LIGHTNOVELONLINE Ch271- Return
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Meanwhile, inside the briefcase, Harry was leaning against the interior wall of the mansion, his mind racing. The escape had been too close for comfort, and the presence of Dumbledore and others was an unexpected complication. The Thunderbird, Spark, had done her job well, but he knew he couldn’t rely on such dramatic escapes too often.
There was one thing Harry knew for sure: he needed to tread carefully from now on. The use of the name “Riddle” had drawn more attention than he anticipated, and that wasn’t something he could afford. He would have to adjust his plans, take into account the new variables that had been thrown his way.
With a sigh, Harry closed his eyes for a moment, pushing down the frustration that threatened to bubble up. This was the reality of the path he’d chosen—a game of chess where every move had to be calculated, every piece carefully positioned. And while tonight’s events had thrown a few of his pieces into disarray, the game was far from over.
Soon, Harry felt a familiar tug as Spark soared down near the outskirts of Hogsmeade, her massive wings cutting through the night air. With a sharp drop, she spat the briefcase onto the ground, the force of the landing jarring Harry back to reality. He climbed out, feeling the chill of the night on his face as Spark circled above, watching him with those sharp, intelligent eyes.
“Be careful,” she said simply, her voice crackling with the faint electricity that always seemed to surround her. Without waiting for a response, she turned and disappeared into the briefcase, leaving Harry alone at the edge of the village.
Harry nodded absently, slipping the briefcase back into his pocket before heading towards the Three Broomsticks. As he walked through Hogsmeade, the rain was still drizzling, the storm lingering after Spark's dramatic exit. He pushed open the pub door, immediately greeted by the familiar warmth and chatter inside. Madam Rosmerta spotted him as soon as he entered, a friendly smile spreading across her face.
"Back already, Mr. Riddle?" she asked, her tone bright and welcoming. But then she paused, her brow furrowing slightly in curiosity. "But how’d you come in from outside this time? Last time, you used the Floo."
Harry smiled, the same easy, practiced grin he had perfected over the years. "Apparated," he answered smoothly, brushing off the rainwater that still clung to his cloak.
Rosmerta nodded, though her gaze flicked towards the window where the storm still rumbled overhead. "That storm... came out of nowhere. Doesn’t seem natural, if you ask me." She was clearly in a chatty mood, her impression of Harry—or rather, Albus Riddle—still positive.
Harry gave a slight shrug, not wanting to linger on the subject. "Storms can be unpredictable." He glanced towards the fireplace, shifting the conversation. "As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I need to use the network again."
Rosmerta’s friendly demeanor faltered slightly, noticing his hurry, but she gave a quick nod. "Of course, of course." She handed him the jar of Floo powder. "Be careful now."
"Always," Harry said with a nod, tossing the powder into the flames. As the green fire roared to life, he stepped in and called out, "Ministry of Magic!" His form disappeared in the swirl of flames, leaving the cozy warmth of the Three Broomsticks behind.
When Harry arrived at the Ministry, he quickly stepped out of the fireplace, brushing off the faint traces of soot. The grand atrium was mostly empty, the usual hustle and bustle absent in the late hours. He didn’t waste time, making a straight path towards the exit, keeping his head low to avoid any unnecessary attention.
Outside, the night air was crisp and cold. Harry pulled his cloak tighter around himself, his eyes scanning the empty streets before he called softly, "Misty."
With a soft pop, the house-elf appeared by his side, her wide eyes filled with immediate attentiveness. "Master Potter, Misty is here. What does Master need?" she squeaked, looking up at him.
Harry crouched slightly, his voice low but direct. "I need you to take me to the entrance of Hogwarts. Quietly. Don’t make a scene."
Misty nodded eagerly, gripping his hand as Harry covered them both with his cloak. In a blink, they vanished, reappearing near the outskirts of Hogwarts' grounds, hidden in the shadow of the towering gates.
"Thank you, Misty," Harry said, his tone softer now, though still clipped. "Go back home before anyone notices."
Misty bowed low, her large eyes full of pride before she disappeared with a quiet pop, leaving Harry alone under the cloak of night.
Harry glanced around, making sure the coast was clear, before he began his walk towards the castle. He moved swiftly, staying in the shadows as much as possible. He didn’t plan on being seen tonight—not by any of the staff, and certainly not by any students. The less anyone knew about where he'd been, the better.
As he reached the familiar halls of Hogwarts, Harry moved quickly, keeping to the shadows. His system map flickered to life, and the layout of the castle spread before him. His eyes narrowed as he saw Dumbledore, not far off, making his way toward the Slytherin common room.
