The Headmaster Hanging on the Wall / Dumbledore's Love and Harm

"No..." After staring intently into Harry's eyes for a long time, Snape finally shook his head dejectedly. "You're not Potter."

"I'm not," Harry readily nodded in admission. "I was adopted by the Granger family, and my name is now Harry Granger."

"Granger ..." Snape slowly turned to the middle-aged Hermione, "Was he adopted by your family?"

"This is my home!" the young Hermione interjected, quickly wrapping her arms around Harry's.

"Not bad~" The shrewd Snape saw through Harry and Hermione's relationship at a glance, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

"This can be considered as fulfilling Granger's wish."

"I..." The middle-aged Hermione was speechless upon hearing this.

Okay, okay, so the whole world thinks I should marry Harry Potter, right?

I admit I was blind back then, please don't bring this up again, okay?!

"So... what's the deal with the Lovegood family?" After scrutinizing Ha and H for a while, Snape became even more curious about Luna Lovegood's identity.

"Luna Lovegood is also my family, which is why she came with me on this time travel!" Harry responded decisively, now that he no longer needed to hide anything.

Upon hearing this, Luna Lovegood unconsciously lowered her head, a subtle joy slowly growing within her...

"Is that so...? That's quite amazing, Granger actually agreed." Snape forced a dry smile, the hint of relief seeming to intensify. "Since you say you've traveled through time, you must be doing quite well in your own timeline."

"Yes, that's pretty good." Harry nodded obediently, like a child eager to report his grades to his parents. "Although it's a bit boastful, I'm your most valued student! In my second year, with the help of the Felix Felicis you gave me, I successfully brewed Veritaserum; in my third year, I passed the Potions O.W.L. Exam with a grade of O; and if nothing unexpected happens this year, I'll also get my Potions NEWT certificate."

Harry briefly recounted his experiences over the past few years to Snape, but only mentioned the positive aspects.

Snape listened quietly until Harry stopped, at which point he calmly nodded.

"It's actually quite good."

This single compliment was enough to surprise the middle-aged Hermione, standing nearby.

She knew Snape quite well, and in her memory, Snape had never praised Harry Potter like that before... not even with a simple "pretty good!"

"I guess I inherited my mother's Potions talent," Harry replied with a smile. "Back in my time, you often said that."

"So you're not Harry Potter ..." Snape shook his head. "He wouldn't talk to me like that, and he wouldn't be this attentive to Potions Class. He's not good at controlling his emotions; he always wears his heart on his sleeve, making everyone around him anxious and panicked. Even if he wanted to say something reassuring like you, he would immediately reveal his true feelings."

"Of course I know I'm not, so I'm only here to let you see these eyes again." Harry shrugged, then pointed to the middle-aged Hermione. "She's the one who really needs to see you... By the way, she's quite different from the one you know."

"Granger?" Snape looked at the middle-aged Hermione with a puzzled expression. "In that case, you are indeed quite different. The Granger I knew was more like a battle-hardened warrior than the high-ranking bureaucrat he is now."

"That's why I said the situation is complicated; I guess you're the only one who can understand me."

The middle-aged Hermione sighed and began to explain everything in detail to Snape, emphasizing that Harry, the other two, came from different timelines, while she and Snape were from different timelines within the same timeline.

"I think that's easy to understand... These three kids are just outsiders from another timeline, while the two of us represent two different histories." Snape understood everything with ease, and didn't forget to take a jab at someone, "Granger, you can't expect the Weasley to understand these things... All the smart people in their family are long dead; all that's left are impulsive, ignorant fools."

"Can you please stop talking about other people's business for now?" The middle-aged Hermione helplessly spread her hands. "I'm asking for your help because I hope you can get me the Time-Turner, which is used to travel through time! Only in this way can I put history back on track, and Harry Potter, who shouldn't have died, can reappear. And then... uh."

Suddenly, middle-aged Hermione froze, realizing a very serious problem!

If Delphi could be stopped in time, history could indeed be set back on track, allowing Harry Potter and everyone else who disappeared as a result to reappear...

But Snape is going to die!

Not only him, Penelope will also die, and all those who survived because of the timeline change may disappear!

Therefore, by asking Snape for help, she was essentially asking him to erase his own existence!

"Granger, in your timeline, I'm already dead, right?" Snape seemed to see right through the middle-aged Hermione's predicament. "How did I die?"

"Dying heroically," the middle-aged Hermione said with some hesitation, "Died at Voldemort's hands..."

"Ha, how infuriating." Snape snorted coldly in a somber tone, but after carefully considering the outcome, he regained his indifferent expression.

"However... to be killed by the Dark Lord himself is actually quite an honor."

"I'm sorry..." Hearing Snape say this, the middle-aged Hermione already understood that he intended to 'sacrifice' himself to facilitate another timeline.

"It's nothing," Snape shook his head calmly. "Without sacrifice, one gains nothing."

