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Chapter 176: Bless You, Noah
🕑 Added 2025-06-02 12:03:51 +0000 UTCIn the following days, all of Hogwarts seemed slightly chaotic.
The main reason? Harry Potter had somehow provoked Professor Snape again, and now Snape was looking for trouble with him at every possible turn.
It felt eerily similar to their first year, two years ago—back when Gryffindor lost a mountain of points because of their constant friction.
Strangely, however, both Snape and Harry refused to discuss the incident. They behaved as if nothing had happened.
Besides that, Noah also found himself scolded harshly by Professor Snape—mainly for his “bad ideas” and his habit of meddling in other people’s business.
But Noah wasn’t bothered. He knew that if Snape truly didn’t want Harry to see his memories, then there was no way Harry would have seen them. For example, the memory of Snape’s daughter had already been wiped—otherwise, things would’ve turned catastrophic.
Now, Noah’s favorite pastime during Potions class was to simply stare at Harry.
Harry, who used to openly defy Snape, was now oddly quiet and compliant. No matter how much Snape tried to provoke him, Harry didn’t talk back. He was scolded often, but never resisted.
And just like that, a week went by.
Noah’s exams were drawing near, and Professor Dumbledore had finally received concrete information.
Sirius Black had truly outdone himself.
After suffering twelve years in Azkaban, he had nearly fully recovered after just half a year of rest. He spent much of that time tracking down the burial site of Voldemort’s Muggle father—and just as expected, he found traces of Barty Crouch Jr.
Black was extremely careful.
Crouch Jr. was equally so. To avoid detection, Sirius went to great lengths—starving himself for days, transforming into a filthy, scraggly black dog, and scavenging for food like a real stray.
Even then, he was nearly discovered. When he caught a whiff of snake, he panicked and bolted while howling, barely managing to escape. Had he not played the role of a desperate stray so convincingly, Barty might have packed up and left then and there.
It had been a close call.
But Sirius stuck with it, surviving on Barty Jr.’s leftovers for several days. In his own words, it was killing him—but he didn’t complain.
He had learned the truth about his brother through Dumbledore. And that truth filled him with equal parts pride and sorrow. His brother had paid dearly—perhaps with his life. So, in Sirius's mind, any price he himself paid was worth it.
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On the night Sirius returned, Professor Dumbledore convened a meeting. This time, even Harry and Lucius Malfoy were present.
Ironically enough, Lucius had now fully switched sides.
From a loyal Death Eater to a front-line opponent of Voldemort—it was a whiplash-inducing shift. No one trusted him. Even Snape avoided eye contact.
Yet Lucius remained impeccably polite, seemingly unbothered by the hostility around him. He played the part of a silent observer—answering only when addressed by Dumbledore.
“Lucius, tell us what you know,” Dumbledore said after Sirius gave his report.
“Yes, Professor,” Lucius responded calmly. “To my knowledge, Barty Crouch Jr. has used dark magic to accelerate the rebirth of Voldemort’s infant form.”
He continued, “Lately, he's been anxious—pushing me to speed things along. I assured him that I would.”
“Very good. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Malfoy. We will remember it,” Dumbledore nodded, before turning to Noah.
“Mr. Finniel, how are your preparations coming along?”
“Barty Jr. has placed anti-Apparition wards in the area,” Noah said with a shrug. “But they don’t affect the type of magic I use. Besides, Harry’s wearing a pendant infused with my magic. It can’t hold the spell for long, but it’ll help me track him. If Barty tries anything, we’ll be able to find Harry immediately.”
“Excellent. Thank you, Mr. Finniel,” Dumbledore smiled warmly. “You are the finest student I’ve ever taught—bar none.”
Then his eyes turned to Harry.
Truth be told, Dumbledore was deeply worried about him. Harry had already lost his parents for Dumbledore’s cause. If anything were to happen to him now, the guilt would never leave Dumbledore’s conscience.
But they needed Harry. The resurrection ritual required his involvement.
If he had a choice, Dumbledore would gladly perform the ritual himself just to destroy Voldemort afterward—but he couldn’t. Not with the specific ingredients required: the blood of an enemy (forcibly taken), the flesh of a servant (willingly given)—both nearly impossible to acquire.
He had even considered using the Imperius Curse, but dismissed the idea quickly. Who knew how it might interfere with such a powerful ritual?
“Harry… I know this is a lot to ask. It’s cruel, especially to let you face this danger alone—”
“I’m not alone, Professor,” Harry smiled. “You’re all here with me. My parents gave everything for this. Now I’m asking for it back—for them. Don’t worry.”
His confidence calmed Dumbledore’s heart. And strengthened his own resolve to end Voldemort for good—this time, with no loose ends.
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Sirius took Harry aside—likely to have a private word.
Meanwhile, Noah slowly approached Dumbledore, who was still watching Harry’s back thoughtfully.
“Are you really going to kill Voldemort this time?” Noah asked.
“Hmm? Yes,” Dumbledore replied. “As cruel as it is... I have to.”
“What if he doesn’t summon the Death Eaters?”
“Oh, believe me, Noah. I know Tom. He will.”
Dumbledore smiled, though his expression was weary.
Truthfully, very few wizards in Britain could rival him now—unless some ancient beings decided to crawl out of retirement.
“But why not let him live?” Noah asked. “Let him draw out more rats from the shadows.”
“There’s no need. Even if he summons just a few Death Eaters, it’s enough. Those few represent the core. We’ll deal with the worst, and the rest… well, if they hide, let them. The next generation of wizards will replace them.”
Dumbledore wasn’t aiming for complete annihilation. That would cripple the British magical world. Instead, he intended to remove the ringleaders and let time erode the rest.
He was confident—whether in wealth, reputation, or influence—he could outmaneuver them all.
“You know,” he said as they walked, “Muggle books are surprisingly insightful. Arthur Weasley was right—he had real vision. I admit, I can’t match him when it comes to understanding Muggles.”
“There are many great minds in the Muggle world,” Noah replied. “Different eras, different countries… I grew up in their world. And honestly, Professor, if Voldemort ever targeted Muggles directly—not just the Ministry—I think the whole world would fall into chaos.”
“That’s true,” Dumbledore nodded. “If not for the secret work of unsung magical protectors, we’d all be in serious trouble. Which is why he must disappear.”
“I don’t mind. Just a suggestion,” Noah said lightly. “Oh, and Professor Snape wanted me to pass you a message.”
“I know what he wants,” Dumbledore said. “Don’t worry—I support him. He’s worked hard for this.”
“Really? Guess I worried for nothing.”
“By the way, I should thank you,” Dumbledore added. “If not for your generosity, I would never have allowed Severus to take such risks—even if it meant striking Tom early.”
Noah smiled but didn’t respond.
Generosity? Perhaps. He had shared foundational elemental magic with Dumbledore and the others, and their power levels had grown tremendously because of it.
But Noah wouldn’t call himself selfless. He had plenty of his own plans.
Still, from Dumbledore’s perspective, Noah seemed like the ideal student—the one who most aligned with his vision for Hogwarts.
Even though Noah was young, and about to graduate, Dumbledore couldn’t help but feel attached.
“Be honest. Are you nervous?” Dumbledore asked, gazing at the sunset.
“Nervous about Voldemort? Not at all,” Noah said.
“No, I mean about leaving Hogwarts. Starting over in a new place.”
“Not really. I spent over two months there last summer. I know the people. I’ll adapt quickly.”
“I see… Then I wish you all the best, Noah. May you thrive in your new journey.”
“Thank you, Professor Dumbledore.”
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