Chapter 121: Names of the Medals
The boy was trapped in a nightmare again.
In his dream, he saw the long-lost Astronomy Tower. In the green light of the Dark Mark, Dumbledore, unarmed, smiled calmly at him and said, "Draco, Draco, you are not a murderer."
His face was pale, and he said to Dumbledore in despair, "I will kill you... I have no choice! I have to do it! He will kill my whole family!"
"You didn't cause any damage, and didn't hurt anyone. You are very lucky. Those people you accidentally injured survived... I can help you, Draco." Dumbledore was still smiling. "... Stand on the right path, Draco... You are not a murderer..."
His wand hand was shaking—it dropped a little.
That's right, he's not a murderer. She had said that too.
He hesitated.
He wanted to give up.
He thought of her pure, bright eyes—the tip of the stick drooping.
However—"Avada Kedavra!"—Dumbledore's body was hit by Professor Snape who rushed over and flew into the air...
From then on, everything was irreversible.
I did not kill Bo Ren, yet Bo Ren died because of me.
Draco Malfoy woke with a start.
He instinctively grabbed his wand from under his pillow, sat up in bed gasping, and stared at the boy in the full-length mirror opposite the bed - the boy's face was as pale as in his dream.
He stared at the long dark green curtains on the four-poster bed, took a long, deep breath, and cast Occlumency on himself, gradually calming his panic.
"It's okay." He whispered.
"It was just a nightmare," he said in a trembling voice.
"Dumbledore—is not dead." He tried hard to convince himself.
"You didn't kill anyone. You didn't." His lips trembled as he whispered to the pale-faced boy in the mirror, wanting to smile but unable to.
He thought of those frozen, still pupils. He thought of the blood that flowed across Malfoy Manor. He thought of the students who died during the Battle of Hogwarts.
He remembered her silent tears, which burned a hollow hole in his heart.
Those images tormented him constantly, like venomous snakes lying in wait, hidden in the ruins of his inner world, ready to spring out and bite him.
It bit his soul to pieces.
The clock on the wall ticked slowly, reminding the boy that it was still several hours before dawn. Draco lay down again, but could no longer fall asleep.
Finally, he decided to wear the Muggle headphones Hermione gave him.
He fumbled in the bedside table for a long time until he found the new, unopened cassette. Slowly peeling off the plastic cover, he stared at the word "Dookie" written on it for a moment.
"This is a new album called 'Dookie' by Green Day, a Muggle punk band from the United States." He remembered the mischievous look on Hermione's face when she gave him the tape. "I'm not sure if you like this style, but why not give it a try?"
Punk? What is that? Green Day, that name is completely clueless.
"Who calls a music album 'scum'?" Draco said incredulously. "Do Muggles appreciate such horrible terms?"
"It's quite popular, actually. I guess Muggle teenagers are under a lot of pressure." Hermione shrugged and said with a grin, "Try it, it won't bite you."
"Oh, who can expect music to bite?" Draco said indifferently, not understanding why the girl in front of him was smiling cunningly.
Come on, Green Day, punk, scum. These ridiculous Muggle words! Draco shook his head in disapproval, but still took it obediently under Hermione's piercing gaze and reluctantly said "thank you" to her.
As soon as he returned to the dormitory, he threw it into the deepest part of the bedside table.
He had never considered listening to anything so unrelated to classical music—he didn't think he was low enough to like the stuff Muggle teenagers liked—until now.
Maybe at this moment, he needed some ridiculous and brainless Muggle teenage music to numb his thoughts.
He lazily put on his headphones and casually pressed the "play" button - Merlin! Draco was shocked.
Hermione Granger, that cunning little liar - this music really does bite - it jumps out and bites his eardrum hard!
The loud rhythm, drum beats and roars almost shattered his ears.
"Hermione, now I finally know why you are smiling like a little fox!" Draco said to himself.
