bioinnovel Chapter 297 Time-consuming and laborious methods
Chapter 297 Time-consuming and laborious methods
Chapter 297 Time-consuming and laborious methods
Belvina led Harry away from the fifth floor and headed straight for the headmaster's office.
The two quickly arrived at the entrance to the principal's office and stood in front of the dripping stone beast.
"Cockroach swarm." Belvina gave the command to the guardian statue, and the dripping stone beast immediately came to life and jumped to the side.
"Professor Dumbledore's tastes are quite unusual!" Belvina said to Harry beside her. Harry nodded in agreement. The cockroach skewers weren't real cockroaches, but a type of candy that could be bought at Honeydukes Candy Shop in Hogsmeade.
However, due to the unpleasant appearance of cockroaches, many people are reluctant to even try them, and Belvina is one of them.
After complaining about the principal's strange tastes, the two of them went through the gap in the wall, climbed the spiral staircase, and arrived at the principal's office.
The oak door to the office was ajar, and someone was talking inside; it was Alastor Moody's voice.
"Could Bertha Jorkins' disappearance be related to Barty Crouch?" Professor Moody asked, "if Crouch is really as we suspect."
"I think it's possible," Dumbledore said. "I suspect Bertha may have made the same mistake she had in her student days, which led to her disappearance, neither alive nor dead."
Outside the office, Belvina raised her hand, but before her right hand could touch the brass knocker on the oak door, Professor Moody inside said, "They're here, Black and Porter, right outside."
The oak door to the principal's office seemed to receive a command and opened automatically.
"Alastor, can't you be a little bit more polite to me?" Belvina said as she walked. "Well, we're on the same side, aren't we?"
Professor Moody, leaving her with only the back of his graying head, said gruffly, "I don't trust you, Blake. Your behavior is illogical and doesn't make sense."
"Ah," Belvina exclaimed, feigning surprise, "I'll definitely give you a travel alarm clock with a basilisk egg inside for Christmas, that makes perfect sense."
As she spoke, she pulled up two carved armchairs, acting as if the principal's office were her own, completely at ease.
She even had the leisure to wave and greet the ancestral portraits hanging on the wall, saying with a smile, "Long time no see, Phineas. It's truly gratifying to see that you haven't been beaten up by the other old headmasters."
Two cold snorts rang out in the principal's office. One came from Professor Moody, and the other was naturally from Phineas Nigellus Black, whose name was hanging on the wall.
"You seem to be in good spirits, Belvina," said Dumbledore. "Did Harry bring you some good news?"
"It's not good, it's not bad, but it's very useful information," Belvina said, "provided that Harry's dream is real and reliable."
Dumbledore then looked at the slightly flustered Harry, his gaze falling on the lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead.
Just as Dumbledore was carefully observing Harry, footsteps sounded again outside the office, and Snape, dressed in a black robe, walked in with a dark expression.
The Potions Professor first glanced at Harry, who looked even more flustered, then looked at Moody's Snape, who seemed to have something to say, but didn't speak.
"Everyone's here," said Dumbledore. "Harry, tell me the news you bring, neither good nor bad!"
In the headmaster's office, witnessed by the four professors, Harry once again recounted his dream in its entirety, describing everything he had seen.
Perhaps because of his experience with Belvina, Harry's account was more detailed this time, recalling more details from his dream.
After hearing Harry's account, Professor Moody and Snape's expressions grew even more grave. If Harry's dream was true, it meant Voldemort had returned to England and was waiting for an opportunity to strike again.
"Professor Dumbledore, why am I dreaming about Voldemort, and why does my scar hurt?" Harry asked.
"Your scar, Harry," Dumbledore said. "I believe that the unsuccessful spell that night bound you two together, and this scar is the mark."
Belvina thought for a moment and said, "In other words, Harry will sense when Voldemort gets close to him, or when he has a strong emotional fluctuation, even if they are thousands of miles apart."
"I think so," Dumbledore nodded. "What Harry dreamed about could very well have actually happened."
"Perhaps Mr. Potter is just having an episode; he needs the school hospital or St. Mungo's," Snape said, rolling up his left sleeve.
As a former Death Eater and a core member, Snape naturally bore the Dark Mark on his left arm, a symbol of Voldemort and the Death Eaters.