"What in Merlin’s beard?" Harry muttered under his breath. "How’d he get here so fast? And why's he headed there?"
For a brief moment, the gears in Harry’s head turned. 'Does he suspect me?' It was the only explanation that made sense, but there wasn’t time to dwell on it. If Dumbledore reached the common room before Harry, things could unravel quickly. His mind raced for a solution.
No way he could beat Dumbledore there on foot. He needed a distraction, something big. Without a second thought, he reached for his briefcase and flicked it open. Out from its depths slithered Ash, his Norwegian Ridgeback dragon.
"Ash," Harry said, voice low but firm, "I need a distraction. Make some noise and draw everyone out. When you’re done, head to the Chamber. Basi will open the door for you."
Ash snorted, steam escaping her nostrils, her golden eyes gleaming with mischief, "Leave it to me, Master." Without another word, she let out a deep, rumbling roar that echoed through the halls. The sound reverberated off the stone walls, loud enough to wake half the castle.
As predicted, chaos followed. Harry could hear doors flying open down the corridors as professors scrambled out of their quarters, rushing to see what was happening. Even from where he stood, he spotted Dumbledore pause, his hand frozen inches from the entrance to the Slytherin common room.
'Good. Come on, turn around. Go investigate,' Harry thought, gripping his wand tighter.
Ash let out another ear-splitting roar, shaking the very foundation of the castle. He could see students peeking out of their rooms, whispering in fear. Some of the professors were already rushing toward the source of the disturbance, their robes flapping wildly as they moved through the corridors.
Dumbledore stood still for a moment longer, clearly weighing his options. Harry held his breath, willing the old man to make the obvious choice. There was no way Dumbledore could ignore a dragon loose in the castle, right?
After what felt like an eternity, Dumbledore turned and headed in the opposite direction, no doubt on his way to assess the situation. Harry exhaled, the tension in his chest loosening. Ash had done her job.
'Now for mine,' Harry thought, moving swiftly toward the Slytherin common room.
He reached the stone wall just as the last echoes of Ash’s roar faded into the distance. Without wasting any time, he whispered the password, and the wall slid open silently. Slipping inside, he was greeted by the sight of a few sleepy Slytherins, groggily getting up to see what all the fuss was about.
"What's going on?" one of the older boys grumbled, rubbing his eyes.
Under his cloak, Harry moved past the groggy Slytherins without a word, heading straight for his room. Once inside, he tossed the cloak into his briefcase and stepped out, finding the common room in mild chaos. He had to put a stop to it.
“Stop panicking and go back to your rooms,” Harry called out firmly. His voice cut through the murmurs of confusion. “Wait for Professor Snape.”
The students, sensing his authority, quickly obeyed. Daphne, Tracey, Pansy, Malfoy, Zabini, Nott, and Astoria stayed behind, clearly not as easily shaken. Draco was the first to break the tense silence.
“What’s going on, Harry?” Draco asked, his voice betraying the slightest bit of hope that Harry had some answers.
Harry gave a casual shrug, not wanting to draw too much attention to what he knew. “Dragon roars or something,” he replied nonchalantly, keeping it simple. The others exchanged glances, still on edge, but they accepted the explanation for now.
It took about half an hour for Snape to finally arrive, sweeping into the room with his usual intimidating presence. His sharp eyes scanned the group before settling on Harry.
“Situation?” Snape asked curtly.
“All accounted for,” Harry answered promptly, standing straight. “They’re all in their rooms.”
Snape gave a brief nod, his gaze sweeping over the students still gathered. “Make sure they stay there until morning.”
Harry nodded, watching as Snape strode out of the room, clearly off to deal with the aftermath of Ash’s disruption. Not long after, Dumbledore appeared, stepping into the common room with his usual calm demeanor, though his eyes were sharp as they took in the scene.
“Ah,” Dumbledore said, his gaze landing on Harry, “it seems Slytherin House is in order.”
“Yes, sir,” Harry replied, maintaining the relaxed air he had used earlier. “We just counted everyone.”
Dumbledore smiled, though there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes. “Good, good. And how was your night? Anything exciting?”
Harry smirked, keeping his tone light. “Besides the dragon roar? Not much.”
Dumbledore chuckled softly, clearly amused. “Indeed. Well, it seems you handled the situation quite well. I’ll see to it that everything else is in order.” With that, he turned to leave, his presence as commanding as ever, yet the twinkle in his eyes was still there.
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