RNP Chapter 209 Divergence and Determination
Chapter 209 Divergence and Determination
Chapter 209 Divergence and Determination
When Karen returned to the Ravenclaw Tower, the celebratory fervor hadn't completely subsided. The common room was filled with the sweet aroma of butterbeer and an atmosphere of merriment, with blue decorations everywhere. Wesley was the first to rush over and give him a bear hug when he entered.
"Callen! Where have you been? The director kept you chatting for so long! You missed the celebration!" Wesley exclaimed excitedly. "Did you see that? We won! With real points! Those Gryffindor guys thought they were guaranteed to win just because Potter caught the Snitch? Haha!"
Our tactics worked! Ernesto's sand table simulation was brilliant!
Ernesto stood to the side, trying to maintain his usual composure, but he couldn't suppress the smile playing on his lips. He adjusted his glasses and said, "The most important thing is the data provided by Karen and the others. Data analysis and targeted training are key. Of course, the team's execution was also perfect." Fabian smiled and handed him a glass of butterbeer.
Karen took the beer and sincerely congratulated his roommates: "Well done! I knew you guys could do it. The director was very satisfied with 'The Eye of Records' and discussed a lot of follow-up cooperation, which is why it was delayed." He briefly mentioned his whereabouts and steered the conversation back to the joy of victory.
The group then excitedly discussed the details of the match for a while, especially how Ravenclaw accurately exploited the defensive weaknesses of Gryffindor, which they had analyzed using the "Record Eye."
Then Karen made an excuse to leave, heading back to the principal's office on the eighth floor. This time, his goal was clear: how to deal with Voldemort.
He had barely uttered "Lemon Olaf" in front of the stone beast when it jumped away. He walked up the spiral staircase; the office door was ajar. Karen knocked.
"Come in, Cullen." Dumbledore's voice came. Cullen pushed open the door and entered, only to find Cornelius Fudge still sitting inside, his face heavy, looking tired and preoccupied. The mead in front of him seemed to have been replaced with a new glass.
"Ah, Mr. Hawthorne!" Fudge's face immediately lit up with an enthusiastic, even exaggerated, smile when he saw Cullen. He stood up and extended his hand. "I was just talking to Albus about you! Amazing! What an amazing young man! That 'Eye of Quidditch,' Roland raved about him! He said he'd change the whole sport of Quidditch! A genius!"
Karen politely shook hands with Fudge: "Thank you for the compliment, Minister. This is the result of the team's hard work."
"Humble! Too humble!" Fudge shook Cullen's hand vigorously, as if trying to shake him off. "I heard from Albus that you are also, well, very outstanding in other areas." He glossed over it, clearly referring to Dumbledore possibly mentioning Cullen's role in the Forbidden Zone incident, but unwilling to elaborate. "A bright future awaits! Hogwarts is fortunate to have a student like you! By the way," he changed the subject, with a hint of probing, "I heard you have a bit of a grudge with the Selwyn boy? Young people, it's normal for them to bicker! Don't worry, with Albus around, no one will dare to cause trouble! If you need anything in the wizarding world in the future, just come to me!" He patted his chest, acting as if he could take full responsibility, but his eyes were fixed on Dumbledore.
Karen immediately understood that Fudge was trying to curry favor with her, while also making a statement to Dumbledore. He was very interested in her, this mysterious student who was Muggle-born but could force pure-blood families to back down, and was trying to win over this "genius" and the forces behind him.
"Thank you for your concern, Minister." Cullen withdrew her hand with composure, her tone even. "It was just a minor disagreement, it's all in the past. Professor Dumbledore handled it very fairly."
"That's good! That's good!" Fudge seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He turned to Dumbledore. "Albus, it's getting late, so I won't disturb your business with Mr. Hawthorne any longer. As for—what we agreed on earlier, I'll arrange it as soon as possible."
"Thank you for your hard work, Cornelius." Dumbledore nodded gently.
Fudge gave Karen a forced smile before hurriedly leaving the principal's office.
