Chapter 34: The Truth Behind Peeves (Patreon)

"I have to admit, Mr. Dorea, your teacher taught you a great deal."

"I'm only stating the facts."

Having noticed someone listening outside the door long ago, Shane turned around calmly.

"And tell me, Professor Dumbledore... since when has eavesdropping become one of your hobbies?"

Just as Professor McGonagall had been left speechless by Shane's arguments, the door to the Gryffindor Head's office opened, revealing Albus Dumbledore, who had apparently been standing outside for quite some time.

"I had intended to invite you to my office," Dumbledore said with a gentle smile, "but Dilys informed me that you had come to see Minerva, so I decided to come here myself."

Dilys Derwent had served as Hogwarts Headmistress from 1741 to 1768 and was a renowned Healer. Since her portrait hung in both the Headmaster's Office and St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, she could freely travel between the two.

"Mr. Dorea, you're right. Back then, I focused far too much on Tom himself while overlooking the forces supporting him."

"Whether out of fear or genuine loyalty, without the backing of those pure-blood families, Tom alone could never have caused such widespread bloodshed."

"However, there is one point you've misunderstood. Not every Death Eater was unaware that Tom was a half-blood wizard. Many knew the truth, but fear—or perhaps admiration—made them willingly ignore it."

Dumbledore then began recounting events from the First Wizarding War.

It wasn't that he had been blind to the influence of the pure-blood families behind Voldemort.

But at the time, Voldemort was wreaking havoc everywhere.

He attacked the Ministry of Magic and magical schools across Europe, orchestrated mass murders of Muggles and half-bloods, and even ordered coordinated assaults on major Muggle cities throughout the continent.

Overwhelmed by one crisis after another, Dumbledore had spent every waking moment thinking of only one thing:

Finding his former student... and destroying him.

To him, Voldemort was the source of every disaster. As long as Voldemort was eliminated, peace would eventually return to magical Europe.

Combined with the fact that most pure-blood families had already fallen completely under Voldemort's control, Dumbledore believed exposing Voldemort's half-blood heritage would accomplish very little.

That was why he had never tried to wage a battle in the court of public opinion.

After hearing the entire explanation, Shane rolled his eyes internally.

Pathetic.

Absolutely pathetic.

The man's vision was far too narrow.

Even after living for 109 years, the old Headmaster had underestimated the power of public opinion.

So what if some Death Eaters already knew their master's true blood status?

There had to be fanatical blood purists among them.

Turn them against him.

Even if they couldn't be persuaded outright, manipulating them into betraying Voldemort from the shadows would still weaken his forces.

And since Voldemort cared so desperately about his bloodline...

Publish it in the newspapers.

Call him a Mudblood.

Tempt him into revealing himself.

Even if Horcruxes kept him alive, destroying one fragment of his soul would still be a victory.

As for the concern that exposing his heritage might provoke conflict among half-bloods...

This was war.

Not a children's game.

Shane couldn't help thinking that this sort of strategy was better left to people from his homeland.

Seeing Dumbledore preparing to continue, Shane quickly interrupted.

"Professors, all of that belongs to the past. Discussing it now won't change anything."

"And I believe I already know why you've come to see me, Professor Dumbledore."

"So I'll be straightforward."

"I simply wish to fulfill my teacher's dying wish—to completely eradicate the poisonous doctrine of blood purity from the wizarding world."

"This comic... or rather, Voldemort himself... is merely the opening move of a much larger plan."

To prevent Dumbledore from questioning him further, Shane once again used his nonexistent teacher as a convenient shield—and this time, even declared him dead to end the matter once and for all.

Hearing those words, Dumbledore frowned deeply.

For a brief moment, he saw the shadow of an old friend in Shane.

Many years ago, that friend had been just as passionate, just as determined to change the world...

Until he had strayed onto the wrong path.

Unwilling to watch another brilliant young wizard repeat that tragedy, Dumbledore spoke earnestly.

"Shane... do you truly understand what you're challenging?"

"The influence of the pure-blood families stretches across the entire world. They control the vast majority of the wizarding world's resources."

"And the thing they treasure most is their bloodline."

"The ideology of blood purity is the very foundation upon which their status rests."

"Yet you intend to tear that foundation out by its roots."

"Do you understand the scale of the chaos that would bring?"

Shane suddenly smiled.

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."

He quoted Rowena Ravenclaw's famous words before continuing.

"Professor, you need to understand something."

"This isn't merely a war."

"It's a revolution."

"Whether through magic or science, the progress of civilization cannot coexist with bloodline supremacy."

