Dumbledore's plan

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Noticing Ethan and Dumbledore's focused gaze, Ginny felt a bit nervous. She twisted her fingers, attempting to recall the events of that day.

After a moment, Ginny managed to recollect some details. "Malfoy's dad! He argued with my dad at Lockhart's signing and took my book!"

"Are you referring to Lucius Malfoy, Miss Weasley?" Dumbledore interlocked his fingers and peered into Ginny's eyes.

Feeling a bit uneasy under Dumbledore's scrutiny, Ginny quickly nodded, confirming Dumbledore's inquiry.

"Miss Weasley, could you provide more details about Malfoy's father?" Dumbledore inquired.

"The Ministry of Magic recently assigned my dad to inspect Dark magical items in pure-blood families. He often talks about it at home." Ginny stood a bit taller, expressing pride in her father.

"We were at Diagon Alley that day, and Harry was with us. He spent half the holiday at our house. We all went to Flourish and Blotts Bookstore together, and Harry was with Lockhart at the Lockhart book signing. Professor Lockhart took a group photo, and Professor Lockhart gave Harry a set of books, and Harry gave me some books."

As she spoke, Ginny's face turned slightly red.

"In the bookstore, Harry encountered Malfoy. They argued right away, almost coming to blows. Fortunately, my father and Malfoy's father arrived later, preventing a physical altercation."

"But later, my dad and Malfoy's dad clashed over the inspections, leading to another altercation. It became quite chaotic, and that's when Malfoy's dad took my book, and then..." Ginny finally reached the crux of the matter.

Dumbledore and Ethan listened attentively to Ginny's account.

"Thank you very much, Miss Weasley. You may return now," Dumbledore said to Ginny, having clearly understood the situation.

Ginny hesitated before leaving, nervously looking at Dumbledore. "Professor Dumbledore, am I going to be expelled?" Her voice trembled due to nervousness.

"Not, Miss Weasley. You need not worry about that," Dumbledore reassured with a kind expression.

"The school won't punish you. The creator of this diary is quite cunning. Even many adult wizards, older and more experienced than you, could be deceived by it."

"Miss Weasley, you managed to break free from its control. I am proud of you," Dumbledore nodded kindly, affirming Ginny.

Ginny blushed at Dumbledore's words, stood up, bowed to Dumbledore and Ethan, and left the headmaster's office.

As Ginny departed, Dumbledore's expression changed. He took off his glasses and rubbed his temples.

"It seems evident that Lucius Malfoy is responsible," Dumbledore stated, looking at Ethan through his blue glasses.

"Are you planning to accuse Lucius Malfoy?" Ethan inquired.

"I'm afraid not. We lack substantial evidence," Dumbledore responded after a moment of silence. "The Malfoys hold significant influence in the Ministry of Magic. Accusing him without sufficient evidence won't have any effect."

As a Witcher, Ethan had various ways to extract a confession from Lucius Malfoy, but he chose not to propose them to Dumbledore. Ethan had no intention of becoming a pawn in Dumbledore's plans.

Knowing that he would eventually leave Hogwarts for independent development, it would be unwise to antagonize a powerful, pure-blood family like the Malfoys.

As Dumbledore mentioned, the Malfoy family was an ancient, wealthy, and influential pure-blood wizard. Despite Ethan's strength, he couldn't escape the interconnected wizarding society.

Hence, Ethan had no intention of taking a prominent role in this situation. Even if he managed to extract a confession from Lucius Malfoy, it might not be enough to bring down the entire Malfoy family.

For the first time, Ethan felt a pang of sympathy for Dumbledore. The old wizard genuinely strived to maintain peace in the Ministry of Magic, yet numerous adversaries hindered his efforts.

In his youth, Dumbledore dared to champion reform, but with age, he seemed to lose that audacity and had to compromise with the villains in the Ministry of Magic constantly.

Ethan wanted to urge Dumbledore, "How can we maintain peace with those pests in the Ministry of Magic?"

"I have a rough idea about Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets. The Basilisk should be there. If you want, I can..." Ethan couldn't hold back and offered to destroy the Basilisk.

"Ethan, thank you for your help and contributions to Hogwarts," Dumbledore's blue eyes displayed a soft glow. "However, I don't need your assistance with the Chamber. I have other plans." Dumbledore surprisingly declined Ethan's help.

Ethan quickly realized, "Are you still planning to use the Basilisk to test Harry? You're relying too much on that supposed prophecy. I've seen too many of them..." Ethan attempted to persuade Dumbledore to place trust in personal efforts rather than prophecy.

It couldn't be denied that Dumbledore was a formidable wizard. Despite enduring immense suffering, he clung to his inner sense of justice. Dumbledore paid the ultimate price to defeat Voldemort, even sacrificing his own life, displaying an unquestionable lack of selfishness.

However, Dumbledore's "whatever it takes" approach exacted a high "price" – the lives of Colin Creevey, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Fred Weasley, Lavender Brown, and Snape. So many lives were lost due to Dumbledore's plans.

Ethan didn't want such tragedies to unfold, prompting him to speak up and persuade Dumbledore. Unexpectedly, Dumbledore cut Ethan off.

"Ethan, I have been battling evil for a long time, and I need to handle this foolproof." Dumbledore rejected Ethan's suggestion with a soft yet firm tone.

Now, Ethan realized he had been foolish earlier. Sympathizing with Dumbledore, an old and sophisticated figure, seemed naive. Besides, Dumbledore's monthly salary as Hogwarts headmaster exceeded Ethan's earnings. Dumbledore had more Hogwarts funds and held a superior status with influential connections in the wizarding world.

Ethan, who had recently crossed over, possessed nothing and lived solitary. He had taken on a dangerous commission to make some money.

The Witcher, who had just pitied Dumbledore, realized his mistake. Blushing slightly, Ethan acknowledged that his former self in another world wouldn't have made such absurd errors. Perhaps the comfort and ease of life at Hogwarts had corrupted him.