Dumbledore Is Very Persistent About Prophecies / The Informant's Identity Is a Bolt from the Blue

It failed...

Although he knew the chances were slim, Harry still wanted to test Lucius, but with Fudge by his side, the guy was tight-lipped and wouldn't fall for it.

"Dobby, you useless thing, hurry up and catch up!" Lucius smirked smugly, then yelled at Dobby beside him before turning and walking away.

"Yes..."

The House-elf responded meekly, but before leaving, it stared at Harry with wide, pleading eyes, gesturing back and forth between itself, the diary, and Lucius in its hands, before hurriedly chasing after its master.

"Headmaster, you can discuss the evidence from the Chamber of Secrets with Minister Fudge." Harry placed the prepared audio note on the table, while simultaneously picking up Voldemort's diary. "I'll go see Mr. Malfoy out."

He hurriedly ran down the spiral staircase, and as he ran out of the gate with the gargoyle-shaped stone beast, he saw Lucius kicking Dobby he walked forward.

"Mr. Malfoy," Harry called to Lucius, shoving the diary into his hands, "You've forgotten something."

"Harry Potter, how many times do I have to tell you before you give up? This isn't mine!" Lucius sneered dismissively, but as he casually flipped through the diary, his expression suddenly changed. "The gloves... what do you mean by this?"

Tucked inside the diary was a medical rubber glove, the one Harry usually used when retrieving medicine.

"Isn't it obvious? It's a duel!" Harry retorted with a sneer. "Since I can't defeat you, I'll have to resort to force!"

"A duel... Are you kidding me?" Lucius casually tossed the diary and gloves aside. "These gloves are worthless! Besides, someone of your lowly birth doesn't even deserve to duel me! Dobby, let's go, ignore this brat!"

In his view, Harry was simply frustrated and angry because he failed to get information out of him, and wanted to resort to violence like those dull-witted medieval knights.

However, just as he was about to ignore Harry's 'childish' behavior, his House-elf had already quietly switched sides.

"A glove... Master gave Dobby a glove!" The House-elf excitedly held up the glove tucked inside the diary. "Dobby got Master's clothes; Master threw them away... Dobby caught them, Dobby is free!!"

"Dobby, what nonsense are you spouting! That kind of thing..."

"That thing is just clothes," Harry chuckled, interrupting Lucius. "What you think doesn't matter, as long as Dobby thinks it's clothes."

The rules for House-elf are actually quite subjective; as long as they believe they've received clothing, that's fine.

Dobby, who served the Malfoy family for Dobby years, naturally wouldn't know how to distinguish between clothing and daily necessities due to his lack of social awareness among ordinary people.

So Harry got the best of both worlds!

At that moment, Lucius stared Dobby, his face instantly contorted with rage.

"Boy, you've made me lose my servant!"

He lunged at Harry menacingly, but Harry had already raised his wand first.

"Take off your gloves and let's duel." Harry glared coldly at Lucius. "Mr. Malfoy, you're wrong. I've never joked with you. Today's duel is yours to fight, whether you like it or not!!"

"You're serious, right... Okay!"

Lucius realized that Harry wouldn't let him leave easily unless he fought him, so he simply pointed his wand at Harry as well.

"Lucius Malfoy, you're insulting me!" Harry retorted, "You usually love that Pure-blood aristocratic air, so why are you being so dismissive of me? Take off your gloves!!"

"Fine!" A clear glint of anger flashed across Lucius's face. He ripped off his right glove and threw it on the ground, then raised his wand again. "I'll see what you've got that makes you so relentless!"

"Expelliarmus!" *2

Two shouts rang out in unison. Although Lucius was despicable, he was still an experienced wizard, so much so that Harry failed to gain the upper hand and cast the Expelliarmus at the same time as his opponent!

Fortunately, the Occamy Silver Cage helped Harry weld his wand to his hand. Lucius's spell only made Harry take a few steps back, but it did not take away his wand.

On the other hand, Lucius's wand had already flown out of his hand without any doubt.

"Hateful..."

Harry, of course, wouldn't let the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot slip by. Lucius only had time to curse under his breath before Harry used Knockback Jinx to knock him to the ground. What followed was a barrage of marbles launched by the Waddiwasi Spell!

*Smack!*N

The crackling sounds of the marbles hitting each other were incessant. Soon, Lucius was beaten black and blue, with two bloody streaks even appearing at the corners of his mouth.

However, this guy continued to hurl vicious curses.

"Damn it! Damn it... Harry Potter, you're trampling on the dignity of a Pure-blood Wizard! I will never let this go!!"

"Likewise, I won't let this go either." Harry met Lucius's gaze without flinching, his hands continuing their work without pause. Finally, he used the Levitation Charm to snatch Lucius's wand, clearly not intending to return it.

"Half-blood bastard, you better remember this!"

