章 449: 0448 Concerns
Facing Hermione's inquisitive gaze, Harry opened his mouth, but the words seemed to catch in his throat.
What was he thinking about? The events of the night had left him with a whirlwind of thoughts and concerns swirling in his mind.
The Ministry and Professor Dumbledore had summoned Professor Watson at this critical juncture, no doubt to discuss how to properly handle the shocking attack at the Quidditch World Cup stadium. What would be the final outcome of this volatile situation? Harry couldn't help but wonder.
Voldemort's powerful minions had appeared at the Quidditch World Cup stadium tonight, with the purpose of kidnapping him. How had Voldemort managed to recruit a witch capable of engaging in such a grandiose duel with Professor Watson?? And what exactly was the history between Professor Watson and that dark witch?
The group of dark wizards who had initiated the commotion, Remus had said they were Death Eaters. But based on the information revealed by the words of the witch caught by Professor Watson among the three who had barged into the top box, their clear objective had not been Harry. Their target had been Sirius, with Melanov even mentioning that Sirius' head was worth ten thousand Galleons.
"I was thinking—" Harry began, his voice hesitant at first. He paused, then ultimately set aside the matters related to Professor Watson, focusing instead on the more immediate concerns.
"The three who broke into our box, their target should have been Sirius, not me," Harry said, his emerald eyes bright with realization.
"Of course, Harry!" Ron immediately affirmed, nodding vigorously. "The way they acted after getting in made it obvious - they were clearly out to kill Sirius!"
Reassured by Ron's confirmation, Harry became instantly energized, shifting in his seat to sit up straighter.
"I told you all that when Lucius Malfoy came into the box tonight, he threatened Sirius. And they left the stadium before the commotion even started - isn't that strange? That was the World Cup final, who wouldn't want to see the outcome? Sirius probably thinks the same way, I bet he won't let Lucius Malfoy off the hook!"
"That means!"
Ron's expression shifted to one of dreamy anticipation, his eyes alight with a mischievous glint.
"Maybe by the time school starts, we might see Malfoy lugging his bags and getting kicked out of Hogwarts, because his father plotted that terrible terrorist attack!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Ron!" Hermione interjected, her arms crossed over her chest as she spoke bluntly. "Even if Lucius Malfoy was involved in this, it doesn't have anything to do with Draco. The Ministry and Hogwarts won't expel him just for that--"
"Oh, Hermione, you're ruining my mood--" Ron said sulkily, puckering his lips in a childish pout, but Hermione simply ignored his reaction. She then turned her attention to Harry, her gaze shifting slightly as she spoke with less certainty.
"Harry, the wizard who appeared at the end and rescued that woman named Cliodna - how confident are you that he was...the You-Know-Who?"
'How confident?'
Harry's brow furrowed in confusion as he looked at Hermione, not fully understanding why she would ask such a question. Wasn't it obvious?
He had recalled certain details from his previous dream, where Voldemort and Cliodna had been plotting in an old house, and the core of their plot had been to capture him. Cliodna had explicitly stated that she wanted to take him, clearly to bring him to Voldemort to torture and kill him. And the searing pain in his scar tonight had definitively confirmed that the grotesque-looking wizard who had appeared at the end was indeed Voldemort.
Hermione seemed to get the answer she wanted from the confusion etched on Harry's face, but this did not make her relax her expression. Instead, her brow furrowed deeply, a clear sign of her growing unease.
"I don't quite understand—" Hermione murmured, her gaze shifting skyward, as if seeking answers in the vast expanse of the starry heavens above.
"It sounds reasonable, and Sirius seems to think so too, but just now, Professor Watson's demeanor..." She trailed off, her words laced with uncertainty.
Harry and Ron exchanged a perplexed glance, neither fully grasping the implications behind Hermione's cryptic statement.
"What about Professor Watson? Is there something off about him?" Harry asked, his voice tinged with a mixture of concern and urgency, given the undeniable involvement of Voldemort in the night's events.
"Nothing--" Hermione sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "I think Professor Watson probably won't explain your and Sirius' suspicions to the Ministry, Harry. Most likely, he'll want you to keep this discovery to yourselves."
