Archaeologists at Hogwarts

Chapter 288 Toby and Dumbledore

Screaming Shack.

Everything continues in an orderly manner.

Two skeletons came into the foyer connected to the stairs, one with a head and one without a head.

"Al." Toby ordered: "Go and get Harry's skull necklace back. Remember, don't let anyone find you, and don't let anyone know that we took it. Only in this way can everything be restored."

Cover up the past.”

Al nodded seriously, took out the small flying carpet from his belly pocket, and at the same time quietly took out a wand.

This was Lupine's wand, which he had completely failed to notice had been stolen by Al.

Toby watched Al flying into the cave entrance. He took out the Marauder's Map from his pocket and silently observed the locations of various names in the castle.

The range on the map only reaches as far as the Whomping Willow, and the Shrieking Shack has long exceeded its included distance.

Just as Toby was silently waiting for Al's name to appear on the map, he suddenly heard a noise from inside the cave entrance, which made him quietly hold the wand in his sleeve tightly - but when the visitor showed up,

Toby silently released his palm.

"Principal, why are you here? Are you not?"

It's Albus Dumbledore.

He was wearing the iconic wizard's robe with stars and moons printed on it. He was holding Al in one hand and a familiar wand in the other - it was Lupin's wand.

"Can you explain what you are going to use it for?" Dumbledore asked seriously: "Stealing other people's wands, do you know what this reminds me of, Toby?"

"Who do you want to kill this time?"

Toby's long hair blocked his eyes, and his eyes and gaze could not be seen clearly.

"What are you talking about, Headmaster? I have already agreed with Remus that I will take care of him tonight to avoid the predicted attack. You also don't want to have to find a new professor every year.

Bar?"

Dumbledore let go of Al, but Lupin's wand was still in his hand.

El rushed back to Toby non-stop. He described in horror how he was grabbed by a figure that suddenly jumped out of the darkness. His hand was so frightening that it couldn't calm down now.

"Don't worry, don't worry." Toby comforted: "The principal won't do anything to you, right?" He finally asked this question to Dumbledore.

"If it were just Al," Dumbledore said calmly, "it would indeed be much more honest than one of my careless students."

Toby clapped his hands and said, "I know Severus is dishonest, do you want me to help you teach him a lesson? How about going now?"

However, Dumbledore stood guard in front of the cave entrance with no intention of moving.

"Okay, okay." Toby said helplessly: "I can tell you the reason, this time it is true. Do you remember what I told you before? In the memory that I erased,

Remus was also present at the time. Later, I advised you to check him carefully to see if there was anything wrong with him. But I never heard from you, so the result became like this.

——I can only check it myself, and at the same time, I can avoid the prophecy from happening - I mean the prophecy that he will be attacked."

"I know this prophecy." Dumbledore said slowly: "But do you feel that, Toby, you seem to be slowly becoming the attacker in the prophecy? What are you going to do soon?"

"How is it possible?" Toby said disdainfully: "This method——"

Dumbledore stared at him with a look full of meaning.

"Okay," Toby had to change his words: "I do know how to use it. I use it often. That's okay, right? Why don't you tell me why you showed up at the Screaming Shack tonight? I remember you should now

It’s on the way to Nurmengard. And”

Toby opened the Marauder's Map, pointed at the old parchment and said, "Why isn't your name on it? It's not in the castle, and it's not in the secret passage. You can't be hiding here for a whole day, right?"

Facing Toby's question, Dumbledore was silent for a while, and then said: "You are not the only one who has communicated with Barrow, and I have held the Book of Access longer than you."

Half of Dumbledore's body was illuminated by the moonlight penetrating through the gap in the window, and the other half was hidden in the darkness. His eyes passed through the curly hair on Toby's forehead, and met Toby's eyes that gradually changed.

At this moment, the expression on Dumbledore's face could not be called friendly.

"It's not just these, there's more."

