The two exchanged a glance. The doubts that had just been dispelled at the cemetery began to creep back in again.
Perhaps…that was Cecilia's sister?
Silently, they exited the house and returned to the courtyard. "Hello, is Miss Cecilia home?"
The blonde woman opened the door, looking confused. "I am Cecilia. May I ask who you are...?"
That confirmed it—regardless of whether the Cecilia they met last week was Ariana or not, there was definitely something wrong with her!
"Oh, sorry, we've come to the wrong place."
"Huh?" She looked puzzled. But you just—clearly called my name...
Edward and Audrey hurried away.
"So the woman we met last week, in the eyes of the villagers, is this Cecilia…Was it a Confundus Charm?"
Edward frowned. "But the divination result clearly showed she wasn't a witch."
With [Genius on the Left], divination only fails due to a lack of clues or involvement of high-level beings. Once it succeeds, the results are immune to interference and deception.
"Hmm, maybe someone else cast the spell for her?"
"That's also a possibility."
Edward lowered his head in thought. "Do you think we should tell Professor Dumbledore about this? Though we've proven that woman is suspicious, we still don't know exactly what's going on."
Audrey replied decisively, "What we should be considering right now is whether she approached us intentionally—and if so, for what purpose." She paused. "Especially with the Death Eaters and the Goblins preparing to attack Hogwarts!"
"Alright, let's go find Dumbledore."
——
They returned to the Hog's Head Inn.
Aberforth was already awake, lazily cleaning the bar. Even though he had magic, he stubbornly chose not to use it, instead tidying up at a slow and leisurely pace.
He waved to greet them. "Thanks for bringing me back earlier. Honestly, sleeping it off outside wouldn't have been a problem—I'm not as frail as Albus."
Uh…even now, he had to sneak in a jab at Professor Dumbledore?
"Do you often drink yourself this drunk at the Three Broomsticks?"
Aberforth shook his head. "Not really. It's just that, every year near Christmas, I tend to drink a bit more. Been that way for decades."
Then he immediately added, "Don't ask why. Kids wouldn't understand."
"..."
Edward hesitated for a moment, then looked at the portrait of Ariana and asked, "Mr. Dumbledore, may I ask—who's the girl in that painting?"
"She's my sister, Ariana."
Aberforth's expression softened a little. "If you're thinking of courting her, I can only say I'm sorry…She passed away a long time ago."
"My apologies."
"The one who should apologise is your Headmaster."
He snorted, waving them off. "Now off you go, I'm closing up!"
Edward thought that if he dared to ask something like "Are you sure your sister is actually dead?" right now, Aberforth would probably reward him with a lightning chain of Avada Kedavras!
——
[Hogwarts, eighth floor—the Headmaster's Office.]
Lilith and Susie were obediently seated in front of a small blackboard. Dumbledore sat cross-legged on the floor, speaking gently while writing on the board. Fawkes, the phoenix, dozed lazily on a nearby perch.
His voice was warm and patient, and his eyes sparkled with kindness. He clearly enjoyed teaching the two little ones.
The girls, in turn, were fully attentive, nodding and shaking their heads with earnest expressions.
"Are you here to pick up Lilith and Susie from class?"
Seeing them enter, Dumbledore adjusted his glasses with a smile.
"No."
"We came to talk to you about something."
Seeing the seriousness on Edward's face, Dumbledore brushed off his robes and stood up. "Think about what I just taught you."
The little ones chirped in unison, "Yes, Professor~!"
He gestured for the two to sit, then, out of habit, asked, "What's the matter?"
"We just returned from Godric's Hollow—we visited your old family home."
Dumbledore paused and adjusted his glasses. "Oh, Godric's Hollow…I suppose I haven't been back in quite some time."
Then he blinked, puzzled. "Didn't you already go there last week?"
Edward didn't answer directly. "Before I explain what happened today, I want to ask you a question. Though…it might be a bit forward, so please forgive me."
Dumbledore smiled. "Of course, go ahead."
Looking into his sky-blue eyes, Edward asked seriously.
"Are you certain your sister, Ariana…truly passed away?"
Dumbledore's pupils dilated slightly as his mind blanked.
After a long moment.
He removed his glasses and said softly, "Of course…Aberforth and I buried her ourselves, right next to our mother."
"I was young back then, but responsible enough to know I couldn't possibly have made a mistake about something like that."
He lowered his eyes, as if recalling something. "That day…I'll never forget it for the rest of my life."
Edward then described what happened that day. "We met a woman in Godric's Hollow who looked incredibly similar to your sister, Ariana."
Dumbledore raised his head, confusion flickering in his eyes.
Edward continued, "To be honest, in such a big world, it's not unusual for two people to look alike. And even if Ariana were still alive, she'd be over a hundred years old by now."
"But…"
Edward recounted everything that had happened with the woman named "Cecilia," including what they had encountered today.
Dumbledore's expression gradually turned solemn.
"A woman impersonating the granddaughter of old Mr. Gault, who happens to look like Ariana... and appearing at my old family home, no less... It's hard not to be suspicious," he murmured.
He folded his hands and thought for a moment, then said softly, "Sigh...In my heart, I truly want to believe the person you encountered was Ariana. But reason tells me that's impossible. Otherwise, I would never have…"
He abruptly stopped mid-sentence, his pupils trembling slightly.
After more than ten seconds, he closed his eyes and then opened them again, muttering, "If…someone is playing tricks with this, I will make them pay the price."
