Harry Potter and the Obscurus

Chapter 129, Project 3

As night deepened and the young wizards returned to their beds, Hogwarts quietly welcomed Cornelius Fudge, Rufus Scrimgeour, Kingsley Shackles, Dolores Umbridge, and other high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Magic.

Contrary to the Minister of Magic's optimistic vision, Fudge received the answer he least wanted to hear from Dumbledore—Voldemort was quietly growing stronger somewhere.

After that, Barty Crouch Jr.'s affair was exposed.

Out of a desire to protect the European wizarding world and also to atone for his past sins, Barty Crouch confessed everything to Fudge.

Unfortunately, Fudge will always be Fudge.

He was afraid of Voldemort and unwilling to acknowledge his return.

He was afraid of Dumbledore, fearing that the other would take away his ministerial position.

Even though all the clues pointed to one fact, he was unwilling to let the Ministry of Magic react correctly.

Barty Crouch was subsequently pardoned.

His son was merely searching for a master who had long since died; all the rumors and gossip were nothing more than alarmist pronouncements by those with ulterior motives. Furthermore, Crouch's crimes were not to be mentioned by anyone until the Triwizard Tournament was over.

The Ministry of Magic will maintain its authority in a prudent manner.

Unlike in the original story, Dumbledore, faced with Fudge's inaction, did not offer the advice, "Connery, I implore you to be rational." The moment he sensed the current Minister of Magic's inner thoughts, he reverted to playing the role of the old headmaster who was unwilling to leave the school gates.

Finally, at midnight, the officials from the Ministry of Magic left.

In the spacious headmaster's office, Dumbledore, looking slightly tired, sat in a chair and rubbed his forehead. Suddenly, he spoke to the empty space near the Pensieve:

“Dobby came to see me recently and said that Sparkle’s mood suddenly became very bad.”

Swish!

Harry, having ripped off the Invisibility Cloak from his head, pondered for a moment before replying seriously:

"Is that so... But, um... Professor, this doesn't seem to have anything to do with the important matters we need to deal with."

"Perhaps."

Dumbledore continued rubbing his forehead and said:

"If I'm not mistaken, and I hope I'm not mistaken, Voldemort created the last Horcrux when he killed Bertha Jorkins. He didn't want that Horcrux to be too far away from him, and he also desperately needed an absolutely loyal pet to protect him."

"I don't quite understand what you mean. Are you saying that Voldemort turned Barty into a Horcrux?"

“No one can do that on purpose, Harry.”

Dumbledore removed his hand from his forehead, pulled a clean parchment from the table, and picked up his quill to write.

“Voldemort had a pet named Nagini, a giant snake about twelve feet long, resembling a python but with venomous fangs. She was originally… well, I’ll tell you about that another time. My friend and I used the Loyalty Charm to turn your house at 12 Grimmauld Place, London, into a secret headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. This is the authority I’m granting you as the Keeper of Secrets to find it. You can take someone you absolutely trust there.”

"A secret base?"

Harry took the parchment from Dumbledore with some confusion, thinking that he had lived in the house at 12 Grimmauld Place for a whole summer, so why would he need someone to tell him the address? But the moment he saw the few strings of words on the parchment, a feeling of exhilaration, as if he had solved a maze, suddenly arose in his mind.

The ancient and powerful Faithful Charm ignited Harry's desire to learn it, but Dumbledore's motives are more thought-provoking than his desire to master the spell.

After a long pause, he asked very solemnly:

"Do you think Hogwarts is still safe? Should we call off the Triwizard Tournament?"

"I'll say it again, Harry, I'll say it again."

As Dumbledore spoke, he shook his dark hand.

“I am not omniscient or omnipotent, nor can I guarantee that I will not make mistakes, but if we can make our opponents make reckless or wrong decisions due to carelessness, we may be able to seize the opportunity to win. The three-way battle must proceed as scheduled, and you must be prepared to face the worst situation alone.”

"one person?"

Harry said incredulously.

Not only him, but even Mo Ran in his mind couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What do you mean? What's he planning? Do you and he have some kind of plan?"

"No, we haven't seen him much this school year."

......

As if he had overheard Harry and Moran's internal conversation, Dumbledore slowly began to explain.

"I can't put all my eggs in one basket. Some things are better left unsaid, even for the people involved. Alright, you all get ready. We'll discuss the details on the morning of June 24th. Now, I need to rest..."

After leaving the headmaster's office, Harry and Moran engaged in a series of discussions, but no matter what assumptions they made, neither of them could figure out what kind of plan Dumbledore had arranged.

Finally, the day arrived at June 24th.

Students from various schools were incredibly relaxed after finishing their exams. Without academic pressure, they devoted all their energy to watching the competition, which brought unprecedented popularity to the already crucial third event.

