resurrection, which is why he was willing to listen to someone's advice—"

Amosta nodded slightly.

The only people Voldemort has left to offer advice are that silly woman outside, pretending to be Alastor Moody.

"A reasonable speculation, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

Amosta said

"During the Quidditch World Cup, Vitia Croona caused quite a stir by trying to bring Harry to Voldemort before he returned to school. This failed attempt made Voldemort realize that Harry might be on his guard, so he decided to be more discreet about his true intentions. So, the only question now is, why is Croona targeting Hermione Granger?"

“I’m sure it wasn’t Miss Granger’s outstanding achievements that earned your friend’s appreciation—” Dumbledore said with a smile.

"If Tom were to make the decision, Mr. Ron Weasley would be more likely to be selected."

In other words—

Amosta ignored Dumbledore's teasing and said thoughtfully,

“Crona saw something that led her to believe that Harry and Hermione were closer, and that through Hermione, they could ensure Harry was involved in the competition and have a chance to take him away from under our noses. Moreover, her arguments convinced Voldemort.”

Amosta frowned slightly and fell into deep thought once again.

Before the start of the school year, the only time Vitia Croona and Hermione met was probably at the World Cup, or perhaps the woman used the same trick again and stormed into Hermione's house to conduct a thorough investigation.

"We can never know the whole truth through speculation, Amosta—"

Dumbledore noticed that Amosta was getting a little stuck on his thoughts, so he offered a word of advice, and then his expression turned worried.

“What I’m more worried about now is Miss Granger, Amosta. Do you think we should stick to our original view?”

Amosta raised an eyebrow, then fell silent. To be honest, Dumbledore's question and the attitude behind it surprised him. He had never seen Dumbledore so hesitant. However, upon reflection, he could fully understand Dumbledore's concerns.

In the face of Voldemort, Harry and Hermione are vastly different. Hermione does not have the defense that Lily Evans built with her life in her blood, nor does she have the fragments of Voldemort's soul hidden in her soul. She also does not possess the ancient magic that Dumbledore laid out as a precaution.

She was intelligent and resilient, but she wasn't as 'special' as Harry.

Dumbledore and Amosta could rest assured that Harry could face Voldemort directly because they both knew that Voldemort couldn't kill Harry. However, Hermione, without any preparation, would not survive in front of Voldemort.

Dumbledore and Amosta tacitly allowed Voldemort's resurrection in order to kill him completely. However, they could not accept that Hermione would be the first to die in the brutal war that would ensue after Voldemort's resurrection. Even if sacrifices were necessary in the war, neither of them could accept watching a young, underage wizard die.

The current difficulty is that, based on their tacit consent, Hermione has already entered into a pact with the Goblet of Fire, and this problem is real.

Suddenly, Amostella's eyelids twitched. Just as he was deducing what Hermione might face, he suddenly remembered something—a memory he had once buried deep within. That memory confirmed one thing.

"I don't think Miss Granger's life will be in danger during the upcoming series of events."

Amosta stated with absolute certainty,

"I believe the risks are manageable."

A strange light flickered in Dumbledore's eyes as he looked at Amostella with slight surprise. He could sense that the hesitation that had been lingering around Amostella was gone, replaced by composure.

“What makes you so certain, Amosta? I think you know perfectly well that we are talking about a student’s life.”

“I am confident, Headmaster Dumbledore—”

Amos Tower spoke calmly, meeting Dumbledore's gaze, and the subtle ripples in his eyes stirred many thoughts within Dumbledore.

"I will make sure that Hermione Granger and all the warriors are safe from harm."

Amosta stood up, ready to end the discussion.

"Are you still unwilling to tell me how you met that remarkable lady, Amosta?"

Dumbledore also stood up and asked Amostella's retreating figure.

Amosta stopped in his tracks. He didn't turn around; his thoughts immediately jumped back to July of last year.

At this moment, what came to mind was not the scene when he first met Vitia Creona in the orphanage, but rather the scene when they went to Stonehenge together, and what he saw at the entrance to Stonehenge—the Mirror of Erised—that little girl standing in the rainy night amidst the ruins of the past, crying and making a poisonous oath.

"It's not exactly a remarkable story to share, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

Amosta shook his head, but before Dumbledore could show any regret, he added,

"When the time is right, I will share some of it with you--"

Student Safety Office.

The office was bathed in a soft, reddish light, the glow of smoldering pine wood in the fireplace. Outside, the cold wind continued to howl, and in the forbidden forest, the countless trees swayed their branches wildly, creating a sound as real as surging waves.

Amosta lay in bed, his arms behind his head. A series of events flashed through his mind—Hermione Granger becoming a warrior, Barty Crouch being controlled, Vitia Croona constantly hovering around him under the guise of Moody, Remus's progress, Sirius's situation within the Ministry of Magic, Voldemort's gradual advance, and, once they entered a state of open conflict, his struggle with Dumbledore's path.

And what he could never understand was why the scepter belonging to Helbo, which he had lost on Avalon Island, led Vitia Creona to join Voldemort.

Amosta frowned slightly, a sudden impulse rising within him: to rush to Moody's office right now, subdue Clona, ​​and see just how many of his questions she could answer. This impulse, born of worry, was so strong that when Amosta came to his senses, he found himself unconsciously gripping his wand in his hand.

But

Reason ultimately prevailed over the impulse. That woman was so cautious that she had set up a facade and defenses on a spiritual level, making it highly unlikely that the idea of ​​forcibly controlling her for interrogation and then erasing her memories would be successful.

Even though he was lying in bed, Amosta still felt a heavy pressure on his shoulders.

Loneliness is inevitable; the higher you climb, the colder it gets.

When he was studying at Hogwarts, Professor Snape's overt and covert protection was one of his sources of confidence. Now, however, he is the one who provides protection to others, and no one is qualified to protect him anymore, including Dumbledore.

"Go to sleep--"

After a soft sigh, Amosta mumbled something, turned over, faced the boundless darkness outside the window, and fell into a deep sleep.

Chapter 574 Professor McGonagall's Concerns

2023-11-04

With the arrival of the warriors, the highly anticipated three-way battle for supremacy finally began. Normally, the castle should have been filled with a joyous atmosphere, but what had just happened made everything unpredictable.

Accompanied by Professor McGonagall, Hermione walked up the stairs step by step. She could feel the portraits on the walls pointing at her as she passed by. Of course, what they were talking about wasn't malicious; the portraits simply regarded it as a very noteworthy event, a good excuse to get together and have a party.

The closer Hermione got to the Gryffindor tower, the more difficult her steps became.