Struggling to survive at Hogwarts

Chapter 273 In the Dark

In the dimly lit basement, a creaking chandelier, worn out from years of neglect, emitted a suspicious glow.

Under the light, the girl lay flat on the bed, her life hanging in the balance. Even the rise and fall of her chest resembled a candle flame in the wind, as if it would go out at any moment.

Beside her stood Gella, who had been missing for some time.

Gella sat stiffly in the chair, not knowing how long she had been sitting there.

She had clearly done everything Thea had instructed: drunk the Polyjuice Potion, suppressed the Death Eaters, tracked Draco, and... killed her.

Yes, the Dumbledore on the rooftop is not Dumbledore, it's Thea.

She didn't know how Thea obtained the compound decoction, nor when she started her disguise.

All she knew was that she was the one who cast that deadly curse on Thea, on the person she regarded as a god.

Thinking of that long-awaited reunion that night, of the girl's pale face under the moonlight, her thin body, and her calm calculations and arrangements, Gella couldn't help but shiver.

Why did she agree?

Perhaps Thea was too vulnerable that night, so easily her sympathy was stirred...

Thinking of all this, Gella's worries and fears, which she had suppressed all night, finally erupted. She slowly bent down, covered her face with her hands, and her thin shoulders began to tremble slightly. Tears silently soaked her hands.

Thea, please, it's two hours late...

Why aren't you awake yet...?

If you don't wake up soon, I'm going to go down and join you...

"…cough……"

A weak cough escaped his lips as he lay unconscious; the sound was faint, but enough to startle Gella.

Before she could wipe away her tears, Gella sprang to her feet. Only after she realized what was happening did she cautiously approach Thea.

So this is what Thea saw when she opened her eyes: the girl's originally bright and beautiful face was ruined by her swollen eyes, and she didn't even realize it, and foolishly wanted to check her breathing.

"……Don't……"

Thea managed to squeeze out the word and successfully blocked Gella's hand.

"Thea! You're finally awake!"

Gella's surprise was evident between the lines, and Thea didn't stop her, simply letting her gaze linger on the other's animated expression, while her thoughts drifted away.

"You have no idea how arrogant that werewolf was! If I hadn't arrived in time..."

I wonder if Dumbledore has reached his destination yet.

"No sooner said than done! I used a magic spell to send him flying!"

How is Draco? He should be...

"The Carlo siblings are timid too, they never say a word, I thought..."

How is Hogwarts doing now?

Gella was only talking so much because she was so happy, but after she calmed down, it was easy to see that Thea was just being perfunctory.

Seemingly having lost the desire to share, Gella also became dejected.

Just then, a slightly cool hand reached out.

Gella looked up and met Thea's smiling eyes. "Gella is amazing. She did everything very well."

"Even I couldn't have done anything more perfect than this."

Thea's comments dispelled Gella's previous dejection, and she resumed her long-winded discourse.

Throughout the entire process, Thea listened quietly.

When Gella could say no more, Thea finally spoke, "Has he... arrived?"

“We’ve arrived,” Gella said calmly. “Two hours ago, that person sent us a return gift.”

"That's good."

Thea finally breathed a long sigh of relief, as if all her burdens had been lifted.

“Take a day off,” Gella said, her eyes filled with worry. “I’ve already told them that you have things to take care of and you can go back tomorrow.”

"it is good."

"By the way, that fatal curse didn't hit me."

So you don't need to feel guilty.

Just as Gella was about to get up and leave, she suddenly stopped. At that moment, she thought about many things, yet it seemed like she thought about nothing at all.

In front of so many people, how could he possibly fool them? Was there really any chance he wouldn't hit them...?

I owe you my life, Thea.

"……Um."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Let's go back to the moment Harry fell into the water.

Dumbledore was already exhausted, but seeing this, he still managed to raise his wand. But before he could make a move, a white light pierced into the water first.

Seeing this, Dumbledore silently put down his wand and gently asked the newcomer,

“Harry…”

"We have three minutes."

Dumbledore understood the timing of this negotiation.

As she spoke, Thea slipped another vial of potion into Dumbledore's hand. Dumbledore knew that Thea wouldn't harm him now, so he readily drank the potion.

The moment the medicine went down, the throbbing pain in my internal organs began to subside, and even my strength started to return.

Dumbledore organized his thoughts and began to ask questions:

"You used a compound decoction?"

“Hmm,” Thea, now disguised as Dumbledore, replied in a muffled voice.

"The raw materials are..."

"The blood you just left on the door."

Is that right?

That was a very clever idea; he had calculated that Harry wouldn't bleed out.

What should I do next?

"Get out of here and don't get in my way."

"I'm afraid that won't work..."

“My men are already at Hogwarts, ready to act at any time.”

Dumbledore was silent for a moment. "What are you going to do next?"

"Lower your guard and plot to seize power."

Can you guarantee Harry and the others' safety?

Upon hearing this, Thea raised an eyebrow and said bluntly, "I am the successor of the Dark Lord, not the bodyguard of the Savior."

Dumbledore didn't seem to care about being rebuked; he simply closed his eyes slightly, his mind racing.

He did notice someone following them, but due to the time constraints and the lack of any apparent malice, it now seemed to be Thea.

But why did she want me to leave?

She has people at Hogwarts, or rather, those Death Eaters might already be inside, plus the deadly poison she just drank…

In short, he could not guarantee that he would be able to escape unscathed after being surrounded by Death Eaters in his current state.

During those few silent minutes, Dumbledore considered countless reasons why Thea wanted him to leave, but only one could perfectly explain why Thea did it: she simply wanted to live.

But... does such a reason really exist?

Dumbledore knew very well how much pain his scrutiny of Thea would cause her, and he also knew how many times he had tested Thea over the years, both openly and secretly. Under these circumstances, why would Thea still let him live?

Is it all for the sake of a post-war exoneration?

Reason and emotion were at odds, causing Dumbledore's overworked brain to begin to protest.

"professor?"

“I can leave,” a dark glint flashed in Dumbledore’s eyes, “but I have the right to receive answers from you regarding all the actions to come.”

"can."

Before leaving, Dumbledore received a Portkey and several vials of potion. "You can choose your destination with the Portkey, and these vials of potion should be enough to help you recover."

"Finally, please keep your promise, treat yourself as if you were dead, and don't come back to life."