"One day, the unstoppable tide of history will force this revolution to happen."

"I'm simply bringing that day forward."

For reasons neither Dumbledore nor McGonagall could explain, as Shane spoke, they almost imagined a crimson five-pointed star shining brightly in his eyes.

What they didn't know was that revolution ran deep within Shane's very soul.

Whenever history demanded change, people like him would always step forward.

And now that fate had offered him the chance to lead such a revolution...

The fire in his blood could no longer be contained.

Under McGonagall's stunned gaze and Dumbledore's thoughtful silence, Shane left the Gryffindor Head's office.

Using Spatial Magic, he Apparated directly to the top of Hogwarts' Astronomy Tower.

There, he took out Hogwarts: A History, the book Ivana had given him, and began studying it carefully.

The Astronomy Tower was one of the quietest places in the castle, perfect for uninterrupted research.

After skimming through the contents, Shane quickly noticed something strange.

The historical record seemed incomplete.

It covered Hogwarts' founding around 990 A.D., continued only sporadically, and ended abruptly in 1769.

Everything after that was missing.

Perhaps it was simply a cultural difference.

Whether magical or Muggle, Europe had never been particularly diligent about preserving history.

Shane opened the book to its first page.

He had no intention of reading the entire volume.

He only needed one thing—

Everything concerning Peeves.

The earliest record dated back to Hankerton Humble, Hogwarts' first caretaker, appointed by the Four Founders themselves.

Among all historical figures, he had known Peeves better than anyone.

The opening pages contained Hankerton's own handwritten account.

"When the poltergeist first appeared, I wondered where it had come from. I asked it several questions, but it never answered. Sometimes it laughed foolishly; sometimes it remained silent. I reported it to the great wizard Salazar, but he paid it no mind. I also spoke to the great wizard Godric, who merely said that it was only a ghost and not worth worrying about. So I allowed the poltergeist to remain in the castle. Sometimes it sat atop classroom beams watching students attend lessons. Sometimes it stole food, which puzzled me, for I could not understand how a ghost could eat. Then, one day, the poltergeist changed. It burst into loud laughter and began playing tricks throughout the school. It sang rude little songs at every opportunity, knocked over Salazar's potion bottles, and even poured sand into the pumpkin soup in the kitchens..."

The record ended there.

The later chapters mentioned only scattered incidents, such as Helga Hufflepuff giving the poltergeist its name.

But Hankerton's journal raised an intriguing question.

When Peeves first appeared, he merely laughed foolishly or sat in silence.

For a long time, he did nothing except observe the students.

Only later did he begin pulling pranks across Hogwarts.

Why?

What had caused such a drastic change?

"No..."

"That isn't it."

Shane pieced the clues together until another memory suddenly surfaced.

The first time he had met Peeves, the poltergeist had clearly recognized Ravenclaw's Diadem.

Yet all he had said was—

"Not yet... still not yet."

Could Peeves have sensed the fragment of Voldemort's soul inside the Diadem?

And then there was what had happened in the Great Hall.

Peeves had already left...

Yet he had deliberately retrieved Shane's carefully hidden manuscript from the Room of Requirement and shouted that he had found his greatest prank.

Why?

Why call it his prank?

Shane's thoughts accelerated.

"Peeves knows about the Room of Requirement."

"He probably knows every secret hidden within Hogwarts Castle."

"That means he knew Voldemort's true identity from the very beginning."

"He knew Voldemort had tampered with Ravenclaw's Diadem."

"He revealed my manuscript not to embarrass me..."

"But to get revenge on Voldemort."

"He wanted someone he hated to make a fool of himself."

Everything suddenly fell into place.

"Peeves isn't a ghost."

"He's the collective embodiment of every Hogwarts student's thoughts and emotions."

"That's why he knows everything that happens within the castle."

"When he first came into existence, he had no emotions of his own. That's why he only laughed or remained silent."

"But as time passed, he constantly absorbed the feelings of Hogwarts' students and gradually grew."

"Children are naturally lively and playful, yet they're confined inside this enormous castle."

"Their desire to have fun flowed into Peeves."

"His pranks exist to bring joy to the young witches and wizards."

"But Voldemort's rise changed Hogwarts."

"Students became divided."

"They discriminated against one another."

"Peeves hated that."

"So he used his pranks to unite the students against a common enemy."

Having finally unraveled the mystery, Shane slowly rose to his feet.

Looking down at the vast castle beneath him, countless emotions welled up inside his heart.

For a long time...

He simply stood there in silence.