Dumbledore's Departure Is Probably a Sign of Trouble / Testing a Prophecy Can Easily Go Horribly Wrong

On Friday morning, Harry took the Muggle Studies O.W.L. Exam.

Unfortunately, the weather was cloudless that day, with no lightning or downpour, so Harry's Muggle Studies practice exam had to be postponed indefinitely.

However, the Wizarding Examinations Authority officials in charge of proctoring the exams, accompanied by Charity Burbage, also spoke with Harry and stated that even if Harry only took the Muggle Studies written exam, they would still issue Harry O.W.L. Certificate according to the normal procedure if he passed.

Meanwhile, the official also quietly told Harry that if he could get an O on his written test and actually pass the practical test of 'catching lightning,' the Wizarding Examinations Authority might grant him an unprecedented NEWT certificate.

"A talent like yours should be freed from the student's role as soon as possible and contribute to the cause of wizarding education... These are Professor Tofty's words to you, which he asked me to convey before he left."

Hearing what the official in charge of proctoring said, Harry understood.

Professor Tofudi must have held a high position in the Wizarding Examinations Authority, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to guarantee Harry that he could prevent the Ministry of Magic from maliciously altering Harry's grades.

The reason he was willing to give Harry the green light after only meeting him once was largely due to his eagerness to nurture his talent.

It seems that this old professor is indeed a gardener who is only focused on teaching and nurturing students, and his style of doing things even has a bit of the meaning of 'recruiting talents without being bound by convention'.

Harry never hesitates to offer his utmost respect to such a person.

Compared to Harry's Fridays, Hermione was a little busier. Her final two exams— Muggle Studies for third year and Arithmancy —had a complete time clash, forcing her to use the Time-Turner again to manage them.

Fortunately, she withdrew from the Divination in advance; otherwise, she would have had to take another confusing divination exam during this period.

No matter how brilliant she is, she might just explode on the spot.

However, when she finished both of her exams and Harry went to pick her up from the Arithmancy classroom ahead of time, the two of them saw a figure that was rarely seen on the Seventh Floor.

"Professor Trelawney? Why is she here, and why did she go to the Room of Requirement?"

Seeing that the other person had sneaked into the Room of Requirement, Hermione frowned in confusion.

"She probably went to get some drinks," Harry thought for a moment and said. "Her Divination exam involves one-on-one practical demonstrations with students, so she's probably under a lot of pressure after just fooling so many people."

Sibyl Trelawney Trelawney enjoys drinking sherry, and while she's not yet an alcoholic, her alcohol consumption seems to be increasing as her work stress grows.

Harry knew this because when he kept dragons in the Room of Requirement, Norberta would often sneak drinks from the sherry she kept there.

However, as Norberta grew older, the sweeter wines with only a dozen degrees of alcohol were no longer palatable to the female Dragon.

That said, because he couldn't get his hands on Dragon milk, Norberta was basically raised on alcohol and other liquid fuels by Harry. Now, he's definitely a drunkard.

For it, spirits below 50 degrees are just water, and it's always making demands of Harry, clamoring to drink high-proof whiskey from the box.

Of course, Norberta's antics after getting drunk are also quite remarkable.

Leaving aside the fact that it actually sucks up genuine water, if it were to blow up an entire bottle of 96-degree Spiritus, it could even wag its tail, burp, breathe fire, and give Harry a dramatic demonstration of making 'Burning Dragon Tea'...

Harry has been scheming lately about how to cultivate a relationship with that person in China, given Norberta's situation.

I'm just asking him to bring a few cases of Hengshui Laobaigan) when we meet. It shouldn't be considered smuggling, right?

What? You're saying we need to control Norberta and not spoil it with drinking?

Pshaw, it's Harry's own dragon. He can spoil it however he wants; what business is it of anyone else's business?

After Norberta drinks and performs his dramatic facial expressions, he'll simply go into hibernation. Plus, the high-proof alcohol helps purify his fire abilities... It saves Harry a lot of trouble, and it's good for his health—why wouldn't Harry be happy with that?

Hmm... (voiceover): Someone will definitely regret this in the future, definitely~

Getting back to the main point, because they didn't want to have too much contact with this Divination professor, Harry and Hermione waited until other students passed by before blending into the student group and continuing on their way.

But sometimes in life, it's like enemies bumping into each other on a narrow road. Harry clearly didn't want to provoke the other party, but the other party might still provoke Harry.

Reeking of alcohol, Trelawney emerged from the Room of Requirement and, after glancing around, spotted Harry mingling among the students. She froze, as if struck by lightning.

"Professor... what's wrong?"

"Professor Trelawney?!"

Lavender Brown Brown and Parvati Patil Patil, who usually liked the professor, rushed over to check on him, but Trelawney seemed not to hear them at all, and just kept staring straight at Harry.

After that, she suddenly shook off the two students beside her, ran forward, and grabbed Harry's wrist without saying a word!

"Trelawney, what are you doing?" Hermione's eyes flashed with anger upon seeing this, and she even stopped calling him "Professor."

