Hogwarts: Voldemort, don't stop me from studying!

Hermione, born into the Muggle world, should have been indifferent to Voldemort, but she had read many books before even entering the wizarding world. Therefore, she understood better than most students from wizarding families how many horrific tragedies the "nameless man" had committed.

Before that man disappeared, his power had reached its peak, casting a terrifying shadow over the entire British Isles. Even Dumbledore... People say that the man was most afraid of Dumbledore because the war never reached Hogwarts, but even Dumbledore couldn't stop the continuous deaths.

This subtly instilled in Hermione a deep fear of that person, but when she tried to say his name, she opened her mouth but couldn't bring herself to say it.

It's as if it might awaken some terrifying monster.

“Voldemort… I mean, the Man of Darkness—” Hermione looked at everyone and said, “If the Man of Darkness really is possessing Professor Quirrell—I think we should tell Dumbledore! Wade, why didn’t you go to Professor Dumbledore immediately?”

Wade thought for a moment: "Perhaps it's because... I find it hard to believe that Dumbledore knew nothing about this?"

Fred nodded: "Dumbledore must have noticed Quirrell's unusual behavior, but for some reason, he hasn't taken any action."

George said seriously, "He knows everything."

“But what if?” Hermione countered. “What if Dumbledore is only suspicious but still searching for evidence? He might think Professor Quirrell has simply sided with the Darkness and doesn’t know that the Man of Void is on him! We should find Dumbledore, tell him the truth, and then let him decide what to do!”

“Of course, Hermione, you’re right,” Ryan said. “Of course that’s how it should be done.”

“Then why don’t we act now?” Fred stood up decisively. “I saw Dumbledore in the Great Hall during dinner! He’s definitely at school now.”

Hermione, however, hadn't expected him to be so decisive. She hesitated before asking, "Should we call Harry? I mean—the person Vader wants to kill is him—Harry should know where the danger might be coming from—"

Wade thought for a moment: "Like you said, Hermione—let Dumbledore decide."

Hermione nodded silently, thinking of the "test" he had mentioned, her eyes filled with worry, as if she feared that Harry would be killed by Voldemort on their way to find Dumbledore.

Standing in the corridor, Wade took out a bright silver whistle and blew it.

A loud, sharp whistle pierced the air, and a moment later, an owl took flight from the western tower, flew through the window, and landed precisely on Wade's outstretched arm.

"Cool!" Fred whistled.

Ava the owl tilted her head and glanced at him, then cooed twice.

Wade rolled up the note he had written and had Ava hold it in her mouth. He instructed her, "Give this to Professor Dumbledore, and then bring me his reply."

Ava nodded, spread her wings, and flew away. The crowd watched her circle in the sky before she spotted a window in a small spire and flew inside.

Hermione bit her finger and said worriedly, "Professor Dumbledore probably won't take our letter seriously, will he? Maybe I should write something more detailed in the letter so he knows we're not messing around..."

Fortunately, Dumbledore didn't keep them waiting long—maybe only a minute or two—before Ava flew out of that window again.

The owl handed the reply to Wade; on the parchment, written in thin, concentric circles, were the following words:

"Welcome to my office. The password is 'Precious Sundae'."

“A jeweled sundae?” George muttered. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this dessert in the Great Hall.”

Fred said, "It happened at the end-of-term dinner last semester. What were you doing then? Oh right, you secretly slipped a bottle full of cockroaches onto Monta—"

"He thought it was a cockroach pile he bought himself—" George laughed as he recalled the prank. "He's never eaten a cockroach pile since! Wait—you took the opportunity to steal my sundae?"

“How can you say I stole it?” Fred argued. “I took it openly and honestly, you just didn’t see it—”

The two joked and teased each other as they arrived at the entrance to the principal's office. On the way, they ran into Michael, who was returning from the Quidditch pitch. Michael greeted them and naturally blended into the group, and no one thought anything was amiss.

A hideously ugly stone beast with a dripping spout sat perched at the entrance to the principal's office. Fred, dodging George's attack, jumped forward and exclaimed, "Precious Sundae!"

The stone beast leaped to the side, and the wall behind it split in two, revealing a slowly ascending spiral staircase. The group entered one after another, and with a loud rumble, the wall slammed shut behind them.

The stairs carried everyone higher and higher, and Wade was secretly amazed—escalators were common in the Muggle world, but this was the first time he had ever seen one in the magical world.

So why be like Muggles in this respect? — The elevator is always installed where the principal needs it.

As everyone grew dizzy from the winding staircase, they finally saw a gleaming oak door with a brass door knocker in the shape of a griffin.

This is Dumbledore's office.

Chapter 43 Dumbledore

Fred strode forward, knocked on the door knocker, and the oak door opened silently.

Dumbledore's office was quite peculiar. The walls were covered with portraits of former headmasters; some were sleeping, some were gazing at them with interest, and others were just empty frames. The long-legged desk was piled with strange silverware, which spun and emitted wisps of smoke. The Sorting Hat sat on a board, seemingly asleep, emitting soft snoring.

Atop a tall, gilded perch behind the door stood an exceptionally beautiful bird. Its feathers were gold and red, and although somewhat sparse, they were still dazzlingly beautiful. Its eyes gazed down at the crowd with remarkable liveliness.

"Good heavens!" Hermione whispered, "It's a phoenix! I read in the books that Professor Dumbledore has a real phoenix—"

Albus Dumbledore sat behind the table, a pair of half-moon spectacles perched on his hooked nose, and wore a deep purple robe printed with irises. He sat in a high-backed chair, his light blue eyes gently observing the crowd.

