《Professor Vampire.》


 Chapter 1 - 1 A figure awakening from a deep sleep

    <h4>Chapter 1: A figure awakening from a deep sleep</h4>


    "Level One Alert!"


    "Level One Alert!"


    "Arge amount of unknown dark energy has appeared in the Cairngorm Mountains. All Aurors, mobilize immediately!"


    "Prepare for battle!"


    ...


    The atmosphere at the British Ministry of Magic was extremely tense amidst the ring rms.


    The Aurors, with grim expressions, formed teams and used Portkeys to investigate the source of the dark energy surge in the Cairngorm Mountains.


    Soon, all the Aurors had entered the dark mountain range and began their advance swiftly and orderly.


    Among the Auror team, a young Auror with pink hair identally lost track of the group and got lost in theplex mountainous terrain.


    Nymphadora Tonks, a freshly graduated trainee Auror, was participating in arge-scale operation for the first time. In her haste, she lost contact with her team.


    She tried to find her teammates but became disoriented in the dense fog, inadvertently venturing deeper into the dark mountains.


    After wandering aimlessly in the fog for a long time, just when Tonks felt utterly dejected, a mysterious figure suddenly appeared ahead, its outline faintly visible through the thick mist.


    The young trainee Auror immediately followed her training, raised her wand, and assumed a defensive posture.


    "Who are you? Why are you here?" Tonks called out loudly.


    The figure turned slowly upon hearing her voice.


    As he moved, the mist around him strangely parted, making way for him.


    This magical sight eased Tonks'' intense nerves a bit.


    When the figure approached her, all the mist had dispersed to the sides. Behind the mist were two towering peaks, with a giant, bright moon nestled between them.


    In the silver moonlight stood a man with long silver hair and a strikingly handsome face.


    He looked to be in his twenties, but his deep eyes held the weight of ages.


    He spoke slowly and awkwardly, as if he hadn''t talked in a long time:


    "Hello, could you tell me what time it is?"


    His voice shifted from deep to bright, as if it had traveled through centuries to reach the young Auror''s ears.


    Tonks'' pink hair instantly turned a rosy shade, and she stammered, "H-hello, it''s around 1 AM."


    "I meant the exact date."


    "The exact date...?" Tonks hesitated.


    "I mean, what year, month, and day is it now?"


    "July 31, 1991."


    Tonks, in a daze, didn''t realize what she had said.


    "I see, thank you." The man smiled slightly and started walking towards the mountain''s exit.


    Only then did the young Auror trainee remember her identity and mission.


    "Sir, the Cairngorm Mountains are very dangerous right now, please don''t wander around!" She quickly followed, pulling out her Ministry of Magic ID. "I''m a trainee Auror from the British Ministry of Magic, I can protect you!"


    Hearing Tonks'' confident words, the silver-haired man gave a yful smile and turned to her.


    "Oh?" He asked with interest, "What dangers are there?"


    "ording to our Ministry''s detection, arge amount of dark energy has appeared in the Cairngorm Mountains, indicating some evil dark magic creature is about to emerge." Tonks dered confidently. "So you must be careful!"


    "I see." He seemed amused, his smile growing.


    "I''m very serious, sir!" Tonks protested, her hair turning ck in her frustration.


    The silver-haired man finally stopped smiling and pointed ahead. "I appreciate your concern, but isn''t that the exit of the mountains? Am I not safe now?"


    Tonks then realized they had somehow returned to the initial entry point of the Auror team.


    "Huh?" She looked back at the intricate mountain path, confused. "How did you find the right way?"


    The man smiled slightly, about to say something more.


    But then his eyes shifted, and he said instead, "Time''s almost up. It was a pleasure meeting you, kinddy."


    With a casual wave, he stepped out of the valley and disappeared into the night.


    Tonks stared at the night, her mind in a daze.


    Just then, a rugged-looking wizard with white hair and numerous scars approached, his wooden leg thumping on the ground, snapping Tonks out of her thoughts.


    "Tonks, have you forgotten all your Auror training!" The grizzled wizard sighed in relief upon finding the lost trainee Auror, then began scolding her. "You couldn''t even stick with the team during an operation!"


    "Sorry, Moody..." Tonks mumbled. "You know I''m not great at ''Stealth and Tracking,'' and I lost the group by ident..."


    "Since it''s your first mission and you handled the emergency fairly well, I''ll let it slide this time." Moody growled. "Returning to the safe entry point after losing the team was a smart move."


    "Actually, Moody, I got lost." Tonks admitted honestly, head down. "But I met a really handsome man in the valley, and he guided me back."


    Moody''s brows furrowed at her exnation.


    "Anyone in the valley at this time is suspicious." He said gravely. "He could be linked to the dark energy surge!"


    "Tonks, which way did he go? We need to follow him!"


    But the mysterious figure had already vanished into the night, leaving no trace.


    ...


    The Aurors from the Ministry of Magic were tirelessly searching, but the man was leisurely wandering, curiously observing the scenery of modern Scond.


    His name was d Drac, a vampire over a thousand years old, who had just awoken from a century-long slumber.


    In fact, Moody''s suspicion was correct; the dark energy surge was indeed linked to Drac.


    After a hundred years of dormancy, his body had amassed a vast amount of dark energy, and some of it had inadvertently leaked out when he awoke.


    This inadvertent leakage had caught the Ministry''s attention.


    But Drac wasn''t bothered. He adjusted his immactely preserved ck-and-red robes and pulled out an ancient bronze mirror from his pocket.


    The back of the mirror was engraved with a golden phoenix, exuding an aura of ancient history.


    Drac smiled nostalgically at the mirror and spoke softly:


    "Still alive, old man?"


    "Doing well, at least I''m not stuck in a coffin for a century like some people." A grumpy, elderly voice replied from the mirror.


    "Old man, a hundred years haven''t made you any kinder." Drac chuckled.


    "I''ming over."


    "You need to tell me all the interesting things that happened over thest century..."

 Chapter 2 - 2 Reunion with Nico Flamel

    <h4>Chapter 2: Reunion with Nico mel</h4>


    No. 21 Montmorency Street, within a room of medieval style filled with an aura of the bizarre, Drac loungedfortably by the window, gently swirling the wine ss in his hand.


    "So, a lot of interesting things happened while I was asleep for a hundred years?" He took a small sip of the crimson liquid, musing.


    "Global wizarding war, the love and hate entanglements of two genius wizards, an intriguing magical creature expert and his Muggle friend, a terrifying Dark Lord... Damn it! How many fascinating events have I missed in my century of slumber?"


    He then turned his gaze to the elderly man before him and asked, somewhat irritably:


    "Old man, why didn''t you wake me up?"


    Standing before Drac was an old man with white hair and a face full of wrinkles, looking at him with helplessness.


    "You never told me where your coffin was hidden. How was I supposed to wake you?" the old man replied.


    Drac nced silently at therge crystal ball on the workbench by the window and couldn''t help but curl his lip.


    "We''ve known each other for centuries, and I still don''t know you? I think you were just afraid I''d join forces with that Grindelwald guy!" Drac downed the remaining wine in his ss and added, "Otherwise, your divination skills must be pretty useless."


    At this moment, another elderly woman with white hair approached, refilling Drac''s ss with a rich red wine, and said with a smile:


    "After not seeing each other for a hundred years, it''s understandable not to be moved to tears, but why start arguing right away?"


    "Perennelle, you came just in time. Judge this for us," Drac thanked her and then, picking up his ss again,ined, "Do you think this old man Nics did it on purpose, making me miss so many interesting things."


    Perennelle mel just smiled withoutmenting.


    "Alright, alright, I knew you''din, so I found you a new interesting ce to be," Nics mel, seemingly guilty, said with a smile.


    Drac, about to raise his ss, paused mid-air and turned to look at him.


    "In recent years, there''s been a phenomenon at Hogwarts that I think you''ll be interested in," Nics continued. "It''s said that the Defense Against the Dark Arts position is cursed by a Dark Lord, and for fifty years, no professor hassted more than a year in that role."


    Looking at Drac''s expression, Nics teased, "How about it? Would the legendary Count Drac be afraid of such a curse?"


    A knowing smile slowly spread across Drac''s lips.


    "Interesting."


    With a tter, Drac mmed the wine ss onto the windowsill.


    He then pushed open the window beside him and stepped onto the window frame.


    "Nics, Perennelle, we''ll meet again!" Drac turned to the mels, who had yet to react, and cheerfully bid them farewell.


    The next moment, he leaped from Nics'' window.


    Apanied by a flurry of bats, Drac''s figure vanished into the night sky, leaving only the blood-red wine in the ss swaying on the windowsill.


    The reflected moon in the wine turned crimson, shining brightly.


    The mels stood there, bewildered, exchanging nces.


    "Is he not even staying for a meal?" Perennelle asked, half-amused.


    "You should know Drac by now," Nics shook his head slightly and sighed, "He''s always been like this. If he finds something interesting, he''ll go for it no matter what."


    "After all, a thousand years is a long, dull time..."


    ...


    In the still of the night, a towering castle stood firm against the backdrop.


    The castle''s spires rose high, with countless windows lit, mingling with the stars above. The distant rising dawn added a purple-red hue to the castle''s edges, enhancing its mysterious grandeur.


    In the brightly lit headmaster''s office at Hogwarts, Drac, d in ck and red robes, appeared silently by the window, surveying the room.


    The oncezy phoenix, feeling his presence, pped its wings and warily perched on the shoulder of an elderly white-haired man before the desk.


    The tall, slender man, dressed in a purple wizard''s robe, had silver hair and a beard long enough to be tucked into his belt.


    Seeing the uninvited guest, he seemed unsurprised. He gently stroked the phoenix Fawkes to calm its nervousness.


    Then he looked at Drac, smiling and gesturing to the several cups on the table.


    "Good morning, Count Drac. Nics often mentioned you," he said, as if greeting an old friend. "Tea, juice, or coffee?"


    Drac frowned at the drinks before him and lightly shook his head.


    "No need." He pulled out the chair in front of the desk and sat down, addressing the old man, "You must be Albus Dumbledore, the current headmaster of Hogwarts?"


    Dumbledore smiled and nodded.


    Simultaneously, he rummaged through the desk drawer, eventually pulling out a blood-red lollipop.


    "I almost forgot, vampires probably don''t like these ordinary drinks." He handed the lollipop to Drac, cheerfully adding, "Try this! A blood-vored lollipop from Honeydukes'' Sweet Treat Pack. You might like it."


    Drac''s mouth twitched as he looked at the lollipop.


    "Headmaster Dumbledore, I''m here to discuss something very important. Please take this seriously," he said, decisively refusing the lollipop and producing a parchment filled withplex runes from his pocket.


    "This is the deed to Hogwarts. Szar Slytherin set a thousand-year lease starting in 991 AD, and this year, 1991, marks the end of that lease."


    "Headmaster, the lease on Hogwarts is up!" Drac smirked. "You wouldn''t want the students to be homeless, would you?"


    Dumbledore''s face showed a brief moment of surprise, then returned to his usual calm.


    Adjusting his sses, he took the parchment and examined it closely.


    From Dumbledore''s perspective, he could see the magical energy identical to that of the castle, along with the signatures of the four founders, confirming its authenticity beyond doubt.


    Considering Drac''s age and his rumored connection to Slytherin, Dumbledore had to acknowledge the deed''s legitimacy.


    "Count Drac, I hear you were great friends with the four founders," he said, trying to soften the situation. "Hogwarts was their pride and joy. You wouldn''t just take it back, would you?"


    "That depends on your performance." Drac leaned back in his chair, chuckling. "If you can find me something interesting, maybe I''ll extend the deadline a bit."


    "That can be arranged," Dumbledore sighed with relief, pulling out a prepared letter from his desk. "We have an opening for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. The position has seen numerous professors leave due to various misfortunes over the past fifty years. Perhaps, Count Drac, you might find it intriguing."

 Chapter 3 - 3 Lifting the boards of his own coffin

    <h4>Chapter 3: Lifting the boards of his own coffin</h4>


    21 Montmorency Street, in a medieval-style room with a strong sense of the bizarre, Drac leaned contentedly by the window, gently swirling the goblet of wine in his hand.


    "So, a lot of interesting things have happened while I was asleep for a century?" He took a sip of the crimson liquid, contemting.


    "Global wizarding wars, the love-hate entanglement of two genius wizards, an intriguing magical creature expert and his Muggle friend, fearsome mysterious figures... Damn! How many fascinating things have I missed during my hundred-year slumber?"


    He then turned to the old man before him and asked with irritation:


    "Old fool, why didn''t you wake me up?"


    Before Drac stood a white-haired, wrinkled old man, who looked at Drac with a helpless expression.


    "You never told me where your coffin was. How was I supposed to wake you up?" he replied.


    Drac nced disdainfully at therge crystal ball on the workbench by the window.


    "After knowing you for centuries, I still don''t know you? It seems you were simply afraid I''d join forces with that Grindelwald fellow!" He emptied the remaining wine from his goblet, then added, "Otherwise, your divination skills must be nothing but a show, right?"


    At this moment, another white-haired old woman approached, refilling Drac''s goblet with more blood-red wine. She then smiled warmly and said:


    "It''s been a hundred years, and while it''s understandable if you don''t feel emotional, why start arguing as soon as you meet?"


    "Perinal, just in time for you to mediate," Drac thanked her and, picking up the goblet, continued with dissatisfaction, "Do you think old Nic deliberately kept me from all these fascinating things?"


    The old woman, Perinal Lemay, simply smiled and did not offer an opinion.


    "Alright, alright, I knew you''din, so I found you another interesting opportunity," Nic Lemay said with a sheepish smile, seemingly aware of his shorings.


    Drac''s goblet, raised to his lips, paused in mid-air as he turned to look at him.


    "There''s been a phenomenon at Hogwarts in recent years that I think you''d find intriguing," Nic said. "It is said that the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor has been cursed by a mysterious figure. For fifty years, no professor has managed to stay in the position for even a year without some form of disaster."


    Nic looked at Drac''s expression with a hint of teasing. "So, what do you think? Will the legendary Count Drac be afraid of such a curse?"


    A thoughtful smile slowly appeared on Drac''s lips.


    "Interesting."


    With a clink, Drac set the goblet of crimson liquid on the windowsill.


    He then pushed open the window and stepped onto the window frame.


    "Nic, Perinal, see you next time!" Drac turned to the still-stunned Lemay couple and said with a cheerful smile.


    The next moment, he leapt from Nic''s window.


    Amidst a scattering of bat-like shadows, Drac''s figure vanished into the night sky, leaving only the blood-red liquid in the goblet swaying on the windowsill.


    The moon reflected in the red liquid looked particrly vivid...


    The Lemay couple stood in stunned silence, looking at each other.


    "Does he not even stay for a meal?" Perinal asked, bewildered.


    "Don''t you know Drac by now?" Nic shook his head slightly and sighed. "He''s always like this. If he finds something interesting, he''ll always go to experience it no matter what."


    "After all, a thousand years is just too long, too dull..."


    ...


    In the quiet night, a majestic castle stood in the darkness.


    The castle''s spires pierced the sky, with countless windows glowing in harmony with the starlight. A hint of dawn''s red hue added a touch of purplish-red to the castle''s edge, enhancing its mysterious and weighty appearance.


    In the candlelit office of Hogwarts'' headmaster, Drac appeared quietly by the window, examining theyout of the room.


    The previouslyzy phoenix was startled by his presence, fluttering its wings and perching on the shoulder of an elderly man at the desk.


    The old man, tall and thin, wore a purple wizard''s robe. His silver-white hair and beard were long enough to tuck into his belt.


    Seeing the uninvited guest, he seemed unsurprised, gently soothing the anxious phoenix Fawkes before looking at Drac and smiling as he gestured towards several cups on the desk.


    "Good morning, Count Drac. Nic often speaks of you," he said warmly, "Tea, juice, or coffee?"


    Drac frowned at the beverages before him and gently shook his head.


    "No need," he said, pulling out the chair in front of the desk and sitting down. "You must be the current headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore?"


    Dumbledore nodded with a smile.


    At the same time, he continued rummaging through the drawers of his desk and produced a blood-red lollipop.


    "I almost forgot. Vampires probably don''t have much use for ordinary drinks," he said, handing the lollipop to Drac with a cheerful tone. "You might like this! A blood-vored lollipop from the Honeydukes Duke''s Sweet Gift Pack."


    Drac looked at the lollipop with a twitch of his lips.


    "Headmaster Dumbledore, I''m here to discuss something very important. Please take this seriously." He decisively refused the blood-vored lollipop and took out a piece of parchment covered inplex runes from his pocket.


    "This is the deed to Hogwarts. The lease set by Szar Slytherin was for a thousand years, starting from 991 AD, and this year is 1991, exactly a thousand years."


    "Headmaster, the lease on Hogwarts is up!" Drac''s lips curled slightly, "You wouldn''t want the students to be disced, would you?"


    Dumbledore''s face momentarily showed a sh of surprise, quickly reced by his usual calm demeanor.


    He adjusted his sses and took the parchment, scrutinizing it carefully.


    From Dumbledore''s perspective, he could see the magical fluctuations matching those of the castle and the magical marks left by the four founders, leaving no room for forgery.


    Considering Drac''s era of birth and his rumored connections to Slytherin, Dumbledore had to acknowledge the authenticity of the deed.


    "Count Drac, I''ve heard you were good friends with the four founders," he said, his tone softening as he asked, "Hogwarts was theirbor of love. Surely you wouldn''t just reim it like that?"


    "That depends on your performance." Drac leaned back in the chair with a rxed smile. "If you can find me some interesting things, perhaps I''ll be inclined to extend the deadline a bit."


    "That should be easy," Dumbledore sighed in relief and took out a pre-prepared employment letter from the side of the desk. "We have a position for a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. This position changes every year due to various idents. I''m sure Count Drac would find it somewhat interesting."


    Dumbledore thoughtfully included a statistical chart of incidents involving Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, pushing it across the desk towards Drac.


    Drac picked up the long list and read aloud with interest:


    "Defense Against the Dark Arts professor ident statistics¡ªkilled by a wild boar, blown up by their own spell during ss, starved to death after getting lost in the castle, tripped over their own feet and fell to their death..."


    "Hehe... very few even manage to leave this position alive." Dracughed with interest, revealing his sharp fangs.


    "Cough."


    Seeing Drac''s amusement, Dumbledore cleared his throat and pointed to ater entry on the list.


    Drac shifted his gaze and immediately subdued his smile.


    The parchment read¡ª


    "Diedughing after listening to a student''s joke for half an hour."


    "..."


    He tossed the ident statistics aside and picked up the employment letter, signing it with a flourish.


    "Alright, aside from their causes of death, is there anything else I need to know about being a professor?" Drac asked Dumbledore.


    "Since you''ve agreed to take the position, we''ll be colleagues," Dumbledore eagerly stood up, shaking Drac''s hand warmly. "Everything you need to prepare is written in the employment letter. As for the teaching content, you''ll need to decide that yourself."


    "I assume the legendary Count Drac must be quite skilled in ''Defense'' against the Dark Arts, right?"


    Dumbledore emphasized the word "Defense," apparently making a point that the course was about defending against dark magic, not teaching it.


    "Rest assured, Headmaster," Drac waved his hand casually and strolled towards the window of the office.


    He had just taken a few steps when he turned back.


    He grabbed the blood-vored lollipop from Dumbledore''s hand, then returned to the window and leaped out...


    Dumbledore looked at the open window and shrugged.


    He then nced at the employment letter on the desk and chuckled to himself.


    "Nic, thanks to you, Hogwarts has managed to hire a reasonably reliable Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!"


    Dumbledore cheerfully took out a phoenix mirror that resembled Drac''s bronze mirror and spoke to it.


    As for the resume in the corner of the desk bearing the name Quirinus Quirrell, it was subconsciously ignored by him.


    ...


    In London, Diagon Alley.


    Drac, with a blood-vored lollipop in his mouth and a list of items to prepare from the employment letter in hand, looked around in boredom.


    "Having to prepare a wand to be a professor is such a hassle."


    Despite hisints, Drac headed towards Ollivanders Wand Shop in the depths of Diagon Alley, eager to experience the role of a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.


    The development of

 Chapter 4 - 4 Encounter with the savior

    <h4>Chapter 4: Encounter with the savior</h4>


    "Is this... the Shrouded Wood?" Seeing the wooden board that Drac produced, Ollivander''s face showed a look of surprise. "This is one of the materials most suitable for dark arts and ck magic ording to records!"


    He then scratched his chin and said, "But as far as I know, this kind of wood has been extinct for many years..."


    Ollivander stared at the hexagonal wooden board in Drac''s hand, scrutinizing its perfectly human-sized hexagonal shape, and his eyes widened in realization.


    "You didn''t just take this from someone''s coffin, did you?!"


    Drac''s face darkened.


    "Stop with the nonsense and just tell me if you''ll make it or not!"


    "Of course, I will make it!" Ollivander said with a hint of excitement. "How could I miss such a rare material!"


    "What wand core do you want? Dragon heartstring or phoenix feather? Unicorn tail hair is out of the question; it''s not suitable for you..."


    When it came to discussing wand making, Ollivander immediately became chatty.


    Drac raised his hand to interrupt his chatter.


    "I''m not interested in those three cores. Do you have any other options?"


    "To be responsible, after decades of testing, I''ve concluded that unicorn tail hair, dragon heartstring, and phoenix feather are the most stable of all wand cores!" Ollivander said confidently. "So I''ve never used materials other than these three for cores!"


    At this point, Drac''s lips curled up with interest.


    "Not even if I offer more money?" he asked.


    "Sorry, I am a man of principles. I think you''re mistaken about me." Ollivander remained unmoved.


    "Principles can change, can''t they?"


    Drac spoke softly as he pinched the tip of his right pinky.


    With a "snap," his right pinky broke off and was pulled away.


    A pitch-ck, chilling me swept across, leaving only the slender white bone of the pinky, shining like jade...


    Ollivander''s eyes widened as he watched Drac, who remained indifferent like a bystander, pass the bone over to him.


    Meanwhile, Drac''s right pinky regrew at an astonishing speed, quickly returning to its intact, pale, and slender form.


    "You... you are..." Ollivander looked at Drac''s deep wine-red eyes and silver hair, showing a slight realization.


    "Mind your words." Drac''s gaze was dangerous.


    "No, no, no, I meant to continue from before..." Ollivander quickly changed his tone, smiling obsequiously. "I mean, you have a keen eye for people!"


    He then eagerly took the coffin board and the pinky bone from Drac.


    "The Shrouded Wood wand materialbined with the core of a powerful magical creature''s bone is truly a perfectbination!" Ollivander praised. "Rest assured, Ollivander''s wands will never disappoint you!"


    At this moment, a clinking bell rang.


    This indicated that another customer had arrived at Ollivander''s wand shop.


    Seeing this, Ollivander immediately wiped the smile off his face and resumed his inscrutable demeanor.


    Drac looked curiously toward the shop entrance and saw arge and a small figure hesitating as they entered the narrow space.


    The size difference between the two was extreme¡ª


    The smaller figure was a boy, short and skinny, giving an impression of malnutrition; while therger figure, whether in width or height, looked like abination of two muscr men, almost squeezing out the door frame as they entered.


    "Good afternoon," Ollivander said gently. "Yes, yes, I knew I would see you soon, Harry Potter. It''s no problem. Your eyes..."


    "Hey, aren''t you that kid who was surrounded by a bunch of people before?" Drac interrupted Ollivander''s carefully prepared emotions, looking curiously at the skinny boy with round sses.


    "Don''t you know me?" the boy asked, surprised.


    "Should I?" Drac asked with a hint of amusement.


    Before the boy could respond, the huge man beside him eximed, "What? You don''t recognize the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter?!"


    His loud voice made the wand boxes in Ollivander''s shop, stacked almost to the ceiling, sway precariously.


    Drac looked disdainfully at the dust swirling in the shop, flicking his sleeve to create a gentle breeze that blew the dust out of the shop.


    He then walked up to the boy, interested in the lightning-shaped scar partially hidden by his hair.


    "So you''re the savior Harry Potter? From your appearance, it''s hard to tell," Drac said, studying the boy''s skinny body and worn clothes with curiosity.


    "If all goes well, I should be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor when you start school. You can call me Professor Drac." The professional vampire professor immediately took on the role, addressing his first student.


    "Then we''ll have plenty of time to discuss how you defeated Voldemort."


    Hearing Drac''s unreserved mention of Voldemort''s name, both therge man and Ollivander involuntarily shivered.


    In contrast, young Harry looked up at the tall, handsome silver-haired man with a touch of admiration.


    In the short time since he had entered the magical world, he had heard so many wizards refer to "You-Know-Who" in front of him.


    It seemed as though everyone knew Harry had defeated "You-Know-Who" but did not know that the person''s real name was Voldemort.


    At this moment, Drac''s image rose significantly in Harry''s eyes.


    However, Harry had one more question.


    "Professor, but earlier at the Leaky Cauldron, Professor Quirrell also said he would be my Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." Harry asked, "Are there two professors for the Defense Against the Dark Arts?"


    Upon hearing this, Drac''s expression darkened.


    "Oh? Someone''s trying to take my position?" He sneered, causing the air in the shop to chill a few degrees.


    "No one can take such an interesting job from me."


    Saying this, he waved his hand at Ollivander and Harry and walked directly toward the Leaky Cauldron.


    The three people in Ollivander''s wand shop watched Drac leave, shivering, and only rxed once he waspletely out of sight.


    "Where did Dumbledore find such a terrifying professor..." Hagrid mumbled, rubbing his stiff face.


    At this moment, Ollivander, having regained hisposure, continued with his earlier speech in a profound manner:


    "I knew I would see you soon, Harry Potter, that''s no problem. Your eyes are just like your mother''s. When she came here to buy her first wand, it feels like it was just yesterday..."


    But Harry was no longer interested in his words, his mind filled with anticipation for the uing Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.


    "Compared to the stammering Professor Quirrell with his strange turban, the powerful and handsome Professor Drac is definitely more reliable!" Harry thought.

 Chapter 5 - 5 Quirinus Chilo

    <h4>Chapter 5: Quirinus Chilo</h4>


    On a bright, sunny day, however, one room in the Leaky Cauldron had thick curtains drawn, blocking out all light.


    A letter stamped with the Hogwarts seal was ripped in half, crumpled and scattered on the table by the window.


    Quirrell, whom Harry had just mentioned, was now writhing in pain on the floor, continuously screaming. A purple turbany beside him, exposing his bald head.


    Where Quirrell''s ipital region should have been, there was a hideously terrifying face. The face was chalk-white, with glowing red eyes and two long, snake-like nostrils beneath.


    At that moment, the grotesque face on the back of Quirrell''s head was angrily roaring and cursing:


    "Damn Dumbledore, how dare he go back on his word to me! And that new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor he hired, daring to steal my position, I will make him suffer beyond imagination!!"


    This hideous face was none other than Voldemort, the most feared dark wizard in the magical world!


    Yet at this moment, he was not as independent and powerful as before but rather extremely weak, existing merely as a fragment of a soul residing in Quirrell''s body.


    When Quirrell received the letter from Dumbledore informing him that a more suitable candidate had been found for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, Voldemort, residing at the back of his head, was enraged beyond measure.


    Voldemort had wanted to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for decades.


    After being rejected twice, he had even cursed the position, ensuring that no one could hold the job for more than a year.


    Moreover, this position was not just a matter of personal obsession but a crucial part of his n to steal the Philosopher''s Stone. If Quirrell lost this position, his ns and preparations would all be for nothing.


    "It''s all your fault for not getting the Philosopher''s Stone at Gringotts, otherwise, we wouldn''t be so passive!"


    Voldemort''s power, parasitic in Quirrell, surged wildly, causing Quirrell immense pain.


    "Master, we can find him and kill him!" he cried out in agony. "I will get this done and not disappoint you again!"


    At that moment, there was a sudden "knock knock knock" sound from outside the door.


    The noise in the room ceased instantly.


    Quirrell took a deep breath, fumbled to pick up his wand, and waved it lightly to lift the silencing charm.


    He then put on a feeble demeanor and said to the door, "N... no, don''t... don''te... disturb me..."


    The knocking paused.


    However, Voldemort''s grotesque face suddenly changed color, whispering quickly to Quirrell:


    "Put on the turban quickly, he''s already broken through the door''s defensive spells!"


    Quirrell''s face changed, and he frantically wrapped the fallen turban around his head.


    "Bang!"


    The next moment, the door to the Leaky Cauldron room was forcefully pushed open and mmed against the wall.


    A tall man with silver hair and wine-red eyes walked in, eyeing the turban-d wizard with ill intent.


    "I heard the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts is staying in this room, so I came to visit..." Before he could finish, Drac frowned, "Where is that overpowering garlic smelling from?"


    He then waved his hand dismissively, pulling open the tightly drawn curtains and windows, letting in a gust of wind.


    Quirrell instinctively held onto his turban, fearing it might be blown away.


    "W... what are you doing here?" he stammered, "This is... private property, you can''t... do this."


    Drac ignored his protest and waited until the garlic smell had dissipated before turning his attention to the odd turbaned man.


    "You must be Quirinus Quirrell, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts?" he asked.


    "Y... yes, who are you?" Quirrell trembled.


    Looking at the timid wizard before him, Drac''s expression darkened, and he sneered:


    "Quite a coincidence, I am also the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts!"


    Quirrell''s eyes widened in shock.


    He didn''t expect that the very person who had taken his position woulde knocking at his door just as he was about to find and eliminate him!


    "So, you''re the bastard who stole my position!" Quirrell suddenly stopped stammering and trembling, and instead, he spoke with hatred, as if he wanted to vent all the pain Voldemort had caused him on this man.


    "Didn''t expect you would walk into your own trap."


    He slowly raised his wand.


    However, at that moment, Voldemort''s urgent and panicked voice echoed in Quirrell''s mind:


    "Don''t act! Run! Quickly!!"


    Quirrell had never heard Voldemort so anxious and was immediately drenched in cold sweat.


    He made a decisive turn and prepared to Disapparate.


    On the other side, Drac, arms crossed, was ready to see what surprises this would-be usurper, Professor Quirrell, might offer.


    Seeing the standard Disapparation preparation, he paused for a moment, then shook his head with amusement and raised his hand to grasp.


    As Drac moved, Quirrell, halfway into the Disapparation space, was forcefully yanked back into the Leaky Cauldron room, crashing onto the table by the window.


    With a "crash," the table split in two.


    Quirrell screamed in pain, clutching his back.


    Drac took a couple of steps forward, stood over Quirrell, and looked down at him.


    "So, you''re saying that I stole your position?" he asked with a light chuckle.


    Quirrell didn''t answer.


    His expression changed from panic to a dazed look, then a sinister feeling emerged in his eyes.


    "You''re truly useless!"


    ''Quirrell'' said coldly.


    In the next moment, a cloud of ck mist erupted from Quirrell''s body, enveloping himpletely.


    Drac furrowed his brow and raised his hand again to grasp.


    However, this time, Quirrell seemed to turn entirely into mist, unreachable and intangible, leaving Drac grasping at thin air.


    While Drac was puzzled, the ck mist dissipated from every crevice in the bar room and vanished quietly.


    Drac raised an eyebrow and prepared to force the ck mist back into the room.


    "Tsk, so troublesome," he muttered, seeing the dispersed mist, and impatiently lowered his hand. "Well, letting him live a few more days won''t hurt."


    With a casual snap of his fingers, without uttering any incantations, the room in the Leaky Cauldron rapidly restored to its original state.


    He then nced at the bright sunlight outside, sneered inwardly, and exited the room through the main door.

 Chapter 6 - 6 Professors at Hogwarts

    <h4>Chapter 6: Professors at Hogwarts</h4>


    As a school with a long history, teaching at Hogwarts isn''t an easy job.


    Although the requirements for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor have been lowered over the decades due to the curse, the basic tasks like grading assignments, writing lesson ns, and creating exams still need to be handled personally by the professors.


    However, these simple and repetitive tasks seemed incredibly boring to Drac.


    So, he came up with a n.


    "Are you sure you want to hire Quirrell as your teaching assistant?" Dumbledore asked, while soothing the frightened phoenix Fawkes and looking at the suddenly appearing Drac with a hint of resignation.


    In fact, with his ownership of Hogwarts, Drac essentially had all the permissions for the castle. The anti-Apparition and various defensive spells here had no effect on him, so he could freely move around every corner of Hogwarts.


    His Apparition into the Headmaster''s office had startled Fawkes, who was napping.


    Drac casually petted the trembling bird in Dumbledore''s arms before sitting down opposite him.


    "Of course, I have no interest in doing those boring tasks," he said, while popping a blood-vored lollipop into his mouth, "You were nning to ept Quirrell''s application, weren''t you? He should bepetent in teaching."


    Drac was quite pleased with his new idea, which would not only free him from those tedious tasks but also allow him to study Quirrell''s little secrets up close. Why not?


    Dumbledore rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit of a headache as he looked at the somewhat disdainful vampire.


    "Honestly, the reputation of Hogwarts'' Defense Against the Dark Arts course is such that very few serious witches or wizards would be willing to take up the position," he exined seriously. "So, although I''m not very sure about Quirrell''s teaching abilities, since he is willing to join, I naturally wee him."


    "And with the school year approaching, we don''t have the budget to hire an additional teaching assistant."


    "These are minor issues," Drac said as he bit off the lollipop stick and threw it out the window. "Just allocate half of my sry to Quirrell."


    With the wealth umted over a millennium, Drac said grandly, "You can simply write to Quirrell and ask if he is willing toe. As a major stakeholder in Hogwarts, hiring a teaching assistant shouldn''t be too much trouble, right?"


    Dumbledore had no choice but to pick up a quill and write a hiring letter for Quirrell, which he then sent out with an owl.


    Seeing this, Drac nodded in satisfaction and got up to walk towards the window of the Headmaster''s office.


    "Wait a moment, Professor Drac," Dumbledore suddenly called out to him.


    Drac turned around.


    "Do you have some time now?" Dumbledore asked. "All the professors are about to arrive. Would you like to join us for a meal in the Great Hall and meet everyone?"


    In the end, Drac decided to head to the Great Hall to meet the professors.


    After all, these were his future colleagues, and if things went awry, it wouldn''t be convenient for him to enjoy himself at Hogwarts...


    With Dumbledore, Drac descended the rotating stairs from the Headmaster''s office on the eighth floor to the fourth floor of the castle, then walked down a long stone staircase after turning around a corner.


    "Jumping out of the window is definitely much more convenient," Drac remarked as he finished another blood-vored lollipop, feeling bored.


    "Professor Drac, you need to know that you are about to be a formal professor," Dumbledore said with a wry smile. "As a professor, you are supposed to set a good example for the students. If some troublemakers learn to jump out of windows from you, Madam Pomfrey might haveints."


    "Besides, to avoid giving meddlesome parents a reason to criticize Hogwarts, it''s best if you hide your vampiric traits. Nics told me that you are capable of doing that, unlike other vampires."


    "Such a hassle," Drac said with a grimace.


    But for the sake of the uing events at Hogwarts, he silently retracted his sharp fangs.


    After a moment, the two finally arrived at the entrance of the Great Hall through a wide marble staircase.


    As they entered, a tall, slender witch with ck hair and wearing a green robe approached them. With a serious expression, she said to Dumbledore:


    "Albus, the quality of our staff really needs to be improved. Can you believe it? I almost got hit by a lollipop stick when I was passing through the entrance courtyard, and the students haven''t even arrived yet!"


    At thisint from the angrily energetic sixty-year-old witch, Drac''s face stiffened.


    He discreetly hid the blood-vored lollipop he was holding behind his back and burned it to ashes with a dark me.


    "Minerva, I''ll remind them to be more careful," Dumbledore said, suppressing a smile as he gestured to Drac, "This is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Brad Drac."


    "Professor Drac, this is Minerva McGonagall, the Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts," he introduced them.


    Professor McGonagall then turned to look at Drac.


    Seeing his unusual and unique appearance, a sh of surprise appeared in her eyes.


    But she quicklyposed herself, offering a polite smile as she extended her hand to Drac, "Hello, Professor Drac."


    Drac shook her hand politely in return.


    Hearing themotion, other professors in the Great Hall came out one by one, looking curiously at the "brave soul" who had taken up the Defense Against the Dark Arts position.


    Drac patiently shook hands and greeted these peculiar Hogwarts professors.


    The Hogwarts professor lineup was very distinctive¡ª


    There was the Ravenw Head of House, Professor Flitwick, who was not much taller than a house-elf; the Hufflepuff Head of House, Professor Sprout, wearing a patched-up hat and covered in dirt; and Professor Kettleburn, who was left with only one arm and half a leg...


    Apart from the odd line-up, the professors'' gazes towards Drac were filled with faint pity and sympathy. One witch with thick sses even sighed when she saw Drac:


    "What a handsome man. How did hee to the decision to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"


    Hearing herment, Drac''s mouth twitched.


    "Why does it feel likeing here as a professor was a scheme by that old fellow Nics?"


    He thought to himself.

 Chapter 7 - 7 Hairy blood

    <h4>Chapter 7: Hairy blood</h4>


    While several professors were chatting andughing, a gaunt wizard approached with a dismal stride.


    He had greasy hair, waxy skin, and arge hooked nose. His long ck robe fluttered as he walked.


    Even though Drac was quite familiar with bats, he almost mistook this figure for arge bat!


    "Ah, Severus, you finally arrived," Dumbledore greeted the neer with a cheerful tone and introduced him to Drac. "Professor Drac, this is Professor Severus Snape, the head of Slytherin House."


    "Severus, this is Professor Drac, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."


    When Snape heard "Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," his gaze narrowed slightly.


    He then raised his deep, ck eyes to look at Drac.


    "Professor Drac, is it?" Snape said with a thin smile, each word seemingly squeezed out through his teeth. "Before the term starts, I feel it''s necessary to remind you... that Defense Against the Dark Arts is a highly dangerous subject. I hope you''re up to the challenge."


    Drac sensed the intense malice in Snape''s words, so he lifted his gaze slightly and locked eyes with him.


    The two malevolent nces seemed to ignite an invisible spark.


    Drac''s crimson eyes shifted slightly, causing Snape''s dark eyes to narrow suddenly!


    Snape staggered back a couple of steps, his face turning a bit pale.


    At that moment, Professor McGonagall stepped forward, cing herself between the two men and blocking their hostile res.


    "Severus, temper yourself!" she scolded Snape sternly.


    Snape averted his gaze, his eyes showing signs of uncertainty.


    The professors were taken aback by this unexpected scene.


    No matter how poor Snape''s reputation might be, his strength was universally acknowledged among the professors. After all, not everyone could be the Dark Lord''s right-hand man through sheer strength.


    Yet, this expert in Defense Against the Dark Arts and Master of lumency had been caught off guard in a mental confrontation with Drac!


    Ignoring the astonished professors, the diligent Professor McGonagall quickly guided Drac to the Great Hall.


    "Professor Drac, don''t mind Severus," she said. "Severus has always wanted to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor but was denied by Albus. Therefore, he doesn''t take kindly to anyone who sessfully gets the position."


    Drac raised an eyebrow and nced back at the bat-like figure.


    "I didn''t expect the position to be so sought after," he said with a lightugh.


    Professor McGonagall led Drac to his seat at the professor''s table in the Great Hall, cing him far from Snape to prevent any further conflict... or rather, to avoid any awkwardness for Snape after his earlier embarrassment.


    "Since everyone is here, let''s start the meal!" Dumbledore, smiling broadly, tapped his te.


    As his words ended, a variety of rich dishes emerged from gleaming tes.


    Drac nced disinterestedly at his te and then raised an eyebrow in surprise, turning to look at the center of the professor''s table.


    "I heard that the duck blood soup and pig''s blood sausages from Pnd are quite good, and the spicy hotpot from the East is also quite unique, so I had the house-elves add them to the menu!" Dumbledore winked at him.


    ...


    After lunch, Drac met with Quirrell again in his office for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.


    "So, you''re sure you want to be my teaching assistant?" Drac asked as he poured himself arge ss of cold water and drank it all in one gulp.


    Quirrell''s expression showed some hesitation but ultimately nodded.


    "Yes... yes, I''m sure," he stammered.


    In reality, Quirrell¡ªor rather, Voldemort¡ªfound this decision not very difficult.


    On one side was his obsession with bing the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, his remaining dignity; on the other was the opportunity to get close to the Philosopher''s Stone, his hope for resurrection...


    Thus, Voldemort discarded his dignity without hesitation.


    As the saying goes, what is dignity? Can it be eaten?


    And for Voldemort, what is dignity? Can it give him greater power? Can it help him escape death?


    Clearly, it cannot.


    As a "survivor" who had endured for eleven years in the Albanian forest, Voldemort had even gone so far as to parasitize small animals to gain life energy.


    It wasn''t until Quirrell arrived that he had some means to cause trouble.


    Moreover, Voldemort felt a strong dark power emanating from Drac on their first meeting, and this power gave him a very dangerous feeling.


    This was also the reason why he immediately ordered Quirrell not to act and to retreat.


    After Quirrell''s escape attempt failed, Voldemort took over his body and barely escaped Drac''s interception using his own dark magic.


    During this time, he gained a deeper understanding of Drac''s power.


    Thus, Voldemort had long since given up on the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and had started preparing other ns.


    Dumbledore''s offer of the teaching assistant position was like a timely rain, allowing Voldemort to rekindle his n to steal the Philosopher''s Stone at Hogwarts.


    "Well then, I have a few requests," Drac said coldly after taking anotherrge gulp of cold water. "First, you will handle grading assignments, writing lesson ns, and organizing papers. I won''t do these tedious tasks."


    "Alright... alright, no problem," Quirrell replied, stuttering.


    "Second, if I ever feel like skipping a ss, you will need to teach the students in my ce."


    Quirrell nodded again.


    "And finally..." Drac put down his ss, his expression suddenly turning cold. "Finally, get rid of that disgusting garlic smell from you!"


    Drac felt quite nauseous from the asional garlic smelling from Quirrell.


    Not only did vampires dislike garlic, but it also reminded him of the spicy hotpot he had just eaten.


    He couldn''t understand why Dumbledore would think of letting a cold, eerie vampire eat such spicy hotpot! And out of curiosity about this peculiar dish, Drac had actually taken a few bites!


    Drac now felt like he had basked in a warm sunbath, and the feeling was... indescribable!

 Chapter 8 - 8 School Starts

    <h4>Chapter 8: School Starts</h4>


    Since that day, Drac never went to the Hogwarts dining hall for a meal again.


    Although, as the oldest living vampire, Drac didn''t have the weaknesses of lower-level vampires and was immune to harm from sunlight, silver, and garlic, he still had an inherent aversion to these things.


    Fortunately, since 1811, when the then-Minister for Magic, Grogan Stump, established a new definition of "human" that included fairies, vampires, banshees, giants, house-elves, sirens, and werewolves in human form, food and beverages suitable for magical creatures like vampires have gradually flourished over the past century.


    Since awakening, Drac had discovered that the magical world now offered many products specifically for vampires, such as honey-vored blood lollipops from Honeydukes, blood-vored ice cream from Florean Fortescue''s ice cream parlour, and various other blood-based products.


    Because of these more suitable options, he waspletely unwilling to go to the dining hall to see dishes like spicy hotpot...


    In the month before the start of the school year, Drac handed over all the preparatory work, including lesson ns, to his teaching assistant, Quirrell. He himself spent his time exploring Britain, looking for interesting things.


    As for themitment to being a professor, Drac probably wouldn''t have it...


    Before they knew it, September 1st arrived.


    This was the day Hogwarts opened for the new school year.


    Returning students jumped off the carriages drawn by Thestrals, bypassed the square-shaped teaching area of Hogwarts Castle, and made their way to the luxurious Great Hall in the southwest.


    The hall had four long tables extending out, with thousands of floating candles illuminating the room. The tables were adorned with glittering golden tes and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table reserved for the teachers.


    "Lee, want to make a bet?"


    At the Gryffindor table, two red-haired boys who looked exactly alike were huddled together, whispering conspiratorially with a ck-skinned boy beside them.


    "No betting on anything else, just bet on how long the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor willst!" one of the red-haired boys, George, said with a wink.


    "I''m not betting with you two tricksters!" The ck-skinned boy, Lee Jordan, turned away, clearly uninterested.


    "Hey! Don''t be like that, mate!" The other red-haired boy, Fred, put his arm around Jordan''s shoulders and pulled him back. "Hear us out, we''re betting that the new professor won''tst more than six months!"


    Lee Jordan''s eyes widened, and his white eyeballs, contrasting with his dark skin, looked like two big lights floating in the air.


    "Are you serious?" he eximed in disbelief. "Alright, I''ll bet nine months!"


    "You''re going to lose for sure. Six months is such a short time that even a dog couldst that long!"


    Jordan confidently pped a gold Galleon on the table.


    Fred and George exchanged knowing smiles.


    They had already decided that if the professor was still in position after six months, they would do everything in their power to help with his departure!


    As the two began to think about how to spend the gold coin they had won, a slender, pale hand suddenly reached out and ced a thick stack of Galleons next to Jordan''s coin.


    Fred and George: !!!


    The twins swore on Merlin''s beard that they had never seen so many Galleons in their lives!


    They looked up in shock to see the owner of the hand¡ªa silver-haired wizard standing behind them with a mischievous smile on his face.


    "I bet 20 Galleons that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor won''t be leaving."


    Hearing Drac''s words, Fred and George were overjoyed.


    It was well known that no Defense Against the Dark Arts professorsted, just as no man was truly chaste! They were sure to win this time!


    "Deal, and no backing out!" they said in unison.


    The two high-fived and bounced around the hall as if they had already won the twenty Galleons.


    However, as they continued bouncing, Fred and George suddenly noticed that the atmosphere around them had eerily quieted down. Lee Jordan was giving them subtle signals, but due to his inconspicuous skin color, they didn''t notice...


    "Ahem!"


    A stern cough sounded in their ears.


    The twins slowly turned around to see Professor McGonagall, with her lips pressed into a thin line, standing beside them.


    "Mr. and Mr. Weasley, how dare you openly gamble during the opening ceremony, especially betting on a professor!" Professor McGonagall''s cheeks flushed with anger as she clenched her fists, trembling with rage at these troublemakers.


    Only then did the twins realize that the hall was now full, and they were the only ones still jumping around.


    At the teacher''s table, only two seats remained empty¡ªone next to the smiling Dumbledore, which belonged to Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall.


    The other empty seat was, of course, for the silver-haired wizard who had just made the bet! Given the situation, anyone with a bit of sense could tell that he was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!


    George and Fred stared in shock, their eyes wide as they looked at Drac, whose mouth was curled into a yful smile.


    "P-Professor, if we say it wasn''t intentional, would you believe us?" George said weakly.


    "We just wanted to cheer up Lee a bit," Fred added with a grin.


    Lee Jordan, who had been pretending to be a quail, turned abruptly at this and looked at Fred in disbelief.


    "Quiet, Weasleys!" Professor McGonagall said with exasperation, pushing them back to the Gryffindor table. "After the feast,e to my office. You''ll be spending a month in detention!"


    With that, Professor McGonagall turned and left the hall, heading to the entrance courtyard to wee the new students.


    Drac nced at the twins with interest and then walked to his seat with a lightugh.


    "Professor, about those Galleons... ow."


    Fred tried to discuss the twenty Galleons with Drac but was quickly silenced by Lee Jordan, who took the opportunity to get back at him for his previous misdeeds.


    George soon joined the fray, and the three became entangled like a tangled rope.


    But they quickly separated and sat properly at the long table.


    Because Professor McGonagall had returned with a group of young first-year students.

 Chapter 9 - 9 Sorting ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 9: Sorting ceremony</h4>


    Professor McGonagall led the new students to the front of the Great Hall, positioning them in front of all the older students lined up in a row, with the professors standing behind them.


    The older students curiously examined the faces of the new arrivals, specting about which House they might be sorted into.


    Of course, more attention was focused on trying to spot the famous savior, Harry Potter.


    Amid the gazes of the older students and professors, Professor McGonagall gently ced a four-legged stool in front of the first-year students and set an old, tattered hat on top of it.


    The hat was patched up, worn, and extremely dirty.


    The Great Hall fell silent as everyone stared at the hat.


    Drac also focused on the hat, his eyes showing a hint of nostalgia and even more interest.


    Then, the hat began to move, splitting open like a wide mouth.


    It then sang in a rather unpleasant voice¡ª


    "You may think I''m not very pretty, but don''t judge me by appearances, if you can find..."


    In the midst of its song, the hat even turned its body around, using its two folds as eyes to examine the new witches and wizards.


    "I am the Sorting Hat of Hogwarts, far superior to your hats..."


    Just as the Sorting Hat was scrutinizing the young faces, it happened to catch sight of a figure sitting at the professors'' table.


    "Try it on, I''ll tell you where you should¡ªahhhh¡ªoh my god¡ª"


    At the scream, a dark me quietly erupted in Drac''s hand.


    The Sorting Hat''s song and the scream abruptly stopped.


    In theory, the usual procedure was for the Sorting Hat to finish a rather off-key song, followed by thunderous apuse from the audience, then bow to the four House tables in turn to officially begin the Sorting Ceremony.


    However, this time, the hat stopped singing midway with a strange cry.


    The first-year students were bewildered, the older students were at a loss, and even the professors were confused about what had gone wrong with the Sorting Hat this year.


    Only Dumbledore shot a subtle nce at Drac, showing a look of understanding.


    "What''s wrong with you, Sorting Hat?" Professor McGonagall frowned and stood up to ask.


    The Sorting Hat was about to speak but saw the figure that had frightened it standing up along with Professor McGonagall.


    "Keep singing, it sounded good," Drac said with a smile, addressing the shabby hat.


    "I... I forgot the words," the Sorting Hat said, trembling.


    "Well, just make up a new song. We need to continue the Sorting Ceremony, don''t we?" Drac said with an enigmatic smile.


    "Professor Drac?" Professor McGonagall looked at him in confusion.


    The Sorting Hat noticed the dark, chilling mes dancing at Drac''s fingertips.


    "I''m fine, let''s proceed as Professor Drac said," it gulped, if hats could gulp.


    The Sorting Hat then turned to face the long tables of older students, sighing with relief when it no longer saw the vampire''s figure.


    It nervously cleared its throat and began to sing¡ª


    "You may admire Gryffindor,


    For its courage, spirit, and boldness;


    You may respect Hufflepuff,


    For its perseverance, resilience, and resolve;


    You may revere Ravenw,


    For its wisdom and schrly insight;


    You may fear Slytherin,


    For its ambition, ruthlessness, and cunning."


    The Sorting Hat sang its impromptu song, praising the qualities and unique traits of the four founders, and then suddenly shifted direction:


    "But young wizards,


    You should also honor their dear friend,


    He''s knowledgeable and talented,


    Wild and free-spirited,


    Unbeatable, handsome and charming,


    He..."


    Drac listened to the Sorting Hat''s improvised lyrics, feeling a twitch in his eye.


    While the earlier words were somewhat relevant to him, thetter parts were overly ttering, as if the hat was using every positive adjective it had learned over a thousand years!


    "Ahem!" Drac cleared his throat loudly.


    The Sorting Hat shivered and quickly wrapped up its lengthy praise:


    "If you don''t know him,


    Just remember,


    The founders'' dear friend is always with you!"


    The Sorting Hat finally finished its song, and the Great Hall erupted in apuse. Both the new students and the professors whispered among themselves, discussing who this almost perfect friend of the founders might be.


    The shabby hat took a quick nce at Drac and, seeing that he had not summoned the dark mes again, cautiously bowed to each of the four House tables and then fellpletely silent.


    Despite the hup in the Sorting Hat''s song, the ceremony proceeded smoothly, and the next segment could begin.


    Professor McGonagall, who had been standing for a while, finally rxed and took a step forward with a parchment in hand.


    "I will call out names, and when I do, please put on the hat, sit on the stool, and wait for your House assignment," she said. "Hannah Abbott!"


    ...


    Once the Sorting Ceremony was back on track, it proceeded without further issues.


