Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

Chapter 267 Action

Compared to Thea's success at the Ministry of Magic, Hogwarts' daily life was much more ordinary, and even the Slytherins, who should have been the most restless, were quieted down under Draco's suppression.

But... except for one place.

In the headmaster's office, Dumbledore calmly looked at Harry, who was on the verge of collapse.

"...I know everything!"

"It was Snape! He was the one who told Voldemort the prophecy!"

"He was one of the people who caused my parents' deaths!!!"

Harry screamed the last sentence with all his might. The huge emotional turmoil made him feel nauseous, and the feeling of almost vomiting made him unconsciously hunch his body slightly.

Upon seeing this, a hint of worry flashed across Dumbledore's eyes, and his fingers twitched involuntarily, but his tone remained calm.

“Harry, Snape did do something wrong in person, but what you know isn’t the whole story…”

"Logically speaking, I should tell you everything now, since you are the person who should least be kept in the dark about this whole incident..."

"but--"

Hearing this, Harry knew that Dumbledore was going to give him another perfunctory answer, and the feeling of being isolated made Harry feel a sense of despair.

They seem to have forgotten that he has grown up, and still feel that he is the little boy who is hiding in the closet, still looking forward to his own "savior".

"Time is almost up."

Harry was taken aback, not understanding why Dumbledore pointed to the clock on the table while saying this.

"Let's go, Harry!"

"If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to reach our destination on time."

Dumbledore emerged from behind the table and extended his arm toward Harry. The expectation in his blue eyes made him look much younger, more like a warrior.

For some reason, Harry suddenly felt like crying.

He had been left behind by them for so long that he couldn't catch them the moment they reached out.

Harry froze on the spot, but Dumbledore didn't mind and patiently waited for him to put his arm around Harry's.

Harry finally extended his hand.

But Dumbledore did not set off immediately. Instead, his previous calm demeanor vanished, and he warned with a serious expression, "Remember my only requirement for you on this journey: you must obey any of my orders without question, even if I ask you to end my life with your wand."

"……what?"

Harry immediately realized the importance of this trip after speaking up. Although he didn't understand what they were going to do, it didn't stop him from carefully studying Dumbledore's orders and his resolute answer:

"I swear, I can do it!"

The two stared at each other for a moment.

Both sides gleaned the information they sought from each other's eyes.

With a burst of sound like apparitions, the two disappeared from their spot.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As soon as Harry landed, he smelled the ocean and heard the waves crashing against the rocks.

"Professor, doesn't Hogwarts prohibit Apparition?"

Harry asked his question while observing the surrounding terrain.

"Maybe it's because I'm the principal."

Dumbledore's lame joke made Harry relax for a second, but soon the desolate surroundings made Harry tense up again, and he involuntarily tightened his grip on his wand.

Dumbledore didn't overlook this, so much so that a hint of relief flashed in his eyes.

Before Harry could ask where they were, Dumbledore started walking forward and gestured for Harry to follow, saying as he did so.

Do you remember what we learned in class before?

Harry felt a chill run down his spine; he seemed to know who this place was related to.

“I remember,” Harry said in a deep voice.

“That’s good,” Dumbledore nodded. “We’re still some distance from our real destination, and to be on the safe side, I haven’t used magic to solve the problem directly.”

Harry nodded knowingly.

Dumbledore continued, "He's been here before, more than once, otherwise he wouldn't have found such a secluded place."

“I would not presume that all children are pure and kind, nor would I deny that he may have suffered a lot of humiliation, blame and injustice in his childhood, but that cannot be a reason for him to threaten other children here.”

Harry carefully pondered Dumbledore's words, his intuition telling him that they weren't just referring to Voldemort.

Before Harry could figure it out, Dumbledore gestured for him to climb up a huge rock.

Harry didn't hesitate for long. He nimbly pushed off and flipped onto the rock. Just as he was marveling at how refreshing the salty sea breeze was, Dumbledore also came up.

"Harry, do you remember what I asked of you before?"

"Of course I remember!"

"That's good," Dumbledore murmured, closing his eyes slightly. "I wonder if it was the right thing for me to bring you here?"

"professor?"

Harry didn't hear Dumbledore's next sentence clearly and thought the other was instructing him on something. Fearing that he might make a mistake because he didn't hear clearly, Harry hurriedly asked.

"I said, we've arrived at our destination."

Dumbledore opened his eyes, without the slightest hesitation. He pointed to the opposite bank and repeated, "That is our destination."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The perspective shifts to Hogwarts. Not long after Dumbledore and Harry left Hogwarts, an owl took advantage of the night to fly towards the Ministry of Magic.

Meanwhile, lights came on in the Slytherin dormitories one by one, and soon the common room was full of people.

They arrived in perfect unison, and even the suppressed resentment and excitement on their faces were identical.

"We need to get moving."

In the center of the crowd, amidst the expectant and anxious gazes of everyone, Draco remained unusually calm.

"Let's get started."

With everyone responding, a covert operation officially began.