Who could have imagined? This seemingly well-behaved girl would listen to such rebellious music. It was truly shocking! It was simply impossible to guard against! Draco scratched his hair helplessly, feeling that he had fallen into the "punk trap" designed by Hermione Granger, who occasionally played by the rules.
However, just when he was about to press the "stop button" and was about to give up listening to the music, something strange happened.
In this noisy and cheerful Muggle music, he gradually gained a kind of peace - not the peace of his ears - but the peace of his heart.
He suddenly realized that he no longer had any space in his brain to recall past memories. His brain was filled with this overly arrogant music.
Amid the deafening music, he even began to appreciate these Muggle things.
He learned to drift with the flow of this noisy, thoughtless music. A smile curled up at the corner of his mouth, and he closed his eyes, as if before his eyes, he could see Hermione Granger's sly smile and her beautifully shaped lips.
"Well—you win," he said to Hermione during Potions class that day. "I finally listened to that noisy album."
"How is it?" She raised an eyebrow in interest, observing his expression.
"Just barely audible," he said briefly, picking at a few even-sized mistletoe berries.
"Hear a little?" she asked happily.
"Oh, ah, from beginning to end--" His eyes were full of guilt and he didn't dare to look her in the eye.
"I can't believe you've listened to them all. Which one is your favorite?" she asked quietly—accustomed to his somewhat arrogant and dishonest tone—and was busy guessing, "Basket Case?"
"Basket Case." He answered at the same time.
"I knew it." She said proudly, "Draco, you have to admit that sometimes you don't know what you want. You have to try it to know what you like and dislike, right? For example, Muggle punk music -"
"Maybe." He didn't refute her.
He felt that he must be crazy.
Because, even if he was not listening to the music at the moment, it was playing in the depths of his mind.
He must have listened to that music too many times. It wasn't because it was enjoyable, he thought awkwardly.
The brainwashing music didn't even give him time to think about his meeting with Professor Dumbledore the next day - he didn't wake up until he stood at the door of the headmaster's office.
Draco always secretly repelled the idea of meeting Dumbledore, especially a private meeting.
Every time he talked to Dumbledore, he had an extremely complicated mentality - full of vigilance and a certain regret.
This mentality made it difficult for him to communicate with Dumbledore in a completely relaxed manner.
"Oh, Draco, I thought this should be yours," Dumbledore said lightly, pushing the Invisibility Cloak on the desk in Draco's direction.
"Is this a trap to make me admit that I have violated the school rules?" Draco did not move, but just narrowed his eyes and looked at the expression on Professor Dumbledore's face.
"Obviously not, if you're just using it to sneak into the kitchen and eat," Dumbledore said with a smile, a tacit understanding of forgiveness in his words. "I heard that you occasionally go to see the house-elves."
Draco raised an eyebrow and quickly put the Invisibility Cloak with the Malfoy family crest embroidered on the corner back into his pocket.
This was Draco's first Saturday since Barty Crouch Jr. was arrested.
Hogwarts Castle was bathed in peaceful sunlight.
There was no widespread coverage, no Ministry of Magic dispatched, and it seemed as if Hermione Granger casting the "petrification curse" at Professor Moody in the stands was a farce that no one cared about.
The Daily Prophet still used a stirring tone to weave the emotional gossip of several warriors, which made Draco suspect every morning that the newspaper had become a magazine of youth fantasy and romance literature.
What confused him even more was that he didn't understand why he was asked to come to the headmaster's office, and he was even more confused about Dumbledore's next plan.
"I can see that you have many questions," Dumbledore said with a smile, "Is there anything I can answer?"
"Now that we're on to this - what happened to Professor Moody, appearing as usual in the corridor of Hogwarts Castle yesterday? I thought he was still recuperating in the school hospital." Draco asked hesitantly.
"Ah, you noticed that, didn't you?" Dumbledore smiled graciously. "Sirius was very generous and took on the role of Professor Moody... He pretended to be mysterious, and that he had someone impersonate him in order to alert the students."
