HP Starlight

In the next three weeks, apart from helping Snape and patrolling at night, Esther was locked in the house and repeatedly experimented with the inscription.She has been able to channel magical powers to carve inscriptions into objects ranging from parchment and crystal vials to copper teapots.As her skills improved, so did her defenses, and at least the copper teapot was unscathed when she cast the Killing Curse with her mother's wand.

However, Grindelwald believes that Esther's Killing Curse is not strong enough, because when he experimented, the green light penetrated the copper teapot and tore it to pieces.

"Severus' Killing Curse may not be so strong, and he may not be so determined to kill Professor Dumbledore." Esther tried to make himself more confident.

"You are really naive. I don't think he will show mercy if he decides to do it. After all, Albus has given him the task of further gaining Voldemort's trust in order to covertly protect Potter and Hogwarts. He is not like that People whose actions are influenced by their emotions." Grindelwald said with a sneer.

"Would it be better if the seal engraving was used on the armor made of elves. I remember that there seems to be something like this in the vault."

"The goblin's things have strong magic, I'm afraid it's not so easy to engrave on them. Of course, if it succeeds, the effect will definitely be stronger than this teapot." Grindelwald glanced at the tattered fragments and moved his eyes to the teapot. Esther, then asked, "What are you going to do with the fake corpse?"

"Transformation with a medical dummy. I saw it during the exam, and it bleeds like a real person. I've mail-ordered one, and it will be delivered by owl in a few days. Do you really think we can use it? Dumbledore also Have you changed your mind?"

"When will he change what he decided?" Grindelwald snorted softly, "Voldemort is hiding in the dark now, and Albus thinks that only his death can let him relax his vigilance and draw him out."

"But Voldemort will be unscrupulous after he's dead?"

"Do you think he won't kill people now that he has some scruples? Did the person who disappeared every day go on a trip? If you want to completely eliminate him, you have to sacrifice a little bit. I agree with Albus on this point."

Esther pouted and said nothing.Although I don't want to admit it, I have to say that Grindelwald is right.

Three days later, six owls flew into Esther's dormitory with a large package in the rain.A life-size medical dummy emerges from the package, just like the one seen on the therapist licensing exam.Esther experimented with deforming the dummy's hair, making it longer and whiter.Then changing the shape of the face, adding a beard, and elongating the figure are much more difficult than hair.Esther felt that no matter how it changed, it seemed to be a bit worse, and she always felt that there was something different, but she couldn't tell.It took about a whole day to complete a prototype. It can only be said that it roughly has the outline of Dumbledore, but it is obviously different from the real person.

Unknowingly, it was late at night, and Esther was completely immersed in Transfiguration.As a result, when the knock on the door came, she was startled, and the wand went off and hit the dummy in the face.Esther didn't have time to check what was wrong with the dummy, she hurriedly stuffed it into the closet and locked it, then quickly walked to the door and opened it.

Standing outside the door was Snape, who glanced in suspiciously.

Esther naturally opened the door to the maximum, so that the indoor situation could be seen at a glance. "Come in and sit down, Severus?"

"No, Dumbledore wants me to go to his office with you." Snape looked back at Esther.

"What's the matter?" Esther followed Snape to the headmaster's office.

"He didn't say. What were you doing? I heard a bang in your room." Snape asked.

"I was practicing Transfiguration, and I was too involved. When you knocked on the door to scare me, the wand went off." Esther told the truth, just hiding the key part.

Snape didn't ask any more questions, and didn't even say a word except to give the password to the gargoyle-shaped stone monster guarding the spiral staircase.Esther felt that Snape had some resentment, but he didn't take the initiative to say it, and she couldn't ask directly.She could only follow him carefully into the spiral staircase, and check the situation first.

Dumbledore's office was a little dark, and Fox stood quietly on the shelf, becoming the brightest place in the room.Esther didn't see Grindelwald, wondering if he was sent into his hut by Dumbledore again.Dumbledore motioned for them to sit down.Snape stood there stubbornly, as if to express his protest.Esther had to stand with him.

Dumbledore reluctantly let them go, and said while pacing in the office, "What I want to tell you today is very important, very important, Severus, I hope you can listen to me calmly."

"I'm listening," Snape said.

"After I die—"

"Albus-"

"We've discussed it, Severus, now listen to me. At some point, Voldemort will fear for the life of his serpent."

"Nagini?" Snape was startled.

"True. If at some point Voldemort is no longer sending the snake to do his bidding, but keeps him at his side, magically protecting it, then I think I can tell Harry."

"Tell him what?"

Dumbledore took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "Tell him that the night Voldemort tried to kill him, when Lily put her life between them, the Killing Curse bounced off Voldemort, one of Voldemort's souls. Fragments were blown off and attached to the only living soul in the collapsed house. That's why Harry could talk to the snake, why he could see Voldemort's mind, a part of Voldemort's soul lived inside Harry."

