The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 82 An Unusual Out-of-Control

Chapter 82 An Unusual Out-of-Control

Lynch tilted his head slightly, his gaze piercing through the cool moonlight and landing on Dumbledore's face.

"I didn't force Mr. Potter into this; fate dragged him in."

Dumbledore's words made Lynch's self-image seem somewhat cold.

fate?

He recalled the original story's development; Harry had indeed successfully defeated Voldemort.

But at that time, without my presence, that story was just a story.

Now that I've arrived, this world is no longer a story, but a real world.

If it is a real world that has been altered by itself, will everything still proceed along the predetermined trajectory?

I'm afraid not.

Lynch mentally crossed out this idea.

"He's just a child, Dumbledore. A child who's only been in the wizarding world for a few months, and at best can only flick a few magical sparks at the tip of his wand."

Lynch looked at Dumbledore and said firmly, "Even if one day... we really need him to face Voldemort, it will be after he has grown into a good and reliable wizard. Not now, hastily pushing him, completely unprepared, in front of Voldemort!"

"At this point in time, Voldemort is not something a child should worry about; that is the responsibility of wizards like you and me."

"We have a responsibility to build a barrier for him, a barrier that buys him time to grow before he gains sufficient power!"

"I thought you would agree with what I did." Dumbledore's deep blue eyes flickered behind his half-moon spectacles.

Instead of directly refuting Lin Qi, she changed the subject and talked about other things.

“Professor McGonagall,” he began slowly, his voice low and resonant, “she expressed strong protests to me regarding your inaction during the troll incident and your subsequent philosophy on education.”

"It's a very radical theory, but I must admit there's some truth to it."

"We certainly cannot protect our students forever."

Lin Qi slowly shook his head: "That time the situation was completely different. I chose to observe because I was absolutely certain that I could completely take control of the situation in a fraction of a second, in the instant any unexpected event occurred. That giant monster would not cause any harm to the students."

"But Voldemort is a different story."

Even though he's now extremely weak and can only cling to Quirrell, he's still Voldemort! The Dark Lord, a master of countless spells and unpredictable schemes!

"I can't guarantee I can control everything instantly when facing him. The slightest mistake could cost Harry his life!"

"Harry's safety will be guaranteed." Dumbledore's voice was gentle yet firm. "With the protection of you and me... and the ancient spell that flows in his blood from his mother, his safety is not a problem."

"As the prophecy I told you about will say, Harry will be the key to defeating Voldemort completely; his fate is intertwined with Voldemort's."

"Now is arguably when Voldemort is at his weakest. We need to get Harry in contact with him so that he can be truly prepared to face Voldemort in the future."

Lynch looked at Dumbledore: "We have no right to make this decision for him!"

He repeated again, "He's just a child."

Dumbledore gazed intently at Lynch, his eyes deep: "When you decided to become the 'Mist Hanger,' you were just a child not much older than Harry..."

"That's different, Dumbledore," Lynch replied decisively, with an unquestionable certainty. "Completely different. The standard for whether someone is still considered a child isn't simply based on age."

"I was indeed young back then. But my soul and my mind were those of a fully grown adult."

"When I decided to take that path, I was fully aware of the cost of my choice and took on that responsibility. I had the strength and will to bear the consequences."

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp, looking directly into Dumbledore's eyes: "And Harry? He's still in a state of ignorance."

"He didn't know what the name Voldemort really meant, or how much innocent blood and despair was stained behind it."

All he knew was that "that person" killed his parents and left him with a scar.

"He carries the legacy of hatred, not a choice he made himself!"

"He hasn't yet developed an unbreakable core of will to support him in facing that ultimate evil! What you call 'entanglement' is more like an inescapable curse for him than a destiny he chooses to bear! Gambling the life of an innocent child on the possibility of a prophecy is not a choice we should make!"

Dumbledore's gaze pierced through his glasses and landed on Lynch: "You're getting a little emotional right now, Mr. Lynch."

'

Upon hearing Dumbledore's words, Lynch took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

His gaze became somewhat unfocused, as if he were lost in memories: "Lily is my friend, a really good friend."

"I visited Harry at his home shortly after he was born."

"A few days ago you told me that you had received the news the night Voldemort killed her, but you were unable to get there in time because you were entangled with me."

"So... Lily's death was partly my fault, I owe Harry an apology."

"Harry is Lily's only remaining bloodline in this world, and I need to protect his safety."

Dumbledore's eyes flickered; he realized that Lynch's mood had been a little off since earlier.

His gaze shifted to the Mirror of Eris beside him, and he realized that this was probably the reason.

"What did you see... Mr. Lynch?"

Dumbledore asked calmly.

His voice, as always, was deep and resonant, as he tried to capture this rare moment of vulnerability in Lynch and explore his inner thoughts.

Lynch glanced at the enormous Mirror of Eris: "Something... from the past."

After saying that, he closed his eyes and refused to look at the magic mirror again.

Dumbledore realized that Lynch had recovered from the intense shock created by the Mirror of Erised.

He stopped talking.

Silence fell in the room once again.

"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"

Suddenly, Lin Qi asked.

Dumbledore paused for a moment, then said, "I saw myself holding a pair of thick wool socks."

Lynch opened his eyes and looked at Dumbledore: "If you insist on following your plan, then I need to weaken Voldemort to the extreme."