A Plan Centered Around the Prophecy, Spare the Centenarian Some Dignity

"I understand everything you're saying," Professor Snape said earnestly. "I also understand how you feel."

Aaron remained completely unmoved, simply watching him in silence.

Anyone can say polite words, but they have absolutely nothing to do with what he wants.

"Alright then," Professor Snape sighed helplessly, "Come to my office this afternoon."

"Afternoon?" Aaron raised an eyebrow with amusement. "I personally think time is still very precious, so why can't it be in the morning?"

After breakfast, I can make you a pot of tea, and we can chat at our leisure.

"I really don't have time this morning," Snape said guiltily. "I need to grade the OWLs exams for the 1st graders, and the other 1st graders' papers are also waiting for me to grade."

"Understood." Aaron gave him a deep look, picked up Abei, and headed for the door. "I'll wait for you in your office."

Professor Snape watched Aaron's departing figure, finished his breakfast quickly, and headed towards the Seventh Floor of the castle.

Meanwhile, in the Headmaster's Office.

Albus Dumbledore, deep in thought, sat opposite Harry Potter, who was also in a somber mood. The wizards and Warlock on the surrounding walls, unaware of what had happened, welcomed the headmaster's return.

"Alright, Harry."

You'll be happy to hear that your classmate didn't suffer any irreparable harm from last night's incident, and if all goes well, they'll be back tomorrow.

"Hmm." Harry nodded expressionlessly.

"I understand how you feel, Harry," Dumbledore.

"No, you don't understand," Harry said, utterly dejected. The person who died last night was his only family member and the person who cared about him the most in the world. How could Dumbledore possibly understand his feelings?

"It's all my fault. Aaron was right. If I hadn't insisted on going to the Department of Mysteries..."

No, it's not your fault.

"It's my fault, it's all my fault." Dumbledore said seriously, "I knew it was only a matter of time before Voldemort made contact with you. I should have taught you Cerebral Sealing Technique myself. Snape and Gaius may be proficient in this magic, but their teaching level is definitely not as good as mine."

Or if I had spoken frankly with you earlier, you would have known that Voldemort was trying to lure you to the Department of Mysteries. That way, you wouldn't have been tricked into going there last night, Sirius Black wouldn't have gone looking for you, and he wouldn't have been...

"Wait a minute," the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black said tremulously, "Can I understand that my great-great-grandson, the last of the Black family, is already dead?"

"I'm sorry, Phineas," Dumbledore said.

"I don't believe it!" Phineas roared, then moved closer to one side of the picture frame and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Harry and Dumbledore knew what he was going to do. There was also a portrait of him on the Order of the Phoenix, which Phineas would use to confirm whether his great-grandson was still alive.

"Professor," Harry said hesitantly, "The Prophecy Orb I found at the Department of Mysteries said that I and Voldemort ..."

"I know, I was right next to him when this Prophecy was made."

It was a cold night sixteen years ago when Sybill approached me seeking a professorship.

You know her Divination abilities are somewhat unreliable, so I politely told her that she wasn't suitable for the position.

Then... she made this Prophecy: the only person with any hope of defeating Voldemort was born at the end of July, 16th year of his life, and whose parents had fought Voldemort three times.

Harry's breathing quickened slightly; what Dumbledore himself had admitted was far more reliable than the cold, hard Prophecy Orb.

"You mean I... am that boy?"

"Strangely, there were two people who met the criteria at the time."

One is you Harry Potter, and the other is Neville Longbottom.

"But if that's the case, why are my name and Voldemort's name marked under the Prophecy Orb?"

"When Sybill was looking for a job, she chose the cheaper Hog's Head, which had poor security and attracted a more mixed clientele than the Three Broomsticks."

There, you can never guarantee that your conversations won't be overheard, and like you, I suffered the same fate.

Of course, I never dreamed that she would make any valuable Prophecy.

Fortunately, the eavesdropper was discovered halfway through the Prophecy and was thrown out of the Hog's Head.

