Chapter 59: Chapter-59: Chat with Old man-1
After Harry had recited everything, everyone in the room looked at each other with bewilderment. It was then Dumbledore smiled gently, "What interests me the most is how Voldemort managed to enchant Ginny when my sources tell me he is currently hiding in the forests of Albania."
Mr and Mrs. Weasley looked horrified. As a worried father would react, Mr Weasley spoke, "What's that? Lord… You know who.. did what to our Ginny?"
Ron added, "It was his diary," he then pointed at the diary at the desk, "That one right there… it is sort of a cursed object that possessed Ginny."
Dumbledore reached for the diary and started observing it carefully, "Very few people know that Lord Voldemort was once called Tom Riddle. I taught him myself, fifty years ago, at Hogwarts. He disappeared after leaving the school . . . traveled far and wide . . . sank so deeply into the Dark Arts, consorted with the very worst of our kind, underwent so many dangerous, magical transformations, that when he resurfaced as Lord Voldemort, he was barely recognizable. Hardly anyone connected Lord Voldemort with the clever, handsome boy who was once Head Boy here."
"But, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley. "What has our Ginny got to do with… with… him?"
"His d-diary!" Ginny sobbed. "I have been writing in it, and he's been w-writing back all year…"
"Ginny!" said Mr. Weasley, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain. Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that, it was clearly full of Dark Magic…"
"I d-didn't know," sobbed Ginny. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it…"
It is then Dumbledore spoke up, "Mrs and Mr. Weasley, I think you should take Ginny to Madame Promfrey. She might want to look into her condition."
Ron then asked, "Well.. Is Ginny going to be expelled?"
Dumbledore smiled, "There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards than she have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort," They smiled and Mr and Mrs Weasley went to the hospital wing.
"Miss Granger and Ron, I believe your brother would want to know what has transpired… Why dont you go and inform them about your little adventure," They nodded and went.
Dumbledore then turned to McGonagall, "You know, Minerva… I think all this merits a good feast. Might I ask you to go and alert the kitchens?"
"Right," said Professor McGonagall crisply, also moving to the door.
Then the old man turned to three of them, left behind. "Sit down please," he said, the old man then waved his wand and manifested three chairs before them. Ronan sat down, interested in what the old man wanted to say.
"First of all, I would like to thank you all. Not only did you all save a life, but you also have done a great service to the school," said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. "I think, 200 points each would be an appropriate reward for all four of you. You three, along with Ron Weasley would receive a special award from the school,"
Dumbledore then turned towards Ronan, "Especially you, Ronan. You dueled with Lord Voldemort, or at least his shadow while being in the second year. This is a very very great achievement."
Ronan simply nodded, with an expressionless cold face. It was then Neville spoke, "Professor Dumbledore . . . I am curious.. Whether you know the reason why I am a parseltongue like Riddle?"
"You can speak Parseltongue, Neville," said Dumbledore calmly, "because Lord Voldemort… who is the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin… can speak Parseltongue. Unless I'm much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I'm sure. . . ."
"Voldemort put a bit of his power in me?" Neville said, thunderstruck. "Then it means that I should be in Slytherin. Sorting hat was right,"
Dumbledore shook his head, "Dont think that way, Neville. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue… resourcefulness… determination… a certain disregard for rules," he added, his mustache quivering again. "Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. That is because you have more of the qualities of Gryffindor in you."
Dumbledore then turned to Ronan, "Look at Ronan for example. He has a knack for reading and quite a remarkable thirst for knowledge. Yet instead of putting him in Ravenclaw, that is because he had more qualities of a Slytherin than that of a Ravenclaw."
The old man continued, "Also, one's future cannot be ascertained by the house they go into. You seem to have this bad image of Slytherin, but they are all not that bad. Look at Ronan here, he is a Slytherin and is quite a good friend of yours."
Neville nodded. Then Dumbledore sat down on the desk, "Now you should all go and get yourself checked, I will have to draft a advertisement to get a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher,"
Harry then asked, "Professor, did something happen to Lockhart?"
"He left us," Dumbledore said, "It seems he had some urgent matter to attend to in Romania."