"So by then - the boy has to die?" Snape asked quietly.Esther was too terrified to say a word.

"Yes," said Dumbledore evasively, "yes, death is a must."

The three people in the room fell into a long silence.Esther was chilling all over, she couldn't believe Dumbledore would say that.

Snape's deep voice seemed to reach Esther's ears through the thick wall, "You let him live so that he can die at the right time?"

"Don't be alarmed, Severus, how many men and women have you seen die?" said Dumbledore.

"Lately, the only people I've been powerless to save," said Snape, suddenly agitated. "You've used me."

"What do you mean?"

"I worked as a spy for you, fabricated lies for you, and risked death for you. All this is said to be for the safety of Lily Potter's son. Now you tell me that you raise him like a pig waiting to be slaughtered." the pig-"

"How touching, Severus," said Dumbledore gravely, "don't tell me you're starting to care about that child."

Snape raised his wand, drew a circle in the air, and softly recited a spell, "Call God to protect!"

A lithe doe emerged from the tip of the wand, and the leaper galloped out the window.

"Lily!" Dumbledore said in surprise, "It's been so long?"

"Always like that," Snape said.

"I thought—" Dumbledore looked at Esther regretfully.

"I don't think having love will make people forget the love for old friends or family members. Presumably you are the same." Esther said bluntly, "and I think the prophecy is that two people can only live one, at least they should live One, Dumbledore, are you mistaken?"

"I'm sorry, Esther, and I hope I'm mistaken. But you should understand that as long as Voldemort's soul is protected by Harry, he can't really die."

"So when the time comes," Snape said in a hollow voice, "the boy has to die?"

"Yes," Dumbledore did not change his meaning, "he must die, Voldemort must do it himself, that is the most important thing."

"I can't," said Esther, with intense revulsion, "I can't let him die, Dumbledore, you can't let him die."

"You've got to do it, Esther," said Dumbledore forcefully. "If Severus can't pass on the message to him, or if he won't trust him, you're going to get it done. He trusts you , you have a friendship from childhood to adulthood, he will never doubt you. If I really understand him, I believe he will arrange everything, and then resolutely go to death, that will mean the real end of Voldemort."

"But I did it to save him, not to harm him!" Esther looked at Dumbledore angrily.

"You are saving him. You are saving his soul from Voldemort. You know souls. You know that there is a way to go on in another world. You don't want his Soul tormented by Voldemort's soul fragments? You've seen Voldemort suffer when he's in his head, and you're helping him out of it."

Esther bit her lip, she knew Dumbledore was right, she was right to hate Dumbledore.

Coming out of the principal's office, Esther was a little depressed.It's like after a full run, only to find that you've reached the wrong end point.She felt drained and exhausted.

In the dark corridor, Esther and Snape walked side by side silently, neither of them spoke.But Esther could feel that Snape needed her company.Why not yourself?She needs support, strength to help her accept this brutal outcome.She'd be pushing Harry -- her childhood friend -- to his death, and she'd be a murderer if she hadn't killed him herself, and she was sick of it.

They went back to the cellar tacitly, and lay on the bed together, snuggling together.It seems that this is the only way to soothe the panic and fear in my heart.No matter how difficult the road ahead is, at least one person will walk with me.

When Esther returned to the dormitory the next day, Grindelwald was waiting for him at the door.Seeing Esther approaching, he raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said, "The dark circles under your eyes are so heavy, what did you do last night?"

"I didn't do anything, I just lost sleep." Esther said listlessly.She opened the door to let Grindelwald in, and made tea for him and herself.

"Is there anything wrong with coming here so early?" Esther asked while holding the cup.

"Look at the progress of your work." Grindelwald said casually.

"I'm not in the mood today." Esther lay down on the table decadently.

"You're much worse mentally than that kid Snape. I think he's back to his normal state in the morning."

"Yeah, I'm just bad, okay. Can I take a day off today? Just one day."

"If I say that Potter won't die in the future, can you feel better?" Grindelwald looked at her with a wicked smile.

Esther stared at him blankly, in disbelief, "But Dumbledore said that he must die."

"He also said that prophecies are sometimes inaccurate. Yes, I heard that yesterday."

"Then how are you sure Harry won't die?"

"I'm not sure, but this is also a possibility, isn't it? Now that I've seen it, it means it might happen, and what we have to do is to increase the chance of it happening?"

"How to do?"

"He must be willing to be killed by Voldemort himself."

"But--"

"That's all I can see. He didn't resist. Voldemort killed him, but he survived. Don't ask me why. I just saw it. I don't know what happened."

