I became Voldemort

Harry truly couldn't understand.

What did him using the Resurrection Stone Mr. Cyrus had given him to see his deceased mother have to do with Snape?

And he had clearly seen his father too, yet Snape didn't even mention him, as if James didn't exist. Of course, Harry wasn't surprised—he had known for a long time that Snape and his father didn't get along.

During holidays, when he spent time with Sirius, Sirius would often bring up embarrassing stories about Snape just to mock him. Nearly all of Snape's embarrassing moments were caused by James and the Marauders.

Harry loved hearing those stories.

Sirius, naturally, didn't tell them in a fair manner, so in Harry's ears, they sounded like tales of a wicked villain getting the punishment he deserved.

Even now, Sirius often lamented how they hadn't finished Snape off back in the Shrieking Shack.

"Cyrus gave you the Resurrection Stone, right?" Snape grabbed Harry by the collar, his hollow eyes seeming to want to drag Harry into a bottomless abyss.

He was furious—Cyrus had given such a powerful artifact to Harry Potter?

This boy was arrogant, reckless, and always causing trouble. He had no idea how to properly use the Resurrection Stone!

"You should use it right now, immediately, to bring Lily Evans—your mother—back to life!"

"Right now! Here, in front of me!"

Snape forcefully threw Harry to the ground, breathing heavily, as if he had lost his mind.

Seeing Snape like this filled Harry with immense fear.

He had never seen Snape so out of control—not even in his first year when Hermione had set his robes on fire had Snape been this furious and unhinged.

And besides, why was he so insistent that Harry bring his mother back to life?

An absurd and terrifying thought flashed through Harry's mind, one that even he found hard to believe. He thought of the fairy tale about the second brother, who resurrected his lover only to fall into madness and torment. Snape's current state was eerily similar.

If this guess was true, then Harry felt he might finally understand why Snape had always been at odds with his father.

"The Resurrection Stone can't truly bring someone back," Harry tried to explain to Snape. "It can only summon something more tangible than a soul, but less real than an actual person. Besides..."

He glanced at Snape with a strange look, cautiously testing the waters: "Why do you care so much about my mother? And her name is Lily Potter."

Her name is Lily Potter.

Harry's words echoed in Snape's mind, intensifying his fury and rage.

Lily Potter?

I don't need you to remind me!

"Her real name is Lily Evans! I know your mother better than you do!" Snape snapped angrily.

But she's still my mom.

Harry wanted to retort, but before he could, Snape immobilized him with a spell, leaving no room for resistance. Snape then reached into Harry's pocket and pulled out the Resurrection Stone.

"Wait, you can't do that!" Harry panicked.

He was terrified that Snape would actually try to bring his mother back. If he succeeded, the resurrected Lily would only exist in perpetual torment—

"Why can't I?"

Snape asked, holding the sharp-edged stone between his fingers, his gaze filled with yearning. "If the Resurrection Stone can't truly bring the dead back to life, why would Cyrus give it to you?"

"Maybe... because he needs me to willingly go to my death?"

"What?"

Snape froze, stunned. He didn't even notice as the Resurrection Stone slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground.

At that moment, Snape looked at Harry with a mix of disbelief and rage, his voice low and trembling. 

"You're saying… he wants you to die?" 

"What's the matter? Thrilled, aren't you?" Harry shot Snape a strange look, assuming the man would be overjoyed at the thought of his rival's child being destined to die. 

But that wasn't the case. 

Snape looked furious—genuinely furious—and for once, Harry could tell that this anger wasn't directed at him. 

"He wants you to die?" 

"He claims he's your friend. He says he cares about you more than Dumbledore ever did, and yet he's sending you to your death?!" Snape felt utterly betrayed. 

After encountering Cyrus in Godric's Hollow, Snape had returned to Hogwarts and confronted Dumbledore. It was then he learned that Dumbledore had similar plans for Harry.

But now even Cyrus...

These two men had raised the boy like a pig to be slaughtered! 

Harry was puzzled by Snape's reaction but still felt the need to defend Cyrus. 

"He didn't say that explicitly, but I'm a Horcrux for Voldemort. It's inevitable. Only by dying can Voldemort be defeated." 

