The Albania Mission Brings Up Old Business / Old Dumbledore Actually Doesn't Want to Repeat the Past

"Harry, stop making excuses! Tell me!!"

Realizing that Harry was still trying to hide things from him, Dumbledore finally lost his temper once more. He abruptly grabbed Harry's shoulder, and a sinister blue light began to flash in his eyes...

That's a sign that the Legilimency is being fully activated!

"You want to use force? Then let's give it a try!"

Seeing that Dumbledore was acting crazy and wanted to fight him, Harry decided to stop holding back.

Quickly adjust your mindset, follow Professor Andros's method to amplify your anger to its limit, and then surrender all your consciousness to Rowena!

So, just as Dumbledore's consciousness broke through the barrier and was about to explore Harry's consciousness more closely, he suddenly saw a dignified and aloof face in Harry's mind!

She was a witch of exceptional beauty, but at this moment her eyes were wide with rage, her gaze sharp as a piercing sword!

"Get out!!"

"Well!"

An extremely powerful mental force struck, Dumbledore felt a sharp pain in his eyes and brain at the same time, and his consciousness was instantly blasted back into his body.

After that, his body swayed weakly, and he finally collapsed helplessly into the chair behind him, his complexion extremely pale and weak.

At the same time, a crisp sound seemed to ring in his mind, and some kind of hidden constraint gradually began to show dense cracks.

In the glimmer of light projected through those cracks, Dumbledore seemed to see many of his own memories, memories he had buried because he didn't want to recall them.

The scene of first meeting with her lover in her youth and traveling together, the falling out with her brothers and the death of her relatives, and then parting ways with her beloved...

In those memories, Dumbledore could vaguely make out the shadows of many people, besides his close friends who had become enemies, there was his brother Aberforth Dumbledore, his student Newt, his close friend Nicolas Flamel...

At the same time, there was a young man with black hair, around twenty years old, but Dumbledore couldn't quite remember who he was. He only vaguely knew that he seemed to dislike this person.

"Ugh..." As consciousness gradually returned, Dumbledore weakly rubbed his forehead, only to find Harry standing outside his desk, silently watching him.

On the office wall, the former principals kept whispering in disbelief, and several of them simply turned away, seemingly afraid to get involved in the entanglement between the old and the young.

On the branch behind Dumbledore, Fawkes nervously spread his wings, but because Harry did not make any further harmful moves, he did not launch an attack.

"Headmaster, are you alright?" Harry asked softly, seeing that Dumbledore seemed to have recovered.

"Hmm..." Dumbledore simply nodded silently, unsure of what to say.

For a fleeting moment, he truly lost his composure, and he hadn't expected Harry's counterattack to be so decisive, leaving him defeated in such a humiliating manner.

Moreover, that face from before...

Although it was only a very brief encounter, Dumbledore was certain he wasn't mistaken: the person who helped Harry retaliate against his Legilimency was definitely Rowena Ravenclaw, the Founders of Eagle House!

Could it be that...?

In that instant, Dumbledore thought of many things.

After the events in the Chamber of Secrets last year, Harry disposed of the Voldemort soul fragment on the Ravenclaw's Diadem in a bizarre way; at the same time, his brain was protected from being Legilimency by himself or Severus ever since.

Now, without any warning, he has awakened the spirit behind Ravenclaw...

Could it be... that Ravenclaw was actually guiding him through all of this?

Chapter 409 Albania's actions are a rehash of old issues.

Yes, that must be it!

In Dumbledore's view at this point, Harry must have received guidance from Rowena Ravenclaw, which is why he was able to find a way to remove Voldemort's soul fragments without destroying the Horcrux themselves.

However, while this child's extraordinary encounter is delightful, it also brings a sense of unease...

"Headmaster, I overreacted just now, and I really must apologize to you first." Seeing that Dumbledore had recovered, Harry bowed slightly to express his apology.

However, his expression remained serious, and his words gradually carried a hint of warning. "But you really shouldn't have impulsively pried into my thoughts. I've always hated being treated like this, and now... she doesn't like it either."

"She... does she mean Mrs. Ravenclaw?" Dumbledore suddenly asked tentatively. "Harry, have you received guidance from Mrs. Ravenclaw, such as dealing with the soul fragments of Horcrux..."

"Uh...yes!" Harry was taken aback by Albus Dumbledore's question, but after realizing what she meant, he nodded hurriedly to confirm, "That's right! The method for removing the soul fragments from Horcrux was taught to me by the Grey Lady!"

So, wouldn't you say this is divine intervention?

Harry had just used Rowena's help to retaliate against Albus Dumbledore's Legilimency. He knew that Albus Dumbledore would definitely see through the deception, which was why he used "she" to reveal that Rowena had a part of him in her body.

However, he never expected that Albus Dumbledore's ability to fill in the gaps was quite strong. He was able to connect the events of earlier to the Ravenclaw's Diadem and Horcrux. He truly deserved to be called a god-level thinker who could directly connect the Werewolf attack to Lucius's disappearance.

If that's the case... then I have to take advantage of the situation and fool him a little.