"Why!" Harry's brow furrowed, his mind struggling to comprehend Hermione's reasoning. "Are you saying Professor Watson is afraid of Voldemort?"
If it were anyone else, knowing they were facing the most evil and cruel dark wizard of all time, and having soundly defeated him when he was in a weakened state, they might feel uneasy and fear retaliation in the future. But Professor Watson and Professor Dumbledore, Harry believed, were not the type of wizards to be swayed by such concerns.
"Of course not, Harry--" Hermione spoke calmly, her gaze sharp as she looked directly at him. "I think the reason Professor Watson will keep this a secret is not because he's afraid of Voldemort and retaliation, but because of you, Harry. Do you really think the Ministry would be thrilled to hear that tonight's events are connected to You-Know-Who who has disappeared for us and died for them for over a decade? If Professor Watson tells the Ministry about your findings, he'd have to provide evidence proving it was You-Know-Who. What evidence do you think he has?"
Harry immediately opened his mouth, wanting to share what he had seen in his dream. But the words were caught in his throat.
The most reliable evidence wasn't his scar, but the contents of his dream. However, would the Minister of Magic readily believe the visions of a young wizard? To be honest, even Harry himself hadn't been fully convinced at first, and besides...
"I see, Harry--" Hermione's confident tone had disappeared as she explained, replaced by a worried one.
"Are you planning to tell the Ministry about your ability to see You-Know-Who in your dreams? That would mean many people might know about this incredible thing, even You-Know-Who himself. How do you think he would react upon learning of this?"
Harry didn't really care how Voldemort would react - after all, Voldemort wouldn't spare him even if this hadn't happened. But Hermione was right, if his ability to dream about Voldemort became known throughout the wizarding world, Harry could imagine having to endure many strange looks and unwanted attention at Hogwarts once again.
"I thought it was a really cool thing!" Ron blurted out, his voice laced with shock, having finally grasped the full implications of Hermione's reasoning.
"Hermione's right, mate, I think you better keep this quiet. Oh, tomorrow I'm going to say hi to Fred and George, I'll make sure they don't tell Lee Jordan - you know, he's their good friend and can share almost any secret, but he's definitely not the one to help you keep one."
Harry gratefully nodded at Ron, but then became pensive once more.
During his second year at Hogwarts, on the night the Chamber of Secrets troubles were finally resolved, Dumbledore had mentioned that after Harry had thwarted Voldemort's attempt to obtain the Philosopher's Stone in his first year, the Dark Lord had been in hiding in the forests of Albania. But now, Voldemort had returned to Britain and recruited a witch nearly as powerful as Professor Watson as an accomplice, and they were currently plotting to kill him.
Although Professor Watson had made them retreat empty-handed tonight, Harry wasn't naïve enough to think Voldemort would glumly retreat back to the deep forests and not come out again. He could imagine a whole new set of troubles finding him next school year!
Seeing Harry fall silent, Hermione gave Ron a pointed look, and the redhead quickly understood her intention.
"Oh, don't be gloomy, Harry, no matter what, You-Know-Who and that Cliodna woman can't just barge into Hogwarts to get you, they'll only be walking into a trap!"
Ron said excitedly, his eyes alight with a determined spark.
"Think of something positive, Harry, we won a huge amount of money tonight, oh, it feels like a dream!"
It took Harry a moment to realize what Ron was talking about. Indeed, the two of them had correctly predicted the outcome of the Quidditch World Cup final at Ludo Bagman's, winning a full one thousand Galleons!
With the fairly substantial inheritance left to him by his parents, this sudden wealth was more than enough to sustain him comfortably through his time at Hogwarts, so his personal attachment to galleons was far less intense than Ron's. But still, five hundred Galleons was no small sum, and this was certainly an exhilarating and unexpected event.
"I'm going to buy myself a new broom!" Ron exclaimed joyfully as he reached into his pocket, feeling around for his hidden purse.
"Of course, I definitely won't get a Firebolt, but a Nimbus would be perfect. Oh, and I'm going to clear out the shelves at Honeydukes and Zonko's, I've always dreamed of this day coming. What are you waiting for, Harry, get your purse out, it's time to divvy up the money!"
Finally finding his purse, Ron grinned widely as he started to dig it out, his excitement palpable.