After the door closed, the atmosphere in the office returned to silence. Dumbledore gestured for Cullen to sit down.
"Headmaster," Cullen cut to the chase, "about Voldemort." He deliberately stated the obvious, observing Dumbledore's reaction, "His main soul is injured and has fled; he's at his weakest. Are we just going to let him go like this? Don't we have any follow-up plans? Passively waiting for him to recover his strength and make a comeback is too risky."
Dumbledore looked at Cullen, his deep blue eyes filled with complex emotions—admiration, worry, and a hint of insight. "Cullen," he began slowly, his voice low and magnetic, "I remember at the beginning of the term, when Quirrell's problems first surfaced, I hoped you would stay out of it and focus on your studies and personal growth."
“Yes, Professor,” Cullen admitted, “but the situation has changed. I hadn’t yet clashed with him then, but now Voldemort knows some of my abilities and sees me as a threat. Between him and me, there is no longer an option to stay out of it. Danger doesn’t disappear by avoiding it; it only grows by letting it run its course.”
"You're right," Dumbledore sighed softly. "The entanglements of fate are often unexpected. Your actions and insight have indeed far exceeded my expectations. You not only saw through Quirrell's disguise, but you even tracked down the Basilisk, ultimately forcing out Voldemort's main soul and making him pay a heavy price. This is a tremendous contribution, but also a heavy burden."
He stood up, walked to the Pensieve, and gently ran his fingers along its rim. "You may not have heard of Tom Riddle, but that's Voldemort's real name," Dumbledore's voice carried a heavy, reminiscent tone. "He had a tragic past, growing up in a Muggle orphanage, his heart filled with a thirst for power and recognition. Hogwarts took him in, showcasing his magical talent, but also amplifying his inner darkness. He was obsessed with the superiority of pure-blood status, even though he was half-blood, and he was addicted to the power of dark magic, pursuing immortality—ultimately, to escape death, he split his soul and created Horcruxes."
Dumbledore turned and looked intently at Cullen: "Hordeals, Cullen. This is the most evil and blasphemous form of dark magic. It involves creating an unhealable wound to the soul through murder, sealing the fragmented soul within an object. As long as the Horde remains, even if the creator's physical body is destroyed, the soul will not truly die, but will always linger in the world, seeking a chance for rebirth. This is why, even though we destroyed the basilisk that possessed him and severely damaged his main soul, we could not completely kill him. He has other Hordeals, like anchors, firmly pinning his filthy soul fragments between life and death."
Karen listened quietly, his face displaying a suitable expression of shock and contemplation. He certainly knew Voldemort's real name, but at this moment he had to feign the shock of "hearing it for the first time."
"And Harry," Dumbledore's voice grew even deeper, "you know, Harry is a special child. When Voldemort tried to kill him, the Killing Curse was reflected by an ancient protective magic that Lily had cast at the cost of her life, destroying Voldemort's physical body, but also unexpectedly—sealing a fragment of Voldemort's soul into Harry's body."
“So, Harry isn’t just a survivor,” Dumbledore said, gazing at Cullen, “he’s also a Horcrux Voldemort unintentionally created. The connection between them is deeper and more—deadly—than anyone could imagine. This leads to the infamous prophecy: ‘The one who possesses the power to conquer the Dark Lord approaches the man born at the end of the seventh month, whom the Dark Lord marks as his nemesis, but who possesses powers the Dark Lord doesn’t understand—one of them must perish, they cannot coexist.’”
A hush fell over the office. The echoes of the prophecy seemed to still reverberate in the air.
"That's why, Cullen," Dumbledore's voice carried an almost compassionate strength, "I ask Harry to bear this ultimate responsibility. Not because I don't trust your abilities; on the contrary, your talent and wisdom amaze me. But between Voldemort and Harry is a curse of fate, a bond of souls. Only Harry can truly touch and destroy the fragment of Voldemort's soul that resides within him. And only Harry can ultimately break the chain of Voldemort's immortality. This is their destined duel."