Even though it was just this illusory hope, Este was relieved a bit.

"So his own will matters?"

Grindelwald became impatient, "I said I don't know, can we discuss the matter in front of us first? If Albus's ending is different from what I saw, then Harry Potter's is probably not the same." will be the same."

Esther picked up the teacup and took a breath, letting the hot air hit her face.She felt that her blood had heat again, and her body was no longer frozen and stiff.Yes, it's not over yet, and I still have a direction to work hard.

Esther flicked her wand to open the closet and levitate the dummy inside.

"You became like this? To be honest, I don't see a bit of Dumbledore except for the nose." Grindelwald gave Esther a sideways look, showing a contemptuous expression.

Esther followed Grindelwald's words, and the place where the wand hit yesterday was twisted unnaturally.Esther couldn't help feeling that his unintentional mistake has become the most successful place.

Grindelwald pulled out his wand to help Esther continue to change the appearance of the dummy.It must be said that Grindelwald's methods are indeed much more sophisticated.Perhaps based on his understanding of Dumbledore, after he made the changes, Esther felt that except for his eyes, he really looked like Dumbledore himself.

"Um, should I say thank you?" Esther double-checked for details.

"No need, anyway, I can't ask too much of you, after all, you don't know Albus that well." Grindelwald said with a little conceit.

"We still need two sets of his clothes." Esther held his chin in thought.

"I'll bring it to you next time I come," Grindelwald said.

"It seems that your relationship with Dumbledore is getting better? It's so easy to say?" Esther raised his eyebrows.

"Not yet, he's still on guard against me. But the two sets of clothes won't make him suspicious." Grindelwald sat back in his chair and sipped his tea.

After drinking tea, Grindelwald left quickly, saying that he could not stay too long in order not to be discovered by Dumbledore.Esther also went to Gringotts during the day and picked out a few things for experimentation.

Snape was darker and meaner now than before.Even though he's only getting more annoying in the eyes of others, Esther knows it's just an effort to hide his irritability.He began to withdraw himself to his own safe area again, and became indifferent to Esther again.

There were times when Esther really wanted to tell him that Harry might not die, but she worried that if she said too much, she might reveal her and Grindelwald's plans.If Snape knew that Esther was going to take Dumbledore's place to accept the Killing Curse he personally cast, he might have given her a Forgetting Curse to make her forget the plan and her feelings for him.Esther believed that he would rather make her a fool like Lockhart than let her die by his own hands, even if it was just a possibility.

On the first day of March, Harry's friend Ron drank poisonous mead and was admitted to the school hospital.Esther is called to investigate the situation.The wine belonged to Professor Slughorn, who helped Ron take the love potion, and was about to give him a glass of wine to refresh him, but he didn't expect that there was poison in the wine.Fortunately, Harry pulled out the bezoar and stuffed it down Ron's throat in time to save his life.

Slughorn sat absent-mindedly on the soft leather sofa in his office, watching Esther go through his wine collection bottle by bottle.

"I think it's better for me to try it out. It may take a month for so many wines to be tested bottle by bottle." Este suggested.

"No, you don't drink it in case..." Slughorn retorted in panic, "let the house-elf come." He tapped the air with his wand, and a house-elf appeared in the room.

"Momo is at your service, dear lady and sir." The elf bowed to them.

Esther recognized that this was the house elf she was familiar with, and she couldn't bear to let him test the poison.But Slughorn had already said, "We need you to try some of these wines."

The elf obediently drank one cup after another, but fortunately there was nothing unusual.Esther breathed a sigh of relief, and helped the house-elf to sit down and rest.He resealed Slughorn's wine by himself and put it away.

"Do you remember where this wine came from?" Esther asked.

"Bought it at Three Broomsticks. But I promise I didn't know it was poisonous when I bought it," said Slughorn.

"Of course, professor, I believe you, you are also a victim." Esther reassured him.

Esther took Momo out of his office and returned to his dormitory, and gave him some hangover medicine.Momo wakes up gradually.

"Thank you—hiccup—Miss—" Momo hiccupped.

"I should thank you, I've been unconscious for a long time after drinking so much." Esther smiled and said, "How is the kitchen?"

"It's—hiccup—it's okay."

"Take a rest here, and go back after you're completely sober?" Esther said.

Momo nodded and sat down on the ground.

"Go to bed and lie down, sleep will be faster." Esther told Momo.

"No—no, Momo—hicc—can't sleep in Miss's—bed."

"Then sleep on the sofa." Esther widened the sofa and let the elf lie on it. "You rest here, I have to go out for a while."

Esther went to the Three Broomsticks to track down the clues of the poisoned alcohol, and the boss, Ms. Rosmerta, seemed panicked.She took Esther upstairs to the room and said unhappily, "Don't shout loudly in the store, I still have business."