    The most notable event was undoubtedly the sorting of the boy who survived, Harry Potter. The Sorting Hat hesitated for a long time before finally making its decision.


    "Gryffindor!"


    As the Sorting Hat''s voice rang out, the Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and excitement. The Weasley twins, forgetting to contain themselves, once again jumped and shouted in the Great Hall.


    This time, no one scolded them because both Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall, the Head of Gryffindor House, were internally delighted despite their outward restraint.


    Amid the cheers of Gryffindor and the sighs of the other three Houses, the Sorting Ceremony concluded on a fairly satisfactory note.


    Next came the long-awaited event¡ªthe Start-of-Term Feast!


    Albus Dumbledore stood up.


    He looked at the students with a broad smile, extending his arms as if nothing made him happier than seeing the students gathered together.


    "Wee!" he said, "Wee to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin the feast, I''d like to say a few words: Fool! Crybaby! Scum! Twister!"


    "Thank you all!"


    Having waited with empty stomachs, everyone eagerly began to feast after Dumbledore''s brief speech.


    Only Drac nced disdainfully at the te of spicy hot pot in front of him, tapped the edge of the te with his spoon, and exchanged it for a bowl of Polish duck blood soup, which he then tasted with satisfaction.

 Chapter 10 - 10 Dracula in the office

    <h4>Chapter 10: Drac in the office</h4>


    After the start-of-term feast, Professor Dumbledore stood up once again, and the hall returned to silence.


    He addressed the students with a few reminders, advising them not to venture into the Forbidden Forest or cast spells in the corridors.


    Dumbledore''s expression was not very serious, and these reminders probably wouldn''t have much effect.


    At least when Drac nced at the students from his seat at the professor''s table, he could clearly see many Gryffindor students eager to test their limits.


    After mentioning the reminders and a notice, Dumbledore''s expression suddenly became solemn.


    "Finally, I must tell everyone, for those who do not wish to encounter idents or a painful death, please do not enter the corridor on the right side of the fourth floor," he said earnestly.


    There seemed to be a fewughs from the audience, as if they thought Dumbledore was joking.


    Drac curiously turned to the short Professor Flitwick beside him and asked, "He doesn''t look like he''s joking."


    "Oh! Indeed, he isn''t," Professor Flitwick replied in his characteristic high-pitched voice. "It seems Albus is protecting something. A while ago, he had us main course professors set up some interesting obstacles to prevent that thing from being stolen."


    "Oh? I wasn''t aware of this. Isn''t Dark Arts Defense a main course?" Drac inquired.


    "Of course, Dark Arts Defense is a main course! Ahem, though it hasn''t enjoyed the treatment of a main course in decades..." Professor Flitwick stroked his small mustache and said awkwardly. "But it''s normal for you not to know, Professor Drac, since you were away when Albus was setting up the obstacles, so Chilo did it for you."


    "I see," Drac nodded.


    In the next moment, he saw Professor Flitwick''s smile freeze.


    Standing in the center of the professor''s table, Dumbledore waved his wand, and a long golden ribbon flew out, twisting and curling like a serpent in mid-air, forming lines of text above the dining tables.


    "Choose your preferred tune," Dumbledore said. "Ready, sing!"


    Upon hearing the "singing" of the entire staff and students, Drac''s expression also froze.


    "Wait, a thousand years have passed, and Hogwarts still hasn''t found someone topose a tune for the school song?!"


    Amid the noisy, almost quarrelsome "singing," Drac loudly asked Professor Flitwick beside him.


    Professor Flitwick, enjoying not having to sing along, stood on his chair and said loudly, "Every headmaster has considered this to be Hogwarts'' tradition, and no one wants to break it!"


    Drac was left speechless, unsure of what expression to make.


    He still vaguely remembered that a thousand years ago, Ravenw had written the lyrics for the Hogwarts school song. However, given the state of music in Ennd at the time, people were only familiar with ying bagpipes or single-stringed instruments.


    The four founders, not wanting the song''s tune to lower Hogwarts'' prestige, decided to preserve only the lyrics, hoping that future talented witches and wizards wouldpose a captivating melody for the Hogwarts school song.


    Who would have thought thatter headmasters would interpret the founders'' intent as a deep-seated tradition, continuously adhering to the free-tune tradition, even up to today, a thousand yearster...


    ---


    After enduring the school song, Drac returned to his office.


    The Dark Arts Defense professor''s office was located on the third floor, connected to the Dark Arts Defense ssroom on the second floor. Every time he had a ss, the Dark Arts Defense professor could easily reach the ssroom by opening the office''s side door and descending a short flight of stairs.


    Drac couldn''t be sure if thisyout had always been this way, or if Dumbledore had specially arranged it to guard against his habit of jumping out of windows...


    In his darkly aesthetic office, Drac met with his teaching assistant, Chilo.


    "So your way of masking the garlic smell is by covering it up with a more intense stench??"


    Before Chilo could enter, Drac frowned and set up a dark barrier, sealing him firmly behind it.


    "Pr... Professor Drac, you must understand... understand me," Chilo stammered from behind the barrier. "Because I encountered a vampire in Romania, to prevent it froming after me... I had to do this."


    Hearing Chilo''s reason, Drac''s eyes shifted slightly.


    "You''ve seen Romanian vampires?" he asked curiously.


    "Y... yes."


    "And how are they now?" Drac''s tone became more serious as he sat up straight and looked at Chilo.


    "Wh... what situation?" Chilo looked at him nkly.


    "Their behavior, way of doing things, mental state, the extent of their poption, and so on." Drac put on a smile he considered reasonably friendly, even tolerating the stench to let Chilo into the office from behind the barrier. "Don''t worry too much, just speak freely."


    "Uh..." Chilo was somewhat stunned and stammered, "Well... it''s no different from usual, vampires are still as brutal as before, with pale faces, ugly looks, and thin bodies..."


    "When he saw me, he jumped at me wanting to drink my blood, and I, of course, didn''t want that, so we fought. We fought for a long time, and I used a spell to drive him away..."


    "Enough, that''s all nonsense!"


    Drac''s face darkened as he listened, until he couldn''t take it anymore and pped him out of the room.


    "I don''t care what reason you find, either get rid of the smell or be dismissed, choose one!"


    Chilo tumbled out of the door, hitting the back of his head hard against a pir in the corridor.


    He reached up to rub his aching head, but halfway through, he vaguely heard a malicious curse in his mind.


    Chilo hurriedly withdrew his hand from where it almost pressed against his head and left Drac''s office, looking dejected.


    However, just a few steps away, he was suddenly pulled back by an invisible hand.


    "There''s one more thing." Drac set up another barrier to iste the smell and asked from behind it, "I heard you set up obstacles for something Dumbledore wants to protect? Do you know what that thing is?"


    Upon hearing Drac''s question, Chilo''s whole body tensed up.


    "I... I don''t know much. I only set up the obstacles," he said cautiously.


    "I guess you don''t know." Drac sneered, "So what was set up in the obstacles?"


    "A... a giant."


    Chilo was thrown out of the office once more, hitting his head against the same pir.


    "So that''s why you smell so bad; it''s the giant''s odor," Drac said with disgust.


    "Go immediately and get rid of your giant, I''ll handle the obstacles!"

 Chapter 11 - 11 First Defense Against the Dark Arts Lesson

    <h4>Chapter 11: First Defense Against the Dark Arts Lesson</h4>


    September 2, 1991, was a Monday.


    Today, Drac was about to teach his first ss as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.


    At nine o''clock in the morning, the start of Hogwarts'' first ss was signaled by the tower bells ringing across the campus.


    At the exact moment the bells rang, Drac pushed open the side door of his office and walked down the marble steps from the right front of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom.


    Below the podium, a portion of the students wore red-cored robes, while most wore yellow-cored robes, clearly indicating that they were from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff houses.


    At this moment, they were all seated neatly, eagerly watching their new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.


    Both Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students wondered whether this distinguished-looking professor would have teaching skills as exceptional as his appearance or if he would be as disappointing as the previous professors.


    "Good morning, everyone," Drac greeted the students briefly.


    He stood at the podium, scanning the faces of the students below. He spotted two familiar figures¡ªthe Weasley twins from Gryffindor.


    "Good morning, Professor!" the students said in unison.


    Drac nodded and continued, "After yesterday''s feast, you should know that I am your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. You can call me Professor Drac."


    "I hope that theing time will make me happy... ah, I mean, I hope you all will have a good time."


    Without missing a beat, Drac quickly got to the point, "Alright, let''s not waste any more time. We''ll start this semester''s first ss right away. Today''s topic is..."


    At this point, he nced at his empty hands and the smooth podium with just a teaching wand, and hesitated.


    Drac realized that his textbook, "Dark Magic: A Self-Defense Guide," and the thick teaching materials painstakingly prepared by his assistant Quirrell were still left on the desk in his office.


    In other words, he hade to ss empty-handed...


    Although the Defense Against the Dark Arts office was very close to the ssroom and Drac could easily summon the materials with a snap of his fingers, it would make him appear unprofessional for his first ss.


    He couldn''t let his first ss start like this!


    So, Drac smiled calmly and said, "...We''ll start with a spell proficiency test!"


    Seeing the confused faces of the students, he gave a malicious smile.


    "Each of you, in turn, will use your most proficient spell on me," Drac said. "You''ve been students here for two years now. Let me see what you''ve learned!"


    Before the students could react, he walked straight down from the podium to the front row and stood in front of a Hufflepuff student.


    "Let''s start with you, young man from Hufflepuff," he said to the yellow-cored student.


    Drac looked at the somewhat youthful yet already quite handsome boy with a hint of appreciation, noting his aristocratic vampire-like demeanor.


    "Professor Drac, this doesn''t seem appropriate," the Hufflepuff boy hesitated.


    "There''s no need to be timid in ss," Drac said with a smirk, challenging him. "If you don''t have the courage to cast a spell on a professor, how will you ever be a great wizard?"


    Hearing this, the boy nodded heavily, "I understand, Professor."


    He gritted his teeth and raised his wand toward Drac¡ª


    "Stupefy!"


    Drac smiled slightly and gently raised his hand, catching the Stunning Spell with his palm.


    Upon closer inspection, one could see that when the spell hit Drac''s palm, it flowed away like water over a rock, the magical force spreading across his skin before dissipating into the air, causing him no harm.


    The students in the ssroom gaped in disbelief at this scene.


    "That was a cleanly cast spell. For your age, it''s quite good," Drac said, nodding in satisfaction despite the students'' shock. "What''s your name?"


    "Cedric Diggory, Professor. My name is Cedric Diggory," the Hufflepuff boy said.


    "Good, a nice Stupefy, Mr. Diggory," Drac praised. "Let me think of what reward the professor should give... Ah yes, five points to Hufflepuff!"


    Drac was very pleased with Cedric''s spellcasting.


    The first student to be tested had such skill, which gave him some confidence in Hogwarts'' teaching standards. At least it hadn''t disappointed the hopes of his four dear friends from a thousand years ago.


    Next, Drac eagerly tested other students'' spell abilities, hoping to see what surprises they would bring.


    However, the students did indeed bring many "surprises."


    The more he tested, the darker his expression became.


    Until he reached a Hufflepuff student who couldn''t cast any spell, Drac finally lost his patience.


    "What have you been doing for the past two years at Hogwarts? Hmm? Have you only learned to eat?!" he said coldly. The cloak behind him fluttered without wind, and a hint of a terrifying atmosphere filled the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom.


    The young wizards were petrified, not daring to move, and some of the more timid ones even started crying.


    "Forget it, I''m tired of wasting time like this," Drac said impatiently, pointing at all the students. "Everyone, cast your best spell on me together!"


    "The strongest spell gets no homework, while the weakest five will have their homework doubled and detention in my office tonight!"


    Upon hearing Drac''s words, Cedric stood up in rm.


    "Professor, don''t be impulsive! Defense Against the Dark Arts professors easily get into trouble!"


    "I''m not being impulsive, just tired of wasting time," Drac said indifferently. "Your spells are so weak they don''t even tickle."


    For a moment, the students were stunned by his arrogant remarks.


    In the ssroom, only Fred and George Weasley exchanged excited nces.


    The twins were overjoyed. Could it be that this year would be so explosive? Was the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor going to be dismissed right in the first ss of the school year?


    That would mean they had earned twenty Galleons for free!

 Chapter 12 - 12 A brief talk in the principal’s office

    <h4>Chapter 12: A brief talk in the principal''s office</h4>


    "On my count of three, cast your spells all together," Professor Drac said sternly from the podium. "If you don''t want to double your homework or be put in detention, then give it your all with your spells!"


    "Three." He said indifferently.


    The young witches and wizards looked uncertain, most of them ncing helplessly at their ssmates, seeking a unified stance.


    "Two."


    Encouraged by Fred and George''s "heroic" expressions, they gradually made up their minds, nervously raising their wands one by one.


    "One."


    As Drac''s voice fell, the Weasley twins, leading the charge against the professor, unleashed their signature spell¡ª


    "Endless Dribble (Muauseam)!"


    Drac''s eyes twitched slightly as he disdainfully deflected the unpleasant snot curse back at the twins. Fred and George''s identical noses immediately started to drip profusely.


    The twins looked at each other and, in unison, sniffled before engaging in yful bickering, gleefully wiping their snot on each other''s clothes.


    Seeing someone take the lead, the remaining young witches and wizards gathered courage, pressured by the prospect of doubled homework and detention, and began casting various spells at Drac.


    Drac remained unfazed, instead smiling lightly, spreading his arms, and even closing his eyes, taking all the spells head-on.


    In the next moment, the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom fell into silence.


    "Professor? Professor?"


    Seeing that Drac was unresponsive, Cedric, who had been reluctant to cast his spell earlier, called out softly.


    "Professor, are you okay?"


    Seeing this, the other young witches and wizards began to panic. The ssroom quickly became noisy.


    The rolling twins wiped their noses and stopped their roughhousing, looking at Drac on the podium.


    "Professor Drac, are you really hurt?" The twins'' faces showed unmistakable delight.


    Hearing themotion in the ssroom, Drac frowned as he analyzed the strength of the students'' spells.


    "Be quiet!" He opened his eyes and sharply tapped his wand on the desk.


    "The results are in. The spells I received were not stronger than Mr. Diggory''s, so Diggory''s homework will be exempted this time." Drac said, "The five names I call out will have their homework doubled and will be in detention in my office tonight!"


    Drac pointed out the five students who hadn''t dared to cast spells, isting them to practice on their own and not allowing them to leave the ssroom until they cast spells.


    The rest were tasked with reading their textbooks and mastering the theoretical content of the first section of "Defense Against the Dark Arts: A Guide to Self-Defense" by the next ss.


    After assigning these tasks, Drac leisurely walked around the ssroom, quickly reviewing the students'' textbooks to familiarize himself with the first section of the third-year curriculum, sessfully teaching without referring to the textbook.


    When he reached the Weasley twins, Fred weakly raised his hand.


    "What''s up?" Drac asked curiously.


    "Professor, with all those spells hitting you, don''t you feel any difort?" Fred asked, still with a strand of snot on his face, persistently.


    George nodded in agreement from beside him.


    "Don''t worry, I''m fine." Drac replied with a mischievous grin. "You''d better start saving up because I''m expecting you to pay me forty galleons!"


    The twins simultaneously lowered their heads, their faces filled with sorrow.


    ...


    After ss, Drac went straight to the headmaster''s office.


    "I think there''s a problem with Hogwarts'' teaching," Drac said casually while sitting in front of the wall filled with portraits, sucking on a honey-vored lollipop recently delivered by the Duke of Blood. "How can there be students who have studied magic for two years but still can''t cast a single spell? Dumbledore, what do you think the founders would say about you?"


    "Professor Drac, third-year students are all witches and wizards who passed their second-year final exams; they shouldn''t be incapable of casting a spell," Dumbledore said, unfazed, smiling and trying to reassure him. "It might be that your teaching style frightened them."


    "That''s not my fault but their own mindset. Hogwarts students have been spoiled!" Drac bit down on the lollipop, instinctively wanting to throw the stick out the window.


    But he immediately thought of Professor McGonagall, who was sternly pressing her lips, and silently retracted his hand, cing the stick beside Fawkes instead.


    "Help me clean up the trash, Fawkes." Drac patted the phoenix''s golden-red feathers, then continued, "If these students graduated and entered society a few centuries earlier, they wouldn''t be able to survive."


    Fawkes gave him a disdainful look, but due to the powerful dark aura of the vampire, the bird felt pressured. Fawkes let out a burst of me, turning the lollipop stick to ashes.


    "Professor Drac, times are changing," Dumbledore gently adjusted his sses and addressed the old-fashioned figure before him. "Nowadays, witches and wizards can live well even without strong abilities after leaving school."


    "Among the students I''ve taught, there are many who aren''t exceptionally powerful but are doing well¡ªlike the famous sorceress singer Setina Wobek, Devlin Whitehorn, who founded the Quidditch broompany, and Granda Chitok, the famous host of the wizarding radio program ''Magical Time''..."


    "In this era, everyone can find their own shining points in different fields."


    Dumbledore''s eyes showed a warm smile as he gazed at Drac''s crimson eyes.


    Drac was silent for a moment.


    "Perhaps you''re right," he said, looking deeply at Dumbledore. "But the curse of the Dark Arts still exists, which means Voldemort hasn''t truly perished."


    "A new round of war is imminent, right? What self-defense capabilities will those who excel in other fields have then?"


    Dumbledore paused, then sighed and shook his head, removing his sses and carefully wiping them.


    "Sometimes, what people say about ''the Dark Lord being dead'' is just self-deception. Many understand this, but more forget it under self-deception," he said after a while.


    "The decline of Hogwarts'' Defense Against the Dark Arts over the decades has indeed had a huge impact on the wizarding world."


    "So, Hogwarts needs a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor like you," he added.

 Chapter 13 - 13 Hagrid’s cutie

    <h4>Chapter 13: Hagrid''s cutie</h4>


    Ôں͵˲¼Àû¶à½øÐÐÁ˼ò¶ÌµÄ½»Ì¸Ö®ºó,µÂ¹ÅÀ­µÄÐÄÇé¾Í±äµÃÓÐЩÒõÓôÁË.


    ËûÇå³þµØ¼ÇµÃ,×Ô¼ºÔ­±¾ÊÇÀ´µ½Ð£³¤°ì¹«ÊÒ,ÊÇΪÁËÓëµË²¼Àû¶à¶ÔÖʵÄ,¿É½á¹û,È´Ôڵ˲¼Àû¶à³äÂúÏ£ÍûµÄÄ¿¹âÏÂ,Õâ·ÝÔðÈÎ,±ä³ÉÁË×Ô¼ºÎ´À´Ó¦¸ÃŬÁ¦µÄ·½Ïò?


    µÂ¹ÅÀ­ÔÚÐÄÀïĬĬµØ¸øµË²¼Àû¶à´÷ÉÏÁËÒ»¶¥´ó´óµÄ"½­ºþÆ­×Ó"ñ×Ó.


    ÁÄÍêÖ®ºó,Á½ÈË˳×ÅУ³¤°ì¹«ÊÒÍâµÄÐýת¥ÌÝÉÏÁËËÄÂ¥,³¯×ÅÓÒ²à×ßÀȵĽûÇø×ßÈ¥.


    "ÎÒ»¹ÊDz»Ã÷°×ÄãΪʲôҪÔÚѧУÀïÉèÖÃÈç´ËΣÏյĵط½,"µÂ¹ÅÀ­Íû×Å¿Õµ´µ´µÄ×ßÀÈ˵µÀ."ÄãÕæµÄÒª°ÑѧÉúÃÇÖÃÓÚΣÏÕÖ®ÖÐÂð?"


    "µÂ¹ÅÀ­½ÌÊÚ,ÕýÈçÄã¸Õ²ÅËù˵,·üµØħËæʱ¶¼ÓпÉÄܾíÍÁÖØÀ´."µË²¼Àû¶à»Ø´ðµÀ,"ÔÚÕâÖÖÇé¿öÏÂ,ÎÒÐèÒªÌáÇ°Á˽âËûµÄ¾ßÌåÇé¿ö.ѧУÊÇÎÒΨһ¿ÉÒÔ³ÖÐø¼àÊӵĵط½."


    "ËùÒÔ,Õâ¸öµØ·½±¾ÖÊÉϾÍÊÇ·üµØħµÄÏÝÚå,²»ÊÇÂð?"µÂ¹ÅÀ­Ã¼Í·Î¢Î¢ÖåÆð,"Èç¹ûÕâô¼òªµÄÏÝÚ嶼ÄÜÆ­¹ý·üµØħ,ÎÒ¿ÉÄܾÍÒªµ£ÐÄħ·¨ÊÀ½çµÄÏÖ×´ÁË."


    "Äãȷʵ³É¹¦µØ½«ÕâÑùÒ»¸öɵ¹Ï±ä³ÉÁËÒ»¸öÃû×Ö¶¼²»ÐíÌá¼°µÄºÚ°µÁìÖ÷."


    "±ðÕâô˵,·üµØħÄêÇáµÄʱºò»¹Í¦´ÏÃ÷µÄ,"µË²¼Àû¶àЦ×Å˵,"Ö»ÊÇÎÒ°ÑÒ»¼þÎÞ·¨¿¹¾ÜµÄ±¦²Ø·ÅÔÚÁËÕâЩ·ÀÓù¹¤ÊÂÀï.ÎÒÏàÐÅ,¼´Ê¹ÖªµÀÕâÊÇÏÝÚå,·üµØħ»¹ÊÇ»áÊÔͼͻÆÆËü."


    "Ŷ?"µÂ¹ÅÀ­ºÃÆæµØÑïÆðüë."Õâ¸öÓÕ¶üºÜÕä¹óÂð?Äã°ÑÎÒ´øµ½ÕâÀï,ûÓзÀ±¸,ÄѵÀÄã¾Í²»ÅÂÎÒÕâ¸öа¶ñµÄÎüѪ¹í»áÏë͵ËüÂð?"


    "µÂ¹ÅÀ­½ÌÊÚ,²»Óõ£ÐÄ.ÎÒÏàÐÅÄú²»ÊÇÄÇÖÖÈË."µË²¼Àû¶àºÍ°ªµØ΢Ц×Å˵µÀ.


    Ëû²¹³äµÀ:"¶øÇÒ,ÎÒ·ÅÔÚÄÇÀïµÄ¶«Î÷ÊÇÄãºÜÊìϤµÄ¶«Î÷,ÄãºÜ¿ÉÄܲ»»á¸ÐÐËȤ.°´ÕÕÄá¹ÅÀ­Ë¹µÄ˵·¨,¾ÍËãËü·ÅÔÚÄãÃæÇ°,Äã´ó¸ÅÒ²²»»áÄÃÆðÀ´."


    µÂ¹ÅÀ­¶ÙÁ˶Ù,Òâʶµ½µË²¼Àû¶àËù˵µÄÓÕ¶üÊÇ·üµØħ´¹ÏÑÒѾõĶ«Î÷,µ«Ëû×Ô¼ºÈ´¾õµÃºÁÎÞ¼ÛÖµ...


    "Äá¹ÅÀ­Ë¹½è¸øÄãħ·¨Ê¯ÁËÂð?"ËûÖåÆðüͷ.


    µË²¼Àû¶à΢Ц×ŵãµãÍ·.


    "ΪÁËÒý³ö·üµØħ,Õâ´ú¼Û¿É²»Ð¡,"µÂ¹ÅÀ­ÀäЦµÀ,"µ±Äá¹ÅÀ­Ë¹ËµÄãÃÇÊÇÀÏÅóÓÑʱ,ÎÒ»¹²»ÏàÐÅ;ÏÖÔÚÎÒ¾õµÃËûÌ«±£ÊØÁË."


    µÂ¹ÅÀ­È·Êµ¶Ôħ·¨Ê¯²»¸ÐÐËȤ.


    ħ·¨Ê¯×îÖøÃûµÄ¹¦Ð§ÓÐÁ½ÖÖ:ÖÆÔ쳤Éú²»ÀÏÒ©ºÍ½«¼ú½ðÊô±ä³É»Æ½ð,µ«ÕâÁ½ÏЧ¶¼²»ÄÜÒýÆðµÂ¹ÅÀ­µÄÐËȤ.


    As an immortal being, he had grown somewhat impatient with life and sought amusement as his only motivation to continue...


    As for turning base metals into gold, it was unnecessary. Once wealth reached a certain level, it became just a string of dull numbers, and Drac had lost interest in money!


    Other strange effects might be numerous, but after hundreds of years of knowing Nics, Drac was long tired of those functionalities.


    Now, as Nics said, the Philosopher''s Stone was something he''d be toozy to even take if it were in front of him.


    "Well, how you use it is your business, not mine," Drac said with disinterest. "I just want to know how you n to ensure no daring student sneaks in."


    "In my opinion, the Weasley twins from Gryffindor are a significant risk. Obviously, the more you forbid them, the more they''ll want to try."


    "Oh, Professor Drac, don''t worry," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Hagrid''s little friend will chase them away without causing them serious harm!"


    "Hagrid''s little friend?" Drac looked at him with confusion.


    "Arge dog, properly trained, won''t harm the young wizards," Dumbledore winked at him. "Of course, I''ve had a hand in that too."


    Drac scoffed at Dumbledore''s words.


    In his view, it was likely that Hagrid had raised a very fierce dog, which Dumbledore had ced at the entrance to the restricted area.


    Perhaps this poor dog had even been subjected to a spell by Dumbledore, maybe a Confundus Charm or a Memory Charm, making it less hostile towards Hogwarts students and only responsible for chasing out troublemakers.


    As they chatted, they had unknowingly reached a door.


    Opening the door, they entered the first defense of the Philosopher''s Stone.


    "So this is Hagrid''s little friend?" Drac looked up at the massive dog, which was taller than himself, with a speechless expression.


    "Indeed, to Hagrid, it is," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Hagrid even gave it a name, Fluffy."


    In front of them was a dog that filled the entire space between the ceiling and floor.


    It had three heads. Three pairs of eyes, wide and filled with madness; three noses, twitching and sniffing in their direction; three mouths, drooling and with saliva dripping from yellow, sharp teeth.


    Seeing Drac and Dumbledore enter its territory, Fluffy immediately jumped up, growling angrily with all three heads:


    "Woof woof woof!"


    Dumbledore and Drac paid little attention to the seemingly harmless dog and continued their conversation.


    "Do you know, Professor Drac, that three-headed dogs have a fascinating trait?" Dumbledore said. "Such creatures fall asleep when they hear music, so I think you might try singing a song to Fluffy."


    "So why don''t you sing?" Drac crossed his arms and gave him a sidelong nce.


    "Ah, you must consider an old man''s..."


    µË²¼Àû¶à¿´×ÅÉí±ßÕâλÃæÈÝÄêÇáµÄÎüѪ¹í½ÌÊÚ,ÉùÒôͻȻ²ü¶¶ÆðÀ´,ËûͻȻÏëÆðÁËÕâλÎüѪ¹íµÄÕæʵÄêÁä.


    µÂ¹ÅÀ­ÈÄÓÐÐËȤµØ¿´×ÅËû,µÈ×ÅÌýÕâλÄêÇáµÄÀÏУ³¤³ª¸è.


    ¾ÍÔÚÀÏУ³¤×¼±¸×ªÒÆ»°ÌâµÄʱºò,·ÍþÔÙÒ²ÎÞ·¨ÈÌÊÜËûÃÇÕâÖÖ²»Ð¼Ò»¹ËµÄ̬¶È,ÖÕÓÚÏòµÂ¹ÅÀ­ºÍµË²¼Àû¶à³åÁ˹ýÀ´,·¢³öÐ×Ã͵ÄÅØÏø.


    "°¡,ÍôÍôÍô!!"


    µÂ¹ÅÀ­µÄÓéÀÖ±»´ò¶ÏÁË,ËûÅ­ÊÓ×ÅÄÇÖ»¹·.


    µÂ¹ÅÀ­³àºìµÄË«ÑÛËø¶¨ÁËÕâÖ»ÌåÐ;޴óµÄ¹·,ËüÁ¢¿Ì¸ÐÊܵ½ÁËÒ»¹ÉÀ´×Ը߽׺ڰµÉúÎïµÄÓÅÔ½¸Ð,»¹ÓÐÀ´×ÔѪͳµÄ¿Ì¹Ç¿Ö¾å.


    ¸¥À­·Æ»¬ÐÐÍ£ÁËÏÂÀ´,ÌÉÔÚÁ˵¹ÅÀ­ÃæÇ°.


    "ÎØÎØÎØÎØ..."Ëü¿ÉÁ¯°Í°ÍµØÎØÑÊ×Å.


    µÂ¹ÅÀ­ÏòÇ°¼¸²½,ÇáÇáµØ¸§ÃþÁ˸¥À­·ÆµÄÍ·.


    "ÃþÆðÀ´ºÜÊæ·þ,ëÈ×È×µÄ,µ«ÓеãÔà,"ËûÒ»±ßÄÓ׏·µÄ¶ú¶äÒ»±ß˵,È»ºóתÏòµË²¼Àû¶à."ÄãÏëÊÔÊÔÂð,µË²¼Àû¶à?"

 Chapter 14 - 14 Lest there be no chaos in the world

    <h4>Chapter 14: Lest there be no chaos in the world</h4>


    "That''s enough, Professor Drac," Dumbledore declined Drac''s invitation for a mutual head-butting with a helpless smile, and changed the subject. "Aren''t you supposed to be setting up the protective wards for the Philosopher''s Stone?"


    "You''re right." Drac nodded, seeming to find new amusement.


    "And when you have time, please give Fluffy a bath. It''s so dirty now, it affects the feel of the touch." Dumbledore patted the three-headed dog''srge head and said, "Fluffy, move your fat belly aside; you''re blocking the door."


    When Drac entered the room, he noticed Fluffy was standing on a trapdoor, clearly guarding something.


    Fluffy obediently shifted to one corner of the room, clearing a path for Drac and Dumbledore to reach the trapdoor.


    Dumbledore waved his hand, and the ring on the trapdoor was lifted by an invisible force, opening it up.


    The hole beneath was pitch ck and deep. However, with a vampire''s excellent night vision, Drac could clearly see what was below.


    "Tsk, a whole area covered with Devil''s Snare. Professor Sprout must be worried that intruders might get hurt falling down," Drac remarked with a nce at Dumbledore. "Moreover, there can''t be many wizards who haven''t learned the Slow-Down Charm. Perhaps this is a test specifically for younger students?"


    Dumbledore smiled and said nothing, floating down lightly to the floor below the trapdoor.


    Drac, meanwhile, gracefully fell into the hole andnded softly on a bed of Devil''s Snare.


    "The precautions for intruders are quite thorough," he remarked while lying on the Devil''s Snare, which quivered slightly in the presence of the dense darkness.


    Drac got up and walked with Dumbledore along the stone corridor in front of the Devil''s Snare, reaching the end where a brightly lit room awaited.


    The room had a high vaulted ceiling, with countless little birds sparkling like jewels, fluttering about. Opposite them was a heavy wooden door.


    "Setting up a wooden door but leaving the key behind, and even thoughtfully providing a few broomsticks," Drac observed, looking at the magical birds and the brooms. "Turning the protective measures into a game of sorts, you really outdid yourself."


    Listening to Drac''s sarcastic remarks, Dumbledore could no longer maintain his calm demeanor andughed helplessly.


    "I knew I couldn''t hide this from you, Professor Drac," he said. "Actually, you might have guessed, I never intended these obstacles to keep genuine intruders out. They''re merely tests and challenges for students."


    "Tests for whom? And who are they meant to train?" Drac chuckled. "If I''m not mistaken, it''s for the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, right?"


    "As expected, you see through everything," Dumbledore sighed and said, "I do want to train Harry; he is an essential part of the process to defeat Voldemort."


    "So I must ask you not to make the uing challenges too difficult. I don''t want Harry to lose confidence before he even faces Voldemort because of the challenges set by his own professor."


    Drac nodded indifferently. He was more interested in uncovering some secrets about the savior.


    How could a one-year-old child defeat the most powerful dark wizard in the world? Drac was very curious about this.


    The two waved their hands, unlocking the heavy wooden door, and then passed through arge puzzle board to arrive at a room that still faintly smelled of decay.


    "There used to be a troll here, which Quirrell just had removed yesterday," Dumbledore exined. "So the smell is still quite unpleasant. Please, Professor Drac, set up the next challenge here!"


    Drac surveyed the empty room.


    "Before setting up the challenge, I have one question. What kind of difficulty level would allow a young wizard like Harry Potter to pass?" he asked bluntly. "After these sses, I''m afraid I can''t praise Hogwarts'' spell-casting levels. First-year students'' casting abilities seem close to zero?"


    Dumbledore masked his embarrassment with a smile and said to Drac, "I believe that under your guidance, the young wizards will make rapid progress."


    Drac shook his head, no longer interested in setting up a yful obstacle course for children.


    "Forget it. Let Quirrell give the troll a bath and then put it back," he saidzily.


    With that, Drac walked directly to the next door.


    Dumbledore shrugged and followed Drac.


    The next room had only a table with seven differently shaped bottles.


    As soon as they crossed the threshold, a wall of fire erupted behind them, sealing the door.


    This fire was unusual, being purple. At the same time, ck mes leaped up at the doorway ahead, trapping them in between.


    "Setting Snape''s potion challenge as a simple logic puzzle¡ªdidn''t he make you work hard for it?" Drac looked at the parchment next to the bottles with a smirk.


    The parchment didn''t contain questions about potions but rather a logic puzzle, which made the correct potion choice directly essible to the intruder.


    Neither Drac nor Dumbledore was particrly afraid of such moderate mes, and they passed through the ck mes to reach the final challenge.


    The final challenge was simply a very grand mirror.


    The Philosopher''s Stone was hidden inside this mirror.


    At the top of the mirror was an inscription: "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi." It had to be read backwards to reveal its true meaning. Reversing the letters and breaking the words properly revealed the sentence: "It shows not your face but your deepest desire."


    Drac paused, his interest growing as he looked at the mirror.


    "The Mirror of Erised shows the most intense desires¡ªusually the fulfillment of a goal or ambition. But just as everyone is unique, what the mirror shows each person is different," Dumbledore exined with a smile.


    "So, can you tell me what you saw, Professor Drac?"


    Drac was silent for a moment, then he chuckled softly.


    "I saw endless funing right towards me," Drac said softly.


    Drac didn''t tell the truth.


    What he saw in the Mirror of Erised wasn''t himself, nor was it any concrete object.


    He saw a war sweeping through the magical world, a chaotic situation.


    Was this what he truly desired? Finding amusement in chaos, stirring up trouble in conflicts...


    Creating disorder in the world!

 Chapter 15 - 15 Quirrell being the one having fun

    <h4>Chapter 15: Quirrell being the one having fun</h4>


    On the second morning of the new school year, Harry finally arrived at his long-awaited first Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.


    To avoid repeating the nearteness of his first day''s Transfiguration ss, Harry got Ron up early. They both navigated the suddenly disappearing stairs and were the first to arrive at the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom.


    "Harry, why did we have toe so early?" Ron yawned as he slumped over his desk,ining, "We could have slept in a bit longer."


    "Fred and George told me that the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor can only teach us for a year at most, so no matter how the professors are, as long as we get through the year, we don''t have to worry about them causing trouble!" Harry said.


    "Not like that, Ron!" Harry immediately countered, "I met Professor Drac at Ollivanders, and he''s really tall and handsome, and most importantly, he isn''t afraid of Voldemort. Professor Drac must be a very powerful wizard!"


    At the mention of the terrifying name "Voldemort," Ron shivered and was immediately awake.


    "I can''t believe it, besides you, the person who defeated the Dark Lord, there are other wizards who aren''t afraid of him!" he said, eyes wide with astonishment.


    As they were talking, another young witch walked into the ssroom carrying a stack of books.


    She had a mass of unruly, thick brown hair and a pair ofrge front teeth, making her look like an oversized beaver.


    "Harry Potter, Ron Weasley?" Seeing that Harry and Ron were already there, the young witch seemed a bit surprised, "Howe you''re here so early?"


    "You mean to say we can''te to ss early, Hermione?" Ron replied with a scowl, as if he had suggested arriving early himself.


    "Oh, that''s not what I meant," Hermione said, putting the stack of books on the desk in the front row closest to the teacher''s podium, "I''m just... a bit surprised. You know, you did arrive a bitte to Transfiguration yesterday."


    Ron felt a bit embarrassed and retorted defensively, "We got lost! Do you understand, lost!"


    At that moment, Harry nudged him.


    Ron looked up to see a peculiar pale-skinned wizard with a purple turban walking into the ssroom and standing behind the teacher''s desk.


    "So this is the tall, handsome, and powerful Professor Drac you talked about? He looks like he has a bit of a health issue..." Ron whispered to Harry.


    "I''ve seen this professor at the Leaky Cauldron; he must be Professor Quirrell. Professor Drac doesn''t seem like this," Harry said, looking at Quirrell''s trembling figure.


    Then he said somewhat confused, "But Professor Drac was definitely present at the opening feast the night before, so why is it Professor Quirrell who''s teaching us?"


    Ron scrutinized Professor Quirrell for a moment, then sniffed the air, "Harry, do you smell a strong, pleasant scent from Professor Quirrell?"


    "I smell it too. I think I know what it is," Harry said quietly, "It''s perfume. My uncle sprays a lot of it on his face before meeting clients. Although the scent on Professor Quirrell is much stronger!"


    "Why would anyone wear such an overpowering thing? It''s making me gag," Ron said, rolling his eyes and making a retching face.


    He moved his textbooks and, with Harry, slid into thest row of the ssroom, feeling a bit better.


    "Maybe... men with health issues need such things to boost their confidence?" Harry spected as he finally caught his breath.


    "..."


    As the young witches and wizards continued to file into the ssroom, the bell in the Hogwarts clock tower rang, signaling the start of ss.


    Quirrell opened the teaching stand and stammered as he addressed the students:


    "G...good morning, everyone. I''m P...Professor Quirrell. Today I''ll be... teaching you... Defense Against the Dark Arts."


    Having endured the unpleasant perfume smell for long enough, Harry immediately raised his hand.


    "P...Potter?" Quirrell looked at him.


    "Professor Quirrell, I''d like to know why Professor Drac isn''t teaching us," Harry asked courageously, delivering the whole question in one breath and then anxiously looking at Quirrell.


    Hearing Harry''s question, the students in the ssroom also looked at Quirrell with hope.


    Among them, especially those who admired Drac''s looks and those seated closer to the source of the perfume, hoped the ss would be taught by Professor Drac.


    "P...Professor Drac?" Quirrell was momentarily taken aback, then stammered an exnation, "H...he was... dissatisfied with Hogwarts'' teaching after yesterday and... asked me to cover for him for a few... days."


    A wail of disappointment spread through the ssroom.


    Ignoring themotion, Quirrell began his lesson earnestly.


    Of course, his so-called "lesson" was simply reading aloud from the textbook and teaching stand, asionally getting startled by minor movements from students at the podium.


    In less than a ss period, Quirrell had be theughingstock of the students from two houses.


    ...


    At this moment, while allowing his teaching assistant to be the source of amusement, Drac was not at Hogwarts.


    In the Paris Opera House, all the audience were focused on the performance on stage, asionally disying knowing smiles.


    The performance had just begun, but next to an elderly man, several audience members suddenly seemed to remember urgent matters and hurriedly left the theater.


    No one noticed that a shadow of a dark moon, apanied by a few flying bats, abruptly appeared in the newly vacated seats.


    As the shadow faded, a silver-haired figurezily reclined on the luxurious seat, crossed his legs, and sat next to the elderly man.


    "Oh, Drac, those audience members paid to see the show," the old man turned and gave the suddenly appearing vampire professor a reproachful look, "Why did you use a Muggle repelling spell to chase them away?"


    "It''s none of my business whether they paid or not. I''m not like you, who''s developed a habit of watching ys over the years," Drac said, making a face.


    Then he sat up straight, "Old man, I came here to ask if there''s something you''re hiding from me."


    "What''s our rtionship? Why would I hide anything from you?" Nol¨° looked innocent.


    "You''ve even lent out the Philosopher''s Stone you rely on for survival, and you''re saying you''re not hiding anything from me?!" Drac''s voice rose uncontrobly.


    Nol¨° was startled and quickly cast a silencing charm around them, enclosing Drac''s voice.


    Then he looked at his centuries-old friend andined:


    "Albus, really, you figured it out so quickly..."

 Chapter 16 - 16 Waiting For Godot

    <h4>Chapter 16: Waiting For Godot</h4>


    ---


    "Speak up, what do you want to do?" Drac fixed his gaze intently on Nics mel''s eyes. "I don''t believe that tempting a mere Voldemort requires the use of the actual Philosopher''s Stone."


    Drac indeed had no interest in the Philosopher''s Stone; he wouldn''t even bother picking it up if it were thrown in front of him.


    However, if the world''s only Philosopher''s Stone were threatened, he would exert all his effort to protect it, because it was Nics'' very lifeline!


    "Rx, Albus will certainly be able to protect the Philosopher''s Stone," Nics said with a smile. "I''m not worried at all once it''s in his hands."


    "Besides, I''ve also prepared plenty of Elixir of Life. Even if something does happen to the Philosopher''s Stone, I have ample time to sort out what needs to be dealt with."


    Hearing this, Drac furrowed his brows deeply.


    "If you trust Dumbledore so much, why prepare extra Elixir of Life?" he asked.


    mel''s words faltered, and his gaze drifted away from Drac''s scrutiny as he pretended to admire the y, turning his eyes toward the stage.


    Drac also looked at the spacious stage of the opera house.


    The stage was sparsely decorated, featuring just a rural path and a tree, with the lighting resembling a dim, dusky evening.


    Under the tree in the countryside, two old beggars looked incredibly bored and disinterested, seemingly losing all zest for life. One of them proceeded to untie his belt and hang it on a branch, preparing to hang himself.


    "So, have you actually prepared for the possibility of never retrieving the Philosopher''s Stone?" Drac asked quietly, watching the two old beggars who were so bored they considered hanging themselves.


    Nics sighed deeply.


    "As long as the Philosopher''s Stone exists in this world, it will always be coveted. This time it''s Voldemort, and Albus is here to oppose him. But who knows what stronger viins might appear next time? And whether there will be anyone like Albus to protect the Stone?"


    "Brad, you should understand how I feel. A long life is so monotonous. And I am truly old. Just like this y, it tells us that life is an endless, hopeless wait. The world is absurd, and people suffer."


    Drac''s words offort were momentarily stuck in his throat. He understood the tedium of a prolonged life, otherwise, he wouldn''t have made seeking amusement his lifelong pursuit.


    "If you and Peregrine were gone, I would have no more friends left in this world," Drac said slowly after a long silence.


    "You will find better friends," Nics smiled. "I don''t have the inherent advantages of a vampire; my muscles and limbs are no longer healthy. Besides, I''ve done what I should and shouldn''t have done in this long life, and I have no regrets."


    Drac remained silent, distractedly watching theical performance of the beggars on stage.


    The beggar who had just untied his belt to hang himself had his neck suspended from the tree. But the old, fragile belt couldn''t bear his weight and broke.


    The old beggar failed to die.


    The audience belowughed at the opportune moment.


    Seeing this, Drac also chuckled softly.


    "Old man, dying isn''t so easy," he said, turning to Nics. "If I say I''m willing to help you protect the Philosopher''s Stone, then at least half of the excuses you''ve used before be invalid!"


    "As for the monotony of life, there''s no need to worry. In a few years, the magical world will certainly be in chaos, and interesting people and events will be found."


    Drac thought of the scenes he saw in the Mirror of Erised and unconsciously smiled at the corner of his mouth.


    "Also, don''t you really want to see the 21st century, that view spanning a millennium?"


    Nics stared at him nkly, thenughed.


    "This y is indeed quite fitting," he said happily, his wrinkles stretching into a smile.


    On stage, the beggar picked up his trousers and said to hispanion, "Shall we go?"


    "Let''s go."


    The curtain slowly fell, and the audience erupted into enthusiastic apuse.


    Drac and Nics pped together.


    "What''s the name of this y?" Drac asked.


    "''Waiting for Godot''," Nics replied. "Now that I think about it, if you look at the y from another perspective, life is not just an endless, hopeless wait. It can be understood as¡ªif there is hope, there is still motivation to move forward."


    "That''s right. The position of Dark Arts professor you rmended to me has quite a lot of potential," Drac said with a smile.


    "Then shouldn''t you hurry back to Hogwarts and do your job properly, Professor Drac?" Nics teased.


    Drac nodded lightly, transforming into a dark moon and dissipating into the shadows along with a group of bat silhouettes.


    ---


    The next moment, Drac appeared on the window sill of the Dark Arts ssroom.


    He leaned against the edge of the window, casually sitting on the sill. A gentle breeze blew, causing his ck-red cloak and silver hair to sway lightly.


    At this moment, Quirrell was still stumbling through his lesson.


    Some of the young witches and wizards in the ssroom were drowsy, some were absorbed in their own games, and others were thinking of ways to prank Quirrell.


    In the entire ss, it seemed that only Hermione Granger was still attentively listening, asionally taking notes.


    Ron had long since slumped over his desk, caught between sleep and wakefulness. Harry, meanwhile, was daydreaming, his gaze wandering over the ssroom and the view outside the window.


    At that moment, he nced outside and identally saw the silver-haired figure lounging on the windowsill.


    "Professor Drac!" Harry eximed in surprise.


    The other young witches and wizards, hearing Harry''s call, immediately woke up and looked toward the window.


    Drac, seeing this, smiled lightly and waved to Harry. He then walked towards Quirrell at the podium.


    "Professor Drac, w-why have you suddenly returned?" Quirrell stammered.


    "I was justing back to see how you were doing with the lesson," Drac said. "But I didn''t expect you to turn the ss into this. Wasn''t the lesson n well-prepared?"


    Quirrell, trembling, stuttered without being able to get a single word out.


    "Never mind." Drac shook his head in resignation and casually threw Quirrell out of the ssroom. "Go clean your troll, make sure it''s free of any odor, and then hand it over to Dumbledore to be ced under the trapdoor."


    After instructing Quirrell, Drac adjusted his smile for the young witches and wizards and said cheerfully,


    "Students, I apologize for having Quirrell as your substitute teacher." He said, "From now on, I will give you a real Dark Arts lesson!"

 Chapter 17 - 17 The real Defense Against the Dark Arts course

    <h4>Chapter 17: The real Defense Against the Dark Arts course</h4>


    A cold wind swept through the Dark Arts ssroom, dispelling the strong perfume Quirrell had used to mask Voldemort''s presence and clearing the students'' drowsy state.


    D Drac observed the students'' refreshed demeanor and nodded with satisfaction.


    "So, this is your first Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, right?" He leaned forward on the desk, carefully scrutinizing each young witch and wizard present.


    "Yes, Professor," the students answered in unison.


    "Then I must admit, having Quirrell teach the ss was somewhat irresponsible," Drac said, having just resolved his issues with Nics mel. He was in a good mood.


    He smiled and even gave a slight bow to the ss.


    "I apologize for putting you through such a trial today."


    Seeing the noble and profound professor bowing, the students felt a sense of being greatly honored, and any lingering resentment quickly faded away.


    The room erupted in enthusiastic apuse as the students eagerly looked up to Drac, anticipating what the real Defense Against the Dark Arts ss would entail.


    Feeling the students'' anticipation, Drac took out a pure ck wand for the first time in front of others.


    The wand was thirteen and a half inches long, entirely ck, with intricate patterns carved into the grip, revealing a hint of a deep, mysterious aura through the openwork.


    The wand''s tip was embedded with a transparent crystal, glowing with a translucent light, like a dark-colored moon.


    Ollivander had crafted the wand days ago and sent it to Hogwarts along with the remaining materials.


    As Drac held the wand, he felt a sense of natural affinity, as if the wood and core were perfectly attuned to him.


    He waved the wand, and a bold inscription appeared on the ckboard behind the podium:


    <strong>What is Defense Against the Dark Arts?</strong>


    Drac turned to let the students see the inscription clearly and then asked, "Can anyone tell me, what is Defense Against the Dark Arts?"


    Instinctively, Hermione in the front row raised her hand high.


    Drac nodded at her.


    "Defense Against the Dark Arts, abbreviated as D.A.D.A., is the course that teaches students how to protect themselves from dark magic. It includes methods for dealing with dark creatures, dark magic, and dueling!" Hermione answered confidently.


    "Very good definition!" Drac nodded approvingly.


    In truth, he didn''t fully understand the textbook definition, but seeing the impressed expressions of the other students, he felt this answer was likely eptable.


    "And your name?" he asked.


    "Hermione Granger, Professor," the young witch replied proudly.


    "Excellent, Miss Granger. Five points to Gryffindor," Drac said, nodding to her and signaling her to sit down.


    He continued, "Of course, in my view, Defense Against the Dark Arts shouldn''t be so narrowly defined. We need to defend against much more than just dark magic and dark creatures."


    "The knowledge of defense should be applied to every aspect of life¡ªwhether you''re being bullied by older students or encountering ruffians outside, you can use defensive techniques."


    "In the magical world, learning cultural subjects is meant to help you speak calmly with rogues, while learning defense is meant to make them speak calmly to you!"


    Hearing Drac''s words, the young witches and wizards were both puzzled and excited, feeling like they had opened a door to a new world.


    "Of course, since you''re still young andck extensive magical foundation, you need to learn to use other resources for defense¡ªsuch as alchemical armor, external weapons, or the simplest and most effective method, calling for help!"


    Laughter of understanding filled the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom.


    "Don''tugh; I''m serious," Drac said, tapping the desk. "For you young witches and wizards, seeking help from adults isn''t shameful; it''s actually the wisest choice."


    "For instance, when you go on adventures with adults, the most convenient way is to buy two magical mirrors. If you find yourself in danger alone, press the emergency button on the mirror, and the paired mirror will emit an alert, guiding your elders to your location."


    "Additionally, red and green firework spells can also serve as effective rms andmunication methods. Study these two spells on your own, as we will cover them in the next ss."


    "However, I do not rmend using firework spells to signal danger," Drac said. "These signals will be visible not only to your friends and elders but also to your enemies, revealing your location."


    "So, it''s important to mention some concealment spells, such as the Disillusionment Charm..."


    Drac spoke at length from the podium, drawing on his thousands of years of life experience to make the most basic defensive knowledge engaging and vivid. The students listened intently, even those who were usually disinterested in studying found the ss full of valuable insights and began taking notes with their quills.


    Suddenly, the Hogwarts dismissal bell rang out melodiously.


    The Defense Against the Dark Arts ss had already been half-overdue, and with Drac and the students fully engaged, time flew by, and before they knew it, the ss was over.


    Hearing the bell, Drac paused for a moment.


    He hadn''t felt time pass so quickly in a long time.


    "Alright, that''s all for today. Remember to review the green and red firework spells in your textbook, as we''ll check your understanding next ss," he said with a rxed smile, putting away his wand and taking out a spooky wooden cross pendant from his pocket.


    "Also, since I''ve taught you so much about using external means for protection, I have a small gift for you."


    The center of the cross pendant was engraved with an ancient symbol representing the moon. Unlike the church cross, its shorter horizontal bar was slightly tilted upward, resembling a pair of outstretched wings.


    "This is a talisman I made out of boredom. It can ward off many dark spells and is quite practical," Drac held up the pendant for the students to see. "The top student in Defense Against the Dark Arts at the end of each term in the first to third years will receive this talisman."


    "So, study your Defense Against the Dark Arts well!"

 Chapter 18 - 18 So profitable

    <h4>Chapter 18: So profitable</h4>


    Since discovering how quickly time passes when teaching earnestly, Count Dracpletely changed his teaching attitude and stopped being as casual as before.


    Naturally, the vampire professor, nowmitted to teaching, disyed exceptional teaching skills and unparalleled experience. He quickly gained the recognition of almost all the students at Hogwarts.


    The students were delighted; after years at Hogwarts, they finally had a reliable professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts!


