HP - Shadow Monarch! [BOOK 1]

Chapter 163 - The Dungeons Begin to Appear.

[Chapter Size: 1800 Words.]
Third Person POV

Hogwarts.

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...

While Snape finished his private conversation with Rosaria in the empty classroom, at that very moment, in the headmaster's office, the professors were gathered—except for a few, Rosaria among them.

After all, this meeting was important, and newly hired teachers had not been summoned, especially since they did not trust her.

Present in the room were none other than Professor Flitwick, Professor Longbottom, Professor Slughorn, and Professor McGonagall, along with a few other long-standing and trusted members of the school. Even the nurse, Madame Poppy Pomfrey, was there, having returned to the school a few years after a period of absence. During her time away, Penelope had taken her place, but she had now been transferred to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, where she would continue her medical career, and Madam Pomfrey had resumed her position as the school's nurse.

"Have we received any letters? Any information?" Professor McGonagall asked, looking around for answers, her voice heavy with concern.

The professors exchanged glances, but all shook their heads negatively, a sense of unease settling over them.

"What is happening? Albus can't just disappear like this!" Professor McGonagall could not accept it.

"I don't think You-Know-Who could have defeated him..." Flitwick commented hesitantly, unable to accept it either.

"That shouldn't be possible. With his magical strength, Dumbledore is practically unbeatable! Even You-Know-Who wouldn't face him easily," Professor McGonagall added.

She simply couldn't believe the headmaster would fall so easily. But at the same time, more than a full day without any news was worrying. Even more so when not even Fawkes had returned. That fact alone increased the tension in the room.

"Calm down, Minerva," Slughorn tried to soothe her.

"How can I calm down, Professor?" McGonagall retorted, exasperated. "If Dumbledore falls, the entire wizarding world will suffer!"

"We still don't know what really happened. We're waiting for someone to answer that question. That's why we're here today—to wait for the Ministry..." Slughorn said with a sigh, trying to maintain his composure.

Everyone was tense, and the silence in the room became almost suffocating. The portraits of the former headmasters also remained silent, unsure of what to say in the face of such a grave situation. The problem was that Dumbledore hadn't said where he was going when he simply left, and Fawkes had gone after him when he was in danger—both had vanished.

At that moment, the fireplace beside the portraits suddenly ignited. Emerald flames shimmered, and then, a group of five people emerged into the room. The professors immediately searched for Dumbledore among them, but the old wizard was not there. Instead, it was the Minister for Magic, Eugenia Jenkins, accompanied by some of the most renowned wizards from the Ministry. Among them was Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, who had been personally tasked with investigating the headmaster's disappearance following the battle in Diagon Alley.

"Well, you're all here," murmured Minister Jenkins.

"Tell me, Minister Jenkins, is there any news about Dumbledore?" Professor Longbottom was the first to ask, urgency evident in her voice.

The Minister sighed before shaking her head. "Unfortunately, we have found nothing. He has simply disappeared."

The response cast a dark shadow over everyone in the room.