NovelOnline Chapter 549: Clear Conscience
Chapter 549: Clear Conscience
Chapter 549: Clear Conscience
Harry woke in the makeshift tent to a commotion outside. Groping for his glasses by the pillow, he put them on and sat up in bed. The tent was empty except for Professor Harp sitting by the entrance, looking somewhat distracted.
"You're awake, Harry," Felix said.@@@@
"Professor? How long was I asleep?" Harry asked groggily.
"About an hour or so."
"What about the others?"
"They all have their own tasks. Today feels like a lifetime for some..." Felix said, still gazing outside. He had a book of magical runes on his knee but hadn't flipped through it. "Don't worry, Ron and the others have been sent back to school."
Harry felt a bit relieved upon hearing that but then thought of another question. "Professor Dumbledore, where is he? And Bellatrix—"
"Oh, I know what you're about to say. Dumbledore left precisely for that matter."
"He's off to find the Horcrux?" Harry asked, filled with hope.
"Exactly. He got a lead and rushed to confirm it." Felix glanced at Harry, who couldn't contain his joy. But then Felix poured cold water on his excitement. "Don't get too optimistic. Dumbledore's chances of success are slim."
"Why do you say that?" Harry held his breath.
He knew something, a deduction made privately by him, Ron, and Hermione, combining the testimonies of Sirius and Neville.
Sirius had mentioned that the Ministry and the Order had been secretly watching Death Eaters whose names were exposed but lacked solid evidence. Neville had unintentionally revealed that the Longbottoms had once tracked and investigated the Malfoy family, discovering Bellatrix's trail.
"They nearly thwarted the Dark Lord's plot, almost captured her!"
Bellatrix, Harry silently repeated her name.
He knew this woman, had seen her on wanted posters, in newspapers, and in an old photograph glimpsed in Dumbledore's Pensieve last year at the Black house.
Connecting the image of the young woman in the photo to her frenzied state in the Pensieve was difficult for Harry.
"Even if Voldemort entrusted a Horcrux to Bellatrix, after today, he won't dare leave it with anyone else. He's bound to reclaim it. That's one of Dumbledore's goals, to rattle the enemy."
"Dumbledore wearing the ring was to willingly expose his knowledge of the Horcrux?" Harry asked, even though he now knew about all the Horcruxes. "Couldn't he collect them discreetly and destroy them one by one?" He said, unwilling to accept.
So, calling Harry the Dark Lord's nemesis wasn't an exaggeration.
The tent fell into silence.
After a while, Dumbledore appeared in the tent. Both Harry and Felix looked up, seeing Dumbledore dusty and worn. Harry noticed new lines on his face, or maybe it was just his imagination, but there seemed to be a few more.
Dumbledore shook his head silently, and Harry's heart sank.
"Harry, I'll take you back to school," Dumbledore said.
"What about Professor Harp?" Harry stood up and asked.
"He has his own matters to attend to," Dumbledore said briefly. Harry didn't understand. Was sitting idly in a chair by the tent's entrance considered 'matters'? But he didn't voice his thoughts. Dumbledore embraced Harry's shoulder. Harry hesitated, then stammered.
"I'm sorry... I caused trouble for you all."
"It's not your fault," Dumbledore said calmly.
"But I didn't listen to you. I let Voldemort notice me," Harry blamed himself. "I should have known you could handle it... but I couldn't stop myself."
He knew that because of his impulsiveness, Voldemort had discovered their connection. It would be challenging to extract information from Voldemort's mind now. Voldemort would surely be wary of him, using Occlumency...
Unexpectedly, Dumbledore smiled for the first time since appearing, and Professor Harp at the door also smiled.
"Harry," Dumbledore said patiently, "I do wish for you to mature and become responsible, but I don't want your growth to come at the cost of losing those shining qualities; kindness, bravery, integrity... things many people never possess in their lifetime. You have a clear conscience, Harry, and you have no idea how much I envy that."
He sighed softly, caressing the black gemstone ring on his hand.
For a long while, no one spoke until Fawkes flew in from outside, circling
low twice in the tent, and landed on Dumbledore's shoulder. With a burst of flames, they vanished from the tent.
Felix drifted into contemplation. Kindness, bravery, integrity, clear conscience... How many of those did he possess?
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