    Next, the gossiping students began discussing Professor Drac''s looks, and then moved on to discussing his abilities.


    First-year students said Professor Drac could effortlessly toss out five adult wizards like Quirrell; third-years imed Professor Drac was immune to spell damage; fifth-years boasted that Professor Drac could cast dozens of spells instantly...


    Initially, they based their analyses of the new professor''s abilities on existing evidence and ssroom performances. However, as these spections circted among the gossiping students, they became increasingly oundish:


    Some swore that Professor Drac had been able to duel Voldemort during the war; others imed to have seen Professor Drac single-handedly subdue a fierce giant dog; even more wildly, some spected that Professor Drac was a devil who had been asleep for thousands of years and would stir up trouble when the time was right...


    Supporters of the professor argued fiercely with those who made these guesses, insisting that such spections were absurd. The professor was so handsome; he could not possibly be an evil devil!


    ...


    During the lively midday, Fred and George Weasley were moving back and forth along the Gryffindor table.


    "Let me tell you a secret¡ªour first ss of the term was taught by Professor Drac," they mysteriously shared with students from other years.


    "Wood, let me tell you, Professor Drac didn''t even blink while fending off all our attacks. He didn''t even flinch!" George said, draping an arm over a burly Gryffindor student''s shoulder.


    "That''s old news. Can''t you share something new?" Wood asked disdainfully, pointing toward the Slytherin table.


    At that moment, a Slytherin student was vividly describing Professor Drac soaring into the sky, the scene so detailed it was as if it had really happened.


    "Look at what you''re saying!" Fred said, jumping up from the bench. "We''re about to reveal some fresh first-hand news. Get ready to be amazed!"


    "We just had two pots of butterbeer with Professor Kettleburn," George said proudly. "From him, we learned some even juicier news. Want to hear it?"


    Gryffindor students gathered eagerly around the twins, excited to hear this more explosive news.


    "ording to Professor Kettleburn, Professor Drac once had a brief encounter with Snape!" Fred managed to tantalize the crowd. "He said the two professors had a minor showdown at the hall entrance."


    "Let''s start the betting! Come and ce your bets on who''s stronger, Professor Drac or Snape. The odds are 1 to 2!"


    Before Fred could finish, George pulled out a makeshift betting table, with a dividing line in the middle.


    "I knew it, Weasleys, it''s just another one of your schemes to make money!" Wood rolled his eyes but ced a silver sickle on the betting table to hear thetest news.


    The twins looked at the betting board and noticed that most Gryffindors had bet on Professor Drac being stronger. They exchanged nces, clearly dissatisfied.


    So, they turned their attention to Slytherin, "What about it, Slytherin''s wealthy students? Aren''t you betting on your house head? Or are you afraid of Professor Drac?"


    Hearing Fred and George''s taunts, some Slytherin students couldn''t sit still.


    A haughty first-year boy stepped forward. He had neatly styled tinum blonde hair, a pointed chin, silver-gray eyes, and was tall and thin. Two chubby followers followed him closely.


    "Why is Professor Drac''s odds so much lower than Professor Snape''s?" he demanded indignantly.


    "Because Professor Drac has much higher supportpared to Snape," Fred said with a grin.


    "You two ignorant Weasleys, I''ll show you the financial power of the Malfoy family!" He pulled out several gold coins from his pocket and tossed them into the mixed pile of copper and silver coins.


    Seeing the Malfoy heir cing his bet, other pure-bloods also joined in, cing their gold galleons on their house head.


    In no time, with the influx of Slytherin''s pure-blood money, the odds for Drac and Snape became 1:1, nearly even.


    Once everyone had ced their bets, the twins huddled together mysteriously.


    Fred made a mouth gesture to George¡ª"We''ve made a fortune."


    George smiled knowingly and collected the various colored coins.


    "Listen up, everyone, the final result is¡ªProfessor Drac won! He defeated Snape with just a nce!"


    A loud cheer erupted from the Gryffindor side, while Slytherin fell into silence.


    "You don''t have any evidence!" Draco Malfoy said angrily. "Why should I believe your nonsense? You can''t guarantee that this news is urate!"


    The twins exchanged knowing nces and, as anticipated, pulled out arge ear from their pocket.


    They pressed a button on the ear, and Professor Kettleburn''s voice came out of it.


    "Oh, you''re talking about Drac? He simply used a nce to drive Snape away!" Professor Kettleburn''s tone was boastful. "I didn''t expect that with the current poor reputation of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Dumbledore could find such a reliable professor."


    ...


    Draco Malfoy, fuming, left, leaving behind a pile of glittering galleons in the wooden bucket under the betting table.


    This money might be insignificant to the Malfoy family, but to Fred and George, it was more than a few months'' worth of ie.


    The twins marveled at the pile of galleons.


    Just then, an angry voice rang in their ears, echoing through the entire hall:


    "Weasley, how dare you set up another betting pool?!"

 Chapter 19 - 19 It’s good to be young.

    <h4>Chapter 19: It''s good to be young.</h4>


    Seeing who had arrived, the Weasley twins jolted.


    "Professor McGonagall, what brings you here?" they asked with sheepish smiles.


    As they spoke, each twin put a hand behind his back, with Fred discreetly taking the coins and George gathering the betting slips.


    "I came to give Wood some instructions and found you two betting here!" Professor McGonagall''s lips tightened into a thin line. "Releasing you from detention early was meant to help Wood train the new Quidditch team members. It seems you need more time in detention to learn your lesson!"


    "And you, Wood! Instead of focusing on training Potter''s Quidditch skills, you''re betting with these two troublemakers?!"


    Wood, who usually stood tall and proud, seemed to shrink at her words, weakly muttering, "Sorry, Professor McGonagall, it was my mistake."


    He then sneaked a p to each of the twins and whispered, "You two got me into trouble!"


    However, the twins paid no mind to Wood''s p, their attention fixated on what Professor McGonagall had said.


    "Potter? Harry Potter is joining our Quidditch team!" Fred and George eximed, exchanging surprised looks.


    Wood quickly covered their mouths and whispered, "Keep it down! Potter is our secret weapon. We don''t want other houses to find out!"


    The twins nodded hastily.


    Once Wood let go, they thumped their chests and promised Professor McGonagall, "Professor, we won''t do it again!" Fred said earnestly. "But the Quidditch team can''t do without us; we''re the best Beaters!"


    "Exactly, our Transylvanian feint is so good it won''t be called as a foul even if we hit a Slytherin in the face!" George added, starting to go off-topic.


    Professor McGonagall looked at the pair with exasperation, finally nodding and sternly saying, "This better be thest time!"


    The Weasley twins eagerly agreed.


    ...


    After promising Professor McGonagall, the twins immediately ran to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office.


    "You mean you want to bet with me?" Drac, half-reclining on his soft office sofa, asked with amusement. "As far as I know, your head of house doesn''t like seeing you doing this kind of thing."


    "That doesn''t matter!" George waved it off. "As long as we keep it a secret, Professor McGonagall won''t find out we''re betting."


    Fred nodded beside him, grinning, "No need to worry about that. As long as you don''t tell, and we don''t tell, who else would know?"


    "Think about it, Professor. No matter what, you don''t lose."


    "We bet on Gryffindor''s Quidditch team to win. If we win, you give us twenty Galleons, which just cancels out what we owe you. You lose nothing; if we lose, you gain twenty Galleons!" Fred and George chimed in together.


    "Exactly! Even if you lose, you''ll be encouraging students to strive for victory. We heard from our dumb brother Ron that you''re Harry''s most admired professor. If Harry knew you were watching the game, he''d be even more motivated!"


    "Right, right, spending a little money to help your beloved student gain motivation to win¡ªit''s totally worth it!"


    Drac watched their lively performance, amused by the entertaining pair.


    "Alright, I''ll take the bet," he said,ughing. "Even if it costs twenty Galleons to watch you perform, it''s worth it."


    Fred and George cheered.


    "Professor, you''re a legend!"


    "Professor, if you need more performances, just call us anytime!"


    Drac waved them off with a smile, telling them to get back to their dorms.


    The twins, full of excitement, bowedically as they reached the door.


    As Fred grasped the doorknob, he seemed to remember something and poked his head back in through the crack.


    "Professor, make sure youe to watch our Quidditch match!"


    Seeing Drac nod, Fred closed the door, leaving the Defense Against the Dark Arts office in quiet once more.


    Half-reclining on the sofa, Drac''s pleasant smile lingered.


    "So, spending time with young people makes you feel more energetic?"


    Not far away, Nics mel''s figure appeared on a brass mirror engraved with phoenixes, smiling at Drac.


    Drac nodded lightly, sighing, "Yes, youth is wonderful."


    ...


    After finishing his afternoon ss, Drac left the task of writing lesson ns and grading papers to Quirrell, pinching his nose in disdain as he left Quirrell''s shabby office.


    Unlike the much-admired Drac, whose exploits were the stuff of student legend, Quirrell, the assistant professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, was much less fortunate.


    As Harry had noted, the overpowering scent of cologne around Quirrell led students to believe that the man needed it to find confidence due to certain personal deficiencies.


    Quirrell, a grown wizard, had a constantly twitching eye, perpetually paleplexion, and a distinct air of illness. His pallor was very different from Drac''s ethereal beauty¡ªQuirrell''s face looked sickly while Drac''s was almost enchantingly pale.


    Furthermore, Quirrell was perpetually anxious, often trembling, stammering, and wearing a peculiar purple turban. Inte 20th-century Britain, purple had certain connotations that only added to Quirrell''s odd image.


    All these entric traits made Quirrell aughingstock, simultaneously evoking pity, disgust, and amusement from those around him.


    At this moment, Hogwarts''ughingstock was respectfully seeing Drac out of his office.


    Once sure Drac was gone, Quirrell set up numerous defensive spells on the door and slowly sat down between two mirrors, carefully removing his purple turban.


    With the light reflected from the mirrors, Quirrell nervously looked at the grotesque face on the back of his head.


    "M-Master, I''ve be the joke of Hogwarts. No one will notice our actions now, right?"


    Quirrell stammered as he spoke to Voldemort.

 Chapter 20 - 20 Halloween

    <h4>Chapter 20: Halloween</h4>


    "You fool!" Voldemort roared at Quirrell in the mirror. "It''s been so many days, and you still haven''t noticed that Drac is wary of you?"


    Quirrell looked bewildered. "Wary? Why would he be wary of a joke like me at Hogwarts?"


    "It''s all because of you, you worthless waste. I had to intervene myself that day," Voldemort said coldly. "The magic I used to help you escape was too rare for someone of your apparent capabilities to handle."


    "Now I even suspect that he agreed to have youe to Hogwarts just to study the magic I used to help you escape, and to uncover other secrets you might have!"


    "W-what should I d-do?" Quirrell stammered in fear. "Does that mean I''ll be under his watch all the time, with no chance to search for the Philosopher''s Stone?"


    "Don''t worry. We''ll wait for an opportunity," Voldemort said darkly. "An opportunity when everyone is gathered together and too busy to notice you. When that timees, you''ll do this..."


    ...


    The opportunity Voldemort mentioned didn''t take long to present itself.


    Immersed in thepany of many young students, over a month passed quickly, and Drac was about to experience his first Halloween at Hogwarts.


    In the headmaster''s office on the eighth floor of the main tower, Drac leaned against a wall filled with portraits. Next to him was a pointed wizard''s hat.


    The hat''s brim had a slit for a mouth and wrinkles that formed a pair of eyes, giving it a forlorn expression that could make any onlooker feel sympathetic.


    "Boohoo... you can''t do this to me. I''m a sentient hat, each speck of dust on me is a testament to my history..." the Sorting Hat wailed. "And now, look at me, I''m no different from any ordinary hat!"


    The once shabby, dusty Sorting Hat was nowpletely restored! All the worn and patched areas had been neatly repaired, and its dirty exterior had been cleaned to perfection.


    It now looked like a brand-new wizard''s hat, with no signs of its actual thousand-year-old age.


    "How could you go so long without a wash? Didn''t it bother you? I just cleaned you up a bit, and you''re still not happy?" Drac said yfully, tossing the hat into the air, catching it, and tossing it again, having a great time.


    "Stop! Please stop! I''m going to be sick!" the Sorting Hat pleaded loudly, "I was wrong, Count, I shouldn''t have expressed even the slightest dissatisfaction with your decision!"


    Hearing the hat''s plea, Drac stopped and casually ced it on a nearby chair.


    "How about now? Still want to protest?" Drac asked with a slight smile.


    His long fingers hovered near the hat''s brim, ready to resume the fun of tossing it if its answer displeased him.


    "No more protests, I won''t dare," the Sorting Hat said listlessly. "Count, please spare me. I just wasn''t used to it at first, but now that I''ve adjusted, being clean feels quite nice."


    Drac withdrew his hand, and the hat heaved a sigh of relief.


    On the wall of portraits, the former headmasters also expressed approval of the Sorting Hat''s clean appearance.


    A former headmaster with sparse eyebrows and a goatee, a Slytherin,mented, "Good, finally I don''t have to start my day seeing a ragged hat."


    Drac nced at the namete under the portrait, which read Phineas Nigellus ck. Drac didn''t know this headmaster, who must have served after he went into hibernation.


    At this moment, a female headmistress took over the conversation. "Count Drac, I remember seeking you out several times during my tenure as headmistress, but you didn''t even bother toe to Hogwarts to meet me. Why is it that now, under Dumbledore''s headship, you took the initiative to apply for a teaching position?"


    She looked directly at Drac, her tone a bit sour.


    "Ah, Dilys, long time no see." Drac raised his hand in greeting to the intellectual and elegant Dilys Derwent.


    Then, without hesitation, he shifted the me to Dumbledore. "Dilys, you managed Hogwarts so safely and stably during your tenure that I couldn''t find anything interesting to do. But now it''s different. Under Dumbledore, there are plenty of amusements to be had, like the annually changing Defense Against the Dark Arts professor position, which I find quite intriguing."


    Headmistress Derwent chuckled softly, casting her gaze towards Dumbledore, who looked on helplessly.


    "Professor Drac, I feel like you''re badmouthing me to my face," Dumbledore said as he stood up from behind his desk and approached Drac.


    "Not at all, I''m just speaking the truth," Drac said, swiftly changing the subject. "I got distracted by the Sorting Hat earlier and almost forgot to ask why you called me here in the first ce."


    Dumbledore happily went along with the change of topic. "It''s nothing major. Halloween is approaching, and I thought the holiday suits the image of a vampire count quite well. So, I wanted to ask if you have any ideas for a performance."


    "A performance?" Drac raised an eyebrow. "I recall you telling me not to reveal my vampire identity to avoidints from some parents."


    "Other times wouldn''t be appropriate, but Halloween is different," Dumbledore smiled. "On Halloween, no matter what you turn into, the students and staff will think it''s part of a costume. They won''t genuinely suspect Professor Drac''s true identity."


    "Forget it. Performing is too much trouble," Drac shook his head. "But I can write a letter and invite a well-known half-vampire singer to perform. I need to ask him a few things anyway."


    "Also, you can leave the decoration of the Great Hall to me. The limited imagination of Hogwarts professors isn''t well-suited for such tasks!"

 Chapter 21 - 21 The wilting Professor Dracula.

    <h4>Chapter 21: The wilting Professor Drac.</h4>


    And so, Drac became the scene designer for the Halloween feast.


    On the evening of thest day of October, when the young wizards arrived at the Great Hall in droves, they were instantly stunned.


    The doors of the Great Hall at Hogwarts had turned into a gaping mouth ready to devour anyone who dared enter, with several sharp fangs hanging over the doorway, as if ready to chew the young wizards to pieces.


    In the magical world, Halloween holds great significance for wizards.


    Therefore, even the newly admitted young wizards had experienced the Halloween atmosphere no less than ten times. The current scene didn''t scare them; they were just incredibly amazed by the decorations in the Great Hall, utterly shocked.


    Of course, there were some first-year students from Muggle families who had never seen such a spectacle and were almost frightened out of their wits.


    When a giant spider suddenly descended from the "fangs" above, a few timid girls nearly burst into tears.


    The interior of the Great Hall hadpletely changed color as well.


    The thousands of brightly lit candles floating in the air were gone, reced by thousands of bats pping their wings and flying around. Apanying them were ck clouds that filled the entire ceiling of the Great Hall.


    A transparent enchanted ceiling now disyed a stormy sky, summoned by weather spells, with asional thunderps and shes of lightning.


    Among the thunderclouds was a small gap, justrge enough to reveal a crescent moon, casting a faint, silvery light as it peeked through the clouds.


    Returning one''s gaze to the Great Hall, one would see that the four house tables had transformed into ckened deadwood. Numerous withered, gnarled branches extended from the tables, with bats asionally hanging upside down to rest.


    At the front of the hall, Hagrid''s giant pumpkins had been carved with sinister grins. Hollowed out and filled with bright candles, the flickering mes cast eerie shadows.


    Thergest pumpkin, enchanted with an Engorgement Charm, dominated the front area of the hall, enveloping the entire staff table within its belly. The young wizards could see the professors, each dressed in different costumes, through the pumpkin''s gaping mouth.


    Dumbledore sat in the center, wearing a pure white robe in honor of Halloween. The robe, enchanted to float asionally, made him look like a ghost.


    The small Professor Flitwick wore a pumpkin helmet on his head and sat in an extra-high pumpkin chair, resembling a tiny pumpkin knight.


    Even the usually stern Professor McGonagall had softened her demeanor. She had used Transfiguration to turn her hat ck, with a small ck cat perched on top, its tail asionally swishing.


    Snape was the only professor not dressed in a Halloween costume. However, his sullen expression made him look like arge bat, perfectly matching the Halloween atmosphere.


    As for Drac, he seemed unchanged from his usual appearance.


    But as the young wizards entered the Great Hall, Drac observed the frightened expressions of the first-years andughed pleasantly. His eerie smile revealed two sharp fangs.


    ...


    Fred and George were the first students to fully embrace the Halloween spirit.


    They painted each other''s faces with ck and white paint, creating crude skeleton faces, and then ran screaming into the Great Hall.


    Taking advantage of the dim lighting, the twins mixed in with the other students, asionally using Lumos to suddenly illuminate their skeletal faces, causing nearby students to jump in fright.


    Even in the dim light, Drac''s vision remained sharp.


    He sat at the staff table, leisurely swirling a ss of bright red wine, enjoying the twins'' antics until they pulled out arge stash of dungbombs and stink pellets...


    Drac''s face darkened, and he disappeared from his seat in an instant.


    The next moment, he appeared behind the twins and snapped his fingers. All the dungbombs and stink pellets were instantly encased in solid ice.


    Fred and George felt the weight in their hands and, upon seeing the ice block, realized Drac was behind them.


    "Professor, weren''t you at the staff table? How did you get here so quietly?" Fred instinctively tried to hide the ice-encased dungbombs behind his back.


    But the ice was too cold, and his hands trembled, causing the heavy ice block to slip and fall toward the floor.


    Drac''s eye twitched, and he summoned the ice block into his hand before it hit the ground, also confiscating George''s stink pellets into his own extended storage space.


    "Professor, we worked so hard to collect those. Please don''t confiscate them!" George pleaded pitifully.


    But with his face painted like a skeleton, his expression only appearedical and grim.


    "Tonight is Halloween, and I don''t mind you ying some pranks," Drac said, understandingly, as he looked at the ridiculous skeleton faces.


    Then his expression turned cold. "But did you not realize we''re about to have a feast? Do you want everyone to eat in the middle of a foul stench?!"


    Fred and George grinned sheepishly, unsure of what to say.


    "I''m confiscating these for now. You''ll get them back when I''m in a better mood."


    Drac didn''t bother scolding the twins further.


    With a flick of his red-and-ck cloak, he returned to his seat at the staff table.


    Thinking the Halloween feast would proceed smoothly, Drac was surprised when, a few minutester, the Weasley twins, still with their ridiculous skeleton faces, sneaked into the giant pumpkinntern and approached the staff table.


    "Don''t even think about getting your dungbombs back," Drac said impatiently.


    "Professor, we''re not here for that," Fred quickly exined.


    George nodded, "We just thought, since it''s Halloween, we should follow tradition."


    With mischievous smiles, they said in unison:


    "Trick or treat!"


    Drac looked at them in surprise, then smiled yfully.


    "Here you go!" He grabbed a handful of lollipops from the table and tossed them to the twins.


    "Thank you, Professor!" Fred and George gleefully caught the lollipops and immediately put them in their mouths.


    The next moment¡ª


    "Ugh!"


    "Professor, why do your lollipops taste like rust?!"


    Dracughed joyfully, his sharp fangs gleaming.


    "Can''t you tell what character I''m ying? This vor of lollipop is the most fitting, don''t you think?"


    "You win, Professor! Your vampire act deserves full marks!" Fred and George bowed in admiration.


    At that moment, Dumbledore, who had been watching the scene, beckoned to the twins.


    "If you''ve had enough of Drac''s tricks,e over here. I have plenty of real sweets for you." He pulled out tworge bags of Honeydukes'' special edition treats and handed them to the twins.


    The twins epted the candy, tears of gratitude in their eyes.


    Compared to the mischievous Drac, the headmaster was too kind!

 Chapter 22 - 22 The released trolls.

    <h4>Chapter 22: The released trolls.</h4>


    After a few more minutes of yful antics, most of the students from the four houses had arrived.


    Dumbledore stood up to announce the official start of the Halloween feast and introduced the first special guest of the evening¡ªa famous singer, Loken Deis!


    A pale, handsome man dressed in a ck high-cor wizard robe walked onto the stage set in front of a giant pumpkin.


    Holding a microphone made of a string of skulls, he smiled charmingly at the young wizards, revealing two sharp side teeth.


    The hall erupted in apuse, especially from the excited young witches, who let out a series of screams.


    "Thank you, thank you everyone!" Half-vampire Loken waved to the audience, then turned and bowed respectfully to the professors, "I dedicate this song, ''By Your Side,'' to everyone!"


    Since his debut in the magical world, Loken had maintained a cool and abstinent vampire image. His handsome appearance and sexy voice had garnered the admiration of many witches.


    This song, "By Your Side," which made him famous, has a strong vampire style.


    Its English title, "o You (Your Necks)," is a pun that sounds very simr to "o You (By Your Side)."


    It vividly describes the seductive image of a handsome vampire leaning over a young witch''s neck to gently kiss and bite, portraying the vampire''s feeding as an enticing, harmless act.


    This captivating depiction made the love song extremely popr, ranking first on the magical world music charts for 19 consecutive weeks.


    Its creation and poprity greatly improved the image of vampires in the eyes of wizards and led to the rapid development of various vampire delicacies in the magical world. This was one of the reasons Drac had been able to find various vampire snacks recently.


    After the song ended, the students werepletely immersed in the music and the blush-inducing imagery.


    Loken Deis bowed deeply to the audience and then stepped down from the stage.


    Meanwhile, Drac gave him a signal and left the hall.


    ...


    With thunder asionally rumbling, Drac left the hall and found a secluded corner in the colonnade of Hogwarts'' entrance courtyard. Leaning against a delicate stone pir, he pondered.


    A few minutester, Loken Deis also came out of the hall. He ran to Drac and suddenly knelt on one knee.


    "Half-vampire Loken Deis, at your service, Count Drac!" he said solemnly.


    "No need to be so formal. Just call me Professor Drac at Hogwarts." Drac pulled him up and said.


    "ording to age, you would be Deis''s great-grandson?"


    Drac looked at Loken''s ck hair and blue eyes and asked spectively.


    "Yes, my great-great-grandfather left a familymandment. The Deis family must unconditionally obey Count Drac''s orders and must not show any disobedience!" Loken said seriously.


    "No need for such obedience. For now, just tell me about the current living conditions of the vampire n over the past hundred years while I was asleep." Drac asked, "It seems that vampires are rarely seen in Britain. Are they still gathered in Romania?"


    "Yes, Lord Drac," Loken replied. "Most low-level vampires still prefer to gather in Romania because there''s unified leadership and a more reasonable distribution of blood resources. So Romania is the preferred ce for low-level vampires."


    "Our family doesn''t have much contact with them, so we don''t know the specifics. But during my father''s time, I vaguely heard that there were conflicts and major shes between the vampire n and the werewolfmunity."


    "As for Britain, wizards here still mostly hold prejudices against vampires, believing that vampires can only rely on brutal bloodsucking to seize life force. The songs I''ve released are efforts to change this perception, and they''ve actually received a pretty good response."


    Drac nodded slowly, "I see. Thank you for your family''s efforts."


    "Lord Drac, won''t you go to Romania yourself? If you were there, the enmity between the werewolves and vampires would surely be resolved quickly!"


    "We''ll see." Hearing Loken''s question, Drac remained nomittal and shook his head.


    Then he turned his gaze towards the hall and saw several ghosts drifting towards it from other parts of the castle.


    "Let''s go back to the hall. The ghost performance is about to start, which means the Halloween feast is almost over."


    When Drac and Loken returned to the hall, the Halloween feast was nearing its end, with a few ghosts disappearing into the walls, leaving the hall.


    The young wizards were also making a final push against the remaining food.


    Harry was eating a baked potato when Assistant Professor Quirrell suddenly rushed into the hall, hisrge scarf askew on his head, his face full of fear.


    Everyone stared at him as he staggered to Dumbledore''s chair, leaned against the table, and gasped, "Troll¡ªin the dungeons¡ªthought you ought to know."


    He then copsed to the floor in a faint.


    The hall erupted into chaos. Dumbledore had to make purple firecrackers explode from his wand tip several times before everyone calmed down.


    "Prefects," he said in a low voice, "lead your houses back to the dormitories!"


    Upon seeing Quirrell faint so easily, Drac frowned.


    The man who had escaped from his grasp couldn''t possibly be so incapable of handling a mindless troll. And the washed-up troll had already been ced in the trapdoor challenge, so where did this new trolle from in the dungeon?


    Thinking this, Drac jumped off the professors'' table and teleported in front of Quirrell.


    "Speak up, are you really fainting or just pretending?" He grabbed Quirrell up and asked coldly, "And didn''t you send the troll into the trap? So where did this new trolle from?"


    Quirrell''s expression was almost imperceptible, seeminglypletely unconscious.


    But when the mes in Drac''s hand surged up, he immediately acted dazed and said, "I... I had a spare troll hidden in my office, but I seem to have lost control of it and it escaped."


    Hearing Quirrell''s words, Drac''s mouth curled up, and he chuckled lightly.


    "Interesting." He said, "Then tell me, where exactly in the dungeon can I find the troll?"

 Chapter 23 - 23 Don’t tell me I taught you how to defend yourself.

    <h4>Chapter 23: Don''t tell me I taught you how to defend yourself.</h4>


    "I... I don''t know..." Quirrell stammered, looking innocent and trembling, "I... I only saw the troll rampaging in the basement... I have no idea where it could be now!"


    Drac stared intently at Quirrell, making him nervously avert his gaze.


    "Whatever," Drac said, patting Quirrell on the shoulder with a deep look in his eyes, "Go wherever you want next."


    He then left the hall again, holding the deed to Hogwarts in the deserted entrance courtyard corridor and infused his magic into the old parchment.


    Drac''s magic intertwined with the marks of the four founders on the paper, slowly forming a grid in the shape of Hogwarts Castle.


    Each magic node of Hogwarts appeared vividly on the paper. As the castle''s structures became increasingly clear, every corner''s image gradually became distinct.


    Drac''s gaze turned to the Great Hall on the parchment, where he saw the young wizards being led by their prefects, faces full of lingering memories of the Halloween feast and regret over its early end, as they headed to theirmon rooms.


    He also saw Snape walking with his characteristic proud stride towards the restricted corridor on the right side of the fourth floor.


    In contrast, Quirrell seemed frozen, standing motionless in front of the giant pumpkin in the Great Hall.


    Under suchprehensive surveince, Drac soon found the runaway troll.


    Just as Drac was preparing to enjoy the show via the live feed on the deed, two sneaky figures caught his attention.


    "Hmm?"


    Drac was surprised and then disappeared from the spot.


    ...


    Back at the feast, Harry was eating a potato with its skin on when Professor Quirrell suddenly burst into the hall, panicking about the troll.


    Percy, the Gryffindor prefect, skillfully led the Gryffindor lions to theirmon room on the eighth floor, squeezing through the crowd of Hufflepuffs.


    As they ascended the staircase to the eighth floor, Harry suddenly remembered something, his face turning pale as he grabbed Ron''s arm.


    "I just remembered¡ªHermione!" he said to Ron.


    "What''s wrong with her?" Ron asked, taken aback and somewhat reluctant.


    During that morning''s Charms ss, Ron had been extremely annoyed by Hermione''s behavior and had spoken ill of her to Harry, suggesting she reflect on why she had no friends. Unfortunately, Hermione had overheard Ron''s words.


    Feeling extremely hurt and not wanting anyone to see her vulnerable state, Hermione had disappeared for the entire afternoon, not even attending the Halloween feast.


    Just moments ago, Harry had recalled hearing a piece of news before the feast started¡ªPavarti Patil had told Lavender that Hermione was crying in the girls'' bathroom, refusing anyfort.


    Realizing Hermione wasn''t with the Gryffindors, Harry feared she might encounter the troll alone!


    "Ron, Hermione doesn''t know about the troll!" he said urgently to Ron. "It''s partly our fault she didn''te to the feast; we can''t just do nothing!"


    Ron bit his lip hard.


    "Oh, alright," he said decisively, "but let''s make sure Percy doesn''t see us."


    Having made up their minds, Harry and Ron crouched down, mingling with the Hufflepuff crowd and heading in the opposite direction.


    They sneaked through an empty side corridor, hurrying to the girls'' bathroom.


    The stench grew stronger, apanied by deep grunts and the sound of enormous feet dragging on the ground.


    The next moment, a terrifying sight struck them¡ªa twelve-foot-tall troll suddenly appeared around the corner!


    Its dull skin was gray like granite, its huge and clumsy body resembling a heap of boulders with a small cocoa bean-like head on top.


    Its short, thick legs were like tree trunks, ending in t, calloused feet. The foul stench of old socks and uncleaned public restrooms emanated from the troll, making them nauseous.


    The troll held arge wooden club, dragging it on the ground with a grating noise.


    ...


    The Halloween feast had ended, and the storm clouds summoned by weather spells had dissipated, letting the bright moonlight pour through Hogwarts'' tall windows.


    In the moonlit shadows hung a bat with glossy fur.


    It seemed, perhaps just an illusion, that the bat was watching the scene inside a bathroom with great interest.


    Following the bat''s gaze, one could see a fierce battle taking ce in the girls'' bathroom on the first floor.


    The troll, provoked multiple times by Ron, turned its attention away from Hermione and cornered Ron.


    Seeing this, Harry steeled himself and leapt forward, wrapping his arms around the troll''s neck from behind and thrusting his wand into one of its nostrils.


    The troll roared in pain, thrashing and swinging its club wildly, threatening to dislodge Harry and strike him down!


    At this critical moment, the troll''s violent movements abruptly froze.


    Caught off guard, Harry lost his grip and fell off the troll.


    In the corner, Ron clutched his wand tightly, staring in shock at the now-motionless troll, unsure of what to do.


    "Mr. Potter, if anyone asks, please don''t say that I taught you Defense Against the Dark Arts. I can''t bear the shame."


    A familiar voice came from the bathroom door.


    Harry looked overjoyed at the source of the voice, seeing a tall figure with silver hair and wine-red eyes standing in the moonlight, looking at him with disdain.


    "Professor Drac!!" Harry shouted with excitement, not caring about the disdain on Drac''s face.


    He felt his strength drain away, the courage he had shown vanishing, leaving only fear as he copsed to the ground.


    Drac waved his hand, clearing the foul air, and then stepped forward to the three young wizards.


    "Mr. Potter, recite the lesson from the first ss," he said calmly, looking at the sitting Harry. "What is the most appropriate response when you face a dangerous situation?"

 Chapter 24 - 24 An impromptu black magic defence class.

    <h4>Chapter 24: An impromptu ck magic defence ss.</h4>


    Harry was still reeling from the shock of the troll attack when he heard Professor Drac''s question.


    However, the scene had been too intense for him, and his mind was nk. He racked his brains but couldn''t remember what had been taught in the first Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.


    Harry cast a pleading nce at Ron, who was huddled in a corner trying to make himself less conspicuous, but Ron only shrank further into the wall and gave him a helpless look.


    At that moment, a trembling hand went up.


    "Miss Granger, why don''t you answer this question for him?" Drac said to Hermione.


    Harry let out a quiet sigh of relief, but then a strange feeling arose within him¡ªthis ce had just been a battlefield against a troll, and now it had suddenly turned into a Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom?


    "We younger wizards must learn to rely on other forces for defense¡ªsuch as alchemical armor, external weapons, or the simplest and most effective method, asking for help," Hermione said softly.


    Seeing that Drac didn''t refute her, Hermione''s tone became smoother and more confident, as if she were back in the ssroom.


    "When going out with adults, you can carry two Sneakoscopes to give an rm in dangerous situations; the Spark Charm can also serve as an rm and a means ofmunication, but it''s generally not rmended to use it in the face of danger..."


    Hermione nearly recited all the key points from the ss, leaving Harry and Ron, two academic underachievers, with their mouths agape.


    "You have a very good memory, Miss Granger," Drac nodded with a smile.


    Before Hermione could show a proud smile, his smile faded, and he countered, "But reflect on this: did you follow what I taught?"


    Hermione lowered her head, looking very aggrieved, almost on the verge of tears again.


    Drac ignored her emotional state and continued sternly, "In ss, didn''t you use the Spark Charm quite well? If you had just thought to use red sparks to raise an rm, the professors would havee immediately, and you three wouldn''t have faced such danger!"


    "Also, while I did say that casting the Spark Charm to signal an rm is dangerous, as it can expose your position and potentially anger the enemy, do you remember the other thing I said¡ª''specific issues require specific analysis!''"


    "You should know that trolls are extremely stupid andck any capacity for reasoning. They have no ability to interpret human actions! Against such an enemy, you could have easily used the Spark Charm to signal an rm and then used other spells to dy it until the professors arrived."


    Hermione wiped her tears and said, sniffling, "I... I saw the troll and my mind went nk, I couldn''t think of anything..."


    "That''s why keeping calm in the face of the enemy is equally important," Drac said. "You''ve just not encountered enough situations like this. It seems I''ll have to strengthen your training in this area..."


    As he said this, a malicious smile appeared on his face, suggesting he had thought of some idea.


    Seeing the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor stop his lecture, Harry and Ron quietly breathed a sigh of relief.


    The twopared notes and found that facing Professor Drac was even more nerve-wracking than facing a troll!


    Drac''s lecture was clearly not over.


    His gaze swept over Harry, who was sitting on the ground, and Ron, who was still huddled in the corner. "Don''t think this has nothing to do with you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley."


    "Your actions ining to rescue your ssmate aremendable, but have you considered this? Two first-year wizards wandering around in a ce where they might encounter a troll is essentially offering themselves as a meal to it!"


    "You had a prefect in the Gryffindor group, and you even passed Professor Snape in the corridor. Didn''t you think to seek their help?"


    "And your method of dealing with the troll¡ªit''s embarrassing to even talk about it!" Drac said with a look of disdain. "What did you learn those spells for? What are your wands for, just to stick up a troll''s nose?"


    Harry nced at his wand still lodged in the troll''s nostril and said nothing.


    "Remember, you are wizards, not a bunch of monkeys hopping around!"


    Drac''s gaze on the two boys was icy.


    "We just wanted to warn Hermione about the troll, we didn''t expect to be so unlucky as to actually encounter it," Ron said defiantly, unable to hold back his retort. "Besides, Snape was in a hurry to get to the fourth floor, he wouldn''t have bothered with us. Even if he had, he would''ve deducted points from Gryffindor first..."


    "Setting aside any issues of character, Snape still has basic professional ethics. He wouldn''t ignore students in danger. And do you think house points are more important than your lives? That doesn''t seem like your style at all."


    Ron, remembering his and Harry''s night-time escapades earlier in the term, found himself at a loss for words and stood stiffly in the corner.


    "And as for being unlucky enough to encounter a troll, that''s not surprising. If you put yourself in a risky situation, bad luck will eventually catch up with you, sooner orter."


    After hearing such a long lecture, Harry and Ron finally nodded in agreement, and Hermione even took out a notebook to start jotting down notes.


    "Alright, to make up for your mistakes, pay attention now!" Drac snapped his fingers, waking the troll from its frozen state. "A good teaching tool like this is hard toe by. You three, see what methods you can use to bring it down!"


    "And a little tip, the troll''s weak spot is its head!"


    As Drac finished speaking, the troll stood up straight with a roar, looking around the room in confusion, seemingly unable to understand the situation.


    But the troll''s walnut-sized brain wasn''t capable of understanding much, so it quickly grew bored of thinking, picked up its club, and swung it down at Harry.


    Harry''s wand was still in the troll''s nose, and he had no means of defense. He hugged his head in fear, while Hermione and Ron had yet to react, watching in horror as the club descended toward Harry.


    Just as the club was about to make contact with Harry''s scar, the troll froze once again.


    "Your reactions are too slow. At this rate, a hundred lives wouldn''t be enough for you," Drac said disdainfully, leaning against the doorframe.


    "Potter, pull out your wand and get ready for the next round of training!"

 Chapter 25 - 25 Voldemort is going to find another way out.

    <h4>Chapter 25: Voldemort is going to find another way out.</h4>


    So, when the other professors rushed to the scene after hearing themotion, they saw this:


    Three young Gryffindor wizards were using every possible method to attack the troll''s cocoa bean-sized head. Hermione was doing slightly better, using a variety of simple spells, while Harry and Ron were left to attack with clumsy spells like the Levitation Charm.


    The troll, with its thick skin, was immensely irritated by their harassment, but had no effective way to deal with it. Every time it swung itsrge club towards the young wizards'' heads, it would be immobilized in an instant by Drac.


    It didn''t understand why this was happening, but it instinctively lost its desire to attack, gradually reducing the pressure on Harry and the others.


    Professor McGonagall, who had been in a panic, arrived as quickly as possible but was greeted by this bizarre scene. She couldn''t help but turn to Dumbledore and say:


    "Albus, I don''t think Professor Drac''s teaching methods are suitable for these poor children!"


    "Perhaps Professor Drac has his own teaching methods." Dumbledore coughed lightly, awkwardly brushing off McGonagall''sment.


    What could Dumbledore do? He was at a loss as well! Should he really fire the owner of Hogwarts over a minor issue with teaching methods? Did Hogwarts want to continue running or not?


    At that moment, Drac noticed the troll''s fatigue. For the sake of this poor teaching prop, he told Harry and the others to stop.


    "That''s enough for now. Remember to handle danger the way I taught you," he said to the three of them.


    The trio nodded hastily and then rushed behind Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore, as if fearing Drac might assign them another dangerous task.


    Drac shook his head with a smile, then turned to look at the hurriedly arriving Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape. Besides the three headmasters and house heads, the teaching assistant Quirrell was also trailing behind them with a gloomy expression, lost in thought.


    "What exactly are you ying at?" Professor McGonagall asked Harry and the others sternly, her voice cold and angry. "You''re lucky Professor Drac found you in time, or you might have been killed! Why didn''t you stay in your dormitory?"


    Snape shot a piercing nce at Harry, particrly scrutinizing his eyes for any damage. Seeing no injury, he let out a relieved breath and then grumbled with annoyance.


    Hermione, initially intending to take all the me herself, was about to speak when her eyes widened in horror.


    "Miss Granger, are you also going to y tricks like those troublemakers?" Professor McGonagall, misinterpreting Hermione''s expression as a distraction tactic like the Weasley twins, said angrily.


    However, Harry and Ron also suddenly showed signs of rm.


    "Professor, watch out!" Harry shouted.


    Professor McGonagall turned around just in time to see a giant wooden club descending towards Drac.


    Even a troll, despite its low intelligence, realized through instinct that Drac was the one causing it to be manipted by the young wizards. It decided to eliminate him first, then deal with the others.


    The club came down heavily, and everyone thought Drac would meet the same fate as many past Defense Against the Dark Arts professors.


    But in the next moment, Drac casually raised his hand and caught the club firmly.


    The troll strained, pressing its feet into the bathroom floor and creating an indentation, but it couldn''t pull its club out of Drac''s seemingly slender, pale fingers.


    Drac nced at it indifferently and then suddenly let go.


    The troll, unable to control its strength, yanked the club out forcefully, only to have ite crashing down on its own head.


    The troll copsed in a faint.


    Drac then turned his nonchnt gaze towards Harry, who had issued the warning, and asked with a light chuckle:


    "Is something the matter, Mr. Potter?"


    "No... no, Professor."


    Harry swallowed hard and shook his head repeatedly.


    Witnessing Drac catching the troll''s club barehanded left not only the three young wizards but also Professors McGonagall and Snape stunned.


    "It''ste, you should all go back to rest," Drac said softly, ignoring their expressions.


    As he walked forward, he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket, carefully wiped his hands, and then burned it to ashes.


    Passing by Quirrell, Drac gave him a meaningful look before disappearing into the shadow not illuminated by the moonlight.


    That night, in the narrow office of the teaching assistant.


    Quirrell, having removed his ever-present purple turban, was kneeling and trembling on the floor.


    On the back of his head, Voldemort''s snarling face was angrily shouting, venting his frustration and rage.


    "Useless! You''repletely useless! You couldn''t even detect Drac''s mark on your shoulder!" Voldemort roared furiously. "If I hadn''t noticed his mark on you in time, were you going to foolishly rush into the restricted corridor on the fourth floor?!"


    "M-Master, I truly didn''t sense anything unusual on my body..." Quirrell weakly responded.


    "Even if you didn''t sense it, didn''t Drac''s unusual pat on your shoulder make you realize something was off?" Voldemort demanded. "Your clumsy acting has be ringly obvious. Even Severus has noticed something wrong with you."


    "Damn it, why did I have to possess you and not Severus!"


    Voldemort was now utterly exasperated,menting that Quirrell wasn''t aspetent as Snape.


    But he couldn''t reveal his identity to Snape now.


    On one hand, in his weakened state, possessing Quirrell, it wasn''t just about losing face before his former subordinate; it would severely damage his authority and could even lead to rebellion.


    On the other hand, Voldemort had been in hiding for eleven years. During this time, Snape had gained Dumbledore''s trust, and Voldemort couldn''t be sure if he was still as loyal as before.


    So, he could only pin his hopes on the disappointing Quirrell.


    "No, it''s not safe for me to stay with Quirrell anymore," Voldemort muttered to himself. "Moreover, his life force is almost depleted. I must find another way out!"

 Chapter 26 - 26 Blank diary

    <h4>Chapter 26: nk diary</h4>


    The next day, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the British Ministry of Magic received an anonymous letter.


    The letter mentioned that arge number of illegal items rted to dark magic were hidden in Malfoy Manor, specifically in a secretpartment under the fountain in the center of the courtyard.


    Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, took the letter from her assistant, and her initially indifferent expression gradually turned into one of extreme astonishment.


    "Rufus, take a look at this letter," she called out to Rufus Scrimgeour, the head of the Auror Office.


    A man with tawny hair and gold-rimmed sses walked over. He seemed to have a slight limp, but he walked with a confident stride.


    "What''s the matter, Amelia?" Scrimgeour nced nonchntly at the letter in Bones''s hand and said casually, "A tip-off about Malfoy Manor? The Malfoy family is often reported, but we''ve never found any substantial evidence."


    "No, Rufus, this time the letter is different." Bones shook her head slightly and handed the letter to Scrimgeour.


    Scrimgeour took the letter with a doubtful look, and then his expression turned into one of surprise and suspicion.


    "This letter contains detailed ns of Malfoy Manor? Only someone extremely close to the Malfoy family could draw such a clear blueprint." He frowned and wondered, "Who could have written this letter, and what is their purpose?"


    "No matter what, this is a rare opportunity we can''t miss." Amelia Bones quickly made a decision, "Arthur has a long-standing grudge against the Malfoys and should be quite familiar with them. You take him along and lead two squads of elite Aurors to thoroughly search Malfoy Manor."


    Scrimgeour nodded decisively and turned to head to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office to inform Arthur Weasley about the mission.


    After Scrimgeour left, Bones took out a document from her drawer and began filling out a search warrant for Malfoy Manor.


    At that moment, a tall man with pale blond hair neatly braided walked up to her desk.


    "What is it, Yaxley?" Bones asked, noticing the richly dressed wizard who seemed out of ce in the Ministry.


    Yaxley gave an unsettling smile and said, "We need your signature on a document for our department. Sorry to trouble you, Madam Bones."


    Bones frowned slightly and signed the document Yaxley presented, then dismissed him from her office.


    Unbeknownst to her, Yaxley did not proceed with the document but instead pulled out a quill in a deserted corridor of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and began writing a letter.


    The recipient''s name on the envelope was clear: L. Malfoy.


    Wiltshire, Ennd, Malfoy Manor, one weekend night.


    A wizard, cloaked in ck, stood in the shadows of the street, his expression uncertain as he gazed at the luxurious manor ahead.


    "Master, what if Malfoy hasn''t handled the items as you instructed?" Quirrell''s trembling voice broke the silence.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve considered that," Voldemort''s cold voice replied from the same shadow. "If Lucius hasn''t removed what I need, it at least shows he retains some loyalty to me."


    "If he hasn''tpletely lost his loyalty, we can use the Dark Mark to contact him and have him hand over the items to you. Of course, if Lucius is foolish enough to try to dispose of my possessions, we can always proceed with our n to retrieve them directly."


    "What is mine will always be mine. No one can stop that."


    Voldemort''s menacing voice echoed in the shadows, making the atmosphere even more sinister.


    Time passed, and snow began to fall lightly. The manor remained quiet.


    Quirrell, shivering from the cold, couldn''t help but ask, "Master, I believe Malfoy is still loyal to you. He hasn''t removed anything yet, and it''s gettingte."


    "Let''s hope so," Voldemort''s voice carried a hint of satisfaction. "Prepare yourself; I''ll teach you how to use the Dark Mark to contact him."


    Just as Voldemort was about to instruct Quirrell on using the Dark Mark, the gates of Malfoy Manor suddenly opened.


    A wizard, dressed in luxurious robes and with his face covered by a silk veil, slipped out of the manor.


    After spending hours gathering the contraband, Lucius did not disappoint Voldemort. He brought the precious items to the meeting ce.


    "You must be the ck market dealer from Knockturn Alley?" Lucius handed over a bag with a hint of arrogance. "It took me six hours to gather these treasures. Do you understand their value now?"


    "If I weren''t in a hurry to dispose of them, two thousand Galleons wouldn''t be enough to buy even a fraction of these items!"


    Quirrell stared at the veiled Lucius, shivering. He could feel Voldemort''s growing anger.


    ''I knew the Malfoy family couldn''t be trusted; they''ve always been opportunists!'' Voldemort''s voice cursed in Quirrell''s mind.


    Suppressing his fear, Quirrell took the bag and began inspecting it for the items Voldemort needed.


    "Yes, everything I need is in here," Voldemort''s voice, though angry, confirmed.


    Quirrell sighed in relief, handed Lucius the two thousand Galleons they had dug up from a grave, and quickly left Malfoy Manor.


    In a remote corner of Wiltshire, under Voldemort''s direction, Quirrell pulled out a nk ck diary from the bag with trembling hands.


    Voldemort''s anger faded, reced by a sense of relief and joy.


    4o

 Chapter 27 - 27 Quidditch match officially kicks off

    <h4>Chapter 27: Quidditch match officially kicks off</h4>


    In November, the weather in the Scottish Hignds became very cold.


    The mountains surrounding Hogwarts were shrouded in heavy gray clouds, their peaks covered with thick white snow. Theke was as cold and hard as a steel te. Every morning, the ground was covered with frost.


    In this season, the Quidditch season began.


    On the Quidditch pitch, Keeper Hagrid was wrapped in a long mole-skin coat, wearing rabbit-fur gloves and huge beaver-fur boots, tirelessly de-icing the brooms. Outside the pitch, the Quidditch team captain gathered the yers together, quietly exining their tactics.


    However, two Gryffindor Beaters were not attending to their captain''s speech or properly warming up before the match. Instead, they sneaked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office.


    At that moment, a pair of red-haired twins stood in front of Drac''s desk, staring intently at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, who was leaning back in his chair.


    "Professor, today is our first Quidditch match of the year; you muste and watch!" the twins said loudly.


    Drac nced out the window at the clear weather, smirked, and casually replied:


    "I''m not interested in Quidditch. You go and y. Good luck."


    "Professor!" Fred eximed, pping the desk. "Today''s match is about your forty Galleons, and your most admiring student, Harry, will also be ying. Aren''t you tempted?"


    Drac watched Fred''s desk-pping and the wine nearly falling off the edge of the desk, and then slightly raised his hand.


    Immediately, Fred began to float uncontrobly, rising to the top of the office and hanging from a chandelier.


    "Intending to damage the professor''s office property is a fitting punishment for you," Drac said casually, sipping the red wine that had moved to the edge of the desk.


    George nced at his brother hanging from the chandelier, discreetly pulled back his hand from the desk, and took a step back.


    "Professor, are you really so heartless?" George changed his tactic, starting to act dramatically.


    He knelt in front of Drac, sobbing, with tears and snot streaming, and spoke pitifully.


    "Poor Harry, who has lived with his harsh aunt since childhood and never met his parents, finally finds sce in a professor he admires in the magical world! A Quidditch match without you watching is iplete for Harry!"


    Drac''s mouth twitched as he looked at George''s exaggerated performance. Feeling that the words had reached such a level that not going seemed too cold-hearted...


    "Alright, stop crying. I see you''re working hard at your act," he interrupted George''s fake crying and said, "I will go and watch the match."


    Upon hearing Drac''s confirmation, George immediately dropped his sad expression and showed a surprised face. Fred, hanging from the chandelier, also gave him a thumbs-up.


    However, conceding was not Drac''s style, so he added:


    "But George Weasley''s mess in the professor''s office also needs to be punished."


    With that, Drac levitated George and hung him up next to Fred on the chandelier. The two red-haired boys, wearing the Gryffindor Quidditch team uniforms, hung side by side from the ceiling like two identical puppets.


    Drac then ignored the two pranksters, opened a pure ck sunshade, and walked out of his office, standing under the long-lost sunshine.


    The Weasley twins, relieved that the professor had left, sighed in relief and then exchanged knowing nces.


    "Wow, that was too close!" George eximed. "If not for my cleverness, we''d be done for! Why did we have to provoke Professor Drac?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous, George!" Fred retorted loudly. "Have you forgotten? We bet all our Galleons with Slytherin''s big spenders! If Harry doesn''t catch the Golden Snitch, we''ll bepletely bankrupt."


    As they were about to resume their usual bickering, they suddenly realized something was wrong.


    "Wait, we seem to be in trouble!" George abruptly interrupted Fred''s actions.


    "What''s wrong?" Fred asked, btedly realizing.


    "Wake up, Fred! We''re still hanging from the chandelier!!"


    ...


    In today''s Quidditch match, the Gryffindor team members were confident.


    They had a secret weapon¡ªHarry Potter!


    After weeks of training, Harry was about to participate in his first-ever match. This match was between Gryffindor and Slytherin. If Gryffindor won, their position in the House Cup standings would rise to second ce.


    As Gryffindor''s secret weapon, Wood decided to keep Harry''s participation a secret. Therefore, almost no one had seen Harry y Quidditch.


    However, the news that Harry would be the Seeker leaked out.


    Because of this, some of the Savior''s admirers came to tell him that he would y great, and some old Slytherin rivals said they would hold a mattress below him to catch him if he fell...


    Harry didn''t know which was worse and was unaware that the leak also involved the Weasley twins¡ª


    The twins, in order to get Slytherin''s big spenders to bet against them, had secretly revealed Harry Potter''s name and dered that Harry would catch the Golden Snitch in his first match, ending the game!


    Slytherin students were thrilled upon hearing this and didn''t think a first-year student who had only been training for two months could be a real secret weapon. They all bet that Harry would fall off his broom.


