stonecrandall Page 402
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He sighed deeply, looked up at Dumbledore as if to say something to comfort him, but ultimately only managed to utter one sentence: "I'm sorry, Headmaster. In my opinion, Voldemort isn't the most crucial issue. We have our own plans."
Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then finally nodded. "I understand, Levin. We all have our own positions and choices. I just hope you remember that whichever path you choose, you must be responsible for your actions."
The conversation between the two ended unhappily.
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Update [4/3], Bonus Chapter [89/107]
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Chapter 444 You reporters are just too young!
Ludo Bagman's voice echoed through the night sky like a resounding bell:
"Ladies and gentlemen, although we have encountered some minor setbacks during the competition, we must not let those dark wizards' schemes succeed. This competition we are holding will surely come to a successful conclusion. At this moment, the results of the competition have been announced. Please return to your seats, and we will soon present awards to the valiant warriors."
As Bagman finished speaking, the stage was illuminated by a white light, allowing the audience in every corner to clearly see the scene on the stage.
The scattered audience members gradually returned to their seats; having just experienced the riot, they certainly needed something to boost their morale.
"First of all, let's give a warm round of applause to our award presenter and one of our judges, Mr. Levin Green, as he comes to the stage." Ludo Bagman's voice rang out again, full of respect and gratitude.
Lai Wenhua made a chimera and flew into the sky, circling once before slowly landing on the platform.
He raised his lion head slightly and let out a deafening roar.
The roar was so loud and so passionate that it filled the hearts of all who heard it with boundless courage and hope.
When it comes to Levin, Bagman's praise never stops:
"During the riot just now, Mr. Green stepped forward and bravely confronted those Death Eaters, protecting many lives. I propose that we give him a round of applause to express our sincere gratitude!"
The applause at the scene was like a surging tide, and everyone applauded Levin sincerely.
They witnessed Levin's fierce battle with the Death Eaters and their respect and gratitude for him were palpable.
This time, Levin's name and heroic deeds will be widely circulated in the wizarding world of Europe.
"Now, please give our warmest applause to welcome our warriors to the stage!" Bagman shouted passionately.
Hermione was the first to stand up and ascend the stage amidst applause from the young wizards of Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, followed closely by the other warriors.
Krum also took the stage, and his actions had been proven to be influenced by the Imperius Curse, so no one pursued his responsibility anymore.
At this moment, his eyes were unfocused and blank. He sat on the platform, seemingly still recovering from the damage caused by the [Soul-Stealing Curse]. Perhaps it would take some time for him to fully recover.
When Bagman announced Hermione's champion status, applause once again resounded throughout the venue.
Amidst cheers from the crowd, Hermione accepted the gleaming trophy and generous prize money from Levin's hands.
Then, a group of reporters surged onto the stage like a tide, microphones and cameras in hand, eager to capture every exciting moment.
They kept asking the Warriors questions, inquiring about their thoughts on the game and their opinions on tonight's attack.
Levin, Hermione, Harry, and Dumbledore became the focus of the reporters' attention.
They were surrounded by a dense crowd, with flashes of light constantly capturing their every subtle expression and movement.
During the interview, several topics quickly became hot topics that various media outlets rushed to report on.
Among them, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly Dumbledore and Harry's claim that the Man of Void had returned.
Levin received the most attention, after all, he single-handedly stopped more than a dozen Death Eaters at the most dangerous moment, and then commanded the Aurors to capture all the Death Eaters who tried to escape.
Without him having to say a word, the Aurors began to spread his story.
"Mr. Levin Green, Headmaster Dumbledore, and Mr. Harry Potter have all mentioned the return of the Man of Void. Can you confirm the veracity of this news? Did you witness this event firsthand?" the reporter asked eagerly.
Levin smiled slightly and replied, "As the Aurors just said, I spent the whole night at Hogwarts, on the Quidditch pitch, fighting against the Death Eaters."
"So you're just denying it?" the reporter pressed.
Levin shook his head and said helplessly, "I must say, these Death Eaters are acting extremely aggressively. They are creating chaos at all costs, which may indirectly confirm the Dark Lord's resurrection that they talk about."
"So all of this is just your speculation?" the reporter persisted, "Doesn't this sound like an official decision?"
"You guys always want to create a big news story." Levin earnestly advised the reporters present: "You just asked me if I admitted it or not. Actually, I could have just said no comment, but you wouldn't have been happy. So what can I do? What I meant just now was not that I admit Voldemort has been resurrected, but that I speculate he might be. You asked me if I believe he has been resurrected, and I'll tell you clearly, I believe he is!"
"You journalists are very familiar with this Muggle theory, but you're still too young. Let me tell you, I'm a veteran, I've seen it all. What Muggle tactic haven't I seen? Their media is far superior to yours. I'm worried for you... You have one advantage: you run faster than Muggle reporters, but the questions you ask are too simple! Sometimes naive!"
He paused, then continued to the grim-faced reporters, "I'm sorry, but I'm here today as an elder to speak to you. I'm not a journalist, but I've seen far too much. I feel it's necessary to share my life experience with you. There's a saying in China, 'Keep quiet and make a fortune,' but since you're so enthusiastic, it wouldn't be right for me to remain silent. If your reports are inaccurate in the future, you'll be held responsible! I didn't claim to have witnessed anything firsthand, but if you insist on asking whether we support Dumbledore, he's the headmaster of Hogwarts, so of course we support him!"
Harry was slightly surprised after hearing Levin's answer. Immediately after the interview, he sought out Hermione to share his confusion:
"I really find it hard to understand. In the message Levin left me, he clearly mentioned that he and Dumbledore had foreseen Voldemort's resurrection, and that he even personally participated in the battle against Voldemort. So why didn't he publicly confirm Voldemort's return in the interview just now?"
