Chapter 614: Chapter 614: Interrogation Techniques (Edited)
The beef glistened with a layer of high-quality buttery fat; even from a distance, you could smell the aroma of the meat. When cut, the beef was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The exterior, under the roasting effect, took on a characteristic dark brown hue of roasted meat, giving off a delightful aroma as it mixed with the hot oil and proteins. Inside, the meat was juicy and tender; when cut with a fork, myoglobin and fat melded together, exploding in a burst of flavors on the palate, offering an explosive culinary experience.
Fat and calories, those things etched into the human soul, were utterly satisfying.
Being a centenarian, consuming such a greasy meal was definitely detrimental to health, but Dumbledore didn't think about that at all. He savored the delicious food in front of him as if it were his last supper.
This differed slightly from the amount of food Dumbledore used to consume. Madame Maxime, who was beside him, was also surprised and asked, "I didn't expect you to have such a good appetite today!"
The unusual has an explanation, and the man enjoying his meal at the teachers' table was not really Albus Dumbledore but his brother, Aberforth Dumbledore. While his brother, Albus Dumbledore, enjoyed the seaside view at Azkaban, he was enjoying the hospitality of Hogwarts' kitchen.
"Since I can still eat, I will eat more," Aberforth responded vaguely.
What he meant was: after my brother returns, I'll have to go back to the Hog's Head Inn. There, I'll have to chop vegetables, cook, and wash dishes by myself. Although magic helps, it's still a bother. As an older bachelor, Aberforth detested cooking; when he ate, he tried to cheat and served semi-processed dishes to his customers. Aside from butterbeer, nothing else was cooked with care in the bar.
Since the people who went to the Hog's Head Inn were not exactly decent people, no one complained that the food was bad. For them, any food that wasn't toxic was enough.
For Aberforth, this lunch was a feast, and he enjoyed every bite, but after this meal, he didn't have the next one guaranteed, so he had to enjoy it as much as possible.
However, in Madame Maxime's ears, this phrase turned into the lament of an old man enjoying his old age: "At this age, I still have to enjoy life! Tomorrow's sun or death, who knows which will come first?"
Hearing this, Madame Maxime felt a little melancholic, but when she saw Dumbledore drinking red wine with goat cheese, all her sympathy for him disappeared.
How dreadful! Why don't you choke to death?
Seeing Dumbledore enjoying his meal so enthusiastically, Ron's appetite immediately improved. The pastries, steaks, and stews in front of him suddenly seemed delicious.
Harry noticed that Dumbledore was in a good mood and felt he might try to talk to him.
"After lunch, we'll go see Professor Dumbledore," Harry decided, planning to catch Dumbledore when he left the Great Hall.
While everyone enjoyed their lunch, Tom and the real Dumbledore returned to Hogwarts.
Due to a strike by the Hogwarts owls, both had to use Apparition Charm to get to Hogsmeade and then take the number 11 bus back to the school.
"I want a two-story hamburger, filled with cheese, pickles, and tomatoes, and the patty must be thick..."
"I want a strudel, one made with pure animal cream."
After the challenging battle, the topic of conversation between Tom and the real Dumbledore as they returned to school was what to eat for lunch. Both were engaged in lively discussion on the subject of food. As for Voldemort, Tom and Dumbledore thought they could discuss it after lunch.
And they weren't worried about arriving late and finding the castle's kitchen closed. Because the headmaster was also hungry.
Once in the castle, they went directly to the headmaster's office. About three minutes later, two large plates of delicious hot food appeared on Dumbledore's desk. Tom got the hamburger he wanted, while Dumbledore received a fresh strudel.
The only regrettable thing was that Hogwarts didn't have Coca-Cola Zero, only frozen pumpkin juice.
"Even watermelon or peach juice would do..." lamented Tom.
Dumbledore didn't want to talk to him and focused on finishing the lunch in front of him.
When both were satisfied and the dishes disappeared like the wind, they began to address the main topic.
"It's a pity we couldn't eliminate him in Azkaban today," Tom said as he took a sip of the pumpkin juice in his cup.
"It's normal, I never expected to achieve everything at once, but there are few places where the Apparition Charm can't be used like Azkaban," Dumbledore said without regret, in fact, he was quite satisfied with what they had accomplished today.
They had destroyed one of Voldemort's horcruxes and had caused him an injury as severe as a devastating blow to his body, which was a great victory, something he hadn't achieved in previous magical wars.
Listening to the inability to use the Apparition Charm, Tom seemed intrigued. Wasn't Hogwarts one of those places where the Apparition Charm couldn't be used?
To kill Voldemort, they would undoubtedly need to destroy all his horcruxes first and then take him to a place where he couldn't escape using the Apparition Charm. Escaping, though shameful, meant staying alive. A wizard of Voldemort's level, if he could escape, would become a great threat to security.
Therefore, it was absolutely necessary to lure Voldemort to a place where he couldn't use the Apparition Charm. Considering everything, Hogwarts was the best option. However, this plan would turn Hogwarts into a battlefield, something that Dumbledore probably wouldn't allow.
"In the short term, he won't cause much trouble," Dumbledore said with great confidence in his spell. He thought Riddle (Voldemort) would dedicate most of his attention to dealing with the spell.
"Let's hope so, but we must also put the search for the horcruxes on the agenda," Tom said impatiently, "and what about those people infiltrated among the Death Eaters? Can they provide any help?"
Dumbledore didn't respond directly. Instead, he lifted the teapot and poured himself a cup of hot tea. "Miss Granger is here, I believe she has a lot to tell you."
At that moment, Hermione was pacing outside the headmaster's office. She was eager to know how Tom had fared, if he and Dumbledore had returned. If possible, she would ask them what they had been doing.