    As for the culprits, the Weasley twins arrived at the pitch in a rush just before the match.


    The two hung from Drac''s office chandelier for quite some time, until they remembered the Quidditch match and finally thought of using the Summoning Charm to call their brooms from the office door and then fly down from the chandelier on them.


    Fred and George undoubtedly received a stern reprimanding from Wood.


    Finally, amidst theughter of the Weasley brothers, Wood''s serious warnings and inspiring cheers, and the cheers of the spectators, Harry, along with Fred and George, walked out of the locker room and onto the roaring pitch.


    The Quidditch match was about to begin!

 Chapter 28 - 28 Out of control broom

    <h4>Chapter 28: Out of control broom</h4>


    Drac stood on a high tform at the edge of the Quidditch pitch, holding an umbre.


    His expression was one of aloofness, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the small witches and wizards around him.


    Out of respect for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, the young witches and wizards gave him plenty of space, crowding into the four corners of the stands, shivering in their ces.


    As the referee, Ms. Hooche, stood in the center of the pitch with her broomstick, waiting for the yers to take the field, Harry nced up at the stands. First, he saw arge banner waving above the crowd with "Potter for the Win" emzoned on it; then he spotted Professor Drac, standing alone and prominently under his umbre on the high tform.


    Drac nodded to Harry, who was dressed in gold and red Quidditch robes and standing on the pitch.


    Harry tightened his grip on his Firebolt 2000.


    The support from his Gryffindor friends and the encouragement from his professor filled him with excitement, making him feel he had the courage to defeat Slytherin!


    After a brief speech, Ms. Hooche blew her silver whistle, and in the next moment, fifteen brooms soared into the air, rising high into the sky.


    The match had begun.


    Soon after, Drac became quite bored.


    He had little interest in the witches and wizards zooming around on their brooms or the various winged balls flying about. These things were far slower than he was, and he found the experience of watching the match, unlike the excitement felt by the young witches and wizards, to be exceedingly dull.


    Moreover, it was a bright sunny day, and Drac struggled to maintain a good mood in such weather.


    He scanned the surrounding young witches and wizards, disinterestedly observing their continuous cheers and screams, and found the noise and vibration of the crowded stands irritating.


    Several times, he considered slipping away from the stands, but he noticed that Harry, the Seeker for Gryffindor, would asionally nce in his direction, seemingly hoping for his approval.


    So, in order not to disappoint his little fan, Drac stayed put, enduring the ufortable atmosphere.


    Just as he was about to give up and leave despite the young witches and wizards'' anticipation, he suddenly noticed a young wizard in yellow and ck robes sitting among a group of Hufflepuff badgers, asionally pulling out a pen and notebook to jot down notes while watching the match.


    This young wizard, Cedric Diggory, had a certain aristocratic quality that Drac found appealing, reminiscent of a vampire noble.


    Drac snapped his fingers and conjured arge bat. As soon as the bat appeared, it pped its wings and flew over to the adjacent stands, grabbing Cedric and bringing him over.


    Cedric was startled when a giant bat grabbed him with its ws.


    However, Drac''s Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons had not gone to waste; Cedric quickly drew his wand from his pocket, ready to cast a signal spell to alert the professors.


    But the bat soon deposited him on the neighboring stand and then vanished into the air.


    "Good morning, Mr. Diggory," a familiar voice said in Cedric''s ear.


    Drac made the umbre muchrger and nted it firmly on the ground, creating a shaded area on the stand.


    "Feel free to sit," he said, lying on a long bench he had just conjured, pointing to another chair and making small talk with Cedric, "I saw you were taking some notes earlier. What were you writing?"


    Seeing the "most fearsome professor at Hogwarts" so close, Cedric cast a helpless nce at his Quidditch teammates.


    However, his teammates, who were ready to rescue Cedric from the giant bat''s ws, turned away upon seeing Drac, as if they didn''t know Cedric.


    Even his prefect, Truman, gave him a look of helplessness, indicating he was on his own.


    "Good morning, Professor," Cedric had no choice but to face Drac alone and said bravely, "Actually, I''m the Seeker for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, and I''m observing how Potter ys as a Seeker."


    "What do you think of Potter''s skills?" Drac asked, seemingly uninterested.


    "Quite impressive for his age," Cedric responded.


    Just then, the two Seeker figures flew above them, and therge umbre blocked their view, making Cedric anxious.


    "Professor, it''s sunny today. Do you really need an umbre?" he couldn''t help but ask, "And aren''t you cold in just a thin robe?"


    "Not cold," Drac adjusted his red and ck cloak and casually replied, "Besides, I don''t like the sun. It''s quite normal to use an umbre in the sun, isn''t it?"


    As the conversation continued, Cedric began to rx and enjoyed chatting with Drac.


    However, the pleasant moment was short-lived, as an unexpected situation unfolded on the Quidditch pitch¡ª


    High above, Harry''s broomstick had started to behave erratically. The broom was twitching and twisting violently, gradually lifting him further away from the pitch.


    "What kind of tactic is this?" Cedric, sitting next to Drac, used his binocrs to look at Harry, puzzled, "Is it a new psychological tactic to deceive opponents?"


    Drac''s crimson eyes narrowed as he focused on the unfolding situation.


    Harry''s broom continued to roll and tumble uncontrobly, and he struggled to stay on it. Suddenly, the broom twisted again, throwing Harry off. He was now hanging in the air, holding onto the broomstick with just one hand.


    "Wait, this isn''t some Quidditch tactic. Potter''s broom is really malfunctioning!" Drac said with a frown.


    He immediately turned his gaze to Krum on the other stand.


    However, the development seemed unexpected¡ª


    Drac had assumed that Krum had long since aligned with Voldemort, and all his actions were meant to procure the magical stone Voldemort needed, even attacking Harry Potter to cause trouble for Voldemort.


    But as Harry struggled with his broom, Krum showed no sign of abnormal behavior.


    He was instead watching the match with great interest, showing no indication of using any spells.

 Chapter 29 - 29 Harry, Jeopardy!

    <h4>Chapter 29: Harry, Jeopardy!</h4>


    Drac frowned deeply, staring at Quirrell, who showed no signs of abnormal behavior.


    He couldn''t understand. Based on Quirrell''s previous behavior, it was almost certain that he was under Voldemort''s control. However, the person who wanted to eliminate Harry during the Quidditch match was not Quirrell.


    Could it be that even if the name that should not be mentioned could control more than one wizard, the dark lord was still capable of infiltrating Hogwarts Castle even in his weakened state?


    Drac quickly scanned the entire Quidditch pitch and soon noticed another person behaving unusually¡ª


    The head of Slytherin House, Severus Snape!


    At that moment, Snape was standing in the middle of one of the stands, his eyes fixed on Harry, and he was silently murmuring words.


    But Drac could tell that Snape was clearly not the one casting the jinx on Harry''s broomstick.


    Although Snape''s eyes were filled with disgust for Harry, his face showed an unmistakable mixture of anxiety and concern, which was veryplex.


    "Interesting, Snape is casting counter-spells to save the student he hates the most," Drac smirked.


    Seeing that Snape''s counter-spells were having a noticeable effect, and Harry was not falling off his broom immediately, Drac became quite interested in observing Snape and admired hisplex expression of disdain mixed with worry.


    Although Drac could see Snape''s intention, the other young witches and wizards did not have his insight.


    Harry''s close friend Hermione was very perceptive and soon noticed Snape''s murmuring. She concluded that he was the one casting the dark spell on Harry.


    Without hesitation, she ran down from the stand and quickly made her way to the stand where Snape was located.


    Hermione struggled through the crowd and reached Snape''s stand. She hurriedly moved along the row of seats behind him, even identally bumping into Professor Quirrell, who was watching themotion, causing him to fall forward into the seats in front.


    "Why... why the rush, Miss Granger?" Quirrell asked, stammering.


    "Sorry, Professor Quirrell, but I really don''t have time to exin right now!"


    After apologizing, Hermione didn''t stop her pace and made her way to Snape.


    With everyone''s attention focused on Harry struggling with his broom, she took the opportunity to crouch down, pull out her wand, and softly cast a few spells she had learned in her spare time.


    Bright blue mes shot from her wand and aimed at the hem of Snape''s robes.


    Hermione believed this was the most appropriate spell for the situation.


    The blue fire, which resembled bluebells, was not as dangerous as real fire. It could be touched, passed through, and would not cause burns, yet it could still burn materials like clothing and nts. Therefore, it would not harm innocent students and could be easily retracted, making it less likely to be noticed by Snape.


    After about thirty seconds, Snape, who was deeply engrossed in his spell, finally realized that his robes were on fire and had to momentarily shift his gaze away from Harry.


    Meanwhile, Hermione quickly gathered the bluebell mes from his robes, retracted them into her pocket, and hurriedly returned along the row of seats¡ªshe was sure that Snape would never know what had happened.


    However, just as Snape looked away, the counter-spell he had maintained stopped working. The brand-new Firebolt 2000 lost control entirely and suddenly threw Harry off the broom!


    The entire audience stood up, watching in shock as Harry plummeted rapidly.


    Hermione gasped and covered her mouth, looking at Snape and noticing an expression of panic on his face¡ªa look that had never been seen on Snape before!


    Snape, in a panic, drew his wand from his sleeve, trying to use a slowing charm to save Harry. Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall also promptly drew her wand and cast the slowing charm¡ª


    "Arresto Momentum."


    In the next moment, both professors were astonished.


    Their slowing charms failed!


    With their level of magical skill, Snape and McGonagall had not encountered a failure of spells for years. Now, in this critical moment with Harry about to fall, their slowing charms suddenly failed, presenting a life-or-death challenge for the young savior!


    Harry was in danger!


    ...


    On the other side, the Weasley twins from Gryffindor were desperately trying to save Harry.


    As soon as Harry''s broom began to behave erratically, the twins tried to pull Harry onto one of their brooms but were unsessful¡ªevery time they got close, the broom would shoot higher.


    After their failure, they no longer cared about the oue of the Quidditch match or their bet with Slytherin. They frantically flew towards the conspicuous ck umbre on the stand.


    "Professor, can you save Harry? I know you can!"


    "Yes, you''re Harry''s favorite professor, don''t let him down!"


    They flew to the stand where Drac was and shouted anxiously.


    Cedric under the umbre also looked up at him hopefully.


    "What, do you think I''m the type to stand by and do nothing?" Drac chuckled lightly.


    Seeing the smile on his face, the three young witches and wizards instinctively sighed with relief.


    Watching Harry still plummeting rapidly, Drac was somewhat surprised by the malfunctioning spells of McGonagall and Snape, and he snapped his fingers.


    Arge bat, identical to the one that caught Cedric, flew out from under the umbre and, with a few ps, reached beneath Harry.


    Therge bat gently caught Harry''s falling body, smoothly tracing an arc downward and cing him gently on the soft Quidditch pitch grass.


    In the sky, Madam Hooch also flew on her broom and retrieved Harry''s Firebolt 2000 before it hit the ground.


    Shended, preparing to take it back for a thorough inspection.


    "Are you okay, Harry?" Madam Hooch asked, looking at Harry, who was covering his mouth as if about to vomit, with concern. "Oh, poor child, such a thing happening on your first match."


    "Don''t worry, child, the goals scored by Slytherin while your broom was malfunctioning won''t count. You can have another match next time."


    Saying this, Madam Hooch pointed her wand at her throat and amplified the referee''s voice throughout the stadium¡ª


    "I dere today''s match a..."


    "Wait, Madam Hooch!"


    Harry finally managed to vomit and interrupted Madam Hooch''s announcement in time.


    "I caught the Snitch!" he shouted, waving the ball high over his head.


    The match ended amid cheers from Gryffindor and protests from Slytherin. With the referee''s approval, Gryffindor emerged victorious!


    ...


    In the chaos, in a corner where no one could see, a young wizard with ck hair, handsome yet sinister, quietly left the Quidditch pitch.


    He held a nk notebook, and the two ink-written words gradually faded¡ª


    "Fiem."

 Chapter 30 - 30 The Mysterious Brunette Boy

    <h4>Chapter 30: The Mysterious Brte Boy</h4>


    Outside the chaotic Quidditch stadium, the mysterious ck-haired boy walked slowly towards Hogwarts Castle.


    Suddenly, his gaze flickered, as if sensing something. Instantly, his figure became transparent and disappeared into the air.


    The nk diary he was holding fell to the ground, nowpletely still, as if it were just an ordinary notebook forgotten by a young wizard.


    Drac, holding an umbre, silently appeared near the spot where the ck-haired boy had vanished.


    His wine-red eyes scanned the area. When his gaze briefly lingered on the fallen diary, he noticed it was just an ordinary notebook and then nonchntly looked away.


    "Strange, there should have been some unusual magical fluctuations here just now," Drac said, puzzled.


    At that moment, a group of lively Gryffindor lions, dressed in gold and red uniforms, came running with their brooms.


    They surrounded Harry, who had just achieved a great victory, and excitedly waved at Drac. Harry''s two friends, Ron and Hermione, followed beside the group.


    "Professor, thank you so much!" Wood, the Quidditch team captain, was the first to suppress his awe of Drac and stepped forward to express his gratitude.


    Harry also squeezed out from the crowd, looking at his idol, Professor Drac, unsure of how to speak.


    "Professor, you saved Harry''s life!" Hermione, his good friend, was the first to speak up, feeling guilty. "Because of my mistake in judgment, I interrupted Professor Snape''s counter-curse and almost got Harry killed. If it weren''t for your bat, I''d probably me myself for the rest of my life..."


    "Yes, Professor!" Ron eagerly agreed, "That big bat of yours was amazing! When can you teach us that in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"


    "I''m being serious, Ron!" Hermione shot him a re.


    "Do you all want to learn?" Drac withdrew his gaze from scanning the surroundings and looked with interest at Ron and the Gryffindor wizards.


    The little lions quickly nodded.


    "Of course, I can teach you," Drac said.


    But before they could show their excitement, he shed a mischievous smile. "However, you''ll have to wait until you''ve all achieved an ''O'' (Outstanding) in your Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Care of Magical Creatures sses before you''ll be able to learn this spell."


    Upon hearing this, the eager Gryffindors suddenly looked dejected.


    As new students, Harry and Ron looked around, bewildered, not understanding what the "O" meant.


    "You might not know what ''O'' stands for," Fred said, seeing their confused expressions. He leaned in, or rather, leaned towards Harry, and said, "Harry, you know Percy, right? Look at him, he''s almost gone mad just trying to get as many ''O''s as he can."


    "And he might not even get them!" George added, leaning in front of Harry.


    Harry thought of Percy rushing to the library every time ss ended, with no time for rest, and couldn''t help but shiver.


    "Hey! I''m your brother!" Ronined, looking at the backs of his two older brothers.


    The Weasley twins exchanged nces and didn''t seem inclined to exin further.


    Drac, standing under his umbre, watched with amusement as theyined, feeling that his role as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was not in vain. Just tormenting young wizards brought him considerable enjoyment.


    "Alright, congrattions on winning the match," he said dismissively and then walked off, still holding his umbre, towards his office.


    He really didn''t want to be in the sun anymore!


    ...


    After Drac and the young wizards left, the seemingly ordinary nk diary that had fallen to the ground suddenly underwent a change¡ª


    Ink began to seep out of the diary, gradually forming into a pitch-ck humanoid shape, which then morphed into a fully colored human form.


    A tall, ck-haired boy appeared next to the diary, bent down, and picked it up.


    The boy looked very young, no more than sixteen years old. His features were blurred, and he emitted a strange, misty glow, as if viewed through a foggy window.


    "Using my own Horcrux to manifest a body is really unpleasant," the boy said, standing upright with the diary in hand. His expression carried a hint of malevolence.


    In the next moment, the diary opened by itself to a nk page.


    Ink traces began to appear on the paper, gradually forming into a sentence¡ª


    "You cannot just take my things!"


    The writing was elegant but appeared somewhat twisted and disordered, expressing deep dissatisfaction with the boy''s actions.


    "Of course I can," the boy replied with a grim smile. "I am your past, present, and future. Your things are my things."


    "And I am everything to you!"


    He forcefully closed the diary and headed straight towards Hogwarts Castle.


    ...


    The events at the Quidditch match had heightened the vignce of Hogwarts professors.


    Professor McGonagall organized a thorough search, meticulously patrolling all areas of the castle and conducting strict checks on staff and faculty, hoping to find the wizard who used the dispelling spell to negate the effects of her and Snape''s slowing charms.


    In the professors'' lounge, all the staff had been screened, and since they were all known employees, there were no apparent issues. Drac, who had recently started teaching, was vouched for by Dumbledore. The only suspect left was Quirrell, who persistently refused to remove his turban.


    "Professor Quirrell, are you really not willing to take off your turban?" Drac asked, reclining on the sofa in the professors'' lounge, his legs crossed.


    Although it was confirmed that Quirrell was not the one who had cursed Harry''s broom, Drac knew he had many secrets. So, he took this opportunity to try to uncover some of them.


    "Professor... Professor Drac, I... I really can''t take off my turban," Quirrell stammered.


    "So you''re refusing to cooperate with Hogwarts?" Drac raised an eyebrow.


    "No... that''s not it," Quirrell blushed, looking unsure of what to say.


    "It''s just a turban, it won''t make your head fall off," Drac said with a faint smile. "Unless there''s something else hidden under your turban?"


    Quirrell looked distressed, bit his lip, and resolutely reached for his turban.

 Chapter 31 - 31 Chilo cleared?

    <h4>Chapter 31: Chilo cleared?</h4>


    Quirrell shut his eyes tightly, clutching the corner of the purple turban with a resolute, fearless expression, and then yanked it off sharply¡ª


    The entire turban was ripped off and thrown to the ground with a whoosh.


    Quirrell''s bald head was exposed, looking strangely small andpletely hairless.


    Drac looked at his egg-shaped bald head with distaste and furrowed his brow, saying:


    "Stop fooling around, turn around."


    Quirrell slowly turned around, presenting the back of his head to the professors.


    The professors were all stunned.


    Professor Sprout quickly covered her eyes, leaving a clear red mark on her forehead from the swift gesture; Snape''s mouth and eyes twitched, his facial features twisted into a grimace; Professor Flitwick, who was eating, vomited upon seeing Quirrell''s scalp...


    Drac, most directly affected, lifted his hand in disgust and pped the air, hitting Quirrell''s head. Quirrell spun around a few times and then crashed heavily to the ground, creating arge dent in the floor of the professors'' lounge, embedding his head into the floor.


    It turned out that behind Quirrell''s head were three very grotesque scars¡ªtwo on the top and one on the bottom¡ªforming a grotesque, eerie face when put together!


    This ugly face disgusted the professors profoundly, making them lose their appetite for days.


    ...


    Despite being unwilling to believe it, Professor McGonagall, as the impartial Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, had to admit that although Quirrell''s scars were hideous, there was indeed nothing else under the turban.


    So now the viins were the professors.


    They had acted like a group of ruthless bullies, cornering the weak Quirrell and stripping him of hisst shred of decency...


    "Are you... satisfied now?" With his head embedded in the floor, the pitiful Quirrell sobbed, "I... I always used my turban to hide these unsightly scars because I was afraid... afraid that you and the students would dislike me. If... ifughing at me makes you happy, then... then I ept it..."


    Moved by Quirrell''s pitiable speech, Professors McGonagall and Sprout were both touched.


    Professor Sprout said with a sigh, "Oh, poor Professor Quirrell, it''s our fault for uncovering your wounds."


    "Don''t worry, Quirrell, Hogwarts will never wrong a good person!" Professor McGonagall alsoforted him.


    After much gratitude, Quirrell carefully pulled his head out of the floor and limped away from the professors'' lounge, holding his head.


    After Quirrell left, Snape looked at Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout with an unfriendly expression.


    "Because of your kindness, ourst clue has been destroyed," he said slowly, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.


    "Oh, don''t say that, Severus," seeing the twodies'' unhappy expressions, Professor Flitwick quickly stood on a table, straining to block the view from both sides, "Minerva and Pomona only didn''t want to wrong a good person. I think Professor Quirrell is also quite pitiable, why not observe him further?"


    "Sentimental women," Snape scoffed.


    He then swung his long cloak and left the professors'' lounge with a bat-like stride.


    "Severus really has no manners," Professor McGonagall was furious and nearly chased after him to show him what it meant for a woman to hold up half the sky!


    Kind-hearted Professor Sprout quickly grabbed Professor McGonagall''s arm, "Minerva, let it go, it''s not worth it. You know Severus has always been like this..."


    Following this unpleasant episode, the professors dispersed unhappily.


    Drac stayed behind.


    He walked slowly to the pit in the ground, gazing at the purple turban that Quirrell had forgotten to take away, deep in thought.


    The turban still faintly emitted a trace of cheap perfume, but it was already very faint, detectable only by a vampire''s sensitive sense of smell.


    Drac hadn''t noticed it before, but it suddenly urred to him that he hadn''t smelled the strong perfume on Quirrell for some time. This might also be why the professors hadn''t been too averse to Quirrell today.


    If Quirrell hade to the professors'' lounge reeking of perfume as before, instead of feeling pity, Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout would probably have been the first to drive him back to his office, unable to tolerate such a walking biochemical weapon!


    Recalling all of Quirrell''s unusual behaviors, Drac gradually pieced together a vague truth.


    From the first time he saw Quirrell, Quirrell had been using various strong smells to cover another scent on him.


    Initially, it was the smell of garlic, which Drac found extremely unpleasant, and thus ordered Quirrell to remove it.


    Later, Quirrell switched to the stench of troll''s socks and toilets. The troll''s odor could make a normal person vomit, yet Quirrell could carry such a smell and live normally for an entire day. In this regard, he was indeed a tough guy.


    Finally, Quirrell removed the troll smell, leaving only the strong scent of cheap perfume.


    Because the perfume smell seemed somewhat normal, Hogwarts had not prohibited it, so Quirrell was able to get away with it for most of the semester.


    As Christmas approached, the professors were overwhelmed with work and no longer paid much attention to the man who sprayed perfume every day.


    Drac continued to think,


    It seemed that the perfume smell on Quirrell started to gradually dissipate right before Harry''s first Quidditch match.


    With this thought, Drac took out the Hogwarts deed from his pocket and looked at a small room surrounded by deep protective enchantments, invisible to the deed.


    That was Quirrell''s office.


    "Interesting."


    Drac smirked slightly and vanished from his spot.


    ...


    In Quirrell''s office, the bald man knelt respectfully, holding a diary and cing it on the desk in front of him.


    "I''ve finally cleared my name, Master!" he trembled and said excitedly, "Master, rest assured, I will definitely help you get the Philosopher''s Stone!"


    A misty shadow of a ck-haired boy appeared above the diary.


    He nodded slowly at Quirrell, a dark smile appearing on his face.

 Chapter 32 - 32 Snape’s scepticism

    <h4>Chapter 32: Snape''s scepticism</h4>


    "Knock, knock, knock."


    Just as the ck-haired youth wasughing happily, a sudden knocking sound came from outside Quirrell''s office.


    His smile froze, and he was startled, immediately transforming into a ssh of ink that fell back onto the nk diary like raindrops.


    "Knock, knock, knock." The knocking sound came again.


    Quirrell hurriedly shoved the diary into a drawer and locked it before cautiously undoing a soundproofing spell and stammering towards the door, "Who''s... who''s out there?"


    "It''s me." Drac''s distinctive, rich voice came from outside the door. "I may have been a bit rough earlier, so I came to see if I could help with your scar and make some amends."


    Upon hearing Drac''s voice, Quirrell jolted.


    ''It''s you I''m afraid of!'' he thought with frustration.


    However, Quirrell, who had just cleared his suspicion in front of the professors, had no excuse to avoid opening the door. Thus, he nervously checked every corner of the room to ensure no incriminating evidence was left behind before opening the door.


    Drac stepped into the office as soon as the door was opened, surveying Quirrell''s room with a keen eye.


    "Why did it take so long to open the door? Were you doing something unsavory in here?" Not finding anything unusual in the room, Drac turned his gaze to Quirrell, with a half-smile.


    "No... no, I was just... suddenly having a headache," Quirrell stammered.


    "Ah, it''s my fault for being too rough earlier," Drac sighed and pretended to apologize, "Professor Quirrell, you''ve worked hard grading assignments and organizing teaching materials for me, yet I spoke harshly to you out of suspicion and even embedded your head in the floor."


    Quirrell''s eyes twitched involuntarily, but he still forced a smile and said, "Professor Drac, I know you did it for Hogwarts, it''s nothing for me to endure some grievances."


    "No! If Professor Quirrell can be so understanding, then I must avoid being the kind of person who doesn''t correct mistakes and fails to maintain colleague rtionships!" Drac said with righteous indignation, "I must find a way topletely resolve the scars troubling the back of your head!"


    "No... no need, I''m fine," Quirrell shook his head repeatedly.


    "Can I take that as a refusal of my good intentions, Professor Quirrell?" Drac asked gently, though the atmosphere in Quirrell''s office grew colder and more severe.


    Quirrell, trembling, quickly changed his head-shaking to nodding.


    "Then... then thank you, Professor Drac," he said unwillingly.


    Drac gave a faint smile and moved to stand behind Quirrell, and the office finally returned to its original temperature.


    "May I ask, Professor Quirrell, how did these three scars on the back of your heade about?" Drac asked casually, looking at the ugly, grotesque scars.


    With a dark wizard he greatly respected standing right behind him, Quirrell felt extremely ufortable. Trembling, he recounted the excuse he had used before:


    "I... I mentioned before that I encountered a vampire in Romania. You know I fought with... with it, and the vicious vampire left these three... three w marks on my head, which just won''t go away..."


    Upon hearing Quirrell''s exnation, Drac finally chuckled.


    He was well aware of the kinds of wounds vampires could leave and could tell at a nce that the scars on Quirrell''s head were not caused by a vampire.


    Vampires typically do not use clumsy attacks like wing at the head; they prefer the area where the shoulder and neck meet because it is the most convenient ce to lower their heads to feed.


    Clearly, Quirrell was lying again to cover up some other unknown truth!


    Having learned what he wanted to know, Drac lost interest in Quirrell''s ugly head scars, disdainfully distancing himself and walking towards the office door.


    "Professor... Professor Drac, are you not going to help... check the scars?" Quirrell asked in surprise, looking at Drac who had already reached the door.


    "I''m not looking anymore," Drac waved his hand, "Sorry, Professor Quirrell, I really can''t help with this!"


    With that, he left Quirrell''s office.


    Quirrell: "?"


    Just under a minute of observation and dering himself powerless, was he being even more perfunctory?


    ...


    Drac ascended the marble staircase of the castle''s main tower to the second floor, intending to return to his office via the Dark Arts ssroom.


    However, upon reaching the ssroom, he found another person silently standing at the podium, waiting for him.


    The ssroom was pitch ck, and the figure was d in arge ck cloak, resembling an erged bat.


    "Professor Snape, what a coincidence?" Drac raised an eyebrow and greeted the figure at the podium.


    Snape''s face was stern as he fixed his deep ck eyes on him.


    "It''s no coincidence. I''m waiting for you."


    Snape dragged out his words and said slowly, "Before we start our discussion, I''d like to ask where you''ve been, Professor Drac?"


    "Where I go doesn''t seem to concern you, Professor Snape?" Drac chuckled lightly.


    "It doesn''t matter if you don''t say, I''ll guess you went to find Quirrell, right?" Snape''s lips curled into a sharp smile.


    Drac was genuinely surprised. He hadn''t noticed anyone following him and didn''t think Snape could guess what he was doing with Quirrell.


    So he turned his gaze to Snape, observing his hooked nose and uneven teeth, crossing his arms to indicate that Snape should continue.


    "You and Quirrell are working together, aren''t you?" Snape said coldly with a sneer, then asked.


    Snape''s question left Drac stunned, his eyes wide in surprise.


    "You don''t need toe up with excuses. I''ll exin it all for you." Snape continued, "Not to mention that having a top wizard like you teaching Dark Arts is itself suspicious unless you know there''s something extremely valuable here."


    "Even disregarding that, you brought a teaching assistant who has recently frequented many secret ces, even venturing into the restricted corridor on the right side of the fourth floor."


    "He seems very interested in the treasure in that checkpoint and might attempt to breach it at any time. Can you honestly say all this is not at your behest?"


    "Maybe," Drac shrugged nonchntly, then asked with interest, "So, what do you want?"


    Snape gritted his teeth and slowly raised his wand.

 Chapter 33 - 33 Uncharacteristically

    <h4>Chapter 33: Uncharacteristically</h4>


    Drac crossed his arms and looked at the wand raised by Snape with a yful expression.


    "Are you nning to take me on, Professor Snape?" he asked with a lightugh.


    Snape ignored him and solemnly held his wand upright in front of him, staring intently at Drac.


    The standard pose for initiating a duel.


    Seeing this, Drac also dropped his yful expression and a hint of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.


    "A wizard duel? It''s indeed a long-forgotten formality."


    He then drew out his eerie wooden wand, holding it upright in front of him.


    In the bowing ritual before the duel, Snape was somewhat perfunctory, merely bending slightly at the waist, while Drac was even more casual, just lowering his head before the duel between the Hogwarts professors began.


    "Expelliarmus!"


    Snape was the first to cast his spell.


    A bright red light illuminated the dark Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, making Drac''s wine-red eyes look as red as blood.


    Drac lifted his wand and casually deflected the disarming charm to the side, letting it smash the tables and chairs around him into pieces.


    As the red light faded, the ssroom returned to its dim state.


    "Don''t test me, your abilities should be more than this," Drac provocatively said to Snape.


    Snape didn''t respond. Instead, he continuously changed his attack direction, flicking his wand to send one mundane spell after another towards Drac.


    Petrification spells, stunning spells, disarming charms... These basic spells, which hadn''t changed much over the centuries, were constantly shot from the tip of Snape''s wand and were effortlessly deflected by Drac, like a smooth-flowing stream, without any pause.


    Faced with these basic spells, Drac''s expression grew increasingly impatient. In the end, he couldn''t even be bothered to use his wand, simply catching the ordinary spells with his hand.


    "Is that all you know? If your next attack is still so boring, then let''s end this duel."


    Drac raised his wand. Behind him, a dark-colored moon seemed to rise, casting an ethereal glow on his silver hair.


    Next, a crescent-shaped de of light silently shot towards Snape from the moonlight.


    The ssroom was silent, but the crescent''s speed was so fast it was almost impossible to see!


    Instinctively, Snape cast a Shield Charm, cing a transparent barrier in front of him, and pointed his wand forward¡ª


    "Sectumsempra!"


    The next moment, the crescent de collided with the Shield Charm, instantly shattering it. Snape was thrown back along with the barrier, knocking over countless tables before crashing heavily into the back door of the ssroom.


    At the final moment, the hidden ripple Snape had cast flew towards Drac.


    Drac''s eyes shifted slightly, showing a hint of curiosity at this unfamiliar spell. He lifted his hand, trying to catch the invisible ripple in his palm.


    With a heavy thud, the door emitted a muffled sound, and Snape fell to the ground, his face turning extremely pale.


    Meanwhile, Drac''s slender hand reflexively contracted.


    He nced down at his palm¡ªat this moment, a straight, narrow line of bright red blood was clearly visible!


    The bloodline was healing, but unlike the efficient healing speed typical for vampires, it was contracting slowly, like a slowly burning fuse or a water mark gradually evaporating under the sun.


    "An interesting spell, did you create it yourself?" Drac asked, his eyes moving away from his hand with a light smile.


    "None of your concern," Snape said weakly, leaning against the ssroom door with his hand on a wound at his waist.


    Drac was not at all offended. Smiling, he stepped over the wreckage of tables and chairs, walking slowly towards Snape.


    "Professor Snape, I always thought you were the epitome of a Slytherin, not someone impulsive." He reached Snape''s side, crouching down, with a gentle white light glowing in his hand. "In any case, the most beneficial approach for you would not be toe alone to duel with me, especially without knowing my background."


    Snape was about to retort, but then he was astonished to find that the wound on his waist, inflicted by Drac''s crescent de, was healing at an exaggerated speed.


    "I''d say, after your doubts about me, you should have reported to the Headmaster. That would have been more in line with Szar Slytherin''s self-serving style," Drac continued. "But since you came to me in the end, it means Headmaster Dumbledore trusts me and does not agree with your deductions."


    Snape remained silent.


    "So another issue arises. Even if the Headmaster denies your deductions, it''s unlikely you would recklesslye to duel with me. Professor Snape, surely you''re not as idle as I am, looking for some excitement, are you?"


    In a moment, Snape''s wound hadpletely healed. If not for therge tear in his wizard robe, it would have been impossible to tell he had ever had a serious wound on his waist.


    "You''re overthinking it. I''m just trying to regain some face after the embarrassment at the hall entrance," Snape said coldly.


    He swung his sleeve heavily and stood up from the floor, showing no gratitude for Drac''s treatment.


    Drac was half-crouched on the ground and happened to nce up just as Snape was swinging his sleeve. He vaguely saw a tattoo on Snape''s left wrist... it seemed to be a pattern?


    Using his excellent night vision and memory, Drac recognized the tattoo''s design¡ªa grotesque skull with a snake emerging from its mouth like a long tongue.


    ''Is this... the Dark Mark?'' Drac was taken aback.


    He had seen this symbol in the newspapers LeMay collected over the decades.


    Drac then recalled Snape''s recent behavior, which was uncharacteristic of Slytherins, and his expression brightened with realization.


    In the darkness, Snape didn''t notice Drac''s change in expression.


    After standing up, he numbly walked towards the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, involuntarily recalling the scene from twenty minutes ago when he was talking with Dumbledore in the Headmaster''s office...

 Chapter 34 - 34 Antecedents to the duel

    <h4>Chapter 34: Antecedents to the duel</h4>


    Twenty minutes ago, in the Headmaster''s office on the eighth floor of the main tower:


    "Severus, are you suspecting that Professor Drac instructed Quirrell to steal the Philosopher''s Stone?" Dumbledore asked with interest, chewing on a piece of honeyduke''s soft candy.


    "Yes, among all the professors at Hogwarts, only Drac is new here, and even Quirrell has taught Muggle Studies at Hogwarts for quite some time. So we know nothing about his background," Snape said seriously. "Moreover, just before the school term began, I had a brief mental sh with Drac at the entrance to the Great Hall, and I could sense his power. Therefore, I am certain he has the ability to steal the Philosopher''s Stone!"


    "You observe things very carefully, Severus," Dumbledore said with a smile, nodding and handing a candy to Snape.


    "No, you keep those for yourself," Snape said coldly.


    Dumbledore, unperturbed, popped the candy back into his mouth and said vaguely:


    "Severus, I can only tell you one thing about Professor Drac¡ªhe has no motive to steal the Philosopher''s Stone and is someone we can absolutely trust. Rest assured."


    "But I saw Quirrell enter the fourth-floor forbidden corridor with my own eyes!" Snape said reluctantly. "If it wasn''t Drac''s orders, could it be that Quirrell, who can''t even speak properly, wanted to steal the Philosopher''s Stone right under the nose of the most powerful wizard?"


    Dumbledore stood up, walked around the desk, and approached Snape.


    "Sometimes we cannot only look at the surface of things, Severus," he said to Snape. "What if Quirrell''s primary purpose ining to Hogwarts was indeed to get the Philosopher''s Stone? He could have been pretending to be a coward from start to finish to make everyone lower their guard."


    Snape frowned deeply and turned to Dumbledore, asking:


    "Have you confirmed that Quirrell is the one coveting the Philosopher''s Stone? If so, why not expel him from the school directly?"


    Dumbledore shook his head, sighed deeply, and said, "There''s no such thing as a thousand days of being a thief with a thousand days of being a guard. The best approach is not to expel Quirrell but topletely eliminate this hidden danger."


    "Severus, you know I''ve told you¡ªThe Dark Lord will return, and when he does, Harry Potter will face terrible danger."


    Hearing Dumbledore''s words, Snape''s pupils widened, and his face turned pale.


    "You mean..."


    "Yes, Quirrell has been controlled by the Dark Lord. He came to Hogwarts to help his master steal the Philosopher''s Stone."


    Dumbledore''s gaze was sharp, fixed on Snape.


    "Shouldn''t we expel Quirrell then? The Dark Lord will bring danger to this school!" Snape questioned. Then his eyes widened, "Do you n to use the Philosopher''s Stone as bait to lure the Dark Lord? So you made the defenses so easy to allow someone to stop him? Is it Potter, right?!"


    Snape stepped forward, ring intensely at the sharp eyes behind Dumbledore''s sses.


    "Are you worried about that boy?" Dumbledore asked.


    "I''m not!" Snape roared. "He''s as mediocre and arrogant as his father, loves breaking rules, showing off, attracting attention, and being insolent! How could I worry about such a vile little brat?"


    "What you see is only what you expect to see, Severus," Dumbledore said with a lightugh. "And you did very well before, didn''t you? Reciting the counter-curse during the Quidditch match."


    A momentary look of embarrassment crossed Snape''s face, then his expression became indifferent.


    "Tell me, what should I do?"


    "Have a fight with Professor Drac, using your suspicions about him as an excuse," Dumbledore said softly.


    "Professor Drac has already made an enemy of the Dark Lord. The worse your rtionship with him, the easier it will be to gain the Dark Lord''s trust when you return to his side as an undercover agent..."


    ---


    As Snape walked toward the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, he reyed the events in the headmaster''s office in his mind.


    The door creaked open before him.


    An older, tall, and thin witch appeared at the door, followed by arge group of professors from various subjects.


    "Well, well! I never expected that two professors would fight privately in our ssroom!" Professor McGonagall said with tightly pursed lips and a rapidly rising chest, clearly very angry. "Do you know that the noise from your fight was heard throughout the entire castle?! What kind of example are you setting for the students? Are you encouraging them to duel privately?!"


    She seemed to vent her anger by waving her wand heavily, lighting up the oilmps and candles in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, which instantly became brightly lit.


    The next moment, Professor McGonagall saw the ssroom''s desks and chairs smashed into pieces. Her anger intensified, and she almost became ill from it.


    "You two will be given a disciplinary warning!" Professor McGonagall said with clenched fists, angrily scolding Drac and Snape. "If there is no improvement within a year, I will expel you, even if you are a head of house!"


    Snape shrugged indifferently, seemingly unconcerned about the warning.


    He just nced sideways at Quirrell, who was huddled among the group of professors. Seeing that Quirrell was indeed looking in this direction, Snape feigned anger and cast a resentful nce at Drac, as if there was a deep-seated hatred between the two.


    Drac sensed Snape''s malicious gaze and felt somewhat confused but was not one to back down easily, so he red back fiercely.


    Seeing the mutual res between the two, Quirrell secretly took out a nk diary and wrote:


    "Professor Drac and Professor Snape have a very poor rtionship!"


    After ring back at Snape, Drac said calmly to Professor McGonagall, "Sorry, Professor McGonagall. I have objections to the disciplinary warning and need to appeal to the headmaster."


    Professor McGonagall and Drac went to the headmaster''s office together.


    Dumbledore was reading a book titled "Transfiguration Today" and listened to Professor McGonagall recount Drac''s "offenses" without looking up.


    "Well... Minerva, considering it''s Professor Drac''s first offense, maybe we should not impose a punishment for now?" Dumbledore said with some resignation as he heard Drac''s name.


    It wasn''t that he didn''t respect Professor McGonagall''s opinion, but simply because Drac was holding Hogwarts'' deeds!

 Chapter 35 - 35 Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons that do not take place in the classroom

    <h4>Chapter 35: Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons that do not take ce in the ssroom</h4>


    Drac ultimately did not face any punishment of being ced on probation.


    In contrast, Snape, the Head of Slytherin House and a senior professor of Potions, was given a probationary sentence by Professor McGonagall for instigating a duel between professors. Additionally, his sry was docked for six months.


    ording to the gossipy old professor, Kettleburn, it seemed that Professor McGonagall had been wanting to do this for a long time but had been waiting for the right opportunity.


    As Head of Slytherin House, Snape had a long history of bias against Gryffindor House. He never deducted points from his own house and had a "habit" of deducting points from Gryffindor. This had caused Gryffindor to be at the bottom of the point standings for several years.


    Professor McGonagall was seething with frustration but had refrained from acting out to maintain her impartiality as Deputy Headmistress.


    Now that she finally had a reason to act against Snape, how could she not take full advantage?


    However, Snape was actually quite innocent in this situation.


    He had never intended to fight with Drac. The idea to do so hade entirely from Dumbledore, and it had resulted in him getting a good beating.


    As the primary culprit, the old headmaster could only shrug his shoulders.


    If the grandndlord of Hogwarts was untouchable, then the diligent Snape would have to y the scapegoat...


    ...


    November passed quietly, the weather grew colder, and Christmas approached.


    One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts students awoke to find several feet of snow covering everything and theke frozen solid.


    The Weasley twins faced punishment from Professor McGonagall for magically enhancing some snowballs to chase Professor Quirrell around, eventually pelting him in the back of his purple turban.


    Quirrell, hit by the snowballs, fell face-first into the snow, looking extremely disheveled, far from the dignified appearance one would expect of an assistant professor.


    However, he inwardly sighed in relief.


    Since Voldemort obtained the diary Horcrux, the weakened fragment of his soul that had been inhabiting Quirrell had abandoned him and taken residence in the diary. Now, Quirrell wore the turban not for Voldemort, but simply to cover the ugly scar on the back of his head.


    Quirrell pulled his arm from the snow, touched the back of his head, and privately thanked his luck that Voldemort had shifted his focus. If he had been struck by the twins'' snowballs, Voldemort, feeling humiliated, would surely have taken it out on Quirrell, making his life miserable.


    However, before Quirrell could get up from the snow, he suddenly trembled.


    As if remembering something, he hastily stood up. Seeing the diary soaked through with snowwater, Quirrell''s face contorted with extreme frustration and sadness...


    ...


    Outside the castle, heavy snow continued to fall, while inside each ssroom, roaring fires kept the air pleasantly warm. In such an environment, students yawned one after another.


    Drac, holding his textbook, frowned as he watched the yawning little witches and wizards below the podium.


    "What''s the matter, Weasley?!" he suddenly raised his voice and shouted.


    The twins, startled by the sudden outburst, jumped up.


    "Uh, report, Professor, we didn''t do anything!" they said in unison.


    "Then exin, why are you two so tired that you dare to sleep in my ss?" Drac asked with a cold smile.


    "Professor, we were in detention with Professor McGonagall until curfew yesterday, and then we had to finish the homework you assigned," Fred began toin to Drac. "We only slept for three hoursst night and just can''t hold on anymore..."


    "What mischief did you two get into?" Drac asked with growing interest. "It seems like Professor McGonagall puts you in detention every two days."


    George peeked at Drac''s expression and saw that he seemed in a good mood. He then spoke up, "Professor, don''t you know? We threw snowballs at Professor Quirrell''s head!"


    After saying this, the twins exchanged a proud nce and puffed out their chests.


    Drac looked at Fred and George''s smug expressions and couldn''t help but shake his head with a smile.


    As he shook his head, his gaze inadvertently fell outside the window. Seeing the falling snow, an amusing idea sprang to mind.


    "Well then, given how tired everyone seems in this weather," Drac said with a mischievous grin, "let''s learn something different today."


    With that, he walked to the window of the Dark Arts ssroom and pushed it open.


    The cold wind rushed into the ssroom, immediately jolting the drowsy students awake.


    "Today''s lesson will take ce on thewn outside the castle," Drac announced. "To save time, everyone jump out the window with me. Don''t worry, I''ll catch you!"


    He was the first to jump out the window with practiced ease, leaving the students in awe.


    For Drac, the second-floor Dark Arts ssroom was still too low. Hended gracefully on the thickyer of snow-coveredwn without using any magic.


    "You cane down now!" Drac shouted from the soft snow below.


    Fred and George, seeing Drac''s show of skill, were instantly wide awake. They rushed to the window, ready to follow the professor''s lead.


    Lee Jordan, with his dark skin, was scared and quickly grabbed the hoods of their robes, nervously saying:


    "Hey, aren''t you two worried about getting hurt? What if Professor Drac doesn''t catch you?"


    "Oh, are our little baby Lee Jordan scared?" Fred teased with a grin. "Don''t worry, sweetie. Falling from the second floor is just a couple of days in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey will fix you up!"


    Before he finished speaking, Fred jumped out the window.


    George, seeing Lee Jordan still trembling and panicked, patted his shoulder:


    "Lee, don''t worry. Professor Drac can catch even Harry Potter falling from a height, so he''ll definitely catch us jumping from the second floor."


    With that, he let out a yell, put his arm around Lee Jordan''s shoulder, and dragged him to the window.


    Amidst Lee''s screams, the two jumped out together.

 Chapter 36 - 36 Practical Course

    <h4>Chapter 36: Practical Course</h4>


    George and Lee Jordan tangled together and jumped down.


    George wasughing excitedly, while Lee was clinging to George, screaming in terror.


    Just before they hit the ground, arge bat appeared beneath them, gently catching them and depositing them on the snow.


    Fred, who had arrived first, walked over through the snow and embraced the two.


    "Exciting, isn''t it, Lee?" he teased Lee Jordan.


    "Too thrilling, I need to catch my breath," Lee Jordan gasped, leaning against the nearby wall.


    Fred and George looked at Lee with disdain, then ignored him, and walked off with their arms around each other.


    "So, George, how was it?" Fred asked with a wink.


    "Not bad, but the second floor is still too low. It might be more fun jumping from a higher tower," George said, ncing up at a taller tower on the castle. "Do you think it would be more interesting to jump from Gryffindor Tower?"


    "You can jump as much as you want, but I''m not going to catch you!"


    At that moment, Drac''s voice came from the side.


    After their conspiracy was discovered, the twins showed no sign of guilt. Instead, they approached Drac with grins and said:


    "Professor, why don''t you tell us how to jump from a height without getting hurt? That way, you won''t have to save us!"


    Drac caught another small wizard jumping down and said casually, "I thought you should have already learned the Levitation Charm at your age."


    "So it''s the Levitation Charm?" the twins said excitedly. "We''ll go learn it right away, thank you, Professor!"


    Drac nced at them and then turned his gaze away, unimpressed.


    Under the influence of the pioneering twins, third-year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs began jumping one by one from the window of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom.


    The Gryffindor cubs were the most enthusiastic; they even crowded at the window, pushing the ones in front down. A whole bunch of them jumped down together, tumbling like dumplings...


    A swarm of bats under Drac''s control always managed to appear just in time beneath the small wizards'' feet, sparing them the misery of a two-day visit to the school infirmary.


    Thest to jump was Cedric from Hufflepuff. He had been organizing the "jumping out of the window" event in the ssroom and encouraging those who were hesitant to face their fears and jump bravely!


    Cedric did not use Drac''s bats tond; instead, he applied the Levitation Charm to the back of his school robe, using the cloak''s buoyancy to lift himself up, thennding gracefully on the snow.


    The twins watched Cedric''s smoothnding with envy.


    "Why does hisnding look so cool, while we have to step on bats?" Fred said to George. "The professor could have chosen a better-looking animal and made it quicker!"


    "Shh!" George quickly cupped his hand to his mouth and whispered, "Be careful not to let Professor Drac hear you badmouthing him. He seems to really like bats; he uses them for everything..."


    Fred quickly shut his mouth.


    Fortunately, Drac was not paying attention to them at that moment. He snapped his fingers once everyone had arrived.


    A line of round snowmen targets emerged from the snow, arranged neatly, facing the small wizards.


    "Today''s practical lesson is to practice the uracy of spell casting," Drac said to the students, beginning his lecture for the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical ss. "I need to tell you about the importance of spell uracy."


    "Although the Weasley twins'' attack on the staff is notmendable, it is worth noting that their spell uracy, as evidenced by hitting Professor Quirrell''s head with snowballs, is certainly not an issue."


    The Weasley twins exchanged a proud nce.


    As beaters on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, they had no problem with uracy, which was why they could hit Quirrell''s head so urately.


    "Spell uracy sounds simple, but you will realize its difficulty in practice," Drac continued, looking at the small wizards. "Now, each of you stand by a snowman target, keeping a distance of at least five meters."


    "When I say ''start,'' cast your most proficient spell at the snowman target in front of you. Let me see how urate your spellcasting is."


    A burst of colorful spells shed as the small wizards attacked the snowmen.


    The Weasley twins and Cedric immediately shattered the snowmen in front of them. Others were not so sessful; many of their spells went astray, some even hitting their fellow students by ident, resulting in painful hits and causing friendships to unravel...


    "Understand now, the importance of spell uracy?" Drac asked the students. "In a duel, it''s not about who casts the most spells but about hitting the opponent with more spells effectively within a given time!"


    He snapped his fingers again, restoring the snowmen to their original round shapes.


    "Hold your wands properly and aim urately. In spell practice, focus, determination, and calmness are all essential and none can be missed," Drac said.


    "Let''s start the next round of uracy practice!"


    On a snowy field, the practical ss for Defense Against the Dark Arts was in full swing.


    A long line of snowmen was arranged, each corresponding to a specific small wizard to practice spell uracy.


    Spells shed asionally, hitting the snowmen and breaking them into pieces. The snowman targets automatically repaired themselves for continuous practice.


    At this moment, an unexpected visitor arrived.


    "Good morning, Professor McGonagall," Drac said as he approached the stern-faced witch.


    "Professor Drac, I need an exnation," Professor McGonagall said, pressing her lips tightly. "If I''m not mistaken, many students just jumped from the second-floor Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, correct?"


    "How dare you teach students like this?"

 Chapter 37 - 37 Draco Malfoy

    <h4>Chapter 37: Draco Malfoy</h4>


    **"Professor Drac, Minerva is very displeased with you."**


    In the headmaster''s office, Dumbledore looked at the silver-haired man before him with a helpless expression.


    "I remember reminding you at the start of the school year to be mindful of the professors'' image and not to jump out of windows," he said. "But how did you end up jumping with the young witches and wizards?"


    Drac, however, lounged indifferently on the soft couch, a blood-vored lollipop in his mouth, casually stroking the feathers of Fawkes the phoenix.


    "So, does Professor McGonagall want to expel me?" he nced at Dumbledore and asked nonchntly.


    "Expulsion is out of the question; it would be difficult for us to find another Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Dumbledore shook his head. "But if there are no repercussions this time, I won''t be able to justify it to Minerva..."


    "Well, if there has to be a punishment, I have no objections," Drac said understandingly.


    Dumbledore seemed to sigh in relief and took out the staff handling notification form from his drawer.


    Just then, Drac spoke again:


    "And also, please settle the rent for Hogwarts Castle. Excluding the Forbidden Forest and the ck Lake, the castle and its facilities upy about a thousand acres. Considering we''ve been colleagues for a few months, I''ll give you a discounted rate of one million Galleons per year."


    He extended a hand towards Dumbledore.


    The old headmaster''s expression froze. He silently put the handling notification form back into the drawer and handed over a package with a honey duke''sbel.


    "Ahem, Professor Drac, I believe there''s still room for negotiation with Professor McGonagall," he said, adopting a serious tone. "This is specially crafted blood ganache chocte, something a vampire would likely enjoy."


    "You can enjoy it here while I go discuss this with Professor McGonagall again."


    Watching Dumbledore hurriedly leave the office, Drac chuckled softly.


    He contentedly unwrapped the blood ganache chocte and popped a blood-red piece into his mouth.


    ---


    Unconsciously, Christmas break was approaching.


    Professor McGonagall had alreadypiled the list of students staying at Hogwarts for Christmas. At a pre-holiday dinner, she went around the Gryffindor table with the parchment listing the names, checking each student''s confirmation.


    Drac happened to pass by and took a curious nce.


    Seeing Drac, Professor McGonagall''s face became slightly ufortable.


    Since her conversation with Dumbledore, McGonagall had stopped paying attention to Drac''s "unique" teaching methods and had not mentioned any punishment again. Her attitude towards Drac had drastically changed, no longer seeing him merely as an ordinary professor.