Rubbing his weary forehead, Dumbledore said, "All right, dinner is about to begin. Go and eat."
"Susie, Lilith, today's lesson is over. You two should go too."
"Okay~"
After Edward and Audrey left, Dumbledore stood up and paced around for a while, his face a tangle of worry and hesitation.
At last, he took a deep breath and spoke:
"Fawkes, take me to the Hog's Head."
——
At dinner.
Edward and Audrey were still discussing the mysterious woman. One thing was clear now: her approach to them was definitely not a coincidence.
But thinking back, if Audrey hadn't coincidentally noticed the resemblance to Ariana today, they probably wouldn't have suspected anything. The matter would've simply passed unnoticed, and Dumbledore would have remained oblivious.
So if this was a scheme orchestrated by the Death Eaters…it made no sense.
What was the plan? Pop out dramatically just to give Dumbledore a scare? Then why show up last week at all?
Ding, ding, ding.
A crisp tapping sound suddenly rang out.
The two looked up to see that Dumbledore and the other professors were now seated neatly at the staff table.
Dumbledore raised his voice, gentle yet firm, "Quiet, please."
Only then did Edward notice that Dumbledore's nose was red and slightly crooked—almost like he'd been punched.
"I know that, because of me, these past days have brought you all some unpleasant experiences—both academically and in daily life. For that, I sincerely apologise."
As he spoke, Dumbledore rose and bowed deeply to the entire hall.
Whoa—
The students were stunned.
Straightening up again, he didn't sit back down.
"Over the next week, I must fully devote myself to the final stages of the election. This may require the professors to spare some time assisting me. Coupled with the ongoing threat of those pesky and dangerous Dementors...I've made a decision."
He paused for a few long seconds.
"I hereby announce—this year's Christmas holiday will begin one week early, so that everyone may enjoy more time with their families or go travelling."
"WHOOAAAA!!"
The Great Hall erupted with cheers.
"We love you Headmaster!!"
Umbridge instinctively opened her mouth to object, but quickly remembered what Dumbledore had said to her just a few days ago. She silently shut her mouth.
The Durmstrang students, however, were utterly bewildered.
We came all the way to Hogwarts for an exchange program...and we haven't exchanged anything yet! Our headmaster got arrested, and now we're just stuck here... and now you're announcing an early holiday?! What was even the point of us coming?!
Dumbledore raised both hands to calm the crowd.
"Of course, the school will still host a Christmas feast for those staying behind, and for our Durmstrang friends. I will personally prepare a grand dinner and gifts for everyone—no one will be left out."
"WOOOHOOOO!!"
Then he winked mischievously.
"Actually, I originally intended to give each of you a personal present...but the Hogwarts board didn't approve the budget, and I'm too stingy to pay out of my own pocket, so I had to drop the idea."
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"Well then—Merry Christmas in advance. May your holiday be wonderful!"
"And now, let's warm up by singing some Christmas songs. Everyone can pick whichever tune they like."
Dumbledore raised his wand like a conductor's baton.
"Ready, sing!"
Suddenly, a wild mixture of melodies rang through the Great Hall—louder and more chaotic than even the Hogwarts school song at the start of term.
Grinning as he rubbed his bruised nose, Dumbledore said, "Oh, I definitely need to hire a music teacher next year. Any suggestions?"
None of the professors answered.
"Well then, I'll make the decision myself!"
Once the students finished their mismatched carols, Dumbledore raised his voice once more, "Now, please enjoy tonight's feast. Eat, drink, and rest well—your holidays await!"
"WOOOOOOO!!"
The Weasley twins stood up and shouted, "From now on, we'll have to call you Minister, sir!"
"Headmaster of Hogwarts, recipient of the Order of Merlin, First Class, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot—"
"—And the new Minister for Magic!"
Dumbledore chuckled.
"Oh, that's far too many titles for one chair."
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
The students who got the joke burst into laughter.
But among the Golden Trio, emotions were mixed.
Ron and Hermione looked delighted, already dreaming about their holiday plans.
Harry, on the other hand, wore a gloomy expression.
He didn't want to go back to that "home" that held nothing but unhappy memories. But with Ron and Hermione leaving, staying at school alone would be unbearably dull.
Sensing Harry's mood, Ron immediately thumped his chest and said, "Harry, why don't you come spend Christmas at my place?"
Harry's eyes lit up.
"Really?"
"Of course!"
"But…"
Harry quickly hesitated.
After all, he barely knew the rest of the Weasleys. Wouldn't barging in on their family celebration just make things awkward?
Ron picked up on his worry and added, "Or…I'll stay here with you instead!"
Hermione pursed her lips and said softly, "Sorry, Harry. I promised my parents I'd go home for Christmas this year…I can't stay behind with you. Maybe you could ask Edward and Audrey—"
Harry shook his head.
"It's fine. I'll go spend some time with Hagrid."
Then he turned to Ron, "Really, you should go home too. Your parents must miss you a lot."
Ron muttered, "Fine…I'll bring you back a present, at least."
"Thanks~"
Dumbledore's decision hadn't been a spur-of-the-moment one. It had long been planned.
But it was still a risky move—suddenly announcing an early holiday like this was bound to alert the likes of Barty Jr. and the other Death Eaters.
Perhaps, that was precisely his goal.
To startle the snake from the grass.
If the Death Eaters backed off, that would buy him time.
Once he became Minister, his hands would finally be free…and then it would be their turn.
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.