Dumbledore Really Does Have a Problem with Harry / Active Offense Is Better Than Passive Defense ...

This perception arises because good-for-nothing scoundrels who rely solely on their parents are more likely to attract attention and be remembered.

In reality, those truly from wealthy families with strong academic backgrounds are often more hardworking and more likely to achieve success than the average person.

In short, the Weasley Brothers were clearly provoked by Harry today in the valet's hut.

So much so that they seemed a little dazed as they left, and almost bumped into Hermione suddenly rushed over at the door.

However, the academically gifted girl clearly had no time to pay attention to the two of them. She simply staggered to adjust her posture and then stumbled over to Harry's side.

"Harry, something's happened! Quick, look at this!!"

She shoved the latest Daily Prophet in front of Harry, anxiously pointing to the front page of the breaking news.

"This... how is this possible? Peter Pettigrew actually escaped from prison?!"

Upon seeing the news of the 'Azkaban unrest' printed in the newspaper, Harry frowned and fell into deep thought.

Chapter 302 Albus Dumbledore really does have a problem with Harry.

Peter Pettigrew Peter escaped from prison?!

This was absolutely unbelievable for Harry... no, it was absolutely impossible!

That day, before leaving, Harry clearly used the Sword of Gryffindor to cut off Peter Pettigrew's arm and injected him with the Basilisk's venom.

Judging by the timeline, Peter Pettigrew wouldn't even last until the trial; he'd likely die on the way back to the Ministry of Magic. How could he possibly cause a prison break?

Even if this news was fabricated by the Ministry of Magic, why would they need to spread such a false message?

Peter Pettigrew Peter, using his Animagus form, evaded the Dementor's guards, brutally slaughtered over a dozen prisoners in Azkaban, and then made his escape.

Leaving aside whether he'll even make it to Azkaban, how could a guy who's been chased around by nine cats possibly have the strength to wreak havoc in prison?!

Strange...

Could it be that Peter Pettigrew really didn't die?

"Harry, you need to come with me now... Dumbledore wants to see you."

Filch had gone out on inspection, returned at this time, bringing with him a message from the principal.

"I understand." Harry reassured the worried Hermione with a look, then got up and headed towards the Headmaster's Office.

Fortunately, Dumbledore stronger connections at the Ministry of Magic than I do, so I can go and find out what happened.

"Liquorice Wands." After saying the command in front of the gargoyle on the third floor, Harry stepped onto the spiral staircase leading to the Headmaster's Office.

Dumbledore's office remained unchanged, with portraits of past principals whispering on the walls, and the Fawkes resting on its gilded perch.

The narrow-legged tables around the room were filled with various silver instruments that hummed and emitted wisps of mist, resembling humidifiers with a hint of aromatherapy.

However, this tranquil setting failed to calm his mind; at least Dumbledore, behind his desk, was not in a good mood.

Of course, given Dumbledore's ability to keep his emotions hidden, Harry couldn't possibly read his thoughts from his expression. However, Fawkes's Voice of Magic secretly provided Harry with a cheat sheet.

"Harry, have a seat." Upon seeing Harry, Dumbledore waved his hand and placed a chair in front of Harry.

"Thanks."

After they sat down, neither the old man nor the young man spoke.

Harry could sense that Dumbledore was struggling... just like with the previous Ravenclaw's Diadem incident, struggling because the situation was getting out of control.

Of course, Harry himself was the same.

Harry was also debating whether to tell Dumbledore about what he was doing, and... how much exactly he should tell him.

"Harry, were you as surprised as I was about Peter Pettigrew's escape?" After a long silence, Dumbledore finally spoke first.

"I was indeed surprised," Harry nodded in response, his tone completely flat.

"Can you tell me what's causing your surprise, Harry?" Dumbledore voice. "Are you surprised by his escape, or simply... just by the fact that he's alive?"

He stared intently at Harry's face, seemingly trying to find any unconscious flaws in Harry's expression.

Dumbledore could only probe in this way now. Harry had never learned Occlumency, but since the last incident with the Ravenclaw's Diadem, his brain had mysteriously gained an extra layer of protection, making it impossible for anyone to Legilimency him.

Therefore, Dumbledore could only hope that Harry would tell him the truth on his own initiative.

"Indeed, I can't figure out why this guy is still alive." Harry nodded calmly.

Since Dumbledore asked this question, it meant he already knew something, so Harry didn't need to hide anything from him about the previous poisoning incident.

"Just as I thought..." Dumbledore sighed softly. "My friends in the Forbidden Forest told me that Bane's death was very suspicious. It seems that the Sword of Gryffindor absorbed the Basilisk's venom, but I wonder how Peter Pettigrew managed to survive."