    From Drac''s perspective, Dumbledore had probably informed the diligent Deputy Headmistress of his true identity. And the fair and impartial Deputy Headmistress had ultimately sumbed to the pressure, choosing topromise between the annual one million Galleons rent and turning a blind eye to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s unconventional methods.


    After all, not everyone can afford an annual rent of one million Galleons.


    Moreover,pared to many previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professors, Drac''s teaching methods could be considered unique, but hispetence was beyond reproach.


    "Fred Weasley, George Weasley? Are you two also nning to stay at school?" Professor McGonagall forced herself to ignore Drac, asking the two red-haired twins.


    "Yes, Professor!" Fred replied. "Our parents are going to Romania to visit our older brother Charlie, so they''ve abandoned us!"


    "That''s right, abandoned George and Fred are left with no choice but to beg Hogwarts for shelter," George added pitifully.


    Professor McGonagall nearly lost her stern demeanor, giving the twins a sharp look before turning back to check the information of other students.


    After McGonagall left, Drac approached.


    "Your parents are going to Romania?" he asked.


    Drac crossed his hands, fingers unconsciously rubbing his cor. A rare look of hesitation appeared on his face.


    "Yes, Professor," George replied. "Our older brother Charlie works in the Romanian Dragon Reserve."


    "That''s right, Charlie is our parents'' real child!" Fred added.


    Drac hesitated for a moment before finally retrieving a delicate crystal ball from his magically expanded pocket.


    The crystal ball emitted a soft glow, with a dim moon-like figure slowly rotating in the center.


    "Here, write a letter to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley asking them to do me a favor," Drac said, gazing at the crystal ball and slowly handing it to George. "Once they reach Romania, have them go to the Brown Castle and give this crystal ball to the castle''s guards."


    "Just give it to any guard? No apanying letter?" George asked, puzzled.


    "No need for a letter. Any guard will understand," Drac said with a light chuckle, shaking his head. "I owe you a favor. If you need anything, just let me know."


    "Sure, we''ll take care of it!" The twins were overjoyed, patting their chests in assurance.


    Just then, a heated argument erupted at the other end of the Gryffindor table¡ª


    ---


    Two minutes earlier, Professor McGonagall had just finished checking the list of students staying for Christmas and left the hall.


    As soon as she left, a Slytherin student with neatlybed tinum hair, a sharp chin, and a tall, thin build intentionally walked over to the Gryffindor table.


    This Slytherin student was nked by two burly followers who looked less intelligent, one on each side, making him appear quite imposing.


    "I really feel sorry for those people," Draco Malfoy said to his followers, Crabbe and Goyle, while walking beside the Gryffindor table. "They have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because their families don''t want them."


    He spoke while looking at Harry, and Crabbe and Goyle snickered beside him.


    Harry kept his head down, swallowing his pudding, and ignored them. But Ron couldn''t take it any longer and stood up abruptly.


    While Fred and George jokingly said they were abandoned, Malfoy, as the heir of the Weasleys'' nemesis, made such remarks in a problematic way.


    Ron charged at Malfoy and got into a scuffle with the tworge followers.

 Chapter 38 - 38 Defeated Malfoy.

    <h4>Chapter 38: Defeated Malfoy.</h4>


    Ron resolutely got into a scuffle with Draco Malfoy''s tworge henchmen.


    And then... there was nothing more to it.


    He was no match for the burly Crabbe and Goyle, who quickly restrained him by grabbing his arms and pinching his legs, leaving him immobilized.


    Malfoy stood by, gloating andughing like a viin:


    "So this is your sidekick, Potter? So pathetic!"


    "Ron is my friend, not some sidekick! The real sidekicks are those two next to you!" Harry, fuming with anger, rushed toward Crabbe and Goyle, trying to rescue Ron from their grasp, while Hermione struggled to hold him back.


    ...Then Harry was also caught, with his neck circled and his feet restrained, and was ced alongside Ron.


    "So this is the so-called savior? Not much to it!" Malfoy, satisfied and smug, looked at the Gryffindor table, feeling immensely pleased to have Slytherin on top of Gryffindor.


    Malfoy''s provocation finally drew the ire of the Gryffindor students, who stood up from their seats and began to advance toward him.


    Seeing the mob approaching, Malfoy felt a twinge of fear. But remembering his support was nearby, he raised his chin and looked down at the angry Gryffindor lions.


    Just as the Gryffindor students were about to reach him and grab him like Ron and Harry, a cold voice rang out¡ª


    "After just a few minutes, the Gryffindor students seem to have grown quite bold," Snape sneered. "Now they dare to bully younger students in public?"


    "It was Malfoy who provoked us first, Professor Snape," Hermione said, pushing her unruly brown hair aside and arguing from the crowd, "Malfoy was insulting Ron and Harry''s families."


    "No matter the reason, physical violence vites Hogwarts rules, Miss Granger. And I saw Mr. Weasley strike first." Snape said smoothly, "Gryffindor loses ten points. Weasley, Potter, you should consider yourselves lucky it''s not more. Now, everyone disperse!"


    Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle threw Ron and Harry back into the Gryffindor crowd,ughing rudely as if mocking Gryffindor''s impotence and the so-called savior''s weakness.


    "I''m going to teach him a lesson," Ron said through gritted teeth, watching Malfoy''s retreating back, "One day, I''ll give him a good thrashing¡ª"


    "I really hate those two," Harry agreed, "Malfoy and Snape are such nuisances."


    Just then, Malfoy, who had been gloating, suddenly seemed to receive a heavy p. He spun around several times before crashing heavily to the ground.


    Humiliated and feeling a burning pain on his face, Malfoy began to cry out in frustration.


    "Who?! Who set me up? If I catch you, my father will make you pay!" he cried out, tears streaming down his face.


    Snape, with a hint of suspicion, looked over at Drac.


    Drac, arms crossed, also turned his gaze toward Snape, locking eyes with him.


    "What a coincidence, Professor Snape," Drac greeted first.


    "Professor Drac, as far as I know, there''s no one else nearby with such high proficiency in silent spells," Snape said coldly, staring at Drac. "Don''t tell me this attack on Draco has anything to do with you."


    "There''s no need to doubt it. I did it," Drac said nonchntly. "Malfoy''s provocations deserved punishment."


    "Oh, and Slytherin loses ten points," he added, ncing at the seated Malfoy. "Professor Snape, I hope this method of managing things is eptable to you?"


    Snape''s expression turned dark.


    "Professor Drac, this kind of physical punishment for students seems rather inappropriate, doesn''t it?" he said stiffly.


    "Oh? Then is it more appropriate for Professor Snape to deduct points from Gryffindor while ignoring Slytherin''s misdeeds?" Drac countered with a light smile.


    Snape red at Drac, his lips trembling.


    Then he abruptly turned and left the hall, his long robe pping behind him, brushing against the face of the seated Malfoy.


    Malfoy stared in stunned disbelief at his departing head of house, feeling abandoned.


    "Nice job, Professor! I knew this favor wasn''t for nothing!" The Weasley twins rushed over with beaming faces, and George praised loudly.


    Fred also gave a knowing look, "As expected, Professor Drac, you''ve really taught that old bat Snape a lesson!"


    Drac turned to the Weasley twins with a smirk, "Using the favor I just gave you for such a trivial matter, I''ve never seen such extravagant wizards."


    "It''s nothing, Professor," Fred said casually. "Whatever it is, if you''ve got it, you should use it. Keeping it doesn''t make much sense!"


    "Then I hope you don''t regret itter," Drac said with a lightugh, waving to the Weasley twins and Harry, and walked towards the hall''s entrance.


    At that moment, Malfoy, still sitting on the ground, couldn''t stay quiet. He felt he had to make onest threat or risk losing face.


    So, before Drac left, he suddenly shouted:


    "You... don''t get too full of yourself! My dad is a Hogwarts governor, and I will make sure he expels you!"


    Drac paused, then turned back to look at him.


    "Scared, are you?" Seeing Drac''s reaction, Malfoy perked up, lifting his chin, "If you apologize to me now, I might persuade my dad not to expel you!"


    Malfoy was still haunted by the memory of Drac''s lesson in Dark Arts ss from months ago, and though he was humiliated, he only dared to ask for an apology, not daring to make any more extreme demands.


    However, Drac showed no intention of apologizing. Instead, he looked intrigued.


    "Interesting, does Hogwarts now have a board of governors?"


    He smiled slightly, bent down to get close to Malfoy, and said softly, "Do me a favor, Mr. Malfoy."


    "Tell your father and the other governors toe to Hogwarts."


    "Just say, thendlord of Hogwarts wants to see them."

 Chapter 39 - 39 School Council

    <h4>Chapter 39: School Council</h4>


    Fine snowkes drifted around Hogwarts, adding a homing atmosphere to the little witches and wizards lined up on the whitewn.


    The Christmas holiday had finally arrived!


    Excitedly, the students carried theirrge and small packages to the castle''s main gate, took carriages to Hogsmeade Station, and then boarded the Hogwarts Express to King''s Cross Station, just as they had arrived.


    Harry sat in the Gryffindor Tower dormitory, looking out the window from his bed at the students winding their way toward the carriages, and felt a twinge of envy.


    "Hmm¡ªhmm¡ª"


    A snoring sound filled the dormitory. Harry turned his head to see Ron still fast asleep.


    A smile appeared on Harry''s face, and he suddenly felt that there was no need to envy the students going home for Christmas.


    Because Hogwarts was his home, and he was spending Christmas at home this year!


    Suddenly, Harry''s eyes widened in surprise¡ª


    On the snow-coveredwn, he saw a young wizard walking against the crowd.


    From the distinctive tinum blonde hair, Harry recognized the young wizard as Draco Malfoy, who was now apanied by an adult wizard with the same hair color, both heading towards the castle.


    ...


    "Draco, are you sure the one who bullied you is a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?"


    Walking on the snow-coveredwn, the adult wizard with tinum blonde hair asked Draco, who was beside him.


    Draco''s father, Lucius Malfoy, had the same tinum blonde hair as Draco, cold gray eyes, and held a luxurious snake-headed cane.


    Sensing what might happen next, Draco shifted ufortably.


    "It''s Professor Drac from Defense Against the Dark Arts," he whispered. "Dad, are you really nning to have him dismissed?"


    "Of course, isn''t that what you wanted?" Lucius, seeing Draco''s uneasy demeanor, said with a hint of frustration. "Draco, you must understand that we are the Malfoy family, one of the Twenty-Eight Families. We must respond firmly to those who dare to provoke us to maintain our family''s honor!"


    "But... but he actually teaches quite interestingly, and he seems very strong. There''s a rumor in Hogwarts that he isn''t afraid of the Dark Lord at all..." Draco hesitated.


    At the mention of the "Dark Lord," Lucius''s eyes twitched.


    He had recently dealt with an important diary given to him by the Dark Lord. Although it wasn''t apparent on the surface, he had been feeling nervous, fearing that the Dark Lord might return.


    "Listen, Draco, the Dark Lord is dead. We must look forward!" Lucius said in a low voice, also speaking to himself. "The rumor that your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor isn''t afraid of the Dark Lord is probably just a rumor. Even if he isn''t afraid, it''s likely only because the Dark Lord is dead, which gives him some unfounded confidence..."


    Draco nodded, somewhat understanding.


    At that moment, a man wearing a purple turban happened to walk by. For some reason, when Lucius''s eyes met his, he felt a shiver from his very soul.


    "Good morning, Professor Quirrell." Draco, eager to be polite in front of his father, greeted the man in the turban.


    "Good morning, Malfoy," Quirrell said with a drifting voice. "May I ask what you were discussing just now?"


    "It''s none of your business what we were discussing!" Lucius, suppressing his inner fear, coldly replied.


    Quirrell gave him a deep look and then turned to walk towards the castle''s main entrance.


    What Lucius did not notice was that inside Quirrell''s robe pocket was a nk diary emitting a strong dark aura, seeping into Quirrell''s body and controlling his mind.


    "Strange, why isn''t Professor Quirrell stuttering anymore?" Draco wondered, looking back at Quirrell.


    "Let''s go, Draco." Lucius urged, somewhat trembling.


    "Coming!"


    Draco, noticing his father''s urgency, set aside his confusion and quickly followed Lucius.


    ...


    When the Malfoys arrived at the Hogwarts School Board meeting room, all twelve board members were already present.


    They sat in a circle around a long round table, staring at each other in silence.


    "Lucius, is it only to dismiss a professor that you called us here today?" one of the board members finally broke the silence.


    "Yes," Lucius ced his cane on the round table, staring at the speaking board member. "I believe that the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Drac, has problematic teaching methods. His sses often put students in danger, disregarding their safety. If an ident were to ur, Hogwarts would find it difficult to bear such a serious responsibility."


    "Moreover, I have investigated several informed students, and they unanimously reported that Professor Drac frequently administers corporal punishment."


    He took out a student survey from his pocket and showed it to everyone present.


    The surveys were filled out by Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco''s friend Pansy, among other Slytherin students.


    The board members quickly nced over the survey, frowning slightly.


    "Headmaster Dumbledore, what is your opinion on Professor Drac''s behavior?" One of the board members turned to Dumbledore, who was dozing off in the main seat, and asked.


    Dumbledore nced at him and then said with a smile, "I believe Professor Drac is the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor we''ve had in decades in terms of teaching quality and personal integrity."


    The eleven board members, except for Lucius, were somewhat surprised by Dumbledore''s evaluation.


    Despite his age, Dumbledore''s reputation and personal charisma still shone brightly in the magical world, having not diminished at all in the decades since his defeat of Grindelwald.


    Such a high praise from the esteemed elder could not be taken lightly by the board members.


    "Headmaster Dumbledore, however, you cannot deny that Professor Drac uses corporal punishment on students, can you?" Lucius, sensing the situation turning unfavorable, quickly added. "The Ministry of Magic''s educationws stipte that no teacher may administer severe corporal punishment to underage wizards."


    "And my child Draco has suffered serious psychological trauma from Professor Drac''s corporal punishment. Even this alone is enough for the board to dismiss him!"


    He stared coldly at Dumbledore, a smirk on his lips.

 Chapter 40 - 40 Expel from school council

    <h4>Chapter 40: Expel from school council</h4>


    "Lucius, perhaps you''d like to hear the perspective of the person involved?" Dumbledore said, ncing distractedly at the position by the window.


    Seeing Dumbledore''s demeanor, Lucius furrowed his brow.


    "Headmaster Dumbledore, it seems you''re not particrly concerned about the fate of this Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" he asked, puzzled.


    Lucius recalled that before deciding to convene the Board of Governors, he had first sent a letter to Dumbledore, hoping he would personally dismiss Drac. However, Dumbledore''s reply had politely declined his "suggestion," which led to today''s Board meeting.


    "He indeed doesn''t care, nor does he need to," came a rich and clear voice from the window.


    Lucius was startled and quickly turned his gaze to the window of the meeting room.


    A man with silver hair and wine-red eyes was leaning against the window, casually sucking on a bright red lollipop, and observing the board members at the round table with interest.


    "Who are you, and how dare you eavesdrop on the board meeting?!" one of the elderly board members angrily tapped the table and asked Drac.


    "Eavesdrop? That''s not right. I was here before your meeting even began. Isn''t it you who spoke for me to hear?" Drac said with a yful smile. "Or have the board members'' eyesight be so poor that Slytherin would be concerned about their management of Hogwarts?"


    The elder board member, infuriated, said through gritted teeth, "Young man, state your name. I will see to it that you are expelled from Hogwarts!"


    Hearing the term "young man," Drac raised an eyebrow and his expression became quite peculiar.


    "You old man, you really know how to talk. I''m keeping an eye on you," he said cheerfully.


    The elderly board member didn''t understand Drac''s strange remarks and was about to continue his outburst when Draco, standing behind Lucius, interrupted him.


    "Sir, this is our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Drac," Draco said quietly to the old board member.


    "So you''re the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!" The old board member was taken aback for a moment, then mmed his hand on the table and dered loudly, "With such a disrespectful person, I don''t believe he can teach the students well. I cast my vote for expulsion!"


    He promptly took out the Board of Governors badge from his pocket and held it up above his head.


    Lucius, seeing this, smiled inwardly and also raised his own badge high.


    Soon, four more board members, after a brief hesitation, also lifted their badges, casting their votes in favor.


    The passing or failure of the Board''s resolution is decided by a vote.


    Each board member has a badge that connects to Hogwarts'' magical nodes. Whenever a vote is sessful, a contract is formed between the badges. If a majority, that is, seven or more board members, cast affirmative votes, the resolution is passed.


    This resolution is an exception to the appointment and removal of the headmaster.


    The headmaster of Hogwarts has always been a highly esteemed and powerful wizard, and the appointment or dismissal of a headmaster can significantly impact the entire magicalmunity of Britain. Thus, the appointment and removal of the headmaster require unanimous approval from the board members.


    However, the vote on whether to expel Drac was clearly not in this category. With six board members having cast their affirmative votes, as soon as one more board member from the remaining six cast an affirmative vote, Drac would be expelled from Hogwarts.


    It could be said that Professor Drac''s position was precarious.


    Yet, Drac showed no sense of crisis. Watching the voting process of the board, his previously enthusiastic expression gradually turned to one of disinterest.


    "Why make such a simple thing as voting soplicated? And it''s rather boring," he said with a pout. "Why don''t you just expel me directly? It''s too much trouble."


    Upon hearing Drac''s words, Lucius instinctively looked over, his eyes widening in disbelief.


    "You mean, you agree to our expelling you?" he asked incredulously, not even noticing that the badge he was holding had poked Draco in the face.


    Drac took the blood-vored lollipop out of his mouth, tilted his head to look at Lucius, and then chuckled.


    "I think you might have misunderstood, Mr. Malfoy," Drac said. "What I mean is¡ªI''ll expel the entire Board of Governors instead!"


    "?!"


    The members of the Board of Governors looked at Drac in confusion, feeling an extremely absurd sensation, unable to understand how this Professor Drac could say such nonsensical things...


    "You? Expel the Board of Governors? Hahahaha..." The elderly board member couldn''t help butugh heartily. "The young people these days have no sense of the world''s vastness, always thinking they''re the boss, and end up creating all sorts of jokes!"


    With someone leading, the other board members also started tough, watching Drac with amusement.


    Dumbledore, seated at the head of the round table, watched the performance of Drac and the board members with interest, asionally showing a sympathetic expression to the board members. Of course, no board member thought Dumbledore was sympathizing with them; they just thought he was trying to plead for Drac.


    As theughter of the board members continued, Drac took an old piece of parchment from his pocket¡ªthe deed to Hogwarts.


    He infused his vampire magic into the deed, and the mysterious symbols on it immediately began to flow, revealing each magical node of Hogwarts.


    Dracpared the badge Lucius had held up with the magical nodes of Hogwarts and quickly located the nodes connected to this badge.


    The p in the face came swiftly; the board members''ughter was abruptly cut off...


    As they were about to form a contract with their badges to expel Drac from Hogwarts, they found that all the badges had lost their magical power and thus all functionality.


    "The badges seem to be broken," Lucius said, tapping his badge heavily. Finding it indeed non-functional, he turned to Dumbledore and asked, "Headmaster Dumbledore, can you repair the badges? They seem to have suddenly malfunctioned."


    Dumbledore gave him a cheerful nce without responding, then turned back to look at Drac, his expression bing quite expectant.


    The next moment, Drac''s voice suddenly rang out.


    "The Board of Governors'' badges'' connection with the castle''s magic has been canceled. Congrattions, you''ve been expelled!"

 Chapter 41 - 41 Hypocritical Malfoy

    <h4>Chapter 41: Hypocritical Malfoy</h4>


    Feeling the Hogwarts Board of Governors badge losing its magic, the once confident board members were now in a panic.


    Why did they spend thousands and thousands of Galleons and countless resources every year to maintain their positions on the Hogwarts Board of Governors? Was it not for the sake of this very badge?!


    Hogwarts, as the only magical school in all of Britain and one of the oldest in the world, has always been a cradle of exceptional witches and wizards, producing many top professionals in various fields of the magical world.


    Holding a position on the Hogwarts Board of Governors was like having a ticket towork with elite individuals across society. It provided endless invisible wealth for various families and crucial support for expanding their social circles.


    This is also one reason why many top wizards, at the height of their careers, choose to return to Hogwarts to teach, not just because it is their alma mater.


    The Board of Governors badge was a significant symbol of the board, closely tied to the magical system within Hogwarts Castle, and had a unique function in making centralized decisions about the school''s development.


    In essence, governors with the badge were the behind-the-scenes managers of Hogwarts, while those without it were merely a group of investors with no benefits!


    Seeing the magic of the badge gradually fade, the board members were panic-stricken.


    "Why is this happening?!"


    "This isn''t right! There must be something wrong!"


    Lucius, looking at his badge losing its glow, was also thrown into confusion. He suddenly looked up at the figure beside the round table, who was smiling with a hint of mockery.


    "Drac, what have you done to our badge?" he asked, forcing himself to stay calm.


    "So, it''s not just your eyesight that''s poor, but your hearing isn''t that good either," Drac said with a faintly mocking smile. "I made it very clear: the Hogwarts Board of Governors has been dismissed!"


    "Why? I refuse to believe that Hogwarts'' rules can be controlled by one person!" the irate old board member looked at Dumbledore, as if grasping at a lifeline, and shouted, "Dumbledore, as the headmaster of Hogwarts, how can you allow someone to control the only magical school in Britain!"


    He looked at Dumbledore with hope, expecting the legendary wizard to stand up decisively and use absolute power to imprison Drac in Azkaban, just as he had once imprisoned Grindelwald in Nurmengard.


    But he was destined to be disappointed.


    Dumbledore merely smiled and said in a gentle tone:


    "Mr. Yaxley, I am just an ordinary headmaster wanting to retire at Hogwarts. Managing the school and recruiting professors keeps me busy enough; changes in the Board of Governors are really outside my scope of responsibility."


    The old board member known as Mr. Yaxley''s expression grew cold.


    "Dumbledore, the outside world is right! Thefortable life at Hogwarts has turned you into a coward who only seeks pleasure!" he said angrily.


    He then secretly made a gesture to several surrounding board members.


    Seeing this, the other board members who had initially agreed to dismiss Drac exchanged furtive nces and then quietly drew their wands.


    "Since you are unwilling to deliver justice, I will personally deal with this pest affecting Hogwarts'' development!" Yaxley dered.


    He raised his wand and struck first, aiming at Drac.


    "Take that parchment from him, and the position of the Hogwarts Board of Governors will still be ours!"


    Several board members, following the prestigious Yaxley of the pure-blood family, eagerly cast various spells at Drac.


    Not only did the board members who had voted for the dismissal take action, but even some of those who had been observing couldn''t resist raising their wands. Each of them had their own motives.


    After all, it was clear to everyone that the key to the matter was the parchment in Drac''s hands!


    Whoever defeated Drac first would certainly get their hands on the parchment that could sever the connection between the Board of Governors badge and Hogwarts Castle''s magic. Thus, they would have the power to allocate the spoils!


    Seeing this, Lucius also hurriedly picked up his wand from the table and pointed it at Drac.


    "Dad, don''t!" Draco, seeing Lucius''s action, anxiously grabbed his father''s arm. "Don''t be impulsive. Professor Drac caught a powerful spell from an entire year without using any spells himself. You guys are no match for him!"


    Although Lucius was reluctant to believe his son, his long-standing indecisiveness made him hesitate.


    At that moment, a dark round moon quietly appeared in the meeting room, absorbing all light sources and leaving only a faint, pale moonlight.


    The spells cast by the board members abruptly halted in the dark moonlight.


    The next moment, the spells reversed suddenly, their power doubled by the dark moon, and struck heavily at every board member who had raised their wand.


    The meeting room was filled with the sounds of agonizing screams. Some of the board members who used particrly vicious dark magic were in severe pain, with some nearly losing their lives!


    "So, it turns out that you wizards not only have poor sight and hearing but alsock in strength," came a contemptuous sneer from the pale moonlight.


    As the moonlight dissipated, Drac''s silver hair reappeared in the eyes of the onlookers. But this time, the silver seemed as distant and cold as the moonlight, making it hard for anyone to feel any emotional touch.


    Lucius, holding his wand, swallowed hard, stiff and unmoving. He had not even noticed that he still held his wand pointed at Drac.


    At this moment, Drac looked over and gave Lucius a curious, amused smile:


    "Mr. Malfoy, do you have any other matters?"


    Lucius then noticed his own actions and broke out in a cold sweat.


    However, as the heir of the longstanding Malfoy family, Lucius was not easily intimidated.


    He quicklyposed himself, holding his wand with both hands.


    "Mr. Drac, this is a unique wand style crafted for me by an excellent wandmaker. I came here today specifically to show it to you!"


    He said with a feigned respectful demeanor.

 Chapter 42 - 42 Chairman of the School Council

    <h4>Chapter 42: Chairman of the School Council</h4>


    "Lucius Malfoy, you two-faced traitor!"


    In the boardroom of the school, Aksli, who had fallen to the ground, shouted angrily at Lucius.


    Aksli was quite powerful; despite the double impact of his own curse, he managed to cast a Shield Charm in the nick of time, mitigating most of the damage. This allowed him to still have the strength to curse Lucius.


    Listening to Aksli''s outburst, Lucius remained unflustered and seriously said to Drac, "Professor Drac, these people who tried to attack you havemitted serious offenses. I suggest we send them all to Azkaban for reform."


    Draco, standing next to Lucius, stared in shock at his father with his mouth agape. He never imagined that his father, who always maintained an aristocratic demeanor, could pull off such a bold move!


    Aksli struggled to get up from the floor, ready to hurl more insults at Lucius. However, Drac waved his hand nonchntly, sending Aksli to the corner of the room like shooing away a fly, where he was stacked up with thementing board members, and then promptly silenced them.


    "It''s much quieter now," Drac said with satisfaction, nodding towards theposed yet visibly anxious Lucius. "Now, tell me your thoughts, Mr. Malfoy."


    "Please, just call me Lucius, Mr. Drac," Lucius said with a sheepish smile.


    "I propose that those who offended you, or to put it another way, those who disrupted the normal order of the board meeting, be sent to Azkaban for correction. I have ample evidence of their illegal activities and can contribute to preserving the purity and cleanliness of the Hogwarts board!"


    Lucius delivered these lines with a calm demeanor and an impassive face.


    He was quite familiar with betraying allies! When Voldemort was overthrown and the Ministry of Magic was purging Death Eaters, he had betrayed many of his fellow Death Eaters, spilling all their information and donating arge amount of Galleons.


    From then on, the Malfoy family abandoned the dark side and remained good friends with the Ministry of Magic!


    Selling out Aksli and the other board members today was no big deal. After all, he had little personal connection with them, and there was also apetitive rtionship between pure-blood families. This was a good opportunity to deal a blow to his rivals.


    Drac looked at Lucius, who wore a sanctimonious expression, and couldn''t help but admire his talents!


    "Good idea, I have high hopes for you, Lucius," he said to Lucius. "But I vaguely remember you saying when you first arrived that I enjoyed punishing students and wanted to expel me from Hogwarts?"


    Lucius''s expression remained unchanged as he turned around and pped his son Draco on the head.


    Draco had just been poked by Lucius''s board badge and was now given a heavy p, looking at his father with disbelief and tears of grievance in his eyes.


    "Dad, why did you hit me?"


    "Just listen to me and don''t speak!"


    Lucius quietly reminded Draco, then turned back to Drac with a serious expression and said:


    "Mr. Drac, I''ve thoroughly investigated the matter. Draco was dissatisfied with your handling of his vition of school rules, so he, along with a few friends from Slytherin, wrote aint letter and a survey. These documents were filled with nders against you!"


    "Upon investigation, I am confident that your actions were entirely appropriate, and I retract my earlier remarks about wanting to expel you. Draco spoke thoughtlessly; please don''t hold it against him, and consider that he''s just a rebellious child."


    "I''m not a rebellious child!" Draco protested loudly.


    But he was met with another p to the head from Lucius, which left him stunned. After a while, Draco finally reacted, copsed on a chair beside the round table, and began to sob uncontrobly.


    Drac, with a yful smile, said to Lucius, "You really work quickly! In just a few minutes, you''ve managed to uncover the truth of this matter without leaving your seat."


    "Of course," Lucius said, not addressing the hidden implications in Drac''s words, but continued with a serious tone, "You can trust me to handle things!"


    Seeing Lucius''s solemn and reserved expression, Drac finallyughed.


    "Lucius, you are indeed quite interesting," he said with a smile, pulling over a chair and casually reclining against the soft backrest. "So, what do you think should be done with the Hogwarts board?"


    Upon hearing this question, Lucius was ecstatic inside but kept aposed exterior.


    "From my perspective, the Hogwarts board still has a necessary role," he paused, then slowly expressed his views, "As a magic school with aplete ecosystem, many tasks require dedicated management."


    "The board, as the main financial backer and collective decision-making body of the school, can provide funding and reasonable development suggestions for theseplex projects. Of course, I know you won''tck such trivial funding. However, in any organization, every allocation must be meaningful and adhere to procedures; otherwise, internal staff might easily be ustomed to embezzling or misusing funds. All the signing, coordinating, and bookkeeping work will surely waste your precious time."


    Lucius''s words hit the nail on the head¡ªDrac loathed the tedious, repetitive tasks, yet they were an indispensable part of any well-functioning organization.


    "So I believe you can still keep the board and let us handle some of the minor details and misceneous tasks, so they don''t upy your valuable time," Lucius continued,


    "Of course, as the one controlling the entire magical system of Hogwarts, you will be our board chairman, with a veto power over all matters!"


    Drac finally showed interest when he heard about the veto power.


    "But as far as I know, there are a total of twelve board badges," he said to Lucius, who seemed to be quite a talent, "After removing those piled up in the corner, you now have only seven board members left. How do you n to distribute the remaining five badges?"


    "Mr. Drac, the appointment of these board members is, of course, up to you as the chairman," Lucius said with a smiling face.

 Chapter 43 - 43 Loudmouth Hagrid.

    <h4>Chapter 43: Loudmouth Hagrid.</h4>


    With the strong support of Lucius Malfoy and the approval of Drac, the Hogwarts School Board underwent aplete transformation.


    The board, originallyposed of twelve members, was temporarily reduced to seven, with the remaining five positions to be filled as needed.


    Drac, as the holder of the Hogwarts deed, was appointed as the newly established Chairman of the Board, holding veto power over board decisions and the highest guiding authority, along with the right to appoint or dismiss board members.


    The board no longer engaged inplex power struggles.


    Aside from Axley and the other four members from pure-blood families, Lucius, as a top opportunist, quickly allied himself with Drac. The wealthy Malfoy family single-handedly covered half of Hogwarts'' operating expenses, perfectly filling the financial gap left by the dismissal of five board members.


    The other six board members, who had no intention of opposing Drac, were genuinely devoted to Hogwarts'' development and were noble wizards who worked diligently for the school.


    Among them were notable figures like Gis Marchban from the Wizarding Examination Authority and former Hogwarts Headmaster Armando Dippet, both prominent figures in the field of education.


    Drac, of course, had no intention of targeting these venerable wizards. He simply waved his hand dismissively, epted the final decision, and then jumped out of the boardroom window...


    Ms. Marchban, who was nearing two hundred years old, stared in astonishment at Drac leaping from the window and couldn''t help but look at Dumbledore, eximing:


    "Albus, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts is truly an exceptional individual!"


    "Indeed," Dumbledore shrugged helplessly, reflecting that Professor Drac''s unconventional ways were probably difficult to change.


    ...


    As the remaining students at Hogwarts looked forward with anticipation, Christmas Eve arrived.


    The Hogwarts Great Hall was beautifully and magnificently decorated by the professors.


    Holly and mistletoe formed cascading gands on the walls, and twelve tall Christmas trees were set up around the hall. Some trees were adorned with sparkling icicles, while others glowed with hundreds of candles.


    "Hey, Hagrid, could you help me hang this package on the Christmas tree?" Professor Flitwick, who was shorter, tiptoed and tapped Hagrid''srge belly.


    The towering Hagrid, showing great understanding, bent down, took the packages of surprise gifts for the students staying at Hogwarts from Professor Flitwick, and effortlessly hung them on the top of the Christmas tree.


    "Oh, thank you so much, Hagrid!" Professor Flitwick looked up and said happily.


    "Hagrid, good evening!" Two small wizards wearing red scarves ran into the Great Hall and immediately spotted the conspicuous Hagrid.


    One of them, a wizard with round sses, noticed that next to Hagrid''s knee was another short wizard, using his wand to cast a stream of golden bubbles and hanging them on the branches of a nearby Christmas tree.


    "Oh, Professor Flitwick, I didn''t realize you were here too!" he quickly said to the short wizard.


    "Good evening, Harry, and Ron!" Professor Flitwick greeted the two young wizards warmly, not at all irritated by being overlooked.


    Hagrid also paused his work and waved hisrge hand at Harry and Ron.


    "Professor, are you decorating the hall?" Ron asked, enviously watching the golden bubbles emerging from Professor Flitwick''s wand, feeling it was very cool.


    "That''s right, since tomorrow is Christmas, we need to get the hall decorated," Professor Flitwick said. "Hogwarts must ensure that the students who can''t go home still experience warmth and joy, just like at home!"


    Harry, touched, wiped his nose and felt even more appreciative of the Hogwarts family.


    "Ron, let''s continue to the libraryter?" He tossed his used tissue into the trash can, turned, and pulled Ron towards the Great Hall''s entrance.


    "Don''t be like that, Harry, without Hermione, we can''t figure anything out!" Ron''s face scrunched up in frustration as he spoke to Harry.


    "Library?" Hagrid said, following them out of the hall as he prepared to fetch more Christmas decorations. "It''s Christmas tomorrow, and you still want to study? That''s not like you two at all!"


    "Oh, we''re not studying," Harry cheerfully replied. "Since you mentioned Nics mel, we''ve been trying to find out who he is."


    "What?" Hagrid looked rmed. "Listen to me, I''ve told you... stop! That big dog''s guard is really none of your business!"


    ...


    In fact, after Harry was targeted during his first Quidditch match, he, Ron, and Hermione began to investigate who was trying to harm him.


    Hermione initially suspected Snape, who had cast a spell at Harry, but she did not expect Snape to have cast the counter-curse for the Dark Curse. The magical fire Snape used interrupted the counter-curse, almost causing severe harm to Harry.


    Even though Snape did not curse Harry and even tried to help him, his antagonism towards Gryffindor left asting negative impression on Harry.


    Furthermore, after the Halloween feast, Harry inadvertently saw the bite mark on Snape''s leg ¨C it had definitely been caused by the three-headed dog on the fourth floor.


    So, a little over a month ago, after the Quidditch match, the trio went to Hagrid''s hut, hoping someone could help analyze the situation.


    Hagrid didn''t know how the trio had learned about the three-headed dog and didn''t want them to know about Dumbledore''s top-secret matters, so he sternly warned them:


    "Listen! You three are meddling in things that don''t concern you. It''s very dangerous. Forget about that big dog, forget about what it''s guarding; this is between Professor Dumbledore and Nics mel..."


    "Ah-ha!" Harry''s eyes lit up with excitement. "So it''s rted to someone named Nics mel, right?"


    "..."


    And thus, the conversation between Harry and Hagrid about Nics mel took ce on the eve of Christmas.

 Chapter 44 - 44 Snape’s scepticism

    <h4>Chapter 44: Snape''s scepticism</h4>


    "Haig, why don''t you just tell us about Nics mel and Dumbledore''s involvement? It would save us a lot of trouble."


    At the entrance to the hall, Harry began to coax Hagrid, hoping to learn directly from him who Nics mel was and what Dumbledore had hidden.


    After all, with Hermione spending Christmas at home, Harry knew well enough that he and Ron, who were both not very good at research, had limited ability to dig up information on their own.


    "We''ve gone through at least a hundred books and haven''t found a trace of him. Just give us a little hint. I know I''ve seen his name somewhere!" Harry said.


    "I won''t say a word," Hagrid said, covering his mouth and sounding rather dry. "I promised Dumbledore I''d keep my mouth shut."


    Just then, a silver-haired figure holding a ss of red wine happened to pass by. He walked over to the entrance courtyard where they were and curiously looked at them.


    Seeing the neer, Harry, Ron, and Hagrid all suddenly tensed up.


    "Good evening, Professor Drac!" they said in unison.


    "Good evening, Hagrid, Potter, and Weasley," Drac said, taking a sip of the red wine and giving a slight nod to those present. Then, with great interest, he asked, "I believe I heard you discussing Nics mel?"


    "Professor Drac, do you know Nics mel?" Harry''s eyes lit up as he quickly asked Drac. "Hagrid said he would keep silent and not tell us about Nics mel. But we''ve definitely seen that name before; we just can''t remember where!"


    "Hagrid, Dumbledore certainly believes you''ll keep quiet," Drac said, looking at Hagrid with a hint of amusement. "Don''t worry too much about it."


    Hagrid, still covering his mouth, gratefully mumbled, "Professor Drac, I''m so d you said that."


    "Yes, the problem isn''t with the bottle, but with the opener. Even if you slip up a bit, it''s not the end of the world."


    With that, Drac finished the red wine in his ss, set it floating in mid-air, and pulled out another elegant bottle of red wine from his pocket. With a flick of his index finger, the cork popped out with a "pop."


    Drac poured himself another ss of red wine and then looked at Hagrid.


    At this point, Hagrid looked at Drac and then back at the cork he had just put back into the bottle. Thinking about what Drac had just said about keeping secrets and the corkscrew, he couldn''t help but start crying sadly.


    "Professor, is it really appropriate to tease Hagrid like this..." Harry quietly leaned towards Drac and whispered.


    Ron, meanwhile, took a step back, looking at Hagrid''s face buried in a dirty handkerchief and distancing himself from the intimidating Professor Drac.


    "Don''t worry, Hagrid will pull through," Drac said, ignoring Ron''s actions and addressing Harry. "By the way, what are you looking for Nics mel for?"


    "I... we..." Harry was momentarily at a loss for words.


    Most of what they knew about the three-headed dog and the forbidden area on the fourth floor came from breaking school rules. How could Harry exin this to a professor?


    However, Drac seemed not to care about the reasons. Before Harry could exin, he asked with great interest:


    "It seems you''ve been to that forbidden area in the fourth-floor corridor. How was it? Did you pass Hagrid''s little test?"


    "What? Hagrid''s little test?!" Harry eximed, looking at Drac in shock and then turning his gaze to Hagrid, feeling his understanding shaken.


    Ron, who had just distanced himself, couldn''t help but exim as well and sneaked back to Harry''s side, looking at Hagrid with curiosity.


    "So Hermione was right; that terrifying big dog is really guarding something beneath the trapdoor?" Ron asked. "Is it the thing that Nics mel and Dumbledore are helping to guard?"


    "What do you mean by terrifying big dog? That''s Fluffy! He''s very well-behaved and doesn''t bite," Hagrid said, clearly annoyed by Ron''s description.


    Harry and Ron stood side by side, looking at him skeptically.


    "Hey, what kind of look is that? I''m telling the truth!" Hagrid said loudly. "And Nics mel''s business has nothing to do with you. Why not focus all your energy on studying instead?"


    Drac watched the amusing performance of Harry, Ron, and Hagrid while sipping his red wine, feeling like he was watching a good show.


    "Professor Drac, these kids are just too curious," Hagrid said, casting a pleading look at Drac. "I don''t understand why you''re telling them about Fluffy. I''m really afraid I''ll slip up and say something I shouldn''t..."


    "It''s okay, Hagrid," Drac said with a lightugh, raising his ss to Hagrid. "Even if you did slip up, it''s not a problem. Everything is still within Dumbledore''s ns!"


    "But I can''t be sure if I''ll dy Dumbledore''s ns..." Hagrid mumbled quietly.


    Seeing Harry and Ron''s hopeful gazes, Drac thought for a moment, then once again ced the ss in mid-air. He then pulled out a copper mirror engraved with a phoenix motif from his pocket.


    "You two, if you want to know who Nics mel is, thene with me," he said, ying with the copper mirror as he walked towards the marble steps at the entrance of the hall. The ss of red wine floated steadily beside him as he moved forward.


    Harry and Ron hurriedly followed.


    "Professor Drac, you can''t..." Hagrid tried to stop them, but before he could finish, Drac interrupted him with a look.


    "Don''t worry, Hagrid, I know what I''m doing," Drac said.


    He smiled at Hagrid, then turned his head and led the two young wizards around the corner of the stairs.


    The three of them went straight into the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office on the third floor of the castle.


    Drac settledfortably into a soft armchair, and the floating ss of wine gentlynded on the desk. Harry and Ron stood awkwardly at the door, nervously fidgeting with their clothing.


    "Make yourselvesfortable," Drac said, ncing at them and gesturing to the sofa in the office.


    He then lifted the copper mirror and gave a rxed smile.


    "Nics, there are two interesting little fellows who want to know who you are. Do you want to say hello to them?"

 Chapter 45 - 45 Harry and Ron’s gift.

    <h4>Chapter 45: Harry and Ron''s gift.</h4>


    Until Christmas Day, Harry and Ron couldn''t believe that they had learned who Nics mel was and even spoken to him without Hermione.


    "Ron, do you know what the Philosopher''s Stone that Mr. mel mentioned actually is?" Harry asked as he sat on the floor, opening arge pile of gift boxes in front of him. He turned to Ron and added, "You understand what I mean, being a pure-blood wizard and all. You should know more about these things than I do."


    "Don''t bring up pure-blood and all that. It''s only the Malfoys who care about that!" Ron retorted.


    As he spoke, he seemed to remember something andughed, "Speaking of Malfoy, do you remember that on the first day of the holiday, Draco Malfoy was crying and throwing a tantrum while his dad dragged him out of Hogwarts? Hahaha..."


    Harry remembered Malfoy''s embarrassed expression and startedughing as well. Theyughed together for a while before they managed to stop.


    "So you don''t know what the Philosopher''s Stone is?" Harry insisted, trying to bring the conversation back on track.


    "Well, I don''t really know," Ron sighed, "We can wait until Hermionees back and ask her. She''s read so many books, she must know what the Philosopher''s Stone is!"


    "That''s the only thing we can do," Harry nodded.


    He looked at the pile of gift boxes on the floor and hesitated, "Do you think... since Professor Drac has helped us so much, we should get him a Christmas gift too?"


    "Definitely, we should give him a gift. After all, he saved you on the Quidditch pitch," Ron agreed.


    As a wizard who had always been raised by his aunt, with no friends and no pocket money growing up, Harry had never had the opportunity to give Christmas gifts before.


    This year,ing to Hogwarts, he had inherited arge sum of money from his parents and made many good friends at school. It made his Christmas more meaningful and warm, and he finally had the chance to exchange Christmas gifts with others.


    However, since it was Harry''s firstplete Christmas experience, he instinctively thought of giving gifts to his friends but forgot to prepare one for the professor he admired the most.


    Seeing therge number of Christmas gifts on the floor and remembering the conversation with Nics mel yesterday, he realized he should also show his appreciation to Professor Drac!


    "Ron, help me think of something to get the professor!" Harry urged, shaking Ron''s shoulder.


    However, Harry''s mood quickly dropped, "A powerful person like the professor probably doesn''tck anything..."


    "Don''t say that, Harry. Gift-giving is just a formality; the details matter most!" Ron said confidently, patting his chest, "Think about it, what does Professor Drac usually like to do?"


    "Um... he likes to lean against the wall and watch the fun?" Harry asked uncertainly.


    "Not that kind of thing!" Ron waved his fist, "Think more specifically, like what little habits does the professor have?"


    Harry thought hard for a while before hesitantly saying, "Professor Drac... seems to often have lollipops or a goblet?"


    "Exactly!" Ron pped his thigh, "So Professor Drac likes lollipops and also enjoys drinking!"


    "Uh... is it really that simple?" Harry looked confused, thinking it didn''t match his image of the cool, sophisticated Professor Drac.


    "You don''t understand. Such a powerful wizard always has some little quirks," Ron said confidently, "Just like Dumbledore. My mom once told us he eats sweets every day and ends up needing to visit St. Mungo''s for dental treatment every year!"


    Harry had an odd expression but nodded in agreement, thinking of Dumbledore''s strange little pleasures.


    "Ron, you handle the gift preparation. I''m sure you''ll do a great job!" Harry patted Ron''s shoulder and handed him a handful of galleons from his pocket, "Make sure to get the best gift for Professor Drac! If there''s anything left, you can buy some snacks for yourself."


    Ron had never seen so many galleons in his life and swallowed hard.


    Then he solemnly promised, "Don''t worry, I''ll handle the gift preparation perfectly!"


    He then dashed out of the dormitory.


    He nned to write a letter to be sent by owl to the shops in Hogsmeade to get Professor Drac''s Christmas gift as quickly as possible.


    Meanwhile, Harry, having received so many gifts from fans or admirers, continued to sit in the dormitory, trembling as he unwrapped arge pile of gift boxes.


    "Hmm?"


    When he opened thest package, which was quite light, he couldn''t help but exim.


    A silvery-gray liquid-like substance slipped to the floor, gathering in a pile and sparkling.


    Hogsmeade was a wizarding vige located near Hogwarts Castle, and it was quickly reached by crossing the long wooden bridge on the west side of the castle.


    Due to the close distance, Professor Drac received the gifts from Harry and Ron, sent by the Hogsmeade merchants, before the Christmas feast that same afternoon.


    Drac looked at the crookedly written note on the gift box that read:


    "Merry Christmas, with the professor''s favorite lollipops and wine, H.P. & R.W."


    "These two boys have a future. This saves me the trouble of shopping myself!" he nodded in satisfaction, snapping his fingers to make the gift box unwrap itself.


    However, when he saw the gift, Drac''s face immediately darkened.


    In the gift from Harry and Ron was a beautifully packaged bottle of vodka standing prominently in the center of the box, surrounded by Ron''s favorite sunshine orange-vored lollipops arranged neatly, radiating bright colors like sunshine...


    "..."


    Drac scowled as he pushed away the sunshine orange-vored lollipops and the bottle of vodka, and used magic to wrap them back up in the box.


    A bat appeared out of nowhere, took the gift box, and flew from the window to the headmaster''s office on the eighth floor, directly delivering it to Dumbledore.


    Still not feeling relieved, Drac then vanished and appeared in Professor Quirrell''s office.


    "Professor Quirrell, when the school starts, find the holiday homework for Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and grade it by the strictest standards!"

 Chapter 46 - 46 Branch cap: Azkaban!

    <h4>Chapter 46: Branch cap: Azkaban!</h4>


    Unlike the Halloween feast, the mostvish Christmas feast begins at noon.


    Harry and Ron walked into the Great Hall, stunned by the spectacr scene of the Christmas feast¡ª


    The tables wereid with a hundred plump roast turkeys, mounds of roasted meat and boiled potatoes,rge tters of delicious sausages, bowls of peas mixed with butter, and dishes of rich, thick gravy and cranberry sauce...


    Every few steps along the table, there wererge piles of wizarding crackers and fireworks stacked at the edges of the tables.


    Fred and George were ying with the crackers. With a "bang," a cannon-like explosion filled the air, and a cloud of blue smoke engulfed the twins. Theyughed joyfully, clearly enjoying themselves.


    Harry and Ron could vaguely hear one of the twins talking about their great ambition in the future¡ªto create a firework that could engulf the entire Hogwarts Castle.


    Harry looked past the blue smoke created by Fred and George and gazed up at the professors'' table. He saw Dumbledore, sitting at the head of the table, had turned his pointed wizard hat into a flower-adorned bo, and Professor Flitwick had just told him a joke, making himugh heartily.


    Meanwhile, Drac was shaking his wine ss, looking at Harry and Ron with a somewhat sinister expression.


    "Ron, why do I feel like Professor Drac is looking at us strangely?" Harry, feeling uneasy under Drac''s gaze, whispered to Ron, who was munching on a chicken leg.


    Ron, still chewing, mumbled, "It''s nothing. It must be that Professor really likes the gift we gave him and wants to thank us."


    After hearing Ron''s words, Harry looked back at Drac with suspicion and found that he had already shifted his gaze.


    "Maybe you''re right," Harry nodded and picked up a chicken leg.


    ...


    "Professor Drac, why aren''t you wearing a Christmas hat?"


    At the professors'' table at the front of the hall, Dumbledore, wearing a flower-adorned bo, smiled at Drac.


    Professor McGonagall also nodded in agreement, her tall ck hat swaying slightly with her movements.


    "No, I''m not interested in Christmas," Drac shrugged, focusing his attention on a bowl of bright red pudding in front of him.


    "Come on, Professor Drac, it''s always better to get into the Christmas spirit a bit more!" Professor Flitwick stood on a high chair and selected a cracker with a paper hat inside for Drac.


    With a wave of Professor Flitwick''s wand, the cracker burst into a thick pink smoke¡ªrevealing a pink paper hat decorated with white little hearts.


    "Oh, what a vibrant color," Professor Flitwick seemed a bit surprised by his luck and looked at Drac. "Do you want to wear this hat as a Christmas hat?"


    Seeing the pink paper hat, Drac waved his hand in disgust.


    "No need, I''ve thought it over, and I feel I actually could have a hat."


    Drac then extended his hand towards the entrance of the hall¡ª


    "io!"


    Momentster, a brand-new brown leather pointed hat flew in from the entrance of the hall andnded directly in Drac''s hand.


    Seeing the hat, Dumbledore paused slightly and then showed a look of resignation.


    "Ahhhhh, don''t let me know who did this. Flying from the eighth floor to the first floor, it''s going to give me a fear of heights!" The brand-new brown pointed hat loudlyined, dering that it would report the wizard who summoned it to the headmaster.


    Then, it saw Drac looking at it with a smirk.


    "Ahem, Your Grace, it''s you!" The Sorting Hat said awkwardly. "What did I just say? Oh yes, I was saying that the person who could call me from the eighth floor to the first floor must be a master at spellcasting. I must report this truthfully to the headmaster so that he can give you a promotion!"


    "You''re quick on your feet," Drac said with amusement.


    "Of course, I am a hat infused with the wills of the four founders, with its own consciousness!" The Sorting Hat leaned back as if proudly raising its head.


    Hearing the Sorting Hat''s voice, the other professors looked over.


    "The Sorting Hat?!" Professor Flitwick, next to Drac, widened his eyes in shock. "Merlin''s beard, how did it be so clean? I hardly recognize it!"


    "Has this hat been reincarnated? Not even a patch left?" Professor Kettleburn, leaning on his cane and walking on his wooden leg, approached curiously to look at the newly refreshed Sorting Hat.


    "..."


    Hearing the professors'' shocked remarks, the Sorting Hat''s brim drooped again.


    "Woe is me, those were symbols of my years of hardship. Now I am no different from those ordinary hats..."


    "Quiet down, hat," Drac said, grabbing the tip of the Sorting Hat and lifting it up. "It''s Christmas, and since I didn''t buy a Christmas hat, I''ll use you as a substitute."


    "Wait, I''m a magical hat! How can youpare me to those ordinary Christmas hats?! And you could clearly make one yourself..." At this moment, the Sorting Hat noticed the cold mes flickering on Drac''s finger.


    It changed its tune: "...But of course, a self-made hat is not as professional. It''s an honor to be used as a Christmas hat by you!"


    Drac then extinguished the mes on his finger and ced the Sorting Hat on his head, blending into the Christmas atmosphere.


    At that moment, the Sorting Hat began mumbling,


    "Hmm, very difficult, very challenging. I see, there''s enough..."


    "...What are you mumbling about?" Drac interrupted the Sorting Hat''s remarks, frowning.


    "Uh..." The Sorting Hat realized this wasn''t the Sorting Ceremony but a Christmas feast. "Sorry, Your Grace. upational hazard, upational hazard..."


    Thinking about the upational hazard issue, Drac suddenly became interested in what the Sorting Hat wanted to say.


    "When you had an upational hazard just now, which house did you want to sort me into? Just read it out loud for me," he said to the Sorting Hat. "I''d like to see which founder''s thoughts align most closely with mine."


