Chapter 63: Integration
"Remember the fellow who mysteriously appeared in Azkaban, as reported in the Daily Prophet recently? I visited the Ministry of Magic today, and unfortunately, he's quite mad. However, I learned something through Legilimency."
Dumbledore fell silent for a moment, his eyes taking on an unusual expression.
"That chap was Gollum, a hobbit, the very hobbit mentioned in Gandalf's parchment."
"He's been alive for nearly six hundred years, without the Philosopher's Stone or the elixir of life. Instead, he's relied on a formidable ring he's held for five hundred years. The power of the ring allowed him to evade death."
"And later, the ring was pilfered by a hobbit named Baggins. Does that name ring a bell?"
Dumbledore opened a drawer and retrieved a parchment journal.
Sliding his finger over it, he pointed to a line of writing and continued:
"This thing possesses a demonic power that even I can't resist. Only Baggins, with a pure mind, this resilient hobbit, can hold it for an extended period without falling under its enchantment."
Dumbledore set down the parchment and gazed at Snape and McGonagall, lost in thought.
The two remained silent, attempting to digest the revelations shared by Dumbledore.
After a prolonged silence, Snape spoke slowly:
"In other words, the item mentioned in Gandalf's diary is, in fact, the ring—a ring that can bestow immortality?"
"I believe so, Severus. Evidently, the ring possesses powers beyond our comprehension. Otherwise, Gandalf wouldn't have attempted to destroy it. Unfortunately, the hobbit has gone mad, and I couldn't extract more information."
A hint of pity graced Dumbledore's features.
"That poor fellow endured torture in Azkaban at the hands of that deranged woman, Bellatrix, who concealed an old wand. He suffered through dozens of Cruciatus curses before the hobbit was discovered by others."
Professor McGonagall furrowed her brow, shook her head, and remarked:
"But it's incredible, isn't it? Trolls, hobbits, Mordor, Doom..."
"We hadn't even heard of this parchment diary before it appeared! If it were just some people and magical creatures, it would be fine. After all, they may have been hidden in places where we can't find them. But Mordor and Mount Doom? How could we have never heard of such a place?" Snape pondered aloud.
"Could it be that the previous place names are different from the present? Judging from the age of this piece of parchment, it is likely something from thousands of years ago, perhaps Icelandic volcanoes, Tambora volcanoes..." Snape suggested.
"So, we need to sort it out from the current information... Gandalf and the others did not succeed in destroying the ring. Later, this ring was obtained by a hobbit named Gollum, who lived on the power of the ring for hundreds of years until recently being stolen by another guy named Baggins. This Baggins is probably a descendant of the Baggins who wanted to destroy the ring," Snape explained, a hint of sneer in his voice.
"Of course, another possibility is not ruled out. The information on this parchment could be forged. Or there are both real and fake elements, like Aria of Light, Trolls, Hobbits, etc. All brought out to present false information," he continued. "It's strange, isn't it? We never heard of trolls, dwarves, hobbits before this parchment, but now they're popping up like someone's sending evidence to us."
Dumbledore nodded in agreement with Snape's suspicions. "There must be someone secretly manipulating this, and they must have some ulterior motive. I suspect that the group of people hiding in the shadows of Hogwarts is involved."
"Severus, Minerva, Hogwarts is not calm. We have to be more careful to ensure that the children are not harmed," Dumbledore asserted firmly.
"Minerva, find an opportunity to speak to Mrs. Prince and ask her to sort out all the old books in the library. Check for any new parchment. Also, instruct the ghosts to examine the castle again. We cannot afford a repeat of what happened last night. I need to go to the Forbidden Forest. I have a feeling that something bad has occurred there," Dumbledore added.
Artel put away the Isil Hedron, laying down on the bed to clear his mind. Dumbledore's knowledge was somewhat limited, mainly about Gollum being tortured mad by Bellatrix and the potential collapse of his spirit and memory. Nevertheless, it piqued Dumbledore and the others' interest. Their own investigations were likely to be more convincing than what others told them, increasing the world's acceptance of Gandalf and company.
"It will be a long time before Voldemort is resurrected. Just hang on..." Artel mumbled as he drifted into sleep.
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