Harry didn't quite understand why he was telling Snape such things. He hadn't shared this secret with anyone—not his best friends, not even Sirius, who was the closest person to him. When facing them, he found himself unable to speak of it, but with Snape, it was surprisingly easy to let the truth slip out.

Maybe it was because he assumed Snape wouldn't care enough to worry about him the way others would?

But Snape's reaction caught Harry completely off guard.

"I'm going to find him and get to the bottom of this!" Snape almost stormed out of the room.

But Harry stopped him.

"Wait!" Harry blocked the doorway, arms outstretched to prevent Snape from leaving.

"This is my own decision. No one is forcing me." His emerald green eyes met Snape's dark ones directly, their intensity piercing through Snape's shadowy defenses, making him feel profoundly uneasy. "You just need to do what Cyrus asked—teach me Occlumency."

...

Cyrus had anticipated this moment when he temporarily entrusted the Resurrection Stone to Harry.

He knew Harry wasn't particularly talented at Occlumency, and it was no surprise that Snape had seen everything in his memories.

What he didn't expect, however, was that Harry would manage to handle his relationship with Snape on his own. Cyrus had been bracing himself for Snape to come storming in, full of fury and questions, but to his surprise, that confrontation never came.

At this moment, in the Burrow.

Dumbledore was seated at the cluttered living room table, with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sitting on either side. Along with them were Sirius, Lupin, and Alastor Moody.

"I hope everyone understands why I've called you all here," Dumbledore said. Now devoid of the vigor of his youth, he had reverted to being the elderly man with a head of white hair.

But perhaps, it was in this appearance that he seemed most reassuring.

When he looked younger, Dumbledore had often come across as too cold and sharp.

"Dumbledore, you mean to tell us that the Dark Lord has truly returned, don't you?" Mr. Weasley asked, glancing briefly toward Cyrus, who was seated at the other end of the table.

Not long ago, Dumbledore had suggested that Cyrus was Voldemort himself. Of course, it was later proven that the two were not the same.

But this time, it seemed there was no such misunderstanding.

"That fool Fudge!" Moody exclaimed angrily, banging his staff hard against the floor to vent his frustration. "He's suppressed all the news, refusing to speak a word about the Dark Lord's return. And earlier, we at least had Rita Skeeter willing to report on it, but now even The Daily Prophet has blacklisted her."

The magical eye on Moody's face had been replaced at some point, and though it no longer seemed imbued with its former power, its constant swiveling still gave him a menacing air.

"They're smearing you, Albus!" Alastor growled angrily.

It wasn't just Dumbledore—Fudge was also using The Daily Prophet to quietly discredit Cyrus. Anyone who dared mention the Dark Lord was branded a conspiracy theorist.

Fudge had successfully deceived himself, and unless he saw Voldemort with his own eyes, he likely would never believe the truth.

But Dumbledore sighed deeply and said, "I'm afraid the situation is even worse."

Since Voldemort's appearance at the Department of Mysteries, Dumbledore had been reaching out to various groups, hoping to ensure that when the wizarding war reignited, Britain's magical community wouldn't be as isolated as it had been last time.

It was through these efforts that Dumbledore began to sense something amiss.

He had discovered that the French Ministry of Magic was likely completely under the control of Death Eaters.

Now Voldemort had an entire nation's resources at his disposal—and possibly even more. Who could predict how many British dark wizards would join him once he officially announced his return?

"But we've got you—and Cyrus," Sirius said with a shrug, far more optimistic than the others. "This isn't the same era where the Dark Lord could do whatever he wanted. Didn't Cyrus already drive him into retreat?"

"No one can guarantee constant victory, Sirius," Dumbledore said, shaking his head. 

Cyrus nodded in agreement. 

His victory over Voldemort this time hadn't been straightforward.

In addition to his own strategies, the sudden defection of the Elder Wand had played a significant role. Without that, the outcome could have been very different. 

If Voldemort managed to replace his wand, he might very well turn the tables. 

Should Voldemort gain the upper hand even slightly, he could potentially reclaim the Elder Wand's allegiance. 