    "Well... that might not be appropriate," the Sorting Hat said awkwardly.


    "It''s fine, just say it. Whatever you want to say," Drac reassured.


    "Alright then."


    The Sorting Hat took a deep breath, gathered its emotions from deep within its brim, and then shouted loudly¡ª


    "Azkaban!"

 Chapter 47 - 47 Branch cap’s humour cell

    <h4>Chapter 47: Branch cap''s humour cell</h4>


    When the Sorting Hat pronounced the name "Azkaban" clearly, the atmosphere around the professors'' seats fell silent for a moment.


    The professors stared in astonishment at the Sorting Hat. Their gazes flickered between Drac and the hat on his head, their expressions showing utter shock.


    "After all these years as headmaster, it''s the first time I''ve learned that Hogwarts has a fifth house!" Dumbledore was the first to speak, cheerfully saying, "Let''s congratte Professor Drac on bing the first member of House Azkaban. His promotion to Head of Azkaban will be just around the corner!"


    Dumbledore led the apuse.


    Professor Kettleburn, who had only one arm and half a leg, found the situation amusing and hobbled over to Snape''s seat with his cane.


    "Severus, now that there''s a new house, I suppose Slytherin students no longer need to go through the usual process. They can go straight to Azkaban!" He cheerfully patted Snape''s shoulder with his remaining hand,ughing loudly, "Why go through seven years of schooling just to end up in Azkaban? What a hassle!"


    As an old-school Hufflepuff, Professor Kettleburn naturally enjoyed poking fun at Slytherin. After all, Slytherins had long looked down upon the Hufflepuff witches and wizards.


    Snape''s face darkened, but given Professor Kettleburn''s decades of experience, a mere thirty-year-old like him could do little but endure.


    Listening to the surrounding professors'' jabs, Drac''s mouth twitched.


    "Are you itching for another taste of being burned?" He took the Sorting Hat off his head, looking displeased, and said, "Don''t think I don''t know; you''re probably still holding a grudge about the cleaning job I did for you and want to get revenge!"


    "Lord... Lord Count, I didn''t!" the Sorting Hat said with a tone of feigned innocence, "It''s Christmas, after all. I just wanted to make a joke and lighten the mood..."


    "Well, it''s true that the Christmas feast could use a bit more entertainment to liven things up." Drac looked at the hat in his hand, a malicious smile forming on his lips. "So, I''m nning to give everyone here a performance of the Sorting Hat jumping through a ring of fire. I''ll need your cooperation for that."


    Drac twirled the Sorting Hat in one hand. In its panicked little expression, he snapped his fingers, and a zing ring of fire appeared in front of the Sorting Hat.


    "Wait, Lord Count, I haven''t finished what I wanted to say!" The Sorting Hat said in a slightly panicked whisper, "I have reasons for this; it''s rted to the four founders!"


    It deliberately controlled its voice so only Drac could hear. Drac''s gaze shifted slightly.


    In the next moment, the fire ring vanished abruptly, and the Sorting Hat stopped spinning, drooping lifelessly in Drac''s hand.


    "This hat needs to be scared asionally, or it''lle up with all sorts of nonsense." He smiled at the curious professors around him, elegantly cing the Sorting Hat back on his head. "Now that my Christmas hat is perfectly in ce, let''s all get back to eating. The main course will be cleared soon."


    Once the other professors shifted their attention away, Drac adjusted the brim of the Sorting Hat with his hand.


    "We can begin now. Let me see what excuse you''vee up with this time." He wore the hat and began a silentmunication with it, using the Sorting Hat''s mind-reading ability as a bridge.


    "Lord Count, I''m having a tough time!" The Sorting Hat''s voice echoed in Drac''s mind, starting withints, "You know, your life has spanned a thousand years! Even ounting for your periods of slumber, that''s still seven or eight hundred years! Even though you''ve deliberately lifted the brain-blocking spell, I can''t determine which founder''s temperament you align with from this vast stretch of time..."


    "So you''re saying I''m making it difficult for you?" Drac asked, putting a bite of blood pudding into his mouth whilemunicating mentally.


    "Not exactly." The Sorting Hat said earnestly, "It''s just that my abilities arecking. I''ll definitely strive to improve!"


    "I actually thought you''d just make up a house for me, at least to get by." Drac chuckled.


    "I wanted to, but I couldn''t." The Sorting Hat exined, "A thousand years ago, the four great founders of Hogwarts infused their thoughts into my being, granting me the unique ability to sort students into houses based on their talents and qualities."


    "But the founders'' wills have remained within me, and their memories and feelings about you, Lord Count, have persisted for a long time. If that was just a minor issue, the real problem is that the founders'' thoughts argue with each other!"


    "Wait, you''re saying the thoughts left by Szar and Godric and the others argue with each other?"


    Drac became interested immediately, setting aside his pudding and sitting up straight, ready to listen to the Sorting Hat''s story.


    "Indeed. In fact, when I was ced on your head, the residual wills of the four founders all wanted me to ce you in their respective houses. As you know, Ravenw has always had a strong fondness for you, while Gryffindor and Slytherin have both tried to prove which of them had the greatest impact on you..."


    "Those three, really." Drac shook his head with a light smile, his eyes reflecting a nostalgic and reminiscent expression.


    At that time, he was far from the fearsome vampire count he wouldter be. The four founders of Hogwarts were also just young wizards starting out, and there was a vampire friend who joined midway. The five of them walked together across the frozen surface of the ck Lake, a memory from a thousand years ago.


    Lost in recollection for a while, Drac suddenly thought of a question.


    "Why didn''t you mention Helga? Doesn''t she want me in Hufflepuff?" he asked the Sorting Hat in his mind.


    "Lord Count, please wake up." The Sorting Hat couldn''t help but mock, "Look at you¡ªwhere do you see any qualities of integrity, loyalty, honesty, or hard work... The Hufflepuff mindset has long since given up hope and hasn''t participated in the arguments of the other three founders. Instead, they''ve acted as mediators."


    Drac''s face darkened.


    "After all that, it''s still the same question." His tone took on a mischievous edge. "Why did you shout out ''Azkaban''?"


    "Well... that..." The Sorting Hat, feeling nervous, said, "Why don''t you me Gryffindor? As a Gryffindor hat, I must have inherited some of his misced sense of humor. Yes, that must be it!"

 Chapter 48 - 48 What Dumbledore saw in Eris’s magic mirror

    <h4>Chapter 48: What Dumbledore saw in Eris''s magic mirror</h4>


    As time went by, the main courses and desserts of the Christmas feast were gradually consumed.


    The feast ended when the afternoon sun had nearly set, leaving the hall in disarray with tes and cups scattered everywhere. But soon, thanks to the house-elves'' magic, the hall was restored to its pristine condition. Both professors and students had enjoyed the feast immensely.


    After the meal, Harry and the Weasley brothers, having stuffed themselves, went out to the grounds for a snowball fight to digest. They yed joyfully for the entire afternoon, reveling in the snowball fight. It wasn''t until the sun hadpletely set and they were freezing that they returned to themon room, their clothes wet from the snow, and warmed themselves by the fire.


    It was the happiest Christmas Harry had ever experienced, but there was one thing lingering in his mind.


    It was only after getting into bed that he had time to think about it¡ªthe shimmering, seemingly water-woven Invisibility Cloak, and the person who had given it to him...


    Harry took out the cloak from its in wrapping again, letting it flow through his hands. It felt smoother than silk and lighter than light itself.


    The package also included a note in elegant, beautiful handwriting, telling him that the cloak had once belonged to his father and instructing him to use it well.


    Use it well? Harry''s heart raced.


    An Invisibility Cloak like this was inherently a tool for mischief, perfect for sneaking around, exploring the castle at night!


    Who was so keen on getting him to break school rules and even sent such a magical item?


    Suddenly, Harry''s eyes lit up with excitement.


    He realized that with this Invisibility Cloak, Hogwarts waspletely open to him! From now on, he and Ron could go on nighttime adventures without being detected! Wearing the cloak, they could go anywhere, and Filch and Snape would never know!


    Determined, Harry decided to go out.


    While his roommates were asleep, he donned the Invisibility Cloak and quietly left the dormitory.


    ...


    In an abandoned ssroom, many old desks and chairs were stacked against the walls, castingrge, shadowy forms in the dim candlelight. A turned-over wastebasket in the ssroom spilled out many tiny scraps of paper, buried under a thickyer of dust on the floor.


    It seemed that this ce hadn''t been cleaned in a long time.


    However, in front of the wall directly facing the entrance, there was an object that seemed out of ce, as if someone had temporarily left it there because they had no other ce to put it¡ª


    It was a grand mirror, reaching up to the ceiling, with a magnificent golden frame supported by two beast-like feet.


    In front of the mirror stood two silver-haired figures. One looked quite elderly, while the other appeared much younger, though their actual ages were the opposite.


    "Can you tell me why you called me here, Professor Dumbledore?" Drac nced at the scenes of global chaos ying out in the mirror, taking a step sideways to avoid its reflection with a somewhat unnatural expression.


    "And also, wasn''t the Mirror of Erised the final guardian of the Philosopher''s Stone you set up? Why has it been moved to this abandoned ssroom?"


    Dumbledore stood in front of the Mirror of Erised, his gaze absent-mindedly fixed on the images in the mirror.


    "Before Harry goes to the fourth floor''s forbidden area, I needed a test to see what he truly desires," he said softly. "This is crucial to determine if he can properly utilize his unique advantages and harness the power to defeat his enemies."


    "So you had Professor Snape stay up all night and work with Filch to patrol the castle, just to lure Potter into this ssroom and let him discover the Mirror of Erised?" Drac asked in surprise.


    He felt an unexpected sympathy for Snape, who was being used as a tool.


    Dumbledore nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the mirror''s images.


    Seeing Dumbledore''s focused demeanor, Drac became intrigued.


    A transparent energy quietly emerged from his fingertips, winding around the ancient runes on the Mirror of Erised. Then he slowly gazed at the spotless mirror surface.


    Several figures appeared in the mirror. They included a middle-aged man with reddish-brown hair and a full beard, a girl with the same hair color, and an elegant woman. These three appeared affectionate, suggesting they were likely Dumbledore''s family.


    But what surprised Drac was the young man who stood apart from Dumbledore''s three family members. He had golden hair, blue eyes, and a handsome face with a smug, rebellious smile, looking at the elderly man in the mirror with a sinister grin.


    Just as Drac was about to look closer, the image in the mirror abruptly disappeared.


    "Professor Drac, I think it''s rather impolite to spy on others'' privacy, don''t you?" Dumbledore turned to look at Drac and said softly.


    "Ahem, I was just momentarily curious," Drac''s face stiffened as he was caught in the act of peeking, and he awkwardly cleared his throat.


    But he couldn''t resist and asked, "So... who is that young man with the golden hair? He seems to have quite a special rtionship with you."


    Dumbledore paused for a moment, and his expression suddenly turned somewhat mncholic.


    "He was just a young man enchanted by summer," Dumbledore replied, his tone distant.


    Dumbledore''s unusual reaction made Drac even more curious. He stepped forward, ready to inquire more about the golden-haired youth.


    At that moment, Dumbledore seemed to notice something and quickly cast a transparent barrier to hide the two figures on the other side of the mirror, adding a silencing charm for their conversation.


    Drac furrowed his brow and looked at the slightly ajar door of the ssroom.


    There was no one there, only faint, barely audible footsteps slowly moving towards the abandoned ssroom. The sounds of two squelchy, sticky footsteps grew faint¡ªFilch and Snape were leaving.


    With his exceptional hearing, Drac sensed someone quietly slipping into the abandoned ssroom where he and Dumbledore were.


    His crimson eyes flickered with light as he gradually saw a young wizard cloaked in invisibility making his way to the Mirror of Erised.


    "Is that... Potter?" Drac wondered, looking at the somewhat blurred figure under the cloak and frowning at Dumbledore. "Is the Invisibility Cloak Potter is wearing rted to Ignotus Peverell''s cloak?"


    Typically, Invisibility Cloaks are made from the hides of invisibility beasts or simr spells, and they don''t affect Drac much; he can easily see through them.


    However, this Invisibility Cloak Harry had was different.


    Drac didn''t immediately notice Harry under the cloak, so he channeled his magical power into his eyes. Even so, Harry''s figure was still not very clear.


    "Indeed, this is the legendary Deathly Hallow," Dumbledore said calmly, as if it were an ordinary item. "Harry''s father had lent it to me for research, and now it has been returned to its rightful owner."


    "Quite a big move, Dumbledore," Drac said with a shake of his head. "Setting up trials and using Deathly Hallows, even testing his character with the Mirror of Erised."


    "When did the magical world fall to such a state that a dark wizard''s name is too feared to be spoken, and a pitiful child who has lost his parents is relied upon to defeat him?"


    He stared intently at Dumbledore, his voice growing colder.

 Chapter 49 - 49 The Power of Detention

    <h4>Chapter 49: The Power of Detention</h4>


    "Almost forgot, Professor Drac, you''re not just a vampire, but a genuine count as well."


    Dumbledore paused for a moment, then shook his head with a smile. "What does that old noble spirit say? That you should treat women and children with special care?"


    "I remember in my time it was about grace, dignity, and responsibility," Drac said, crossing his arms casually. "Even though I don''t care much for these so-called noble virtues, it doesn''t mean I''m willing to push such things onto a newly admitted child."


    Dumbledore looked at Harry, who was distracted by the Mirror of Erised, and a thoughtful expression appeared on his face.


    "Professor Drac, don''t underestimate the threat of Voldemort," he said quietly to Drac while observing Harry. "No one survives the Killing Curse, except for two people¡ªVoldemort and Harry."


    "But Harry was not truly struck by Voldemort''s Killing Curse. Lily''s love for Harry invoked an astonishing protective magic that rebounded Voldemort''s Killing Curse. So the person who was truly hit by the curse was actually Voldemort himself."


    Dumbledore was exining the fearsome nature of Voldemort, but Drac''s attention was drawn to something else.


    "So you''re saying that Harry''s mother, merely with the emotion of ''love,'' possessed the ability to resist Voldemort?" Drac''s brow furrowed. "Headmaster, don''t you find that ridiculous?"


    "Don''t underestimate anyone''s potential, Professor Drac," Dumbledore said seriously. "Human potential is boundless. Especially in urgent situations, people can unleash unprecedented power for those they deeply care about."


    "That''s the power of bonds," Dumbledore added.


    Drac looked at Dumbledore''s earnest expression and felt an extreme sense of absurdity.


    Is Dumbledore simply losing his touch, or have I been asleep for a hundred years and fallen behind the times? When did a wizard''s potential be so great that emotions could influence their power?


    If that''s the case, wouldn''t those deeply in love or tenderly connected, like lovers or a mother and child, possess the power to threaten even grand wizards?


    It seemed extremely unreasonable to Drac. He knew that sometimes the gap between wizards was as insurmountable as a chasm.


    Thus, Drac did not ept Dumbledore''s exnation for Harry''s survival from the Killing Curse and preferred to find his own answers.


    "Let''s skip this topic. I''m not interested in studying your wizards'' emotional lives," Drac said dismissively. "Tell me why you think Voldemort survived his own Killing Curse."


    Dumbledore shook his head helplessly.


    "Actually, I initially thought Voldemort was truly dead and felt relieved for a long time. Until I discovered that the curse on the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor still existed... You should understand that one condition for the curse''s existence is the survival of the caster."


    "And this year''s arrival of Quirrell and the coveting of the Philosopher''s Stone precisely confirmed this," Dumbledore''s expression grew solemn. "Voldemort never truly left; he''s just waiting for the right moment to return!"


    "So you set up a trap with the Philosopher''s Stone and conveniently created an opportunity for Voldemort to train Potter?" Drac asked.


    "Exactly. As I suspected, Voldemort is still very weak and can only rely on others to act," Dumbledore said. "Given Voldemort''s arrogant nature, if he were not weakened to a certain extent, he would not rely on Quirrell but would personally invade Gringotts to steal the Stone."


    "I assume you know that the Philosopher''s Stone is Nichs''s life," Dumbledore''s narration made Drac''s expression slightly cold. "If Voldemort were in his prime, he would certainly not return empty-handed, and Nichs''s elixir of life would lose its chance to continue."


    "Your arrangement has ced Nichs in a very dangerous situation. If he doesn''t care about his own life, do you?" Drac questioned.


    "Don''t worry, Professor Drac. There''s no need for such risks," Dumbledore said nonchntly, with a smile. "The Philosopher''s Stone in Gringotts was always fake. The real one has been with me all along!"


    Drac looked at him in surprise and nodded slightly.


    "Nichs told me about your discussion at the Garnier Opera House," Dumbledore''s face softened with a gentle smile. "He no longer wishes to die. Once this matter is over, the Philosopher''s Stone will be handed over to you."


    "Professor Drac, it seems you haven''t abandoned your sense of humanity, have you? The bond between friends is also a form of the power of connections."


    "I''ve said, I''m not interested in your theory of bonds." Drac shifted his gaze, naturally changing the subject. "You still haven''t said, how do you think Voldemort survived the Killing Curse in your spection?"


    Dumbledore turned to look at Drac, his eyes deep.


    "I wonder if Professor Drac has heard of an extremely evil and forbidden dark magic¡ªHorcruxes!"


    ...


    Hogwarts has an active Horcrux.


    The young Voldemort, who had taken the form of a Horcrux diary, Tom Riddle, was foraging in the Forbidden Forest.


    He extended an ethereal hand, grabbing a passing wild rabbit. The rabbit struggled wildly.


    A swirl of dark mist appeared, and the rabbit quickly lost its strength, bing shriveled and lifeless.


    Voldemort''s ethereal body seemed to solidify a bit.


    At that moment, he suddenly furrowed his brow and opened the nk diary he was holding.


    "Absorbing the life energy of animals is useless; what you need is a wizard''s life force."


    Two lines of elegant ink appeared in the diary.


    "I know that, no need for you to remind me," Voldemort said impatiently. "With Dumbledore and that Drac still suspicious of Quirrell and even wary of me, when will I have the chance to absorb a wizard''s life?"


    The ink in the diary reformed: "Give me to any student, and I can lure them into giving up their life force."


    "No need. Do you think I don''t know? You just want me to leave the diary," Voldemort sneered and said, "Remember, you''re just a Horcrux, and all you are is a part of my memories before I turned sixteen! All you need to do is obey me, obey your master soul!"


    With a snap, Voldemort closed the diary and walked deeper into the Forbidden Forest.


    There, a pure and beautiful creature resembling a white horse was lowering its head with a graceful unicorn and drinking from the flowing stream.


    "Avada Kedavra¡ª"

 Chapter 50 - 50 RIP Unicorn

    <h4>Chapter 50: RIP Unicorn</h4>


    In the early morning, the quiet Forbidden Forest was startled awake by a deafening wail.


    A half-giant, standing over three meters tall, knelt in a clearing, his tearful eyes fixed on the pure white corpse of the animal by the stream.


    Drac stood nearby, covering his ears with a look of helplessness, trying to block out Hagrid''s anguished cries.


    ...


    An hour and a half earlier.


    It was February, and Hogwarts had just resumed for the term.


    At the transition from winter to spring, the sunzily lingered below the horizon, refusing to show its face.


    However, the world without the sun did not seem dark. The heavy, soft snow that had fallen during winter stilly on the ground, reflecting the soft white light of the stars in the sky.


    Drac enjoyed this bright, sunless sky, so he jumped out of his office window early in the morning andnded in the snow to wander around, admiring the snow-covered Hogwarts castle under the night sky.


    Not long after, a huge figure caught his attention.


    "Good morning, Professor Drac," Hagrid greeted him hastily in the snow and quickly headed towards the castle.


    Drac noticed that Hagrid looked extremely anxious, barely having time to wipe the dew off his face.


    "Why are you going to the castle so early, Hagrid?" Drac asked curiously.


    "There''s an urgent situation in the Forbidden Forest. I need to report to Professor Dumbledore right away," Hagrid said, continuing to walk briskly towards the castle.


    "Oh, go ahead then. Dumbledore should be asleep at this hour. Remember to knock hard on his door and don''t let him sleep too soundly," Drac said, uninterested in the situation in the Forbidden Forest but curious about how to wake the old headmaster. "If he won''t wake up no matter how hard you knock, I''d be happy to help."


    As if he had wings, Drac floated through the air beside Hagrid, his dark red robe trailing behind him. At the same time, he picked up a snowball about the size of Hagrid''s head from the ground.


    "I could fly directly to the top of the castle tower and throw the snowball through the window of the headmaster''s office. That should wake Dumbledore up," Drac said seriously.


    "Er... it''s not that urgent," Hagrid said, looking at the snowball the size of his head and worrying about Dumbledore, "It''s just that there are signs of a possible vampire in the Forbidden Forest. I need to inform Dumbledore to ensure the safety of the students."


    Drac abruptly stopped floating.


    Hagrid looked back in confusion and saw Drac standing in the snow, his expression fluctuating. He couldn''t help but shiver.


    "Maybe it''s better not to disturb the headmaster, Hagrid," Drac said, tossing the snowball aside and letting it scatter into pieces, "We should go directly to the Forbidden Forest and catch that troublesome vampire. Wouldn''t that save the headmaster the trouble?"


    He snapped his fingers, and the crisp sound echoed in the silent night.


    In the next moment, Hagrid felt as if a dark moon collided with him and then passed through his massive body. When he opened his eyes again, he was already near the Forbidden Forest.


    Hagrid looked around at the familiar shed and garden, and the deep forest in front of him, feeling greatly shocked.


    He had run for quite a while to approach Hogwarts Castle, and now Professor Drac had brought him back to the starting point in an instant? He felt a bit like crying.


    "What... what kind of magic is this?" Hagrid wiped the liquid from his face, unsure if it was dew or cold sweat, and asked.


    "Just consider it Apparition," Drac said casually, "Now, take me to where the vampire signs are."


    Since Hagrid had been instantly transported back to the Forbidden Forest, he wasn''t about to waste more time running back to report to Dumbledore. It wasn''t worth it!


    So, he resigned himself to leading Drac into the Forbidden Forest.


    "Professor Drac, look at this poor rabbit," Hagrid said as they reached a deep part of the forest, finding a withered rabbit corpse next to a bush. "Its blood has beenpletely drained, leaving only shriveled flesh and skin. I can''t think of any animal other than a vampire that would do this."


    Drac frowned, levitating the rabbit''s corpse and examining it closely.


    "This isn''t the work of a vampire," he said, shaking his head. "The rabbit has no wounds on it, and a vampire cannot drain the blood of an animal without leaving any marks."


    "Is there any magical creature that can drain blood without causing wounds?" Hagrid pondered, trying to recall magical creatures he had seen, but was at a loss. "Or should we ask Professor Kettleburn? He''s been teaching Care of Magical Creatures for sixty years, so he might have another opinion."


    Drac remained silent, his wine-red eyes focused on the rabbit''s intact corpse.


    "Hagrid, how long do you think this rabbit has been dead?" he suddenly asked.


    "From the condition of the body, it should have been dead for two or three days. I''ve been a gamekeeper for years, I wouldn''t be mistaken!" Hagrid confidently patted his chest, assuring.


    As soon as he finished speaking, Hagrid seemed to realize something and stared at the rabbit''s corpse in astonishment.


    "How could this rabbit''s body have been preserved for two or three days?!" he eximed, "This doesn''t make sense! In this season of scarce food, other carnivores in the Forbidden Forest would definitely drag away and eat such a corpse. It couldn''t have been left for even a day!"


    "That''s what I''m saying," Drac nodded slightly. "So the most likely scenario is that this rabbit died under a dark magic curse. Therefore, the surrounding animals instinctively avoided the corpse that carries an aura of evil."


    "Professor Drac, do you mean... the evil creature in the Forbidden Forest isn''t a vampire, but a dark wizard?!" Hagrid looked around, lowering his voice.


    "Just a guess," Drac said. "Let''s keep searching for other bloodless animal corpses."


    Taking the lead, Hagrid, familiar with the surroundings, ventured deeper into the Forbidden Forest and found many withered animal corpses.


    Seeing so many small animals in such a pitiful state, Hagrid''s expression turned very sad, and this sadness peaked when they reached a stream deep in the Forbidden Forest¡ª


    On the riverbanky a pure white, unicorn-like creature with a single horn on its forehead, sprawled on the pebble-strewn shore. The stream flowed over its golden hooves, soaking its pure white mane.


    Even though it had been dead for two or three days and its body had be shriveled, its fur remained so bright that it made the surrounding snow appear gray.


    It was a sacred unicorn.

 Chapter 51 - 51 Horsemen in the Forbidden Forest

    <h4>Chapter 51: Horsemen in the Forbidden Forest</h4>


    "How could this happen?!" Hagrid knelt by the stream, wailing in despair. "Who could be so heartless as to ughter such a pure and helpless creature? Do they not fear the curse of life?!"


    Drac helplessly covered his ears and stepped forward into the clear stream, approaching the half-submerged unicorn. The water automatically diverted around his legs, not even dampening the hem of his cloak.


    He looked at the unicorn''s withered body, much like the other animals before it, and frowned slightly.


    Hagrid continued to sob, wiping his nose with a filthy handkerchief. Annoyed by the noise andck of hygiene, Drac gently patted him on the shoulder.


    Instantly, a bone-chilling coldness seeped from Hagrid''s shoulder, as if a bucket of December''s ck Lake water had been thrown over him. He immediately calmed down, his sorrow nearly extinguished.


    The abrupt emotional shift left Hagrid feeling somewhat stifled and uneasy.


    "Quiet, listen to me," Drac''s cold voice broke the silence.


    Hagrid shivered, turned to look at the figure standing beside the unicorn, and involuntarily held his breath.


    "This blood-draining dark magic is likely a form of sacrificial magic," Drac said, gazing at the unicorn''s body. "Its purpose is to steal life force by absorbing the blood of other beings. Perhaps ordinary animals did not provide enough life force, so the dark wizard in the Forbidden Forest targeted the unicorn for its powerful life essence."


    "But... using unicorn blood brings a curse!" Hagrid sobbed quietly at the thought of the dead unicorn. "Who would want a half-dead, cursed life?"


    Drac pondered for a moment and suddenly recalled the forbidden dark magic Dumbledore had mentioned in the abandoned ssroom, his eyes revealing understanding.


    If it were Voldemort, who survived by means of Horcruxes, he would not care about the curse associated with unicorn blood.


    "Perhaps... that dark wizard was already living a half-dead life himself?" Drac said softly.


    Suddenly, the taut twang of a bowstring sounded from the depths of the forest, followed by the whistling of an arrow.


    Drac swiftly raised his hand, catching the sharp crossbow bolt between his fingers.


    "Hagrid, get away from that evil creature immediately!" a deep voice came from the forest.


    Then, a man, or rather a centaur, emerged from the dense underbrush. He had red hair and a beard, but below the waist, he had a glossy brown horse''s body and a long red tail.


    He trotted up to the stream''s edge, raised his front hooves, and halted. He then drew arge bow and pointed it at Drac with a tense expression.


    "That person in ck and red, don''t move. I can sense the darkness within you!" the centaur said, ring at Drac.


    "Wait, Ronan, is there some misunderstanding here?" Hagrid, somewhat dazed, looked at the sudden appearance of the centaur. "This is Professor Drac, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. We''re here in the Forbidden Forest to investigate the strange deaths of the animals."


    "Don''t be deceived by this dark creature, Hagrid!" Ronan said gravely. "Listen, the unicorn was attacked, and then he appeared in the Forbidden Forest. The unicorn''s death might be his doing!"


    Then another centaur emerged from behind the trees, with ck hair and dark skin, looking even more rugged than Ronan.


    "Bane, you''re here too?" Hagrid, seeing the new centaur, initially intended to greet him but was instead extremely surprised. "Wait, what are you nning to do?"


    More centaurs arrived, surrounding Hagrid and Drac by the stream, all drawing their bows.


    "Wait!" Hagrid, seeing the growing number of centaurs, realized the situation was getting serious. "Everyone, don''t act rashly. There must be a misunderstanding!"


    "Ronan, Bane! Control your people and stop them from attacking!" Hagrid shouted angrily at Ronan and Bane.


    However, the centaurs showed no sign of stopping. Instead, with the sound of bowstrings being drawn tight, their arrows were poised to shoot.


    "Hagrid, you are a friend to our kind. We will not allow you to be deceived by this dark creature!" Ronan said.


    He then gestured to the surrounding centaurs.


    Countless arrows shot from all directions, filling Hagrid''s and Drac''s field of vision and even briefly obscuring the starlight.


    The centaurs were excellent archers, deliberately avoiding hitting Hagrid''s massive form and focusing on shooting Drac to death!


    "Damn it, these centaurs never know how tomunicate properly!"


    Hagrid cursed silently, stepping in front of Drac to try and shield him from some of the arrows with his sturdy body.


    Seeing this, Drac, who had been smiling faintly, raised an eyebrow.


    "Take care of yourself first," he said softly. "I don''t need you to shield me, Hagrid."


    Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Hagrid felt that Drac''s voice seemed softerpared to the earlier coldness.


    As he spoke, Drac raised a hand. All the arrows abruptly froze in mid-air.


    "Centaurs, right?" Drac''s lips curled into a mocking smile. "Just in time. I still have some unfinished business with you!"


    In the next moment, the arrows lost all momentum and softly fell to the ground,nding in the pristine snow and the clear stream, causing tiny sshes.


    At the same time, Drac''s figure vanished from Hagrid''s side.


    "Where did he go?" Ronan, with a grim expression, looked around the stream''s edge and then at the surrounding centaurs. "Bane, can you see where he is? We cannot let him escape the Forbidden Forest!"


    However, he suddenly noticed that the centaurs on the other side were all staring at him in horror, their expressions filled with shock.


    Ronan seemed to realize something and turned stiffly to see a silver-haired figure standing beside him with a yful expression.


    Around himy several unconscious centaurs.


    "Stop looking, I''m right next to you."


    Drac''s voice was clear and pleasant, but to Ronan, it sounded as chilling as the whispers of death.

 Chapter 52 - 52 The feud between vampire and knight

    <h4>Chapter 52: The feud between vampire and knight</h4>


    Seeing Drac so close, Ronan suddenly drew a dagger from his waist and lunged towards his heart.


    Drac''s eyes flickered slightly as he extended his left hand,zily flicking the dagger with his fingers.


    The sturdy dagger, meticulously crafted by the centaurs, shed with Drac''s long, pale fingers as if a wooden nk had struck steel. The dagger first developed a web-like crack and then shattered into pieces, leaving only the handle in Ronan''s hand.


    Ronan was startled, instinctively wanting to retreat and escape Drac''s attack range.


    Drac took a step forward, swiftly closing the distance between himself and Ronan. He grabbed Ronan''s neck firmly.


    In the next moment, a pair ofrge, ck wings, supported by sharp bones, unfolded from Drac''s back, casting a wide shadow on the snow-covered ground.


    The wings pped, stirring up a chilling wind that lifted both Drac and Ronan off the ground. Drac tightened his grip on Ronan''s neck, revealing a sinister smile with sharp side teeth and blood-red eyes!


    "So... you''re a vampire... I didn''t misjudge you after all..." Ronan struggled to speak, his voice hoarse and barely audible.


    The wind swirling around them lifted the snow from the ground, creating a vortex that shattered the morning mist, obscuring Drac''s appearance and Ronan''s panic while disrupting Hagrid''s and the centaurs'' line of sight.


    In the wake of the vortex, Drac flew forward, disregarding any obstacles in his path. In an instant, several thick trees in the Forbidden Forest were snapped and crashed heavily to the ground with deafening sounds!


    It wasn''t until they reached an open area devoid of trees that Drac stopped, dropping Ronan onto the ground as if discarding trash.


    "I''ve been displeased with you centaurs for a long time," Drac said as he descended from the air and looked coldly at Ronan, "I never understood how the centaur tribe can be so arrogant. Living under the wizards'' protection but still thinking highly of themselves, believing they can remain aloof."


    "Cough, cough... You will be punished!" Ronan covered his bruised neck, coughing violently, with blood spilling from his mouth.


    "I won''t. Only the weak face retribution," Drac said, folding his dark wings and crouching down, "Didn''t you notice? During our flight, I put several shields around you just to prevent your frail body from perishing easily."


    "Who gave you the arrogance, if not your own frail body andck of magical prowess? The stars in the sky? Look closely, the vampire you despise is the one standing over you now, and the Forbidden Forest, which your tribe relies on, has belonged to me as my private domain for a millennium!"


    Ronan''s eyes widened, and he recalled a legend passed down in his tribe for over a century¡ª


    In 1811, the then-Minister of Magic, Grogon Stump, defined "human" in a new way. The magical society agreed to include wizards, Muggles, as well as fairies, vampires, hag, giants, house-elves, sirens, and human-shaped werewolves in this category.


    However, centaurs and merpeople refused to share the term "human" with vampires and hags, so they chose to be ssified as "beasts."


    These two high-minded tribes soon paid the price¡ª


    The legend says that after the meeting defining "human" and "beast," a powerful vampire, deeply disgusted by this self-righteous behavior, single-handedly invaded the territories of the centaurs and merpeople.


    He didn''t care about the full-force assault from the two tribes, easily breaking through their encirclement, and quietly reached the leaders of the two tribes. Even the merpeople hiding deep in theke could not escape the fate.


    No one knew exactly what happened, but after the encounter, the leaders of both tribes, besides their own characteristics, developed the traits of a vampire¡ªbloodsucking, fear of sunlight, aversion to garlic...


    It seemed that the vampire lord was giving them a choice. If their leaders became the vampires they despised, would the two tribes silently ept it orpletely abandon their leaders?


    "Cough, cough, are you Count Drac?!" Ronan asked in horror.


    "It seems that even after more than a hundred years, my story hasn''t beenpletely forgotten," Drac said with a lightugh.


    "Cough, so what? We centaurs would rather die than associate with your half-dead evil beings!"


    Ronan, with his brown-red horse body lying in the snow, struggled weakly, unable to stand up, looking quite pitiful.


    Yet, he continued to cough up blood while resolutely refusing to align with vampires. He was prepared to repeat the fate of the centaur leader from over a century ago who had taken his own life under the stars.


    At that moment, a series of chaotic and loud footsteps approached from the distance.


    More centaurs surrounded them, including not only male centaur warriors but also many female centaurs with their upper bodies exposed and elderly centaurs.


    They all held bows of various lengths, nervously drawing their strings and aiming at Drac, their knuckles turning white as if these outdated weapons could give them a sense of security against Drac.


    "Are you mobilizing everyone?" Drac, with his arms crossed, looked at the scene with a half-smile.


    "Release Ronan, evil creature!" The dark-skinned Bane stepped forward, shouting, "If anything happens to him, we will use all our n''s power to purify you!"


    "Ha, still the same as back then, you wish to exterminate the whole tribe?" Drac smirked, indifferent.


    "Bane, don''t worry about me. Get out of here quickly!" Ronan, lying on the ground, now aware of Drac''s identity, urgently called out to Bane, not wanting his tribe to face another failure like a hundred years ago.


    Bane looked at him in confusion, about to say something, when a massive figure, panting heavily, forced a path through the centaur crowd and reached Bane''s side.


    "Bane, can''t you centaurs understand human speech?!" the figure eximed, "I told you, this is Professor Drac, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. He has nothing to do with the unicorn''s death; it''s all a misunderstanding!"

 Chapter 53 - 53 Horseman Ferenczer

    <h4>Chapter 53: Horseman Ferenczer</h4>


    In the early morning, the night sky above Hogwarts Castle began to fade, the light of the stars dimming gradually as a ray of sunlight quietly pierced through the clouds on the horizon, casting a nted beam onto the dense Forbidden Forest.


    However, the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts was not as serene as it appeared on the surface; the atmosphere deep within was extremely tense, with a sense of imminent conflict.


    "Hagrid, look down now and see your friend, see how in pain Ronan is!" Bane, staring intently at Hagrid''s rugged face, demanded harshly. "Do you still think that such a cruel presence is just a harmless Hogwarts professor?"


    Hagrid hesitated for a moment, but then realized that Drac was the one trusted by Dumbledore, and the centaurs were merely outsiders.


    His gaze grew resolute as he prepared to defend Drac.


    Hagrid and Bane started arguing, but Hagrid struggled with his clumsiness in speech, his neck turning red with frustration as he couldn''t counter Bane''s points.


    Eventually, he reluctantly gave up on verbalmunication with the centaur and rolled up his sleeves, ready to have a physical confrontation with Bane.


    At that moment, the circle of centaurs silently parted to form a passage.


    "That''s enough, Bane!"


    A centaur with striking features stepped through the passage, speaking in a calm yet restrained voiceced with anger.


    His hair was tinum blonde, and he had the body of a silver-maned horse.


    "Why are you here, Firenze?" Bane asked the centaur with a look of confusion.


    "We were the ones who acted first, Bane. If we are outmatched, there''s no need to stubbornly put up a fight," said the tinum-haired centaur named Firenze, directly addressing the issue. "War ising. We cannot let our long-standing prejudices lead us to impose crimes on others that do not belong to them. This will only benefit our real enemies!"


    "Do you know what you''re saying, Firenze?" Bane retorted angrily. "Remember, Firenze, we swore an oath to never defy the will of the stars! Do you think I didn''t notice the omens indicated by theary movements?"


    Upon hearing this, Ronan, who was still lying on the ground, nced at Drac, his face showing signs of anxiety as he continuously pawed at the snow-covered ground.


    It seemed Bane''s words triggered something, as Firenze''s expression darkened instantly. He was so enraged that he suddenly stood upright on his hind legs.


    "Didn''t you see the unicorn?" he shouted at Bane, his tone shifting from calm to fierce. "Don''t you understand why it was killed? I am starting to suspect that you are too foolish to see the secrets revealed by theary movements!"


    "I must resist the one lurking in our forest, Bane. Yes, if necessary, I will side with any group that may be connected!"


    After saying this, Firenze ignored Bane and walked straight towards Drac, who was surrounded by centaurs.


    "Professor, please spare Ronan this time. I will guarantee your safe departure from the Forbidden Forest." He gave a slight bow to Drac and then gazed thoughtfully into his eyes.


    "Firenze, you better know what you''re doing!" Bane continued angrily. "What does this have to do with us? Centaurs have always been neutral, only concerned with the predictions of the stars! We have no need topromise our own principles by allying with those evil creatures just to fight against the enemies of wizards!"


    However, Firenze was no longer interested in listening. He simply stared with his strikingly blue eyes, like pale sapphires, directly at Drac''s wine-red eyes.


    Seeing the unusual centaur in front of him, Drac chuckled softly.


    "I didn''t expect that among this stubborn and outdated race, there would be such an interesting centaur as you," he said, ncing around at the tense centaurs. "For your sake, I''ll let this matter drop today. However, if there''s a next time, I will not show any mercy."


    His tone turned extremely cold as he spoke thest sentence.


    Bane, infuriated and humiliated, opened his mouth to utter more reprimands and sarcastic remarks but suddenly noticed a small, sharp-toothed bat pping its wings and flying up into the sky above the Forbidden Forest.


    He felt an extremely dark and dangerous aura from the bat''s teeth, though he hadn''t sensed it before.


    As the first tiny bat flew away, the sound of fluttering wings continued. Countless smiling bats flew towards the dimly lit sky of the Forbidden Forest and, under the sunlight, dissipated into a cloud of dust.


    Bane noticed that every bat had emerged from the ears of the centaurs. No centaur was left out; each one had a corresponding bat.


    He looked at the sharp teeth of these bats and felt their dark aura, his heart sinking with fear. He instinctively looked at Ronan, who was lying on the ground.


    Ronan''s expression was solemn as he shook his head in response.


    Bane raised his hand, halting the centaur tribe''s pursuit, and watched as Firenze led Drac and Hagrid into the shadows, obscured by the trees, disappearing from view.


    "Ronan, did you stop me from acting recklessly because you recognized those evil bats?" Bane asked, hurrying to Ronan''s side and bending down to inquire.


    "Yes, if my judgment is correct, those small bats are the kind used by the vampire lord more than a hundred years ago against two chieftains," Ronan said with difficulty.


    "If it weren''t for Firenze''s intervention, he would have turned all of us centaurs into vampires!"


    At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Drac bid farewell to Firenze and Hagrid, opened an umbre, and strolled through the Hogwarts campus under the gentle spring sunlight.


    It was Wednesday, and he had a ss in the afternoon. It was the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss for first-year Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students.


    When Drac arrived at the ssroom, the first-year students were already seated, sitting upright and attentively watching their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.


    Drac nodded in satisfaction, picking up the lesson n and textbooks meticulously prepared by Quirrell.


    He rarely followed the lesson n precisely, flipping to the section scheduled for that ss.


    At this moment, Harry raised his hand from the audience.


    "Mr. Potter?" Drac looked at him with some confusion.


    "Professor, Hagrid told us at noon today that some animals with drained blood were found in the Forbidden Forest and advised us to stay away from it," Harry said. "Hermione said that only vampires could cause such deaths. We want to know if there really are vampires in the Forbidden Forest?"


    Hearing Harry''s question, Drac''s mouth twitched.


    He hadn''t expected that Hagrid, who was supposed to be tight-lipped, would tell Harry and the other two students about the situation in the Forbidden Forest within half a day.


    Of course, Hagrid''s intention was likely good. He didn''t want these three somewhat unruly students to approach the dangerous Forbidden Forest, so he revealed a bit of information hoping they would be scared.


    ...but he didn''t consider that such a degree of danger might not stop the adventurous Gryffindor students'' curiosity and might even provoke it further.


    Moreover, the innocent vampire was once again dragged into the situation, and the Count was very displeased!


    So, he signaled Harry to sit down, disrupted the teaching n, discarded Quirrell''s lesson n, and turned the textbook "Defensive Magic: A Guide" to nearly the end of the chapter.


    "Since Mr. Potter mentioned vampires, let''s discuss some knowledge about vampires today," he said to the students. "Turn your textbooks to the second-tost chapter!"


    The first-year students, ustomed to Drac''s unconventional teaching methods, quickly flipped through the pages.


    The ssroom was filled with the sound of pages rustling.


    "Before we start the lesson, can anyone who has reviewed this chapter tell me how the magical world defines vampires?"


    Since Drac had never read the textbook for this lesson, he quickly came up with a good idea to get a quick understanding of the content.


    He directed his gaze towards the messy-haired girl in the front row.


    As expected, Hermione, having thoroughly reviewed this chapter, quickly raised her hand.


    "Vampires are dark creatures that feed on the blood of living beings. They fear sunlight and cannot go out during the day, so they often wander and hunt at night. They are extremely evil and pierce their victims'' throats with sharp fangs..."


    Drac was initially interested in hearing the wizard''s perspective on vampires, but as he listened, he started to feel increasingly ufortable, his expression growing darker.


    He quickly skimmed through the textbook, reading the sentences¡ª


    "Vampires are dark magical humanoid beings known for biting humans'' necks and drinking their blood. They, along with zombies, belong to the category of undead creatures, with high infectiousness and danger..."


    Drac exhaled and suppressed his irritation.


    "The definition is quite good, Gryffindor gets a point," he interrupted Hermione''s enthusiastic recitation and said dismissively.


    Hermione, who had been reciting passionately, was somewhat dissatisfied with the interruption and felt that the point awarded was stingy. She felt like a dismissed beggar.


    However, Drac''s longstanding authority made her reluctant to argue, so she pouted and sat back down.


    "Alright, everyone close your textbooks," Drac said after a moment of silence.


    Hearing thismand, the students who had just opened their books looked up in surprise.

 Chapter 54 - 54 Vampires talking about vampires.

    <h4>Chapter 54: Vampires talking about vampires.</h4>


    Drac ignored the curious gazes of the young witches and wizards and started the dark magic defense ss on his own.


    "Miss Granger''s recitation of the definition is not entirely incorrect; vampires are indeed a type of dark creature," he confirmed the textbook content, then continued in a serious tone, "However, the definition in your textbook is too one-sided. It only covers the characteristics of lower-level vampires and does not address the higher forms."


    "In fact, vampires can be considered a type of cursed being, existing between life and death, and this curse can be transmitted through blood."


    Drac softly exined his definition of vampires.


    This curse that exists between life and death is somewhat simr to the wizards who extend their lives by drinking unicorn blood, except that vampire life forms are more infectious and have fewer negative effects.


    "ording to the purity of their bloodline, vampires can be divided into many levels. Lower-level vampires are the lowest in rank, often resembling individuals suffering from severe infectious diseases, with withered appearances and uncontroble feeding instincts," he said. "These lower-level vampires are the ones described in your textbooks, and most of the vampiresmonly seen by wizards and Muggles are from theserge and lower-level groups."


    "Higher-level vampires, on the other hand, are often able to control their bloodlust and are willing to coexist peacefully with wizards. The magicalmunity included this group of vampires in the definition of ''human'' because of their close interactions with wizards."


    At this moment, a rustling noise filled the ssroom. The quicker students took out their notebooks and began recording this new information that wasn''t in the textbooks with their quills.


    "In the magical world, vampires are feared for the same reason as werewolves¡ªdue to their strong infectious nature," Drac continued. "Wizards fear being infected and turning into vampires or werewolves, so they avoid them as if they were venomous."


    "But if handled promptly, even if bitten by a mindless werewolf or a lower-level vampire, there is still room for remedy."


    "Ultimately, the nature of infection is the transmission of blood. As long as the infected blood is expelled in time and then treated with silver powder or corresponding potions, the risk of turning into a werewolf or vampire can be significantly reduced."


    At this point, a Hufflepuff student with a yellow scarf raised their hand and asked, "Professor, if a person has already been infected, is there a chance for them to turn back into a human?"


    Drac shook his head slowly.


    "Once thoroughly infected, a wizard''s bloodline ispletely transformed into another species, with no possibility of reversal," he said solemnly. "So I hope everyone can take precautions and avoid such events. If you do get infected, be sure to address it as early as possible. The quicker you act, the higher the chance of recovery."


    The Hufflepuff student''s expression seemed a bit regretful.


    Drac''s gaze shifted to the student''s desk, where he saw an exquisite book titled *The Snout, The Human Heart*.


    This seemed to be a bestseller telling the poignant story of a wizard struggling against lycanthropy after being infected by a werewolf. It resonated with many wizards and had once been rated alongside the famous author Gilderoy Lockhart''s *Wandering with Werewolves* as one of the most highly regarded werewolf-rted books.


    Thinking of this, Drac looked toward the front row where a young witch''s desk was covered with various books on dark magic defense, with arge portion upied by a set of Gilderoy Lockhart''s ornate works.


    Drac''s gaze was drawn to a book titled *Traveling with Vampires*.


    It was this book that piqued his interest in the well-known author Gilderoy Lockhart.


    However, since ss was still in session, he had not yet sunk to the level of abandoning all his students to seek entertainment with Lockhart...


    So, Drac refocused his attention back on the dark magic defense ss.


    "In addition to prompt treatment and prevention, there''s one more very important point," he said seriously to the students. "This is crucial, and you should make sure to remember it¡ªunlike werewolves, who lose their reason after transformation, vampires are usually capable ofmunication!"


    "If you really encounter lower-level vampires that want to drink your blood, you can use your social skills to engage in friendlymunication with them."


    Upon hearing this, Hermione raised her hand again.


    "Professor, I read in a book that hungry vampires don''t negotiate with wizards," she asked. "Can we reallymunicate with them smoothly?"


    "Good question!" Drac smiled and nodded. "So remember, when you encounter such vampires, make sure to say the most critical line before they bite you¡ª"


    "Say¡ª''Your professor is Drac.'' I believe they will give me face."


    Laughter filled the ssroom as the young witches and wizards thought the professor was joking.


    ...


    The time in dark magic defense ss passed quickly. Before long, the bell signaling the end of the ss rang softly from Hogwarts'' clock tower.


    "That will be all for today. We''ve covered most of the important points about vampires," Drac said.


    He pulled out a goblet filled with crimson liquid from somewhere, leaned against the lectern, and elegantly took a sip.


    At this moment, Hermione anxiously pulled out a piece of parchment and kept giving Drac furtive nces.


    Noticing Hermione''s hints, Drac suddenly remembered he seemed to have forgotten to collect the homework.


    "Oh right, everyone stay put. Assistant Quirrell wille around to collect your homework from thest ss," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head.


    A chorus of groans erupted in the ssroom.


    "Professor, were the blood-drained animals in the Forbidden Forest killed by vampires?" Harry, a diligent student who hadpleted his homework, proudly raised his hand and asked.


    "Mr. Potter, I''ve checked, and those animals were not killed by vampires," Drac said, casting a knowing nce toward the door and a yful smile on his lips.


    "Rather, I would be more inclined to believe that it was Voldemort who killed them."


    At that moment, Quirrell, carrying arge stack of parchment, had just reached the door of the dark magic defense ssroom.


    Upon hearing Drac''sment, Quirrell''s face immediately went stiff, and he lost his grip on the graded homework, which fell to the ground.

 Chapter 55 - 55 Distraught wizards

    <h4>Chapter 55: Distraught wizards</h4>


    "Dammit! Drac knows everything. He''s just been toying with me!"


    In the narrow assistant''s office, the young version of Voldemort, now looking much more solid than before, had a face twisted with rage. His once-handsome appearance now seemed grotesque.


    "You useless fool! You still haven''t figured out how to deal with that beast?!" he red at Quirrell, mming a thick stack of papers he had just collected onto his face. "Besides collecting assignments and writing lesson ns, what can you do? I sent you to infiltrate Hogwarts to steal the Philosopher''s Stone, not to serve as a dutiful assistant for Drac!"


    Quirrell knelt on the floor, trembling, letting the papers scatter, and didn''t dare to move or retort.


    "Ha, I should have let you die at Drac''s hands back at the Leaky Cauldron," Voldemort''s voice was icy. "Rescuing you from Drac''s control cost me a lot of my soul essence. Only after obtaining the Horcrux diary did I manage to replenish some of that loss."


    "And the curses and hexes used at the Quidditch pitch to protect your identity further drained most of my remaining essence!"


    "The unicorn blood I sacrificed recently did help a bit, but I''m still far from fully restored. I can''t afford to use that power for trivial matters. Do you expect me to handle every beast personally? What use are you to me then?"


    "I''m sorry... Master," Quirrell stammered. "I... I actually have a n. If I can get the dragon egg from the Romanian smuggler I''ve contacted, I could bet the egg against Hagrid and get him to reveal his method for dealing with the Cerberus..."


    "That''s too obvious, you fool!" Voldemort roared. "Hagrid wants to raise a dragon, and someone conveniently bets against him and sends him a dragon egg? Even a ten-year-old could see the problem!"


    "Don''t you understand? Drac and Dumbledore are just ying the long game! They could uncover our ns at any moment. If we show even the slightest sign of moving against them, an impregnable will immediately ensnare us!"


    "So... so we have no way out?" Quirrell looked up with a pale face, despair in his eyes. "In our disadvantaged position, how can we avoid giving them any indication?"


    Voldemort''s expression also darkened. At this moment, he couldn''t think of any feasible solutions. Defeating the Cerberus himself seemed to be the only way to avoid showing any signs.


    However, the remaining soul essence was his lifeline and thest insurance for hiseback. Using it to deal with a single beast seemed too costly. Moreover, there were many other challenges set up by the professors. Who knew what other dangers awaited?


    So, must he give up the nearly within reach Philosopher''s Stone? Voldemort slightly raised his head, his gaze seemingly surpassing the ceiling, reaching the forbidden zone on the fourth floor...


    At that moment, the diary on the desk opened on its own, without any wind.


    On the nk pages, a line of elegant handwriting appeared¡ª


    "I have a n."


    ...


    At Hogwarts, Quirrell and Voldemort were not the only ones feeling troubled.


    Snape was also anxious because the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff was about to start, and he feared that Quirrell, controlled by the Dark Lord, might do something detrimental to Lily''s son.


    Thus, he resorted to pushing Madam Hooch aside and took over as the Quidditch referee for this match.


    As a referee, he could focus on Harry, promptly removing any dark curses ced on him; he could also easily oversee the entire Quidditch pitch and identify anyone cursing Harry.


