bookbashuk Chapter 288, Section 287: The Fall of Dumbledore
Chapter 288, Section 287: The Fall of Dumbledore
Chapter 288, Section 287: The Fall of Dumbledore
The twilight spread through the forbidden forest like ink splashed on the ground.
A damp mist, carrying the scent of decaying leaves, swirled through the forest.
The old man turned to face the bronze door.
"Professor!" Hermione cried out anxiously, hesitant to rush forward, but Snape stopped her. The Potions professor, unusually, didn't mock her but spoke in a low voice.
"Don't make things worse."
His voice was filled with helplessness. There was nothing he could do; as a mature enough person, Snape knew that this was not something he could interfere with or help with.
To some extent.
He and the little witch beside him were wizards on the same level. If Dumbledore couldn't pass the test of the Bronze Gate, Snape didn't think his soul was more qualified than Dumbledore's.
In fact.
Because of his respect and admiration for Dumbledore, Snape understood that if anyone in the world could bring Ian back, that person must be the Hogwarts Headmaster standing before him.
If even the headmaster can't do it, then probably no one in the entire wizarding world can, not even something as simple as releasing Grindelwald from prison.
After weighing the options...
Snape knew that Dumbledore's decision was absolutely the best one under the current circumstances—of course, abandoning Ian was also an option, perhaps even a more strategic one. However, judging from Dumbledore's demeanor and his own inner desires, neither was a direction that would be adopted.
"Dumbledore is always right, trust him."
Snape said to Hermione in a deep voice.
Isn't this also a form of psychological preparation for oneself?
"But……"
Hermione suddenly realized that this might be the last time she saw Dumbledore. The thought made her throat tighten. She wanted to say something, but all the words stuck in her throat.
"Don't worry about me, Miss Granger."
Dumbledore seemed to read her mind and turned to Snape: "Severus, please take these books from my collection back with you. You can also have Nick Flamel examine the Bronze Gate." He paused, his gaze falling on Hermione, "Of course, we must first make arrangements for our Miss Granger."
"We can't let her sneak over here again."
Although the words were spoken in a slightly teasing tone.
Hermione felt two sharp eyes looking at him at the same time. Dumbledore's gaze was gentle yet unfathomable, while Snape's carried his usual scrutiny.
"I didn't run away."
Hermione's voice sounded a little guilty.
but.
Nobody seemed to care about that.
"We can't go back to this forest..." Snape still remembered the time he and Hermione wandered aimlessly through the forest, which seemed to have been pieced together.
"Someone will come to rescue you."
Dumbledore's opening tone was full of certainty.
Before Snape could even ask who it was...
He then looked at Hermione.
"I'm sure you won't mention this to the other students in the house, will you?" Dumbledore asked Hermione softly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"After all, Gryffindor's curiosity is sometimes more dangerous than dark magic."
It's common knowledge that Gryffindors are known for their big mouths, and as an old Gryffindor himself, Dumbledore felt he should try to avoid that beforehand.
"what?"
Hermione's face flushed instantly.
"Of course not, Professor! I swear!" She was genuinely embarrassed and annoyed, wondering who was spreading rumors about her, and even Dumbledore thought she was a big mouth.
"It's definitely Ron! He's the big mouth!"
That's the little witch's judgment.
Meanwhile.
"Good girl."
Dumbledore nodded, then turned to the bronze door, took a deep breath, and said, "Well... it's time. I think it's time for me to begin a new adventure."
As a Gryffindor.
He was certainly not afraid of dangerous adventures.
And at this time.
Snape suddenly stepped forward.
"Albus, you should make some preparations, or wait—"
He hadn't finished speaking.
"Sometimes waiting is more dangerous than acting." Dumbledore didn't turn around, his voice soft yet firm. He raised the Elder Wand, its tip tracing a series of intricate runes in the air. With each golden symbol that appeared, the corresponding rune on the bronze door lit up, emitting a deep, resonant sound.
The air was thick with the scent of ancient magic, as if history, sealed for countless years, had suddenly been unlocked. This was actually a kind of regression, not that Dumbledore had truly figured out how to open the Bronze Gate.
Well, how should I put it?