And their enemies might not be limited to Voldemort alone. 

"What about Grindelwald?" Cyrus asked, wanting to know if Dumbledore had resolved that issue. 

To be honest, even if Grindelwald turned against Cyrus, he wouldn't feel much about it personally. He wasn't afraid of a confrontation.

However, if Grindelwald chose to aid Voldemort, that would be a different matter entirely. 

At the mention of Grindelwald, Dumbledore looked troubled. 

"I'll find a way to deal with him," Dumbledore said seriously. "It would be best to defeat Voldemort once more—doing so would likely cause the Death Eaters in the French magical community to scatter." 

Cyrus chuckled. 

He already had a plan, though it wasn't something he could easily share. 

So far, Dumbledore was the only one who knew about it. 

Their relationship was somewhat complicated. Dumbledore had personally sent Cyrus to Azkaban, yet Cyrus still regarded him as someone trustworthy. 

And, in a way, their plans aligned perfectly. 

"In any case, I need all of you to act immediately," Dumbledore said, "to gradually shift the situation in France, just in case. At the same time, efforts must be made to establish contact with non-human species, especially the giants—they represent an extremely powerful fighting force." 

Practically all the non-human species were targets of Dumbledore's recruitment efforts: giants, centaurs, goblins... 

However, Cyrus wasn't entirely optimistic about Dumbledore's approach. 

The Ministry of Magic had treated non-human species harshly for years. Now, reaching out to them for help when they were needed might not go as smoothly as Dumbledore hoped. 

Moreover, when it came to making lofty promises, Voldemort was far more adept. 

Still, if Cyrus's plan went smoothly, this particular strategy might never even be necessary. 

"Hagrid, I'll leave the giants to you. Kingsley, you'll remain embedded in the Auror Office to ensure we can track the Ministry's stance. We need to know whether the Ministry is our ally or our enemy," Dumbledore instructed one by one.

"Molly, I'd like you and Arthur to head to France. You won't be taking on anything too dangerous—just confirm whether the Death Eaters have influenced the everyday lives of the wizarding community there..." 

"From today onward, I am reactivating the Order of the Phoenix!" 

Dumbledore announced with vigor. 

At the same time, he glanced at Cyrus. 

"Fawkes seems to like you. How about joining the Order of the Phoenix?" 

"No, thanks. I've got my own team."

Cyrus replied as he rose from his chair.

"See you at Hogwarts, Dumbledore." 

...

Back at Hogwarts, Cyrus made his way effortlessly to the empty headmaster's office. Fawkes circled around him, and the ornate Gryffindor sword sat on Dumbledore's desk, as if it were nothing more than a decorative piece. 

Cyrus was waiting for Dumbledore to return so they could discuss the details of their plan—and perhaps figure out a way to set a trap for Voldemort. 

However, just then, one of the portraits on the wall suddenly spoke. 

"I've been trying to reach you, Cyrus," Fitzgerald said, his eyes snapping open as soon as she saw Cyrus enter.

"Is there something you need, Niamh?" Cyrus asked warmly.

"There's something strange," Fitzgerald said after a moment of thought. "Not long ago, a shadow visited the Hall of Knowledge. However, none of the four guardians were present at the time, so we couldn't see who it was."

"The Hall of Knowledge? Is there still a secret left in that place?" 

The inheritance left by Morgana, sealed beneath the Hall of Knowledge, had already been taken by Cyrus. By all accounts, there shouldn't have been anything else of value there.

Fitzgerald shook his head. "There's nothing."

"Could it be that Voldemort, unwilling to give up, went to check it again? Or perhaps it's a shadow left behind by Voldemort after traveling to different times using the Time-Turner?" Cyrus considered these two possibilities.

In any case, he decided he needed to take a look. 

Just then, the fireplace suddenly flared to life with green flames. 

Dumbledore walked out decisively and immediately said, "Voldemort is a man who fears death more than anything. Before he makes any moves, he will surely try to reclaim ownership of the Elder Wand. We must ensure you have enough power to face him!"

The plan was simple—weaken the enemy, strengthen yourself! 

—Dumbledore drew out his own Elder Wand and placed it before Cyrus.

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