However, the Dark Mark on Snape's arm was a very light color, making it look more like a result of his poor hygiene than the infamous Dark Mark.
"It's back," Snape said, pointing to the Dark Mark on his left arm. "I think you all know very well what this means."
The relaxed atmosphere that Belvina had created vanished, and all the adult wizards present knew that this meant Voldemort was regaining his power.
Perhaps it was faint and slow, but his strength began to return.
The Dark Mark branded on the Death Eater's left arm is closely related to Voldemort's power.
That night in Godric's Hollow, Voldemort failed to bully the children and instead lost most of his power; the Dark Mark on the Death Eater's left arm also faded away.
Now, the Dark Mark on Snape's arm has reappeared, though the color is still very light, but the news it brings is worse than it could be—Voldemort is coming back.
With Voldemort gradually regaining his power, an unidentified man lurking in the shadows, the Triwizard Tournament, and Harry, the whole situation suddenly seemed to spiral out of control.
However, Belvina remained remarkably calm, even more so than Dumbledore.
After all, she had known this day would come.
"This might not be a bad thing," Belvina said. "If we can find the man who appears in Harry's dream, we might find Voldemort, who is gathering his power."
Voldemort in his recovery phase is ultimately easier to deal with than he is in his prime.
Belvina looked at Snape and asked, "Severus, you were once a Death Eater—" Snape glared at her fiercely, "—did Voldemort have a particular favorite?"
"Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange—what a coincidence, they both have close ties to you," Snape said maliciously.
"I mean, did Voldemort ever refer to a Death Eater as 'child' or 'my child'?" Belvina asked again. "You heard Harry just now, don't pretend you didn't hear me."
Snape lowered his rolled-up sleeves, covering the dark-colored Dark Mark.
The potions professor thought for a moment and said, "I've never heard of it, at least he's never said it publicly."
Belvina glared at Snape, her meaning clear: What use are you!
"Voldemort always acts in secrecy, and he often hides things from the Death Eaters, so it's normal that he didn't know," Professor Moody said. "However, the fact that he addressed a Death Eater so affectionately suggests that this person is no ordinary individual."
Upon hearing this, Snape looked at Moody in surprise, seemingly not expecting him to speak up for him.
"I think there are two possibilities." Belvina held up two slender fingers. "First, this is Voldemort's way of managing his subordinates, a means for him to win people's hearts."
Snape, the most qualified person present, remained noncommittal, neither nodding nor shaking his head.
"Secondly, as Alastor said, this person is very important to Voldemort, perhaps the second-in-command of the Death Eaters," Belvina continued, "not someone like Sirius."
This time, Snape shook his head and said firmly, "The Death Eaters have never had a second-in-command, and they never will."
Despite being highly regarded, Lucius and Bellatrix were only considered confidants, certainly not second-in-commands.
"I agree with Severus," Dumbledore said. "Voldemort doesn't need a second-in-command, much less a successor. He won't share his power with anyone."
As the principal spoke, he walked toward a dark-colored cabinet.
"I do have a method, but it's a bit time-consuming and laborious," Professor Moody said in a deep voice. "We'll find all the Death Eaters we know, and then have Potter identify them one by one. We might get some unexpected results."
"I agree," Belvina said, raising both hands in approval. "Find them all, whether they're imprisoned in Azkaban or have escaped punishment."
Harry didn't offer any opinion; he was like a puppet, his fate entirely predetermined.
Snape didn't object; although Moody's method was clumsy, it was the safest. Even if they couldn't find the unidentified man, at least they could rule out wrong answers.
At that moment, Dumbledore opened the door of the dark cabinet, and bright silver light shone through.
"So, who shall go first?" Dumbledore asked.
As soon as he finished speaking, a gleaming stone basin flew out of the dark cabinet and landed steadily on a table.
It was a shallow stone basin with strangely shaped letters and symbols engraved on its rim. Inside, a substance that was neither liquid nor gas was shimmering.
Belvina stood up, stared at the letters and symbols on the rim of the basin for a moment, and asked uncertainly, "Is this the Pensieve?"
"As expected of the noble and oldest Black family, they certainly have a lot of knowledge!" Snape said sarcastically.
Belvina glared at Snape again. Even if she wasn't from the Black family, she could recognize the basin in front of her as the Pensieve.
Because Belvina recognized the ancient runes engraved on the rim of the basin!