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

Wade said, "But...guys, Dumbledore is over a hundred years old."

“I’m not saying he’s become slow-witted or his magic isn’t strong enough, but… he’s been fighting for this for many years and has borne a heavy burden. It seems like everyone has gotten used to relying on him and putting all the responsibility on his shoulders.”

"But... what reason do we have to dump all the tasks that we could have done ourselves onto an old man?"

"We can rely on Dumbledore, but who can Dumbledore rely on?"

Everyone was deeply shocked, and Lu Ping's face showed shame.

Dumbledore is like a banner, a belief. When it comes to Voldemort or the Dark Wizard, everyone's first reaction is to tell Dumbledore and let him handle it.

It seems that not many people realize that... a person over 100 years old, in another place, should be enjoying their twilight years.

Of course, there were two other reasons why Vader didn't want to tell Dumbledore, besides the fact that he didn't want to be guided by the White Wizard.

One reason is that he doesn't want to confront Dumbledore too early and put him on the chessboard.

Another reason was that he didn't want Dumbledore to confirm the existence of the Horcruxes too early and then secretly run off to Riddle's old house.

In the story, Dumbledore found the Resurrection Stone ring there, but somehow he was also cursed by Voldemort, which led to his death a year later.

If Dumbledore were to die prematurely due to his butterfly effect, Wade worried that the following years would become even more difficult, and Voldemort might even be resurrected ahead of schedule.

Of course, no further explanation is needed; everyone has already fully agreed with Wade's point of view.

Lupin had already found a large cave nearby, and the group worked together to move a rock from the vicinity that could completely block the cave.

Wade also explained why he did this:

"Tom's weapon contains powerful magic, and ordinary spells will not work. At present, only Fiendfyre can completely destroy it."

Wade had already confirmed with Lupin that he also knew Fiendfire.

Wizards who have experienced war are mostly proficient in using the three Unforgivable Curses, not to mention ordinary black magic.

In reality, Fiendfire is not very difficult to cast; its real difficulty lies in control. Wizards who are not skilled enough are easily backfired when using Fiendfire, causing unexpected damage.

For example, Crabbe, who releases Fiendfire and is ultimately burned to death by Fiendfire in the story.

“Then we’d better clear away the weeds around here as well,” Theo suggested. “I’ve heard that Fiendfire can burn anything that can burn.”

So the group spent another hour carefully cleaning up all the flammable materials inside and outside the cave.

"almost."

As he spoke, Wade chose a bare rock inside the cave and piled a bunch of firewood on it.

Vader took the magic-shielding box out of his bag, then carefully placed the crown on the stone with tongs.

His cautious and deliberate attitude made it impossible for others to take a relaxed approach.

The tiara was dull and gray, and the gems on it were dark and lackluster. Michael did not recognize it as the tiara of the founder, Ravenclaw.

After all, that legendary crown disappeared along with its owner a thousand years ago. So what if the Ravenclaw statue in the lounge is wearing a crown?

For over a thousand years, every year a few students have made imitations of the crown, pretending that they too have attained supreme wisdom.

The crown sat quietly on the stone, displaying no special power and exuding no aura of dark magic.

Lupin gestured for the students to step back behind him, pointed his wand in that direction, and whispered, "Fiendfire!"

A burst of intense flame flew out, igniting the firewood, and the flames grew larger with a "boom".

"Get out!" Lupin shouted.

The group hurriedly retreated from the cave, ready to lower the large rock to block the entrance at any moment, their eyes fixed on that direction.

Perhaps due to the lack of combustible material, the Fiendfire wasn't very large, but the twisting flames kept transforming into various wild beasts—a venomous horned beast, a fire dragon, a cheetah…

Suddenly, a huge black shadow rose into the air amidst the flames. It twisted, roared, and let out a sharp and painful scream before lunging at the group of people at the cave entrance, carrying with it fierce flames!

Boom!

The boulder crashed down.

A few sparks emerged from the crack.

"Vade..."

After a long while, Wade heard Michael say, his eyes glazed over and his voice weak:

"I feel like...that shadow...looks just like Tom himself."

“…Is it a mistake, or just an illusion?” Theo murmured.

Chapter 135 Lupin's Home

In the distant Hogwarts, Harry suddenly felt a sharp pain in the scar on his forehead, as if a terrible scream was coming from afar.

