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Chapter 709: Where the Hell Is It?!
Harry froze.
Even he was startled by what he had just said.
Then his scar began to burn.
A scene appeared before his eyes.
A wizard stood in front of him.
"Grindelwald? No…"
No—Gregorovitch.
"Gregorovitch, where is it? I ask you again—where is it?"
Harry instinctively wanted to know what it was.
The next moment, it felt as though he were standing inside the old wandmaker's mind.
He saw a younger Gregorovitch.
Then a young blond boy leapt through the window and stole it.
Harry gasped sharply.
"A wand! Voldemort is looking for a wand!"
Darren's expression darkened.
Then he suddenly turned to Hermione.
"A wand… the Invisibility Cloak… and if you add the Resurrection Stone…"
Hermione's eyes widened.
"The Deathly Hallows!"
Ron looked completely unconvinced.
"That's a children's story. There's no way it's real…"
"Then how do you explain that Dumbledore gave the book to me?" Hermione asked quietly.
Ron had no answer.
Harry looked between them blankly.
He had never read the story.
Darren explained briefly.
"The book Headmaster Dumbledore left Hermione contains a tale about the three Deathly Hallows.
It says that a powerful wizard created three objects: the Invisibility Cloak, the Resurrection Stone, and the Elder Wand.
Together, they supposedly make someone the master of death."
"That's ridiculous," Ron muttered.
But Harry didn't laugh.
"I don't think Voldemort sees it as ridiculous.
And Dumbledore borrowed my father's Invisibility Cloak… Maybe…"
No one could draw a definite conclusion.
In the end, the discussion stalled.
Darren said nothing further.
What concerned him more was something else.
If Voldemort could still see through Harry…
That meant Voldemort was searching for the Elder Wand while also keeping track of him.
…Quite attentive.
Darren almost smiled at the thought.
But he didn't.
Because Harry had already returned to the practical matter at hand.
They needed to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic.
"We're not letting you go alone," Harry said firmly.
"If anything happens, we face it together."
Darren wanted to say he had no intention of dying together with them.
But he held it back.
So the preparations began.
Every day, they took turns Apparating near the Ministry to gather information.
They hoped to intercept Dolores Umbridge.
But it was useless.
Most Ministry officials now traveled exclusively through the Floo Network.
Someone like Umbridge would never arrive alone.
They couldn't ambush her.
If Ron hadn't noticed that many employees wore dark blue robes, they would have learned almost nothing.
The only useful intelligence came from the Order of the Phoenix.
One was about Mafalda Hopkirk, an official from the Improper Use of Magic Office who often arrived alone.
The other was Reg Cattermole, whose wife—accused of being Muggle-born—was scheduled for a hearing the next day. He would have to enter through the public telephone booth.
Beyond that, everyone's routines were unpredictable.
Most Ministry workers deliberately varied their methods of arrival to avoid being tracked.
"Also," Darren said grimly,
"the Order sent today's Daily Prophet. I think you'll want to see this."
Harry took the newspaper.
Then his face changed immediately.
The headline read:
SEVERUS SNAPE APPOINTED HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS
Harry's hands trembled.
So did Ron's.
Hermione suddenly stood up and rushed out of the room.
She returned carrying the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black.
After casting several Confunding and Silencing charms, she said,
"Now he can't see or hear anything. If Snape is Headmaster, he might try to use Phineas to spy on us."
Darren looked at her with clear admiration.
"Hermione, you're the smartest witch I've ever met. Well—excluding Dumbledore. I mean the smartest of our generation."
Hermione blushed.
"You're the smartest wizard."
"Then I'll correct myself," Darren said lightly.
"You're the smartest witch."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
Ron and Harry pretended not to notice the exchange and continued talking.
"Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick won't agree with this," Harry said.
"It won't matter," Darren replied quietly.
"Now that Voldemort controls the Ministry, protest would only get them removed—or killed.
They'll stay."
"To protect the students."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
Harry's expression fell.
"So we just let it happen?"
"We're already trying to change everything back," Darren said with a faint smile.
Then he turned another page of the newspaper.
His expression hardened.
"Look at this.
Alecto Carrow will teach Muggle Studies.
And her brother, Amycus Carrow, will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts.
With people like them teaching… I don't even want to imagine what Hogwarts will become."
His voice dropped.
"I almost want to go back and kill them myself."
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
[Ding, Father +100]
Hermione sighed softly.
"Darren, don't say things like that.
You don't even use Dark Magic unless you're pushed to the limit.
You're too kind.
You probably wouldn't even kill a chicken."