This is going to happen tonight.

However, Trelawney suddenly let out a loud, hoarse voice, startling everyone present, including Hermione.

Her eyes were extremely unfocused at that moment, and her disheveled hair hung down, making her look like a witch possessed by an evil spirit.

After that, her eyes suddenly began to move aimlessly, and faster and faster!

At the same time, she raised her hands and grabbed Harry by the collar!

"The Dark Lord lies alone, friendless, abandoned by his companions. For twelve years, his servant has been imprisoned. Tonight, before midnight, this servant will break free of his chains and begin searching for his master. With the servant's help, the Dark Lord will rise again, stronger and more terrifying than ever before! Tonight... before midnight... that servant... will begin... to find... his master again—"

A hoarse scream escaped Trelawney's lips, her head still hanging in front of Harry, before she suddenly shuddered.

"You... oh no, this shouldn't be, Mr. Granger ..." Trelawney seemed to regain consciousness and quickly pushed Harry away. "Why... ah, maybe it was because it was too hot during the day, I fell asleep for a while, but why am I here?"

"Professor Trelawney, you just... made a Prophecy!" Lavender Brown Brown exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes, I...I heard it too," Parvati Patil Patil stammered in response.

"That was... Prophecy... about the Dark Lord!!"

Chapter 474 Albus Dumbledore's Departure Is Likely to Be a Bad Omen

Divination Sibyl Trelawney Trelawney made a Prophecy about the Dark Lord... and the news quickly spread throughout Hogwarts.

Dumbledore naturally learned of the matter immediately, and without even having lunch, he summoned Harry, Hermione, and Trelawney to the Headmaster's Office.

At the same time, he urgently instructed the deans of various colleges and the presidents of the male and female student unions to immediately find the students who were in the corridor at the time, talk to them one by one, and ensure that they could keep all the secrets about the Prophecy strictly confidential!

And this matter is strictly prohibited from being discussed any further throughout the entire school!!

"Sibyl Trelawney, you Prophecy in the Seventh Floor corridor that the Dark Lord would rise again and his servants would return to his side... Is that true?"

"The Dark Lord? The one whose name can't even be mentioned?! Oh... no!!" In the Headmaster's Office, Trelawney was immediately thrown into a panic when Dumbledore asked her that question.

"My God, Headmaster, this is no joke... The Dark Lord has risen again, this is truly..."

It was clear she was terrified; she was even starting to speak incoherently.

"Calm down, Sibyl Trelawney," Dumbledore, softening his voice. "Many students heard it, besides Harry and Hermione. You mentioned the Dark Lord earlier."

"No...impossible! I just took a nap and have no idea what happened!" Trelawney shook her head in panic, denying it. "The Dark Lord and all that, I certainly couldn't foresee something that far in the future..."

"Don't you remember? But that's okay, I think I have a general idea of what happened."

Even though Trelawney had no recollection of her Prophecy, Dumbledore was neither anxious nor frustrated; instead, a relieved smile appeared on his face.

In fact, given Albus Dumbledore's control over the school, he was already fully aware of Trelawney's Prophecy.

Voldemort's servant must return to him before midnight, and that servant will also help his master gain power...

Dumbledore wanted to ask Trelawney about it to confirm whether she truly didn't remember the Prophecy.

If Trelawney could actually recite her Prophecy verbatim, then Albus Dumbledore wouldn't take it seriously.

As for why, you'll have to think about it carefully.

The story goes that he thought he was a Divination professor recognized by the principal, but in reality, he was just treated like a mascot and kept at the school...

Thinking about it carefully, it's actually quite sad.

However, Harry had no reason to care whether Trelawney was sad or not, and in his opinion, the Prophecy was pure nonsense.

Trelawney's Prophecy also had a limitation: Voldemort's servant was imprisoned for twelve years, which clearly refers to Peter Pettigrew.

But Peter Pettigrew Peter has been on the run since the beginning of the semester. If he really wanted to go to the Albanian Forest to find Voldemort, couldn't he have gone much earlier? Why did he have to wait until he was caught by the Ministry of Magic again, until midnight tonight?

Could it be that guy can also tell fortunes and knows today is an auspicious day, so everything is suitable?

Stop joking, okay?

However, while secretly complaining, Harry also realized that Albus Dumbledore had clearly believed the other party's lies.

"In any case, Sibyl Trelawney, I'm very pleased to see you demonstrate your abilities so well in front of the students."

After a moment's thought, Dumbledore gave Trelawney an appreciative smile, "Congratulations. I think with your current abilities, you deserve a much higher salary."

"Is that so? Oh, my dear Headmaster, you are too kind."

With such unexpected windfall, Trelawney had no reason to refuse and hurriedly began to thank Albus Dumbledore profusely.

"This is a reward you deserve, Sibyl Trelawney. Now you can have your lunch." Dumbledore smiled and waved his hand, casually dismissing the other woman.

However, Harry and Hermione remained in the Headmaster's Office.

