You Don't Understand Voldemort

Riding the spiraling stone staircase upward, Manus arrived at the Headmaster's Office.

"Sherbet Lemon."

After using the password to open the door, Manus's eyes widened slightly as he closed the door behind him.

"How is it? Surprised?"

There was an extra purplish-red armchair in the office, and someone who had just been declared dead was sitting in it, winking at Manus.

"I am indeed surprised... I'm very glad to see you're alive, Professor Staky."

Manus nodded to Staky before turning to Dumbledore.

"So, what sort of plan required Professor Staky to fake her death, then required you to go to such lengths to deceive the entire school just now, and even cancel a holiday?"

Though it was Staky who had faked her death, there was no doubt that Dumbledore had devised this plan. Even if Staky had escaped through a fake death, she had no motivation to do anything further based on it.

"Actually, I didn't fake my death..."

Before Dumbledore could speak, Staky spoke first in his defense. Although she had never been polite to Dumbledore and frequently insulted him when speaking with Manus privately one-on-one, the two of them actually had a good relationship.

"This time, I almost really did die."

As she said this, lingering fear flickered in Staky's eyes.

"Voldemort broke into my home and cast the Killing Curse at me immediately... He didn't even intend to say a single word to me! That rude bastard!"

That was strange...

Manus frowned, wanting to ask how Staky had survived Voldemort, but feeling that phrasing it that way would be impolite.

"So... Professor, how did you deal with Voldemort's Killing Curse at the time?"

"Deal with Voldemort's Killing Curse? You think too highly of me. The one he killed wasn't me at all."

After saying this with a