He said with dignity: "I think we all know what you plan to do since you return to Hogwarts. Now I don't know what your purpose is, but your actions this year are very...

different."

"From the beginning, before the celebration was about to be held, you have been hinting to me that without the magic ball, you seem to be unable to do anything. Even if you want to do something, you have to wait until the Ministry of Magic returns the fake

Only corpses will do."

"Then there is another thing that is very different - the time turner. You know the existence of the time turner. I think this should be another hint - making me think that you are planning to use it for yourself. But then I found out something

It becomes a little different, you never thought about using the time turner, but planned to keep an eye on it at all times, lest I ruin your good deeds."

"For example, knowing that I have left Hogwarts, there is another me staying in the school."

"So, I can tell you clearly, Toby, I have not left Hogwarts, neither today nor before. The reason I have been waiting is tonight, just to take a good look at your plans.

What to do."

Finally, he asked seriously: "The influence of that memory has never disappeared, right?"

"Why on earth do you have to do this?"

From beginning to end, Toby just listened to Dumbledore's words in silence.

"You don't understand, principal." He said slowly: "You know me very well and have exposed all my thoughts, but you still can't understand."

"Do you really think so?" Dumbledore suddenly interrupted loudly: "Do you really think that I will pay attention to you for no reason? Take it and try it on."

He threw something to Toby.

It's the Sorting Hat.

It looked a lot cleaner now. Toby kept his promise and did clean the hat.

"It seems that my forgetting spell is not that useful," Toby reluctantly took the hat and said: "You have restored the memory of the Sorting Hat, and are you planning to discuss my teaching methods at this time? You should know very well,

Those are all decisions made by Harry himself. He has the right to choose and must be responsible for himself. He cannot just be treated as a child. I was also a little wizard who didn't understand anything, so

I can understand him very well."

"Boy." The Sorting Hat suddenly said: "I advise you to do as Dumbledore said. Compared with what is going to happen next, Harry Potter is nothing at all. This is always maintained.

You are the only different person in the secret between me and Dumbledore. Now, put me on quickly, don't waste my time creating songs."

Toby glanced at Dumbledore again, but he saw nothing.

After putting the sorting hat on his head, Toby heard two voices one after another.

"You have talent. There is no doubt that you are very suitable to be sorted into Slytherin. Don't underestimate yourself."

"But, Mr. Sorting Hat." Toby could imagine that it was the voice of a little boy, but his tone was unusually calm: "I can't be associated with anything evil, and I must avoid this situation at all costs to avoid causing any harm.

There are possible conjectures and suspicions. You know very well why - my sister, she must be hidden."

"Since you insist on Gryffindor!"

Toby's eyes finally began to change, and he looked at the old man in surprise, half of his body hidden in the darkness.

Dumbledore finally revealed the secret that no one knew until now.

"You are not the only one who thinks that you are more Slytherin than Slytherin."

He walked out of the shadows and came into the moonlight. His face was divided into many different parts by streaks of light, and his blue eyes stared at Toby.

"So, I know exactly what havoc you can cause, because I've done the same stupid thing. Now, come with me, Toby. I can act like nothing happened, and after tonight, everything will be fine

.”

Just then, an unexpected voice came to mind.

"Is that really what you think, Albus Dumbledore?"

Lupine, at some point he walked out of the bedroom on the second floor and stood in the hall, appearing silently.

"Why didn't you turn into a werewolf?" Toby asked, staring at him closely.

A smile that was completely different from his usual appeared on Lupine's face, not subtle or gentle at all.

"Because no amount of hot chocolate can really turn me into a werewolf. Polyjuice Potion doesn't have this effect yet. Maybe you can invent it in the future, Toby Highmore."

Both Toby and Dumbledore immediately guessed who the person in front of them was, and they almost simultaneously raised their wands and pointed them at him from a distance.

"Relax."

"Lupin's" face began to change, and so did his voice.

