Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

Chapter 114 Hogwarts' Deeply Strategies

Chapter 115 Hogwarts' Deeply Strategies

The green torrent gradually subsided, finally turning into a few points of light and dissipating into the air.

The Forbidden Forest was deathly silent. Henry stood there, wand in hand, panting heavily.

His whole body was trembling; he didn't understand what had just happened.

All he knew was that he had Voldemort—

killed?

No, that's not right.

That wasn't his own power.

That is————

He looked down at his left hand, which was holding the wand.

The serpent ring on the index finger of his left hand was glowing.

The light was soft and warm; it spread from the ring, down his fingers, into his palm, and onto his wand.

Henry looked at the ring, a Christmas gift from his great-grandmother, an antique from the Victorian era, a snake ring designed by Prince Albert.

My great-grandmother said that old objects can sometimes bring good luck.

this----

Is this fucking good luck?

Henry recalled the surge of energy he had just witnessed, and his feelings became somewhat complicated.

The ring's light gradually dimmed and eventually disappeared completely.

It turned back into an ordinary ring, quietly worn on his finger, as if nothing had happened.

Henry stared at it for a long time, then he looked up at the open space in front of him.

Voldemort once stood there, but now, there's nothing left.

There wasn't even ashes left.

There was only a deep ravine extending from his feet, stretching for dozens of meters before disappearing into the woods.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

No matter what just happened, now is not the time to be daydreaming.

He needs to get out of here quickly.

Just then, he heard a voice.

"That was fantastic."

The voice was soft and gentle, carrying a hint of relief and a touch of pride.

Henry's body stiffened.

He slowly turned around, and under a tree not far away, stood a person.

He had long, silver-white hair and beard, crescent-shaped glasses, and a deep purple robe.

It was Dumbledore. He stood there, composed, with a gentle smile on his face.

His hands hung at his sides, his wand not drawn, and he looked like an old gentleman taking a stroll in a garden, rather than witnessing a life-or-death duel deep in the Forbidden Forest.

Henry looked at him, speechless for a moment.

Dumbledore walked toward him.

He walked very slowly, as if strolling in the corridor on the eighth floor of a castle.

As he passed the deep ravine, he glanced down at it, then looked up at Henry.

"Queen Victoria's Serpent Ring," he said. "I've heard of it. It's said that there are some magical things in the royal family, which is why the royal family has stood the test of time for a thousand years."

He stopped in front of Henry and looked at him.

"It seems the legend wasn't false."

"Professor—" Henry opened his mouth, "You've been here all this time?"

He now had every reason to suspect that Voldemort thought he was on the fourth level, but in reality Dumbledore was on the fifth level, or even higher.

Your grandpa is still your grandpa after all.

Dumbledore nodded.

"I've been here ever since you stepped into the Forbidden Forest."

At this point, he winked at Henry.

"After all, I can't let students take risks, can I? Especially students with a special status like you."

"Then why didn't you show up sooner?" Henry frowned again and said, "No, logically speaking, I—"

He didn't finish speaking, but Dumbledore understood.

Dumbledore looked at him and reached out and pressed down.

"It's Voldemort's manipulation," he said. "For a young wizard like you, he has many subtle ways to make you lower your guard. It's not that you're not vigilant enough; in fact, even many adult wizards find it hard to resist."

"As for why they didn't appear sooner," he asked on Henry's behalf, "Henry, do you know when Voldemort started planning all of this?"

Henry shook his head.

"From last September," Dumbledore said, "from the day he learned you had enrolled."

"He knows you are the heir to the throne, he knows you have been in contact with me, he knows you have friends in various colleges, he knows you are smart, mature, and ambitious—he knows you are the most suitable candidate."

He looked at Henry.

"From that moment on, he was planning how to take advantage of you."

Henry's heart sank.

"That unicorn—"

"It was his scheme," Dumbledore said. "He injured it, made Hagrid discover it, made it close to you, made you send it back to the Forbidden Forest, and made you lower your guard so you could come here alone. Every step was planned."

He paused for a moment.

"But he overlooked one thing."

"What is it?"

Dumbledore smiled.

"you."

He looked at Henry.

"He thought you would be afraid, would give in, and would be controlled by him. But he didn't expect you to resist."

Henry remained silent for a moment.

"And what about you?" he asked. "You've been here the whole time, why haven't you shown up?"

Dumbledore looked at him and smiled gently.

"Because I need to know," he said, "what choice you will make."

Henry was stunned.

"choose?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "Faced with Voldemort's temptation, what would you choose? Faced with his threats, what would you choose? Faced with that controlled unicorn, what would you choose? Faced with that Unforgivable Curse, what would you choose?"

"Henry, you are the heir to the throne. What you will face in the future is far more complex and dangerous than what you face today. Voldemort was just the first, not the last. I need to know what you will do when I cannot be by your side."

He looked into Henry's eyes.

"Now I understand."

However, he added one more thing.

"Your grandmother would also like to know, and I have her authorization for all of this."

Henry was speechless. You've already brought up my grandmother, so what else can I say?

However, he then recalled everything that had just happened.

Thinking of the allure of the Earth Demon, his threats, the unicorn, and the Unforgivable Curse.

He recalled how he got here step by step, and how he made those choices.

None of this would have happened if Dumbledore had appeared in the first place.

But even he himself wouldn't know what he was capable of.

"You—" he began, his voice slightly hoarse, "Aren't you afraid I'll make the wrong choice?"

Dumbledore looked at him.