A Certain Scientific Harry Potter 50

"I'm late..."

Facing Harry in this state, all Dumbledore could do was admit his tardiness first...

He prided himself on understanding Harry's condition; after all, having just experienced a life-and-death struggle, and likely having killed Quirrell with his own hands, it was understandable that he would be shaken.

However, what he didn't know was that Harry had long since grown accustomed to death and corpses, and would never feel anything like being "shaken"!

The reason he was standing his ground so sternly was that he wanted to take advantage of the fact that there was no one else around and that Hermione was unconscious to have a direct showdown with Dumbledore!!

After attending Hogwarts for a year, Dumbledore had naturally acted as an overbearing parent for a year, and in the end, had even nearly gotten him and Hermione killed due to a flawed plan... Was he really expected to continue swallowing his pride after all this?

However, Harry was also worried, because he didn't know if Dumbledore, in a fit of shame and anger, might read his thoughts or even attack him directly, so... he had to be prepared at all times!

He had roughly estimated that once his Obscurus was fully unleashed, it should be able to hold Dumbledore off temporarily. Therefore, even if his talk with the old man fell through, Norbert, who was currently recuperating, could at least take Hermione and leave immediately.

As for himself...

Harry would bet a Galleon that Dumbledore wouldn't just kill him outright, so even if things went south, he could still pin his hopes on a rescue from Scamander.

"Harry, it's truly wonderful to see that you're alright..." With no other choice, as Harry remained silent, Dumbledore had to awkwardly continue, "You performed magnificently. When I was away, you firmly shouldered the responsibility for the safety of the entire school, protecting everyone including Miss Granger, and furthermore, you defeated the treacherous Quirrell..."

"He was not a treacherous man!!"

Hearing Dumbledore mention Professor Quirrell, Harry's rage officially began to erupt!

"He was guiding me the whole time, from that non-existent Sorcerer's Stone to the professors' obstacles... every single one! He used his own unique intelligence to leave me a series of breadcrumbs, and in the end, he even risked his life to help me create an opening to defeat Voldemort..."

"Although he failed, in my eyes, he was a predecessor who passed on the spirit of Ravenclaw to me, a great wizard worthy of everyone's respect!!"

"Harry, you say... Quirrell left clues for you? This, this is truly unexpected..."

Harry's words caused Dumbledore to lose his usual composure. Everything Quirrell had done under the guise of a 'villain,' as well as the true meaning behind many of the clues, had completely escaped his notice until now.

But this was hardly surprising, as his entire focus had been centered on Harry.

"Yet you abandoned him!!" Harry pointed angrily at Professor Quirrell's broken body. "You let him be controlled by Voldemort, you let him walk step by step toward a point of no return... You sacrificed a wizard who should have had a promising future, just to complete a ridiculous, shady plan!!"

"Harry, please calm down. I deeply regret what happened to Quirrell, but in truth... I never knew he showed any signs of breaking free from Voldemort's control." Dumbledore tried to explain to Harry. "He had fallen too deep; ever since he returned from his travels, his way of thinking had already changed..."

"Then why didn't you educate him properly?!" Harry pointed out sharply. "You are the Headmaster, and also a teacher at Hogwarts. Professor Quirrell was once a student at Hogwarts too. You knew he had gone astray, so why didn't you stop him in time and pull him back to the right path?!"

"Do you have any idea how much he needed the guidance of a mentor when he was being seduced by Voldemort? When he was being possessed by Voldemort bit by bit, how much he must have hoped that someone would save him and find a way to lead him out of that dark abyss?!"

"But what about you? Not only did you fail to save him, you treated him as a disposable pawn, and in the end, you even forced me to kill him with my own hands!!"

"Harry, listen to me... you must keep your cool now, otherwise your emotions and the Obscurus might spiral out of control!" Dumbledore frowned and urged. "I am sorry about Quirrell, but when it comes to Voldemort, we have no choice but to make sacrifices..."

