Chapter 365: Puppets and Brands

Disclaimer:

Harry Potter and all its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.

I own nothing but the original characters I create.

Chapter 365: Puppets and Brands

"Okay... let's begin again," Dumbledore said, adjusting his glasses.

"What happened to Umbridge? I saw that insufferable woman just a few hours ago," Snape asked, his tone sharp as ever.

"No... Harry is correct. That could not have been the real Umbridge. I spoke with the mind healers who treated her. She was far beyond recovery," Dumbledore explained gravely.

"Then who is that?!" Snape demanded.

"Her body was reanimated as an empty husk controlled from a distance, or allowed to function autonomously with limited intelligence. Like a golem," Harry explained.

"Just like Rookwood then," Dumbledore added, nodding.

"You mean the Dark Lord did the same thing to Umbridge?" Snape's frown deepened. He didn't like the woman, but being turned into a puppet through necromancy... that was a fate he wouldn't wish on anyone.

"This is, at the very least, his third one. We can safely assume the Minister is another," Harry said calmly. "I don't know how many can he have, but he cannot control them all at the same time. His consciousness can only merge with one at a time. The rest of it, they would just act like the mindless puppets they are."

Dumbledore nodded again. They had discussed this before, and it was the most likely explanation they could offer.

"And what do you suggest we do about her? We cannot reveal to the public that she's actually dead without explaining everything. Nor can we remove her from the school without a solid excuse," Dumbledore said, his voice laced with concern.

"There's no need to do anything to her. Even if you removed her, they'd likely just send another puppet. At this point, Voldemort has near full control of both the Ministry and the School Board," Harry replied, his tone pragmatic.

"It does not look good then..." Dumbledore sighed, his usual optimism clouded.

"It doesn't matter how much political power he holds. In the end, all we need to do is destroy him, and it will all fall apart," Harry said with quiet confidence.

"You make it sound simple. Do you think it will be that easy to kill someone like the Dark Lord? Many have tried and failed." Snape's eyes flicked to Dumbledore, just for a moment, before he added, "My apologies..."

"No need." Dumbledore gave a sad smile. "You're not wrong. I have failed in more than one way when it comes to him."

The Headmaster then turned back to Harry. "And you said you had a plan... that involves my death? How would that help?"

"Not a real death, of course. But it has to be convincing enough," Harry explained.

"Convincing enough for who?... You don't mean..." Dumbledore's

expression shifted to one of dread. "You want to lure Voldemort here? To the school?"

"He's already planning to attack this place. I just want him to do it sooner...before he's fully prepared. And there's another reason for this... this will—" Harry was cut by Snape then.

"This is absurd! You really want to bait the Dark Lord into attacking Hogwarts?!" Snape interrupted, incredulous by the mere suggestion of bringing such a dangerous individual to a school.

"Yes, but as I was about to explain before you interrupted me, there's more to gain from this. Right now, what we lack most is someone who can provide us with inside information. The Ministry is under his control, so it's impossible to infiltrate someone new. But if we already have someone who used to be on the inside..." Harry's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Snape.

"Me?!" Snape's voice rose, shocked by the suggestion. "Are you insane? I betrayed them! They'd kill me on sight!"

"Harry... Severus is right. Once you betray the Dark Lord, there's no going back. Had he not been forced to leave the country due to his injuries back then... many more would have died," Dumbledore added somberly, recalling Karkaroff's fate as another who had betrayed Voldemort.

"I even went as far as to remove the Dark Mark!" Snape lifted his sleeve, revealing the clear skin on his right arm.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "First of all, you only removed the tattoo. The brand is still there. And second... Voldemort would consider taking you back if you made a significant contribution. Like killing the last man he sees as a threat."

"That's..." Dumbledore was now considering the possibility.

"What do you mean I only removed the tattoo?! That is the Dark Mark! I used a very ancient and complex spell to accomplish this!" Snape was livid.

Harry sighed and stood up, moving closer to Snape with his wand

in hand.

"What are you—"

Before Snape could finish, Harry tapped his wand on Snape's arm.

A wave of excruciating pain coursed through Snape, and he screamed, clutching his arm and nearly collapsing in his seat.

"Harry! What did you do?!" Dumbledore asked, alarmed.

After a few agonizing moments, the pain subsided, and Snape's screams died down.

"Sorry about the pain, but you needed to see the truth." Harry pointed to Snape's arm. "You removed... nothing."

They all looked at Snape's arm. The Dark Mark had reappeared, clear and vivid as though it had never gone.

"Potter, what did you do to me?!" Snape demanded, furious.

"I just brought it back into view. I told you it hadn't been removed," Harry explained calmly. "A soul brand, as the name implies, is attached to your soul. Even if you cut off your entire arm, it won't disappear... as long as the one who branded you still exists. Destroy Voldemort...that is the only way."

"This... can't be..." Snape stared at the Mark, disbelief etched across his face.

"Now, with that detail out of the way," Harry said, sitting back down, "can we talk about the rest?"

A.N: - Remember to comment, vote, and/or leave a review if you have the time. Those things help me a lot and I would really appreciate it.

You can Support me on P@treon if you like and get 15 advanced chapters.

You can also find images of some of the characters from the fic for free. Like Lyra, Holly, among others.

-patreon.com/Kriogenix