Draco nodded slightly to the kind face - he still couldn't forget the terrifying expression Dumbledore had on his face when he faced Barty Crouch Jr.
"Are you going to follow Sirius Black's plan? To sit back and wait for the rabbit to come?" He did not intend to let go of this question, but continued to ask.
"I have to say, this plan is very tempting. I had to tell a little lie to Madame Maxime, Professor Karkaroff and the officials of the Ministry of Magic. I am very sure that if the Ministry of Magic catches Barty Crouch Jr., with Rita Skeeter's writing ability, the rumor will soon reach Voldemort's ears. Then the little advantage we currently have will be wasted." Professor Dumbledore said thoughtfully.
He gestured for Draco to take the seat across from him, waved his wand, and brought him a large cup of hot tea.
"Thank you," Draco said briefly, sitting on the edge of his chair without drinking his tea.
"By the way, you and Miss Granger won the school's special contribution award for capturing Barty Crouch Jr. But before everything is settled, the school cannot announce it publicly, so we can only present the award to you privately." Dumbledore said with a smile.
"Actually, I think it was all Hermione's fault. I didn't do anything at all," said Draco.
"Miss Granger insisted—otherwise she would have refused the award," said Dumbledore. "I have been surprised to find her quite stubborn, even a little hard-headed, in this respect."
"Oh, in that case..." Draco suddenly felt a little happy and didn't insist.
He took a sip of the scalding tea and suddenly felt Dumbledore's scrutiny.
Draco didn't like this kind of look - he seemed to be being dissected by Dumbledore's eyes.
So he hurriedly asked another question, "Professor Dumbledore, can we completely trap Barty Crouch Jr.? I'm a little concerned about the risks behind this matter."
"We adopted Miss Granger's method, a more complex spell similar to the Petrification Charm. In addition, we added a number of additional spells to the place where he was imprisoned, such as the Anti-Distraction Charm, the Repelling Charm, the Disguise Charm, the Shielding Charm... I think we can trust Professor Flitwick's spell suggestions." Dumbledore said.
"Where did you hold him?" Draco looked around and remembered that the name of Barty Crouch Jr. was still on the Marauder's Map in Headmaster Dumbledore's office.
"I borrowed Alastor's trunk." Professor Dumbledore glanced at the trunk standing in the corner, a rare cold glint flashing in his blue eyes. "I can't think too much about humanity, can I? Since he's very resistant to the Imperius Curse and even the Stunning Spell, I have to keep him under my watch."
"I'm pleased with your caution. But what about the house-elf named Winky? What if it runs to tell old Barty Crouch about the secret, or simply runs over and rescues young Barty Crouch directly—" Draco said with a frown.
"This is also what Sirius advised me. As the direct employer of the house-elves, as the headmaster of Hogwarts, I have to give some instructions to Winky to ensure that her kindness and compassion do not interfere with our plans." Professor Dumbledore sighed.
"Speaking of which, do you think it's a good idea to let Sirius Black play Professor Moody? He is a completely different person from Professor Moody. He is sometimes too - bold; besides, the school hospital is not an airtight place, and this secret will be exposed soon." Draco organized his words.
"I understand your concerns. Sirius only needs to act for a few days, and then Professor Moody will fall into a coma due to some teaching accident and need to be admitted to a single room at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for treatment." Dumbledore said with a frown.
"Won't this arouse suspicion from the other side?" Draco asked. "If the subordinates responsible for the internal and external cooperation suddenly encountered an accident, anyone would be suspicious."
"There's no other way. Moody's physical condition is very bad and he must receive comprehensive treatment. Conservatively speaking, he needs to recuperate until at least Easter... Besides, the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is inherently dangerous and has gone wrong frequently over the years. Voldemort himself should be well aware of this." Dumbledore said slowly.
He thought for a moment and said, "Our advantage is that Barty Crouch Jr. has cut off contact with Voldemort for safety reasons. The only way Voldemort can find him is to summon Death Eaters. And we happen to have some channels that can monitor this summoning behavior."
