Hogwarts Diary: Snape Goes Crazy

Chapter 186: Chapter 185 — The Future Will Change

# Chapter 185 — The Future Will Change

Dumbledore paid no attention to Harry and Ron’s astonishment. Instead, he turned his attention to Lockhart.

”Such a major incident has occurred, yet the person who ought to be the least quiet among us has been so silent that I’m beginning to find it unusual. Gilderoy, why are you being so modest?”

Only then did Harry and the others remember Gilderoy Lockhart.

They had completely forgotten about him after entering the office!

They turned to look at Lockhart.

Lockhart appeared bewildered. He seemed to think Dumbledore was talking to someone else.

”Professor Dumbledore, something happened in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart...”

Ron began explaining, but Lockhart interrupted him.

He cried out in surprise, ”I’m still a professor, aren’t I?”

Ron twitched his lips and explained awkwardly, ”He wanted to use a Memory Charm on us, but my wand has been broken since the first day of school. It keeps malfunctioning.

”The same thing happened this time. It exploded, and Professor Lockhart ended up like this...”

”Oh, dear! Gilderoy, you’ve been struck by your own sword!” Dumbledore said with a smile.

He shook his head, his snow-white beard swaying around him.

Lockhart looked confused.

”But I don’t have a sword!”

Dumbledore merely smiled.

Then he turned to Ron again.

”Could you please take Lockhart to the hospital wing? I’d like to have a few more words with Harry.”

Ron nodded and led Lockhart out of the office.

After Ron left, Dumbledore conjured a chair for Harry before settling down behind his desk.

”Sit down, Harry. I think we have time for a little chat. I’m sure you have quite a few questions you’d like to ask me, don’t you?”

That was exactly what Harry had in mind.

Several questions had been troubling him.

As soon as he sat down, he asked, ”Professor, I don’t understand. Riddle said in the Chamber of Secrets that I would kill Voldemort in the future, and that Vesey would die because she helped me kill him. That isn’t true, is it?”

He looked extremely nervous.

Dumbledore sighed softly.

He looked into Harry’s eyes and asked, ”What do you think, Harry? Do you believe that your future self will kill Voldemort?”

Harry shook his head helplessly.

”I don’t know... He killed my parents. If possible, I might... might hand him over to the Ministry of Magic and have him locked away...”

Harry looked at Dumbledore awkwardly.

He felt rather cowardly saying that. Yet the thought of killing someone, even Voldemort, seemed almost unbelievable to him.

Dumbledore looked at him sympathetically.

”Yes, yes, Harry. You’re not wrong to think that way. But you must remember something: the question isn’t whether you want to kill him. It’s that he wants to kill you.

”Voldemort may have glimpsed a possible future somewhere. Perhaps he saw you killing him, and Vesey helping you do it...”

”But Vesey... How could Vesey die?”

Harry asked in disbelief.

Dumbledore met his eyes.

”No one can escape death forever.”

Harry quickly shook his head.

”I mean, I know Vesey can die someday, but she shouldn’t die because of something like this!

”I want her to live a good life. I don’t want her to lose her life because of Voldemort. I think I should be the one to deal with all of this, not her...”

”Yes, yes... You’re right, my boy...”

Dumbledore tried to reassure him.

Seeing that Harry was still distressed, he finally spoke more seriously.

”Harry, prophecies have always been a dangerous thing. Even Voldemort can become bound by them. However...

”Harry, what Voldemort saw was merely a possible future. It wasn’t a prophecy, and the future can be changed!”

Harry opened his mouth in surprise.

”You mean I can change the future in which Vesey dies?”

He asked the question, and his heart sank again.

After all, in a future that none of them knew anything about, Vesey really had died.

Dumbledore knew that too, but he didn’t tell anyone.

”Voldemort told me that you’re suspicious of Vesey!” Harry suddenly blurted out.

Dumbledore froze for a moment before rubbing his forehead.

”Yes, that’s true. I did suspect Vesey. Given her background and experiences...”

”Her experiences are almost the same as Voldemort’s, aren’t they?” Harry asked seriously.

Dumbledore’s eyes filled with guilt.

”Yes. That’s why I was so wary of her. I even considered expelling her because I was afraid another Voldemort might emerge.”

”But Vesey isn’t like that...”

”No, she isn’t,” Dumbledore agreed. ”After observing her for two years, I’ve seen the differences between her and Voldemort time and again.

”She helped you protect the Philosopher’s Stone, and she was willing to put herself in the hands of dangerous people to protect her fellow students. I’m not saying that was the right thing to do, but I know she’s a good child.”

Harry fell silent.

Dumbledore didn’t rush him. Instead, he hummed a little tune, looking rather relaxed.

After a while, Harry asked another question.

”Do I really belong in Slytherin? The Sorting Hat said I would have been suited to that House...”

Dumbledore smiled at him.

”You’re a Gryffindor, Harry. Off you go!”

”But the Sorting Hat said I was...”

”But you chose Gryffindor.”

”No, sir, you don’t understand! I mean, the Sorting Hat thought I belonged in Slytherin!”

Dumbledore shook his head and looked intently at Harry with his blue eyes.

”You haven’t understood yet, Harry. Where you belong depends on the choices you make.

”There are good people in Slytherin, too. Vesey is one example. She has remained kind even while living among Slytherins.

”Harry, being a Slytherin doesn’t automatically make someone bad, just as being a Gryffindor doesn’t automatically make someone good.

”Of course, I’m not saying there are bad people among your own House. I simply want you to understand that the choice is yours.

”Don’t fall into the habit of thinking that because you’re young, Slytherins must be bad people and Gryffindors must be good children.”

Harry quickly replied, ”I understand. There aren’t any bad people in Gryffindor...”

Dumbledore interrupted him, his expression turning somewhat melancholy.

”No, Harry. Even I make mistakes, and Gryffindor students can make them too.

”Have you ever met the Weasley twins? Do you know how mischievous they can be?

”Compared with some people, the twins are practically ordinary, lovable little boys.

”Some of what happened was my fault. I allowed them to hurt others. Sometimes, I even selfishly convinced myself that Slytherins deserved such treatment.

”But the truth has shown me how wrong I was.

”So, Harry, I hope you’ll judge every House fairly. Don’t let prejudice blind you.”

Harry nodded thoughtfully.

”Do you have any other questions?” Dumbledore asked.

Harry immediately spoke up.

”Yes! Why can I speak Parseltongue? Am I also a descendant of Mr Slytherin?”

Dumbledore shook his head.

”I’m not aware of any connection between the Potter family and Slytherin’s descendants. As for why you can speak Parseltongue, I suspect Voldemort placed a part of himself inside you.”

Harry’s eyes widened in shock.

*Isn’t that disgusting?*

Dumbledore laughed.

”That’s right. However, I don’t think he did it deliberately. He must not have intended to do so. If he knew what had happened, I’m sure he’d be rather uncomfortable with the idea.”