Finally, Gellert Grindelwald appeared in front of them.

"The real Remus Lupine is still alive and well. Of course, tonight is a full moon, so he may be very sad."

"You shouldn't have appeared here." Dumbledore looked at him and said, "Sure enough, the days when you trapped me in Azkaban were not fruitless. At that time, you had already

Has Lupine replaced him?"

"You guessed it right, Albus." Grindelwald looked confident, and he said leisurely: "I think it's your turn to ask questions next, Toby Highmore, and the Marauder's Map again.

Is it relevant? Are you wondering why my name isn’t on it?”

"Soul, haven't you been studying the soul? Have you guessed anything?"

"Don't believe what he says, Toby." Dumbledore reminded: "Don't believe a word he says, he is best at -"

"Demagogue?" Grindelwald suddenly interrupted: "Are you going to use your old tricks to teach your students again? But this is all the skills I learned from you - learning how to make others trust you, this

It’s always something you’re good at, isn’t it?”

Toby looked at the two people in surprise. He slowly backed away and leaned against the wall. Al carefully lay on his shoulder, his eyes rolling.

"I just want to confirm something." Toby whispered: "Why do so many things happen to such a simple thing? Sure enough, I shouldn't come back."

"But where is the skeleton?" he asked suddenly, causing Dumbledore to turn his attention to him immediately. However, Toby turned a blind eye and insisted on asking: "The so-called third skeleton, those are all-all intentional by you.

To divert attention?"

"I knew you would ask that." Grindelwald said in a tone that seemed to be in control of everything: "However, it is not. That is indeed a gift from me to you. I think I understand you, Toby.

Heimer, unlike Dumbledore, I know you better than him. Ancient magic has always been your pursuit, hasn't it? You are ambitious, so I have brought you more gifts."

A necklace floated out of his pocket automatically, with a skull ring hanging at the end of the necklace.

This is also the head of one of the skeletons in the foyer, which was originally supposed to be on Harry's body.

"It's you -" Toby understood what was going on at a glance: "The three of them made the same prophecy at that time, and it was actually you who was causing trouble. Because you know that I won't let Blake go, so I must

I will put this head next to Harry again so that you can get it easily."

Only more powerful wizards have the ability to influence the divination results of ritual magic.

There is no doubt that Grindelwald is this kind of wizard.

"I know you need it urgently now." Grindelwald still had the same tone, he said: "But, why not let me give you the third gift first - the Book of Access, which contains some things you have never seen before.

Something I have never thought of. I guess this is probably related to why Albus was unwilling to hand it over to you in the first place."

"Don't listen to him." Dumbledore repeated with emphasis.

Toby turned to look at him.

"Al." He said without hesitation: "Take out the Book of Access."

Al was also looking at Dumbledore. He spread his paws helplessly, and then immediately did as he was told. He took out the old book from his belly pocket and opened it page by page.

"Quantity." Grindelwald reminded again: "Look carefully at the number of wizards recorded on it. Look at it over time. From the past to the present, the number of newly born wizards has been increasing every time.

few."

Toby listened silently to Grindelwald's words. His eyes quickly scanned the rows of different names. It didn't take long for him to raise his head again. He first glanced at Grindelwald, and then focused his eyes on the compassionate Dumbledore.

On the body.

"The wizarding world is dying at an accelerating rate," Grindelwald said at last.

"I'm right, principal." Toby also murmured in a low voice: "My research has always been right. Whether it is bloodline or the reasons for the decline of ancient magic, they are all right. The magic world is gradually disappearing.

One day, wizards will cease to exist completely. You already knew that, didn’t you?”

Dumbledore looked at Toby with complicated eyes.

Under the moonlight, unknowingly, Toby had turned his target from Grindelwald to himself.

This was something Dumbledore knew very well might happen, and it was a situation he had been trying his best to avoid.

"Sorry, Toby." He said sadly: "War, there must be no more war."