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HP: Fairy Tale Wizard - 111
🕑 Added 2025-09-26 15:32:57 +0000 UTCChapter 111: Doubts
"I think that's not the biggest problem. Minerva, Snape, how did Voldemort break into the castle from the Forbidden Forest?"
After quickly collecting some foul water, Vitam raised the question.
"I remember you've kept Hogwarts' defensive magic running? Someone like Voldemort should have been blocked outside. Even if it couldn't stop him, there should at least be sounds of breaking magic?"
McGonagall nodded. Hogwarts' defensive magic was directly powered by Dumbledore. Theoretically, blocking a weakened Voldemort wasn't wishful thinking.
But defensive magic had a weakness.
McGonagall and Snape exchanged glances, both seeing that answer in each other's eyes.
"Voldemort was hiding in the castle. At least before this, he was in the castle. Who brought him in? His spy?"
"The Dark Lord's Imperius Curse is masterful, so not necessarily. I'd prefer believing it's a puppet, able to divert our attention without exposing real subordinates."
Snape's voice was even lower than usual, bringing a chill to the air.
"Check all students." Vitam said decisively. Ever since she had nearly been killed by Voldemort, she maintained a policy of going all-out against any Voldemort-related plans.
"No, that won't work. Students will be frightened, and then panic will follow. How would you explain sudden inspections to the children?"
McGonagall shook her head firmly.
"Tell them directly that Voldemort isn't dead? No, if Dumbledore hadn't told me, I probably couldn't accept this fact either. Dark wizard invasion? Gryffindor's search might be more aggressive than ours. No results would be fine, but finding something... that would be a disaster."
"The Dark Lord excels at profiting from chaos. If Hogwarts fell into chaos, even just riots from panic, I don't doubt he could get what he wants from it."
"He always gets it, always."
Snape shook his head as if shaking off something dirty, then spotted Sterling hiding aside, playing with chess piece fragments.
"Sterling, I assume your brain hasn't deteriorated to Gryffindor Seamus's level, no different from a troll? Perhaps you've never attended Vitam's classes, so you can't maintain basic caution toward cursed, damaged objects?"
Vitam also cast disapproving looks. Curses were extremely dangerous. Even remnants might carry terrible negative effects, let alone direct targets. Leaving residue was perfectly normal.
Even when collecting foul water from floor crevices, she had worn dragon-hide gloves.
"Sorry, Professor Snape. I felt no danger."
Sterling's intuition hadn't warned him of danger, so he had acted slightly boldly. Who would have thought Snape would catch him just picking up one piece?
"Feeling. Hmph, seems our Potions prodigy isn't satisfied showing talent in Potions alone. Wants to display his intuition in broader Dark Arts Defence!"
Though saying this, Snape trusted Sterling's intuition.
Anyone seeing him blindly grab materials and perfectly measure standard potion portions would believe his intuition.
"Let's go. I should write Dumbledore another letter. He may not have anticipated the current situation."
Sterling doubted Professor McGonagall's words. He didn't think Professor Dumbledore wouldn't have envisioned this scenario.
McGonagall and Snape walked ahead, with Vitam behind, protecting Sterling in the middle as they returned above the trapdoor.
Upon emerging, Sterling's nose was filled with potion smells.
Professor Kettleburn anxiously applied medicine to the three-headed dog, casting specialised magical creature healing spells as if magic power cost nothing.
Madam Pomfrey, usually dominant, became an assistant, constantly feeding Kettleburn magic restoration potions and treating the dog's wounds.
"The situation is very bad, Minerva."
Madam Pomfrey cast Scourgify on her sweat-soaked hair, her expression grim.
"This three-headed dog's abdomen was completely torn open. Very powerful Dark magic. Its magic-resistant fur barely helped... but it does work with Kettleburn's healing magic."
Kettleburn wiped sweat from his forehead. "Each healing spell I cast only has one-third effectiveness. Honestly, I'm not particularly skilled with this magical creature. I haven't found which herbs work best for it!"
"We need Hagrid!" Madam Pomfrey said decisively.
Treating humans versus magical creatures was completely different. Even Madam Pomfrey's skills, first-rate at St Mungo's, were helpless with three-headed dogs.
Hagrid, whether as the dog's owner or magical creature expert, was more suitable than Madam Pomfrey.
But he was nowhere to be seen.
Professor McGonagall frowned. She had definitely sent word to Hagrid about the dog's injuries.
Just then, extremely loud footsteps sounded with storm-like sobbing. Hagrid burst through the door.
"Fluffy! My little furry baby!"
He rushed to the three-headed dog, knocking over Kettleburn mid-spell, nearly making him lose his wooden leg.
"Oh! Hagrid!" Kettleburn called angrily.
Hagrid didn't respond, just wept continuously until Professor McGonagall couldn't stand it, leading Sterling and others from the forbidden corridor.
Only Hagrid's faint voice could be heard behind them.
"I must take Fluffy back. I'll heal him. He'll definitely get better!"
"Sterling, you go back first." McGonagall said.
"We few need to check defensive magic between the Forbidden Forest and castle again. Even if Voldemort was previously lurking in the castle, he definitely escaped into the Forbidden Forest just now."
"Then defensive magic can definitely stop him, at least alert us."
Professor McGonagall picked up Vitam's thread of reasoning. They looked at Snape, who shook his head.
"I'll escort Sterling back to Ravenclaw Tower."
"Good, prevent him from following us again." Vitam nodded. Snape wasn't skilled in alchemy anyway, nor did he have deputy headmaster authority like McGonagall. Whether he came or not made no difference.
Snape nodded and walked off, gesturing for Sterling to follow.
"Professor, Professor, I can walk myself actually."
"Sterling." Snape's voice was serious.
In this empty stairway corner, Snape placed his hand on Sterling's shoulder and earnestly instructed:
"Keep an eye on Draco Malfoy and Marcus Flint."
"Voldemort's spy is between those two."
