HP Approaches the Magic World

Jon leaned weakly on the roof, with his back on the elevated roof ridge that Hogg had thoughtfully prepared. He watched Hogg and Peeves fight Helga... as if this matter could be of any benefit to them.

.

Of course, even if there is no benefit to it, they will definitely do it.

That's Helga.

But now Jon doesn't even want to talk. He just wants to lean here quietly and wait for Dumbledore to come back.

It was obvious that he had waited.

Just when he saw Dumbledore, Dumbledore had already crossed the zigzag castle wall and was getting off his broom.

A few seconds later, Harry landed next to him, looking around.

The walls were desolate, and the doors leading to the spiral staircase inside the castle were closed.

There was no sign of struggle, no sign of struggle, and no body in sight.

"What does it mean?"

Harry asked Dumbledore, who was looking up at the green skull in the sky, its snake-like tongue flashing evilly above their heads: "Is this mark real? Is someone really being - taught?"

In the dim green light emitted by the Dark Mark, Harry saw Dumbledore clutching his chest with his blackened hand.

"Go wake Severus,"

Dumbledore said weakly but clearly: "Tell him what happened and tell him to come see me quickly.

Otherwise, do nothing, don't talk to anyone, and don't take off your invisibility cloak.

I'm waiting here."

"But--"

"You swear to obey me.

Harry—go!"

Harry hurriedly ran towards the door of the spiral staircase, but as soon as he grasped the iron door knocker, he heard running footsteps from the other side of the door.

He turned to look at Dumbledore, who signaled him to step back.

Harry took a few steps back and pulled out his wand.

The door suddenly burst open, and a man burst in, shouting at the same time: "Expelliarmus!"

Harry's body suddenly became very stiff, and he felt himself stumbling back to the tower wall, standing there like a statue, unable to move or speak.

He didn't understand what was going on. "Expelliarmus" wasn't a freezing spell?

At this time, with the green light of the Dark Mark, he saw Dumbledore's wand draw an arc in the air and fly out of the wall. He understood...

Dumbledore used a silent spell to immobilize Harry. The one second it took him to recite the spell cost him the chance to protect himself.

Dumbledore stood there with his back against the wall, his face pale, but still not showing the slightest panic or worry.

He just looked at the man removing his weapon and said, "Good evening, Draco."

Malfoy took a few steps forward and quickly looked around to see if there was anyone else besides him and Dumbledore.

His eyes fell on the second broom.

"Who else is here?"

"I was just going to ask you this question. Are you acting alone?"

Under the green light of the Dark Mark, Harry saw Malfoy's light eyes staring at Dumbledore again.

"No," he said, "Someone supports me. Death Eaters broke into your school tonight."

"very good,"

Dumbledore said it was as if Malfoy had shown him an ambitious project plan.

"It's really good. You thought of a way to let them in, right?"

"That's right," Malfoy's breathing was a little rapid: "It's right under your nose, and you haven't noticed it yet!"

"How clever, but... may I ask... where are they at the moment?

You seem...alone."

"They encountered some of your guards, fighting below.

It won't take long...I'll come up first.

I-I have a job to finish."

"Okay, then you go ahead and do it, my dear child."

silence.

Harry was imprisoned under his invisibility cloak, unable to move.

He stared at the two people in front of him, and listened intently to the sound of the Death Eaters fighting in the distance.

In front of him, Draco Malfoy just stared blankly at Albus Dumbledore, but Dumbledore actually smiled incredulously.

"Draco, Draco, you are not a murderer."

"how do you know?"

He seemed to realize how childish this statement sounded.

Under the green light of the Dark Mark, Harry saw his face turn red.

"You don't know what I'm capable of," Malfoy said, his tone becoming fierce: "You don't know what I've done!"

"Oh, of course I know."

Dumbledore said kindly: "You almost killed Katie Bell and Ron Weasley.

You've been thinking of ways to kill me all this year, and you're getting more and more impatient.

Forgive me for saying this, Draco, but what you did was lame...

To be honest, it's so lame, I almost doubt whether you have done it carefully..."

"Of course I'm paying attention!"

Malfoy said excitedly: "I've been working on this for a whole year, and tonight -"

Harry heard a muffled shout coming from somewhere in the castle below.

Malfoy froze and turned to look behind him.

"Some people are struggling to resist."

Dumbledore said in an easy-going manner: "You just said... By the way, you said that you finally succeeded in letting Death Eaters into my school.

I admit, I thought this was impossible...how did you do it?"

