Outside the Headmaster's Office, the spiral staircase wound upwards, its stone handrails glinting coldly in the dim light.
The gargoyle statue guarding the side slid automatically to one side upon sensing their footsteps, as if it had been waiting there all along.
Pushing open the heavy, carved wooden door, Dumbledore was sitting quietly behind his desk, while several silver instruments silently puffed out wisps of pale smoke.
Hearing the movement, he took off his half-moon spectacles, his gentle gaze falling upon the newcomers, hiding a hint of knowing weariness within.
He did not speak, but simply raised a finger to point at the two high-backed chairs in front of the desk.
Hermione sat down with a tense expression, while Lia leaped lightly onto her lap, the tip of her tail brushing anxiously against Hermione's arm.
"I hope that the next time you have an important discovery, you can choose to come in the morning."
Dumbledore rubbed the space between his eyebrows, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness, "This hour is not very friendly to an old man's heart."
"But Professor Dumbledore! Snape, he..."
Hermione's voice rose with urgency, filled with confusion and the bitter taste of betrayal.
Dumbledore's gaze moved past her shoulder, becoming distant and profound.
"Some sacrifices are inevitable, Miss Granger. All of his actions are for the ultimate victory. I ask that you give him that unspoken trust; we will properly handle those overt conflicts."
His words sounded light, yet they fell upon Hermione's heart as heavy as boulders.
At that moment, Lia suddenly stood up from Hermione's lap, her snowy-white cat tail swaying gently like a stiff feather.
She jumped silently to the floor and walked to Dumbledore's desk, her small nose sniffing carefully in front of him.
A clear scent entered her nostrils—it was the smell of decay—a will to die that only an old, dying beast emits when digging its own grave.
Lia looked up, her pure blue eyes staring directly at Dumbledore, her voice crisp.
"Are you planning to use your own life as the price?"
The air in the room suddenly stagnated; even the dancing flames in the fireplace seemed to pause for a moment.
Hermione looked up sharply, first staring at Lia in astonishment, then casting a gaze full of suspicion toward Dumbledore.
She looked at Dumbledore, her eyes full of a precarious plea.
Dumbledore's hand, holding the jar of lemon drops, paused slightly in mid-air.
He withdrew his gaze and looked solemnly at Lia.
The girl's eyes were as deep as an ancient well, as if they could pierce through the grimy veil of fate.
He fell into silence, and this silence itself was the most cruel answer.
After a moment, Dumbledore sighed helplessly, his voice low and raspy: "Good child, sometimes, having perceptions that are too keen is not necessarily a blessing."
His gaze did not deny it; there was only a heartbreaking, heavy admission.
"No!" Hermione suddenly sprang up from her chair.
She rushed to Dumbledore, her hands pressing firmly on the edge of the desk.
"Professor! What do you mean by that?"
She tried her best to keep her voice low, but the unease was already threatening to surge out from her heart.
Dumbledore did not respond to Hermione, his gaze falling once more upon Lia.
Letting out a long breath, he looked up, his gaze passing over Hermione's trembling shoulders to look out the office window—deep within the Forbidden Forest, a dark green silence reigned.
"Voldemort's power has already exceeded our estimates. His soul is already fractured, with a portion residing within Horcruxes. To completely defeat him, all Horcruxes must be destroyed, and that is by no means an easy task."
"My time is running out," Dumbledore's voice was low. "Life constantly fades with time; I cannot let Voldemort perceive my weakness, as that would make him even more frenzied."
Hermione's pupils shrank, and her body swayed slightly.
She had never imagined that the powerful Dumbledore, the pillar of Hogwarts, would face such a situation... "I need Professor Snape to stay by Voldemort's side and gain his unreserved trust. Therefore, in the end, Snape will personally... end my life."
"This is our joint plan, Miss Granger."
"Only in this way will Voldemort see Snape as his most loyal servant, and only then can we buy precious time for Harry and for you all to find and destroy all the Horcruxes."
Dumbledore's voice was terrifyingly calm, yet it carried a tragic weight sufficient to crush both people present.
Hermione stumbled back and slumped heavily into her chair.
The great sage she admired so much was actually calmly planning his own death, using it as a winning chess piece; this was a scenario she had never envisioned.
Lia's tail flicked impatiently against the desk, making a light 'thwack' sound.
She was not as sorrowful as Hermione; her thoughts were immersed in the vast and chaotic ocean of Tom's memories, rapidly searching, calculating, and comparing.
A moment later, she reached a conclusion.
"Voldemort is not yet worthy of a sacrifice like yours."
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