Draco remained silent. He guessed that the "channel" Dumbledore mentioned might be on Professor Snape's wrist.
So, Professor Snape is completely on Professor Dumbledore's side?
"You mean, as long as we ensure that Professor Moody returns to Hogwarts before the third project begins, the other side won't be suspicious?" Draco slowly chewed on the logic.
"Very clever. In the meantime, I plan to have Sirius serve as a substitute Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher to protect Harry," Professor Dumbledore said with a smile. "I have to say, he's extremely worried about his godson's safety and can no longer bear the possibility of another Death Eater impersonating a professor. Personally, I believe that at this stage, no Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher could be more dedicated to protecting Harry."
"Oh, yes." Draco smiled unconsciously. "I think Harry will be very happy to know this."
Dumbledore studied the corners of Draco's mouth with interest, and suddenly asked, "You like Harry very much, don't you?"
"He's very noble—he saved my life," Draco said smoothly.
"Are you referring to the water tank incident in Defense Against the Dark Arts class?" Professor Dumbledore asked curiously.
He always felt that Draco saved Harry more often.
"I guess so." Draco glanced at the old man in front of him warily and said casually.
Dumbledore waited for a moment, as if expecting him to say something else, but Draco continued to sip his tea, his eyes fixed on his nose, his nose focused on his heart, and he remained silent.
In the end, the wise old man chose to give up asking any further questions and slowly explained the reason why he had invited Draco here today. "Actually, today I want to show you some clues I found a while ago - the memories of the house-elf Hoki."
Draco was a little surprised.
He originally thought that a "busy man" like Professor Dumbledore would not specifically tell him these things.
"Sir, why? Why would you tell me all this?" Draco asked in confusion.
"I thought you might be interested in this. Look at your endless questions! Besides, sometimes I need someone to talk to and sort out my thoughts." Professor Dumbledore smiled and took a large pile of cockroaches from the table and casually threw it into his mouth. "You can't expect me to always talk about this to Fawkes, right?"
Draco was even more bewildered. He knew his place. He was just a Slytherin student, and while he might be of some use to Dumbledore occasionally, he wasn't the "savior" Dumbledore preferred.
"Why not Harry? He should be your favorite student, right?" Draco asked relentlessly, "At least, he is far more to your liking than a Slytherin like me."
"I thought I had made myself clear. I trust Harry, and I trust you as well. Your actions have proven one thing—you are worthy of my trust," Dumbledore said. "As for Harry, he already has enough to worry about this year. He needs to concentrate on the Triwizard Tournament. I don't think he should be distracted at this moment. You have seen the ferocity of dragons, and you should know very well what kind of dangerous test a warrior faces. Believe me, the next two tasks will be even more difficult."
Draco nodded silently.
Yes, the black lake in the second project and the maze in the third project, both of them seem to be enough to trouble a student.
"Here, I would like to ask you to keep the matter of the Horcrux secret from him for the time being." Professor Dumbledore stood up and began to search for something on a tall shelf filled with crystal bottles.
Draco rolled his eyes at the ceiling.
See, this is Dumbledore's cheap trust - he's not even willing to tell Harry the whole story.
"When Harry has dealt with everything in the Triwizard Tournament, I believe he will be brave enough and mature enough. By then, I will tell him everything in detail." Professor Dumbledore turned his back to him and continued to rummage through the shelves, adding.
"Sir, sometimes I feel that you are too cautious in the way you treat Harry, as if you are forging the sharpest dagger for yourself, the most suitable weapon, a perfect person who must not make any mistakes on the road to growth." Draco looked at his back with a smile.
"Very observant, Draco." Dumbledore turned, his blue eyes fixed on him through his half-moons. He smiled slightly. "You're not the first to have thought like that."
"May I know who was the first person to think that?" Draco asked aggressively.
"Severus Snape—your Head of House." Professor Dumbledore was studying a vial intently. "Do all Slytherins have the same idea?"
