Albus Dumbledore hurried back from the Ministry of Magic. According to his account, the Death Eaters had been extremely cautious regarding their attack on the Ministry; the vast majority of their forces had been thrown into the assault on Hogwarts. After all, compared to attacking the Ministry of Magic, launching a sneak attack on Hogwarts—a place populated mainly by students, devoid of Aurors, and possessing far weaker defensive capabilities than the Ministry—was much more cost-effective.
When Dumbledore returned to his office, a smile graced his face. Harry was entirely safe, after all—they had not been dealing with Quirrell, but with Snape. Though Snape certainly laid on his blows with a heavy hand, the injuries were at worst superficial and would fully heal in no time at all. Dumbledore's mood was exceptionally good; Voldemort's plan had been utterly shattered, and virtually all the fleeing Death Eaters who had participated in the operation were rounded up and brought to justice. Not a single person was injured, and almost everything had unfolded according to his expectations.
Of course, he had not anticipated *everything*. Dumbledore's smile froze on his face the moment he saw Aberforth sitting squarely inside the Headmaster's Office.
Chapter 67