He was training at the Quidditch pitch when the pain suddenly made him dizzy, and he involuntarily fell off the broom.

"Harry——"

The team gasped in surprise, and Fred, who happened to be nearby, flew over at lightning speed and managed to grab Harry's ankle before he hit the ground.

……

Outside the cave, everyone looked at Wade, waiting for him to give an answer.

Wade said calmly, "You know, when some magical items are made, the creators often infuse their own thoughts into them."

“No wonder that shadowy figure was so sinister.” Michael breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Was it infused with evil thoughts by some mysterious… Tom?”

The young wizards accepted the explanation, but Lupin gave Wade a deep look.

When he was in school, he and James Potter and others created a Marauder's Map that could display the location of everyone in the school in real time. They also imitated the Big Four and each of them injected their ideas into the map.

Therefore, while Michael and the others believed it to be true, Lupin remained skeptical, because he also knew what magically imbued objects looked like.

The raging fire burned for a long time, only gradually going out when there was absolutely nothing left to burn.

After the group moved the boulder aside, they saw that the entire cave had been scorched, with even the spiders in the corners and the grass roots in the cracks between the rocks being burned.

On the charred and cracked stone, the blackened crown still sat, and Vader was pleased to see that the extra name on it had disappeared.

Ryan wanted to go in and take out the crown, but Wade grabbed him.

“Don’t go in,” Wade said. “There might still be a ember. Be careful not to catch fire.”

He raised his wand: "The Crown, come forth!"

Even if there was originally a counter-attack spell on it, it must have been burned away by the fierce fire.

Therefore, the crown immediately flew towards him and was caught by Lupin in mid-air.

He turned the crown over to examine it.

All the magic attached to it has been destroyed, and now all that remains is an ordinary metal object.

The surface was covered with some black, sticky stuff that had been baked by a large fire. It was dry and stuck to the surface, and it would fall off like paper ash when rubbed with a finger.

"The water is as clear as a spring!"

Vader summoned water to wash the crown clean, and then put it back into the box.

"Is this thing still of any use?" Lupin asked.

“It’s no use,” Wade said. “But I promised someone that after the black magic on it is lifted, I will put it back where it was.”

Michael, recalling the crown that had revealed a few glimpses of its original color under the rushing water, asked, "Wade, don't you think... it looks a bit like the one worn by the Ravenclaw statue?"

“Perhaps it’s a replica of Tom’s,” Wade said calmly. “If he also studied at Hogwarts, perhaps he imitated the four great masters and created something similar.”

Michael nodded.

In the story, Dumbledore only told Harry's trio about the Horcruxes, but not the members of the Order of the Phoenix who had followed him through thick and thin.

Wade didn't understand it before, but living in this world, he gradually came to understand his actions.

In the wizarding world, everyone carries a wand, which is equivalent to everyone having a gun.

They originally only used it for cleaning, brewing potions, and defending against harm, but what if someone told them that this "gun" could also kill, and that killing would grant immortality...?

Even if some people can uphold their principles and morals today, how do we know they won't change in the future?

Even if he himself disdained Voldemort's "resurrection," what if it were his parents, lover, or children?

Therefore, it has nothing to do with trust, nor with character.

Some evil things should remain secrets forever.

……

Once the Horcrux is destroyed, the club activity is considered successfully completed.

But the group didn't go back immediately. At Lupin's invitation, they decided to rest at his house in Hogsmeade for a while, then visit Hogsmeade in the afternoon before returning to school in the evening.

Lupin's house is in a rather remote location, very close to the Screaming Shack. Because of the local ghost stories, the house is selling for a very low price.

This is a three-story building, including the attic, which looks like a long, thin chicken leg mushroom. There is also a fence around it, where a dozen chickens and a goat are kept.

Further away is a rectangular vegetable garden, where lettuce, pickled mustard greens, tomatoes, strawberries, and other vegetables are grown. It is surrounded by brightly colored flowers such as cornflowers, dahlias, and peonies.

Wizards are generally self-sufficient. Lupin didn't have this opportunity before, but after he had a stable place to stay, he learned from others to manage his home properly.

With the help of magic, planting and raising animals are much simpler than for ordinary people.