The Gunpowder in the Room

In the Headmaster's Office on the Seventh Floor of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall's eyes widened as she took deep breaths.

She couldn't believe that Dumbledore had let Voldemort in Hogwarts, the safest place she had ever seen, the place where children went to school.

As a devoted fan of Dumbledore, she firmly believes that Dumbledore possesses magic that even the You-Know-Who doesn't understand. The only difference between him and the You-Know-Who is that he is too noble to use it.

She didn't believe that Voldemort could break into Hogwarts and that Dumbledore couldn't stop him or was unaware of it.

Professor Sprout patted Professor McGonagall's back reassuringly, and Professor Flitwick finally fell off his chair—but thankfully, the short man wasn't too afraid of falling because of gravity. As for Professor Snape, he looked like he knew everything and didn't want to talk.

"So—oh, what a brilliant Alchemy technique to deceive the You-Know-Who and all of us here."

"But why don't you use your brilliant methods to stop Voldemort from entering Hogwarts!" Professor McGonagall said, half annoyed and half praising.

She was so angry that she forgot to avoid referring to the You-Know-Who.

"I think Professor Quirrell hasn't been murdered!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed.

As the head of Ravenclaw and a professor who was once a member of the Ravenclaws family, he had always been paying attention, and being naturally perceptive, he sensed Quirrell's fate.

"Yes," Dumbledore said with a sorrowful expression.

At this point, Professor McGonagall forgot her anger. "Was it Voldemort?! Dumbledore! Why would you let—"

Professor McGonagall was out of breath, and for the first time, she looked at Dumbledore with a look of disappointment.

"Don't tell me that Quirrell played a disgraceful role in Voldemort's entry into Hogwarts," Professor Flitwick said, barely suppressing his grief.

"You see, Dumbledore?" Phineas Nigellus said slyly. "That's why I hate being a teacher. Young people always think they're absolutely right. Poor, arrogant little brats, have you ever considered that the Headmaster of Hogwarts might have very good reasons for not telling you every detail of his plans? When you feel wronged, have you ever thought about whether obeying Dumbledore's orders has ever harmed you? No, no! Like all young people, you think you're the only one with feelings, thoughts, who saw the danger, who saw through the Dark Lord's plot..."

"Enough, Phineas," said Dumbledore.

"I have one last thing to say: can't you use your poor little brains to think about it and take a closer look?"

"Haven't you noticed that our Head of Slytherin House seems to know everything?" Phineas Nigellus said.

Then I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

"I think I finally understand why Phineas would be the least welcome principal."

"But on this point, I think our Professor Snape should have a lot to say," Dumbledore joked, as he needed to lighten the mood and there were many more surprising things he needed to tell the professors.

Professor McGonagall was a little better, although she was still quite uncomfortable being called a student for the first time in a long time.

But Phineas's words suddenly reminded her that Dumbledore was also an old man, and Quirrell's death and Voldemort's intrusion were probably the least damaging of all his plans.

Snape, on the other hand, wore an ugly expression, staring intently at Dumbledore's old face as if he wanted to kill him with his eyes.

Filius Flitwick and Sprout remained silent, waiting for Dumbledore's explanation.

"I might have to start talking about this from last summer."

"At that time, my friend Nicolas Flamel told me that someone was targeting him, although he was not afraid of such things and had quite a bit of experience with them... He was ready to die with his lover... After it was placed in Gringotts ... Fortunately, I had Hagrid retrieve it in advance... You should all know this, the only thing you don't know is that the thief was Voldemort himself." Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Next, I'll tell you something you don't know... Professor Quirrell has been acting very strangely in front of me, trying to get my attention... but I can't save him, only he can." Dumbledore sighed.

"How could that be? I mean, even you can't do it?" McGonagall looked surprised.

"Voldemort himself was on the back of his head. Perhaps he regretted it later, but he did voluntarily open his mind and body to allow Voldemort to move in."

"No one can help him in this regard; he has to let go of those unrealistic ideas and ambitions and reject Voldemort from entering his body."

"... I had a sliver of hope for Quirrell. I hoped he would come to his senses... After he was knocked down by Harry twice, I deliberately tried to get close to him—that was his closest chance to get rid of Voldemort."

"But as you all know, he was manipulated by Voldemort to unleash Troll at the Halloween Feast to attract attention. Later, he was even further manipulated, to the point that an innocent Unicorn lost its life."

"This is something I didn't expect."

"I never imagined he would collapse so quickly."

"Voldemort and I both know very well that he understands I have discovered him, and he also understands that I am hesitant to act because of Quirrell's life," Dumbledore sighed again.

"You've done enough; not a single student was hurt." McGonagall's eyes were slightly red.

"Quirrell is suffering from a common Ravenclaw ailment: the more talented a child is at a young age, the more likely they are to have Slytherin- like ambitions." Professor Flitwick stood up in his chair again.

"Yes, yes," Professor Sprout exclaimed.

Snape pursed his lips, but remained silent.

"Oh, no students? Then why did Mr. Potter and his friends face Voldemort twice?"

"Outside the classroom, in the Forbidden Forest and the forbidden area on the fourth floor." Snape chose to fire at Dumbledore.

"Forbidden Forest?"

"Dumbledore, I was wondering why you came to see me that night!" Sprout, who was about to lose his composure and start watching the drama unfold, continued, "I was wondering why Potter and the others were sent to the Forbidden Forest for such a trivial matter."

"Could it be that they went to the Astronomy Tower so late because of you?" Professor McGonagall drew her wand, and Sprout was standing nearby, quickly understood the situation and, along with Filius Flitwick, showed expressions of disappointment.

"Minerva, calm down and listen to me." Before Snape could finish speaking and before Professor McGonagall could even speak, Dumbledore made a calming gesture towards the most volatile and easily angered Professor McGonagall.

After all, Snape rarely said anything nice.

As expected, thanks to Dumbledore's foresight, Professor McGonagall put her wand back in her pocket and chose to listen to Dumbledore's explanation first.