It's like exploiting a design flaw. Dumbledore, using his memories, completely recreated how the bronze doors had worked before.
That's why he's called the most outstanding magical genius in the world. Such an incredible feat could probably be accomplished by counting the number of people in the entire world on one hand.
of course.
With such methods, the reason why Dumbledore had to study it for so long was simple: he had only ever seen the bronze door function when the wrong version of himself walked out of it.
No one has witnessed how Ian triggered the bronze gate. Therefore, this is definitely an extremely risky move, since things could get complicated if Ian triggered it differently.
"I've always believed in my luck."
Dumbledore's eyes remained deep, revealing little emotion.
"It's started! It's started again!"
Hermione held her breath, watching the runes light up one by one. Some shapes reminded her of ancient runes, but were more complex; others resembled some kind of script she had never seen before.
In short.
At this moment, the little witch secretly resolved that she must study hard so that one day when she encounters a similar situation again, she will not feel as powerless and lost as she does now.
"Boom!"
As the last rune was illuminated, the center of the bronze gate began to rotate, forming a bottomless vortex. Within the vortex, starlight-like points of light shimmered, yet it was even deeper than the starry sky.
Dumbledore turned back for one last look at them, his blue eyes shining brightly in the magical light.
"Remember, knowledge is like moonlight; it can guide the lost, but it can also expose the night traveler. Use it with caution." This was clearly a reminder to Hermione.
"what?"
Hermione was quite alarmed when her thoughts were exposed.
and so.
Did Dumbledore also use mind reading on himself?
The kind that happens quietly?
This thought left Hermione bewildered and uncertain.
Snape, however, remained expressionless, his eyes fixed on Dumbledore standing before the bronze doors.
"Remember, don't tell the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, keep an eye on him." Dumbledore glanced back at Snape, then stepped into the vortex without hesitation.
"headmaster!"
Hermione instinctively lunged forward, but Snape grabbed her arm, and she watched helplessly as Dumbledore's figure was swallowed by the vortex. The instant the last piece of his robe disappeared, the bronze doors roared with a deafening rumble, and then—
silence.
Absolute silence.
The vortex vanished, the runes dimmed, and the bronze door returned to its original state, as if nothing had ever happened. Neither Snape nor Hermione had the ability to reopen it.
Snape's hand was still gripping Hermione's arm tightly, so tightly it hurt. But at that moment, the pain made her feel a sense of reality—proving that this wasn't a nightmare.
"Will they come back?" Hermione asked softly, her voice trembling as if it weren't her own.
Snape didn't answer immediately. He stared at the bronze door, his dark eyes unfathomable. After a long while, he released Hermione's arm, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.
"Dumbledore always knew what he was doing." This wasn't an answer, Hermione thought. But perhaps it was the only answer they could get at this moment.
The night wind blew again through the Forbidden Forest, carrying the scent of earth and new growth. The bronze gate stood silently, enigmatic as ever. The darkness of the Forbidden Forest seemed to have a tangible weight, pressing down on Hermione's shoulders.
Oh.
It turned out to be Snape's big hand.
The Potions professor was also in a bad mood.
The latest novel is first published here!
So my hand was a bit heavy.
"You're hurting me, Professor."
Hermione spoke up quickly.
"..."
Snape quickly reduced his strength.
"Let's go."
He prepared to explore his surroundings.
"But didn't Headmaster Dumbledore say someone would come to rescue us?" Hermione asked, somewhat confused. Snape's black robes cast a moving shadow in the dim light of his wand.
Without turning his head, his voice was like a blade slicing through ice: "Rely on Nicolas Lemaître? That old man is probably dozing off with his alchemy notes right now."
obviously.
Snape still felt that relying on himself was more reliable than waiting for rescue. Hermione bit her lower lip. She wanted to argue—Nick Flamel was, after all, the greatest alchemist in history and an old friend of Dumbledore—but Snape suddenly stopped and raised a hand to signal her to be quiet.
His movement was so sudden that Hermione nearly bumped into his back.
"Something." Snape's voice was barely audible as he pointed his wand at the bushes on her right. Hermione's heart pounded. She looked in the direction Snape was pointing—the bushes there were swaying slightly, making a soft, rustling sound. In this eerie place where not even insects existed.
