Chapter 623: Dumbledore's Decision (Edited)

The prisoners who have been incarcerated in Azkaban for a long time are extremely weakened. Although there are exceptions like Bellatrix, who floated in the sea for a while and could easily kill the sailors, she is just an isolated case.

Tom's analysis made sense, and Dumbledore was tempted. Although he didn't want to rush into conflict with Voldemort, he couldn't deny that this might be the optimal moment to deal with the Azkaban breakout.

The rescued Death Eaters need a place to recover. Although Voldemort has power, he has not yet reached the point of directly taking over St. Mungo's Hospital, so Malfoy Manor is a suitable option.

Firstly, it's called a "Manor," which means it should have a considerable area to accommodate several patients. Secondly, as the ancestral seat of the ancient Malfoy family, its location is hidden enough. If it weren't for the "mole" here at Hogwarts, it would be impossible to find Malfoy Manor.

With these two advantages, it's very likely that the rescued Death Eaters will be taken to Malfoy Manor. If Dumbledore could proactively act and take that base, it would be a severe blow to Voldemort's power.

Although Tom's analysis had solid foundations, Dumbledore still held a cautious stance toward his suggestion. Perhaps due to his advanced age, Dumbledore tended to act more conservatively. He often needed to "plan before acting," while Tom acted impulsively with a snap.

If we compare them to a journey, Tom would be the type to say, "The world is so big, I want to explore it all." If he decides to travel, he arrives at his destination the next day. Dumbledore, on the other hand, would be the type to meticulously plan every aspect of the journey, even the time for bathroom breaks along the way.

The differences between the two were normal.

Hermione was completely absorbed in their conversation. She couldn't believe that Tom dared to express his thoughts in such a carefree and direct manner in front of Dumbledore. Her view of Dumbledore was completely renewed. She originally thought that Tom was a lucky child who received the favor of a respected elder, but now it seemed that Tom and Dumbledore were more like partners. Tom wasn't just a follower; he could express his own ideas and influence Dumbledore's attitude.

While watching the two at a deadlock, Hermione didn't dare to breathe, fearing that she would interrupt their thoughts. But suddenly, when she heard the mention of house-elves, she remembered hearing about them before.

Does Hogwarts also have house-elves?

Hermione's mind was filled with questions. For her, the idea of having house-elves was simply a shameful act of slavery. Were there slaves at Hogwarts too?

The surprise this brought her was even greater than the shock of Voldemort conquering Azkaban. She decided to wait for Tom and Dumbledore to resolve what they had on hand and then ask them to confirm the house-elf issue.

After a moment of silence, Tom couldn't help but remind Dumbledore, "Professor, we should at least do something to reassure the outside world and the students here at Hogwarts. We have to find a way to calm them down."

These words deeply impacted Dumbledore. He knew he had to give a public explanation to the wizarding world.

He couldn't afford to have Voldemort attack the Ministry of Magic and have the Ministry do nothing about it. That would be a terrible blow to the morale of his side.

"Tom, you're right. I will summon the members of the Order of the Phoenix and lead them to raid Malfoy Manor. But I want to make it clear that the main objective of this attack is to capture and bring back the escaped Death Eaters, not to directly confront Riddle..."

Dumbledore approved Tom's decision but told him not to escalate the situation, which made Tom grimace: what would you do if Voldemort decided to escalate the situation?

He watched as Dumbledore summoned his Patronus Phoenix and ordered it to notify the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Just at that moment, Hermione, who had always been a secondary figure, spoke up.

"They say the Azkaban breakout had a very negative impact, but how many prisoners actually escaped?" Seeing the two coming to an agreement, Hermione timidly asked a question. In today's news, she didn't see the exact number of escaped prisoners, and her curiosity led her to inquire.

Dumbledore looked down and said, "In the first breakout, nine prisoners disappeared. We found seven bodies and one severely injured prisoner in a coma. Also, one female prisoner disappeared. As for this time..."

Here, Dumbledore sighed heavily, "Close to thirty prisoners were executed, and ten Death Eaters managed to escape."

The first time Voldemort released Azkaban, he opened all the cells, and the prisoners stampeded out. When the Dementors returned, many prisoners, in their desperation, chose to jump into the sea to escape. Most died crashing against the reefs near Azkaban, but some managed to survive.

"The only surviving prisoner is Rabastan Lestrange from the Lestrange family. He's the brother of Rodolphus Lestrange, who was also released during the second breakout. Rodolphus's wife is the disappeared prisoner, Bellatrix Lestrange, one of Riddle's most loyal followers."

Tom raised an eyebrow: Does this mean a descendant of the Lestrange family has fallen into the hands of the Ministry of Magic?

"How many inheritance rights does this Rabastan Lestrange have in the Lestrange family?" Suddenly, Tom had a bold idea.

Before Dumbledore could respond, a lazy voice came from the wall behind him.

"He's the sole heir to the Lestrange family!"

Tom looked toward the source of the voice and found the former Hogwarts headmaster, Phineas Black, a member of the Black family.

When he spoke, Phineas Black caught the attention of Tom, Dumbledore, and Hermione.

"Regarding the genealogy of pure-blood families, Phineas knows much more than I do." Dumbledore spoke modestly. "Tom, if you have questions about it, you can turn to Phineas. I'm sure he can give you answers."

With this praise from Dumbledore, Phineas immediately felt satisfied.

"Of course, it's only natural. I am a member of the ancient and noble Black family!" He looked at Tom and boasted of his knowledge. It could be seen that, even though he was just a portrait, Phineas had never stopped learning about the genealogy of pure-blood families and always updated his knowledge.

After his explanation, Tom finally understood the situation of the ancient Lestrange family. Now he was confident that his theoretical idea was viable.