As far as Dumbledore was concerned, Voldemort could do whatever he liked, so long as his actions stayed within Dumbledore's expectations.
Until now, Dumbledore had always felt as though he had everything under control.
Of course, Will and Severus had played a large part in that. The capable teacher and student had consistently brought him crucial intelligence.
That intelligence had always given him the upper hand.
But since last year, the intelligence Will and Severus provided had no longer been enough. He did not blame them. Tom's return had swelled the Death Eaters' ranks, while both of them were at Hogwarts, which severely limited what they could learn.
For example:
Even now, neither Will nor Severus had heard that Voldemort was looking for the Invisibility Cloak.
Dumbledore understood why. Severus was supposed to "assassinate" him this year. That assignment alone made it clear that Severus was close to being cast aside.
As for Will, he was Voldemort's student and a central figure among the Death Eaters. If he had not been at school, he would certainly have learned of it.
As he watched the Appleby family's wizards clear up the place, Dumbledore considered taking the initiative in the intelligence war.
Since this was the final year, he no longer needed to worry about exposing Severus or Will. They could lead Tom straight into a trap.
Still, they would have to exercise a little restraint early in the year.
He could start by using the Appleby family to lay the groundwork: pass along false information and make Voldemort believe the legendary Invisibility Cloak was in their hands.
It would not be difficult. First, he needed to keep the Appleby family safe. Then he could "leak" the news through various channels and have Severus pass it on to Tom.
Once that was