So Harry quickly adopted a devout expression and solemnly said, "I found Voldemort's Ravenclaw's Diadem hidden in the Room of Requirement, and was then attacked by the soul fragment residing on it. Fortunately, with the help of the thoughts left by the Grey Lady in the Ravenclaw's Diadem, I was able to escape danger and remove Voldemort's soul from the Ravenclaw's Diadem."

"Since then, the Grey Lady's consciousness has remained within me temporarily, promising not to leave until she has helped me resolve all the soul fragments of the Horcrux. This time, I was guided by her to awaken the spirit behind the statue in the Eagle House."

"I see..." For some reason, hearing Harry's serious explanation, Dumbledore suddenly felt a little skeptical.

Rowena Ravenclaw left her thoughts on Ravenclaw's Diadem, and her spirit on statues... Was she sowing seeds far and wide?

And despite Harry's lengthy explanation, he still didn't reveal exactly how he managed to remove the fragments of Voldemort's soul!

However, Dumbledore didn't reveal these thoughts. Instead, he looked at Harry with delight. "I must say, Harry, you are truly incredibly lucky. With Mrs. Ravenclaw's help, your fight against Voldemort will undoubtedly be much smoother. And I really misunderstood you before. I never imagined that the method for resolving the Horcrux's soul fragments was actually proposed by Mrs. Ravenclaw."

"Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, could you agree to my previous suggestion and help me find some suitable helpers to go to Albania together?" Seeing that Dumbledore softening his stance, Harry immediately pressed his advantage and made the request.

To be honest, he'd been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.

Albania was a trip he had been planning all along. Defeating and imprisoning Voldemort in his weakened state beforehand would definitely be a win-win situation.

Harry's reason for rallying support for himself under Rowena's banner was to get Albus Dumbledore to agree to his strategy for dealing with the Horcrux, and in turn, to agree to the search for the Albanian Forest!

"Harry... you've been so concerned about Albania, is it really just to catch Voldemort?"

After a moment of contemplation, Dumbledore did not give Harry a direct answer, but instead raised his own question.

He was now quite used to Harry's unpredictable nature, and he knew that the deeper meaning behind Harry's insights was often not as simple as it appeared.

"That's why I need more helpers to ensure we can catch Voldemort. However... I used to hope you could recommend someone, but I already have someone in mind."

Harry raised an eyebrow slightly, his smile gradually becoming somewhat amused, "For example, Dolores Umbridge, the Senior Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Magic, is kind, powerful, and knowledgeable; she can definitely play an important role in the operation. Then there are Thicknesse, Dawlish, and wizards from prominent families like Crabbe and Goyle; they can all be invaluable assistants. Of course, it would be even better if Minister Fudge were willing to lead the team himself."

"Harry... are you sure you're not joking?"

Upon hearing Dumbledore wiped the sweat from his brow; he had been genuinely taken aback by Harry's list of names.

Please, you call this a suitable candidate?

Are you sure this isn't a list of fallen soldiers?

How could Fudge possibly be so brain-dead as to agree to let his trusted supporters follow him into doing something so dangerous?!

"Harry, your idea is good, but I regret to inform you... it's destined not to happen." Dumbledore. "Fudge will absolutely not touch anything related to Voldemort. Even if I personally persuade him, he will never agree to your plan! If you really lack help, you might as well ask Alastor Moody to come out of retirement again. He would definitely be happy to go with you."

"That won't do. Mr. Moody is getting on in years. If he gets hurt in Albania, I won't be able to explain it to Tonks when he gets back." Harry shook his head with a smile. "Headmaster, I think you don't need to worry about whether they agree or not. You just need to help me lobby and make this matter bigger and bigger."

"You've caused a huge commotion...!" Hearing Harry say this, Dumbledore immediately understood what he meant.

That's right. With the power Harry has now, he doesn't need my help at all if he wants to go to Albania to search for Voldemort's whereabouts!

But the reason he insisted on coming forward himself, and even specifically mentioned Umbridge and others, was clearly that he wanted to use his prestige to put pressure on the Ministry of Magic.

The children who survived the ordeal, and Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, are launching a counterattack against Voldemort, and they've even reported this to the Ministry of Magic, hoping to get their assistance... This is definitely a difficult decision for Fudge.

"Harry, I think I understand what you mean, but this matter involves too many things, and I need to think it over carefully before I can give you a definite answer."

In the end, Dumbledore did not give his direct approval, but instead resorted to stalling tactics.

Chapter 410 Albus Dumbledore didn't actually want to repeat the same mistakes.

Unable to get a satisfactory answer from Dumbledore, Harry didn't linger and took his leave of the Headmaster's Office.

After Harry left, Dumbledore remained silent for a long time, his expression constantly changing.

"It's indeed a brilliant plan, but..."

To be honest, Dumbledore was absolutely thrilled with Harry's plan.

Because this is absolutely an excellent strategy that can both deal with Voldemort and strike at the Ministry of Magic.

In just one year, Harry's strength had increased to the point where he could ignore the dangers of the Albania jungle. His bringing up the old matter now was not to find any help, but rather to determine his target!

