Jane Yu was utterly dumbfounded.
What kind of magical feng shui hotspot was this Muggle orphanage to produce so many wizards?
She and Voldemort were actually alumni of the same orphanage, separated by more than fifty years?
Dumbledore continued knocking around the small room with his wand:
"This room—this was where he used to stay."
"I suspect he might have left behind some old belongings… I've been tracking his traces all summer."
Jane asked curiously, "Weren't you supposed to be looking for Wormtail?"
Under the flickering light of his wand, Dumbledore's fingers brushed inch by inch over the carvings on the wall:
"No—I already have a good idea of where he is. Harry told me that Trelawney made a new prophecy during a Divination exam—"
He paused, hesitating slightly:
"It seems Harry would rather you know the contents of the prophecy. He insisted I tell you—Voldemort's servant will set out to reunite with him, and that servant will help him rise again."
Dumbledore sighed deeply:
"You two children... such heavy burdens shouldn't be yours to bear at this age—"
But Jane's heart sank like a stone.
This was the prelude to the villain's arc!
Surely in three or four years, it would be time for war and death at Hogwarts!
Would she, who could never seem to drop out of school, escape this fate?
Moreover, she and Voldemort shared similarities in many senses, and in his eyes, she might even carry the Dumbledore debuff—
She had no doubt that she would soon become a target of the noseless criminal and his dark forces!
After finally gaining a new lease on life, was she about to lose it all?
Her thoughts became chaotic, flickering between Dumbledore's face, her classmates' faces... and Voldemort's...
Should she drop out or not? Was there something she ought to do?
Her mind, overwhelmed by conflicting thoughts, came to a halt.
Dumbledore turned the orphanage upside down, but he didn't find a single item connected to Voldemort.
Jane suspected that with his thorough search, the Muggle workers wouldn't need to lift a finger for demolition.
Breathing heavily, Dumbledore sat down on an armchair he conjured from bricks, muttering, "Strange... strange..."
Jane, whose brain had rebooted, offered a suggestion:
"I don't think it's just me—he wouldn't want to return here either."
Dumbledore paused, removing his glasses to blow off the dust, murmuring:
"Yes, that makes sense. The orphanage was a place he wanted to escape from... but there... I think it must be there..."
He stood up, and with the dizzying sensation of Apparition, the two of them landed on a cliff, the sea breeze brushing against their faces.
Dumbledore seemed to be sensing the presence of enchantments in the area. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke slowly:
"Perhaps I should send you back first? In case there's danger..."
A wave of speechlessness washed over Jane.
The atmosphere was already set, they were already at the location, and now he thought about safety?
She couldn't help but roll her eyes internally.
"It's the middle of summer—what's done is done. We're already here."
Dumbledore felt inexplicably comforted by her words.
That brief sentence carried a tone of reassurance and consolation, easing his mind considerably.
He felt a sense of philosophical acceptance, a mix of self-persuasion and compromise, allowing him to make peace with reality, regain his resolve, and face the challenge ahead!
He couldn't help but express his approval:
"Indeed, it's not that big of a deal."
The child he raised was both brave and considerate!
Facing danger without fear, she even gave him a graceful way to backtrack!
He had known for the past two years—
The two of them were truly kindred spirits, both loving thrilling adventures!
"Come, look down." He gestured for Jane to step onto a massive boulder closest to the cliff face.
Jane peered down and saw a crack in the cliff, with seawater swirling inside. A sense of foreboding crept over her.
"Uh... we're not going to swim there, are we?"
Dumbledore smiled faintly.
"Perhaps you could demonstrate for me?" Jane responded with a deadpan expression.
"I was quite the swimmer in my youth. Watch this."
Dumbledore suddenly seemed as spry as a young man, as if he were on vacation in the Maldives.
He deftly slid into the water, holding his wand in his mouth, and swam toward the dark crack in the rock face with perfect breaststroke technique.
"Jane, follow me!" His voice echoed faintly from afar.
Jane was dumbstruck.
Wait, he's actually swimming?
Could she still ask to be sent back now?
She genuinely couldn't understand why they didn't just grab a couple of broomsticks or have Fawkes carry them across.
Was her guardian... really a wizard?
She dipped her hand into the water—it was icy cold, with considerable waves, and who knew if there were any hidden currents.
If she swam through that, she'd likely end up chilled, sick, and stomach-aching, with no amount of ginger tea able to save her!
Perhaps she needed a different approach—
Like her newly acquired Obscurial abilities.
...
Meanwhile, Dumbledore had already entered the dark passage within the crack.
In his mind, this adventure had turned into a bonding trip—
It would strengthen their relationship, broaden the child's horizons, and build character and resilience!
For instance, a refreshing swim along the coast was a meaningful activity! A true display of Gryffindor courage!
Smiling, he stood up in the water, his silver hair and black robes glistening with droplets.
"All we need is a Warming Charm to dry off—"
He turned around to cast a drying spell for Jane, only to find the space behind him completely empty!
Where was she?!
Could it be... she didn't know how to swim?
Startled, he leapt back into the water!
But after a thorough search, he was disheartened to realize that Jane was no longer there!
Perhaps she had gone back, which might be for the best since this was Voldemort's lair and likely fraught with danger.
She was still just a child, and she had already endured so much hardship as an Obscurial. How difficult her life must have been!
At worst, they were already bonded as guardian and child—how could that connection ever be severed?
Dumbledore quickly found excuses for her and promptly forgave her for leaving without a word.
Steeling himself, he decided to face the upcoming challenges alone.
As he had sensed earlier, there was powerful magic here, likely requiring puzzles to be solved. He had to proceed cautiously—
Where was the puzzle?
Standing before a blasted-open doorway, Dumbledore was dumbfounded.
He touched the magical runes left on the rock wall and discovered that it was a spell requiring the entrant's blood to pass.
But now, it had been completely destroyed.
Using the faint light of Lumos, he examined the doorway closely—
Only to find that it was sheer magical brute force, with no finesse at all.
Such overwhelming power... when had the wizarding world seen someone like this?
Dumbledore felt a deep sense of unease.
His vigilance heightened as he gripped his wand and took cautious steps forward.
He passed through the doorway and arrived at the shore of a black lake.
But the sight before him sent chills down his spine, as if a bucket of icy water had been poured over him—
The lakeshore was littered with pale heads—men, women, and children—all with hollow, sightless eyes, lying prone on the ground.
They were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Inferi!
Though still under the control of dark magic, they were incapable of movement; their limbs had been severed from their bodies. Those pale, desiccated limbs floated on the water or squirmed on the shore like worms, writhing grotesquely.
It was evident that they had already suffered a brutal attack before his arrival, leaving them shattered.
Such terrifying methods... he wouldn't be surprised if Voldemort himself had been here!
Dumbledore steadied himself, suppressing his revulsion as he skirted the lakeshore—
He boarded a small boat and headed toward the island in the center of the lake.
But as he disembarked and stepped onto the island, wand at the ready for any potential attackers, his foot bumped into something soft:
"Petrificus Totalus... Stupefy... Jane Yu?! What happened to you?!"
There lay his child, sound asleep!
She hadn't gone back at all; she had arrived here ahead of him!
And not only that—she had solved the puzzles and beaten the Inferi before he even got there!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (100+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/DarkGolds
Happy reading, everyone!