    Of course, it would be even better if he could cause some trouble for the Gryffindor team and make them lose to Hufflepuff. This way, Slytherin might have a chance to win the championship!


    ...


    Harry, Ron, and Hermione were also troubled, fearing that Harry might face another dark curse.


    Last time, Harry was saved by therge bats conjured by Professor Drac. However, this time, Hermione and Ron believed that the person cursing Harry would use more malicious and powerful spells to bring him down before the professors could react.


    "I have to participate in the match," Harry said firmly to Ron and Hermione. "If I withdraw, the Slytherins will think I''m afraid and can''t face any difficulty. I want to see the look on their faces when they realize they''ve lost after we win."


    "As long as we don''t have to carry you off the pitch," Hermione said sadly, but then her eyes suddenly brightened. "Oh, Professor Snape is the referee this time. He will definitely protect you! He made an effort to save youst time from the stands, so he''ll probably do the same as a referee!"


    Harry was taken aback, feeling an intense sense of unreality, especially considering Snape''s usual disdainful looks. The fact that Snape had indeed cast a counter-curse for himst time was undeniable.


    "I just hope he doesn''t act like he usually does and deduct points from Gryffindor. I''d be grateful for that," he said stubbornly, unable to bring himself to speak well of Snape.


    ...


    In the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office, even Drac felt a bit unsettled looking at the two smirking red-haired twins.


    "What kind of trouble are you two nning now?" he asked, looking at the Weasley twins dressed in red Quidditch team uniforms.


    "Professor, today''s match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff is crucial. If we win, Gryffindor will almost certainly secure the Quidditch Cup!" George said. "But there''s a problem¡ªHarry''s old enemy Snape is the referee, and by convention, he will definitely favor Hufflepuff."


    "So, we need a stronger professor to keep Snape in check. And it would be even better if this professor could give Harry the courage to win!"


    "Exactly. And Harry was cursed in thest Quidditch match, and you saved him," Fred nodded vigorously, adding after George finished, "Professor, you wouldn''t want the student you''re protecting to be sabotaged again, would you?"


    "..."


    Drac, still holding his umbre, walked onto the path leading to the Quidditch pitch, lost in thought.


    Why did that sentence sound so familiar?

 Chapter 56 - 56 Perverted Chilo.

    <h4>Chapter 56: Perverted Chilo.</h4>


    The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had captured the attention of nearly the entire Hogwarts.


    On one hand, Harry''s performance and the unexpected events in the previous match between Gryffindor and Slytherin had been highly publicized. Word spread rapidly among the houses, sparking significant interest in Gryffindor''s team.


    On the other hand, under the "relentless efforts" of Headmaster Snape, Slytherin had won the Hogwarts House Cup for seven consecutive years. The other houses were eager to dethrone Slytherin this year and were determined to prevent them from winning the championship.


    Thus, Gryffindor''s match was crucial, as the highest score among the four teams would y a significant role.


    Since Quidditch matches are scored based on points, some even encouraged Hufflepuff to work with Gryffindor to boost their scores to a level unattainable by Slytherin. This way, Slytherin''s chances of winning the House Cup would be reduced if they did not win the Quidditch Cup.


    Of course, this hical idea was rejected by the honorable Hufflepuff team captain.


    On the day of the Quidditch match, nearly everyone in Hogwarts flocked out of the castle, heading towards the Quidditch pitch in a massive crowd.


    The Hogwarts castle became empty and deste, with the normally bustling corridors devoid of people, leaving only the torches on the walls burning persistently.


    No one noticed a figure in a purple scarf sneaking out of the office, moving through the deserted corridors, and entering an abandoned girls''vatory on the third floor of Hogwarts Castle.


    ...


    The Quidditch pitch was alive with noise, with countless yellow and red gs waving and cheering for their respective teams.


    Outside the Gryffindor team''s locker room, Ron and Hermione were wishing Harry good luck.


    Harry sighed inwardly, aware that his friends were actually worried about him, fearing he might not return alive.


    Lost in these thoughts, Harry donned his gold and red Quidditch robes, picked up the Firebolt 2000 that Professor McGonagall had given him, and stood among his teammates, listening to Wood''s pre-match pep talk.


    But his anxiety made it difficult to focus on anything.


    Noticing Harry''s distracted state, Wood pulled him aside.


    "I don''t mean to put pressure on you, Potter, but we need to catch the Snitch as quickly as possible today. We need to end this swiftly and prevent Snape from overly favoring Hufflepuff." Wood patted his shoulder firmly. "Don''t worry about safety. Fred and George have brought Professor Drac; he''ll save you just likest time!"


    Harry managed a stiff smile, feeling certain he was bound to fall off his broom...


    "All the students are out!" Fred eximed, peeking outside the door. "Even... Oh my gosh! Dumbledore is here to watch the match!"


    Harry''s heart skipped a beat.


    "Dumbledore?" he said, hurrying to the door to confirm with his own eyes.


    Fred was right; that long white beard could only belong to Dumbledore.


    Harry saw Dumbledore sitting in the sunlight on the west side of the pitch, cheerfully waving at the students below, while Professor Drac sat in the shadows on the east side, seemingly chewing on a lollipop and looking rather impatient.


    Harry felt an immense sense of relief and a smile spread across his face.


    He knew he was safe now.


    Though reluctant to admit it, Snape as a referee had indeed given him some psychologicalfort. If one Snape wasn''t enough, the presence of Dumbledore and Professor Drac was like a shot of confidence,pletely easing his mind.


    ''If such an impressive lineup can''t keep him on his broom, Hogwarts would hardly deserve to be the safest ce in the world!''


    With this thought, Harry confidently stepped onto the Quidditch pitch, waving cheerfully at the surrounding spectators.


    The match began.


    However, to Harry''s surprise, the situation on the pitch turned unfavorable for Gryffindor right from the start¡ª


    Snape blew the whistle and, without any pretense, began to issue a series of high-frequency and unreasonable penalties against the Gryffindor team.


    Fred and George immediately protested to Snape, only to be penalized further for "arguing with the referee," resulting in more penalties for Gryffindor.


    With Snape''s diligent efforts, the score gap between the two teams widened quickly.


    "Harry, you need to focus!" Wood called out anxiously to Harry.


    Listening to his captain''s urging, Harry felt helpless as his recent goodwill towards Snape vanishedpletely.


    Just as he was growing more anxious, a glimmer of gold reflected off his sses.


    Harry''s eyes lit up, and he made a swift and impressive dive, heading straight for Snape.


    The crowd erupted in cheers and gasps, with Lee Jordan, thementator, shouting for Harry to knock some sense into the old bat!


    Snape sneered disdainfully and turned on his broom to face Harry, preparing to penalize him for "colliding with the referee."


    ''This not only ensures Gryffindor''s loss but also keeps Lily''s son safe¡ªtwo birds with one stone!'' Snape thought smugly.


    Then he saw a golden object zoom past his ear, mere inches away.


    Immediately, Harry pulled up from his dive, triumphantly raising his arm. In his hand was the golden Snitch!


    Snape stared in shock, forgetting even his duty to blow the whistle.


    "Whistle¡ªwhistle¡ªwhistle¡ª"


    Three whistles signaled the end of the match, and Madam Hooch flew up on her broom, ring furiously at Snape.


    Clearly, she regretted assigning the referee position to Snape.


    Harry jumped off his broom from a height of one foot, his face filled with disbelief. He could hardly believe he had seeded¡ªespecially since the matchsted less than five minutes!


    For the spectators, most had barely realized what happened before the match was over.


    Except for the increasingly cheering Gryffindor supporters, the students from other houses left the Quidditch pitch with disgruntled faces, heading back to Hogwarts Castle.


    What about the unexpected events involving Harry? What about Snape''s controversial refereeing? Why did the wait time in the stands seem longer than the match itself?!


    They were now angrily wanting to raise their arms and shout:


    "Refund!"


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the abandoned girls''vatory on the third floor of Hogwarts, Quirrell had not yet had time to thoroughly check the surroundings when footsteps began to echo.


    Surprised, he peeked out from thevatory.


    Then, a scream pierced the air:


    "Pervert¡ª"

 Chapter 57 - 57 Headmaster and Professor’s nightly visit to the girls’ washroom?

    <h4>Chapter 57: Headmaster and Professor''s nightly visit to the girls'' washroom?</h4>


    Quirrell had be famous.


    Despite being the only teaching assistant at Hogwarts, known for his strange headscarves and a series of reasons such as his timidity, frail health, and stuttering, Quirrell had already gained considerable notoriety at Hogwarts. However, it was the incident on the day of the Quidditch match that truly made him a sensation.


    No one had expected that the Dark Arts teaching assistant, Quirinus Quirrell, would secretly sneak into the girls''vatory while everyone else was away from the castle!


    If Harry hadn''t caught the Golden Snitch in just five minutes, ending what should have been a matchsting several hours or even an entire day, no one might have discovered his true face behind the mask!


    It turned out that the purple headscarf Quirrell wore was just a facade; he was actually a perverted man, a voyeur who spied on the girls''vatory!


    The young witches at Hogwarts were all on edge, avoiding Quirrell whenever they saw him and always going to the toilet in groups to avoid being stalked or spied on by the perverted Quirrell.


    The boys also had a terrible impression of Quirrell, believing that such a perverted man lowered the moral standards of wizards and was a disgrace to the teaching profession!


    "Professor, why did you have to choose such a sleazy person as Quirrell for a teaching assistant?"ined Penelope Clearwater, a fifth-year Ravenw prefect, in the Dark Arts professor''s office.


    Percy Weasley, with his red hair, nodded in agreement beside her, showing that Penelope was right.


    This protest was organized by Percy, the Gryffindor fifth-year prefect. He had proactively united the prefects from various houses and gone to the Dark Arts professor''s office to demand that Quirrell, a vile scum, be expelled from Hogwarts. Otherwise, the young witches would never let it go!


    The incident Quirrell caused was too severe.


    Although he was just a teaching assistant and not a full professor, he was still a staff member. It was absolutely intolerable for a staff member to secretly sneak into the girls''vatory while students were away and do who knows what. This kind of event was so heinous that not expelling him would not appease the public outrage!


    If it weren''t for the high charm and immense deterrent effect that Drac had consistently demonstrated, even his reputation might be negatively impacted by Quirrell''s scandal. After all, Quirrell was the teaching assistant for the Dark Arts ss!


    Facing the protest of numerous prefects, Drac gave Percy, the organizer of this activity, a fierce re. Seeing his familiar red hair, he couldn''t help butment that no one in the Weasley family was reliable.


    If Quirrell were expelled because of this incident, would he lose this hard-to-find tool for grading assignments, writing lesson ns, and setting exam papers, as well as a diligent worker and a source of constant amusement?


    Thinking of this, Drac gave Percy Weasley another re.


    He waved his hand impatiently, dismissing the prefects to Professor McGonagall, and then began to think about why Quirrell would sneak into the girls''vatory while everyone was away.


    Drac certainly knew that Quirrell was not the kind of pervert who spied on the girls''vatory. If he really wanted to do something bad, why did he choose a half-abandonedvatory instead of one that was frequently used? This didn''t quite make sense.


    This could only mean one thing¡ªthere was something wrong with that half-abandoned girls''vatory!


    Drac thought for a moment and then decisively stood up, stepping onto the window frame of his office and lightly jumping out.


    In the night outside the window, his form suddenly shrank and transformed into a gracefully elegant bat. pping his wings, he flew to a very small window on the third floor of the castle, darted through the ss, and flew inside.


    The small window was dusty and seemed not to have been cleaned for decades, letting in very little light.


    Once inside, Drac discovered that it was a half-abandonedvatory, extremely dark and oppressive.


    Theyout of thevatory was messy, with only arge mirror stained and cracked, and a row of stone sinks with peeling surfaces. The floor was damp, and a few candle stubs burned low on their holders, casting dim light on the floor.


    This was the half-abandonedvatory Quirrell had sneaked into.


    Drac transformed back into his human form and lightlynded on the floor, carefully examining the darkvatory to uncover its secrets.


    At that moment, with a heavy "creak," the old door of thevatory was opened slightly.


    Drac was taken aback and quickly cast an invisibility spell to hide his form.


    If other wizards saw him here, behaving in the same manner as Quirrell, it would be impossible to exin...


    However, after the door opened a crack, Drac waited for a while and did not see anyone enter.


    He frowned, with a wine-red glow in his eyes. The next moment, an elderly figure appeared at thevatory door.


    The figure seemed to have noticed something wrong with thevatory and, with sharp eyes behind sses, looked toward Drac''s location.


    When they saw through each other''s invisibility spells and saw each other''s figures, both of their expressions froze.


    "What a coincidence, Professor Dumbledore."


    "Good evening, Professor Drac."


    They spoke in unison.


    "Ahem, Professor Drac, I''m here to check on the site of the incident," Dumbledore coughed and lifted his invisibility spell, taking the lead in speaking. "But as a professor, isn''t it rather inappropriate for you to be here in the girls''vatory at night?"


    "Well, what a coincidence. I''m also here to inspect the scene," Drac also removed his invisibility spell and said calmly. "I suspect that my teaching assistant, Quirrell, was influenced by some dark magic, which led to his unusual behavior. As the Dark Arts professor, it''s quite normal for me to check for traces of dark magic, right?"


    Drac and Dumbledore exchanged a nce and shared a knowing smile.


    Then, both of them simultaneously cast protective spells at thevatory door and let out a sigh of relief.


    The Headmaster and the Dark Arts professor of Hogwarts were touring the girls''vatory at night together. If the young witches saw this scene, it would certainly make a huge news!


    "Professor Dumbledore, why don''t we inspect the scene together?" Drac said with a slight smile, extending an olive branch to Dumbledore.


    "Well, then I''ll dly ept," Dumbledore agreed enthusiastically.

 Chapter 58 - 58 Ghost Myrtle

    <h4>Chapter 58: Ghost Myrtle</h4>


    As Drac and Dumbledore exchanged knowing smiles and prepared to investigate the situation with Quirrell, a ghost suddenly emerged from one of thevatory stalls.


    The ghost resembled a short, plump female student. She wore thick sses and had pimples on her face, which made her expression look somewhat displeased.


    "This is the girls''vatory. What are you two professors doing here, sneaking around?" She looked at the two professors with suspicion. "Even if no one''s using it, the girls''vatory is not a ce where male professors should be. I''m going to report both of you!"


    Drac and Dumbledore''s faces stiffened. They had never expected to be spotted by a ghost that resided in thevatory, even though they had avoided the gaze of everyone else.


    "Moaning Myrtle, we are here to investigate something unusual," Dumbledore said gently, clearly familiar with the ghost.


    Moaning Myrtle seemed skeptical and retorted, "I''ve been here the whole time and can guarantee there''s nothing unusual in thisvatory. You must be making excuses for your behavior!"


    As she spoke, Myrtle tried to float through the ceiling to spread the news about the headmaster and professor being in the girls''vatory.


    "How could there be nothing unusual? Were you not here when Quirrell sneaked in this morning?" Drac called after her, pressing for an answer.


    "Just because I said there''s nothing unusual doesn''t mean there isn''t," Myrtle replied, turning her head towards Drac with a dissatisfied look.


    Then she froze in ce.


    "Are you... a new professor?" Myrtle''s eyes seemed to light up with heart-shaped reflections, and her tone became noticeably softer, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor. "Wow, I''ve never seen such a handsome professor. Can I attend your sses?"


    Drac''s mouth twitched.


    "Yes, Myrtle, this is our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Dumbledore said with a smile, while also giving Drac a meaningful nce. "If you want to attend sses, you can go to the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom on the second floor. It''s not far from here."


    "Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" Myrtle''s eyes were suddenly filled with joy. "Then you''re going to encounter trouble this year, right? If you die, make sure toe here and find me. I''d love to share the toilet with you."


    Myrtle blushed, her eyes darting around,pletely lost in thoughts of a bright future.


    Drac turned to Dumbledore, his expression darkening.


    "Dumbledore, don''t tell me you, as a headmaster, were unaware of the presence of a mentally unstable ghost here?" he asked.


    "After all, this is a girls''vatory. I generally wouldn''te here," Dumbledore exined. "I recall that Myrtle died decades ago, but I didn''t expect her to still linger here."


    "Is this where she died?" Drac furrowed his brow, feeling that there must be some hidden secret, "How did she die? Was it because of thisvatory itself?"


    "This rtes to an event from fifty years ago," Dumbledore sighed and spoke softly. "At that time, Hogwarts experienced a series of attacks. Myrtle was the only witch who died during the attacks. But I still don''t know the truth about those attacks."


    Drac then turned his gaze to the ghost named Moaning Myrtle.


    "Madam, could you tell me about what happened here fifty years ago?" His eyes gleamed with a peculiar light, and he disyed a slightly sinister smile.


    However, Drac''s usual effective questioning approach seemed to fail today.


    Upon seeing Drac''s smile, Myrtle not only didn''t answer his question but instead started another round of hysteria¡ª


    "Professor... wuwuwu my professor..."


    "..."


    "So she really is mentally unstable, isn''t she?" Drac''s smile froze on his face as he turned to Dumbledore, who was observing from the side, "Do you have any way to help her return to normal?"


    "Clearly, Professor Drac, Myrtle''s mental state has be like this because of you," Dumbledore shrugged and chuckled with a hint of schadenfreude. "So, it''s up to you to help her get back to normal."


    Drac looked again at the still hysterical Myrtle and fell into thought.


    "Keep an eye on this ghost and make sure she doesn''t go around spreading rumors. I''m going to find some external help," he suddenly said to Dumbledore.


    Before Dumbledore could respond, Drac disappeared in a swirl of bat shadows.


    Dumbledore stared for a moment, then shrugged and took out a bag of fizzing honey candies from his pocket, enjoying them in thevatory.


    ...


    Soon, Drac returned to the gloomy, eerie girls''vatory.


    Myrtle was now floating in mid-air, crying and wailing, while Dumbledore continued tofort her while chewing on the honey candies.


    "Do you think I don''t know what others call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Pitiful, weepy, glum Myrtle!" she sobbed. "Now even the handsome professor dislikes me. I want to die!"


    Myrtle was disheartened, thinking Drac had left because he was disgusted by her, although that was indeed part of the reason... Now she was contemting drowning herself in the toilet.


    "Don''t be so sad, Myrtle," Dumbledore said soothingly, "Professor Drac wouldn''t have left because he dislikes you. Look, he''se back."


    He pointed to Drac, who had just returned.


    Seeing Drac, Myrtle seemed to cheer up a bit and emerged from the toilet.


    "Yes, there''s no need to treat yourself like this, Myrtle," Drac nodded. "Don''t forget you''re already dead. You can''t drown yourself."


    Upon hearing his words, Myrtle became even more upset and stuffed herself back into the toilet.


    "Professor Drac, I thought you''d say somethingforting," Dumbledore looked at Drac with a hint of resignation.


    "What''s the point offorting others? I never do such meaningless things," Drac said nonchntly. "Look, isn''t the sight of a ghost floundering in a toilet quite interesting? Rest assured, she won''t drown!"


    Dumbledore was left helpless. It seemed that for Drac, anything deemed meaningless was considered pointless...


    "Forget it, let''s move on," Dumbledore changed the topic. "Where is the external help you''ve arranged?"


    "Right over there," Drac nodded toward the back wall of thevatory.


    A tall, long-haired ghost slowly floated through the wall and approached the two.

 Chapter 59 - 59 Dracula, the troublemaker?

    <h4>Chapter 59: Drac, the troublemaker?</h4>


    A tall, slender ghost witch with waist-length hair floated towards them. Her appearance was delicate, yet her expression carried an air of pride and coldness.


    As she moved, her floor-length cloak gently swayed behind her.


    "It''s been a long time, Uncle Drac," she said, slightly bending her knee in a bow and speaking softly to Drac.


    "Indeed, it''s been quite a while, Helena. Several centuries, and you''ve grown rather haughty!" Drac said with a half-smile, teasingly. "If it weren''t for my needing to see you today, you wouldn''t have bothered toe, would you?"


    A hint of embarrassment appeared on Helena''s delicate face, and she said, somewhat unconvincingly, "It''s not about being haughty... I just... didn''t have the face to see you."


    When facing Drac, her proud and aloof demeanor immediately vanished, reced by the appearance of a young girl caught by her parents after doing something wrong.


    Seeing Helena''s familiar, delicate face, Drac''s thoughts drifted back to over nine hundred years ago¡ª


    Helena Ravenw, daughter of Rowena Ravenw, one of the four founders. At that time, Rowena maintained a very good rtionship with Drac, and her daughter was naturally well-acquainted with him.


    During a period after Hogwarts Castle was built, Drac left his Scottish domain and returned to Romania to reorganize the fledgling vampire n. It was during this time that Helena and her mother encountered trouble.


    As the founder of Ravenw, Rowena adhered to the maxim "The greatest treasure of humanity is extraordinary wisdom." Therefore, she had extremely strict demands on Helena, to the point of being harsh. Helena, rebelling against her mother''s strict demands and feeling disappointed, secretly stole Rowena''s crown and fled Hogwarts.


    Helena left Scond with the crown, believing it would make her as wise as her mother and help her meet her mother''s stringent requirements. Rowena, feeling ashamed of her daughter''s departure and theft, kept the matter hidden from everyone, including the other three founders and Drac.


    However, Rowena''s heartache over her daughter''s departure led her to fall gravely ill shortly thereafter. Before her death, she asked Barrow, who loved Helena deeply, to find her daughter and bring her back to see her onest time.


    This was the thing she regretted most before dying.


    Helena refused to return to Hogwarts with Barrow and rejected his feelings once more¡ªknowing Barrow, who was not only unattractive but also had a bad temper, Helena had no interest in him. Barrow, losing hisposure, angrily attacked her with a knife¡ª


    The final oue was that both of them became ghosts at Hogwarts: Helena, the aloof Grey Lady of Ravenw House, and Barrow, the nemesis of Peeves, the Bloody Baron.


    "This happened nearly a thousand years ago, Helena; there''s no need to keep ming yourself," Drac sighed softly and said. "Rowena wouldn''t want you to spend your time mired in guilt and self-reproach."


    "But... guilt, or rather, attachment, is the very basis of a ghost''s existence," Helena gently shook her head. "If I were toe to terms with it, perhaps I would cease to exist in this world."


    Drac fell silent.


    "Professor Drac, aren''t you good atforting people?" In the still air, Dumbledore suddenly spoke up with enthusiasm. "I see you''re not being sincere; you can change your behavior for those you care about, whether it''s for Nicodemus or the Grey Lady!"


    Drac was immediately at a loss for words.


    He realized that Dumbledore seemed very eager to impose social niceties on him, adding weight to his so-called attachment theory.


    "Let''s stop discussing this and focus on the matter at hand," Drac said, shifting the topic and turning to Helena. "There''s a mentally unstable ghost over there. I need your help to calm her down. Professor Dumbledore and I need to ask her some questions."


    Helena nodded lightly and floated towards the location of Moaning Myrtle.


    At this moment, Myrtle was still floundering in the toilet, struggling to create a few tiny sshes of water. She was attempting to find a suitable position to drown herself in the remaining water.


    "Myrtle Warren, stop what you''re doing!" Helena furrowed her brow, looking at Myrtle, who was face down in the nearly empty toilet bowl. "Do you realize that your behavior is tarnishing the reputation of Ravenw House?"


    When not facing Drac, Helena resumed her cool and aloof demeanor.


    Although no one knew her true identity as Rowena Ravenw''s daughter, Helena still held high prestige among the students of Ravenw House due to her consistently cold and aloof image.


    Myrtle Warren, recognizing Helena''s voice, realized that the Ravenw ghost had arrived.


    She shivered all over, quickly emerging from the water and awkwardly turning her body around while trying to tidy up her appearance.


    "Alright,e over quickly. Professor Dumbledore and Uncle Drac need to ask you some questions," Helena said sternly.


    Myrtle timidly nodded and floated towards Drac and Dumbledore.


    The next second, she suddenly widened her eyes.


    "Drac... Uncle?" Myrtle asked in shock. "That very handsome professor is your uncle?!"


    "Yes, Professor Drac is my elder. Is there a problem?" Helena said.


    Myrtle immediately became dejected again, her face falling as she murmured, "Oh no, Professor Drac is Lady Grey''s uncle. Having lived so long, he must be very strong. It''s probably very difficult to die while holding the position of Professor of Dark Arts..."


    With his excellent hearing, Drac easily caught Myrtle''s mutterings, his face darkening.


    Helena also looked back at him with a wry smile and couldn''t help but tease, "Still as charming as ever, Uncle Drac!"


    ''As someone who single-handedly raised his own aesthetic standards, making it impossible for her to ept Barrow, Uncle Drac remains the perennial "blue-faced troublemaker."''


    Helena thought with a smile.

 Chapter 60 - 60 Tom Riddle

    <h4>Chapter 60: Tom Riddle</h4>


    "Ah-hem, Moaning Myrtle, I have a few questions for you. Can you answer them truthfully?" Drac cleared his throat and tried to shift the topic.


    "Of course, if it''s you asking!" Moaning Myrtle nodded repeatedly, looking very excited as if she finally had a chance to be of use.


    Drac paused for a moment and asked, "Around nine o''clock this morning, did you see a wizard wearing a purple scarfe through here?"


    "No. I... I vaguely saw a very handsome guy passing by in the morning, heading towards the prefect''s bathroom, so I followed him," Moaning Myrtle replied hesitantly, her expression then turning indignant. "But I waited in the prefect''s bathroom for a long time and didn''t see anyone. I must have been deceived!"


    Drac and Dumbledore exchanged nces, astonished by this peculiar ghost.


    Helena, who was standing nearby, looked somewhat annoyed.


    "How could there be such a student in Ravenw, thinking of spying on the boys in the shower!" She unconsciously mimicked her mother''s stern demeanor and scolded, "No wonder you acted so crazily when you saw Uncle Drac!"


    Moaning Myrtle lowered her head, afraid to speak, while Dumbledore seemed intrigued.


    "Just how handsome was that guy you saw to make you wait in the prefect''s bathroom?" Dumbledore asked with a smile, "Or forparison, is he as handsome as Professor Drac?"


    Moaning Myrtle nced at Drac and then hurriedly looked down again, nodding and then shaking her head.


    "What does that mean?" Dumbledore was confused by her reaction.


    "Well... both are very handsome, I can''t really tell who is more handsome..." Moaning Myrtle said cautiously.


    Her response made Dumbledore frown.


    "Are there any prefects or Quidditch team captains at Hogwarts who are as handsome as Professor Drac?" he asked, looking at Drac with curiosity.


    "I''m not sure, but definitely exclude Percy Weasley," Drac said decisively.


    Beforeing to this almost abandoned girls'' bathroom, he had just seen most of the prefects and the organizer of the protest, Percy Weasley, in his office.


    Drac was quite displeased with Percy, who had led the protest to drive his main source of amusement out of the school, especially with his red-haired twins.


    He had no hesitation in denying Percy''s attractiveness.


    "But Percy is considered quite handsome among the prefects, and Oliver Wood is also decent as the Quidditch captain, though still not quite there," Dumbledore said, turning to Helena. "Ms. Gray, Robert Slytherin of Ravenw also seems to be one of the more handsome prefects. What do you think?"


    "Robert Slytherin is far less handsomepared to Uncle Drac," Helena said decisively, shaking her head.


    "That''s strange," Dumbledore said, frowning in thought.


    Drac looked at the scene in the bathroom and found it quite odd¡ªtwo male professors and two female ghosts discussing which male prefect was more handsome in a girls'' bathroom. It was strange enough, but Dumbledore and the two beauty-focused ghosts seemed quite entertained.


    "Stop guessing here. Since Moaning Myrtle has seen that prefect, we can figure out who it is by asking her for a description," Drac interrupted their eager discussion and directly asked Moaning Myrtle, "Do you remember what the handsome student looked like?"


    "Let me think..." Moaning Myrtle rested her round chin on her hands, excitedly recalling the appearance of the handsome guy she had seen earlier. "His hair and eyes were both ck, as dark as ebony; his face was very pale, his expression somewhat gloomy, and he had a very unique aura..."


    "...Ah, right, it was that kind of evil viin aura I really liked!"


    Hearing Moaning Myrtle''s description, Drac became interested and pondered which prefect might have such a strong viinous aura at a young age.


    Meanwhile, Dumbledore and Helena''s expressions gradually changed.


    Dumbledore''s face grew serious, while Helena first looked a bit dazed, then her pretty face showed a look of anger.


    "What''s wrong?" Drac quickly noticed their odd expressions and asked curiously.


    "Tom Riddle."


    Dumbledore and Helena said the name in unison.


    "Who is that? I don''t think I''ve heard of him before," Drac said, watching their reactions with interest. "So, does this person have a story with you?"


    He looked around and casually leaned against the sink in the center of the bathroom, making himselffortable to watch.


    Helena nced at Dumbledore and, seeing he had no intention of speaking first, closed her eyes, recalling the past with some pain.


    "Tom Riddle... He tricked my mother out of her crown..." Her hands were tightly sped together, her face showing some anxiety. "I remember he was very charming, seemingly understanding and sympathetic... And he was also very handsome..."


    "So you gave the crown of Rowena to him?" Drac folded his arms and gave Helena a reproachful look. "There are many scammers nowadays, and girls like you, who have little experience, are the easiest to deceive."


    "I''m sorry, Professor Drac..." Helena murmured softly.


    "There''s no need to apologize to me; it was a crown left to you by your mother," Drac interrupted her and then his mouth curled into a wicked smile. "But I certainly won''t let the crown of Rowena fall into the hands of a scammer. Tom Riddle, is it? Don''t let me find him!"


    Moaning Myrtle and Helena shuddered at his expression.


    "Helena, where do you think the crown is now?" Drac quicklyposed himself and asked Helena.


    "After I left Hogwarts, I hid the crown in a hollow tree in a forest in Albania," Helena said glumly. "But he should have taken the crown by now; it''s no longer where I left it."


    Drac nodded and turned to Dumbledore. "So, did that scammer named Tom Riddle deceive you as well, Dumbledore?"


    "Tom didn''t deceive me, but he almost deceived everyone at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said slowly, shaking his head with a grave expression. "If I tell you his other name, you might understand¡ª"


    "Tom Riddle''s other name is Voldemort!"

 Chapter 61 - 61 The Secret of the Lavatory

    <h4>Chapter 61: The Secret of the Lavatory</h4>


    "Tom Riddle is Voldemort?" Drac asked in surprise, looking at Dumbledore.


    "That''s right," Dumbledore nodded slightly and began recounting the story from decades ago. "Over fifty years ago, I brought him from the Gaunt Orphanage to Hogwarts, giving him the chance to learn magic."


    "Tom was very good at acting and skilled at winning people over. During his time at school, he started forming a group within Slytherin House, which was the precursor to the Death Eaters. It was at that time he discarded themon name Tom and his Muggle father''s surname, Riddle."


    "Tom''s performance at school was exemry. Nearly all the professors thought of him as a model student. He managed to deceive everyone at Hogwarts," Dumbledore said with a heavy tone. "Only I, having seen his bullying of other children at the orphanage, was wary of his character. But I couldn''t produce concrete evidence..."


    "Oh? This is getting interesting," Drac said suddenly, a smile creeping onto his face amidst the tense atmosphere. "Let me think¡ªan orphan who endured humiliation and pressure under powerful professors, ultimately emerging from Hogwarts to build the fearsome Death Eaters. What an inspiring story!"


    "Damn, why didn''t that old Nicodemus wake me up back then? Maybe I could have seen what young Tom looked like or even been involved in his underground activities forming the Death Eaters. Just thinking about it is fascinating!"


    After hearing Dumbledore''s ount of Voldemort''s youth, Drac finally gained a certain understanding of this nameless Dark Lord and developed a new interest in him.


    At this point, Voldemort no longer seemed to Drac a t, brainless, insignificant charactercking in Dark Lord gravitas.


    Meanwhile, Dumbledore was deep in thought.


    He was now unsure whether having Drace to Hogwarts as a professor was the right decision...


    "Uncle Drac, don''t forget Tom Riddle stole my mother''s diadem. You need to help me teach him a lesson!" Helena, seeing Drac''s interest, hurriedly added with a hint of grievance, fearing that his interest might lead him to join Voldemort''s camp.


    "Don''t worry, Helena!" Drac gave her a reassuring look. "I''ll make sure to teach him a lesson and have him return Rowena''s diadem to you!"


    The conversation had inadvertently shifted.


    It was still because Moaning Myrtle felt she couldn''t interject and retreated to her usual hiding ce in the toilet, sshing around again, that Dumbledore and Drac were reminded of their task for the day.


    "Professor Drac, I believe we need to act quickly from here on," Dumbledore said seriously. "Tom daring to reveal his young self means he thinks there''s nothing left to hide. In other words, he''s probably figured out that we''ve prepared a trap and are just waiting for him to fall into it."


    "But in order to obtain the Philosopher''s Stone, he has no choice but to fall into the trap, right?" Drac said with a rxed smile, turning to Helena. "Once Voldemort falls into the trap, I''ll make sure to deal with him properly and help you get the diadem back, okay?"


    "Mm!" Helena nodded vigorously.


    "Alright, Professor Drac, it''s time to get to work," Dumbledore said, moving aside. "It''s time we check what secrets Voldemort and Quirrell have hidden in this semi-abandoned girls'' restroom."


    Drac nodded slightly, taking out an old parchment from his pocket, a well-used Hogwarts map.


    As he activated his magic, lines began to intertwine on the parchment, slowly forming a grid of Hogwarts Castle.


    Drac''s eyes flickered, and suddenly a part of the grid magnified, revealing a diagram identical to the structure of the semi-abandoned restroom where Myrtle was. Every magical node in the restroom was vividly disyed, and every corner of the scene was shown in fine detail.


    "Sometimes, seeing Professor Drac''s control over Hogwarts, I wonder what use I have as a headmaster," Dumbledore sighed as he looked at Drac''s actions.


    At that moment, Drac, absorbed in examining the map, had no time for Dumbledore''s reflections. He furrowed his brow slightly.


    "The magical nodes here seem a bitplicated."


    He suddenly turned around and looked at the pool he had been leaning against.


    The pool was very old, made of marble. The surface of the stone was worn away, damp, and moss was growing in the cracks.


    Several dirty faucets were mounted above the pool, dripping intermittently with a "drip-drip" sound. Some water sshed out onto the floor, making it wet.


    Arge, stained mirror with cracks stood behind the pool, reflecting the figures of Drac, Dumbledore, and Helena. Moaning Myrtle, having stuffed herself into the toilet, was not visible in the reflection.


    "Is there something wrong here?" Dumbledore asked, moving closer to examine the stained pool and mirror with a puzzled expression.


    Drac spread out the parchment, cing it before Dumbledore.


    "As headmaster, you should be quite familiar with the magical system that apanies Hogwarts, Dumbledore," he said. "Look at the structure of this restroom. The magical nodes in other locations are quite normal. However, at this pool, there are suddenly four or five extra magical nodes, and these nodes'' backs abruptly turn empty, as if they have been deliberately blocked."


    "So, is there something else behind this pool?" Dumbledore asked. "Are there any magical nodes that are not visible with this map''s permissions?"


    "There are. After all, I''m just the lord of thisnd, while the castle was built by Szar and Godric," Drac exined. "So if the four founders wanted to include something in the castle''s construction that isn''t shown on the map, it would be normal."


    Dumbledore nodded in understanding.


    "Ah, it looks like one of the faucets isn''t working."


    He looked at one of the brass faucets, which had a small snake engraved on it...

 Chapter 62 - 62 Stories about secret rooms

    <h4>Chapter 62: Stories about secret rooms</h4>


    Dumbledore''s surprised exmation drew Drac''s attention as well, making him look towards the unyielding brass faucet.


    "This snake motif seems like Szar''s style; he might have secretly modified this pipe to conceal a hidden chamber that isn''t noted in the deeds," Drac observed, intrigued by the faucet.


    He was quite dissatisfied with Szar Slytherin''s little tricks and couldn''t help but tease, "I never imagined Szar would be this kind of person, cing a hidden chamber entrance in the girls''vatory; and that Voldemort isn''t much different, managing to find the entrance in the girls''vatory!"


    In fact, even though Drac was a close friend of Slytherin, he didn''t know the exact location of the hidden chamber.


    Initially, the chamber''s entrance wasn''t located in thevatory. At the beginning of its construction, Slytherin and his descendants could ess the chamber through a concealed trapdoor and a series of magically protected passages, avoiding the risk of being used of perversion by entering the girls''vatory.


    However, by the 18th century, with the increase in students and water usage, Hogwarts'' plumbing system had be increasinglyplex.


    In the 18th century, one headmaster of Hogwarts nned to build a girls''vatory near the chamber''s entrance, which is now the half-abandonedvatory where Moaning Myrtle is.


    Due to the construction of thisvatory, the concealment of the chamber was threatened.


    At that time, there was a student at Hogwarts named Corvinus Gaunt, a distinguished direct descendant of Slytherin, who was very familiar with the chamber''s location. Through his modifications, the entrance to the chamber was secretly protected and connected through a pipe to the location of the brass faucet in the girls''vatory.


    Thus, the entrance to the hidden chamber that Drac and Dumbledore saw was formed.


    "There has always been a legend about the hidden chamber at Hogwarts; it seems it might be true," Dumbledore said thoughtfully. "ording to the legend, this hidden chamber was built by Szar Slytherin before he left the school, and only he and his sessors could open it."


    "The legend says that the chamber is home to a terrifying monster that only Slytherin and his sessors can control. When it is unleashed at Hogwarts, it will ''purify the school,'' eliminating all those whom Slytherin deems unworthy of learning magic."


    "Nonsense," Drac scoffed. "With Szar''s proud nature, no matter how much he quarreled with Godric and the others, he wouldn''t turn his hand against innocent students. Even if he did leave a monster, it was probably just a legacy for his descendants."


    "Uncle Drac, do you mean that Slytherin didn''t leave the monster as an act of revenge?" Myrtle leaned forward, asking curiously. "I always thought that after the conflict with my mother and the other two heads, he built the hidden chamber in a fit of anger to eliminate the specially admitted Muggle-born wizards."


    "From what I know about Szar, I would be more inclined to believe he built the hidden chamber to protect Hogwarts," Drac said, pursing his lips as he looked at Myrtle. "You should know Szar''s ideology, right, Myrtle?"


    Myrtle nodded.


    "Slytherin believed that admitting Muggle-born wizards would expose Hogwarts and endanger the castle," she said.


    "Hmm, so it''s more likely that, holding this belief, he built a hidden chamber before leaving," Drac exined slowly. "He left a powerful monster in the chamber to protect Hogwarts from external threats and released it when necessary. This exnation seems to align better with his nature."


    After listening to Drac, Dumbledore wiped his eyes with a touch of emotion.


    "What a touching story! A great founder, even when falling out with friends, doesn''t forget to protect their shared legacy," he said emotionally. "It seems the magical world has greatly misunderstood Slytherin''s character!"


    Seeing Dumbledore''s emotional response, Drac hesitated, reluctant to interrupt his feelings.


    "Er, Dumbledore, let''s hold back the emotions for a moment and hear me out..." he nudged Dumbledore''s arm, "Actually... the magical world doesn''t really have such a big misunderstanding about him."


    Dumbledore looked at him in confusion.


    "Szar wasn''t as noble as you think," Drac said, after some hesitation, speaking quietly to him. "His hidden chamber is definitely like the rumors say, only his sessor can open it."


    "In that case, it''s likely that Szar intended for his sessor to use the monster''s power to turn the tide in times of external invasion, thus making his Slytherin House naturally overshadow the other three houses..."


    Dumbledore''s expression froze.


    The emotional impact was somewhat diminished, and the strong feeling of inspiration had vanished.


    "Forget it, as long as Slytherin didn''t intend to harm Hogwarts students, that''s already quite good..." Dumbledore silently rephrased his thoughts.


    "As far as I know, Szar had no creativity; he liked to use Parseltongue for passwords and thought it was very secure," Drac said with interest as he turned the non-functioning faucet. He identally unscrewed it. "If the chamber was left for his sessor, the entrance should be opened with Parseltongue."


    "That makes sense. Tom Riddle, being a descendant of Slytherin, would naturally speak Parseltongue," Dumbledore said with a knowing look. "Tom''s mother was from the Gaunt family, so he has half of the Gaunt family''s blood."


    "No wonder," Drac said, casually tossing the removed faucet on the ground, sighing. "Slytherin probably didn''t expect his heir to misuse what he left behind to do bad things..."


    At this moment, Moaning Myrtle finally emerged from the toilet.


    She had been secretly observing Drac and Dumbledore for a while, and seeing them discussing a faucet, her curiosity got the better of her, and she floated over to them.


    "I died right around here!" She looked at the sink area, suddenly disying a proud expression, her eyes sparkling with excitement.


    "Oh? Do you remember how you died?" Drac leaned back against the sink, asking with interest.


    "Oh, it was so terrifying!" she said with relish, showing no sign of fear. "It happened right here; I remember it very clearly. Someone was mocking me for wearing sses, calling me a four-eyed dog, and I came here to cry, then suddenly heard someoneing in."


    "But what annoyed me was, it was a boy who came in, speaking some ridiculous, iprehensible words at the sink. So I ran over to scold him to go away, to his own boys''vatory, and then¡ª" Moaning Myrtle puffed up her chest proudly, her face glowing, "¡ªthen I died!"


    "If I remember correctly, what you''ve described is simr to what you told Headmaster Dipet about fifty years ago, Myrtle," Dumbledore said gently. "What we want to know is specifically how you died. Or rather, what method did the boy use to kill you?"


    "Actually, I don''t know exactly how I died," Myrtle said mysteriously, leaning closer to Drac. "I just remember seeing a pair of huge, terrifying yellow eyes, my whole body seemed to be grabbed, and then I floated away..."


    Then Myrtle became excited again, her face full of joy. "Actually, dying wasn''t so bad; I came back as a ghost. I haven''t even settled scores with Olive Hornby yet! Oh, she certainly regrets mocking my sses back then!"


    Dumbledore nodded.


    "ording to Myrtle, it seems Tom didn''t personally kill her. So the guess that there''s a monster behind this faucet is likely correct. And that monster is probably under Tom''s control," he said.


    Then, Dumbledore turned to Drac. "Can you open this entrance, Professor Drac?"


    "Of course!"


    Drac eagerly flexed his wrist and raised his hand towards the faucet.


    A deeply dark sphere of light appeared in his palm. The sphere, like a ck hole absorbing everything, continuously gathered the surrounding magical energy, its aura growing increasingly powerful and terrifying.


    Dumbledore initially thought Drac intended to use Hogwarts'' deeds andndlord privileges to open the Slytherin''s entrance mechanism. But upon seeing the terrifying aura of the ck hole, he instantly realized.


    "You mean opening the entrance... is by forcibly sting it open with magic?!" Dumbledore''s eye twitched, and he quickly stepped in front of Drac. "Professor Drac, don''t be reckless, stop your magic at once!"


    "How else are we supposed to get in without sting it open? I don''t speak Szar''s Parseltongue."


    Drac''s wine-red eyes seemed to be glowing as he eagerly looked at the faucet, refusing to stop.


    "You''ll ruin the castle''s magical system, Drac!" Dumbledore''s expression darkened, even drawing his wand. "There''s no need to gamble with Hogwarts'' safety for a weak Voldemort!"


    Saying this, he raised his wand towards Drac.

 Chapter 63 - 63 Forced clearing of the night sky

    <h4>Chapter 63: Forced clearing of the night sky</h4>


    As Dumbledore raised his wand, Drac''s eyes gleamed with intense fervor.


    "After all this time, I finally get to have a go at you, Dumbledore?" His mouth curled into an exaggerated grin, revealing his extremely sharp fangs. At the same time, the eerie wooden wand made from a pinky bone silently appeared in his free right hand.


    Since waking up, Drac had never felt as excited as he did now.


    Over the centuries, he had encountered only a few opponents who could bring him enjoyment in battle, and all of them were powerful wizards who had dominated their eras.


    However, such formidable wizards, recognized as Grand Sorcerers whose strength is acknowledged throughout the magical world, were extremely rare. Therefore, Drac seldom found interest in fighting others.


    But today was different!


    Today, Drac''s opponent was the greatest Grand Sorcerer of the contemporary era, Albus Dumbledore! He was eager to unleash his full strength and have a fierce battle!


    Dumbledore, watching Drac suddenly be excited, looked gravely at the glowing orb in his left palm.


    At this moment, the dark, ck-hole-like orb had expanded to the size of a fire dragon''s egg, and the air around it was twisting violently.


    Through the distorted air, Drac could vaguely see Dumbledore behind the ck hole, and it seemed like a glimmer of cunning shed in his blue eyes behind his sses.


    "Professor Drac, I''ve changed my mind," Dumbledore cheerfully winked at Drac. "If you want to blow up Slytherin''s hidden chamber, go ahead! I won''t stop you."


    As he spoke, he wrote a Nivonian rune on the partition next to the brass tap. The rune, resembling a piercing eye, gradually turned transparent and vanished.


    The next moment, arge red bird appeared in a burst of mes,nding on Dumbledore''s shoulder. It proudly lifted its long neck towards Drac, pped its wings, and carried Dumbledore away from the dpidated girls''vatory.


    "Huh?"


    Watching Dumbledore leave, Drac stood stunned.


    He then nced at the "ck hole" in his hand, nowrger than a fire dragon''s egg andpletely unretractable. His eye twitched involuntarily.


    Damn it, how is he supposed to blow this up? Does he want him to blow up the entire Hogwarts Castle?


    With a darkened face, Drac raised the wand he had intended to use in a grand battle against Dumbledore and pointed it at the filthy little window beside¡ª


    "Fira."


    The ss shattered, revealing the dark night outside.


    Drac squeezed the "ck hole" and pushed it forcefully towards the cloudy sky outside the window.


    The orb''s dark color blended into the night as it soared rapidly into the high sky¡ª


    "Boom!"


    A deep rumble echoed from the sky, nearly shaking Hogwarts Castle. Countless years of dust fell in a shower.


    The clouds in the night sky dispersed, and the gathered mist was swept away.


    The clouds cleared, revealing a bright full moon set against a clear night sky, surrounded by endless stars. The reflected starlight spilled like countless pearls on the shimmering ck Lake, dazzling brightly.


    Dumbledore stood by the window of his office, quietly gazing at the pristine night sky with a smile on his face.


    "Do you think Professor Drac understands my intentions now?" he said to Fawkes on his shoulder, speaking more to himself.


    "Whistle?" Fawkes tilted his head.


    At that moment, a clean new hat, apparently feeling left out, hopped onto the windowsill.


    "Are you talking to me, Dumbledore?" it asked in a rather unpleasant voice.


    Dumbledore''s expression stiffened, his carefully prepared emotions abruptly interrupted, leaving a lump of frustration in his throat.


    And this feeling had clearly urred more than once tonight...


    "No, I wasn''t talking to you, Hat," he took a deep breath and said expressionlessly.


    "Well, it must be talking to me then!" Before the Sorting Hat could speak, a portrait of Phineas Nigellus ck hanging on the wall started speaking, "Let me tell you, Albus, this Drac is certainly not as easy as he seems..."


    "Silence, Phineas!" Headmistress Dilys Derwent interrupted, "Can''t you see that Dumbledore is deep in thought?"


    "Oh, I thought he was asking us something."


    "..."


    The portraits of former headmasters started chattering noisily.


    Dumbledore rubbed his temples, reluctantly leading Fawkes away from the window and closing the partitioned portrait wall with a loud bang.


    ---


    Drac''s spell didn''t strike the castle but still affected Hogwarts¡ª


    Two fifth-year prefects, Percy and Penelope, were having a secret meeting in the entrance courtyard''s cloister.


    The dark night abruptly turned clear, and the sudden brightness made the two brave students lose their sense of security.


    The two blushing prefects, too timid to openly break the rules, quickly retreated to their respective dormitories.


    ---


    In the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was hiding near a group of fire crabs.


    He had secretly ced a scorpion-tailed beast near the fire crabs and sprinkled some animal pheromones, attempting to crossbreed the two species to create a new one.


    However, the suddenly brightened night revealed Hagrid''s massive figure to both agitated species, and the fire crabs and scorpion-tailed beasts charged at him in a united fury...


    ---


    In the castle''s corridors, a pair of red-haired twins were ying their weekly game of hide and seek with caretaker Filch.


    They had distracted Filch''s cat with a homemade cat toy to avoid being scented by it and hid in a dimly lit corner of a hall.


    Suddenly, a loud noise came from above, causing the entire castle to shake slightly, and a thickyer of dust to fall.


    Fred was caught in the dust and couldn''t help but cough.


    Filch immediately heard the noise and began to walk slowly toward the dim corner of the hall.


    "Don''t worry, it''s so dark here, we can easily slip to another corner while he''s not looking," George whispered.


    At that moment, the clouds cleared, and a bright moonbeam streamed through the hall''s window, perfectly illuminating Fred and George''s faces.


    The Weasley twins: "..."


    ---


    And the mastermind behind all this, Drac, had already left the dpidated girls''vatory, leaving a small bat hanging in the shadows of thevatory corner, watching the non-functioning brass tap.


    He understood Dumbledore''s n.

 Chapter 64 - 64 The curtain opens

    <h4>Chapter 64: The curtain opens</h4>


    The next day at noon, an owl arrived at Hogwarts Headmaster''s office, delivering an urgent letter from the Ministry of Magic.


    Upon receiving the letter, Dumbledore smiled with a knowing look and nned to use the firece in his office to travel to the Ministry of Magic in London.


    Before he left, he turned to Fawkes and instructed softly, "When there is any activity in that washroom, take this letter to Harry."


    Fawkes nodded thoughtfully and looked at Dumbledore''s desk.


    On the desk was a letter addressed to "Mr. Harry Potter."


    Next to the letter was a mirror engraved with a rune resembling a watchful eye, reflecting a clear image of the abandoned girls'' washroom¡ªa row of brass faucets dripping water, one of which was conspicuously not dripping and had lost its handle...


    "If Professor Drac knew I was monitoring a girls'' washroom, he''d surely take the opportunity to tease me."


    Dumbledore nced once more at the monitoring mirror, shook his head with self-deprecation, and stepped into the green mes of the firece.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Professor Drac, whom Dumbledore worried would mock such behavior, was doing exactly the same¡ªobserving the situation in the girls'' washroom...


    Everything seemed normal today, but there were signs of abnormality everywhere.


    Dumbledore had just been called away by the urgent letter from the Ministry, and minutester, Quirrell imed to have caught a cold and asked Drac for a day off.


    In addition, Drac had two consecutive Defense Against the Dark Arts sses that afternoon, leaving him little time to spare.


    Each event appeared to be normal and routine, but when these coincidences piled up, they ceased to be mere coincidences¡ª


    This clearly indicated that Voldemort was preparing to act on the Philosopher''s Stone!


    Despite Voldemort''s preparations, the two Defense Against the Dark Arts sses seemed insufficient to hinder Drac effectively, or rather, he and Quirrell probably didn''t have any idea to dy this reckless person. Choosing the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss timing was likely just a desperate measure.


    Moreover, Voldemort clearly overestimated Drac''s professional ethics¡ª


    "This ss will be self-study. Prefect, manage the ss discipline well, and don''te asking me any questions if you don''t understand something, I won''t be answering. What? No prefect? Then you, Diggory, you''re in charge of maintaining ss order."


    Drac hastily arranged for self-study and leaned against the ckboard behind him in boredom. Meanwhile, his vision shifted to another ce.


    It was the perspective of a bat, or more precisely, the hearing of a bat.


    The bat Drac left in the washroom emitted ultrasonic waves that humans could not hear. Once the signals bounced back from the room, it constructed aplete map of the washroom, unaffected by the darkness within.


    Drac and Fawkes did not wait long.


    During the middle of the first ss of the afternoon, a sneaky figure wearing a purple turban slipped into the girls'' washroom and walked straight to the row of brass faucets.