"Perhaps it's because—what we revealed is the truth." Draco narrowed his light grey eyes and said, "Harry is still not safe. New Death Eaters may rush in and do harm to him at any time. He should know exactly how dangerous the situation he is facing. The wisest choice is to let him withdraw from the Triwizard Tournament, so that he won't be captured by someone accidentally, or killed by various man-made accidents."
Professor Dumbledore shook his head.
"I think that allowing him to continue competing is an excellent way to draw out our opponents if there are any more Death Eaters sent by Voldemort lurking in Hogwarts," he said calmly.
Draco narrowed his eyes in disgust. "He's just a boy, not a piece of meat on the chopping block."
"Now you and Professor McGonagall have the same idea," Professor Dumbledore said happily. "You are also a boy, not much older than him, but you have done very well. I don't think we should underestimate him. He can bear it all, and he will do very well. This is a challenge he must face. Escaping is never a solution."
Draco stared at him in silence and dissatisfaction.
How can I explain that I am actually older than Harry?
Moreover, what kind of educational method is this - frustration education?
What kind of elder would want the younger generation he loves to suffer?
"Professor Snape agrees with me. Sirius's appointment further ensures Harry's safety. Moreover, Harry is not alone - he has friends like you who are worried about him." Dumbledore said happily.
As he spoke, the old man dripped some silvery, misty liquid into the Pensieve and motioned Draco over.
But I don't want to be like an old mother, worrying about everything about Harry. It's too tiring. Draco pouted, complaining about Professor Dumbledore's many unreliable behaviors, while lazily standing up from his desk and walking over.
"We must hurry, for there are still several memories to review," said Dumbledore, studying the boy's momentarily frozen face with great interest.
Draco hesitated for a moment, frowning, trying to suppress his fear of water, and poked his head into the memories of Hokey the house-elf in the Pensieve.
(For Hao Qi's memories, please see the sixth chapter of the original novel, "Voldemort's Request.")
After Draco emerged from the void with a stern face, Dumbledore explained what happened next: "Hepzibah Smith died two days later. The Ministry of Magic determined that the house-elf Hokey accidentally put poison in her mistress's evening cocoa."
"Very similar to what happened to Morfin," Draco said softly - he didn't believe such nonsense from the Ministry of Magic.
"That's right. I personally think that it is very likely that Voldemort tampered with her memory. She admitted the crime at the time, and the Ministry of Magic did not pursue it any further. They were inclined to suspect Hokey... In the end, the verdict was that she did not intend to murder, but was blinded by old age." Dumbledore said in a deep voice.
"Hokey is a house-elf, so it's just a hasty judgment." Draco said coldly.
He suddenly understood how Hermione felt about founding SPEW.
This discrimination against house-elves is not just a deprivation of their rights, but also encourages members of the Ministry of Magic to confuse right and wrong, and even to create false cases.
This discrimination does not help the Aurors catch the real criminals, thus allowing Tom Riddle to go unpunished.
If they had been less confused, if they had investigated more, perhaps Tom Riddle would have been locked up in Azkaban and sucked dry by the Dementors long ago, and how could there have been the turmoil and bloodshed that lasted for many years in the wizarding world?
Where did Draco Malfoy's painful past life come from? He sighed, suddenly feeling bored.
Dumbledore heard his sigh and, taking it as a sign of sympathy for the house-elf, said in a tone of appreciation, "Yes, I think you are right. Hokey was very old, and near the end of her life when I retrieved this memory. What we can dig out of her memory is very limited. We can only prove that Voldemort knew of the existence of the cup and locket. Then, Tom Riddle disappeared for a long time."
"He's guilty. He's like a cuckoo, collecting all sorts of shiny souvenirs, even at the cost of murder," Draco said sarcastically.
Tom Riddle's madness had already begun to show in his youth.
At least he looked like a human being back then, unlike later on when he became increasingly hideous, Draco thought with disdain.