"Headmaster, you're just telling me this like this? Aren't you afraid I'll cause trouble for your 'friend'?" Harry questioned coldly, his tone already tinged with anger.

That two-faced bastard, Firenze, actually dared to secretly tip off Albus Dumbledore?!

"Harry, I believe you won't. No matter what our reasons are, taking someone's life at will is absolutely wrong."

Dumbledore at Harry, and in his eyes, Harry detected a hint of resentment.

That makes sense. Albus Dumbledore must have been resentful about his earlier actions of killing Bane and Magorian.

And he's right, I really can't kill Firenze for leaking information right now.

In a sense, Firenze was Albus Dumbledore's representative in the Forbidden Forest. No matter how much he secretly colluded with Dumbledore, Harry couldn't just kill him.

"Let's not talk about that... I called you here because Fudge wrote to me about something else." After a sigh, Dumbledore changed the subject. "When Peter Pettigrew was on trial, he vehemently denied ever seeing Lucius Malfoy, and even claimed that he had always lived in the Weasley family in the form of a rat, never venturing out, and certainly never going to Gringotts or Knockturn Alley. He said someone was impersonating him... What are your thoughts on these things?"

"This..." Harry's expression hardened upon hearing this; the real show was about to begin!

His plan had gone awry, giving Peter Pettigrew a chance to speak during his interrogation. As a result, Dumbledore had already guessed that he had been impersonating Peter Pettigrew all along!

But... even if you guessed it, what could you do?

"Headmaster, what Peter Pettigrew said isn't important. What's important is... what's the evidence?" Harry met Dumbledore's gaze without flinching. "Since Rita Skeeter discovered his meeting with Lucius Malfoy, there's collusion between them; and since Peter Pettigrew was able to get through Gringotts's Thief's Downfall, it means... no one was impersonating him. It was all his doing!"

"But Harry ... do you really think it's right to impersonate someone else to fabricate charges? Admittedly, that person is an unforgivable criminal... but we shouldn't become criminals ourselves in the name of punishment!"

Dumbledore looked Harry up and down, a hint of heartache creeping onto his face. "Harry... if it were you two years ago, you would never have had such thoughts. Back then, although you were somewhat extreme and emotional, you were an absolutely sincere and enthusiastic child. More importantly... you knew how to respect life and always respected the rules!"

"Sir Principal, if you insist on thinking that way, then I can only say... people do change."

Looking at Dumbledore's wrinkled face and earnest expression, Harry didn't feel much empathy. Instead, an uncontrollable anger gradually rose in his heart!

"You're saying I shouldn't have punished those bastards that way, so... I deserve to be bullied like this?!"

Chapter 303 Passive defense is not as good as proactive attack

Therefore... the saying "Baseness is the passport of the base, nobility is the epitaph of the noble" seems to make a lot of sense.

There was a large group of despicable and shameless people stirring up trouble both openly and secretly, but when Harry tried to deal with them in the same way, he was dissuaded and criticized by elders like Dumbledore.

But Harry wanted to ask: in this series of incidents, who was the first to trample on life and recklessly endanger the safety of others?

And who are these bastards who stand above the rules and treat the evidence Harry painstakingly sought as a joke?

In the end, Dumbledore turned around and advised Harry to continue to revere life and respect the rules as he had always done...

This is clearly bullying Harry because they're close, isn't it?

"Harry, please calm down." In the Headmaster's Office, Dumbledore softened his tone, trying to soothe Harry. "I know the crimes those people committed, and I don't want to excuse them, but..."

"No... Headmaster, you don't know." Harry coldly interrupted Dumbledore finish, "You only see the result of many things, but you don't know why that result came about. For example..."

"You only know that I impersonated Peter Pettigrew and framed Lucius Malfoy, but you don't know that in June of this year, when my father went to the Crown Prince's residence to deliver his school acceptance letter, he was cursed by Lucius Malfoy. If Dobby hadn't happened Dobby save him, who knows what would have happened."

"Similarly, you only know that I killed Bane and Magorian in the Forbidden Forest, but you don't know that killing Bane was accidental, and what kind of insults he had used against me before that! At the end of the battle in the Forbidden Forest, apart from the ungrateful Bane and Magorian, I didn't kill any other Centaur, but dozens of the Acromantula I brought died. Tell me... if they hadn't been in front of me, wouldn't those Centaur's arrows have been piercing me and my Fantastic Beasts companions?!"

"This... Harry, I must say, what you just mentioned is truly astonishing." Dumbledore disbelief. "Lucius Malfoy, how could he dare to do such a thing? And... why didn't you tell me any of this?"

"What good would it do to tell you?" Harry retorted sharply, rising to his feet. "Could you bring him to justice from the Ministry of Magic, or could you simply kill him for me? In the end, wouldn't it just let him continue to roam free?"