But Malfoy didn't answer. He was still listening to what was going on below, and seemed to be as frozen as Harry, unable to move.

"Maybe you should do the work alone."

Dumbledore gave him advice: "What if your backup is defeated by my guards?

I'm afraid you've also discovered that there are members of the Order of the Phoenix here tonight.

You don't need help anyway...

I don't have a wand at the moment...no way to protect myself."

Malfoy just stared at him blankly.

"I understand," Dumbledore said to Malfoy gently when he saw that Malfoy was neither moving nor speaking, "you are scared and have to wait until they come up before you dare to take action."

"I'm not afraid!"

Malfoy roared fiercely, but he still did not hurt Dumbledore: "You should be the one who is scared!"

"But why?

I don't think you're going to kill me, Draco.

Killing is not as simple as most people think...

Well, while we are waiting for your friends, tell me...

How did you sneak them in?

It seemed like it took you a long time to figure this out."

Malfoy seemed to be trying desperately not to scream or vomit.

He swallowed, took a few deep breaths, stared at Dumbledore fiercely, and pointed the wand directly at Dumbledore's chest.

Then, as if he couldn't help himself, he said: "I had to repair that broken disappearing cabinet that hadn't been used for years.

It's the same cabinet that Montague was locked in last year and couldn't get out."

"ah--"

Dumbledore's sigh was like a groan. He closed his eyes for a moment.

"What a smart idea... I remember there are two cabinets, right?"

"The other one is in Borgin's and Burke's," said Malfoy. "They built a passage between the two cabinets.

Montague told me that when he was locked in the cabinet at Hogwarts, he could not move his whole body, but sometimes he could hear the movement in the school, and sometimes he could hear what was happening in the store, as if the cabinet was between these two

He seemed to be running around, but no one could hear his voice...

In the end, he managed to escape via Apparition, although he failed the exam.

His Apparition almost killed him.

Everyone thought it was a very funny story, but I was the only one who realized the meaning - even Borgin didn't know - only I realized that as long as I repaired the broken cabinet, I could enter through the two disappearing cabinets.

Hogwarts.”

"very good,"

Dumbledore murmured: "That way the Death Eaters can enter the school from Borgin and Burkes to help you...

A clever plan, a very clever plan...

And, as you said, right under my nose..."

"Yes," said Malfoy, who oddly seemed to gain courage and comfort from Dumbledore's praise: "Yes, that's it!"

"But sometimes," Dumbledore continued, "you're not sure you can fix the cupboard, are you?

At this time, you took some clumsy and ill-considered measures, such as sending me an enchanted necklace, which would definitely fall into the hands of someone else...

There is also poisoning the mead. In fact, the possibility of me drinking that wine is very slim..."

"Yeah, but you still don't know who planned these things, do you?"

Malfoy sneered, and at this moment Dumbledore's body slid down a little against the wall. It was obvious that his legs and feet had no strength. The speechless Harry struggled desperately to get rid of the spell that bound him, but to no avail.

no result.

"Actually, I already knew it." Dumbledore said, "I believe it was you."

"Then why didn't you stop me?"

"I tried, Draco.

Professor Snape has been monitoring you at my command—"

"He didn't obey your orders. He promised my mother——"

"Of course he would tell you that, Draco, but—"

"He's a double agent, you stupid old man. He didn't work for you at all, and you were kept in the dark!"

"Let us disagree with each other, Draco, I happen to trust Professor Snape -"

"You're losing control of him!"

Malfoy sneered: "He keeps offering to help me -

I want to take credit for myself—I want to step in and do something—

'What are you doing? Did you make that necklace? It's so stupid, it will expose everything -'

But I didn’t tell him what I was doing in the Room of Requirement. When he wakes up tomorrow morning, it will be done and he will no longer be the Dark Lord’s favorite. He is nothing compared to me, nothing!”

"What a relief."

Dumbledore said gently: "It goes without saying that we all hope that our hard work will be appreciated by others...

But you must have an accomplice... there is someone in Hogsmeade who can give Katie that - that - ah..."

Dumbledore closed his eyes again and nodded slightly, as if he was about to fall asleep.

"Needless to say...it's Rosmerta. How long has she been under the Imperius Curse?"

"You finally figured it out, didn't you?"

There was another shout from below, louder than the one just now.

Malfoy turned his head uneasily again, and then looked back at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore continued: "Because, poor Rosmerta had to hide in her own toilet and give that necklace to any Hogwarts student who went to the toilet alone?

