Harry potter:Dark lord

bert heard Dumbledore say there was a way to solve this problem, Tom became anxious. He quickly turned to Robert, hoping he could come up with a good idea.

If Dumbledore's plan worked, their path to freedom would be completely blocked. At the very least, before graduation, they wouldn't be able to do anything significant.

"What is the Loyalty Charm?" Robert asked calmly.

Seeing Robert's composed expression, Tom felt somewhat relieved.

Maybe this guy still has a way!

Dumbledore's expression turned serious.

"This is a very complex spell," he explained. "Simply put, it uses magic to permanently conceal a secret deep within the soul of a living person."

"The secret is hidden inside the soul of a chosen individual—the Secret Keeper—so it can never be discovered unless the Secret Keeper willingly reveals it."

"I can designate the location of your residence as the secret to be protected. If we do that, Grindelwald will never be able to find you."

"This way, your safety, as well as your guardians', will be ensured."

"As for the role of the Secret Keeper… I will take on that responsibility. I believe there is no force in this world that could make me reveal a secret I choose to protect."

After listening to Dumbledore's explanation, Tom's face suddenly turned pale.

It's over… The dream of freedom has slipped away…

Dumbledore's plan was flawless.

There was no reasonable way to refuse.

"Professor, I truly appreciate your kindness," Robert said softly. "But… there's no need. I don't want to join another family. You can find a guardian for Tom, but I have Toby to take care of me. You don't need to worry about me at all."

Tom's eyes widened. Wait, didn't you say you'd take me with you?!

Dumbledore looked at Robert in confusion. "But why? In my view, family is the most precious thing in the world. If you have the chance to be part of a new family—"

"Some things… as long as you never have them, you will never lose them," Robert interrupted.

After saying that, he sat back on the bed, hugging his knees as he stared out the window. His face was filled with deep sadness.

Dumbledore was taken aback.

It was the first time he had seen such an expression on Robert's face.

In his memory, Robert had always seemed confident, cheerful, and full of life…

Dumbledore recalled his conversation with Mrs. Cole.

When he had inquired about Tom, he had also asked about Robert.

Mrs. Cole told him she had found Robert wandering the streets.

The boy's face had been filled with confusion. He only said his name was Robert and that he had no family. After that, he remained silent.

At that moment, Dumbledore realized something.

Robert's reluctance to join a new family was likely tied to a past he didn't want to talk about.

If his guess was correct, it must have been a deeply painful experience—so painful that it left an unshakable shadow in Robert's heart.

That shadow was so vast that Robert no longer dared to hope for family bonds at all.

"...As long as you never have it, you will never lose it…"

Dumbledore repeated those words in his mind, feeling an unexpected weight in his heart.

Of course, he understood what it felt like to lose loved ones. It was an unbearable pain.

Dumbledore glanced at Robert again, instinctively using Legilimency to probe his emotions.

The result?

Pure sorrow.

Dumbledore was moved. If he let this child continue to carry such sadness, it might ruin him.

However, he knew he couldn't force the issue. Even the most powerful magic couldn't heal wounds of the heart.

"In that case… very well," Dumbledore finally relented. "As for Tom…"

Tom was quick-witted. Seeing Dumbledore glance at him, he immediately declared, "I'm his only friend! I have to stay with him!"

Dumbledore looked at Tom, then at Robert. After a moment of silence, he sighed.

"Alright… You may stay with him. I won't find you a guardian either."

In Dumbledore's mind, Robert had no family and refused to be adopted.

If he took away Robert's only friend, the boy would be truly alone.

So, he allowed Tom to stay as well—especially since Tom also had no interest in being adopted.

It was only then that Robert turned back around. A faint smile appeared on his face, but it looked forced.

"Thank you, Professor Dumbledore. I appreciate your kindness, but… I'm sorry… It's just that I—"

Before he could finish, Tom was already looking at him with admiration.

He hadn't expected Robert to pull this off.

Despite the odds being completely against him, Robert had played on emotions, struck Dumbledore's heart, and turned the situation around!

Dumbledore sighed, his mind still troubled.

He had no idea what Robert had been through.

But it was clear that the past weighed heavily on him.

However, as long as Robert didn't bring it up himself, Dumbledore decided not to ask.

Forcing him to recall such things would be far too cruel.

"I can promise you that I won't assign you a guardian," Dumbledore said at last. "But the Loyalty Charm must still be cast. And I must find you a place to live."

Robert wasn't entirely satisfied with the outcome, but this was the best compromise he could achieve.

At worst, he could always find a secret base to conduct his experiments.

For Tom, however, this was an absolute victory.

Though he couldn't break free from Robert, at least he had escaped being placed with a guardian!

He could barely tolerate Mrs. Cole's rules—he certainly didn't want to deal with anyone else's authority.

Once Dumbledore and Professor Hicks finally left, Robert's sorrowful expression vanished in an instant.

Tom, watching from the side, wasn't surprised at all.

What an act! You're really something, huh?

At that moment, Tom couldn't help but admire Robert even more.

With just a few words, he had managed to handle the ever-perceptive Dumbledore!

Robert rubbed his face.

Thankfully, he had learned Occlumency in advance. Otherwise, he would have been exposed.

He hadn't expected Dumbledore to use Legilimency so suddenly…

Fortunately, thanks to his Occlumency skills, he had hidden his true emotions well.

Dumbledore had only done a surface-level scan, and in the end, all he saw was sadness.

In truth, Robert hadn't even lied.

He had never explicitly described any tragic past.

Everything Dumbledore assumed had been purely his own interpretation.

All Robert had done was skillfully create a blank space—letting Dumbledore fill in the gaps with his own imagination.

"Alright… Don't get too cocky," Tom muttered. "If you slip up, it'll be bad news."

"I know," Robert replied with a smirk.

And with that, the matter was settled.

(End of Chapter)

FOR MORE CHAPTERS

patreon.com/STEPHENHART427