"Develop a fast-acting potion capable of anesthetizing powerful soul fragments. It would be even better if it can directly poison them.
Don't make it for oral administration. Make it for external application. It should take effect quickly and have a long-lasting effect. It should be a special potion that can quickly penetrate into magical artifacts, directly affect the soul fragments, but not damage the artifacts themselves."
Dumbledore didn't hesitate or stand on ceremony. He directly and clearly put forward his request.
Hearing this, Snape's brain started to spin rapidly as he thought about how to brew this potion. The more he thought, the tighter his brows furrowed:
"This is too difficult. It's almost impossible to do."
"You can do it, Severus." Dumbledore looked determined and believed in Snape more than Snape believed in himself.
"I'll do my best." Snape took on the task.
"Not just do your best, but you must complete it. There's still enough time. It would be best to finish it before the end of this school year. If you can't, you can take a little more time. The faster you can complete it while ensuring the effectiveness, the better!"
Dumbledore emphasized the key points of the task again.
Snape nodded to show that he understood. Then he raised his wand and pointed it at the large number of portraits of former headmasters on the ceiling of the headmaster's office.
"What do you think you're doing, Slytherin ghost?!" a portrait of a former headmaster screeched.
Obliviate!
Snape directly answered with the Obliviate. He didn't want his embarrassing sight of crying and collapsing to be remembered by a bunch of irrelevant portraits.
"Alas, actually, it's not necessary..." Dumbledore was a bit helpless.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go back first."
Snape resumed his cold and expressionless face and turned around to leave the headmaster's office.
When passing by the spiral staircase that was the only way out of the headmaster's office, he faintly felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't tell what was wrong in a short time.
Just as he was frowning and thinking, he suddenly tripped over an invisible leg and rolled all the way down to the gargoyle statue at the entrance. Several of his arm and rib bones were broken.
"This kick is for Harry, the Boy Who Lived, to avenge him. Professor Snape, go back and brew two more cauldrons of Skele - Gro!"
Dudley lifted the Invisibility Charm and revealed himself. He said coldly to Snape, who was already injured and in a sorry state.
Then he walked into the headmaster's office.
He didn't even glance at Snape, who was in a miserable state and staggering off.
Inside the headmaster's office, Dumbledore was quietly waiting for Dudley to enter.
He had already noticed the commotion on the stairs outside and looked very helpless.
After seeing Dudley come in, he put his hand on his forehead and asked, "Dudley, did you hear everything?"
"I heard it all. You probably didn't mean to keep it from me, right!" Dudley's response was very flat. "There's no point in continuing this topic. Let's get down to business!"
Dumbledore looked a bit embarrassed. "Okay, okay, the main business! Voldemort's main soul..."
"Wait a minute. I'm not used to scheming under the stares of so many pairs of eyes." Dudley interrupted Dumbledore's words and pointed at the bunch of portraits of former headmasters on the ceiling.
"You impudent ghost. You must be from Gryffindor!" the portrait of former headmaster Armando Dippet loudly rebuked.
"Amando, what do you mean? What's wrong with Gryffindor? Why are you insinuating that our house is rude?!"
Before Dudley could reply, a portrait of a former headmaster from Gryffindor, of unknown generation, retorted.
Then, the portraits of the former headmasters began to chatter and argue, leaving Dumbledore and Dudley on the sidelines.
"Dudley, the portraits of these former headmasters will unconditionally follow the orders of the current headmaster. They won't leak the secret," Dumbledore explained to Dudley.
But Dudley's expression remained unchanged.
Dumbledore had no choice but to turn a Chocolate Frogs box into a large black cloth and let it float up to cover all the portraits on the ceiling.
The headmaster's office returned to silence.
"A bottle of orange soda!"
Dudley used magic to pull a guest chair in the headmaster's office to his side and sat down. He rudely asked Dumbledore for a drink.
"How did you know... Oh, right! You guessed the password to enter the headmaster's office," Dumbledore wondered for a moment and then understood. He summoned the soda for Dudley with the Accio spell, smiling wryly.
As he handed over the soda, he explained, "Forgive an old man's sweet tooth. I didn't get to taste the so - called sweet and sour drink at your place. So I specifically exchanged for Muggle money and went to a Muggle store to buy a lot. I brought them back and drank them secretly! You know, it really is sweet and sour, very delicious, even more delicious than Cockroach Clusters! By the way, Dudley, would you like some Cockroach Clusters?"
"I don't want Cockroach Clusters!" Dudley opened the soda in his hand and took a big gulp. Then he said, "Let's continue talking about Voldemort, that tenacious cockroach!
Has Voldemort's main soul possessed Eris?"
"The possession was completed this afternoon in the potion - making room of the school infirmary.
This time, Voldemort's main soul didn't possess the back of the head, but Eris's abdomen," Dumbledore also took a bottle of orange soda for himself and said while drinking.
"That noseless monster always comes up with something new!"
Dudley sighed.
He thought about the scene and showed a slight smile. His mood improved a bit, and the atmosphere of the conversation with Dumbledore became more harmonious.
Then he asked, "How did you modify Peeves? Can you guarantee that Voldemort's main soul won't detect him?"
Hearing Dudley's question, Dumbledore smiled confidently, "I'm confident about this. I modified Peeves' spiritual characteristics so that he can perfectly combine with the Invisibility Cloak, one of the three Deathly Hallows.
Peeves can now pass through walls invisibly while wearing the Invisibility Cloak without leaving any trace.
Even the advanced magic - Human Appearance Revelation can't detect Peeves. It's absolutely foolproof."
"The Invisibility Cloak? You gave the Invisibility Cloak to Peeves to wear?" Dudley looked surprised. This was an unexpected stunt.
"Yes, only the Deathly Hallows can be the most reliable.
The Invisibility Cloak is a family heirloom of the Potter family. I'm just holding onto it for now. I'll return it to Harry after this is over," Dumbledore replied.
Dudley didn't dwell on this matter. Sooner or later, the Invisibility Cloak would fall into his hands. Using it to monitor Voldemort now was putting it to good use.
He then asked about other details, "So how do you keep track of what Peeves is spying on? And how can you ensure you'll quickly appear on the scene to subdue Voldemort in a critical moment?"
"Look!"
Dumbledore pointed at the Pensieve beside the desk. Immediately, the water in the Pensieve began to churn and transformed into a three - dimensional water mirror, showing Peeves' real - time view.
Dudley took a look and found it truly amazing.
Currently, Eris was lying obediently in the hospital bed recuperating from her injuries.
Judging from her complexion, it seemed her condition had worsened.
"As for how I can quickly appear on the scene, I'll rely on my old friend!" Dumbledore continued to introduce to Dudley.
As he said this, he gave a meaningful glance.
Dudley looked in that direction and saw the phoenix Fawkes resting with its eyes closed on a tall metal stand not far away.
He also saw a shorter stand beside the tall one. On it were the shabby Sorting Hat (in a dormant state) and a delicate, silver - flashing sword.
This was obviously the Sword of Gryffindor, the only one among the lost treasures of the four founders of Hogwarts that had never been lost.