"Harry... does that mean, not only Peter Pettigrew, but you also intend to kill Lucius Malfoy?"

Suddenly, Dumbledore's expression darkened.

He suddenly had a terrifying suspicion, which was immediately confirmed.

It seems that Harry doesn't simply want to bring Lucius Malfoy to justice; he wants to kill him outright!

Thinking of this, Dumbledore looked at Harry's face with concern, as if trying to detect even the slightest hint of wavering.

But what worried him most was that Harry remained calm and composed, even to the point of not bothering to pretend.

"Harry, I don't think this is right." Dumbledore strode across the desk and gripped Harry's shoulders tightly. "Killing isn't the only way to solve problems, especially since you're still a child. I really don't want you to have blood on your hands..."

"Headmaster, when you were scheming and plotting, and doing everything you could to fulfill that Prophecy... did you ever think that I was still a child?"

An Obscurus quietly slipped from Harry's shoulder, and Dumbledore, seeing this, could only sigh and release his grip.

Yes, he's still just a child, but he's shouldered too many burdens that shouldn't belong to someone his age.

If they were in each other's shoes, Dumbledore believed he would have made the same choice, because this was their counterattack after being forced by the dark reality!

But... understanding it is one thing, accepting it is another.

From Dumbledore's perspective, he really didn't want Harry to get involved in or even become addicted to this kind of blood and filth too early, when he was just a teenager.

In particular, the person he wanted to kill was Lucius Malfoy, a prominent figure in the Pure-blood Family and also the father of one of the students at the school.

So...

"Headmaster, I remember you once said... that the reason you sent me to Hogwarts was because you thought it would be safe and provide me with protection, right?"

Just as Dumbledore racking his brains for a way to persuade Harry, the latter suddenly spoke up.

"Yes, that's what I originally thought." Dumbledore, a hint of self-deprecation creeping onto his face. "I just didn't expect that the school would be so turbulent these past few years, forcing you, Harry, to step in on things several times..."

"Overall, it's safe," Harry shook his head slightly. "Not only safe, but also comfortable. Hogwarts is indeed a safe fortress, steadfastly protecting everyone within it, including me, of course. However... while protecting us, it also limits my ability to venture outwards. As a result, I can't respond to many things that happen outside in a timely manner."

Harry has many precious memories of Hogwarts, and the school has given him a lot, so he shouldn't be making such a comment.

However, as his conflicts with his enemies outside escalated, his student status gradually became a hindrance for Harry.

Every time Harry stepped into the school, his first feeling was not joy, but worry.

He was worried about his parents, who were far away in London, wondering if they might be targeted and put in danger.

He worried about Voldemort, Lucius, Peter Pettigrew, and even Beelzebub's Skull, wondering what kind of conspiracies these enemies, active outside the school, would be plotting in the shadows.

It's fair to say that as long as Harry is at Hogwarts, he will always be at a disadvantage.

Because castles are fortifications that are only needed by the side that is passively defending.

Admittedly, he had many teachers and mentors who loved him, including Dumbledore, but they only became Harry's support and stood up for him when danger befell Hogwarts.

However, when Harry clenched his fist to throw a punch, they wouldn't help Harry. Elders like Dumbledore, who adhered to their own principles, might even step in to stop him.

Even so, Harry is determined to take the initiative!

Because... no matter how good the defense is, you'll always be like a turtle, passively lying in place.

Only by taking the initiative can we punch those enemies outside and smash their heads in!

However, Dumbledore is ultimately an elder whom Harry needs to respect.

Therefore, in order not to disappoint the other party too much, and most importantly, not to insist on ruining his plans, Harry finally gave in a little.

"Headmaster, I need to leave the school soon and may not be back for several days," Harry earnestly promised Dumbledore. "I can promise you that I will trust the Ministry of Magic one more time during this period and will not take immediate action against that person. But... this is truly the last time!"

"Really... That's great! Harry, it's so good that you think so..."

Hearing Harry say that, Dumbledore was overjoyed.

Chapter 304 The award ceremony banquet was one that could only be attended while enduring nausea.

After some discussion, Harry and Dumbledore finally managed to reach a superficial consensus.

Dumbledore would not prevent Harry from going out and from continuing his plans under the guise of Peter Pettigrew Peter; and Harry promised him that he would not kill Lucius Malfoy this time.

However, they both knew very well that after this argument, the trust they had built during the Chamber incident had been fractured again due to their differing beliefs.

This incident also made Harry realize that the resources in the school were only useful within the school. Once he left Hogwarts Castle, whether he wanted to deal with Lucius Malfoy or fight against the Ministry of Magic, Harry couldn't rely on these people at the school at all.