“Harry, Levin definitely has his reasons…”
Hermione wanted to say something in Levin's defense, but before she could finish, Ron interrupted her:
“Harry, you shouldn’t have believed him! He… I mean, people don’t want to see him come back.”
Before Ron could finish speaking, Hermione glared at him, forcing him to suppress the urge to continue criticizing Levin.
He witnessed it with his own eyes; in the chaos just now, Hermione personally used a spell to defeat a dark wizard!
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he quickly asked Harry, "The Man from Darkness? Is he really back?"
Harry nodded, and said solemnly:
"Yes, I witnessed his resurrection firsthand. The witch named Bellatrix Lestrange acted extremely madly. When Voldemort was resurrected, he originally chose other Death Eaters as sacrifices, but Bellatrix suddenly lost control and rushed out to question—why not her? She took the initiative to preside over the resurrection ceremony and offered her own hand to help the Void complete that evil rebirth spell."
Harry's description sent a chill down Ron and Hermione's spines.
When Hermione heard Harry describe Bellatrix's insane behavior, a look of shock flashed in her eyes.
She had never imagined that anyone among the Death Eaters could harbor such deep feelings for Voldemort, which completely shattered her stereotype of the Death Eaters as cold-blooded and ruthless.
The moment that thought crossed her mind, her thoughts drifted involuntarily to the girls around Levin.
If Levin were in a similar situation, would anyone be willing to sacrifice themselves without hesitation like Bellatrix?
She would certainly be willing, but if someone else took the initiative to make sacrifices before her, and if she were to compete for the opportunity to dedicate herself like Bellatrix, she couldn't do it.
Zhang Qiu might do that, and so would Xi Ruila... She would definitely not hesitate to give Lei Wen her hand before the other girls.
Thinking of this, Hermione felt a strange emotion welling up inside her.
Neville clenched his fists and looked incredulous when Harry mentioned Bellatrix Lestrange's name.
"Did she really cut off her own hand?" he couldn't help but ask.
Harry nodded heavily. "Yes, but Voldemort gave her a shimmering new hand, as bright as moonlight. He boasted that he had cast a powerful dark spell on it, giving it incredible strength, and it seemed capable of draining the life force from anything it touched."
Harry recalled the scene of Bellatrix Lestrange trying out the novice, when she picked up a twig from the ground and easily withered it into dust in an instant—a bizarre sight that remained vivid in his memory.
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Update [5/3], Bonus Chapter [90/107]
Please subscribe, and please give me flowers, monthly tickets, reviews, and tips! Give all your tickets to me, the author; it really means a lot to me!
Chapter 445 Snape Regains Trust
While Harry and his friends were gathered together, excitedly discussing the person whose name couldn't be mentioned, they were unaware that the person had quietly returned to the vicinity of Hogwarts.
“You are an hour late, fifty-six minutes late, Severus.”
A cold sound pierced the silent night sky.
Voldemort stood in the darkness, his pale left hand holding a wand, the tip of which gleamed with a cold light.
He gazed into the distance, his view expansive, a dazzling expanse of lights stretching as far as the eye could see.
Those were the lights of Hogwarts, each window casting a warm glow that contrasted sharply with the surrounding darkness.
Voldemort quietly admired the familiar scene, a complex emotion welling up within him.
That was his former home, holding his most precious memories from his childhood.
The unique spire of Hogwarts gleamed with a mysterious light in the dark summer night; it was a beacon of wisdom that illuminated his path of learning.
However, at this moment he was unable to step into that familiar place.
For decades, he had been kept out of Hogwarts because of the presence of an old man.
And tonight, there's another young person here.
He had already heard about the great deeds Levin Green had done from the few Death Eaters who had escaped from Hogwarts.
Combined with a series of rumors he heard from Bella and others, Voldemort already knew that a young genius had emerged in the wizarding world.
Dumbledore will eventually grow old; in fact, he is already old.
But Levin Green was only fifteen years old.
The young man's appearance gave Voldemort a strange sense of urgency.
Despite his confidence that no genius could threaten his position, Levin's achievements forced him to reassess the situation.
“You’ve chosen to meet here, Master. Isn’t that a bit too risky?” Snape’s voice was low and humble as he prostrated himself on the ground, his black robes spreading out like a shadow.
"This place is too close to Hogwarts. There are Aurors everywhere there now. If Dumbledore finds out..."
“Dumbledore?” Voldemort’s lips curled into a cold smile, his red eyes gleaming coldly in the darkness. “Do you think I would fear an old Dumbledore?”
“No, Master. Dumbledore has been restless ever since your resurrection. He fears your return… After all, he is old and frail,” Snape said cautiously.
"Old and frail?" Voldemort scoffed, his tone laced with disdain. "I don't see what he's afraid of. After all, he still has that Mudblood Levin Grin backing him up at Hogwarts."
"What, you didn't bring Dumbledore with you to capture me, and you came alone? I thought there would be a carefully planned ambush here." Voldemort's tone revealed a hint of sarcasm.
"I have always been your person, from beginning to end, with unwavering loyalty."
Snape's voice became even more humble, "Back then, it was you who ordered me to go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to secretly monitor Albus Dumbledore... Have you forgotten all of that?"
"Yes, you obeyed my orders... and you've been there for over a decade. I didn't realize you were such a loyal servant."
Voldemort laughed mockingly.
"If you are truly so loyal, why haven't you come to me all these years to save your poor master?"
He stared intently at Snape, his red eyes seeming to see right into the depths of one's soul.
"Lift your head and look me in the eyes!"
Voldemort coldly commanded.