A magical journey that begins at Hogwarts

"You shouldn't be surprised. Do you remember the Sorting Ceremony when you first came to Hogwarts a few years ago?" Dumbledore asked meaningfully. "The Sorting Hat believed that he possessed the courage of Gryffindor, the wisdom of Ravenclaw, the loyalty of Hufflepuff, and the ambition of Slytherin. Aaron chose Slytherin House at that time."

Besides ambition, the most prominent characteristic of Slytherin students is...

"To protect oneself." Harry inexplicably felt a toothache.

“That’s right.” Dumbledore nodded. “In some ways, Slytherins are more gifted at self-preservation than ambition.”

You know Aaron; he'd thrive in any house, but he chose Slytherin. You understand what that means.

Harry's face twitched as he recalled everything that had happened over the past five years.

"He offended Voldemort when he was in first grade. He always contributed the most to thwarting Voldemort's plots, but I always seemed to be the scapegoat."

I know I have no reason to complain, but he... isn't that a bit too cowardly?

“It might be related to family education,” Dumbledore murmured with a wry smile. “For a wizarding family to last for thousands of years, besides requiring the heir to be exceptionally talented, the ability to survive is the most important factor.”

"So when he took out the contract, I knew I couldn't wait any longer, so I immediately sent out the Order of the Phoenix to interrupt Voldemort's signing."

I'm sure I didn't misread it; he and his twin brother were both extremely disappointed and dissatisfied with the timing of the Order of the Phoenix's appearance, but they could only feign relief.

Hearing this, Harry felt a chill run down his spine.

Damn it! Those detail-obsessed bastards are all idiots.

"Professor, no wonder you said Aaron wanted to kill you even more."

If it were me, I wouldn't be able to stand it either.

"It's not a big deal for now; it doesn't matter if he suspects everything."

He can't beat me, and even if he could, he wouldn't kill me.

Harry rolled his eyes, speechless. "I always thought only the Dark Lord was hung up on him, but I didn't expect you, the White Lord, to be the same."

"This is a last resort," Dumbledore sighed slightly. "I can only suppress Voldemort, but I can't kill him."

I have placed my hopes on prophecy and made ample preparations, but I cannot guarantee that there will be no unexpected events.

Therefore, I need to prepare for both possibilities: that if the plan goes wrong, someone can correct it and ensure the prophecy unfolds as I intend.

"So you chose Aaron?"

“Yes and no,” Dumbledore said. “I value the Gaius family behind Aaron more.”

"But didn't you mention their family's ancestral precepts..."

"Harry, there are always exceptions."

If my investigation is correct, Voldemort's threat to the wizarding world is extraordinary.

Once they feel threatened, the reclusive families will have no reason to stand idly by.

"Actually, I've always wanted to talk to the Gaius family, but I also know that they won't care how eloquently I speak until the time is right." Dumbledore said, holding up five fingers. "I've waited five years for an opportunity like last night, a full five years."

The family heirs have been drawn into the vortex of the wizarding world, and Voldemort's threat to the wizarding world is far greater than imagined. They might even join in, and then everything will be very different.

Even if the Gaius family still adheres to their ancestral teachings, Aaron has already stood on the opposite side of Voldemort, and he will still be a guarantee for my plan.

As the saying goes, it's not the thief you should fear, but the one who has his eye on you. If he doesn't want Voldemort to have his eye on him, he has to help you fulfill the prophecy.

Harry took a while to come to his senses. He pursed his lips and said, "Professor Dumbledore, you are truly cunning, no, you are incredibly shrewd!"

Dumbledore gave a bitter smile, his eyebrows and beard trembling slightly. "That kid will probably hold a grudge against me for a long time!"

“It could happen in a lifetime,” Harry said, pursing his lips.

“It’s not that exaggerated,” Dumbledore waved his hand. “He’s more magnanimous than you think, otherwise he wouldn’t have helped you solve those troubles one after another over the years.”

"Professor, do you mean we'll be visiting the Gaius family?"

“Yes, this summer,” Dumbledore said. “I will let you know then.”

"Me too?" Harry pointed to himself. "I have to come along too?"

"Not just you, but also Professor Snape, though he might not be so keen on it."

Harry forced a smile. Although he didn't like being told what to do, he had to admit that he felt very safe at that moment.

......

That afternoon, in Professor Snape's office.

Aaron brewed a pot of tea, poured himself a cup, and then pretended to take a sip.

"Tsk!" Aaron clicked his tongue. "Not bad."

"Professor, would you like a drink?"

“This is my office,” Snape said with a dark expression. “If someone came in, they would think you were the owner of this room.”

"You jest, Professor Snape."

"Then please leave my desk and return my chair while you're at it."

“Okay.” Aaron snapped his fingers and immediately gave up his seat. “Professor, you can speak now. I’m all ears.”

Snape sat down, gave him a deep look, and asked with difficulty, "Where do you want me to begin?"

