Chapter 749: Dumbledore's Decision (Edited)

"The Apparition Charm is really difficult, oh..."

(ω"∠)

It was another Saturday, and Fish lay motionless on Hermione's body, humming and complaining.

Fish had been practicing a lot again in his Apparition class, which had left him completely demotivated... Whether it was getting used to Apparition or mastering wandless spells, it required a lot of practice, but so far, Fish hadn't made much progress.

Hermione gave him a stern look. She had only managed to use the Apparition Charm once, and in the wrong place, but she was still one of the best in the class. Apart from Fish, most of the others were still spinning in circles or separating like Susan.

Hermione's small progress paled in comparison to Fish's among the crowd in the Apparition class, so Fish's comment sounded like a mockery to the ever-challenging Miss Know-It-All.

But... Who is Fish?

So Hermione rubbed Fish's temples and gently said, "You did well, Professor Twycross praised you a lot, and you're not reacting as strongly as before, right?"

"Eh heh heh~"

(?ω?)

The very flattered Fish immediately brightened up. Then he adjusted his position, wrapped his arms around Hermione's waist, and buried his head in her arms, rubbing against her firmly.

"By the way, Professor Twycross is giving a special Apparition Charm training course in Hogsmeade tomorrow. Are you going to attend?" Hermione asked softly while rubbing Fish's cat ears with blushing cheeks. "You'll have plenty of time to practice there."

"Well..."

(ˇˇ)

Fish frowned, looking very worried.

Having plenty of time to practice would be fine, but Fish didn't want his playtime taken away.

Besides, he had been practicing for a long time today (about half an hour) and still hadn't gotten over it!

But Fish's torment didn't last long because Dumbledore suddenly appeared.

"Sorry to interrupt," he said with a smile as he approached the couple, "but could I speak to Fish alone?"

"Sure, of course, Professor," Hermione said timidly, pulling Fish away from her arms and blushing.

(?ω?)

Fish, on the other hand, looked at the annoying old grandfather who had bothered him with great dislike.

Normally, he couldn't be found anywhere when Fish was looking for him, and now he appeared again. It was so annoying!

Despite his antipathy towards Dumbledore, Fish stood up and followed him to the headmaster's office.

Whatever Dumbledore wanted from him, Fish had to deal with it... He hadn't returned to school, and his vitality was already very weak, even more than Fish had predicted.

"Albus, are you injured again?"

(ˇˇ)

Noticing there was no one else nearby, Fish asked with a serious expression as he raised his hand to cast a rejuvenating spell on Dumbledore's body.

"Thank you... I'm just slightly injured," Dumbledore thanked him with a smile, then waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry, it's just a minor issue."

"It's not a minor issue, nya!"

(`ω´)

Angrily, Fish warned, "If you keep hurting yourself like this, what will happen if Fish can't be there to heal you in time?!"

"I know, I know."

Dumbledore cheerfully reached out to stroke Fish's head, only to be swatted away by Fish, who reluctantly withdrew his hand. Dumbledore promised Fish, "When I have found and destroyed Voldemort's last Horcrux, I will stop wandering around and stay at the school until you can heal me, alright?"

Dumbledore cheerfully extended his hand to pat Fish's head, only to be swatted away by Fish, who reluctantly withdrew his hand and promised him, "Once I have found and destroyed Voldemort's last Horcrux hidden somewhere, I'll stop wandering around and stay at the school until you can heal me, alright?"

"Who knows when you'll find that Horcrux!"

Fish wasn't easily fooled and got straight to the point.

"That's why I've come to see you today," Dumbledore spoke as he pushed open the oak door to his office and ushered Fish inside with him.

"So, have you found the Horcrux?"

Fish greeted Fawkes and the portraits before inquiring about Dumbledore.

"It's not entirely certain if it's Voldemort's Horcrux..." Dumbledore said as he retrieved some treats from the drawer and handed them to Fish. "But the odds are good."

"What do you mean?" Fish looked at him suspiciously. "Did you find it or not?"

"Yes, but I can't retrieve what's hidden there on my own." Dumbledore stared at Fish and said slowly, "So I will take you with me tomorrow... but!"

Without waiting for Fish to get excited, he added in a more serious tone, "I will take you with one condition: you must obey any of my orders immediately and without objection. I mean, even orders like 'run,' 'hide,' or 'return.'"

"Don't try to act casual now and then make a fool of yourself when we get there," Dumbledore spoke so sternly to Fish for the first time. "If we fail to get the Horcruxes because of your mischief, both Professor McGonagall and I will be disappointed in you."

Feeling the seriousness in Dumbledore's tone, Fish swallowed his words, furrowing his brow and staring at Dumbledore for a long while before grumpily responding, "Fish understands... I'll do as I'm told."

"Even if I need you to do something that might hurt me?" Dumbledore continued asking.

"What nya?!"

"Voldemort has set up a very interesting protective spell somewhere; visitors need to drink a magical potion that renders them defenseless to find what it conceals." Dumbledore explained casually, "That's why I need you to come with me. You must pour the rest of the potion into my mouth while I'm unable to move, and after that, retrieve the hidden Horcruxes. Additionally, with you there, you'll be able to heal me in time."

Fish fell silent once again.

Under normal circumstances, Dumbledore wouldn't hesitate to harm himself, to suffer, or even have Fish punch him. The tough old man usually had more vitality than the average student.

But in this case, Dumbledore was injured and dying, with Voldemort's trap before him, and Fish wasn't sure if he could heal him.

"Can't we wait until Fish cures you first?"

Fish offered another option.

But Dumbledore continued shaking his head, "Because I can't be certain if Voldemort will regain his Horcrux, so we must hurry."

Although Voldemort hadn't attacked him when he entered the caves, there had been no news from the Order of the Phoenix or Lucius Malfoy, who had been monitoring Voldemort's movements, indicating that Voldemort himself had done anything recently. Only the Death Eaters were occupied with something.

It seems that Voldemort did inform Greyback or some other Death Eater about the Horcruxes and asked them to confirm or take them.

But regardless of whether Voldemort had asked Greyback to take the Horcrux or not, Dumbledore would have to confirm it before making any adjustments.

Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to overlook the possibility of it being a trap and not prepare for it at all, and bringing the resilient Fish along was one of his preparations.

Even if he became incapacitated by the potion in the stone basin, Dumbledore trusted that Fish would be able to bring him back safe and sound.