"Apologize!" Harry had no interest in listening to Dumbledore's sophistry now. "You must apologize to Professor Quirrell, whom you discarded! No one deserves to be sacrificed, and no one is born willing to be sacrificed! But for the sake of your so-called 'greater good,' for the sake of some ulterior motives, you cruelly abandoned him... As a Headmaster and a teacher, I believe you have severely neglected your duty! And in my eyes, such behavior is no different from murder!!"

"Harry... I think you really need to calm down!" Dumbledore's tone deepened, and his expression turned quietly cold.

Having been repeatedly accused by Harry with such biting remarks, he was beginning to get angry.

"I!!!"

BOOM!!!

Following the violent roar, the Obscurus on Harry's body erupted once more, transforming into a storm that seemed intent on destroying everything!!

"Harry... you?!" Dumbledore's expression turned stern. He hadn't expected Harry to risk his life against him for the sake of a dead Quirrell!!

At this moment, Dumbledore was caught in a dilemma.

The apology Harry demanded was, to Dumbledore, nothing more than bowing his head, but the implications hidden within it made it difficult for him to decide.

Because once he bowed his head, it meant he admitted his failure, and the person he was admitting it to happened to be Harry Granger—the child he had to keep an eye on at all times and for whom he had to constantly plan a future.

Therefore, after this apology, a subtle psychological gap would inevitably form between him and Harry.

It could be said that once Dumbledore bowed his head today, he might find it difficult to intervene in Harry's future growth as he had in the past.

However... Harry was special, after all.

It was easy to defeat Voldemort, but to find all of Voldemort's weaknesses and kill him completely, Harry's power was indispensable!

So, no matter how Harry had thrown tantrums or caused trouble at school before, Dumbledore had chosen to ignore it all.

But this time, Harry had turned the fire on him, and as it happened, he was in the wrong!

He hadn't discovered that Quirrell had been leaving clues for Harry; he had also been late to realize that Voldemort had discovered the Sorcerer's Stone didn't exist before entering the Chamber...

As a result, by the time he anxiously rushed back, Harry's battle was already over... and he had actually won!!

Now, he had even missed the chance to save him.

So...

"I... am sorry!" After a long hesitation, Dumbledore bowed his head deeply.

"I feel remorse for my negligence, and even more shame for having abandoned such an excellent wizard as Professor Quirrell! His death, and everything you and Hermione have endured today, are things for which I am entirely to blame!"

Dumbledore... chose to yield!

Clear...

Finally forcing an apology out of Dumbledore's mouth, the knot in Harry's heart finally eased a little.

At the very least, Professor Quirrell could not be said to have died with regrets.

Although Harry still felt a great deal of regret...

Of course, merely apologizing to Professor Quirrell was not enough; Harry hadn't even touched upon his own affairs yet.

Clutching the Space Ring in his hand and reciting a few calming incantations to himself, Harry slowly retracted the Obscurus that was still clawing and lashing out.

"Ugh..." In an instant, a sharp, stabbing pain surged from his brain and swept rapidly through his entire body, yet Harry stubbornly forced it down.

He had used too much of the Obscurus's power today, and it was already beginning to hinder his physical state...

Fortunately, he likely wouldn't need to rely on the Obscurus to fake "desperation" or continue bluffing Dumbledore any further.

Dumbledore's retreat just now had allowed Harry to perceive a hidden truth.

There must be something about him that was intimately connected to Voldemort, and because of the existence of this thing, Dumbledore had to ensure he stayed alive.

Therefore, he wouldn't lay a hand on him, and he even had to negotiate with him in a conciliatory manner, lest Harry decide to commit suicide by triggering a runaway Obscurus!

It sounded ridiculous, but using his own life as a threat was indeed Harry's best leverage at this moment.

Because he had to constantly project an attitude of "give me liberty or give me death" to Dumbledore, he could remain invincible in this confrontation!

"Headmaster Dumbledore, at this point, we might as well lay everything out on the table." Harry looked at Dumbledore with an expressionless face. "You must have already investigated my relationship with Mr. Scamander, haven't you?"