"Welcome, kids. I hope my office hasn't been boring."

“How could that be? This place is extremely interesting, Professor!” Fred said boldly and lively.

Dumbledore chuckled softly and said, “You said in your letter that you had something very important to tell me? Now you can tell me.”

The group exchanged glances, urging each other on. Hermione hesitated, as she too had been forced to break the prohibition and was reluctant to confess.

Finally, Wade had no choice but to step forward and recount the conversation he had overheard, while the others added their own guesses.

Michael's face gradually turned pale; he hadn't expected them to come to the principal's office to discuss such a serious matter. He looked at this person, then at that person, feeling as if he were the only shocked person present.

Dumbledore listened patiently without showing any surprise. He then turned his seemingly insightful gaze to Wade and asked, "Are you sure he didn't notice when you overheard this conversation?"

“I used the fire spell before that, and I don’t know if he noticed any trace of the spell. But I hid as soon as Professor Quirrell entered the room, and he couldn’t see me from the window.”

Wade explained in detail: "Before he left, I made sure I hadn't made a sound, used any magic, or had any noticeable scent. I waited outside the window until dawn before going back, and on my way out, I encountered a portrait of Griffiths and Professor Morrie. In the subsequent Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Professor Quirrell didn't pay much attention to me, and his attitude didn't change significantly."

Dumbledore nodded slightly and said, "For now, it seems he hasn't noticed. But I want you to remember one thing—from today onward, try not to think about this matter, and don't make eye contact with Professor Quirrell, understand?"

Wade nodded silently.

"Professor!" Ryan couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to arrest him? Before he realizes he's been exposed!"

“It’s not time yet, Mr. Carlo,” Dumbledore said patiently. “In fact, at the beginning of this term, I noticed some distressing changes in our Professor Quirrell, and the information you’ve brought confirms my worst suspicions—but it’s not time to expose him yet. But rest assured, I’ve asked a very reliable person to keep an eye on him and to ensure the safety of the students.”

“So Professor… he really is…” George asked softly.

“I think so,” Dumbledore confirmed their guess. “Voldemort has returned to this school once again, in a way that no one could have imagined. But he probably doesn’t expect that his brilliant disguise will be discovered by you children—he always has a habit of looking down on those who are not as strong as himself—oh, actually, you have done a very good job.”

“But—didn’t everyone say that Voldemort was killed by Harry Potter when he was just a baby?” Fred asked.

“He was indeed badly injured on the night he tried to kill Harry and disappeared from sight. But he didn’t really die, I’ve always been convinced of that,” Dumbledore said. “Voldemort is now in a rare state where even the Killing Curse can’t easily kill him.”

Fred looked puzzled, but Dumbledore didn't seem inclined to explain further.

“Professor, may I tell Harry about this?” Hermione asked cautiously.

“I don’t think so, Miss Granger,” Dumbledore said politely but firmly.

"But--"

"Given that Voldemort killed Harry's parents, I don't think it's a good idea to let him know that his enemy is right in front of him," Dumbledore said. "Harry probably won't be able to handle this as calmly and rationally as you will; it would put him in great danger. So I need you to keep quiet, especially about Harry—can you do that?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Fred muttered, "But the Man from Dark Souls wants to kill him! Are we going to let Harry leave the team for safety reasons?"

“Wood will cry.” George forced a smile. “He said Harry was the best Seeker he had ever seen—he’s pinning all his hopes of winning the championship on Harry.”

"Oh, about this—"

Dumbledore crossed his arms and smiled, saying, "I don't think we should give up the joy of Quidditch just because of the covetous eyes in the shadows. So, yes, Harry doesn't have to leave the team, and I'll make sure he's safe."

With his assurance, the Gryffindors were immediately relieved—in the hearts of the little lions, who could be more reliable than Dumbledore?

The group happily prepared to say goodbye, but as they were about to leave, Ryan hesitated and stopped.

"Professor Dumbledore—"

"what?"

“There’s one more thing—” Ryan hesitated, unsure of what to say.

“Go ahead and say it, Mr. Carlo.”

“Professor Quirrell—” Ryan mustered his courage and looked up to ask, “What will happen to Professor Quirrell after you drive away the mysterious man?”

"—Will he be alright?" Ryan pressed.

Faced with this question, Dumbledore, who had always been calm, finally showed a change in expression.

He looked deeply into Ryan's eyes, which were slightly moist.

"I'm afraid not, child."

Ryan's eyes widened.

"In order to possess him, Voldemort did terrible things to him—very terrible things—and they formed a wicked symbiotic relationship. When Voldemort leaves, Quirrell will inevitably die as well."

Everyone fell silent.

For these eleven-year-olds, watching someone close to them irreversibly head towards death—even a bad person—can make them feel sad.

“Children, your compassion for him and your desire to save him is a very noble quality.”

Dumbledore lowered his eyes and said in a kind but cold tone—

"But when Quirrell sold his soul to Voldemort because of greed and ambition, it was already a foregone conclusion."

Leaving the principal's office, the group had mixed feelings.

“Dumbledore really does know everything,” Fred said. “Did you see that? He wasn’t surprised at all.”

“It’s unbelievable,” Ryan said. “We’re only first graders, and we’re already going through this—war, mysterious people, death. I thought these things were far removed from us. And Professor Quirrell—well, I heard he used to be a very nice guy.”