"Coming right up!" Harry also immediately began searching himself, eager to claim his share of the winnings.
Watching the two boys suddenly become so elated and preoccupied with the prospect of their newfound wealth, Hermione rolled her eyes with an exasperated expression.
"My purse can't hold that much money, I borrowed it from Charlie!"
Ron proudly displayed a purse embroidered with a moving dragon pattern, then reached his hand inside, preparing to scoop out the mesmerizing, gleaming Galleons. But...
"Oh, are you trying to get me to leave, Weasley?"
Seeing Ron's expression crumble as he maintained his digging posture, Hermione rolled her eyes once more. The next moment, Ron suddenly jumped up from his seat, turning the purse upside down and shaking it frantically, his pale face flushed with eye redness.
"What's going on?" Hermione frowned as she realized something was clearly amiss.
"It's gone, the money is gone!" Ron wailed, his voice laced with despair. "The Galleons Bagman gave me, not a single one left!"
On the other side, Harry also abruptly stood up, his expression one of bewilderment as he held his own purse.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione quickly asked, her concern palpable. "Your money is gone too?"
"It's my wand!" Harry cried out in a panic. "My wand is missing!"
"You lost your wand, Harry?" Hermione's brow furrowed deeply, her amber eyes wide with concern. Her bushy brown hair seemed to bristle with worry as she leaned forward, her voice dropping to an urgent whisper. "What exactly happened? Where did you drop it, in the forest?"
For a wizard, the importance of a wand was as self-evident. In the three years since entering the Wizarding world, Harry had never once let his wand leave his side. It had been his constant companion, a bridge between his old life and his new identity as a wizard.
Suddenly realizing he had lost it, a sickening feeling of weakness and helplessness welled up inside him, momentarily overwhelming his senses. He gritted his teeth, the muscles in his jaw tightening as he carefully scrutinized through the chaotic memories of their hasty escape from the Quidditch pitch, desperately trying to pinpoint the moment when his wand might have slipped from his grasp.
"My Galleons!" Ron's anguished cry cut through Harry's concentration. Ron seemed to be on the verge of a complete breakdown, his freckled face contorting with a mix of panic and fury. He turned his purse – a gift from his older brother Charlie – inside out with trembling hands, but couldn't find so much as a single bronze Knut. His face flushed a deep crimson as he shouted, his voice cracking with emotion.
"Our galleons are gone too, Hermione! A whole thousand Galleons, the entire winnings from Ludo Bagman, vanished into thin air! Who in Merlin's name could have stolen our money?"
In all the time Harry and Hermione had known Ron they had never seen him this angry. Ron's lips quivered uncontrollably as he waved the empty money bag around like a flag of distress, his expression suggesting he was ready to devour the thief who had taken his galleons alive!
Ron's state of near-hysteria didn't particularly surprise Harry and Hermione. Ron had always been very sensitive about his family's tight financial situation. The thousand Galleons won from Ludo Bagman represented more than just money to Ron – it was a life-changing opportunity, a chance to lift himself out of poverty and finally experience the comforts he had always dreamed of. Now that someone had cruelly snatched away his newfound wealth, any level of anger from Ron wouldn't have been unexpected.
Hermione bit her lower lip lightly, looking worriedly at the frantic Ron. Even she didn't know how to calm his fury.
A portion of the missing money belonged to Harry as well. Under normal circumstances, he would have been furious too. However, the gnawing worry over his lost wand left him with no emotional energy to fret about anything else.
Three years ago, on his eleventh birthday, Harry had bought this wand from Ollivander, the best wandmaker in Diagon Alley, under Hagrid's guidance. The memory of that day was etched permanently in his mind. This wand was more than just a magical instrument; it was his proof of formally entering the mysterious and marvelous Wizarding world, a link to his parents and his heritage.
For three years, his wand had been like a brother helping him through many difficult challenges – from facing down a troll in the girls' bathroom to conjuring his first Patronus to drive away the soul-sucking Dementors. Even though this wand had a somewhat unclear and troubling connection to Voldemort, as Mr. Ollivander had hinted, Harry was still deeply attached to it.
Author's Note: I just got back, updates will be regular from today and there is a large chapter in next few chapters.
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