A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

"You mean I... am that boy?"

"Strangely, there were two people who met the criteria at the time."

One is you, Harry Potter, and the other is Neville Longbottom.

"But if that's the case, why are my name and Voldemort's name marked under the prophecy orb?"

"When Sybil was looking for a job, she chose the cheaper Pig's Head Bar, which had poor privacy and attracted a more mixed clientele than the Three Brooms."

There, you can never guarantee that your conversations won't be overheard, and like you, I suffered the same fate.

Of course, I never dreamed that she would make any valuable predictions.

Fortunately, the eavesdropper was discovered halfway through the prophecy and was thrown out of the Pighead Bar.

Therefore, Voldemort only knew the first part of the prophecy: the boy who was capable of defeating him would be born at the end of July, and his parents had resisted Voldemort three times.

Voldemort was unaware of the latter part; the Dark Lord would mark him as a formidable foe. "At this point," Dumbledore said, pointing to the scar on Harry's forehead, "this mark allowed the people of the Hall of Prophecy to make that judgment."

Harry frowned slightly. "Isn't this a bit too hasty?"

"I used to think that way too, but then I realized it might actually be true."

You've grown incredibly fast in these five years, fast enough to confront Voldemort face-to-face.

“That’s because he wanted to torture me slowly.” Harry chuckled self-deprecatingly. “I’m not even a Magister, how could I possibly beat a Archmage?”

I witnessed your fight with Voldemort firsthand. I couldn't possibly get involved in a fight of that magnitude; the aftershocks alone would have killed me.

If Voldemort had been even slightly more serious, I probably would be dead by now.

“But you’re still alive, aren’t you?” Dumbledore comforted him. “You’ve escaped from him several times, and each time you’ve made great progress.”

Over the years, I've conducted several tests—the Philosopher's Stone, the Dementors, and even the Triwizard Tournament—all of which have demonstrated your abilities and qualities.

To be honest, your progress has made me ecstatic more than once.

“But I’m no match for Voldemort,” Harry said somewhat pessimistically. “Like he said, a wizard’s strength is influenced by talent, and even if I reach my peak in this lifetime, I probably still won’t be able to beat him.”

“That’s undeniable, but the actual situation is influenced by many factors,” Dumbledore said patiently. “Didn’t Aaron tell you when he was teaching you that a Magister can also defeat an Archmage?”

“He seems to have mentioned it,” Harry murmured. “Wait, Professor, how do you know?”

“I am the headmaster, and I know a lot about what’s going on at the school,” Dumbledore said with some pride. “I’ve been following everything from your meeting at the Hog’s Head to Dobby’s recommendation of the Room of Requirement. I even used the Disillusionment Charm to sit in on your first class.”

It must be said that Aaron's teaching ability is no less than that of an average professor.

"Oh, I see!" Harry exclaimed in realization.

"So you should have some confidence in yourself, and it seems that when Voldemort attacked you more than ten years ago, he accidentally transferred some of his abilities to you."

The scar on your head clearly reveals its presence, no matter what disguise it makes.

This is your advantage, Harry, an advantage that no one else has.

Harry looked bitter. "I don't want that kind of advantage."

"Yes! It is both a blessing and a curse."

But regardless, the choice is made: one of you and Voldemort must kill the other.

“Professor Dumbledore,” Harry took a deep breath, his face showing hesitation, “Voldemort fears you most, if you can defeat him… I suppose prophecies aren’t always 100% accurate, are they?”

“I would like to if I could,” Dumbledore smiled wryly. “But Harry, under what circumstances do you think I would choose to believe in prophecy, and even go so far as to prepare for it for more than a decade?”

Harry paused for a moment, a terrible thought forming in his mind.

This conjecture made him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and his body trembled involuntarily.

“I’m not sure, Harry,” Dumbledore shrugged. “If it’s a head-on fight, I might be able to defeat Voldemort, or at the very least, take him down with me. But if he’s determined to run, I can’t stop him.”

Just as I know him well, he knows me all too well. The weaknesses of people like us are very obvious, and my care and protection for you will become his main weapon against me.

Moreover, I'm getting old. Being over a hundred years old might not be much for a powerful wizard, and I could even live for several hundred more if I wanted to, but I have to admit that my mindset is no longer young.

Having experienced two Wizarding Wars, I know very well what defeat means.

I dare not gamble. I can pay any price, but we must guarantee that we will win, because we cannot afford to lose.

And most importantly, Voldemort has gone very far on the path to immortality; he might, he might…”

"Maybe what?" Harry asked somewhat nervously.

“It’s not 100% certain yet,” Dumbledore shook his head. “But during my time away from Hogwarts, I did some research, and Voldemort’s preparations are probably far more terrifying than I thought.”

Harry swallowed hard, feeling inexplicably overwhelmed by pressure, and a deep sense of self-doubt arose within him.

Can he really handle a guy that even Dumbledore thought he couldn't handle?

“Perhaps there are other possibilities,” Harry said weakly. “Aaron, yes, Aaron can definitely do it. He’s much stronger than me. Back in the Department of Mysteries, he single-handedly held off ten Death Eaters and even fought Voldemort to a standstill.”