“Alright, I’ll ask and you answer, that way everyone’s more relaxed,” Aaron said, and Snape’s embarrassment lessened a bit.

"First of all, Professor, did you notify the Order of the Phoenix in a timely manner?"

“I’ve notified him.” Snape pursed his lips. “I’ve confirmed that Sirius is still here, but I can’t find him in the Forbidden Forest, so I know he must have gone to the Department of Mysteries.”

"How did you find out what was happening in the Bureau of Mysteries?"

"Are you so sure?"

"answer the questions."

“The Prophecy Orb,” Snape said. “The Prophecy Orb that Harry and Voldemort had was enchanted by Dumbledore to monitor their surroundings.”

Even if Voldemort destroys it, it can still hold on for a while before its magic completely dissipates.

“Just as I expected.” Aaron snorted. “You all saw everything they did after Harry got the Prophecy Orb, right?”

Snape nodded silently, without denying it.

"Dumbledore seems quite interested," Aaron said dismissively. "What's his purpose?"

“Test,” Snape took a deep breath. “Test Potter’s will, ability, courage, and loyalty.”

"Hmm... After Harry gave the prophecy orb to Lucius, were you planning to leave?"

Sirius and Lupin were both eager to get started, but Dumbledore thought they could wait a little longer.

He figured that since you were willing to hand over that magical weapon to Granger, you were probably keeping an eye on how things were going. Of course... he certainly wouldn't let anything happen to the student.

Sure enough, he guessed right; you arrived just in time to save Longbottom.

"You old bastard," Aaron said through gritted teeth, "I should have waited a few more seconds."

"It's normal for young people to be impatient."

"I'm at least better than Lupin and Sirius."

"Your appearance greatly pleased Dumbledore, and so... he gained another subject for testing."

The strength you displayed really startled us; you even managed to give the Dark Lord a hard time.

We only learned about your true family background last night, and I must say, it's incredibly...unbelievable. No wonder the Dark Lord and Dumbledore valued you so much.

Aaron thought to himself that if he couldn't beat them, he would definitely slap each of them across the face.

He's an honest man, why should he be taken advantage of like this?

"I can accept all of this reluctantly, but when I finally have to sign the contract with Voldemort, won't Dumbledore be uneasy?"

Snape fell silent upon hearing this, then met Aaron's calm gaze.

"Yes."

"As expected." Aaron slapped his forehead. "That old bastard definitely did it on purpose; he wanted to drag me down with him."

"The process was indeed unethical, even a bit underhanded, but the result was successful," Snape said with a complicated expression. "Actually, he had this plan from the moment you enrolled. He didn't expect you to join the Order of the Phoenix, but at least he wanted to win you over as an ally."

"Give me a break! I'll be grateful he doesn't stab me in the back," Aaron cursed indignantly. "After what happened last night, I've realized that Voldemort can't outmaneuver Dumbledore."

The battle between the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters may be arduous, but the outcome is almost certain.

"Professor, I have to criticize you a bit here."

You are the head of Slytherin, yet you just stood by and watched your student fall into the abyss.

"You can come earlier or later, why do you have to arrive right at the exact moment of the ceasefire?"

"Well... I couldn't do anything about the situation at the time."

Dumbledore had been preparing for this day for a long time; Voldemort's opportunity wouldn't come twice, and I had no way to stop it.

Aaron rolled his eyes and said nothing more.

Professor Snape was just a member of the Order of the Phoenix, so it's normal that he couldn't influence Dumbledore's decisions.

"I won't let this go so easily."

“I understand, but take my advice and give up!” Snape said earnestly. “He won’t make things too difficult for you; he just wants you to help Porter when you need it.”

"Do you believe that?" Aaron asked rhetorically. "If this had happened before yesterday, it might have been somewhat believable."

But I already revealed my strength last night. If you were Dumbledore, would you arrange for a wizard who could take on ten Death Eaters to do this?

Upon hearing this, Professor Snape opened his mouth, unsure how to offer any words of comfort.

He didn't know what Dumbledore was thinking, but if it were him, he would never waste such a top-tier fighter.

"Forget it, there's always tomorrow. What's done is done and can't be changed," Aaron said expressionlessly, then changed the subject, "But I'm not someone to be trifled with. I won't follow the path he laid out for me."

"I don't care about prophecies. Let Harry Potter do whatever he wants. I will not stop him."

“But you’ve already been targeted by the Dark Lord. Following the prophecy is the safest course of action.”

"Hahaha..." Aaron couldn't help but laugh, laughing so hard he almost fell over. "Professor, similar coercion has happened before in the thousands of years of Gaius family history."

But most of the time, our choice is to rather die a glorious death than live a shameful life.

"You're exaggerating!" Snape frowned slightly. "I know Dumbledore very well. Although he tried to get you involved, it was only to make the plan work better. He wouldn't let you do anything beyond your capabilities."