~ Support & Read 20 Advanced Chapters Available now on my Patreon!
————
"Moony sends his regards to Headmaster Dumbledore and humbly requests that he keep his frightfully long beard out of other people's business."
Dumbledore blinked, momentarily taken aback.
But the map wasn't finished. More words appeared below.
"Prongs agrees with Moony's sentiment and would like to add that Headmaster Dumbledore is a pompous old fool."
Though the situation was dire for James, Severus found it rather amusing, the corners of his mouth twitching upward.
And there was more…
"Padfoot expresses shock that such a decrepit old man is here at all. His rightful place is at the Hog's Head."
James shut his eyes in horror. When he opened them, the map revealed its final words.
"Wormtail bids Headmaster Dumbledore goodnight and suggests he visit Madam Pomfrey to fix his crooked nose."
Severus couldn't hold it in any longer and let out a soft chuckle. James, however, found nothing funny about it.
To their surprise, Dumbledore began to laugh as well.
"Quite amusing," he said gently, "and remarkably apt commentary."
"Is this map yours, James? Can you tell me how to use it?" Dumbledore turned to James, his eyes inquisitive.
James, trembling, drew his wand. His throat felt constricted, his voice dry and brittle as he spoke: "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."
A map of Hogwarts appeared on the blank parchment, dotted with moving black points labeled with names, clearly showing the location of everyone in the castle.
"Helpful for magical mischief-makers, is it?" Dumbledore murmured, a nostalgic glint in his eyes. "This reminds me of what it felt like to be young."
"However," he continued, glancing at the four small black dots in the map's upper left corner, "I cannot let you keep this map. Look, we're all here."
"Moony, I can guess who that is. But why are the rest of you called Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail?" Dumbledore asked.
James stammered, his mouth opening and closing, unable to form a coherent sentence. "I-I… no…"
"Oh, let's save that question for another time," Dumbledore said, pointing to two small black dots moving toward them on the map. "Professor McGonagall is coming. Let's wait a moment."
Soon, a knock sounded at the door.
Mulciber, covered in dirt and dust, shuffled in dejectedly, his face streaked with blood.
Professor McGonagall followed closely behind, her wand in hand.
"Albus, I've brought him," she said wearily.
"Please, have a seat," Dumbledore said, waving his wand to conjure two additional chairs.
"Now, look up," he instructed. "Mulciber, I suspect you have a great deal to tell us."
Mulciber only glared at Dumbledore with resentment, remaining silent.
Dumbledore fixed him with his piercing blue eyes for a long moment.
Slowly, the gentle smile faded from his face, and the cheerful spark in his eyes dimmed behind his glasses.
Every wrinkle on his aged face seemed to radiate cold fury. An oppressive aura emanated from Dumbledore, as though he were burning with heat.
Mulciber flinched under the weight of this presence, his body trembling slightly as he instinctively tried to stand and flee. But as he rose, Dumbledore's magic forced him back into the chair.
With another wave of Dumbledore's wand, a red light flashed, and Mulciber slumped unconscious in his seat.
"James, Pandora," Dumbledore said, "return to your dormitories. Severus, you stay."
"Minerva, please fetch Horace and ask him to bring the potion."
Professor McGonagall promptly led James and Pandora out of the room.
What potion?
A flicker of unease stirred in Severus's chest. Had Dumbledore stunned Mulciber and sent for Professor Slughorn to use Veritaserum on him?
Severus recalled that Veritaserum was less effective if the subject was alert or guarded, but there was a chance it could cause irreversible damage to a person's memory.
Wasn't Dumbledore the one who would protect every student, even at the cost of his own life?
Yet Severus's thoughts shifted. Dumbledore's protection of Draco had also been a calculated trap for Voldemort, using himself as bait.
This realization deepened Severus's wariness of Dumbledore.
Time passed in heavy silence, each second dragging on.
Footsteps echoed urgently in the corridor. Professor McGonagall returned with Slughorn.
"Albus," Slughorn said, sweat beading on his bald forehead. His eyes widened at the sight of Mulciber slumped in the chair. "Merlin's beard, what's happened to Mulciber?"
"He's merely under a Stunning Spell," Dumbledore replied. "Horace, have you brought the potion?"
"Did he do something?" Slughorn asked, his face a mix of confusion and concern.
Dumbledore nodded, and after a moment's hesitation, Slughorn handed him a small vial of clear liquid.
Dumbledore rose and approached Mulciber, gently prying open his mouth and administering three drops of the potion. He then pointed his wand at Mulciber's chest and said, "Rennervate!"
Mulciber's eyes fluttered open. His gaze was vacant, his face slack, as though his soul had been drained.
Dumbledore crouched before him, their faces level.
"Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asked calmly.
Mulciber's eyelids twitched faintly.
"Yes," he whispered.
"I want you to tell us," Dumbledore said slowly, "why you were in Hogsmeade and what you did there."
Mulciber took a trembling, deep breath and began to speak in a flat, emotionless tone.
"My master learned from me that Dumbledore has been absent from the school frequently. He told me about the secret passage near the library and instructed me to use it to reach Hogsmeade.
"Following his orders, I used the method he taught me to turn the corpses in Hogsmeade's graveyard into Inferi, intending to bring them into the school through the passage…
"My master said this school has betrayed its history and tarnished its honor. It needs to be purified…"
Mulciber's eyelids twitched again.
"Tonight, I had just led the Inferi into the passage when I heard a loud rumble. The passage collapsed…"
His voice trembled with fear.
"My wand fell during the shaking, and I couldn't find it. The Inferi went out of control…
"I barely managed to escape.
"They burst out from the post office…"
————
Supporting me on Patreon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.
pat-reon .com/Dragonhair
(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Patreon normally.)