"You seem to lack a certain sense of awe for him, and instead view him from a detached perspective. This is quite unusual." Dumbledore smiled slightly. "This is difficult for many young wizards from wizarding families to do."
"You might as well just say it directly. It's very difficult for a young wizard from a Death Eater family to do this," Draco said sarcastically.
"That's why I say you're special," Dumbledore said sharply.
Draco carefully lowered his chin and said nothing. Unconsciously, he seemed to have expressed too many personal thoughts and perspectives in front of Dumbledore, which was dangerous and easy to see through.
Dumbledore glanced at him with interest and refilled his cup with hot tea using the Filling Charm. "To return to the point, the two treasures disappeared after this incident until they were discovered last year. The cup was stored in the Lestrange family treasure house, and the locket was found in a seaside cave. You are well aware of all this."
Draco nodded.
"Let's not talk about the golden cup for now. As for the pendant - the pendant that Regulus exchanged his life for - you might as well take a look at Sirius's memory of going to the cave a while ago. You must see what the cave looks like. I must warn you that it may be uncomfortable." Dumbledore said calmly, watching the boy's face in front of him suddenly become annoyed.
Draco admitted that the cave by the sea was terrifying and eerie.
Through Sirius Black's perspective, he saw everything Kreacher had described materialize before his eyes. It was all the damp sea water that Draco hated, and the endless stream of Inferi in the lake was quite disgusting.
When he came out of the Pensieve, he almost vomited and only felt better after drinking two cups of hot tea.
"There are two more memories, both mine." Professor Dumbledore looked at his pale face and said apologetically, "You have to take a look and think about it to see if there is anything I haven't noticed."
Draco tugged his cheek in disgust, took a deep breath, and dove into the Pensieve.
Those two memories, one is the memory of young Dumbledore going to the orphanage to find young Tom Riddle and leading him into the magical world; the other is the memory of Tom Riddle coming to Hogwarts to apply for a job. His appearance at that time was completely different from the handsome young man when he was a clerk at Borgin and Burke's.
"That's all," Dumbledore asked curtly, pulling him from the Pensieve for the fourth time that night. "Are you all right? Did you figure anything out?"
"He's loved stealing since he was a kid, stealing other people's treasures," Draco said lazily, "and he doesn't feel ashamed."
"Obviously."
"The seaside cave where the orphanage students go on an outing...is it the one Sirius Black once visited?" Draco asked sharply.
"Yes. Very likely," Professor Dumbledore said calmly, a glint of recognition in his blue eyes behind his glasses.
"Then we can be sure of at least one thing, he is indeed a nostalgic person. The place where he hides things has a deep meaning and is closely related to his past experiences. You should search the Gaunt house again. I don't believe he didn't put the Horcrux in such an important place that can symbolize his noble birth." Draco said with a frown.
"That's what I was thinking. We must go again, and there's also the graveyard at Little Hangleton." Professor Dumbledore sighed tiredly.
"He probably really wants to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. I heard that over the years, no Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has been able to teach for more than a year," said Draco.
"Perhaps, but his purpose is not pure. It is not to teach and educate, but to recruit followers." Dumbledore's face showed a sympathetic expression. "He knew very well that I would not let him take office, but he came anyway. Why? This puzzles me. I believe he must have another purpose."
"Oh, if that's the case, I think I know why." Draco's mind moved, and he suddenly remembered the Room of Requirement near the Headmaster's office on the eighth floor. "There's something I haven't had time to tell you."
He slowly pulled something out of his storage bag—a broken, charred crown—and placed it on Dumbledore's desk.
Even a great wizard like Dumbledore, who had seen many storms, could not help but exclaim in amazement.
"This is—" He stood up suddenly.
"Yes, the Ravenclaw Diadem," Draco said calmly. "At this point, there's nothing to hide. I destroyed it long ago, using the fang from the Chamber of Secrets. It's hidden in Hogwarts, and I think that's why he came here. I obtained it some other way, but I can't tell you how."
