Hogwarts Homecoming

Crackling!

Dumbledore pointed his wand at the fireplace, causing the flames to burn rapidly. Then, he politely invited all the portraits on the wall to leave. Hogwarts portraits were subject to strict obedience to the school's headmaster, which was protected by a point contract, but Dumbledore let them go anyway.

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

Dumbledore said calmly, as if the surprise that the accident just now brought to him had completely gone away.

"you mean"

Amosta rubbed his brows,

"This is the same as the self-initiated action in the Quidditch Cup. It was not inspired by Voldemort, but a genius little idea thought up by Professor Moody himself?"

"I can't give you a definite answer, Amosta—"

Dumbledore also found a sofa for himself to sit on. He leaned on the soft back of the chair and stared at the exquisite chandelier hanging from the ceiling. His slender fingers were intertwined on his knees.

"What I can tell you is that unless Tom changes his mind during the more than ten years of suffering, he will not choose Miss Granger. He does not have your keen and intelligent eyesight to discover the character of Miss Granger." Miss Ranger has an extraordinary side. We all think that he will find Harry, and this is also consistent with the judgment of Tom's past behavior, unless-"

Dumbledore looked at Amosta, his blue eyes shining,

"What happened caused Tom to think that he had to change his plan to avoid me seeing through his plan to use Harry's resurrection, so he was willing to listen to someone's opinion-"

Amosta nodded slightly.

Voldemort now has a few people around him who can give him advice, none more than that silly woman outside who is dressed as Alastor Moody.

"A reasonable guess, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

Amosta said,

"At the Quidditch World Cup, Vitia Cliona wanted to take Harry to Voldemort before he returned to school, so she made a fuss. This failed operation made Voldemort think that you might She will be more vigilant, so she is determined to hide her true intentions more secretly. So, the only question now is, why does Cleona focus on Hermione Granger?"

"I don't think Miss Granger's outstanding achievements were appreciated by your friend -" Dumbledore said with a smile.

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

"That is to say--"

Amosta ignored Dumbledore's teasing and said thoughtfully,

"Cliona saw something that made her think that the relationship between Harry and Hermione should be closer. Through Hermione, she can ensure that involving Harry in the game has a chance to take Harry out from under our noses." Go, and the argument she provided convinced Voldemort."

Amosta frowned slightly and fell into deep thought again.

Before the start of school, the only meeting between Vitia Cliona and Hermione was probably at the World Cup. Or maybe the woman repeated her old tricks and rushed to Hermione's house to conduct a detailed investigation?

"We'll never know all the truth through speculation, Amosta--"

Dumbledore noticed that Amosta was going too far, so he reminded him, and then his expression became worried.

"I'm more worried about Miss Granger now. Amosta, do you think we should continue to stick to our original views?"

Amosta raised his eyebrows and then fell silent. To be honest, Dumbledore's question and the attitude behind the question surprised him. He had never seen Dumbledore so hesitant, but after thinking about it carefully, he could fully understand Dumbledore's worries.

There is a big difference between Harry and Hermione when it comes to facing Voldemort. There is no defense in her blood that Lily Evans has built with her life. There is no fragment of Voldemort's soul hidden in her soul. She also does not have the skills of Dumbledore. An ancient magic that was put in place just in case.

She is talented and has a tough character, but she is not as 'special' as Harry.

Dumbledore and Amosta can rest assured that Harry will face Voldemort, because they all know that Voldemort cannot kill Harry, but Hermione. Without any defense, Hermione cannot survive in front of Voldemort.

Dumbledore and Amosta tacitly allowed Voldemort to be resurrected in order to let him die completely. But for this reason, neither Dumbledore nor Amosta could accept that Hermione would become the first person to die in the cruel war that would begin after Voldemort was resurrected. Even if sacrifices were necessary in the war, this kind of helplessness would allow a future person to die. Neither of them would accept the adult wizard's death.

The difficulty now is that based on the acquiescence of the two of them, Hermione has made a contract with the Goblet of Fire. This trouble is real.

Suddenly, Amosta's eyelids trembled. Just as he was deducing what Hermione might have to face, he suddenly remembered something. A memory that he had hidden. That memory confirmed one thing.

"I do not believe that Miss Granger's life will be in danger from the events that are about to unfold."

Amosta said emphatically,

"I think the risk is manageable -"

There was a strange luster in Dumbledore's eyes. He looked at Amosta in slight surprise. He could feel that the hesitation that had just lingered around Amosta was gone, replaced by calmness.

"What makes you make such a positive judgment, Amosta, I think you must know that what we are discussing now is the life of a student."

"I'm sure, Headmaster Dumbledore——"

Amosta said calmly. He responded to Dumbledore's eyes, and the subtle waves in his eyes made Dumbledore have many thoughts in his mind.

"I will ensure that the lives of Hermione Granger and all the warriors are not in danger."

Amosta stood up, ready to end the discussion.

"Aren't you still willing to tell me how you met that illustrious lady, Amosta?"

Dumbledore also stood up and asked Amosta's back.

Amosta's footsteps paused, and he did not look back. His mind suddenly jumped back to July last year.

At this moment, what came to his mind was not the first time he met Vitia Cliona in the orphanage. Instead, they were going to Stonehenge together, and when they entered the door of Stonehenge-- The Mirror of Erised saw the little girl crying and swearing poisonous oaths on a rainy night, standing among the ruins of the good old days.

"Not a great story to share, Headmaster Dumbledore—"

Amosta shook his head, but before Dumbledore showed regret, he added,

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

Office of Student Safety.

The office was filled with a reddish light, the faint glow from the smoldering pine wood in the fireplace. The cold wind outside the window was still howling, and in the Forbidden Forest, the movement of countless trees swaying wildly on their branches seemed to be really raging waves.

Amosta lay on the bed with his arms behind his head. One after another, things flashed through his mind - Hermione Granger became a warrior, Barty Crouch was controlled, and Moody's name was running around around him all day long. The progress of Devitia Cliona and Remus, Sirius's situation within the Ministry of Magic, and Voldemort's gradual progress. Once they enter a state of open war, the battle between him and Dumbledore will take place.

And what he still couldn't figure out was why the scepter belonging to Herbo, which he missed on Avalon Island, made Vitia Cliona turn to Voldemort.

Amosta frowned slightly, and an impulse arose in his heart. Now he rushed to Moody's office, controlled Cliona, and saw how much she could answer his confusion. The impulse caused by this worry was very The feeling was so strong that after Amosta came back to his senses, he found that he had involuntarily held the wand in his hand.

but

Reason finally gave up the impulse. The woman was so cautious that she set up disguises and defenses at the soul level. The idea of ​​forcibly controlling her for interrogation and then erasing her memory would most likely not be possible.

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

Loneliness is unavoidable, and it feels cold at high places.

When he was studying at Hogwarts, Professor Snape's overt and covert protection was one of his bases. But now, he is the only one who can provide shelter to others, and no one is qualified to protect him, including Dumbledore. Lido too.

"Go to sleep--"

After letting out a faint sigh, Amosta muttered something, turned over, faced the endless darkness outside the window, and fell into a deep sleep.