Harry Potter and the Great Old Ones

Chapter 460 Gradually Exposed
“We need an alarm, Fawkes!” Dumbledore stroked the golden feathers on Fawkes’s head with one finger.

Fox woke up.

A flash of fire appeared, and the phoenix vanished.

Then Dumbledore went to another portrait, of a wise-looking wizard with a goatee, dressed in silver and green Slytherin attire.

“Phineas,” Dumbledore said, “I need you to go to your other portrait—”

“Go to my portrait?” Phineas shrieked. “Oh no, Dumbledore, I’m too tired tonight!”

Harry thought Phineas's voice sounded familiar. Where had he heard it before?

Before he could think it through, the surrounding portraits suddenly erupted in protest.

"Disobedience, sir!" roared a large, red-nosed wizard, waving his fist. "Disobedience!"

“We have an obligation to serve the current Headmaster of Hogwarts!” Armando Dippet shouted. “Shameless, Phineas!”

"Should I persuade him, Dumbledore?" A shrewd witch raised a very thick wand, like a birch branch.

“Oh, well,” Phineas said, glancing at the wand with a hint of fear, “though he’s probably already destroyed my portrait by now, he’s already destroyed most of the house—”

“Sirius won’t damage your portrait,” Dumbledore said calmly.

Harry suddenly remembered where he had heard Phineas's voice: it came from the seemingly empty picture frame in bedroom number 12 in Grimmauld Place.

“You must tell him that Arthur West has been seriously injured, and that his wife, children, and Harry Potter will be at his house soon. Understand?”

“Arthur Weasley is injured, and his wife, kids, and Harry Potter are coming,” Phineas said lazily. “Okay, okay, fine.”

He slipped out of the picture frame, and then the study door opened again. Fred, George, and Ginny were led in by Professor McGonagall. All three were still in their pajamas, their hair was disheveled, and they looked terrified.

"Harry! W-what happened?" Ginny asked fearfully. "Professor McGonagall said you saw Daddy was injured—"

“Your father was injured while working for the Order of the Phoenix,” Dumbledore said before Harry could speak. “He has been taken to St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Injuries and Sicknesses. I’m taking you back to Sirius’s house, which is more convenient for getting to the hospital than the Burrow. You will see your mother there.”

"How do we get across?" Fred asked worriedly. "With Floo Powder?"

“No,” said Dumbledore, “Floo fans are not safe right now. The entire Floo network at Hogwarts is under surveillance. You must go by another means. Now we just wait for Phineas Nigellus to return. I want to make sure there is no danger before sending you there—”

A flash of fire appeared in the center of the room, leaving behind a golden feather that floated lightly to the ground.

“It’s Fawkes’ alarm,” Dumbledore said, catching the feather. “Professor Umbridge must know you’re all out of bed, Tyella!”

Dumbledore suddenly shouted, startling Tyrell, who was watching from the divine dimension.

“Take them back to number twelve Grimmauld Place, Tyella,” Dumbledore called out to a deserted spot.

“Tierra?” Professor McGonagall asked in confusion, “Dumbledore, you…”

"We'll talk about it later," Dumbledore said, and then stood there quietly.

Professor McGonagall looked around in confusion.

“Sigh…” Tierra sighed, raised her hand and drew a square with her finger toward Dumbledore’s office.

"Bam—"

A very faint cracking sound rang out, and a crooked, irregularly shaped portal appeared in front of Harry, like a square drawn casually by someone.

Through the portal, Harry could see on the other side the dark, dingy kitchen of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. The only light sources were a fireplace and a flickering candle, illuminating the remaining, chilly dinner.

Harry watched as Kreacher disappeared through the front hall door, then turned back to look at them with a mixture of malice and shock, still holding his loincloth.

"Help! Help!" Harry heard Kreacher shout in that hoarse voice, "Robbery! Robbery!"

Sirius Black heard the noise and ran towards them anxiously, but he was clearly shocked when he saw the gate of light.

Sirius Black hadn't shaved and was still wearing his daytime clothes. The two spaces seemed to be completely connected, and a scent from Sirius Black that was somewhat like the aged wine smell from Mundungus wafted in clearly through the portal.

“Albus!” Professor McGonagall demanded sternly, “What is this? What’s going on?”

“I’ll explain in a moment,” Dumbledore said with a smile, then looked at Harry and the Weasley children:
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go over there. I'll have your classmates help you pack your luggage."

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the Weasley twins were pushed through the portal by Professor McGonagall in a daze.

As soon as they stepped inside, the portal closed immediately and they vanished in an instant, leaving only Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore in the entire headmaster's office.

"Alright, tell me what's going on, Albus," Professor McGonagall asked sternly, hands on her hips.

"It's getting a bit late today, how about we..."

“You haven’t changed into your pajamas yet,” Professor McGonagall said. “Well, it’s not too late. Tell me, Albus.”

“Hmm… alright.” Dumbledore stroked his beard. “Then let’s ask the person involved to explain. Come out here, Tyella.”

Dumbledore shouted into the air, but—

No one appeared, and nothing changed.

"Tiera!" Dumbledore wasn't in a hurry; instead, he calmly called out again, "Your materials..."

“I’m here, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall.” A voice came from behind Professor McGonagall.

McGonagall quickly turned her head and saw Tierra's reflection in the mirror above the Pensieve—

"Long time no see, Professor McGonagall," Tyrell said with a forced smile, while giving Dumbledore a fierce glare.

"Tiera?" Professor McGonagall exclaimed in surprise, taking a few steps back as if startled.

“Don’t be afraid, Professor McGonagall,” Tyrell said in a chilling voice, “I’m just here to take Dumbledore’s life…”

“Ahem, be serious,” Dumbledore said, coughing.

“Alright, alright.” Tierra reluctantly straightened her posture. “Simply put, I predicted that Harry would be killed by Voldemort in the final round of the Triwizard Tournament. To save Harry, I used a little trick to register for the Triwizard Tournament. At the same time, I defied fate in the final round of the Triwizard Tournament and forcibly changed Harry’s death. The price was that I was killed myself.”

“But obviously I didn’t want to die, so before the third trial, with the help of Professor Dumbledore—” Tyella emphasized the words “Professor Dumbledore,” “I was transformed into a demon. Voldemort did kill my physical body, but my soul and magic were intact. That’s roughly the situation.”

After finishing her long speech, Tierra quietly observed Professor McGonagall, watching her reaction.

Honestly, the last person Tierra wanted to know was Professor McGonagall.

That meant he might have to face the wrath of this professor, who was as strict as his mother, for being deceived, but—

"It's good that you're still alive." Professor McGonagall seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

“It’s good that you’re still alive…” Professor McGonagall repeated, “Welcome back, Tyella.”

(End of this chapter)