Harry hadn't spent his first year at school in vain; the only reason Dumbledore valued him was because of Voldemort, so he had been commissioning Scamander to investigate matters regarding Voldemort all along.

Trying to investigate a Dark Lord who was known to everyone in the wizarding world was bound to attract attention, so when Scamander returned some of the findings to Harry, Harry knew their connection couldn't possibly remain hidden.

"Yes, I have heard of it." Dumbledore nodded. "To have such a powerful and experienced wizard as your friend, I am sincerely happy for you."

"Then can you answer a few questions for me?" Harry asked indifferently. "Why exactly did you place me with the Dursley family?"

"Harry, I was worried that you would be blinded by the halo of being a hero." Dumbledore said with concern. "A newborn child who defeated the most heinous Dark Lord—if you were left in the wizarding world, you would hear too many voices detrimental to your growth..."

"Even so, you could have sent me to a reliable orphanage, or spent time finding a normal family like the Grangers, instead of ignoring Professor McGonagall's advice and acting arbitrarily while knowing full well what the Dursleys were like!" Harry easily found the loopholes in Dumbledore's words. "Besides... have you forgotten the long-distance chess game we played over two years ago?"

As soon as I wanted to leave the Dursley house, first Mrs. Figg tipped off the social workers, and then a group of wizards conducted secret investigations on the streets of London.

In the end, to ensure I could choose a wizarding family, the Ministry of Magic even sent an Auror to take action against the Royal Family!

So... you did all of this just to keep me from growing up into a spoiled brat? Who are you trying to fool?!

"It was because of the Blood Protection Charm..." Helpless, Dumbledore had to confess the truth. "Your mother, Lily, infused an ancient magic called 'love' into your body before she died, hoping to protect your safety. After I learned of this, I cast another Blood Protection Charm on you to reinforce that protection. As long as you stay with your blood relatives and acknowledge that place as your home, this protection will remain in effect until you are seventeen."

So that was it; his mother had left love behind for him, and Dumbledore, not feeling at ease, had added another layer of protection.

So, the reason Dumbledore placed him with the Dursleys was actually to extend this protection so that he could grow up safely.

Should Harry be moved?

"Headmaster, answer my next question... After Voldemort was defeated eleven years ago, was my situation safe?"

"Yes... you were very safe at that time."

Dumbledore's mouth twitched involuntarily; now, he finally understood how those professors felt earlier.

Harry had initiated his favorite step-by-step pressure mode, while he could only answer the other party's successive, escalating questions in a routine manner.

He couldn't lose his temper, and he certainly couldn't lay a hand on Harry, because Harry was currently like a firecracker with its fuse exposed... ready to explode at the slightest touch!

And once he exploded right in front of him, then everything would be over!!

In Dumbledore's view, Harry's temperament was already extreme, and coupled with the influence of the Obscurus on his emotions, he had to constantly coax Harry along.

"Was this safety due to the Blood Protection Charm you just mentioned, or was it because the circumstances at the time posed no danger to me?" Harry continued to press.

"It was likely a combination of both, Harry. Your mother was always protecting you with her love..."

"I have a list here provided by Mr. Scamander of former Death Eaters, which records the detailed whereabouts of almost all of them after Voldemort was 'vanquished'." A cold sneer curled the corner of Harry's mouth. "Headmaster, would you like to reconsider... the answer to my previous question?"

"This... very well, I admit, the environment at the time was relatively safe for you." Dumbledore sighed helplessly. "Voldemort's most loyal Death Eaters either died in the war or were almost all locked away in Azkaban. And those who turned away from the darkness, because the Dark Lord was 'dead,' all returned to the side of justice, naturally abandoning any thoughts of seeking revenge on you. Of course, there were certainly some enemies in hiding, but..."

"But you had already arranged eyes and ears near the Dursley house, right?" Harry silently took over Dumbledore's words. "For example, Mrs. Figg, and perhaps others... it's just a pity their surveillance skills weren't up to par~"

"Yes..."

