Chapter 117: New Allegations

Dumbledore regarded them with a twinkle in his eye and continued,

"In light of your remarkable contributions to the school—unraveling the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets, vanquishing the Serpent, uncovering the truth from fifty years ago, and eliminating a grave safety threat for the entire school—you have each earned 50 points for Gryffindor. Moreover, Tom Riddle's Special Services Award will be rescinded. The plaque will now bear your four names and be housed in the Trophy Room. I believe it will serve as a wonderful memento of your friendship."

Hermione's cheeks flushed a brilliant pink, Ron's jaw dropped in astonishment, and Harry reached out to hug each of them. Orli joined in with a laugh, embracing them warmly.

The joyous atmosphere was abruptly shattered when the door to the Headmaster's office was flung open with a resounding crash, slamming into the wall behind it. Lucius Malfoy stood in the doorway, his face contorted with rage. Behind him, Dobby cowered, his body swathed in bandages.

"Good evening, Lucius," Dumbledore greeted him amicably.

Lucius stormed into the room, nearly bowling Harry over. Dobby trailed behind him, trembling, hunched over, and casting a furtive, desperate glance at Orli.

"Now that you and that filthy half-giant are back at Hogwarts, am I to assume the Chamber of Secrets business is resolved?" Lucius sneered.

"Indeed," Dumbledore replied, lifting the diary from his desk and holding it aloft for Lucius to see.

"This little book provided us with quite a few clues. It attempted to mislead us with falsehoods and even sought to manipulate several children. Thankfully, the matter has been resolved."

Lucius stood still, his face suddenly resembling a rigid, expressionless mask.

"Imagine," Dumbledore mused with a knowing smile, "what the wizarding world would think if they learned that Harry Potter was attacking and harming Muggle-borns. And, as it happens, someone mentioned having seen this item at Malfoy Manor."

Harry's gaze flicked between the diary and Lucius Malfoy. Behind Lucius, Dobby was frantically signaling to him with wide eyes.

"I bet this diary was sent to me on purpose by Lucius Malfoy!" Harry muttered to Orli. The pieces clicked together in his mind—no wonder Dobby had been so insistent last summer that he not return to school.

Orli felt a wave of exasperation. She couldn't begin to explain the diary's convoluted journey over the past year. Although Dumbledore had sent the diary to Harry after destroying the Serpent's eyes, the blame had always belonged to Lucius.

Lucius shot Harry a venomous glare.

"You have no proof. I've never seen this thing before," Lucius said icily.

"Oh, no one can provide proof," Dumbledore replied, his smile taking on a sharper edge. "But Lucius, a word of advice: stop distributing relics from Voldemort's school days. If such items were to fall into innocent hands again, Arthur, for one, would certainly be able to trace their origins..."

"Arthur Weasley? He may soon have his own troubles to deal with," Lucius rasped, his shoulders relaxing slightly as a sly smirk crept across his lips.

"I filed a report against him at the Ministry of Magic this morning—regarding unexplained financial gains. The Weasleys' hovel has been looking suspiciously comfortable these past few months. I noticed Arthur Weasley has swapped out his decade-old suit and even acquired a Muggle wristwatch. It raises the question of whether he's been accepting bribes in the course of his work. Fudge has already launched an investigation, and if any unaccounted-for Galleons are found in the Weasleys' Gringotts vault, well..."

"That's a lie! My dad never took bribes!" Ron bellowed, lunging forward, only to be held back firmly by Harry.

Orli's hand twitched slightly. She clenched her fist, took a deep breath, and raised her voice, "Mr. Malfoy, I can account for the recent financial changes in the Weasley family. If necessary, I am prepared to testify at the Ministry of Magic. I demand that you cease your baseless accusations against Mr. Weasley immediately."

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