"But what if I... don't accept this sacrifice?!"

Suddenly, Harry's voice broke in...

Chapter 757 The Headmaster Hanging on the Wall

"Mr. Granger... do you intend to stop me from saving the world?!"

The middle-aged Hermione turned to Harry, her face showing unusual worry.

Having learned from her previous experience, the middle-aged Hermione never dared to fully trust Harry, fearing that he might change his mind again and leave her in a desperate situation once more.

And now, just as I feared, this has happened.

She knew perfectly well that if Harry was determined to stop her, she had absolutely no chance of succeeding!

So, I guess I can only try appealing to his emotions... Hopefully, he'll listen to Snape.

It should be said that middle-aged Hermione really doesn't understand Harry.

Although the Mr. and Mrs. Weasley seem to be on the verge of falling out, middle-aged Hermione is still immersed in her dual identities as 'Mrs. Weasley' and 'Hermione Granger from the original stories'. The history she is painstakingly trying to change back is nothing more than the history from the 'original stories'.

But what she didn't know was that her request was completely contrary to Harry's, and therefore she wouldn't get any genuine help from Harry... It wouldn't matter who she pleaded with!

"Why could he stop you?" Snape asked, puzzled, seeing the shocked expression on Hermione.

"There are two Time-Turner that can travel through time, and one of them is in his hands!" Middle-aged Hermione pointed at Harry, her tone full of resentment. "If he doesn't hand over that Time-Turner, then none of this can be changed!"

"I understand, that's why you came to me with him, hoping I could help persuade him." Snape understood, but then sighed helplessly, "But Granger, don't you realize... since he dared to agree to come with you, it's clear I can't sway him."

"That's true." Harry shook his head apologetically at Snape. "I can't give you this Time-Turner because I need it to travel forward in time! The only reason I came along was to meet with Severus Snape here. Next, I'll use it to reach a point in time when the headmaster is still alive and have a good talk with him..."

"What did you say?" The middle-aged Hermione screamed in exasperation. "Could it be... that saving a world from disaster is less important to you than having someone to talk to?!"

At this moment, middle-aged Hermione was far too anxious; otherwise, she wouldn't have lost her composure so much that she overlooked who the 'Headmaster' Harry was referring to actually was.

"Ms. Granger, if that's your question, then I might as well be frank... I'm not from your timeline, and I have no intention of 'saving' the world as you envision." Harry looked coldly at the middle-aged Hermione, his words seemingly devoid of any sentimentality. "As for whether I ultimately intervene in the affairs of this timeline, that may depend on... the outcome of my conversation with the Headmaster."

"You!"

"Headmaster, you mean Dumbledore, right?" The middle-aged Hermione wanted to say something more, but Snape stopped her in a deep voice, "He died before the final battle, which is why you need to use the Time-Turner to travel forward to a time when he was still alive?"

"Yes."

"In that case, perhaps I can help." Snape raised his wand and waved it at a display case in the corner of the room. The case immediately split open to reveal a tightly locked secret passage.

"This is a secret passage to the Rebellion, and I've sealed it off for a long time." Snape waved his wand and unlocked the door to the passage. "I've been secretly watched lately, and they don't seem to trust me as much as they used to."

He led everyone through the door and stopped at a dimly lit secret passageway, gesturing to Harry.

Following his pointing finger, Harry saw a half-length portrait hanging on the wall and immediately understood Snape's intention.

The person in the painting is Dumbledore. His eyes are slightly closed and his hands are naturally hanging at his sides, as if he is asleep.

"I secretly saved this when Voldemort took over the school. Since it couldn't be put in the Headmaster's Office, it was hung here," Snape explained to Harry, then tapped the wall next to the portrait twice with his wand. "Wake up, Dumbledore, I've brought someone to see you...someone you're very interested in."

"You haven't come to see me in a long time, Severus..." Dumbledore in the portrait slowly opened his eyes, his gaze calm, seemingly unsurprised by the people before him.

"It wasn't convenient for me to meet with you before, Dumbledore." Snape stepped aside, making way for Harry who was following behind him. "I brought him to see you."

"Hmm... this is Harry, and a young Hermione and... Luna Lovegood? It's incredible, like I woke up from a dream and traveled through time."

Upon seeing Hahelu and the other two, the old man in the photo frame paused for a moment, and a clear look of reminiscence appeared on his face.

However, he quickly regained his composure and said calmly and solemnly to Snape, "Severus, let me speak with him alone."

"Very well." Snape nodded and left the secret passage without even calling Hermione.

"Hey! Snape..."

"You should leave too." Hermione stepped forward, separating Harry from the middle-aged Hermione. "It's not appropriate for you to hear Harry's conversation with the Headmaster."

"I... I understand."

Looking at Hermione, who was extremely serious in front of her, and then at Luna Lovegood, who, although not very expressive, kept fiddling with her wand, the middle-aged Hermione had no choice but to leave the secret passage.

