Though Glenn was merely a young wizard now, his interests and sources of income had already introduced him to a considerable amount of dark magic and dark wizards.
In truth, if the use of dark magic defined one as a dark wizard, then Glenn himself was undeniably one. Not to mention the lives he had taken—just in this life alone, the count already reached a dozen or more.
Glenn had a knack for discerning who had blood on their hands and who hadn't, who had mastered dark magic and who hadn't.
And Gilderoy Lockhart was clearly one of those wizards who had neither.
Of course, exceptions were always possible, but in the wizarding world, there were far too many possibilities to enumerate. In any case, it no longer mattered to Glenn.
To Glenn, whether Lockhart was the mastermind behind this incident was of little consequence. If he was, then it would be killing two birds with one stone, eliminating yet another potential threat within Hogwarts.
Glenn: Strange, why did I say "another"?
If not, then it simply meant removing a dangerous individual who had once harbored murderous intent toward him and Hermione.
However, uncovering the true manipulator behind this incident would require further effort—a task that, unfortunately, was unavoidable.
But…
Judging by Dumbledore's expression, he seemed to have already reached a conclusion.
"Yes, Gilderoy Lockhart has indeed committed many wrongs and will be sent to Azkaban after today. However, this Forbidden Forest riot was not his doing."
After Glenn and Hermione shared their thoughts, Dumbledore nodded and began to speak.
"The Acromantula that Severus mentioned was my responsibility."
"After defeating it, I discovered a familiar soul resonance lingering on its body."
"Because I had recently come into close contact with an object imbued with a soul, I recognized the aura immediately."
"You mean…"
"…Voldemort?"
Hermione furrowed her brows. Dumbledore's hint was too obvious. If there were any soul-infused objects they had encountered recently, it could only be Tom Riddle's diary, which Glenn had destroyed not long ago.
"Could it be that the unusual Acromantula was also one of Voldemort's Horcruxes?!"
The young girl's shock—and even excitement—was understandable. If her assumption were correct, they would have destroyed two of Voldemort's Horcruxes in just two weeks, which would be a significant achievement.
However, Dumbledore shook his head, denying Hermione's speculation.
"Unfortunately, it was not one of Voldemort's Horcruxes. What I sensed was merely the residual trace of a soul that had once been present. In fact, after defeating the Acromantula, I discovered that its consciousness had been nearly devoured."
"Its soul had been consumed as nourishment, leaving it barely able to maintain basic biological instincts. It had become nothing more than a killing machine set up by Voldemort."
The answer was clear. A partially consumed soul, the lingering aura of Voldemort's soul—then...
"So, this incident was orchestrated by Voldemort's main fragment—the remnant that attempted to steal the Philosopher's Stone last year."
Glenn concluded.
Last year, Glenn had disrupted Voldemort's plans by severely injuring Quirrell, whom Voldemort had possessed at the time. This not only threw off Voldemort's schemes but also significantly depleted the life force and soul energy needed to sustain his fragment. Furthermore, Glenn had inflicted direct damage to Voldemort's soul with a Soul-Shattering Curse. By the time Voldemort fled Hogwarts, his condition was likely critical.
So, where near Hogwarts could provide abundant life force?
That's right—the Forbidden Forest.
Instead of fleeing far away, Voldemort had hidden in the Forbidden Forest, attaching himself to a magical creature.
And the stronger the creature, the better. For a starving Voldemort, a Five-X-level Acromantula was an excellent source of nourishment.
As for his motives…
"Perhaps sensing that his Horcrux—the diary Glenn destroyed—had been destroyed, Voldemort, who had been quietly recuperating in the Forbidden Forest, felt a sense of crisis. Having regained some strength, he orchestrated this attack on Hogwarts students out of both self-preservation and revenge…"
"…Isn't that right?"
Unlike Glenn, who silently pieced together the truth in his mind, Hermione couldn't help but murmur her thoughts aloud, almost simultaneously reaching the same conclusion as Glenn.
"Yes, Hermione, I believe your reasoning is correct. That's likely the truth behind this incident."
Dumbledore nodded, looking somewhat remorseful.
"After Voldemort fled last year, I conducted a thorough search of Hogwarts and its surroundings. I even visited the Acromantulas' nest but found no trace of him."
"I suspect his injuries were so severe that he concealed himself by attaching to a creature and entering a dormant state, thus evading detection."
"But ultimately, this was my failing. Sigh…"
The old man sighed deeply. Hermione quickly shook her head and waved her hands, indicating that Dumbledore's self-blame was misplaced.
"This happened because Voldemort is too cunning. While you are a very powerful wizard, Voldemort's abilities are also formidable. Professor, I know you've done your best to keep us safe."
"So, Professor Dumbledore, there's no need to blame yourself. We don't hold you accountable, and I believe other young wizards wouldn't blame you either if they knew the truth."
"Self-recrimination is futile; the past cannot be undone. If you wish to atone, focus on improving Hogwarts' defenses and surveillance measures in the future."
Glenn interjected with a blunt remark. Hermione rolled her eyes and quickly covered his mouth, pulling him into her embrace.
Although Hermione agreed with Glenn's words, she knew timing mattered. If she didn't stop him, who knew what other cold remarks might escape his mouth?
Dumbledore's mood lightened, thanks to Hermione's comforting words, Glenn's bluntness, and the duo's playful interaction.
"Very well, I understand."
"Glenn, I'll be counting on you to assist in enhancing Hogwarts' defenses and upgrading its existing protective measures."
Glenn: ?
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds