Harry Potter: The Golden Viper

0357 New Errand

This was perhaps the first time Dumbledore realized his commands were not working much at Hogwarts.

Sirius was still standing there, emanating an icy cold aura, while Snape was also glaring at his profile with a sinister look saying, "I hope to hear some reasons that can resolve my doubts, instead of the usual lofty words you tell me."

At this moment, Bryan felt a bit sympathetic toward Dumbledore. These two middle-aged men, who were like water and fire, stood together in the same front for the first time, just to force him to give an explanation. "Well, if you're willing to listen while standing, but I hope you realize that what I'm going to tell you must be kept strictly confidential. It cannot be revealed to anyone, and of course, I hope the person involved temporarily doesn't know either--" Dumbledore sighed.

"First, I believe you won't forget the terrible events that happened twelve years ago when Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow and targeted the Potter family. James and Lily died, while the young Harry became famous overnight for defeating Voldemort that night."

Upon hearing this, both Sirius and Snape both took shallow breaths, their lips tightly pursed, showing a distressed expression.

Bryan lowered his head and took a sip of tea, calmly becoming a good listener. Some things he knew, while others he was hearing for the first time.

Dumbledore recounted everything in a somber tone.

When he heard that Lily Evans had sacrificed her life to form an extremely powerful protective magic in Harry's blood, Professor Snape looked as if he was struck by lightning. Bryan could feel the agony gushing from those hollow dark eyes, those intense emotions that not even Occlumency could fully conceal.

Bryan clearly understood that this anguish did not solely stem from the death of his beloved, but also from the fact that the baby that Lily Evans had sacrificed her life to protect was the son of his lifelong enemy. This almost indicated the deep love Lily Evans had for James Potter.

"So, it wasn't Harry, but Lily--" Sirius murmured in a daze, "It was Lily's magic that defeated Voldemort."

"It was Lily Potter's pure, unconditional love for her son Harry that defeated Voldemort," Dumbledore corrected Sirius, his voice filled with sadness, "Love is a great power, an unparalleled force, and I believe Voldemort will never be able to understand it."

Sirius appeared deeply moved by these words, slowly sinking into a chair, his hands covering his face as his shoulders trembled weakly.

He would never escape the guilt that weighed upon him – the realization that it was his mistake that had ultimately led to Lily's sacrifice.

Sirius's remorse did not surprise Bryan, but Snape's 'regretful' demeanor was quite astonishing to him.

'Could it be that Professor Snape had also, in some way, 'contributed' to the Potters' tragic demise?'

"But Voldemort is finished, isn't he, Dumbledore? The protective magic you placed on Harry--" After a long silence, Sirius raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Dumbledore, his voice hoarse like a desert traveler who hadn't drunk water for days, "Harry no longer needs the blood protection provided by those Muggles. He can completely--"

"Do you really believe that Voldemort is truly finished?" Dumbledore's voice suddenly became firm, and his question left Sirius speechless once again.

"I have a question, an academic one, Headmaster Dumbledore--" Bryan asked thoughtfully, "If I got rid of the Dursleys, would that mean the protective magic you placed on Harry would become ineffective?"

Bryan's question immediately drew angry glares from Sirius and Snape, but Dumbledore knew that Bryan's curiosity indeed stemmed from a purely academic interest. After a brief silence, Dumbledore responded, "Indeed, but that is only another layer of protection I placed on the basis of Lily's magic. Even if my magic fails, the magic in Harry's blood will continue to exist, and Voldemort will still be unable to touch or harm Harry."

"What about his followers?"

"This protection only exists between Harry and Voldemort, but I'm not particularly worried about that possibility, Bryan. If you knew Tom as well as I do, you'll understand that to regain his reputation, he will have to act himself."

"If I'm not mistaken, that kind of contract-like magic has a time limit--"

"Until he comes of age," Dumbledore gazed deeply into Bryan's eyes, his tone suddenly becoming vague, "Of course. Without a doubt, we need to be absolutely certain, Bryan. You know the connection between Harry and Tom... so we may need new preventive measures."

"I understand what you mean, Dumbledore--" Bryan frowned, "But things don't necessarily have to be so complicated. What I mean is, Voldemort cannot possibly confront us simultaneously. Hmm..."

Halfway through, Bryan suddenly seemed to realize something, he changed his tone and became somewhat hesitant, "Never mind, I won't interfere with your plans. Who knows what might happen in the future."

Sirius and Snape both realized that Dumbledore and Bryan were discussing some extremely important matters related to protecting Harry, but they couldn't understand it. Furthermore, Sirius and Snape both understood that the two 'enigmatic men' before them had no intention of explaining what they were discussing.

When Sirius and Snape left, they both looked dejected and lost.

"Well, Headmaster Dumbledore--" After discussing the previous topic for a few sentences, Bryan asked, "You mentioned earlier that there was an important matter you needed to discuss with me. What is it?"

"Actually, it's like this–" Dumbledore's tone became cheerful once again, "This matter is currently top secret, and only those directly involved are allowed to disclose it. Most of my energy has been consumed by this lately—an ancient event that hasn't been held for many years will be held again the next school year–"

"An ancient event?" Bryan raised his eyebrows, and when he heard the name of the event from Dumbledore's mouth, even the mentally prepared Bryan couldn't help but show a hint of astonishment, "The Triwizard Tournament? You mean the competition that has been banned for centuries due to its extremely high casualty rate?"

"That's the one--" Dumbledore said with a smile, "For centuries, people have tried to revive the tournament several times, but each attempt was unsuccessful. However, our Ministry of Magic's International Magical Cooperation Department and Department of Magical Games and Sports believe the time is ripe for another attempt. The Ministry has already taken concrete steps. We and the two other outstanding wizarding schools—you must know, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang—have reached a consensus, and the International Confederation of Wizards has also secretly passed a resolution."

"Remarkable," Bryan exclaimed in admiration. He indeed did not expect that this ancient event, which had already entered the annals of magical history, would one day be revived.

"But what do you need me to do?" Bryan asked.

"Oh, although we've reached a basic consensus, there are still many issues," Dumbledore said with a helpless shake of his bushy eyebrows.

"First, the biggest disagreement we face is which wizarding school will host the event—I'm certain I possess the virtues of humility and courtesy, Bryan, but if I don't fight tenaciously for Hogwarts to be the chosen venue in this matter, I'm afraid the Board of Governors will once again attempt to remove me from my position as Headmaster,"

Dumbledore took a sip of tea, not minding the tea leaves in his mouth. After a moment's contemplation, he continued to speak to Bryan,

"For some time now, we—meaning the headmasters of the other two schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, and myself—have been tirelessly presenting our respective advantages to the International Confederation of Wizards. Oh, I haven't encountered such a fierce and passionate debate in many years. For an old man like myself, it's truly a formidable burden to bear. The self-recommendation reasons provided by each of the three schools are all exceedingly compelling, leaving the International Confederation of Wizards in a dilemma, unable to reach a decisive conclusion. Ultimately, considering the inherent danger of the event, and to ensure the utmost safety of every young wizard participating, the Confederation has mandated that each of the three schools must provide a comprehensive 'safety plan.'"

Seeing Bryan's expression of sudden realization, Dumbledore smiled and said, "You are the Head of the Student Safety Office at Hogwarts, aren't you, Bryan? I think you should take your carefully prepared plan and go convince those stubborn people."

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