Upon seeing Tom and Hermione's reactions, Harry's heart sank even further.
"I'll go with you to see Professor Dumbledore." But Tom's next words gave him a glimmer of hope.
So, they all hurriedly returned to Hogwarts Castle and stopped outside Dumbledore's office.
Due to the rush, they were all a bit exhausted, especially Harry and Ron, who had run down from Gryffindor Tower and then hurriedly climbed up to Dumbledore's office on the top floor in a short amount of time. Although Harry and Ron were used to physical activity, they were panting.
"Don't you have anywhere else to go?" Dumbledore, who saw the four of them enter his office, covered his forehead in helplessness. He couldn't understand how these students could run to his office like that.
At that moment, Harry recovered a bit from exhaustion and quickly told Dumbledore about his dream.
After hearing Harry, Dumbledore frowned.
This news was too incredible.
Although the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic contained many secrets, Dumbledore could responsibly assure that there was nothing inside that could allow someone to rule the magical world. If such a thing existed, why hadn't Voldemort stolen it? He had many informants within the Ministry of Magic in the past.
Looking at Harry's serious expression, Dumbledore refrained from saying, "Haven't you been practicing Occlumency well enough?"
In the kindest tone possible, he told Harry, "I understand."
"Professor, this is..."
"I said I understand," Dumbledore emphasized, repeating his words.
"Professor Dumbledore has a plan, naturally." Hermione explained it to Harry.
Harry: ...
"So, are you going to keep hiding it from me? Can't I hear your plan?" Finally, he couldn't contain his inner thoughts.
In these days, both Dumbledore and Tom had been in an enigmatic state, as if they were playing a grand chess game, but they seemed to have taken no action, which made him anxious.
A terrifying thought emerged in Harry's mind: What if they haven't done anything at all?
It was true that since the defeat of the Death Eaters, there seemed to be some sort of truce between the Order of the Phoenix, the Ministry of Magic, and the Death Eaters.
The seed of doubt grew uncontrollably in Harry's heart. Now he felt that as a provider of crucial information, shouldn't he have the right to hear Dumbledore's plan?
"I will tell you the plan," it was Tom who spoke this time.
He noticed an opportunity, a wonderful opportunity to kill Voldemort.
The opportunity was fleeting, and he couldn't afford to anger Harry here.
So his attitude was the same as Dumbledore's: "Harry, step aside first, we have important matters to discuss here."
Harry clearly wasn't pleased. But under Dumbledore's pressure, he had no other choice. So he and Ron left Dumbledore's office together.
"Harry..." Ron nervously looked at Harry, confused. Waiting in their dormitory for Dumbledore's news seemed like the best option to him, but his friend appeared to have a different plan in mind.
After furrowing his brow and thinking for a moment, Harry said decisively, "I've made up my mind!"
Ron: ???
"I'm going to the Ministry of Magic."
Ron: ??????
"He's at the Ministry of Magic," Harry said with absolute determination. "I have to go there; I can't let him get that thing."
"What thing? And what do you think you can do there?" Ron felt worse and worse. He felt like the expulsion letter was about to arrive.
"I don't know," Harry replied in one sentence, answering both of Ron's questions.
Inside, there was a reason that wasn't convenient to express. He wanted to serve as bait to force Dumbledore to go to the Ministry of Magic. He was sure that once Dumbledore knew he was going to the Ministry, he would come to help him.
In Harry's eyes, the most urgent thing was to go to the Ministry of Magic, not to sit in an office making plans. After making plans, Voldemort would have already obtained that thing!
As for helpers, it was broad daylight! The Ministry of Magic was operating normally, and if Dumbledore went there, wouldn't there be enough help? There would be many aurors and members of the Order of the Phoenix, all together, how could Voldemort prevail?
Harry's thoughts were simple and direct but very effective.
"You don't know? But I do! We'll be expelled for doing this!" Ron's temples throbbed, and his blood pressure was at its peak.
"It's not 'we,' it's 'me,'" Harry looked seriously at Ron. "I'm going alone to the Ministry of Magic; you need to stay here and tell Professor Dumbledore that I went there."
"Even if it turns out to be a false alarm, only I will be expelled. And don't worry, the legacy my parents left me is enough for a lifetime." Harry had already made plans for the worst.
He was willing to take the risk because he couldn't just sit idly by. It was Voldemort, the murderer of his parents, the one responsible for the ruin of countless wizarding families, the Dark Lord everyone wanted to see defeated.
Ron shook his head, showing his disagreement.
Harry was about to say something to try to convince him, but Ron spoke first: "It's not 'me,' it's 'us,' Harry. You don't even know where the Ministry of Magic is. Let me show you the way; we can discuss what to do after we get expelled."
Ron smiled, and Harry smiled too.
They both agreed on a simple plan: ride broomsticks and fly to the Ministry of Magic, then cause enough commotion there.
Without further ado, they both started to act.
While Harry went on his way, Tom and Dumbledore were also discussing in the office.
"Undoubtedly, this is a trap. Voldemort is using Harry, he made him see some false illusions in his dreams. What happened before with Malfoy was an attempt by Voldemort, a trap he set to make Harry believe what he saw in his dreams," Tom quickly analyzed with an accelerated tone. "He wants to trick Harry into going to the Ministry of Magic... or he wants to deceive you, Professor, into going to the Ministry of Magic."
Dumbledore nodded, approving of Tom's analysis. In his eyes, Tom was talented enough to become the new pillar of Hogwarts in his absence.
"So, what do you plan to do, Severus?" Dumbledore looked into Tom's eyes, awaiting his response.
"I have three strategies: one superior, one intermediate, and one inferior," Tom gestured with three fingers, gazing steadily at Dumbledore.