Fudge would never agree to the plan, and none of the people Harry mentioned would go. But if this matter escalated and the Ministry of Magic was accused of being afraid of Voldemort and unwilling to participate, Fudge and the Ministry of Magic's reputation would inevitably suffer a devastating blow.

Moreover... although Dumbledore was unwilling to admit it, he had to say that dealing with Lucius Malfoy with swift and decisive action was indeed the simplest and quickest way to turn the tide.

Now that Fudge's side has lost Malfoy as its leader, Harry's next step will definitely be to build up his own media power to take on the Ministry of Magic's mouthpieces like the Daily Prophet... No doubt about it, he can do it!

Luna Lovegood Lovegood, who was standing next to him, came from a family that ran a magazine business. With the financial backing of the three major families Harry now controlled— the Potter, Black, and Greengrass families—it would be incredibly easy for Harry to revive the Quibbler.

Just imagine, while Fudge's side is still in a state of panic because of Malfoy's disappearance, all sorts of 'rumors' are flying around in the magazines outside. They'll be in a real mess.

Moreover, Harry even factored in his own influence.

Dumbledore knew perfectly well that Harry's reason for sending him to lobby both the School Governor and the Ministry of Magic was simply to scare Fudge into thinking that he was going to take over his power!

Besides being a coward, Fudge is also a typical power-hungry man who fears nothing more than losing the power he has acquired.

Even when he kept a low profile, he was still worried sick. If he really started making connections in the Wizarding World, he would be so scared that he wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

By then, with Fudge busy keeping an eye on him, the Pure-blood Family busy searching for Lucius Malfoy, and the Daily Prophet busy battling the Quibbler, no one will be able to interfere with Harry's trip to Albania.

Once Harry makes a high-profile return from Albania, whether or not he catches Voldemort, he will transform from the Boy Who Lived into a true hero in the eyes of wizards, one who dares to confront the Dark Lord!

When he raises his arm and calls to action, with Newt, Nicolas Flamel, and others advocating for him, a large number of wizards will definitely be willing to become his followers!

His reputation at that time would surpass the Ministry of Magic and even surpass himself, reaching a level unmatched in the Wizarding World... just like Gellert Grindelwald had been!

The Rise of the Dark Lord... In Dumbledore's mind, the scheme Harry had orchestrated was a classic example of the rise of the Dark Lord.

But Dumbledore didn't want that to happen. Even if Harry wasn't as evil as Voldemort or Grindelwald... wasn't the White Lord still an evil lord?

Moreover, weren't Harry's methods truly ruthless?

Dumbledore was willing to guarantee that if Fudge really lost his mind and thought he could steal the credit for arresting the You-Know-Who in Albania, Harry would definitely change the mission objective.

Who cares about Voldemort then? He'll be lucky if he doesn't kill all these people!

"Sigh, why did it have to turn out like this..."

Sometimes, Dumbledore really didn't know what was wrong with him. He would often ask himself why he couldn't just trust Harry wholeheartedly just once... but he just couldn't do it.

Harry is becoming more and more like his old friend, and now even the paths they've chosen are almost identical, filled with power, violence, and intrigue. Dumbledore really doesn't want Harry to continue down this path!

Why can't they just do what children should do? Why do they have to get involved in these dirty things at the age when they should be in school?!

"Harry, I really don't want to watch you go astray step by step! I don't want to have to make that painful choice again..."

Dumbledore was talking to himself in his office. Hearing his words, the former headmasters in the painting shook their heads helplessly, not knowing what to say.

They knew that Dumbledore absolutely did not want to repeat the same mistake...

Albus Dumbledore, the current headmaster of Hogwarts, is widely regarded as the greatest wizard of our time.

His well-known contributions include: discovering the Twelve Uses of Dragon's Blood, his remarkable achievements in alchemy with his partner Nicolas Flamel, and...

He killed the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald in a one-on-one duel and destroyed his wand!

Returning to Harry's side, he himself didn't care whether Dumbledore would help him against the Ministry of Magic.

When it comes to planning, it's always a matter of doing your best and leaving the rest to fate. Even if Albus Dumbledore really doesn't want to help because of a grudge, you can just find someone else to do it.

Anyway, there's no rush to go to Albania; Harry has a lot of things to do.

For example, Lucius, this experimental subject, only works on the night of each full moon, which is going to be idle for far too long. So Harry decided to use him to practice Legilimency.

Legilimency is not a compulsory course at Hogwarts, and like Apparition, learning it requires special approval from the Ministry of Magic... Given Harry's current situation, which is essentially equivalent to being blacklisted by the Ministry of Magic, his application to learn it will absolutely not be approved.

But it doesn't really matter, since Harry didn't intend to learn from the teachers sent by the Ministry of Magic anyway.

Why not let Harry Severus Snape? Why go through all that trouble?

"Looks like I still need to write a letter to that Werewolf."

Magical Combination Chest, after Harry averted his magical gaze from Lucius, the Malfoy family patriarch, whose mind had been repeatedly invaded, had completely passed out.