After glaring coldly at Harry and Dobby, Lucius knew he wouldn't get anywhere today and could only slink away, his face bruised and battered.

Harry, meanwhile, carefully clutched the cane he had captured, letting the other man leave in a disheveled state.

The plan to extract testimony had failed, and Harry now only hoped that the diary and the wand could successfully help him identify Lucius's crimes!

"Sir... thank you, thank you so much!" Dobby grabbed Harry's sleeve. "Great Harry Granger, you helped Dobby get his freedom!"

"I'd be happy to do that, Dobby ..." Harry smiled brightly, "Because you're my friend!"

"That's right!" Dobby stretched out his arms and hugged Harry tightly. "Mr. Granger is Dobby's friend!"

"So, have you thought about where you're going in the future?" Harry asked curiously as they were about to part ways. "Now that you're no longer House-elf, it's time to make some new plans."

"I don't know! Dobby only knows that he's free, and he's incredibly happy!" Dobby's mind was completely filled with excitement, and he clearly hadn't considered this question at all.

"Then enjoy this hard-won freedom first." Harry nodded with a smile. "When you miss me again, come to Granger family's or Hogwarts."

"Dobby will..." Suddenly realizing she would be separated from Harry, the once excited House-elf gradually turned into sobs.

However, it ultimately made a decision.

"Farewell, Mr. Granger."

"Um... Goodbye, Dobby ~"

Harry waved towards the spot Dobby Apparition, his face showing obvious reluctance.

The House-elf, newly freed from his bonds, couldn't wait to enjoy his freedom. Harry respected his decision and offered his blessing.

However, he believed that he and Dobby would definitely meet again someday in the future.

Chapter 182 Albus Dumbledore was very persistent about Prophecy.

"Minister Fudge?" Harry rushed back to the Headmaster's Office and just happened to pass by Fudge, who was coming downstairs.

"Mr. Granger, the evidence you provided is very detailed." Fudge nodded his top hat at Harry, his tone seemingly cautious. "In short, this matter is now closed. I can assure you on behalf of the Ministry of Magic that Hogwarts will receive a satisfactory response."

"Uh... thank you very much, take care~" Harry shrugged, completely bewildered, having no idea what Fudge was so nervous about.

Am I really that scary?

"Harry, Fudge is afraid of you because I told him that you defeated two Slytherin's Basilisk and Heir of Slytherin, Voldemort, in the Chamber."

Dumbledore provided an answer to Harry's doubts.

Like most wizards in the Wizarding World, Cornelius Fudge was terrified of the name Voldemort.

Even if Harry only 'defeated' a young Tom Riddle, not the later Dark Lord, it was enough to shock Fudge.

Moreover, Harry personally killed the Basilisk and recorded Voldemort's voice in front of him. In addition, he also had leverage over the Ministry of Magic's previous dispatch of Auror to hypnotize the Crown Prince's family... With all these factors combined, it's understandable that Fudge would think Harry was not someone to be trifled with.

"Your evidence has been accepted. Fudge has said he will destroy the original files and write a letter of apology to Hagrid on behalf of the Ministry of Magic to prove his innocence," Dumbledore told Harry, relaying a string of good news. "In addition, Hagrid's wand ban has been lifted."

"That's great!" Harry nodded with satisfaction, but still felt a little regretful. "It's a pity I failed; I couldn't get anything out of Lucius after all."

Now that Minister for Magic Fudge knows the diary is Voldemort's possession, Harry only needs to link the diary to Lucius if he wants to convict Lucius.

Having failed to elicit information earlier, Harry's only two pieces of physical evidence are the diary and Lucius's wand. He doesn't know if he can perform the professional verification he had in his previous life under such rudimentary conditions.

"There's nothing we can do about it. After all, Lucius has always been as cunning as a snake, and this time we can only let him shed his skin and escape. But after this, the School Governor will definitely take action against him." Dumbledore gently comforted Harry, but his expression gradually became hesitant. "Harry, do you have any other information about this diary that you can tell me? For example, as far as I know, the weakened Voldemort is currently hiding in the jungles of Albania. How did he overcome the barriers of mountains and rivers and possess a diary?"

"That's also the question I wanted to ask you," Harry's expression gradually turned serious, "Do you know anything about Horcrux?"

"You mean Horcrux? I see... this diary really is Horcrux! Oh, Harry... I finally understand the special connection between you and Voldemort!"

Upon hearing the key words Harry mentioned, Dumbledore's expression changed drastically. He paced around his office several times before finally showing a look of sudden realization.

After that, he looked at Harry with extreme seriousness. "Harry, you might be just like this diary, a Horcrux created by Voldemort!"

Hmm... this answer isn't surprising at all~

However, seeing the mixture of surprise and seriousness on Dumbledore, Harry felt that the other man wasn't pretending to be ignorant.

