Chapter 552 Long-lost conversation

The trial of Death Eater Yaxley ended. After the Aurors took the criminal away, the people in the room also began to leave, and soon everyone was gone.

Dumbledore did not leave. He still sat there and carefully looked at his withered and blackened right hand. The gloomy and dark courtroom made his injured right hand look even more hideous and terrifying.

The large iron door of the courtroom slammed shut, and then Ada walked out of the darkness and walked slowly towards the bench where Dumbledore was sitting. Of course, in Dumbledore's eyes, the person walking towards him was an old man from the Wizengamot.

After sitting down next to Dumbledore, Ada didn't speak for the first time, but stared at the injured hand.

Powerful black magic, heart-stopping injuries, and the injured right hand looked lifeless.

"Even if I said it was just a small accident, I don't think you would believe it." Dumbledore said slowly, "Right, Miss Esmeralda Traister from France?"

Ada was not too surprised when her identity was revealed. She said: "Of course, nothing can be hidden from your eyes, Professor Dumbledore. When did you recognize me?"

"When you came over just now." Dumbledore did not pretend to be profound, "Polyjuice Potion can change a person's appearance, but it cannot change a person's heart. To put it bluntly, I feel it in your eyes. I'm so concerned, I wonder if Minerva will taste it."

Ada smiled, lowered her head and said, "What if you admit your mistake? After all, you are Albus Dumbledore. When the magical world is in danger, no one should want anything to happen to you."

Dumbledore sighed and said with a smile: "I don't rule out the possibility you mentioned. However, the person you pretend to be will not wait until everyone has dispersed to care about me. The relationship between me and her The relationship is not that good. The most important thing is that I know you are in the Ministry of Magic, and I also know that you will definitely participate in today's trial."

Whether it was Thicknesse's rise to power as Minister or the recent series of changes in the Ministry of Magic, Dumbledore had some speculation in his mind. Not only Dumbledore, but also Voldemort also noticed that the style change of the Ministry of Magic was too fast, and Thicknesse was not able to make this change.

Moreover, Ada's method of digging a hole to bury Scrimgeour was not clever and could not stand up to speculation. It was just a coincidence that it worked.

If it were not for the fact that the Ministry of Magic was in a special period, Scrimgeour had lost an important prisoner at a critical moment when the Ministry was in urgent need of boosting morale, and his ideas were in conflict with Dumbledore's views. The hole dug by Ada alone would not be enough. To bury a ministerial candidate.

The combination of these four reasons led to Rufus Scrimgeour not being able to become Minister of Magic, and Thicknesse, who was supported by noble people, got a huge advantage.

The light cast by the torch flickered, and the shadows of the two people sitting side by side also swayed with the light, sometimes very close, sometimes very far apart, just like the relationship between the two people now.

Ada's voice echoed in the courtroom as she said, "Looks like I made a few bad decisions today, Professor."

First, Ada should not have chosen to disguise herself as a member of the Wizengamot. Dumbledore was familiar with them, and an employee of the Ministry of Magic might be a better choice. Secondly, Ada should not come to greet Dumbledore after everyone has dispersed. Such behavior seemed a bit intimate and exposed her own identity. Thirdly, Ada should not have appeared in the courtroom today. It would be interesting to let the confident Dumbledore fail.

However, if it was just Dumbledore's hand injury, Ada could hold back the doubts in her heart and investigate secretly. However, Thicknesse's explosive remarks forced her to talk to Dumbledore in person, otherwise she would not feel at ease.

"Let me guess, Professor Dumbledore." Ada said, "Your hand was caused when destroying the Horcrux, right?" Although she said it in a question, her tone was very sure.

Dumbledore raised his injured hand, turned it over and over in front of him, and said, "Yes, I underestimated...I underestimated Tom's protection of the Horcrux. I was careless."

"Careless? This is not like your behavior." Ada laughed inexplicably. She did not believe Dumbledore's statement.

Voldemort must have protected the Horcruxes very carefully, which can be seen from the residual magical atmosphere near Gaunt's old house. Considering Dumbledore's character, "carelessness" can be said to be a very low-level mistake.

Dumbledore took back his injured hand, seemingly a little sad, but also as if he had no emotion at all. He said, "I know you don't believe it, but I did underestimate the impact of foreign objects on me. As you said before, I'm old."

Turning his head to look at Dumbledore, his blue eyes were still full of wisdom, but there was a bit of twilight in the corners of his eyebrows, unlike the wise and mighty man before.

In the swaying firelight, Dumbledore also looked a bit more aged, and people couldn't help but be reminded of the fact that he was over a hundred years old.

"Is it possible to recover?" Ada asked, whether it was out of concern for Dumbledore or defense against Dumbledore, she should have asked this question.

"I'm getting used to the inconvenience it brings me." Dumbledore said calmly, as if he was not talking about himself.

Just think with your toes and you will know that Voldemort's magic to protect the Horcrux must belong to the category of black magic. Usually black magic will cause great pain to people, and most of the damage caused is irreversible.

The same was true for the injury on Dumbledore's hand. Voldemort couldn't possibly use a child's magic to protect the Horcrux, which was the most important thing to him, his life.

This right hand should remain like this, dry and charred.

In other words, Voldemort used a Horcrux to replace Dumbledore's intact right hand, causing Dumbledore's strength to decline. With such serious damage to his dominant hand, it is impossible for Dumbledore to be unaffected at all, but the extent of his decline cannot be said for the time being.

"You haven't tried the magic potion that Grover Cecil took, have you?" Ada asked, "I really want to defeat you in an upright manner. That is a kind of recognition and a kind of proof."

Dumbledore was quite happy to hear the words that were half concerned and half provocative.

He shook his head and said: "I am also looking forward to this day. However, your enemy has been hiding deep in your heart. When you become weak, she will jump out and tear you apart. Devour.”

Ada never mentioned the "self-talk" at the cemetery that night to anyone. It was her biggest secret. Although she knew that this was not what Dumbledore was referring to, Ada still felt guilty, and her eyes turned in another direction unconsciously.

"Man's greatest enemy is himself. I have understood this truth long ago, Professor."

"Knowing and doing are two different things, Ada." Dumbledore said earnestly, "I always thought that I knew a lot of things, and I thought so until some time ago."

Senhan's courtroom suddenly became quiet, and both of them fell into silence at the same time, each thinking in their hearts. The light in the room flickered, making it difficult to distinguish the expressions of the two people.

After a while, Dumbledore slowly stood up and walked down the stone stairs towards the courtroom. Dumbledore had conveyed the message he wanted to convey, and there was no point in staying any longer. It was time to leave.

Ada, who once again hid herself in the shadows, also stood up. Looking at Dumbledore's back getting further and further away, Ada decided to ask directly.

She has a lot of mysteries to solve and doesn't want to spend her limited time on puzzles where the answers are within easy reach.

"Professor, Thickness...the incident that Thickness just mentioned in the courtroom was pushed by you, right?"

Dumbledore stopped and said somewhat nonchalantly: "Minerva's body is fine, but she is a little unhappy. Probably on the day she was discharged from the hospital, there was one less person to pick her up."