"Very good~" Harry nodded with satisfaction.

Debate is not sophistry; Dumbledore tried to make Harry focus on his mother's protection to amplify those non-existent dangers before Harry came of age, but what Harry did was to present ironclad evidence to overturn his argument!

And the evidence was: in the past eleven years, whether he was at the Dursleys' or the Grangers', his mother's power had never once taken effect, and he had never encountered a single attack!

If Dumbledore could provide specific names and instances—such as on a certain day in a certain month of the past eleven years, who had attacked Harry and in what way, and who had secretly rescued him—if he could provide even one such example, Harry would stop right here today and bow his head in apology!

Yet the truth was, he couldn't provide a single one.

There is a simple logic that one can understand just by thinking about it... If there really were Death Eaters posing a huge threat to Harry wandering outside, how could Dumbledore have only sent Mrs. Figg—a Squib who knew no magic and couldn't even beat Dudley—to watch the Dursley house alone?!

So, after Voldemort "died," his lackeys either gave up or simply couldn't come to cause Harry trouble...

And since there was no trouble, how could you say the Blood Protection Charm wasn't an unnecessary precaution?

Heh, of course it wasn't...

Because the Blood Protection Charm and his mother's love, while originating from the same source, had completely different practical meanings!

"Harry, you can't put it that way..." Dumbledore frowned slightly and spoke in his defense. "You and I both know that Voldemort has returned, and once he finds you..."

"Headmaster, do you think you'll find out about Voldemort's return faster, or will Voldemort find me faster?"

This was another question that left Dumbledore speechless, because the result was right before their eyes.

Voldemort had returned, but he was extremely weak, forced to possess Quirrell and survive by drinking the blood of a Unicorn.

Even though Harry's battle had been perilous, in reality, if Dumbledore had been willing to intervene, he could have easily finished off Quirrell-Voldemort in seconds.

But he hadn't.

"Let's make a hypothesis, Headmaster." Thinking of this, Harry continued to pose questions, "Suppose I hadn't come to Hogwarts to attend school; what would have happened after Voldemort returned this time?"

"I suppose I would have defeated him when he tried to seek the Sorcerer's Stone..." Dumbledore said after some thought, "But Harry, that is a scenario that could never happen."

"Of course that scenario could never happen!" Harry's expression turned cold and sharp, "Because hadn't you already made up your mind that, no matter what methods you had to use, you were going to force me to come to Hogwarts?!"

"..." Facing Harry's interrogation, Dumbledore remained silent.

Scamander once said something quite well; he said that Harry's legs belonged to him, and if he didn't want to attend Hogwarts, Dumbledore couldn't possibly have kidnapped him.

However, the truth was that while Dumbledore hadn't kidnapped Harry, he had sent someone to kidnap Hermione!

Because Hermione came from a non-magical family, a messenger had to be sent to introduce the magical world to Mr. and Mrs. Granger before she could enroll.

So Harry wanted to ask, why was it such a coincidence that the messenger arrived exactly when he was heading out?

And why did that mysterious messenger seem to know so much about an Obscurus, being able to exaggerate the dangers of suppressed magic in front of Mr. and Mrs. Granger and Hermione?

Harry had investigated before; although they were few in number, there were children in Britain every year who awakened magic but didn't want to enroll, and weren't they all living perfectly fine lives?

Why was it that in the messenger's words, Hermione's situation became so dangerous, dangerous to the point that only by going to Hogwarts could it be resolved?!

Furthermore, not only did this messenger paint a flowery picture of the magical world and Hogwarts to the Granger family, but he also had a big mouth and mentioned in front of Hermione... the story of how he had once 'repelled' the Dark Lord!

He made Hermione mistakenly believe that Harry was a noble among wizards, a hero, and made her think that Harry looked down on her, which caused Hermione to start throwing tantrums and eventually stubbornly insist on going to Hogwarts!

So, under those circumstances at the time, did Harry have any other choice?

Even though she had apologized back then, she had still been dead set on going to Hogwarts!