"Headmaster... I thought you already knew I was Horcrux," Harry said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"No... Harry, I don't know." To everyone's surprise, Dumbledore shook his head seriously. "At first, I only suspected that Voldemort, having suffered such a heavy blow, was still able to survive, so he must have created Horcrux. It wasn't until just now, after you told me that the diary was a Horcrux, that I was completely certain. You can speak Parseltongue like Voldemort, which means that he left a part of his power within you back then, so I guessed...you were probably Horcrux he created unintentionally!"

"No... I mean, Headmaster, didn't you know I'm Horcrux? Why did you monitor me so relentlessly back then?"

At this moment, looking at Albus Dumbledore's serious face, Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes.

Good grief, from the abuse by bear relatives to the surveillance by Squib, and then dragging in the royal family and the Ministry of Magic, and now you're telling me you didn't know I was Horcrux?

This is utterly unreasonable!

"Harry, I'm truly sorry about what happened back then, but my surveillance of you wasn't because of the Horcrux, but because of a Prophecy," Dumbledore said softly. "Sibyl Trelawney made a Prophecy, and she clearly stated that you would be the Boy Who Lived who defeats Voldemort!"

A being with the power to conquer the Dark Lord has approached; born into a family that has defeated the Dark Lord three times, born in the seventh month.

The Dark Lord marked him as a formidable enemy, but he possessed powers that the Dark Lord did not understand;

One must die at the hands of the other, because neither can live;

The one with the power to conquer the Dark Lord will be born at the end of the seventh month...

The Sibyl Trelawney Trelawney that Dumbledore mentioned was a somewhat eccentric Divination professor from Ravenclaw. Harry had recently heard her name because of the upcoming third-year elective course.

Harry passed her Divination without a second thought, because he had never believed in such mysterious things as Divination.

So, Albus Dumbledore actually believed this thing?

"Harry, I've always had unwavering faith in Divination can be called Prophecy." Perhaps sensing the skepticism in Harry's eyes, Dumbledore, "Wizards who can foresee the future are revered as prophets. They possess a psychic ability called 'the third eye,' and some powerful prophets can even foresee wars in the Muggle world decades in advance... Therefore, I believe in Prophecy."

"Okay..." Harry opened his mouth, but didn't say anything more.

Just a moment ago, Albus Dumbledore seemed to be breathing a very lonely and painful air, making Harry clearly had something to complain about, too embarrassed to say it.

He'd bet his life that Albus Dumbledore was definitely having a "love affair that will only be remembered" with some prophet... Of course, that prophet couldn't be Sibyl Trelawney Trelawney ~

Professor Trelawney's Divination are certainly impressive, given her ability to predict family members and birth dates with relative accuracy. However, Harry's acceptance of such a forced and convoluted Prophecy is truly limited.

Born into a family that defeated the Dark Lord three times, and also born at the end of July— Harry isn't the only one who fits this description; Neville Longbottom does too!

Last year, when Scamander was investigating Voldemort, he learned that Neville's parents had been hospitalized at St Mungo's's for a long time due to the Crucio Curse, and Neville's birthday is only one day apart from Harry's... So, by that logic, he's practically the Boy Who Lived, right?

Goodness, how come Harry didn't realize this was a movie with two male leads when I read the original Sorcerer's Stone?

And... what's with the Dark Lord marking him as his mortal enemy?

Love is like letting Voldemort flip a coin; whoever lands on it is whoever he wants, right?

Honestly, after Albus Dumbledore put it that way, even if Harry hadn't seen the later movies, he could guess that the Prophecy would eventually come true...

And there's no guarantee that things won't get blocked on both ends.

So Voldemort believed the Prophecy, and his whole family deserved to be chosen by Voldemort... It's utterly ridiculous!

(P. S. So, in the original books, from the moment Albus Dumbledore got his hands on the diary until the sixth book, he didn't fully analyze that Voldemort wanted to possess the seven Horcrux... Yes, he analyzed them.)

Albus Dumbledore's words were roughly, "I think Voldemort is particularly obsessed with the number 7, so he must have wanted to divide his soul into Sanmiao parts, and Harry, you were an accident." When I first read this, my immediate reaction was... this is all guesswork!

But after watching FB1 and 2, I Sanmiao understood.

The reason why Albus Dumbledore was so obsessed with Harry, even to the point of monitoring him in various ways, even before he knew about the Horcrux, was, of course, Trelawney's Prophecy.

The reason he was so fixated on Prophecy could only be because he and a prophet were 'already lost' at the time. That's all.

Chapter 183 The Leaker's Identity Was a Bolt from the Blue

After everything was laid bare, Dumbledore and Harry both fell silent.

After learning the whole story, Harry found that he was not at peace with it; instead, he felt a tightness in his chest.

He initially believed that his family's tragedy was merely an accident, that his parents were killed while fighting Voldemort, and that he himself had accidentally become one of Voldemort's Horcrux.