42

Chapter 42: Let Dumbledore Decide

The Weasleys stared at Wade.

Wade paused, deliberating whether to disclose his knowledge of the plot. Instead, he recounted exactly what he had overheard that day.

Having a sharp memory in this life, over a month had passed, yet his retelling remained almost verbatim.

Unseen, a chill seemed to creep up from the ground, enveloping the Umbrella House in a long silence. No one spoke for what felt like an eternity.

Finally, Fred broke the silence, "I have to say, this isn't a joke—did you catch that, George?"

George nodded silently, his face unusually pale.

"So—" Ryan struggled to comprehend, frowning, "Professor Quirrell isn't Professor Quirrell anymore—or should I say, a Dark Wizard has possessed him? He intends to kill Harry Potter? Our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is a Death Eater?"

He glanced around as if anticipating someone to burst out, "Gotcha! Haha!"

But silence persisted.

Ryan sat down heavily, gripping the table. After a moment, he spoke tentatively, "Should we—should we find Professor Dumbledore? All Death Eaters fear him. If Dumbledore steps in, we might stand a chance—"

Hermione shook her head gently, her voice soft, "No, Ryan, you misunderstand. 'He'll step over my corpse to become famous'—think about this, Ryan—who else would say that? Except Voldemort?"

The blood drained from the boy's face gradually. Ryan clenched his fists, trembling slightly, "But—it's impossible—that man's dead, isn't he—everyone knows he's dead—because of Harry Potter..."

Abruptly, he seemed to bite his tongue, his voice trailing off.

Hermione regarded him with pity. She sensed the boy believed it, yet couldn't bring himself to admit it.

—It's as though denying it would prevent the man's resurrection.

This was no laughing matter; even she shuddered at the thought.

Born in the Muggle world, Hermione should have had no interest in Voldemort. However, having read extensively before entering the wizarding world, she understood more than most students from magical families the terror "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" had inflicted.

Before his disappearance, his power had reached its zenith, casting a terrifying shadow over the British Isles. Even Dumbledore... Rumors claimed Voldemort feared Dumbledore most, as the conflict raged from border to Hogwarts, yet not even Dumbledore could halt the wave of deaths.

Unconsciously, Hermione harbored a deep-seated fear of Voldemort. Yet, when it came to uttering his name, she faltered, as if speaking it would summon a dreadful specter.

"V... I mean, the you know who—" Hermione addressed the group, "If he truly possesses Professor Quirrell, we should inform Dumbledore! Wade, why didn't you seek out Professor Dumbledore immediately?"

Wade pondered for a moment, "Perhaps because... I found it hard to believe Dumbledore was unaware?"

Fred nodded thoughtfully, "Dumbledore must have sensed something amiss with Quirrell, but for some reason, he hasn't acted."

George added gravely, "He knows more than he lets on."

"But what if?" Hermione countered, "What if Dumbledore is merely suspicious, still gathering evidence? He might think Quirrell has merely succumbed to darkness, unaware of the 'mysterious man' within him! We must find Dumbledore, tell him the truth, and let him decide what to do!"

"Hermione, you're right," Ryan agreed, "That's what we should do."

"So why delay?" Fred stood up decisively, "I saw Dumbledore in the Great Hall during dinner! He should be in his office now."

Hermione hadn't expected such resolve. She hesitated, "Shouldn't we notify Harry? I mean—since the 'mysterious man' intends harm against him—Harry should be aware of the impending danger—"

Wade considered, "As you said, Hermione—let Dumbledore decide."

Remembering the "test" he mentioned, Hermione nodded quietly, eyes clouded with concern, as though fearing Voldemort might strike Harry en route to Dumbledore.

In the corridor, Wade retrieved a gleaming silver whistle and blew sharply.

A shrill sound pierced the air, and moments later, an owl swooped in from the West Tower, gliding through the window to perch on Wade's outstretched arm.

"Cool!" Fred exclaimed.

The owl, Ava, cocked her head at him, emitting a soft "Coo."

Wade rolled up his note and tucked it into Ava's beak, cautioning, "Deliver this to Professor Dumbledore and bring back his response."

Ava nodded, spread her wings, and soared off. They watched as she circled in the sky, then entered a window atop a small turret.

Hermione chewed her lip anxiously, "What if Professor Dumbledore doesn't take our message seriously? Perhaps I should write a more detailed letter to assure him we're not playing around..."

Fortunately, Dumbledore didn't keep them waiting long—only a minute or two passed before Ava emerged from the same window.

The owl delivered the response to Wade. Scrawled in a long, elegant script, it read:

"Welcome to my office. The password is Cascading Sundae."

"Cascading Sundae?" George mused aloud, "I don't recall seeing that dessert in the Great Hall."

"There was one at last year's end-of-term feast," Fred recalled. "Where were you then? Oh, right, sneaking a bag of cockroaches into Mr. Montague's robes—"

"—making him think he'd bought a pocketful of roaches—" George chuckled at the memory, "He never went near a cockroach after that! Hey—did you sneak my sundae?"

"How can it be called sneaking?" Fred retorted. "I took it openly, you just didn't see—"

The banter continued as they approached the entrance to the Headmaster's office together. Along the way, they encountered Michael returning from the Quidditch field. He greeted them, seamlessly joining their group without question.

At the entrance to the Headmaster's office crouched an exceedingly ugly stone gargoyle. Fred deftly evaded George's swat, leaping forward to announce, "Colorful Sundae!"

The gargoyle shifted aside, revealing a split in the wall behind—a slowly ascending spiral staircase. One by one, they entered as the wall sealed shut with a resounding thud.

The stairs carried them higher and higher, leaving Wade privately impressed—escalators were common in the Muggle world, yet this was his first encounter with such magic.

Why conform to Muggle norms? —Elevators appeared precisely where the Headmaster required them.

Somewhat dizzy from the climb, they finally arrived before a gleaming oak door adorned with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.

This was Dumbledore's office.