And that bottle of poisoned mead...

Of course, Rosmerta could mix poison in that bottle for you and sell it to Slughorn, thinking it would be a Christmas present for me...

Very clever...

Poor Filch never thought of checking Mrs. Rosmerta's wine...

So tell me, how did you contact Rosmerta?

We must strictly check all communications in and out of the school."

"Magic coins," said Malfoy, who seemed to have to go on and on, his wand hand shaking violently: "I have a coin, and she has a coin, and I can send her messages -

"

"Is this the secret communication method used by the group calling itself 'Dumbledore's Army' last year?"

Dumbledore's voice was easy and friendly, but Harry saw him slide an inch further down the wall as he spoke.

"Yes, I learned it from them."

Malfoy smiled grimly and said: "The idea of ​​poisoning the mead came from Granger, the mudblood. I heard her saying in the library that Filch couldn't recognize the potion..."

"Please don't use that insulting word in front of me."

Malfoy burst out laughing loudly.

"Seeing that I'm about to take your life, do you still care if I say 'mudblood'?"

"Yes, I care."

Dumbledore said, when Harry saw his feet slipping on the ground, holding on hard to prevent himself from collapsing: "As for you trying to take my life, Draco, it has been several minutes.

There is no one else around, I am unarmed now, you would never dream of having such a good opportunity, but you still didn’t take action..."

Malfoy's lips twisted involuntarily, as if he was tasting something very bitter.

"Let's talk about tonight," Dumbledore continued: "I still don't understand a little bit... did you know that I left school?

Of course, Rosmerta saw me leaving, I think she must have used your clever coins to tell you the news..."

"Yes," said Malfoy, "but she said you were just going for a drink and would be back soon..."

"Yeah, I did go to have something to drink...and now I'm back...barely back," Dumbledore muttered softly, "So you decided to set a trap for me?"

"We decided to hang the Dark Mark over the tower, forcing you to rush back to see who was killed. This method really worked!"

"Oh... not necessarily..." Dumbledore said: "Then, can I understand it this way: no one has been killed yet?"

"Someone died,"

Malfoy said, his voice suddenly rising an octave: "One of your people... I don't know who it is, it's too dark... I stepped over the body... I should wait for you to come back up here.

Yes, it’s all your fault that those members of the Order of the Phoenix came out to block the way..."

"Yes, that's exactly it."

There were crashes and shouts from below again, louder than before. It seemed like someone was fighting on the spiral staircase leading to Dumbledore, Malfoy and Harry.

Harry's heart was beating wildly in his invisible chest, but no one could hear it... Someone died... Malfoy stepped over the body... who could it be?

"There is not much time left," said Dumbledore. "Where to go, Draco, let's discuss your options."

"my choice!"

Malfoy shouted: "I'm standing here with a wand - I'm going to kill you -"

"Dear child, let's stop acting.

If you really wanted to kill me, you would have done it after removing my weapons just now, instead of stopping to happily talk to me about these measures and methods."

"I do not have any choice!"

Malfoy's face suddenly turned as pale as Dumbledore's:

“I have to do it!

He will kill me!

He will kill my whole family!"

"I understand your situation," Dumbledore said, "otherwise why haven't I met you before?

I know that if Voldemort finds out that I am suspicious of you, you will be assassinated."

Malfoy twitched with fear at the name.

"I know you accepted that mission, but I don't dare to talk about it with you, for fear that he will use Legilimency on you."

Dumbledore continued: "Now we can finally speak openly and honestly...

You didn't cause any damage, you didn't hurt anyone, you are really lucky, those people you accidentally injured survived...

I can help you, Draco."

"No, it's impossible,"

Malfoy's hand holding the wand was shaking very badly: "No one can do it. He asked me to do this, otherwise he will kill me. I have no choice."

"Get on the right path, Draco,

We can hide you in a completely safe place, safer than you can imagine.

Moreover, I can send members of the Order of the Phoenix to hide your mother tonight.

Your father is currently not in danger in Azkaban...

We will also protect him when the time comes,

Come on the right path, Draco...you are not a murderer..."

Malfoy looked at Dumbledore blankly.

"But I've come so far, haven't I?"

He spoke very slowly: "They thought I would die before the completion of the work, but I am still alive...

And you're under my control... I'm the one holding the wand now...

You are at my mercy..."

"No, Draco," Dumbledore said calmly: "You are at my mercy now, not me at your mercy."

Draco said nothing.

His mouth was open wide, and the hand holding the wand was still shaking.