——He couldn't betray Ms. Grey. That was her privacy and her shame.
"Draco, you are quite astonishing." Dumbledore's face relaxed for the first time that day. "I must say, you are a very good secret-keeper."
"I had some concerns before - whether I would be punished for destroying the founder's treasures - and so on. But now that the golden cup and the locket have been destroyed, I guess the school probably won't punish me alone." Draco said lightly, with a hint of pride on his face.
He definitely didn't take it out because he was moved by Professor Dumbledore's talk about "trust" and felt a little sincerity from the old fox. Absolutely not.
- He was definitely not happy because his name and a girl's name would be engraved on the same medal and displayed in the trophy room of Hogwarts.
Anyway, just like that, suddenly, some Gryffindor-like impulse surged into his brain, and he took out the broken crown.
"Very good, that's great." Professor Dumbledore stared at the broken crown and smiled in disbelief.
"I think I'll have to secretly award you a special contribution medal." His expression was somewhat relieved, as if Draco had suddenly handed him a perfect and ambitious assignment.
"Thank you," Draco said lazily, "but please add Hermione Granger's name to it, or I will refuse this medal."
Dumbledore suddenly burst into laughter.
"I see - why you took it out now." He asked Draco with interest, "You have a good relationship with Miss Granger, don't you?"
"I'm on good terms with a lot of people," Draco said warily.
The little trust he had in Dumbledore was not enough to let him reveal all his thoughts. He didn't want to casually reveal his concern for Hermione in front of others.
Until the Dark Lord is completely defeated, it is not safe. Even Dumbledore is not necessarily safe.
"But the only one who can add your name to the medal is Miss Granger." Dumbledore glanced at him sharply and said in a firm tone.
"Because she deserves it," Draco said seriously. "I couldn't have done any of this without her generous help. No one should underestimate her talent."
"Of course," said Dumbledore mischievously. "It's not often that you get such genuine praise from a Malfoy."
Seeing the topic drifting further and further away, Draco coughed lightly and tried to get the subject back on track. "Professor Dumbledore, what we should be discussing now is how many Horcruxes he made. Honestly, I'm tired of this guessing game."
"The diary, the cup, the locket, the tiara—we have found four. If we find the ring, perhaps we may find the fifth," said Dumbledore.
"Will that be the last one?" Draco said solemnly.
The Dark Lord—he clearly had a penchant for commemorative items.
The only thing left was the ring, right? After all, he had already ruined most of the founders' treasures.
Draco couldn't think of anything of equal or even greater value that could win the Dark Lord's favor.
"I hope so." Dumbledore said with a leisurely look, "Five is already crazy enough. Draco, pay more attention to Harry, okay? An unprecedentedly crazy wizard is watching him in the dark, and there are also those revived Death Eater followers - no offense - I think you understand those people better than any of Harry's friends. He needs the help of rational friends like you and Miss Granger."
"I understand. I will." Draco pushed open the door of the headmaster's office and strode out.
Draco wasn't the only one confused about the number of Horcruxes.
Sirius Black was also thinking about this. That afternoon, in his office, he said to Draco, "I think the only thing left might be the ring. If we can find it—"
"But where is it?" Draco said in annoyance.
"Anywhere." Sirius tried to comfort Moody, looking at his shattered face. "There's no need to look so gloomy. Dumbledore won't give up the search, and I will continue to help him. You've done well. You've done the best you can within the limited scope."
"That's right. I always hope to find it as soon as possible. Hope to end all this as soon as possible." Draco said, feeling a little anxious.
As 1995 approached, his sense of urgency grew.
In the previous life, the Dark Lord was resurrected in this year.
In this life, can everything he does change this process and reduce the probability of the Dark Lord's resurrection to zero?
"We all hope so. We will find it," Sirius said calmly. "Have you ever considered that once we catch him as planned, everything will be solved. If there's only one person left in the world who knows where the ring is, it'll be the one who hid it.