"First of all, I didn't yell. I believe I didn't make it loud enough for the alcoholic at the next table to hear. Second, I just asked if you made the wine yourself or where you bought it, and whether there were other wines in the same batch. "Esther said indifferently.

"No, no. Who do you think you are, the Ministry of Magic scouts? What right do you have to ask me?" said Ms. Rosmerta excitedly.

"Ma'am, why are you reacting so violently?" Esther narrowed her eyes and stared at Rosmerta, and began to search her memory.Since you don't want to say it, you have to find it yourself.

"What are you doing!" Rosmerta pushed Esther away in panic.

Esther felt that her memory was chaotic, and some images in it were blurry. "Relax ma'am, I didn't do anything."

"Get out! Get out!" Rosmerta screamed and pushed Esther out.

Esther puts herself in a Transfiguration disguise and returns to the Three Broomsticks.She ordered a soda and sat in a corner watching Rosmerta.But Rosmerta didn't seem to be doing anything out of the ordinary.

It was almost midnight when we returned to the castle, and Esther was going to report the situation to Dumbledore first, when he suddenly heard arguing in the corridor.

"What's wrong?" Esther walked over and saw Hagrid and Filch glaring at each other, Harry and Hermione standing behind Hagrid at a loss.

"Esther, you came just in time to take Harry and Hermione away. I want to see what the old Squib can do." Hagrid said angrily.

Harry and Hermione didn't wait for Esther to speak, they hurried to her side and pulled her away together.Leave Hagrid and Filch arguing behind.

"What the hell happened?" Esther followed them up the marble steps blankly.

"Leave them alone, let me ask you, what do you do in Snape's office every day? Are you spying on him?" Harry said bluntly.

"What?" Esther was a little dazed by the sudden question, "How do you know I'm in his office?"

"The Marauder's Map." Harry explained impatiently. "Hagrid just told us that Dumbledore lost his temper with Snape. He didn't think he was doing enough to investigate Slytherin. Did Dumbledore have suspicions about him?" That's why you were asked to stare at him?"

"That's not what Hagrid said, Harry," Hermione corrected him. "He said Snape said that Dumbledore took too much for granted, that he didn't want to do the work too much. Dumbledore said he agreed to do it." .”

"Looks like they have a plan, doesn't it?" Esther blinked, "But I don't know, none of them told me. I'm not part of the plan, right? I go to his office for something else thing, but I can't say, and you are not part of my mission, are you?"

"What's up so early?" Harry asked.

"You were watching Snape by the Marauder's Map so early?" Esther tried to divert Harry's attention.

"I was watching Malfoy. I wanted to see if he was in Snape's office when he wasn't in the dormitory, so I saw you," said Harry.

"Malfoy isn't in the dormitory?" Esther grasped the point that could help her get out of trouble.

"Yeah, no, nowhere," said Harry.

"Oh, is that so?" Esther wondered.She and Lupine have studied the Marauder's Map, and the rooms on it are not complete, except for the Chamber of Secrets and the Room of Requirement. As for whether there are other unmarked rooms, Esther does not know, at least these two can be investigated first.

"You haven't answered me yet? Are you starting to doubt him too? Why did Snape make Dumbledore angry? He always asked me to trust Snape, but he didn't trust him himself, did he?" Ha Leigh asked expectantly.

"I never said I didn't trust Severus, on the contrary, I trusted him a lot. Why do you think he made Dumbledore angry and not Dumbledore made him angry? You just don't like him That’s why you think that way. Now please let go of your brain, go back to bed and have a good sleep. Tomorrow, you’ll have the energy to continue thinking about it.” Esther angrily threw them on the stairs leading to the Gryffindor tower, Continue upstairs to find Dumbledore in the principal's office.

Esther walked up to the corner of the stairs on the eighth floor, and a cough sounded from the shadows, causing Esther to pull out his wand nervously.

"It's good to be vigilant, but who would cough to remind you that there is an enemy before making a move?" said a deep voice.Snape stepped out of the shadows, the faint light of the torches on the wall illuminating his face, flickering on and off.It seemed that Esther's nervous look pleased him, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and his eyes were soft.

Esther put away her wand in embarrassment, and asked casually, "Why are you here? I thought you were in the cellar, and I want to find you later."

"I just came back from the Dark Lord and wanted to report to Dumbledore. I didn't expect to hear someone giving a speech on the stairs." He raised his eyebrows and looked at Esther jokingly.

"It seems that the Dark Lord didn't torment you today, and made you so energetic that you can still climb the stairs. Why don't you go to the gargoyle on the third floor?" Esther said angrily.

"Patrol by the way, catch a few students who go out at night and deduct points." Snape said frankly.