A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

Chapter 549: Clear Conscience

Chapter 549: Clear Conscience

Harry woke in the makeshift tent to a commotion outside. Groping for his glasses by the pillow, he put them on and sat up in bed. The tent was empty except for Professor Harp sitting by the entrance, looking somewhat distracted.

"You're awake, Harry," Felix said.

"Professor? How long was I asleep?" Harry asked groggily.

"About an hour or so."

"What about the others?"

"They all have their own tasks. Today feels like a lifetime for some..." Felix said, still gazing outside. He had a book of magical runes on his knee but hadn't flipped through it. "Don't worry, Ron and the others have been sent back to school."

Harry felt a bit relieved upon hearing that but then thought of another question. "Professor Dumbledore, where is he? And Bellatrix—"

"Oh, I know what you're about to say. Dumbledore left precisely for that matter."

"He's off to find the Horcrux?" Harry asked, filled with hope.

"Exactly. He got a lead and rushed to confirm it." Felix glanced at Harry, who couldn't contain his joy. But then Felix poured cold water on his excitement. "Don't get too optimistic. Dumbledore's chances of success are slim."

"Why do you say that?" Harry held his breath.

He knew something, a deduction made privately by him, Ron, and Hermione, combining the testimonies of Sirius and Neville.

Sirius had mentioned that the Ministry and the Order had been secretly watching Death Eaters whose names were exposed but lacked solid evidence. Neville had unintentionally revealed that the Longbottoms had once tracked and investigated the Malfoy family, discovering Bellatrix's trail.

"They nearly thwarted the Dark Lord's plot, almost captured her!"

Bellatrix, Harry silently repeated her name.

He knew this woman, had seen her on wanted posters, in newspapers, and in an old photograph glimpsed in Dumbledore's Pensieve last year at the Black house.

Connecting the image of the young woman in the photo to her frenzied state in the Pensieve was difficult for Harry.

"Even if Voldemort entrusted a Horcrux to Bellatrix, after today, he won't dare leave it with anyone else. He's bound to reclaim it. That's one of Dumbledore's goals, to rattle the enemy."

"Dumbledore wearing the ring was to willingly expose his knowledge of the Horcrux?" Harry asked, even though he now knew about all the Horcruxes. "Couldn't he collect them discreetly and destroy them one by one?" He said, unwilling to accept.

"It's complicated at this stage," Felix said. "You should see this from both Dumbledore and Voldemort's perspectives. It'll make it easier for you to understand. For Dumbledore, he has two main objectives. Firstly, he wants to keep Voldemort subdued, preventing a full-scale war, maintaining it at a low intensity. Previous conflicts were just that, conflicts, nothing compared to a full-blown war where casualties are just numbers."

"Secondly, he wants to confirm the last Horcrux as soon as possible. Yes, our expectations were low, but we've made progress, thanks to you." Felix tilted his head toward Harry. "But Dumbledore didn't account for your unexpected involvement."

Or maybe he did, Felix thought.

Dumbledore's thoughts must have been incredibly conflicting. Both Felix and he knew a straightforward way to destroy the part of Voldemort's soul within Harry, yet neither mentioned it, pursuing their own methods.

But with Dumbledore's intellect, it was impossible for him not to anticipate the worst-case scenario. He had intentionally and unintentionally been preparing Harry, including today's decision to let him witness the battle, a reflection of this conflicting mindset.

"Both these objectives are being challenged," Harry pondered. "Voldemort has the Elder Wand now, making him stronger. Even if he hadn't appeared today, there would have been other schemes. And the Horcrux... the investigation has hit a dead end?"

"Before? Yes," Felix said.

"Could Voldemort just casually discard the final Horcrux somewhere?" Harry thought of a flaw in the plan. "What if he throws it into the sea, buries it..."

"He won't," Felix said shortly.

"Why—"

"Because of you," Felix looked deeply at Harry. "In the past, Voldemort was unaware of your connection, but do you really think he hasn't realized it since he latched onto you?"

Harry looked puzzled.

"He knows? He knows I can see into his mind?"

He must, Felix thought. It wasn't clear how much Voldemort knew; he might even be aware of Harry's Horcrux identity, probabilities oscillating. But he surely noticed the link between them.

Some things, when investigated thoroughly, couldn't remain hidden, like Harry's scar and Parseltongue, not a secret at Hogwarts.

As the only, no, one of two individuals hit by the Killing Curse and still alive, the nature of their connection was ambiguous, especially intertwined with the protective magic cast by Harry's mother. It complicated matters further.

Voldemort might not necessarily think of the Horcruxes because he had never involuntarily split his soul.

But without knowing the extent of this connection, it was unwise to let the Horcrux slip from sight. What if Harry could trace the Horcrux? The possibility was small, but for Voldemort, it could be a potential disaster.

For someone left with only one Horcrux, distressed and recently facing a significant setback like Voldemort, would he dare to gamble?

So, calling Harry the Dark Lord's nemesis wasn't an exaggeration.

The tent fell into silence.

After a while, Dumbledore appeared in the tent. Both Harry and Felix looked up, seeing Dumbledore dusty and worn. Harry noticed new lines on his face, or maybe it was just his imagination, but there seemed to be a few more.

Dumbledore shook his head silently, and Harry's heart sank.

"Harry, I'll take you back to school," Dumbledore said.

"What about Professor Harp?" Harry stood up and asked.

"He has his own matters to attend to," Dumbledore said briefly. Harry didn't understand. Was sitting idly in a chair by the tent's entrance considered 'matters'? But he didn't voice his thoughts. Dumbledore embraced Harry's shoulder. Harry hesitated, then stammered.

"I'm sorry... I caused trouble for you all."

"It's not your fault," Dumbledore said calmly.

"But I didn't listen to you. I let Voldemort notice me," Harry blamed himself. "I should have known you could handle it... but I couldn't stop myself."

He knew that because of his impulsiveness, Voldemort had discovered their connection. It would be challenging to extract information from Voldemort's mind now. Voldemort would surely be wary of him, using Occlumency...

Unexpectedly, Dumbledore smiled for the first time since appearing, and Professor Harp at the door also smiled.

"Harry," Dumbledore said patiently, "I do wish for you to mature and become responsible, but I don't want your growth to come at the cost of losing those shining qualities; kindness, bravery, integrity... things many people never possess in their lifetime. You have a clear conscience, Harry, and you have no idea how much I envy that."

He sighed softly, caressing the black gemstone ring on his hand.

For a long while, no one spoke until Fawkes flew in from outside, circling

low twice in the tent, and landed on Dumbledore's shoulder. With a burst of flames, they vanished from the tent.

Felix drifted into contemplation. Kindness, bravery, integrity, clear conscience... How many of those did he possess?

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