How could this be? How could such a thing happen?
A sense of unease rose within Severus Snape, yet at the same time, he felt a faint sense of absurdity. Why had he been overthinking everything lately? However, the appearance of this question had clearly disturbed him, leaving him restless. He had a feeling that he might be the one responsible.
His face remained cold and expressionless, but his thoughts were far from calm.
Cedric Diggory and Gilderoy Lockhart exchanged glances. They could not understand why Snape, who had been speaking so logically, now claimed he did not know the answer. In their eyes, the answer was obvious. If Dumbledore were to be killed, it would surely be Lord Voldemort. Even if it was not him directly, it would still be connected to him.
"Calm down, Gilderoy," Professor McGonagall said, though worry was clearly visible on her face. Suddenly hearing that Dumbledore might die was shocking, but as professors, they had to stabilize the situation, both for the students and for themselves.
"Things are not that bad yet. Albus is still doing very well. This is something that may happen in the future, perhaps even decades from now."
Her words eased the tension slightly. Thinking about it, it made sense. Even though Dumbledore was older, he remained one of the most powerful wizards alive. Unless Voldemort returned with overwhelming force, who could possibly defeat him? Within Hogwarts, Dumbledore's strength would only increase, making it even harder for anyone to challenge him.
"Indeed, with us and Dumbledore here, even if that person appears, he will gain nothing and may even be defeated completely," Snape said calmly, his tone steady and controlled.
Compared to earlier, he seemed like a completely different person. Yet to Cedric and Lockhart, this was the Snape they were familiar with. That cold expression, those sharp eyes, strangely brought them comfort.
"But the real question is, would that person choose to fight Dumbledore inside Hogwarts?" Snape continued.
"What do you mean, Severus?" McGonagall asked.
"That person would not confront Dumbledore here. Either he would lure Dumbledore away, or force him to leave Hogwarts. Only then would he dare attempt to kill him."
"Are there other possibilities?" McGonagall asked as she paced before stopping.
"Of course," Snape replied. "It is also possible that someone else weakened Dumbledore first, and only then did Voldemort act. No matter what, we must prepare for his return."
Snape looked at the others with calm certainty. The options presented were never random. Each name had meaning, each possibility connected to the truth. After careful thought, he had already reached a conclusion. Voldemort would return.
Dumbledore had told him this before, and now everything confirmed it.
But knowing this alone changed nothing. Without knowing when it would happen, they could not act. It could be years, even decades. Without time, they had no advantage.
Professor McGonagall clearly understood this as well. What they lacked was time.
As for Lockhart and Cedric, Snape had little interest in their thoughts. Lockhart had improved recently, but some habits never changed. His tendency to boast and that irritating smile still made Snape feel disgusted. In truth, every Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor annoyed him. If not for the curse, would any of them even have that position?
To Snape, Defense Against the Dark Arts was his true field. Potions was only secondary.
"Is it me, Professor? You'll know if you choose," Tom Gaunt said with a faint smile as he noticed Dumbledore's gaze.
He was genuinely curious. Even now, Dumbledore's strength was overwhelming. If someone could defeat him, then how powerful must that person be? Of course, Tom understood that part of Dumbledore's current strength came from the rewards he had received, especially the increase in magical power.
"I believe you, Tom. The one who kills me will not be you," Dumbledore said calmly.
Tom frowned slightly. He found that statement strange. Dumbledore clearly understood that he and Voldemort were destined enemies, yet he still said this. There was only one explanation. Dumbledore did not believe that Voldemort would be the one to kill him.
...
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