"Harry, it seems a new crisis is on the horizon." Dumbledore looked intently into Harry's eyes. "But don't worry, even if Voldemort returns, we will definitely achieve final victory."

"Headmaster, that's not what I'm worried about." Hearing Albus Dumbledore's words, Harry shook his head noncommittally. "What happened in Divination last year, I don't know if you remember, but I thought you would be convinced that all of Professor Trelawney's Prophecy about me were actually inaccurate..."

"No, Harry, that's not it." Dumbledore quickly shook his head. "Prophecy the future is a very difficult thing, but once it happens, whatever its contents may be, we cannot take it lightly. Of course, I will also consider what happened to you, so I have decided to go to the Ministry of Magic immediately."

"Are we going to investigate Peter Pettigrew's background?" Harry frowned involuntarily. "Headmaster, I think you should reconsider this matter."

"Any later and it might be too late, Harry," Dumbledore seemed determined to go. "Sibyl Trelawney Prophecy that the time is midnight tonight. Peter Pettigrew is now under the control of the Ministry of Magic. If he really does go to see Voldemort, it means something is definitely going to happen at the Ministry of Magic. If I go early, perhaps I can help with some precautions."

Ultimately, Albus Dumbledore decided to believe Trelawney's Prophecy.

This was partly because he had firmly believed in the other party's first Prophecy since 1980, and partly because... a friend of his at the Ministry of Magic had given him some information.

It was difficult to pry open Peter Pettigrew's mind, and since they knew that his Animagus form was a rat, Fudge and the others dared not lock him up in Azkaban again. They could only have all the Auror guard him in shifts around the clock, relying on fatigue tactics to obtain the information he possessed.

So far, the information extracted from his mind is...

He wants revenge for the Dark Lord!

Someone in the Ministry of Magic had previously informed Dumbledore of this news, which coincided with Trelawney's Prophecy, so Dumbledore naturally had to go and see for himself.

"Sir Principal, why don't you reconsider and let Luna Lovegood make a Prophecy as well?"

For some reason, Harry felt uneasy about the whole thing, as if something major was bound to happen if Albus Dumbledore left Hogwarts.

But upon hearing Harry's suggestion, Dumbledore's expression subtly darkened.

"Harry, I admit Luna Lovegood may be a gifted Prophet, but aren't you and Hermione always very rational? Why are you so insistent on using Prophecy —this seemingly ethereal power—to verify another baseless premonition this time?"

By this point, Dumbledore's attitude had become quite blunt, and after being subtly reminded by Hermione's actions, Harry ultimately chose to remain silent.

Honestly, he was a little unsure whether Dumbledore's refusal to take his advice was simply because he wanted to verify Trelawney's Prophecy, or because...

Is Luna Lovegood on our side?

Chapter 475 Verifying the Prophecy can easily lead to something terrible.

Dumbledore left after all, without even giving Harry a chance to persuade him again. He went straight to the Ministry of Magic using the Floo Network connected to the fireplace in the Headmaster's Office.

Meanwhile, in the Headmaster's Office, only Harry and Hermione, with serious expressions, remained, along with a group of paintings that could only watch the spectacle but offered no advice.

"Harry, what should we do now?" Hermione sighed softly, her tone worried, but she didn't forget to take Harry's hand.

She, as an observer, sensed a hint of the underlying conflict between Harry and Dumbledore, but she didn't know how to offer advice, so she could only comfort Harry in this simple way.

"Let's go find Luna Lovegood!"

Harry remained steadfast in his belief that he absolutely had to find Luna Lovegood to verify Trelawney's Prophecy!

Having made up their minds, the two immediately left the Headmaster's Office. Just as they opened the door of the dripping stone beast, they unexpectedly ran into Luna Lovegood in the corridor.

"Something must have happened, right?" Luna Lovegood's expression was urgent but not chaotic, and her eyes remained calm. She had clearly sensed that something was wrong and had come prepared.

"I need you to help me verify a Prophecy!" Harry nodded anxiously to Luna Lovegood. "The Headmaster went to the Ministry of Magic to meet with Peter Pettigrew, and I think his itinerary is very inappropriate!"

"Let's go." Luna Lovegood agreed without hesitation.

The three of them went to an empty classroom nearby. Luna Lovegood took out the Wisdom Pipe that Harry had given her, took a light puff, and then exhaled a puff of illusory mist made of crystal powder from the bowl.

The mist kept changing before the three of them. At first, it looked like a rotating ring. Then Harry felt it resembled the hourglass Hagrid had during the exam, but in the end, it seemed to be just a simple number '8'.

"This is..."

"Loony, what's going on?" Hermione asked anxiously when she saw Luna Lovegood frown slightly.

"What's about to happen is very dangerous, of course... Dumbledore."

Luna Lovegood held the pipe in her palm, trying to stabilize the crystal mist, and calmly shook her head, saying, "That woman has indeed made another outdated Prophecy. I can't say her Prophecy is wrong, but at least for now, that Prophecy has absolutely nothing to do with us."