Therefore, Voldemort only knew the first part of the Prophecy: the boy who was capable of defeating him would be born at the end of July, and his parents had resisted Voldemort three times.

Voldemort was unaware of the latter part; the Dark Lord would mark him as a formidable foe. "At this point," Dumbledore said, pointing to the scar on Harry's forehead, "This mark allowed the people of the Hall of Prophecy to make that judgment."

Harry frowned slightly. "Isn't this a bit too hasty?"

"I used to think that way too, and later I realized that it might actually be true."

"You've grown incredibly fast in this time, fast enough to face Voldemort in a direct confrontation."

"That's because he wanted to torture me slowly." Harry chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I'm not even Archmage, how could I possibly beat Grand Archmage?"

I witnessed your fight with Voldemort firsthand. I couldn't possibly get involved in a fight of that magnitude; the aftershocks alone would have killed me.

If Voldemort had been even slightly more serious, I might be dead by now.

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Dumbledore comforted him. "You've escaped from him several times, and each time you've made great progress."

I've also done some tests on you, including Philosopher's Stone, Dementor, and even the Triwizard Tournament, all of which have shown me your abilities and qualities.

To be honest, your progress has made me ecstatic more than once.

"I'm definitely no match for Voldemort," Harry said somewhat pessimistically. "Like he said, Warlock's strength is influenced by talent, and even if I reach my peak in this lifetime, I probably still won't be able to beat him."

"That's undeniable, but the actual situation is influenced by many factors," Dumbledore said patiently. "Didn't Aaron tell you when he was teaching you that Archmage can also defeat Grand Archmage?"

"He seems to have mentioned it," Harry murmured. "Wait, Professor, how do you know?"

"I am the headmaster, and I know a lot about what's going on at the school," Dumbledore some pride. "I've been following everything from your meeting at the Hog's Head to Dobby's recommendation of the Room of Requirement. I even used the Disillusionment Charm to sit in on your first class."

It must be said that Aaron's teaching ability is no less than that of an average professor.

"Oh, I see!" Harry exclaimed in realization.

"So you should have some confidence in yourself, and it seems that when Voldemort attacked you a dozen years ago, he accidentally transferred some of his abilities to you."

The scar on your head clearly reveals his presence, no matter what disguise he makes.

This is your advantage, Harry, an advantage that no one else has.

Harry looked bitter. "I don't want that kind of advantage."

"Yes! It is both a blessing and a curse."

But regardless, the choice has already been made: one of you and Voldemort must kill the other.

"Professor Dumbledore," Harry took a deep breath, his face showing hesitation, "Voldemort fears you most, if you can defeat him... I suppose Prophecy aren't always 100% accurate, are they?"

"I would like to if I could," Dumbledore smiled wryly. "But Harry, under what circumstances do you think I would choose to believe in Prophecy, and even go so far as to prepare for it for more than a decade?"

Harry paused for a moment, a terrible thought forming in his mind.

This conjecture made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and his body trembled involuntarily.

"I'm not sure, Harry," Dumbledore shrugged. "If it's a head-on fight, I might be able to defeat Voldemort, or at the very least, take him down with me. But if he's determined to run, I can't stop him."

Just as I know him well, he knows me all too well. The weaknesses of people like us are very obvious, and my care and protection for you will be his weapon against me.

Moreover, I'm getting old. Being over a hundred years old might not be much for a powerful Warlock, and I could even live for several hundred more if I wanted to, but I have to admit that my mindset is no longer young.

Having experienced two Warlock wars, I know very well what defeat means.

I dare not gamble. I can pay any price, but we must guarantee that we will win, because we cannot afford to lose.

And most importantly, Voldemort has traveled a long way on the long road, he might, he might..."

"Maybe what?" Harry asked somewhat nervously.

"It's not 100% certain yet," Dumbledore shook his head. "But during my time away from Hogwarts, I did some research, and Voldemort's preparations are probably far more terrifying than I thought."

Harry swallowed hard, feeling inexplicably overwhelmed by pressure, and a deep sense of self-doubt welled up inside him.

