HP: Wizardry’s a Hassle, Wand in the Right Hand, Gun in the Left

As Dumbledore's voice faded into silence, Glenn and Hermione's thoughts slowly returned from the haunting night thirteen years ago.

Glenn's face was unreadable, her emotions concealed beneath a mask of calm. Beside her, Hermione clung to her hand tightly. Despite all she had endured, and though her mind had matured over time, she remained the same kind-hearted girl at heart. She didn't cry at the tragic and infuriating story they had just heard, but the redness in her eyes and the strength of her grip on Glenn's hand spoke volumes about her feelings.

The detailed and complete account they had just received from Dumbledore was far more heart-wrenching than anything she had read in the newspapers.

And with it, her hatred for Voldemort and the Death Eaters deepened...

...as did her understanding of their cruelty.

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... Born to those who have thrice defied him... Born as the seventh month dies... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... Either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

Hermione murmured softly, repeating the prophecy Dumbledore had shared with them.

"...All because of such an absurd prophecy..."

Her voice trembled slightly.

She bit down hard on her lip, the crimson of her lips deepening, as if they might start to bleed.

She couldn't understand it.

She wouldn't understand it.

She didn't want to understand it.

She refused to understand it.

Unlike her peers, Hermione, who had grown up in the non-magical world, was more acutely aware of the brutal realities of the wizarding world.

Though she had tried to prepare herself mentally for such things, every time she encountered stories of such senseless cruelty, they filled her with a visceral sense of disgust and sorrow.

Even though the thought seemed unrealistic for now, a seed had taken root in her heart—a desire that had begun to grow:

She wanted to change the wizarding world.

She wanted to prevent such tragedies from ever happening again.

She wanted to ensure that no family in the wizarding world would have to grieve over the harm done to their loved ones.

Though the dream seemed distant, Hermione was determined to pursue it.

After all, Hermione Granger was nothing if not steadfast.

It was as if Glenn could sense Hermione's thoughts. The young girl felt Glenn's hand tighten around hers.

Glenn adjusted her grip, intertwining her fingers with Hermione's.

Glenn herself felt nothing. The story Dumbledore had told about Harry Potter left her unmoved.

The information gleaned from the story aligned with her own predictions by more than seventy percent. Beyond that, there was little of value. Events unrelated to her wouldn't sway Glenn's mindset, especially since Voldemort was already at the top of her list of targets to eliminate.

But the complex negative emotions radiating from Hermione were unmistakable.

Glenn couldn't guess the young girl's exact thoughts, but that didn't stop her from supporting Hermione without question.

In truth, Glenn was best at following orders. Though she usually took charge of planning their actions during major events, leaving Hermione to fill in the details, if the young girl ever had her own ideas, Glenn would immediately become the sharpest blade in Hermione's hand, dedicated to achieving her goals.

Where the heart leads, the blade follows.

For now, though...

Her role was to quietly soothe the emotions she couldn't fully understand.

Speaking of which, could a blade—cold, unfeeling, designed only to draw hot blood from its enemies—truly harbor emotions?

Perhaps not in the past. But now, things were different.

Because this blade had gained its own thoughts, its own awareness.

"But there's something I'm very curious about, Glenn."

It seemed Dumbledore didn't want Hermione to dwell on emotions she wasn't yet ready to face. He spoke again, steering the conversation in a different direction.

"How were you able to sense the anomaly in Harry's soul?"

This question puzzled Dumbledore greatly. Even he had gone to great lengths to confirm his suspicions about Harry's condition. How had Glenn, with just a glance, come to such a conclusion?

"My sensitivity to souls appears to differ from others."

Glenn shared her self-assessment.

Perhaps it was because she was an Obscurial.

Perhaps it was because she had studied alchemy deeply tied to the soul.

Perhaps it was because she had lived two lives.

These thoughts remained unspoken.

"The exact reason, I don't know."

"And as for the anomaly in Harry's soul, I can't detect it on a daily basis. The only time I truly sensed something was during the Sorting Ceremony in our first year."

"But it's more likely that the proximity of Voldemort's main soul to the fragment within Harry caused a reaction that I happened to observe."

Glenn shrugged with her free hand.

"So, Professor Dumbledore, what do you plan to do about Harry Potter?"

Her palm remained warm, but her cold, ruthless words didn't waver in the slightest. Glenn asked the question she wanted answered.

It would serve as a reference for her future actions.

Hermione seemed to realize something. Glenn felt the young girl's grip on her hand tighten.

"Earlier, you mentioned that once a Horcrux is created, it can only be destroyed by completely obliterating it."

Glenn calmly reiterated Dumbledore's earlier explanation of Horcruxes and how to destroy them.

Dumbledore, how do you plan to destroy this Horcrux?

Will you find a way to remove the fragment of Voldemort's soul from Harry while preserving his life?

Or will you discard the boy you've carefully nurtured as a tool, allowing him to perish alongside Voldemort?

Or perhaps, will you hesitate, unable to analyze the costs and outcomes, and remain indecisive?

In your heart, is Harry Potter—the young wizard who seems to share a deep connection with you—more important, or is the future of the British wizarding world your priority?

~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~

Discover 10 Amazing Fanfics on My Patreon!Unlock 400+ Advance Chapters and Dive into the Story Early! 👉 [patreon.com/DarkGolds]