Now, only Dumbledore, Hahllu and the other two who had traveled through time remained in the secret passage.

At that moment, Dumbledore revealed a kind smile that Harry often saw in someone's memory.

"My dear Harry from another time," Dumbledore kindly, looking at Harry, "What brings you to a dead old man like me to talk?"

"You know I'm from another time?"

Harry was taken aback by the question, but he quickly remembered that Snape hadn't told Dumbledore about his background either, yet the latter had directly offered to talk to him.

This shows that Dumbledore already knew his origins.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, son, but this corridor is one-way soundproof," Dumbledore explained apologetically. "You can hear everything clearly from the offices here. It's a design to ensure the safety of the Rebellion members, so they won't run into trouble when they come to see Severus."

"In that case... Hermione, Luna Lovegood, could you two go out and keep an eye on Ms. Granger for me?"

Harry listened intently and could clearly hear the sounds coming from the office... The stubborn Granger seemed to be launching a new round of persuasion against Snape.

So it's best to let Hermione and Luna Lovegood stop them, otherwise the soundproofing in the office is so bad, I and the headmaster won't be able to have a peaceful conversation all day.

Chapter 758 Dumbledore's Love and Hurt

"Professor Snape, there's one more thing I need to ask you."

The situation had completely turned against them, and the middle-aged Hermione was quite discouraged, but she did not choose to give up. Instead, she immediately went to find Snape after leaving the secret passage.

"You may not know this, but Harry Granger is completely different from the Harry Potter you remember. He's assertive and ruthless, often putting his own interests first. So even if you show him Dumbledore's portrait, he might not be willing to return the Time-Turner to me."

Snape listened to the long string of words the other person spoke, but did not respond immediately.

He actually disagreed somewhat with Hermione's views as a middle-aged woman, because in his opinion, Harry wasn't that kind of person.

The other party may be as Hermione Granger described them: assertive, sharp, and ruthless, but they certainly don't seem like the kind of person who only cares about their own interests.

He came before me today only so that I could see those eyes again; he wanted nothing else...

How could someone capable of such an act, someone with eyes just like Lily's, be a greedy and greedy person?

Perhaps he had his own reasons for 'monopolizing' the Time-Turner, and there were things he wanted to change.

So why is it that what Hermione Granger wants to change is necessarily right, while Harry Granger wants to change is necessarily wrong?

Although it was unclear what Harry was up to, Snape didn't think it would be a bad thing, so he decided to help the boy deal with the persistent witch.

Let's just take it as his way of returning the favor by letting me see those eyes again.

After careful consideration, Snape replied calmly, "Perhaps so, but what else can I do to help you?"

"I know there's another Time-Turner that can travel through time, and it's in Delphi's hands!" the middle-aged Hermione said urgently. "If we can get it back, we can end this tragedy just as easily!"

"Delphi... are you referring to the Augurey who serves Voldemort?" Snape frowned slightly upon hearing this.

"It's her!" The middle-aged Hermione nodded hurriedly. "Delphi Riddle, she's Voldemort's daughter!"

"Granger, your idea won't work," Snape poured cold water on the idea. "That Augurey you're talking about, she's in power right now... Just look at the picture on the wall."

"Photos...?" Upon hearing Snape's words, the middle-aged Hermione looked curiously at the wall next to the desk, then froze on the spot.

It was a panoramic photograph of Hogwarts, now completely covered by an enormous Dark Mark, as if it had even blocked out the sun.

At the top of all the towers hung crossed flags bearing Augurey patterns clearly reminiscent of fascist styles, which fluttered wildly in the eerie wind.

"The Dark Lord represents courage, the Augurey represents the future... That's how the Death Eater describe her." Snape bluntly crushed the middle-aged Hermione's confidence. "She's the Undersecretary of Ministry of Magic, and the most powerful Death Eater besides Voldemort. You can't possibly take anything from her!"

"Even so, we still have a chance of success!" the middle-aged Hermione retorted unwillingly. "I still have the Malfoy father and son, those prisoners! Perhaps we can..."

"Whatever you have left, it won't make any difference." But just then, Hermione's voice coldly interrupted, "As long as... you choose the path opposite to Harry's!"

"You..." The middle-aged Hermione's expression froze, and she could only ask awkwardly, "Why are you all out here?"

"He wants to speak with the headmaster alone," Luna Lovegood added casually, "Also... he doesn't want you bothering Severus Snape anymore, because you're really noisy."

"You!" Middle-aged Hermione glared, but seeing Luna Lovegood's calm expression and Hermione's menacing gaze, she could only force herself to endure it.

Those two brats have Harry Granger standing behind them; there's absolutely nothing I can do about them...

To be honest, seeing their absolutely confident expressions, middle-aged Hermione felt a little heartbroken.

Having someone back you up means you can do whatever you want, but unfortunately, you don't have that kind of person behind you...