How did the exam go last night?

Harry asked Ron.

"so so."

Ron replied:

"I can't remember the names of the fairies during the fairy rebellion, so I made up a few. You know, they were basically called things like Long Beard Long Long, Sloppy Lala, and so on."

As he spoke, he poured some milk into Harry's cup.

As is the tradition of the Triwizard Tournament, the warriors can bring their families and relatives to watch the game.

Harry originally planned to invite Hermione and Ron's families, but because of what Dumbledore had said before, he ultimately only invited the Weasleys, who were also wizards.

When will your parents arrive?

"This morning, I think? They wrote last time saying they'd wait for Bill and Charlie to come to Hogwarts together after they get home. How are your preparations going?"

"It's alright, quite sufficient."

Harry patted the seamless stretch pocket under his Hogwarts robes and said.

It's no exaggeration to say that he and Mo Ran have gone to great lengths over the past month. They've stuffed anything into their pockets, including the Weasley brothers' toys, whether they're illegal or not, as long as they might help the game.

"But you look a little nervous."

"Yeah, tonight's the finals after all... Oh? Hermione, you're here?"

Harry seemed a beat slow to react. When he came to his senses and looked behind him, his eyes met Hermione's worried gaze.

"Ah...that's true..."

Hermione murmured:

"Is there anything we can do? Even just something that can help you in a little way."

Harry's expression showed surprise for a moment, but he quickly composed himself.

"I can't think of anything right now."

He smiled and said:

"But if I do, I won't hide it from you."

Ron, whose mind wasn't as sharp as his friends', couldn't understand what Harry and Hermione were talking about. Having been a bystander for almost half a year, he assumed the two were using him as a third wheel again, and couldn't help but mutter to himself:

"Actually, I think you two should go find an empty classroom."

"Ron!"

......

After breakfast, Harry disappeared without a trace.

Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley spent the entire day strolling and chatting in the castle. They finally saw Harry when a sumptuous dinner was laid out on the table in the Great Hall of Hogwarts as night approached.

"Hey buddy, where did you go?"

"Harry, are you alright?"

Harry, who had been replaying his conversation from hours earlier, composed himself and then stood up to greet the two of them:

"I discussed some important matters with Professor Dumbledore. You know, he likes to tell riddles, so I had to keep guessing..."

Hermione, who was always quick-witted, didn't ask anything this time. She nodded and then immediately put on a relaxed expression, inviting Ron and his family to sit down for a meal.

The dinner was as lavish as the one Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had served, and Harry ate about six-tenths full, as is typical for a Quidditch match day. As the Great Hall ceiling darkened, Dumbledore finally rose from his seat among the faculty.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the venue for the third event of the Triwizard Tournament will soon be open to the public. In five minutes, you will be able to head to the Quidditch pitch. Now, please follow Mr. Bagman for the final pre-match preparations."

Splash!

Enthusiastic applause erupted from all directions, accompanied by a constant stream of encouragement such as "Good luck!" and "Win the championship!" Before long, Harry, Krum, and Fleur followed the signs and arrived at the Quidditch pitch.

Despite being called a Quidditch stadium, this area is hardly recognizable as a stadium anymore.

The hedges, some 20 feet high, covered all the open space as far as the eye could see, like a city wall. Apart from the stands at the entrance where spectators could sit, the warriors couldn't even tell which way was north, south, east, or west.

Five minutes later, the first spectator appeared in the stands, followed by nearly a thousand students and media officials who filed in.

Everyone is hoping that this match, which is destined to be recorded in history, will have a spectacular ending.

Unfortunately, people's joys and sorrows are not shared. No matter how lively the laughter, it could not affect the protagonists of this competition.

"Ladies and gentlemen! The final match of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin. Let me announce the current scores! Hogwarts Warrior Harry Potter is in a commanding lead with 118 points! Next up is Durmstrang Warrior Viktor Krum..."

At Ludo Bagman's shouts, several Hogwarts professors emerged from the crowd, each adorned with a large red star, seemingly symbolizing some important status.

"I and other teachers will patrol outside the maze."

Professor McGonagall, who was walking at the front of the group, said:

"If any warrior encounters insurmountable danger, or wants to end the game and receive rescue, fire a red spark into the sky, and we will be there immediately. Understand?"

"understood."

The warriors nodded in unison.

The passage of time seemed to drift by under the weight of the tension. After what appeared to be an eternity, Bagman finished explaining the rules of the game to the audience.

Soon, colorful flags began to flutter and music began to play. As the first whistle blew, Harry, who had accumulated the highest score, was the first to draw his wand and walk into the maze without looking back.

Swish!

All sound stopped abruptly.

Because the fence was enchanted, once the passage behind the warriors was closed, they could no longer hear the shouts of the audience.

"Point me."