Why is there any noise?
Any noise is suspicious!
"What could it be?"
Hermione's mind raced, her fingers gripping her wand tightly until her knuckles turned white.
Was it Snape, a copy of the Bronze Gate? Or was it myself? Or another Dumbledore? Or even... a copy of Ian? It has to be said that Hermione's inner thoughts were indeed quite frequent.
Hermione continued to let her imagination run wild, while Snape remained incredibly vigilant. The swaying of the bushes grew more pronounced. Hermione felt her breath catch in her throat. Snape stood motionless like a statue, only the tip of his wand trembling slightly, ready to unleash a deadly spell at any moment; he probably shared Hermione's thoughts.
Snape was terrified of encountering another Dumbledore, and even more afraid of encountering a cloned Ian—Ian's magic was far more evil than Dumbledore's, Snape thought to himself.
And at that very moment.
A blond boy came out.
"Lirim?"
Hermione blurted out that she recognized the Ravenclaw fourth-year student.
He had his signature blond curly hair and slightly pale skin, and his blue school uniform was spotless, making him look as neat as if he had just come out of the library.
"Um?"
Snape showed no sign of putting down his wand.
"He can't be a student," Snape said coldly, his dark eyes fixed on the boy as if trying to see through his disguise. This wasn't a place a student could just barge into.
It's impossible for every first-year student to have such an eccentric freshman as Ian.
"Professor Snape, who said I'm not a student? I am a student!" Rirem pouted, giving a wronged look, just like a Ravenclaw who had been wronged.
"Oh!"
Upon seeing this.
Snape simply sneered.
"Fuchsia!"
Without hesitation, he unleashed his magic. Regardless of the other party's situation, he needed to control them first, and just in case, he didn't use any particularly damaging magic.
The spell shot from Snape's wand, a red light slicing through the darkness and aimed directly at Ririm's face. Hermione gasped—while it wasn't particularly dangerous magic, attacking a student so suddenly was just... well, you know. At that moment, Hermione didn't realize that there was a reason why this Potions professor was so unpopular.
But then came the attacking magic.
"You're so wicked, Professor Snape." Rireum sighed, raising his right hand and flicking it lightly, as if brushing dust off his clothes. The red light drew an arc in the air.
He actually returned the way he came and shot at Snape!
Snape nimbly dodged to the side, his wand already pointing in a new direction.
"Armor!" he roared, and an invisible barrier unfolded before him and Hermione. "See that, Granger? No student can do that."
"Okay, Professor."
Hermione's wand was also aimed at Lyriam, but her hand was trembling slightly. Indeed, the boy's movements had been too casual, as if an adult wizard were using a prank spell on a first-year student.
"You started it, okay?"
Ririm began to complain.
next moment.
"Turn."
He then abruptly said something else.
"What?"
Snape didn't react for a moment. Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a strong impact on his back. His spell had been bounced back and hit him directly in the back! The next second, he was hanging upside down in mid-air, just like the students who were pranked in school, hanging awkwardly between the trees.
"Damn it!"
Snape cursed loudly.
Struggling to wave his wand to try and undo the effect, he discovered that the magic seemed to be interfered with in some way.
"Professor, how can I save you!" Hermione stood not far away, witnessing everything, her heart pounding. She mustered her courage, gripped her wand tightly, and took a step forward, ready to fight.
"Don't move."
Lirim suddenly looked at her, his voice gentle but undeniable, "You have to go back. I'll stay here."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ririm raised his hand, a faint halo emanating from his palm. Hermione didn't even have time to react before she felt her body lighten and her vision suddenly blurred.
The next moment, she and the upside-down Snape appeared in the Great Hall of Hogwarts Castle, surrounded by familiar stone walls and burning fireplaces, with the warm scent of candles filling the air.
"What's going on!" Hermione was shocked, looking around, completely unable to understand what had just happened.
"Put me down!" Snape roared angrily, writhing in the air. "Granger, quickly cast the spell to break this ridiculous curse!"
Inside the castle.
Echoing Snape's furious shouts.
He wished it was all just a nightmare.
(End of this chapter)