“Gaius?” Dumbledore’s expression suddenly became complicated. “I have thought about that, but… how should I put it?”

I'd previously hinted that he should join us in fighting Voldemort, and he politely declined at the time. As for now... I think he'd rather kill me than Voldemort!

Harry: ? ? ?

"Professor, what do you mean by this?"

boom! boom! boom!

Just as Dumbledore was about to explain, a knock came at the door.

"come in!"

Professor Snape walked into the headmaster's office, paused for a moment when he saw Harry Potter, and then looked away.

"Is there something you need, Severus?"

“Gaius just came to me,” Professor Snape said, his expression shifting between light and dark. “He’s sensed something’s wrong and wants an explanation.”

“That’s normal, Severus,” Dumbledore sighed. “That boy is smarter than anyone else; even if he were slow to realize it, he should have thought of it.”

“But I shouldn’t have to explain,” Snape said, somewhat angrily. “Lupin, Moody, Kingsley, Nymphadora, any one of them… anyone will do, but I can’t.”

“Severus, I understand how you feel, but right now you are indeed the most suitable candidate.”

"Principal, don't just stand there and talk like you don't know what's going on."

At Hogwarts, I was probably the person he trusted most. If I were to tell him that, how could I possibly save face?

"Then what do you mean?"

“You explain it to him yourself!” Snape said seriously. “This was your arrangement; I was just an executor.”

Dumbledore pursed his lips, and Harry noticed a rare hint of embarrassment on his face.

"Professor Snape, I'm afraid this really won't work."

You have the best relationship with him, so if you explain things to him, he might be able to control his emotions. But if it were me, it would probably have the opposite effect.

Upon hearing this, Professor Snape made no attempt to hide the sarcasm on his face.

"Principal, you...you still care about this?"

Dumbledore's old face immediately fell, and he said meekly, "This is my request to you, Severus."

I'm over a hundred years old, please consider this as giving an old man some face!

Professor Snape rolled his eyes, but since Dumbledore had already put it that way, he couldn't very well refuse.

"Okay, I understand. I'll tell him your plans."

"Thank you very much." Dumbledore breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "However, it's best not to explain too much about the parts that need to be concealed, you know what I mean?"

"Will it be of any use?" Professor Snape asked rhetorically, then left the headmaster's office without looking back.

“Professor,” Harry looked at Dumbledore, puzzled, “what are you talking about?”

"It's better if you don't know this," Dumbledore said sullenly.

"You shouldn't keep it from me anymore, right?"

This matter has a lot to do with Aaron, and I feel it's necessary for me to get to the bottom of it.

Dumbledore remained silent for a long time, then rubbed his forehead helplessly and said with a wry smile, "You know, Aaron's strength and talent far surpass those of his peers, and he also has a powerful family behind him."

If we can get them to join the fight against Voldemort, our chances of winning will increase significantly, and at the very least, our casualties will be greatly reduced.

Harry nodded in deep agreement, citing the battles following the Triwizard Tournament and last night's battle against the Department of Mysteries as evidence.

“But the Gaius family has an ancestral precept that forbids its descendants from getting involved in the conflicts of the wizarding world,” Dumbledore sighed. “Neutrality has been the Gaius family’s stance for thousands of years.”

As long as he abides by this ancestral precept, even the Wizarding War will not affect him. The foundation and network of his wizarding family, which has been passed down for thousands of years, are his strong backing, and he can remain unscathed.

However, if he violates this rule, he will be temporarily expelled from the family, and even the family heir is not exempt.

"I think I know that, but what does it have to do with what you were just talking about?"

“There is still some connection,” Dumbledore said sheepishly. “In a sense, the Order of the Phoenix successfully dragged him into this last night.”

Harry:......

Chapter 513 The Collapse of a Majestic Image: Is the Contract a Ceasefire Agreement?

Harry paused for a moment, then stared at Dumbledore in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You mean... Aaron's visit last night was arranged by you? How is that possible?"

"Under normal circumstances, it is indeed impossible. He is quite capable, but he is not just ordinary... cautious."

But last night presented an opportunity, and I simply went with the flow.

"What exactly happened?" Harry asked, his face full of confusion.

"Ever since you dreamt that Arthur was attacked by Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries, I knew he had started plotting the prophecy orb. After all, he only received half of the prophecy more than a decade ago, and the other half is very important to him."

At that time, I took some time to visit the Department of Mysteries and cast a spell on the Prophecy Orb. This was inspired by Miss Adrian Klein, allowing me to remotely monitor the orb, and the spell would continue for a period of time even if the orb was destroyed.

“Remote monitoring?” Harry murmured, then suddenly realized, “So that means that from the moment we found the prophecy orb last night, our every move was under your watchful eye?”

“You could say that,” Dumbledore said bluntly. “The Order of the Phoenix has special means of communication. After you dreamed that Sirius was captured, Aaron informed Snape, and he then informed the Order of the Phoenix as quickly as possible to confirm the situation.”

"He...didn't stall for time?"

"Why do you think that?" Dumbledore frowned slightly. "Snape and Sirius have some grudges, but that doesn't mean he can't separate public and private matters."