And if possible, she would be willing to use some "interrogation techniques." She believed that Tom would surely confess obediently.
Chapter 615: Chapter 615: Aberforth Runs Fast (Edited)
Hermione wasn't wearing the typical black wizard robe. In fact, Hogwarts didn't have a rule that required students to wear robes at all times during the school year. Students could change into their preferred clothing during break times and put on the robe only for classes. Of course, on some special occasions, the school might order students to pay attention to their appearance, like the days leading up to the arrival of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.
Now was the break time after lunch, and as long as they weren't naked, no one would worry about what the students were wearing. As a fourth-year student who had already gone through the first years, Hermione definitely didn't wear the wizard robe all the time like the new first or second-year students. If she were wearing the robe, the effect of the interrogation could be considerably weakened, although there was still a possibility it would work.
In order to extract information from Tom, Hermione had prepared carefully. That day, she was wearing an elegant gray wool suit that gave her a mature and serious look instead of a student appearance. Under the suit, she had everything in black: a black knitted sweater with black jeans, and even the belt was black. With this all-black outfit, paired with elegant riding boots, Hermione looked slim and sleek, capable of making Tom surrender in a second. Of course, this outfit wasn't perfect either; the tight black made it difficult to distinguish the front from the back, but what was taken away in one feature was given in beauty.
This Hermione outfit wasn't something she came up with on her own; she had learned it from a fashion magazine. After having contact with that magazine, Hermione's wardrobe quickly filled up. But in contrast, her wallet emptied out.
With the meticulously prepared outfit, Hermione eagerly waited outside the headmaster's office. Although they had only been separated for half a day, it felt like six months to her. In the morning, Hermione had been unfocused in class, something that rarely happened to her.
That's how the infatuation period is for a couple; even a brief separation makes them feel desperate, and they can only think about their loved one.
Hermione was anxious to know what Tom was doing, so as soon as lunch ended at noon, she rushed to the headmaster's office to seek information.
When she found out Hermione was waiting outside, Tom narrowed his eyes slightly.
'Looks like I underestimated Dumbledore's knowledge of Hogwarts,' Tom thought. He originally believed that Dumbledore obtained information through various portraits, but now it seems he has other means.
But he didn't want to inquire further about Dumbledore's surveillance abilities. Why would Hermione miss him if he also missed her? Dumbledore's statement had taken him by surprise.
"Well, I'll be going for now. But, Professor Dumbledore, let me remind you not to miss this opportunity. Now is the perfect time, and if we let it slip by, there might not be another chance." Tom walked toward the door and suddenly seemed to remember something as he looked at Dumbledore.
"Oh, there's one more thing. I think you should worry more about the mental state of a certain person and perhaps provide more information so they don't overthink... by the way, Occlumency should also be on the agenda."
Of course, Tom was referring to Harry. Voldemort's frequent activity would surely trigger a reaction in Harry's scar on his forehead, so Dumbledore would need to give him a calming potion to keep him calm.
Tom's "one last thing" was obviously too much, and Dumbledore rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit overwhelmed. Yodel was a good kid, all things considered, but he was too impatient. It was almost as if he wanted to finish off Riddle in a year, which would be difficult.
Dumbledore thought he needed to give Tom a hand and put on the "brakes" before he made a mistake in his haste. In Dumbledore's opinion, many things had to be done carefully. He wouldn't have even gone to Azkaban with Tom to set up an ambush for Riddle if he hadn't insisted.
"Understood, I'll arrange it. Professor Snape can teach Harry Occlumency; he's a master in that field." In the end, Dumbledore could only reassure Tom in that way. However, judging by Tom's reaction, Dumbledore felt that what he said obviously had no effect, as Tom covered his forehead with an expression of "Oh, gods."
"Are you sure you want Professor Snape to teach Occlumency to Harry? I think that could have the opposite effect."
Tom felt that if Snape taught Harry Occlumency, it might be better for Harry to teach himself...
Many times, academic ability and teaching ability are inversely related. Some professors who have won the Nobel Prize can be ineffective when it comes to teaching.
"Yes, Severus is the best choice. Of course, if you're willing, I..."
Dumbledore hadn't finished speaking when Tom walked out of the headmaster's office. He wasn't sure if he could teach Harry Occlumency, as he didn't even have a clear understanding of how the spell worked.
Upon reaching the headmaster's office door, Tom saw Hermione. As Hermione had hoped, Tom was instantly drawn to her outfit.
Without giving him time to savor Hermione's appearance, the girl threw herself at him and hugged him.
"You're back!" she exclaimed excitedly, burying her head in Tom's chest and greedily inhaling his scent.
"It seems there's a cold atmosphere..." Hermione frowned. The cold and hopeless atmosphere of Azkaban clung to Tom, and she didn't like it at all. So she urged him, "Quick, go and take a bath."
"Alright, but first get off... And this isn't the place to talk!" Tom responded. He knew that the elderly bee might be watching them right now, and this wasn't the best place for a chat.
...
Hermione didn't eat much at lunch, not even making it to dessert before leaving the dining hall. But Aberforth was different; he stayed at the staff table until the very end. Only when all the desserts had disappeared did he rise with a certain dissatisfaction, preparing to leave.
At that moment, his eyes caught two people heading toward the staff table. It wasn't difficult for him, as there were hardly any people left in the Great Hall at that moment, let alone anyone heading toward the staff table after eating.
After thinking for a moment, Aberforth turned left and walked away at a brisk pace, moving surprisingly fast for a hundred-year-old.
Harry and Ron: ???
In the time both of them were puzzled, "Professor Dumbledore" had already disappeared.
The reason Aberforth avoided the two of them was simple: fewer words, fewer mistakes. To avoid revealing his identity, he had to reduce contact with others.
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