He walked up to Cullen, his gaze deep. "I hope you can understand, Cullen. This isn't about giving up the hunt for Voldemort, but about choosing a way—a destined one—to end him. At the same time, I hope you can be Harry's friend, his supporter, and help him on his path to adulthood. You are both warriors against darkness, just in different roles."
Cullen fell silent. He understood Dumbledore's logic, the power of prophecy, and Harry's destiny as a Horcrux. But "Professor," Cullen looked up, his eyes flashing with a calm and resolute light, "I understand your thoughts, and I respect the existence of prophecy. But I cannot agree with the strategy of 'waiting for the destined showdown.'"
Dumbledore frowned slightly.
"Voldemort is a threat," Cullen's voice was clear and forceful. "A mad, powerful Dark Lord with Horcruxes for protection. Letting him recover his power, even just to await that 'destined' moment, how many innocent lives will he cause? How many tragedies like the one suffered by the Auror who died today will occur? How many people like Hagrid will be unjustly accused? Using countless sacrifices to pave the way for a prophetic ending—the price is too high."
He stood up, his gaze meeting Dumbledore's without flinching. "I saw his weakness, I saw the cracks in his soul. I also have my powers—the Eye of Truth, alchemy, and the legacy of Professor Castor and Nicolas Flamel. I believe that in his weakest moment, before he finds a way to recover, we can find him, lock onto him, and use all the power at our disposal—alchemy, ancient magic, or methods at the soul level—to utterly annihilate him! Instead of passively waiting for him to grow stronger, waiting for Harry to mature enough to face him. That's too risky! Besides, he has already seen my abilities; we've become enemies, and he will definitely consider me a priority target. It's better to strike than to wait!"
Cullen's tone was resolute: "Headmaster, I'm not trying to compete with Harry for the title of 'Savior.' I simply cannot accept choosing to wait because of a prophecy when there's a clear opportunity to end the threat early, causing more people to bleed and weep. I will use my own methods, with all the resources and knowledge I possess, to find Voldemort and try to eliminate him before he fully recovers. This is my choice, and it's my responsibility to myself and to those I care about."
Dumbledore listened quietly, his aged face expressionless, only his deep blue eyes churning with complex emotions—surprise at Cullen's resolute decision, disagreement, worry about the future, and perhaps, a subtle touch of emotion.
A long silence fell over the office once again. Fox let out a long, low hum.
Finally, Dumbledore took a slow, deep breath.
"I heard your resolve, Karen. Your courage and sense of responsibility are truly moving." His voice carried a hint of weariness, yet remained gentle. "I cannot condone your proactive attack, your attempt to prematurely 'annihilate' Voldemort. It's far too dangerous and fraught with unpredictable variables. The secrets of Horcruxes are far more profound and perilous than you currently understand. But I also cannot and will not forcibly stop you from pursuing the path you believe is right."
He looked at Cullen, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "Your talent and your mentors have endowed you with extraordinary power, but also with heavy responsibilities and choices. Now that you've made up your mind, do what you believe you should do. But promise me, Cullen," Dumbledore's tone turned unusually serious, "that you will remain vigilant and act within your capabilities. Voldemort's cunning and cruelty are beyond imagination. Don't fight alone; protect yourself and those you cherish. Hogwarts will always be your support, and my doors are always open for you."
"Thank you, Professor." Cullen nodded solemnly. He knew this was the biggest concession Dumbledore could make. He couldn't persuade Dumbledore to abandon his "Saviour Training Program" and his belief in prophecy, but he had secured his freedom of action.
"About Tom's past, the formation of his character, his weaknesses," Dumbledore walked to the bookshelf and pulled out several thick books.
The notes, which appear to have been reviewed many times, say, "These may help you understand your opponent. But remember, understanding darkness is for fighting it, not for wallowing in it."
Karen took the notebook, feeling its weight and the weight of history it carried. "I understand, Professor. Thank you."
When Cullen left the headmaster's office, he was not in a good mood. He had not originally planned to get involved in Harry's confrontation with Voldemort, but now that he had already made an enemy of Voldemort, he had to nip the danger in the bud, and he already had a plan.
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