Hogwarts: Even Voldemort Can't Stop Me From Studying

Chapter 843 214: Lies and Truth

Dumbledore thought that Vid wouldn't understand, but actually, he was very clear about the headmaster's intentions.

Voldemort kept returning again and again, each resurrection happening sooner than the last.

Of course, this was partly thanks to Barty Crouch Jr. serving his master, but with Voldemort's increasing activity, he could certainly find more puppets like Barty, Quirrell, and Peter Pettigrew, lured by darkness, captured by power, and subdued by fear.

But as long as Harry was alive, Voldemort would never truly die, for the young Savior was accidentally turned into a semi-complete Horcrux by the Dark Lord.

Only if Voldemort, through the process of resurrection, established a blood connection with Harry and then personally "killed" him could he destroy the fragment of his own soul that resided in Harry, all while preserving Harry's life.

Otherwise, to remove Voldemort, one would have to kill Harry Potter first.

The mysterious and marvelous principles of this magic were perhaps only clear to Dumbledore, who had advanced further in magic than anyone else.

Even though Vid had read the original works, he still felt like he was trying to see flowers through fog or the moon in water, thinking he understood, but upon thinking deeply, he felt he understood nothing at all.

He could only follow the headmaster's instructions like most people, trusting the judgment of the most powerful White Wizard.

In reality, Vid thought, Dumbledore might not be entirely confident in keeping Harry alive—he was merely speculating it might be feasible, then trying to seize that only glimmer of hope.

In order to completely eradicate Voldemort, Dumbledore was unwilling to bear the cost of continued waiting, pushing the underage Harry onto the path of voluntary death. This approach made Vid clearly feel the headmaster's ruthlessness.

Yet this old man also exhausted himself trying to grant Harry that extremely slim chance of survival, willing to sacrifice himself if needed, and bear the followers' doubt and resentment, which made Vid's feelings complex and indescribable.

However, in one respect, Vid's thinking differed from Dumbledore's.

The headmaster hoped that Harry could happily be an ordinary student, walking unknowingly towards his end, only understanding his mission at the very last moment.

Vid, however, believed Harry had the right to know what he faced and to make his own choice—even if the result might not differ, choosing one's own fate was entirely different from being a pawn pushed onto the board.

Naturally, in front of the cameras, Vid couldn't reveal the whole truth.

While looking at the magic on the Goblet of Fire earlier, Vid had sorted through all the clues. Now, seeing Harry's eyes suddenly widen, he slowly said:

"I suppose you haven't forgotten—it was in our first year when he possessed Professor Quirrell, attempting to seize the Philosopher's Stone hidden in the school, and you stopped him in the end."

Harry remembered the second face on the back of Quirrell's head, his stomach twisting in pain.

He nodded, saying, "Of course, I'll never forget that."

[——I know.]

Vid thought: I know you won't forget, but the audience outside might not be clear about this.

They deserve to know.

When good deeds are always hidden in silence, glory-seekers will ascend the moral high ground; if merits go unrecognized, the clamor of profit will overtake everything.

Just as when Dumbledore fell silent, people like Fudge, Umbridge, and Lockhart stood in the spotlight, admired by ignorant common folk.

He touched the badge pinned on his chest—it looked just like a common Soft Light Badge, shaped like a robin. Besides making the wearer look more exquisite, it was said to increase luck.

"Afterwards," Vid continued, "Peter Pettigrew escaped from Azkaban; everyone knows this. What people don't know is that another Death Eater loyal to Voldemort also slipped out of control back then."

Harry was stunned. "Who was it?"

Vid said, "Barty Crouch Jr."

Harry seemed slightly bewildered, but outside the arena, the entire British Ministry of Magic was thrown into great shock once more.

That war had only ended over a decade earlier; besides some young people who weren't well-informed, most wizards hadn't forgotten those deafening names.

Barty Crouch Jr. was actually captured towards the end of that war, one of the last batch of significant Death Eaters to be caught.

While Voldemort's forces swept across the British Isles, Barty was still a school student, not known for any particular deeds, and people didn't know he had joined the notorious Death Eaters.

When Voldemort fell, Barty was caught along with the Lestranges; due to his father's status, it immediately caused an uproar in the United Kingdom. Many people still remember the disbelief at the time.

Vid gave a brief explanation of Barty Crouch Jr.'s identity and how he evaded justice, then spoke about how he impersonated Filch and infiltrated Hogwarts.

"With these people's help, Voldemort came back again, sparking two attacks during the Quidditch World Cup night—one where the forest was bewitched, and mascots went wild."

Harry clenched his fists. "They were behind all that."

How many people were killed or injured that night of the World Cup? The Ministry of Magic still couldn't provide an exact number.

After that event, the reputations of Bulgaria and Ireland plummeted, and if not for the scheduled school league, the British Ministry of Magic might have become a place many wizards vowed never to step foot in.

Vid nodded, scanning his surroundings to ensure there was nothing unusual, and then said:

"He then seemed to lie low for a while—"

Though it was because his physical body was destroyed again, rendering Voldemort having to "lie low," this aspect didn't need to be revealed to the magical world just yet.

At this point, Vid Gray was a Hogwarts student valued by Dumbledore, who knew a little more information than others but was not privy to the full truth.

"—But during this time, Dark Magic attacks frequently occurred all over the world. Though there wasn't any evidence, I personally believe they aren't entirely unrelated."

"Meanwhile, he had Barty infiltrate Hogwarts to disrupt this tournament. We identified his identity a few days ago, but while attempting to hand him over to the Ministry of Magic, he escaped—this guy, having followed Voldemort, learned many unimaginable methods."

A high lie naturally must be wrapped in the clothing of truth.