If Dumbledore thought he couldn't handle this guy, can he really be a dog?

"Perhaps there are other possibilities," Harry said weakly. "Aaron, yes, Aaron can definitely do it. He's much stronger than me. Back in the Department of Mysteries, he single-handedly held off ten Death Eater and even fought Voldemort to a standstill."

"Gaius?" Dumbledore's expression suddenly became complicated. "I have thought about that, but... how should I put it?"

I'd previously hinted that he should join us in fighting Voldemort, and he politely declined at the time. As for now... I think he'd rather kill me than Voldemort!

Harry:???

"Professor, what do you mean by this?"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dumbledore was about to explain, a knock came at the door.

"Come in!"

Professor Snape walked into the Headmaster's Office, paused for a moment when he saw Harry Potter, and then looked away.

"Is there something you need, Severus?"

"Gaius just came to me." Professor Snape's expression was uncertain. "He has sensed something is wrong and wants an explanation from me."

"That's normal, Severus," Dumbledore sighed. "That boy is smarter than anyone else; even if he were slow to realize it, he should have thought of it by now."

"But I shouldn't have to explain," Snape said, somewhat angrily. "Lupin, Moody, Kingsley, Nymphadora, any one of them... anyone will do, but I can't."

"Severus, I understand how you feel, but right now you are indeed the most suitable candidate."

"Principal, don't just stand there and talk like you don't know what's going on."

At Hogwarts, I was probably the person he trusted most. If I were to tell him that, how could I possibly save face?

"So what you mean is?"

"You explain it to him yourself!" Snape said seriously. "This was your arrangement; I was just an executor."

Dumbledore pursed his lips, and Harry noticed a rare hint of embarrassment on his face.

"Professor Snape, I'm afraid this really won't work."

Your relationship with him is the worst. If you were to explain, he might be able to suppress his emotions, but if it were me, it would probably have the opposite effect.

Upon hearing this, Professor Snape made no attempt to hide the sarcasm on his face.

"Principal, are you... still using this?"

Dumbledore's old face immediately fell, and he said meekly, "This is my request to you, Severus."

I'm over a hundred years old, please consider this as giving an old man some face!

Professor Snape rolled his eyes, but Dumbledore had already put it that way, he didn't refuse.

"Alright, I understand. I will tell him your arrangements."

"Thank you very much." Dumbledore breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "However, it's best not to explain too much about the parts that need to be concealed, you know what I mean?"

"Will it be of any use?" Professor Snape asked rhetorically, then left the Headmaster's Office without looking back.

"Professor," Harry looked at Dumbledore, puzzled, "What are you talking about?"

"It's better if you don't know this," Dumbledore said sullenly.

"You shouldn't keep it from me anymore, right?"

This matter has a lot to do with Aaron, and I feel it's necessary for me to get to the bottom of it.

Dumbledore remained silent for a long time, then rubbed his forehead helplessly and said with a wry smile, "You know, Aaron's strength and talent far surpass those of his peers, and he also has a powerful family behind him."

If we can get them to join the fight against Voldemort, our chances of winning will increase significantly, and at the very least, our casualties will be greatly reduced.

Harry nodded in deep agreement, acknowledging that both the battles following the Triwizard Tournament and the Battle of the Department of Mysteries last night proved this point.

"But the Gaius family has an ancestral precept that forbids its descendants from getting involved in the disputes of the Magic World," Dumbledore sighed. "Neutrality has been the Gaius family's stance for thousands of years."

As long as he abides by this ancestral precept, even a Warlock war will not affect him. The foundation and network of his Warlock family, which has been passed down for thousands of years, are his strong backing, and he can remain unscathed.

However, if he violates this rule, he will be temporarily expelled from the family, and even the family heir is not exempt.

"I think I know that, but what does it have to do with what you were just talking about?"

"There is still some connection," Dumbledore embarrassedly. "In a sense, the Order of the Phoenix dragged him down with it last night."

Harry:...