Hearing this, Ronan scoffed, "Yeah right," Harry and Neville got up, but Ronan remained seated in his seat. Neville looked at him, So he simply answered, "I need to discuss something with Professor… You guys go ahead,"
Dumbledore who had been writing the letter all this time looked up, his eyes twinkling. But as Harry and Neville came to the door, it burst open and Lucious Malfoy walked in with weak a malnourished elf walking behind him. "So," Lucious said "Is this is you new office now?"
"What can I help you with Lucius?" Dumbledore asked.
The pale then took out a stack of papers, "The eleven governors of the school had held a meeting recently. We have decided to kick you out of the school, considering the ongoinng attacks. It seems that you have lost your edge, Dumbledore,"
"You will be happy to know that the attacks would stop from today onwards," Dumbledore said, "We have managed to catch the culprit as well. As far as my termination is concerned, I think that governors would reconsider the decision when I will give them the good news."
Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury. "So… have you stopped the attacks yet?" he sneered. "Have you caught the culprit?"
"We have," said Dumbledore, with a smile.
"Well?" said Mr. Malfoy sharply. "Who is it?"
"The same person as last time, Lucius," said Dumbledore. "But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary." The old man then showed Lucious the diary, and it was when Ronan noticed that elf behind Lucious signaled Neville. The elf signaled towards the diary, then towards Malfoy.
"I see . . ." said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.
"A clever plan," said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye. "Because if it weren't for these three and Ron Weasley here" Malfoy shot Johanson a swift, sharp look "the school would ultimately would have gotten closed."
"Very fortunate," Malfoy said stiffly. Then something clicked in Neville's mind, he understood what the elf was trying to say.
"Don't you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?" asked Neville, catching Ronan off guard.
Lucius Malfoy rounded on him. "How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?" he said.
"Because you gave it to her," said Neville. "In Flourish and Blotts, before you and Mr. Weasley started fighting, you picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn't you?"
He saw Mr. Malfoy's white hands clench and unclench. "Prove it," he hissed.
"Oh, no one will be able to do that," said Dumbledore, smiling at Harry. "Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go give out any more of Lord Voldemort's old-school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you. . . ."
Malfoy's hands started twitching, and Ronan realized that he might go for his wand. As a precautionary measure, he also went for his wand, but nothing happened. Malfoy turned around and yelled, "We are going Dobby!" and then they left.
While Ronan on the other hand was taken aback by the elf's name. His name is Dobby. Tommy. Dobby… Wait, that elf… he is the one who is killed at the end of the movie right? He should be. It seems he is on good terms with Neville, who is supposed to be the protagonist of the story.
"Professor Dumbledore," Neville said hurriedly. "Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?"
"Certainly," said Dumbledore calmly. "But hurry. The feast, remember. . . ." And then Neville and Harry both ran away, leaving Dumbledore and him behind…
"Mr Johansson. I seem to remember, you wanted to talk to me about something," Dumbledore said.
"Yes, I do," Ronan said, without skipping a beat. "I want to know, why you hid the information about the diary from everyone, even from Neville himself,"
Dumbledore looked rather puzzled, "I dont understand…"
"You hid a very crucial information from Neville. And I wanted to know why you lied to him,"
Dumbledore didnt back down, "I still dont…"
He cut the old man off, "Professor. Please, drop the act," he said in a cold voice, "That diary… It contained part of the soul of Voldemort. I knew it ever since I saw what it was doing to Ginny. The diary was siphoning her soul's power to make himself whole again. No curse as sentience like that.. Unless we are dealing with wraithful soul…"
"You seem to have a good knowledge of what curses could do," Dumbledore answered,
"I have read some core cursed books. I know a thing or two about curses." He said, "And based on your reaction.. And seeing that you didnt refute any of my claims, it seems I am indeed right. You were well aware of the fact, weren't you?"
Dumbledore sat down with a serious expression, "You are far more intelligent than what you seem to be, Ronan,"
"About Neville… The power of parseltongue could only be transferred through blood. It is not a power that could be given or taken. It is an inherited skill. Seeing that Neville has this trait… Does it mean that he has a part of the soul of Voldemort stuck inside him?"
"What makes you say that?" Dumbledore said.
"Am I right?"
"I dont know," Dumbledore said, "But, I have to say.. I am also having the same thoughts as you," Ronan couldnt help but inwardly smile. The old Dumbles was falling into his trap.
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