    A chilling "hiss" came from Quirrell''s turban.


    Immediately, the faucet without a handle emitted a brilliant white light and began to spin rapidly. Then, the sink began to move, slowly sinking out of view, reced by arge pipe wide enough for a person to crawl through.


    In the Headmaster''s office, Fawkes widened his eyes and watched the scene through the mirror, realizing this was the disturbance Dumbledore had mentioned.


    He picked up the letter from the desk with his talons and then vanished in a burst of golden-red mes.


    In the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, Drac''s eyes suddenly opened, revealing a frightening gleam.


    "Continue with self-study. I''ll be out for a while. Diggory, don''t forget to manage the ss order," he said seriously.


    However, his mouth could not suppress a growing smile, appearing very enthusiastic.


    Seeing Drac''s smile, the Weasley twins, who had been quietly discussing how to avoid detention, shivered.


    "What''s up with the professor? That smile is terrifying..." George whispered.


    "It is indeed scary," Fred nodded, then suddenly realized, "Wait a minute, if the professor is gone, why are we still scared?"


    Saying this, he grabbed George and stood up, shouting, "The professor''s gone, let''s have some fun!"


    Cedric hurriedly stood up, trying to stop them, but amidst the growing enthusiasm of the Gryffindor students, it proved futile...


    ...


    In the Gryffindormon room, Harry and Ron were ying wizard''s chess, while Hermione had her face buried in arge stack of books, searching for information.


    From the situation on the chessboard, Ron was ying very well, making Harry sweat and struggle.


    Ronmanded the queen on the board to move diagonally forward again, with a triumphant smile.


    "Give up, Harry!" he said excitedly.


    "Wait a minute, I can hold on a bit longer," Harry retorted stubbornly.


    At that moment, a sh of golden-red light appeared.


    "Ron, did you see that? There was a sh of red light just now," Harry said, momentarily distracted.


    "Harry, don''t try those little tricks. Those distraction methods are old hat for Fred and George!" Ron said, his focus entirely on the board, not noticing Fawkes'' mes. "Just give up, Harry, be a man!"


    However, Harry''s attention was now on the small empty table behind him. He walked over and picked up the letter.


    "Mr. Harry Potter... Is this a letter for me?"


    He puzzledly opened the envelope.


    Inside was a piece of parchment with elegant and fine handwriting¡ª


    "Harry, if you''re attentive enough, you might recognize this handwriting. Indeed, the Invisibility Cloak was delivered to you by me..."

 Chapter 65 - 65 Unknown letters

    <h4>Chapter 65: Unknown letters</h4>


    "Harry, if you''re observant enough, you might recognize this handwriting¡ªyes, that Invisibility Cloak was sent to you by me."


    Seeing these lines, Harry''s eyes widened, and he quickly continued reading. He wanted to find out who had sent such a valuable item as a Christmas gift.


    "I know, you might think that an Invisibility Cloak is meant for doing something against the rules. But it''s used for much more important things!"


    "I recently received information: the Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching assistant, Quirinius Quirrell, has been tempted by the Dark Lord and is trying to help him steal something from the castle''s restricted area, and he already has enough power to bypass the protective enchantments. Therefore, I hope you can use the Invisibility Cloak to enter the restricted area first, retrieve it, and prevent Quirrell and the Dark Lord from achieving their goals!"


    Harry stared at the letter in his hand, growing more rmed with each line, his heart racing uncontrobly.


    "Are you going to make your move, Harry? Or are you conceding?" Ron''s voice came from behind.


    "Now''s not the time for chess!" Harry''s emotions got the better of him, shouting, "Quirrell could steal the Philosopher''s Stone at any moment!"


    "What? Quirrell, that stammering fool, wants to steal the Philosopher''s Stone?" Ron ced his hand on Harry''s forehead, "Harry, are you upset because you lost at chess or is it the pressure of the uing exams? Maybe we should go out and rx a bit."


    "I''m fine! But someone did write to me about this." Harry countered.


    "Ron, that creep Quirrell''s stammering and weakness are definitely just an act!" Hermione suddenly stood up from the pile of books, angrily taking the letter from Harry''s hands and reading it, "If he can disguise his perverted, creepy nature as a weak and timid appearance, then he can surely pretend to be weak and get the professors to underestimate and ignore him!"


    Ron and Harry were startled by Hermione''s passionate reaction, exchanging nervous nces. As a modern, self-reliant young witch, Hermione had a strong aversion to Quirrell''s perverted behavior and quickly believed the contents of the letter.


    "But this letter has no signature; could it be a prank?" Ron also moved closer to Hermione, ncing at the letter, "And why didn''t the person just tell Dumbledore directly instead of sending it to a first-year student like you?"


    "But if it were a prank, why would they send me such an expensive Invisibility Cloak?" Harry asked, "Maybe the sender also thought I defeated Voldemort before and believes I can defeat him again..."


    At this point, Harry''s mood sank, "But they don''t know that I''m just a mediocre student who can''t even pass a first-year final exam..."


    "Don''t be discouraged, Harry." Hermioneforted, "Anyway, this matter isn''t our responsibility. If we give the letter to Dumbledore, he''ll handle the Dark Lord''s issue."


    Harry thought for a moment and then nodded heavily.


    ...


    Having made up their minds, the three of them faced another problem¡ª


    No one had ever told them where Dumbledore lived, and they didn''t know anyone who had been taken to see the headmaster.


    So, Hermione suggested they should go find Professor McGonagall.


    "What are you three doing here?"


    Professor McGonagall was in her office, marking arge stack of papers.


    Harry and Ron gulped, looking at the thick stack of papers, hoping McGonagall wouldn''t notice theirs.


    "We want to see Professor Dumbledore," Hermione said calmly.


    "See Professor Dumbledore?" Professor McGonagall repeated, seeming very suspicious of their request, "Is there something that can''t be discussed with me, that requires seeing Dumbledore?"


    Harry was taken aback, unsure of how to respond.


    "It''s a secret." As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately wished he hadn''t said them. McGonagall''s nostrils red slightly in irritation.


    "Professor Dumbledore left ten minutes ago," she said coldly, "He received an urgent letter from the Ministry of Magic and flew to London immediately."


    "He left?" Harry said anxiously, "Just at this moment?"


    "Professor Dumbledore is an extraordinary wizard, extremely busy, and his time is precious..." Professor McGonagall''s words were interrupted by Harry.


    "But this is very important!" Harry said.


    "Is what you have to say more important than the Ministry of Magic, Harry?" Professor McGonagall asked in a chilly tone.


    "Well," Harry quickly exined, discarding the word "cautiously" from his mind, "Professor, it''s about the Philosopher''s Stone..."


    Professor McGonagall paused her smooth, flowing pen movements.


    "How do you know about the Philosopher''s Stone?" she asked, astonished.


    "Professor, someone wrote to Harry saying that Quirrell is trying to steal the Philosopher''s Stone. We need to inform Professor Dumbledore." Hermione cleverly took over, speaking to Professor McGonagall.


    She subtly omitted the details about Harry and Ron connecting with Nics mel remotely and gestured for Harry to pass the letter over.


    Professor McGonagall looked at the three of them with a mixture of shock and skepticism, then lowered her head to read the letter.


    None of the four noticed that when the letter was passed to Professor McGonagall, the handwriting suddenly changed, almost instantly transforming into a different script and content¡ª


    The letter removed any mention of the Invisibility Cloak and only briefly mentioned Quirrell and the Dark Lord.


    "Professor Dumbledore will return tomorrow," Professor McGonagall said, not recognizing the handwriting and doubting its authenticity, "I don''t know how you learned about the Philosopher''s Stone, but rest assured, no one can steal it; it is under strict protection andpletely safe."


    "But Professor..." Harry tried to say more.


    "Potter, don''t let yourself be fooled by these prank contents," she said, turning her gaze back to the stack of papers, "I know there are many bad rumors about Professor Quirrell. Of course, I don''t like his actions, but that''s no reason for us to believe this letter."


    The three stood their ground, unwilling to leave.


    Seeing that they had no intention of leaving, Professor McGonagall reluctantly raised her head again, "Once Dumbledore returns, I will inform him of this matter, alright?"


    Seeing McGonagall''s growing impatience, the trio realized they wouldn''t be able to contact Dumbledore today. They could only nod in resignation and leave the Deputy Headmistress''s office.


    "Quirrell might act today!" As soon as they left the office, Hermione immediately said to Harry and Ron, "Otherwise, it''s hard to exin why Dumbledore happened to leave Hogwarts at such a crucial time!"


    "But, Dumbledore isn''t here, and Professor McGonagall doesn''t believe us. What can we do?" Ron asked.


    Harry paused for a moment, then grabbed Ron and Hermione, moving quickly in another direction.


    "Let''s go find Professor Drac!"

 Chapter 66 - 66 Harry’s decision.

    <h4>Chapter 66: Harry''s decision.</h4>


    "Can we ask where Professor Drac is right now?"


    Harry and his friends had arrived at the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom. They peeked inside cautiously and asked in a low voice.


    However, they soon realized that such a soft voice wouldn''t be heard by any of the students in the ssroom.


    Inside, the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom was inplete chaos, with a lively scene unfolding¡ª


    Fred and George Weasley were standing on tables, jumping up and down while waving a set of ck magic warning bells, using them as makeshift instruments; a Gryffindor and a Hufflepuff student were standing face to face, casting spells at each other in friendly duels; many enthusiastic Gryffindor upperssmen were cheering them on with flushed faces, while the Hufflepuff students were enjoying snacks and watching themotion with great interest...


    Not all students in the ssroom were disregarding the rules, though.


    Among the chaos, a handsome Hufflepuff student was trying to restore order, diligently going back and forth trying to mediate, but with little sess.


    "Harry, little Ron, what brings you here?" Fred and George, who were still ying music, saw Harry and his friends and waved their bells excitedly, asking loudly, "Want to join us? This opportunity doesn''te often!"


    Ron''s face flushed with embarrassment when he heard his nickname.


    "Fred! George!!" He rolled up his sleeves, ready to charge into the crowd and give the two mischief-makers a piece of his mind, but was pulled back by Harry grabbing his hood.


    "Ron, don''t forget our real purpose!" Harry shook his head at him.


    Hearing Harry''s reminder, Ron reluctantly calmed down, ring angrily at the Weasley twins standing on the tables.


    "Senior, can we ask you something?" Hermione quickly stopped the handsome student who was trying to restore order and asked.


    "Don''t call me ''senior,'' my name is Cedric Diggory," the handsome student said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead and approached the three, "You three are first-years, right? What''s the matter in a third-year ss?"


    "We''re looking for Professor Drac. Isn''t he in the ssroom now?" Harry asked.


    He looked at Cedric with deep admiration and a bit of sympathy.


    "Unfortunately, Professor Drac just left the ssroom a little while ago. He said he''d be out for a while," Cedric exined, looking puzzled by Harry''s expression.


    "Do you know when he might be back?" Hermione asked.


    Cedric shook his head.


    Harry couldn''t hide his disappointment and, with Hermione and Ron, left the chaotic ssroom.


    As they stepped out, they saw an elderly, tall witch striding quickly towards them.


    "Um... Hello, Professor McGonagall," the three of them stammered, feeling a bit guilty.


    However, Professor McGonagallpletely ignored them and walked straight into the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom.


    "The castle''s most unruly ss is yours! I can hear you all making noise even from half the length of the main tower away!" she shouted angrily. "And you two again, the Weasley twins! Just yesterday, Mr. Filch caught you wandering the castle at night, and today you dare to lead the disruption of ssroom discipline!"


    "You are the worst year I''ve ever taught!"


    ...


    Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood shivering outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, silently mourning for the third-year students.


    At the same time, Harry and Ron were also secretly relieved that their year was not the worst ording to Professor McGonagall, so they could rx a bit!


    "Who should we find next?" Hermione asked quietly, breaking their thoughts. "With both Dumbledore and Professor Drac absent, I''m a hundred percent sure Quirrell will try to steal the Philosopher''s Stone today!"


    Hermione and Ron instinctively looked at Harry.


    His face turned very pale, but his eyes were shining brightly.


    "Alright," Harry took a deep breath, "Looks like we''ll have to do as the letter instructed, right?"


    "I''ll sneak into the Restricted Section on the fourth floor and try to get the Philosopher''s Stone first!"


    "You''re crazy!" Ron eximed.


    His shout caught Professor McGonagall''s attention, causing her reprimanding to momentarily pause. Ron quickly covered his mouth.


    Harry and Hermione were rmed and quickly pulled Ron away, heading down the marble staircase to the first floor of the castle.


    "Harry, you can''t do this!" Hermione said seriously once they were in the quiet entrance hall. "The protections in the Restricted Section are there to guard the Philosopher''s Stone. You''re just a first-year wizard, it''s too dangerous to breach the restrictions!"


    "Hermione is right!" Ron added. "Besides, Quirrell might have already entered the Restricted Section. Are you nning to just walk into his trap?"


    "So what?" Harry said passionately, "Don''t you understand? If Quirrell gets the Philosopher''s Stone, Voldemort wille back! Haven''t you heard what happened when he wanted to dominate the magical world?"


    "If he seeds, Hogwarts will be gone. He''ll either destroy the school or turn it into a ce dedicated to teaching dark magic! Do you really think Voldemort will spare you and your families?"


    "If Voldemort returns, all I can do is find a ce to wait for death. I will never join the dark forces! I must get through that trapdoor and obtain the Philosopher''s Stone tonight, and nothing you say will stop me! Voldemort killed my parents, remember?"


    Harry finished his long, breathless, and somewhat incoherent speech, ring at them.


    "You''re right, Harry," Hermione''s voice dropped.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll use my Invisibility Cloak," Harry said, his emotions gradually stabilizing. "Maybe I can get past Quirrell unnoticed and retrieve the Stone."


    "But can the Invisibility Cloak cover all three of us?" Ron suddenly asked.


    "We... all three of us?" Harry''s eyes widened.


    "Oh, don''t be silly, mate. Do you think we''ll let you go alone?" Ron shrugged and put an arm around Harry''s shoulder.


    "Of course not!" Hermione added, with a bit of a fiery tone, "Why would you think of leaving us behind and going after the Philosopher''s Stone alone? I''d better go through my books, maybe I can find something useful..."

 Chapter 67 - 67 Petrified three-headed dog

    <h4>Chapter 67: Petrified three-headed dog</h4>


    Before heading to the forbidden area, Hermione suggested they first visit Hagrid to find out how to deal with the three-headed dog.


    Since dogs have an incredibly sensitive sense of smell, Harry''s invisibility cloak could only conceal their appearance but not their scent, which likely wouldn''t be effective against the three-headed dog.


    Harry and Ron agreed, confident that they could extract information from Hagrid. After all, Hagrid was known to be tight-lipped, but that was only if you didn''t have a bottle opener...


    So, the three of them went to Hagrid''s hut.


    "Hagrid, what happened to you?"


    Harry looked at Hagrid''s bandaged face, his half-burnt clothes, and therge patches of missing hair and beard, and asked in surprise.


    "Oh, it''s nothing. I identally burned myself while adding too much wood to the firest night," Hagrid said somewhat evasively.


    Harry, Hermione, and Ron exchanged nces, sensing there was more to this than met the eye.


    "Hagrid, did you do something against school rules?" Harry asked.


    "No! Absolutely not!" Hagrid jumped, shouting agitatedly, "Don''t go spreading rumors, or I''ll sue you for defamation!"


    Hermione furrowed her brow in suspicion and moved closer to Hagrid to examine him more closely.


    "There''s something wrong," she said. "You don''t just have burn marks, but also scratches from some animal."


    Hagrid hurriedly covered his coat with his hands, taking a few awkward steps back, causing the entire hut to shake slightly.


    "No, it''s probably just a scratch I got myself," he stammered.


    "Hagrid, I remember you wanted to get a dragon," Hermione said with sharp eyes. "Burn marks, scratches from animals... Did you really get a dragon?"


    "I didn''t!" Hagrid blurted out, "Look closely, the scratches from a scorpion tail beast are different from those of a dragon!"


    After saying that, he regretted it immediately and quickly covered his mouth, but it was toote.


    "So you did get a scorpion tail beast?" Hermione asked. "Then what are the burn marks from? I''ve read ''Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'' by Scamander, and it doesn''t mention that scorpion tail beasts can breathe fire."


    "Alright, I admit I did something wrongst night," Hagrid said dejectedly. "I tried to crossbreed a scorpion tail beast with a fire crab. I was hiding nearby, but for some reason, it suddenly got bright, and then I was discovered by the animals..."


    Harry and Ron looked at him sympathetically and patted Hagrid''srge belly tofort him.


    At this moment, Hermione subtly signaled to the other two.


    Harry suddenly remembered they had a mission today and quickly changed his tone.


    "Hagrid, you were overwhelmed by a few fire crabs and a scorpion tail beast? You don''t seem to be as good with animals as you say," he said, looking down on him.


    To be honest, his acting was a bit exaggerated, but Hagrid didn''t seem to notice.


    "Nonsense! I''m excellent with small animals!" Hagrid felt his expertise was being challenged and retorted indignantly.


    "But we can''t see that." Even slow-witted Ron caught on, adding, "I think you could only tame the three-headed dog by chance!"


    Hagrid''s face turned red and scruffy as he mmed his hand on the table, making a loud noise.


    "Ridiculous!" he shouted. "The three-headed dog is the easiest to deal with. You just need to know how to calm it down, y some music for it, and it will fall right asleep..."


    Before he could finish, a look of terror suddenly appeared on Hagrid''s face.


    "I shouldn''t have told you that!" he said painfully. "Forget what I said! Hey¡ªwhere are you going?"


    At this point, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had gotten what they needed. They left Hagrid''s hut and ran straight to the entrance hall of the castle without exchanging another word.


    Breathless, they stood in the quiet entrance hall, looking at each other, their expressions shifting from confusion to determination.


    "We must not dy; we need to get to the forbidden area as soon as possible to stop Quirrell!" Harry said, pulling out the invisibility cloak from his pocket.


    Hermione and Ron nodded and they all squeezed under the invisibility cloak together.


    Following the memory of their previous nocturnal excursion, they quickly arrived outside the corridor on the fourth floor¡ªthe door was slightly ajar.


    "Looks like it," Harry whispered. "Quirrell may have already managed to get past Fluffy."


    Seeing the half-open door, they seemed to gain a clearer sense of what they were about to face. Harry turned under the cloak to look at Ron and Hermione.


    "If you want to back out now, I won''t me you," he said. "It''s Voldemort I should be facing. I don''t want to drag you into this. You don''t have to join me in thwarting his ns. Even if he does return, you''d have a chance to save yourselves."


    "Don''t be ridiculous," Ron said.


    "Let''s go in together," Hermione said firmly, shaking her head.


    Harry took a deep breath and pushed the door open.


    As he stepped through, his mood became somber, as if he was walking into a destined fate...


    However, instead of the deep growling of the three-headed dog, they were met with darkness and silence.


    "Hermione, didn''t you say the three-headed dog would definitely smell us out and that the invisibility cloak wouldn''t work?" Harry asked in a low voice. "There''s no movement now¡ªcould it be because the cloak hides our scent too?"


    Hermione frowned, took a few steps forward, and suddenly lifted the invisibility cloak.


    "Hermione!"


    "Hermione, what are you doing?"


    But Hermione ignored their concerns and extended her wand into the darkness.


    "Lumos!"


    A small light appeared at the tip of Hermione''s wand, illuminating the dim room.


    Harry and Ron were astonished to see a huge three-headed dog, nearly filling half the room, standing motionless.


    One of its heads had wide open eyes, ring angrily, while the other two heads had their eyes closed, as if they were still half asleep.


    The three-headed dog remained perfectly still, not even breathing.


    Harry mustered up his courage and walked up to it, patting its body, but found its fur and flesh were as stiff as wood.


    "Quirrell must have used a curse we don''t know about to petrify Fluffy," Hermione said quietly. "We need to be prepared; he''s far stronger than we imagined."


    Her tone was heavy with concern.

 Chapter 68 - 68 Double-edged person

    <h4>Chapter 68: Double-edged person</h4>


    Here''s the English trantion of the provided text:


    ---


    After oveing numerous dangers, Harry reached the final stage alone.


    Ron had copsed on Professor McGonagall''s wizard chessboard, and Hermione had consumed one of the potions from thest stage to help revive the unconscious Ron. She also had the task of sending a message to Dumbledore and Professor Drac, asking them toe and assist Harry.


    Looking at the correct solution for the final stage, the smallest bottle, Harry took a deep breath.


    "I''ming." He turned to face the ck mes and drank the liquid from the small bottle in one gulp.


    The potion, cold as ice, instantly spread through his entire body.


    He set the bottle down and walked towards the mes.


    The ck mes licked at Harry''s body, but he felt nothing¡ªsoon, he made it to the other side and entered the final room.


    ...


    Harry saw that Quirrell was standing in front of a grand, ornate mirror, fiddling with something.


    He carefully hid under his invisibility cloak, intending to bypass Quirrell, retrieve the Sorcerer''s Stone first ording to their n, and then quietly leave using the cloak.


    "I can feel... he''sing... Harry Potter... the boy who lived..."


    Before he had taken a few steps, Harry heard a low, raspy voice echo in the quiet room. The voice seemed toe from Quirrell himself, but Quirrell wasn''t speaking!


    Quirrell suddenly turned to look towards the door.


    "Bind (Incarcerous)!"


    As Quirrell spoke, several ropes materialized from thin air, covering half the room, and quickly found Harry''s position.


    In the next moment, Harry was tightly bound.


    "Invisibility cloak, huh? Quite a rare item." Quirrell said with augh, walking over and removing Harry''s cloak.


    He was no longer stuttering or disying his previous cowardice and repulsiveness. Instead, a chilling sneer reced his demeanor.


    "Hermione was right. Your entire act was just a facade!" Harry said, ring at Quirrell.


    "What a pity, I thought my performance was good enough." Quirrell said, his tone showing no hint of regret. "I didn''t expect that not only Dumbledore and Drac would suspect me, but even a first-year witch would pick up on it."


    "What did you say?!" Harry asked in shock. "Dumbledore and Professor Drac have already suspected you?"


    He couldn''t understand why, even though the headmaster and the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor were suspicious of Quirrell, he had still been able to serve as a teaching assistant at Hogwarts for so long.


    "Of course, they probably suspected me from the very beginning of the term." Quirrell sneered. "But they were too arrogant and presumptuous. They set a trap for me, trying to use me to draw out my master!"


    "But they probably never thought they''d meet their end like this. I just used a little trick to send Dumbledore off to the Ministry of Magic on an urgent matter; as for Drac, if he still hasn''t noticed my actions by now, he''s probably still teaching in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, hahaha..."


    Hearing Quirrell''s words, Harry''s eyes widened.


    Dumbledore had indeed gone to the Ministry of Magic, which was heavy news, but that was all. Because he knew that Professor Drac was not in the ssroom!


    So where had the professor gone? Had he possibly noticed something wrong in the restricted area?


    Harry''s heart raced.


    He felt the Sorcerer''s Stone might still be saved!


    ...


    At that moment, neither Quirrell nor Harry noticed a well-ced bat hanging upside down in the dark corner of the room, watching their movements with keen interest.


    Drac had been here for a long time, even arriving a few minutes earlier than Quirrell. He had watched the entire process of Quirrell and the trio''s progress through the final stages.


    When Quirrell was bound by ropes, and his demeanor changed drastically from his usual arrogance, Drac pped his wings with interest, instinctively reaching for a lollipop.


    Then he realized he was not in human form, so he awkwardly folded his wings behind him.


    In the final stage room, Quirrell released the ropes binding Harry and had him stand in front of the Mirror of Erised.


    The next moment, Drac clearly saw the Sorcerer''s Stone quietly fall into Harry''s pocket.


    Harry did not admit to taking the Sorcerer''s Stone, and Quirrell did not believe him. After some argument, Quirrell suddenly removed his purple turban.


    Where the back of his head should have been was a horrifically monstrous face. The face was chalk-white, with glowing red eyes and long, snake-like nostrils.


    ''As expected.'' Drac thought to himself. ''Quirrell''s scar wasn''t caused by a vampire as he imed, but by the mark left by Voldemort during his parasitic phase.''


    When the Hogwarts professors checked earlier, Voldemort had probably regained some power and used some method to leave Quirrell''s body. But even after leaving, the marks he left behind wouldn''t vanish easily.


    "Harry Potter..." The monstrous face whispered, "Give me the Sorcerer''s Stone, don''t let your mother''s death be in vain."


    Harry ignored him, gritting his teeth, and charged towards the door engulfed in ck mes.


    What followed was something Drac could hardly understand¡ª


    At Voldemort''smand, Quirrell lunged to grab Harry''s wrist. Then Harry seemed to feel some pain, shouting and struggling fiercely.


    At the same time, Quirrell strangely released his grip on Harry, bending over in pain. His fingers were sprouting blisters!


    "Master, I can''t hold him... my hands, my hands!" Quirrell moaned in agony.


    "Then kill him, you fool, act quickly!" Voldemort''s shrill voice echoed in Quirrell''s mind.


    Quirrell raised his hand, preparing to cast a deadly spell.


    Seeing this, Drac''s wings fluttered slightly, ready to act at any moment.


    But just then, Harry instinctively reached out to grab Quirrell''s face¡ª


    Both of them screamed in unison.


    The screams of Quirrell and Harry left Drac utterly confused. He wondered how they suddenly seemed to be cursed without using any magic...


    Even after living for a thousand years, Drac had never encountered such a bizarre situation. So he decided to hold off on intervening and observe for a while.


    Apanied by piercing screams, Quirrell''s body was gradually burned red, bubbling, until hepletely turned into ck smoke...


    At the same time, Harry could no longer endure the intense pain from the scar on his forehead and fell into a deep unconsciousness.


    Before hepletely cked out, he vaguely saw a phantom-like figure separating from Quirrell and another figure in a long ck robe quickly moving through the ck mes towards him...


    ---

 Chapter 69 - 69 Sleeper

    <h4>Chapter 69: Sleeper</h4>


    "Alright, it seems I''ll have to take matters into my own hands after all."


    A handsome young man''s ghostly figure emerged from the ck smoke of Quirrell, his expression cold and stern.


    He extended his hand, and Quirrell''s wand that had fallen to the ground automatically flew into his grasp. He then pointed it at Harry, whoy unconscious on the floor.


    At that moment, a shadow in a long ck cloak stepped through the ck mes at the doorway, blocking Harry.


    "Who are you?" The figure seemed somewhat nervous, and although he had a vague sense of the young man''s true identity, he still found it hard to believe.


    "Severus, it''s been a long time," the handsome young man said with a cryptic smile.


    Meanwhile, his strikingly handsome features began to twist and his ebony hair started to fade away...


    Momentster, a noseless man with glowing red eyes appeared before Snape.


    It was Voldemort, the Dark Lord whose name was too dangerous to even be uttered!


    Snape''s eyes widened in shock, and he bowed deeply.


    As he bent over and his gaze shifted to the ground, he discreetly activated the maximum effect of his mind-sealing charm.


    "Master, I have waited for you for eleven years!" he slowly raised his head, looking at Voldemort with a mix of sorrow, anticipation, and relief. "I never believed you had truly died. I always believed you would return one day to lead us in conquering the world again!"


    Voldemort examined Snape with his crimson snake-like eyes, his expression inscrutable as he pondered the truthfulness of Snape''s words.


    In fact, Voldemort had revealed his true self before fully recovering his former power not out of trust for his former loyal subordinate, but precisely because of mistrust.


    He was unsure which side Snape was truly on, whether Snape harbored any grudge over the death of Lily Potter, and why Snape had earned Dumbledore''s trust.


    Thus, Voldemort wanted to test him further.


    Voldemort knew how formidable Snape was and that he was not as easy to handle as Quirrell. If Snape managed to dy him until Dumbledore or Drac arrived, he might miss his chance at the Philosopher''s Stone.


    Fortunately, it seemed that, at least for now, this former loyal subordinate had notpletely betrayed him.


    But to be safe, Voldemort wanted to probe him further.


    "Waited for me eleven years, have you?" he said with a sinister smile, coldly, "But all I know is that you have been promoted by Dumbledore. Over these eleven years, you never once came to find me?"


    "Master, ever since you left, I have been lurking by Dumbledore''s side, preparing for your return," Snape said with his head lowered and a somber voice. "Under Dumbledore''s watch, it was very difficult to find an opportunity to seek you out."


    "Is that so?" Voldemort said coldly. "But it seems Dumbledore trusts you quite a lot, even giving you the position of Head of Slytherin House."


    "That was only because, when you left, most of the wizards from Slytherin House were being judged by the Ministry of Magic," Snape exined calmly. "Under such circumstances, the reputation of the House was severely damaged, and Hogwarts rarely hired Slytherin professors."


    "But I had already nned to infiltrate Hogwarts and became the only Slytherin professor at that time. After Professor Slughorn retired, I was naturally the only candidate for the position of Head."


    Voldemort stared intently at Snape''s eyes, and Snape held his gaze with a "sincere" expression.


    "Good, very good!" Voldemort suddenlyughed heartily. "I am pleased to have such a loyal subordinate as you, Severus."


    His previously suspicious and probing gaze was reced with one of satisfaction and contentment.


    "Now, Severus, I must tell you the first thing I need you to do after my return¡ª"


    Voldemort extended his hand and pointed at Harry lying on the floor.


    "¡ªKill him and get the Philosopher''s Stone," he said. "You will be my most trusted servant, above all Death Eaters!"


    Snape''s eyelid twitched slightly, but he did not respond immediately.


    "What''s the matter? Are you reluctant?" Voldemort raised an eyebrow with a cold smile. "Or are you still clinging to Lily Evans after all these years?"


    Snape''s hand, hidden in his sleeve, instinctively clenched his wand.


    He knew that Voldemort did not truly trust him, and the apparent satisfaction and contentment were merely anotheryer of testing.


    "Do it, Severus!" Voldemort urged.


    Snape turned to face Harry, turning his back on Voldemort to hide the pained expression caused by his inner turmoil. His nails dug deeply into the flesh hidden in his sleeve, yet he felt nothing.


    He looked at Harry lying on the floor, staring at the face that resembled James Potter¡ªone he loathed and detested.


    But he also knew that beneath that face were eyes of bright green, identical to Lily''s...


    He could not let Lily''s son die here!


    Could it be that his infiltration mission was over before it even began?


    Snape slowly raised his wand.


    His hand was steady, but his heart was trembling, preparing to turn the wand against Voldemort at any moment!


    ...


    "Do what you must, and leave the rest to me," a deep voice suddenly whispered in his ear.


    ...


    Snape''s eyes flickered. He easily recognized the owner of the unique voice.


    It was Drac''s voice!


    He gritted his teeth and no longer hesitated.


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    A chilling green beam shot directly at Harry. Voldemort, on the other hand, showed a truly relieved expression behind Snape.


    ...


    "Boom¡ª"


    A heavy thud echoed through the room.


    A thick ck wooden board mmed into the ground, creating arge dent and blocking Snape''s deadly curse.


    A silver-haired figure emerged from behind the board, with a curious smile on his face.


    "Quite lively in here!" He took a long-awaited blood-vored lollipop from his pocket and popped it into his mouth, leaning casually against his coffin lid. "Let''s see, hmm, it seems I arrived just in time!"


    Voldemort''s previously relieved expression froze on his face.


    "You again, Drac!" he said through gritted teeth, secretly pointing his wand at Snape.


    Snape''s expression instantly turned wooden and rigid.


    Seeing Snape''s sudden stiff demeanor, Drac paused for a moment beforeughing even more intriguingly.


    "Professor Snape, how did you end up in such a state after not seeing you for a while?" he said with a smirk, "A Headmaster controlled by the Imperius Curse? I feel embarrassed for you."


    Nearby, Voldemort sighed with relief, believing his n had gone perfectly.


    At thest moment, he had used the Imperius Curse on Snape, pretending that Snape had cast the Killing Curse on Harry under its control, allowing him to maintain Dumbledore''s trust and possibly continue infiltrating Hogwarts.


    This way, even if he did not obtain the Philosopher''s Stone this time, Snape could still provide him with ongoing information from within the enemy''s camp, giving him more opportunities to steal it.


    Of course, Voldemort did not know that Drac had actually witnessed the casting of the Imperius Curse and Snape''s deliberate cooperation, even observing the entire process of Voldemort testing Snape. Drac had simply chosen not to expose him...


    But Voldemort was unaware.


    So he nodded to himself, directing Snape to attack Drac.


    On the other side, Drac looked at Snape raising his wand at him andughed gleefully.


    "Bang!"


    The next moment, Snape''s figure was imprinted on the wall behind the Mirror of Erised, leaving a human-shaped mark...


    "Now it''s your turn."


    Having dealt with the troublesome Snape, Drac turned his attention to the infamous Dark Lord whose name could not even be spoken.


    "You are Voldemort, the mysterious one whose name cannot be mentioned, right?" Drac''s eyes shone with intense heat.


    Since Dumbledore was unwilling to confront him, he would have to find some amusement in battling this equally top-tier dark wizard.


    The eerie wooden wand was quietly held in Drac''s hand.


    Seeing this, Voldemort''s face grew serious as he raised Quirrell''s wand.


    "Thunderbolt Explosion (go)!"


    Voldemort cast the spell first.


    However, his wand suddenly changed direction, not directing the explosive curse at Drac but rather smashing into the wall behind him.


    The solid wall was instantly sted open, creating arge hole.


    "With such a close range and still missing, are you sure you''re the Dark Lord and not just an undergrad pretending?" Drac sneered.


    Voldemort, listening to the mockery, felt his anger boil. If he had a nose, it would have been bent out of shape from rage.


    When had the Dark Lord ever been so humiliated?


    "You will pay for your arrogance, Drac," he said, enraged.


    Voldemort knew that in his current state as a soul fragment, he was no match for Drac. So he did not cast the explosive curse at Drac but directed it at the room''s walls.


    The spell shattered the abandoned pipes hidden behind the walls¡ª


    A massive snake head emerged from therge hole in the wall.


    Drac turned curiously to see therge, frightening yellow eyes.


    The next moment, he felt his body bing weightless, as if he were about to be swept away by the wind...


    Seeing Drac face to face with the giant

 Chapter 70 - 70 Voldemort’s best-kept secret.

    <h4>Chapter 70: Voldemort''s best-kept secret.</h4>


    Hearing Drac''s voice close to his ear, Voldemort was horrified and turned abruptly to look beside him.


    He saw a silver-haired figure smiling lightly, having suddenly appeared beside him, seemingly unaffected by the basilisk in any way.


    He looked back in disbelief at the basilisk, observing its green, oak-like girth, seemingly as healthy and normal as ever. He couldn''t understand why its gaze had lost its effect.


    Wait a minute, how could such a destructive magical creature be so quiet?!


    Voldemort scrutinized further, only to find the basilisk "obediently" coiled up in the corner of the room, eyes closed, shivering all over...


    The hissing snakenguage continued toe from Voldemort''s mouth, urging the basilisk to attack Drac.


    If Drac was not affected by the basilisk''s gaze, then use the venom to deal with him!


    As Voldemort thought this, the hissing became increasingly urgent.


    However, the basilisk ignored hismands, even shrinking back with an innocent and appeasing expression.


    "This is impossible..."


    Voldemort was extremely shocked, his voice seeming toe from between his clenched teeth.


    "There is nothing impossible," Drac said, approaching the basilisk with a half-smile. "I can only say... the true arrogance and ignorance belong to you, Mr. Voldemort."


    The basilisk lowered its head submissively, closing its eyes as Drac patted its smooth, cool head.


    "You are neither a descendant of Slytherin nor can you speak Parseltongue... why does it obey you?" Voldemort asked, unable to ept what he was seeing.


    "Perhaps it fears I might bully it?" Drac nudged the flexible snake body, shaping it into a sofa-like form, and thenfortablyy on it.


    During this time, the basilisk didn''t dare to move, only shifting its body in response to Drac''s movements, willingly bing a smooth snake-skin sofa.


    In fact, Drac had known the basilisk, Slytherin''s great pet, a thousand years ago, even forming a deep "friendship" with it.


    At that time, Slytherin had not yet split from the other founders and was secretly building an experimental base for dark magic transformation.


    Following the breeding methods left by the vile Helbo, he sessfully hatched a basilisk.


    Drac became interested in the basilisk''s gaze. As a vampire who enjoyed courting death, he secretly entered the breeding cave and forced the poor basilisk to meet his gaze...


    The fact is, Drac remained intact until now.


    The basilisk''s gaze is indeed a powerful and difficult-to-resist magical talent, but it has its limitations.


    ording to Szar Slytherin''s tests, the basilisk''s gaze must be direct and unobstructed to be most effective; any obstacles that cause the gaze to deviate will weaken its effect¡ªsuch as through mirrors or ss, which will diminish the basilisk''s gaze to varying degrees, resulting in death or petrification.


    Furthermore, this magical talent is not limitless and is powered by magic. If the basilisk faces a wizard with profound magical power, it is unlikely to kill instantly.


    Additionally, this magic only works fully on living beings. If the basilisk meets with ghosts, wraiths, or other non-living beings, the magic only produces partial effects, such as petrification.


    Unfortunately for the basilisk, Drac embodied thetter two limitations:


    He was highly magical, far beyond what a basilisk couldpare to; and vampires, while alive, are considered as undead, so the basilisk''s gaze does not work fully.


    As such, Drac, after meeting the basilisk''s gaze, only felt a slight floating sensation and no further reaction.


    A thousand years ago, Drac experienced this sensation many times, depleting the basilisk''s magic to the point of its suffering.


    The basilisk learned its lesson and, upon seeing Drac again, instinctively closed its eyes to avoid the gaze, thinking it had escaped torment... only to be beaten by Drac and forced to use its gaze.


    Between being beaten and depleting its magic, the basilisk chose to expend magic to avoid being beaten...


    Since then, whenever it saw Drac, the basilisk would reflexively close its eyes.


    When it emerged from the pipes today and saw the demon with its frightening yellow eyes, it nearly died of fright, thinking it was experiencing a millennia-long nightmare!


    It dared not follow Voldemort''s orders to attack Drac!


    One was Slytherin''s dear friend, the other was a degenerate descendant of Slytherin; the basilisk knew which was more terrifying!


    Seeing the basilisk''s docile behavior and Drac lounging on it, Voldemort gritted his teeth, suddenly dashing towards the still unconscious Harry and prodding his forehead with Quirrell''s wand.


    "Let me go, Drac!" he said viciously. "Or I''ll kill your precious student!"


    Drac frowned slightly, standing up from the basilisk, and took a few steps forward.


    "I am quite disappointed, Mr. Voldemort," Drac said softly, looking at the disheveled face in front of him. "If you had chosen to duel with me, I might have regarded you more highly, recognizing your Dark Lord status."


    "I did not expect you to first think of using a hostage to protect yourself rather than defeating me."


    "Enough talk, Drac!" Voldemort said sharply. "Let me go, or let Potter die here. Make your choice!"


    Upon hearing this, Drac looked at him with a strangely unsettling gaze, causing Voldemort to feel uneasy.


    "It is an honor," Drac suddenly said with a sinister smile, "to know that I am so morally upright in your eyes?"


    Voldemort immediately felt something was wrong, and his entire form turned into ck smoke and scattered.


    The next moment, a blood-red arc struck where Voldemort had been, carving a deep trench into the hard ground!


    Voldemort had no time to retrieve the Philosopher''s Stone, only quickly gathering the ck smoke into a skeletal shape and rapidly fleeing towards the perimeter of the Forbidden Forest.


    "Troublesome, with this trick again."


    Drac shrugged and extended a pair of sharply wed wings, pping them to follow.


    ...


    With Drac pursuing closely behind, Voldemort dared not pause, desperately using the convenience of his smoky form to fly wildly.


    It wasn''t until he approached the edge of the Anti-Disapparation Jinx boundary near the Forbidden Forest that Voldemort rxed slightly and looked back.


    He saw that Drac seemed to be flying leisurely, merely gliding and asionally pping his wings, trailing behind by a significant distance.


    Voldemort was overjoyed, preparing to cross the Anti-Disapparation Jinx boundary and soar freely!


    At that moment, he vaguely saw an illusory dark moon appear behind him, and Drac flew straight into it, abruptly vanishing from sight¡ª


    "How did he disappear in the Anti-Disapparation area?" Voldemort was momentarily stunned.


    Then, in the next instant, the dark moon suddenly appeared before him.


    Drac materialized in the dark moon''s glow, silver hair flowing in the wind, ck wings blocking half the moonlight, casting deep shadows on Voldemort''s eerie face.


    A blood-like silk flowed from behind Drac''s wings, forming a bright red river, curving gracefully outside the dark moonlight, following the path traced by Drac''s slender fingers.


    Finally, the blood river formed a circle, creating a crimson water prison thatpletely surrounded Voldemort, flowing and swirling continuously.


    "Even if you can turn into smoke, how will you escape when every inch of space is enclosed?" Drac said softly.


    Voldemort, seeing the situation, tried to escape by darting left and right within the smoky body, but the blood water corroded and hissed, failing to prate the blood river''s water prison.


    "Wait, Drac!"


    Realizing he couldn''t break through the crimson water prison, Voldemort felt a bit desperate but forced himself to remain calm.


    "What is it? Do you have anyst words?" Drac said impatiently.


    Seeing Voldemort''s undignified escape earlier, Drac hadpletely lost interest in this Dark Lord.


    "Don''t be hasty, Drac! I believe we can still turn enemies into friends!" Voldemort said urgently, seeing Drac''s impatient expression. "I have a secret I''ve never told anyone, something that every wizard dreams of but can''t obtain!"


    The tightening of the crimson water prison paused.


    Drac, slightly intrigued, thought that despite Voldemort''sck of decorum, any secret he had might be of interest.


    "Alright, I''ll give you onest chance," Drac said.


    Voldemort, seeing the water prison pause, sighed in relief.


    Then he regained his confidence and said with pride, "A wise choice, Drac."


    "Join me, Drac, and I''ll tell you the secret of eternal life!"


    Drac: "..."

 Chapter 71 - 71 Souls of Annihilation

    <h4>Chapter 71: Souls of Annihtion</h4>


    "Drac, what is that expression on your face?"


    Seeing Drac lose all patience and turn utterly indifferent, Voldemort panicked.


    The ck smoke he had transformed into raged wildly, crashing repeatedly against the blood-red water prison, paying no attention to the pain of being eroded by the blood water. He desperately hoped to break through the impregnable prison and escape from the devil''s grasp.


    Drac watched this scene with indifference, his fingers suddenly closing together.


    The next moment, the water prison tightened,pletely enveloping the ck smoke that Voldemort had transformed into, gradually eroding,pressing, and extinguishing it.


    "Why... I can''t believe anyone would have no interest in immortality!" Voldemort''s desperate and unwilling voice came from within the blood-red water prison.


    Drac''s wings fluttered as he floated closer.


    "Perhaps you should open your eyes and see who you are discussing immortality with," he said softly.


    The dark moon shadow behind him had not yet fully dissipated, casting Drac''s figure into a slender silhouette, leaving only his wine-red eyes glowing and a pair of sharp side teeth emitting a chilling and cold light.


    Voldemort''s eyes widened in sudden realization.


    Everything suddenly made sense¡ª


    The powerful wizard who had appeared abruptly in the magical world, exuding a dark aura; the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor suddenly appointed by Dumbledore after abandoning Quirrell; the strange characteristics of Apparition within Hogwarts Castle, unaffected by counter-curses...


    "The legendary vampire count..." Voldemort''s angry voice faintly came from the blood-red water prison.


    Then, the blood-red water suddenly gathered, leaving no gaps.


    The ck smoke that Voldemort had turned into waspletely eroded and extinguished, leaving no trace behind!


    The light of the dark moon gradually faded, and the Forbidden Forest became quiet, with only asional distant deer calls and bird chirps remaining...


    Drac waved away the blood river, silently floating in the air, deep in thought.


    ...


    When Drac returned to the fourth-floor forbidden area of Hogwarts Castle, he was greeted by a chaotic scene.


    In the corridor, Madam Pomfrey from the hospital wing was controlling a stretcher with her wand, on whichy the unconscious Harry, while Hermione sobbed beside her.


    At the entrance outside the trapdoor, Hagrid was crying bitterly while holding the three-headed dog Fluffy, whose size wasparable to his own.


    Professor Sprout, short and plump, stood nearby, straining to tiptoe and carefully examining Fluffy''s wide-open eyes, hoping to find suitable herbs to treat it.


    "Don''t worry, Hagrid, it''s not dead yet," Professor Sprout said, unable to endure Hagrid''s loud wailing, covering her ears as sheforted him. "Generally, curses that change the body''s state can be treated with Mandrake Draught applied all over."


    Drac bypassed the two and jumped into the open trapdoor.


    The Devil''s Snare below the trapdoor had been collected by Professor Sprout, leaving an empty, hard floor.


    ''If Potter, Weasley, and Granger wanted to jump in right now, they''d probably end up being severely injured and unable to reach the final challenge,'' Drac thought casually.


    Landing lightly, Drac contemted the next two challenges: Professor Flitwick''s winged keys and Professor McGonagall''srge chessboard created through Transfiguration.


    Professor Flitwick had just finished tidying up the winged keys and was now clearing the rubble from therge chessboard.


    Drac nodded to Professor Flitwick and continued forward.


    Passing by the two cleaned giant troll corpses and the extinguished fire gates, he quickly arrived at the final room with the Mirror of Erised.


    The final room was quite lively¡ª


    "Albus, did you already know that Voldemort''s soul was lurking in our school?!"


    As soon as he entered, Drac heard Professor McGonagall''s voice, filled with suppressed anger.


    Professor McGonagall had her lips tightly pressed together, her face serious, extremely displeased with Dumbledore for hiding such crucial information and loudly using him of putting all Hogwarts students in danger.


    Dumbledore stood before her, his face etched with helplessness, his eyes darting around as if he were a student listening to a lecture from Professor McGonagall.


    Seeing Drac enter the room, Dumbledore immediately turned away from McGonagall and came to greet him as if he had found a savior.


    "It is so delightful to see you now, Professor Drac," he said with a beaming smile. "So, have you dealt with Voldemort?"


    Upon hearing the name mentioned by Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall instinctively gasped and came closer with a serious expression, looking at Drac with a questioning gaze.


    "Theoretically, yes," Drac said softly. "His soul has beenpletely extinguished, not even a trace of ashes remains."


    "Then why say ''theoretically''?" Professor McGonagall asked, puzzled.


    "Because I have a feeling he is still alive," Drac nced at her. "Even if this soul has been annihted, he could still regenerate elsewhere."


    Drac and Dumbledore exchanged a nce, both recognizing the fleeting word in each other''s eyes¡ª


    "Horcrux"!


    ording to their understanding, as long as at least one Horcrux exists, the maker''s soul will remain in the world. Thus, even if the physical body is attacked or destroyed, the Horcrux''s owner will not die, as the soul within the Horcrux remains undamaged.


    So this time, although the ck smoke of Voldemort was destroyed by Drac, his soul did notpletely vanish. He was at most weakened to a state of extreme fragility, akin to the condition he was in eleven years ago after being struck by his own rebounding Killing Curse.


    This form of existence was even weaker than a ghost, more feeble than the most insignificant wandering soul.


    But he was still alive, with a possibility of returning.


    The air was momentarily frozen.


    Dumbledore remained silent, contemting how topletely deal with Voldemort; Professor McGonagall was worried about the safety of Hogwarts and had no mood for conversation; while Drac was thinking about where to find Voldemort and test any special traits of someone who had split their soulpared to a normal person...


    At that moment, a rough voice broke the silence.


    "Albus,e and see how to get this little cutie out of here. I want to keep it in the Forbidden Forest!" Professor Kettleburn shouted from atop the Basilisk.


    No one knew how he managed to climb up with only one arm and half a leg.


    Dumbledore turned around, looking at the Basilisk that upied a small part of the room and coiled up to the height of a small mountain, lost in thought.


    ''This is the little cutie you mentioned?''

 Chapter 72 - 72 Homing Snakes

    <h4>Chapter 72: Homing Snakes</h4>


    "Silvanus, are you sure you''re not joking?!" Professor McGonagall said tightly, ring at Professor Kettleburn, who was standing on the basilisk, her expression full of anger.


    "Putting such a dangerous creature in the Forbidden Forest next to Hogwarts Castle¡ªwhat if it escapes and causes harm to the students? Will you take responsibility for that? Or do you think that sixty-two detentions aren''t enough and you want to break your own record again?"


    Professor Kettleburn awkwardlyughed, pretending not to hear, and lowered his head to continue examining the basilisk''s body.


    "This is a truly rare species. I never expected to see a basilisk in my lifetime," he marveled, looking at the basilisk''s eyes. "I recall that snakes and geckos, like other reptiles, don''t have eyelids. But this basilisk can close its eyes. Is it due to its innate abilities?"


    Seeing Professor Kettleburn once again immersed in studying magical creatures, Professor McGonagall shot him an annoyed nce before turning back to rejoin the conversation between Dumbledore and Drac.


    However, the moment she turned her head, Professor Kettleburn performed an unexpectedly agile move for his age and slid down from the basilisk.


    "Oops, I forgot Minerva was still here," he muttered quietly, then leaned on his cane and limped towards the door.


    At the door, he seemed to remember something and looked back at Dumbledore.


    "Albus, let''s discuss where to ce the basilisk in the Forbidden Forest next time when Minerva isn''t around!" he called out.


    Professor McGonagall, furious, rushed after him to demand an exnation from Professor Kettleburn.


    Seeing her follow, Professor Kettleburn quickened his pace, tapping his cane on the ground as he went.


    The two elderly people walked out of the room at a surprisingly brisk pace, as ifpeting in a race...


    In the blink of an eye, the room where the Mirror of Erised was located was left with only Drac and Dumbledore, standing face-to-face.


    Understanding the nature of the two elderly professors, Dumbledore quickly regained hisposure, walked over to the basilisk, and gently stroked its cool, smooth scales.


    Although Quirrell had used some tricks to get the Ministry of Magic to send an urgent letter to Dumbledore, sessfully drawing him away from Hogwarts, he didn''t realize that Dumbledore was still keeping an eye on the castle and especially the Forbidden Forest.


    After Drac had chased Voldemort away, Dumbledore had taken a Phoenix named Fawkes back to Hogwarts to prevent the basilisk from causing trouble alone in the room. He had then stunned the basilisk, rendering it temporarily harmless and quiet.


    This was also why the basilisk hadn''t reacted at all when Professor Kettleburn climbed onto its body.


    "So, this basilisk is the creature left by Slytherin to guard Hogwarts Castle?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Drac with curiosity.


    "That seems to be the case," Drac nodded slightly. "I should have expected it. A magical creature that has survived for nearly a thousand years with such formidable abilities is probably only a basilisk."


    He snapped his fingers in front of the basilisk''s face, waking it up.


    The basilisk opened its eyes in a dazed manner. Seeing the silver-haired demon in front of it, it instinctively closed its eyes again, shrinking into a corner, curling up into arge, unidentifiable mass...


    "Professor Drac seems to be quite familiar with this basilisk," Dumbledore said, watching the basilisk''s reaction with a smile. "Oh, I almost forgot. You and Slytherin were old acquaintances, so it''s not surprising that you know his pet."


    Drac smiled and nodded. However, his expression soon became less natural.


    Dumbledore had mentioned that the basilisk was a pet of Slytherin''s. This made Drac suddenly recall that his previous actions¡ªforcing the basilisk to continuously use its innate magic and depleting its magic power repeatedly for his own amusement¡ªmight have been considered abuse of Slytherin''s pet.


    Realizing this, he gently patted the basilisk''s head, making his touch a bit more tender.


    The basilisk, feeling the different gentleness of Drac''s touch, seemed somewhat ttered, closing its eyes and rubbing its head against Drac''s hand.


    Aside from being slightlyrger, the basilisk now really did seem to have be a domesticated pet.


    "Dumbledore, do you have any thoughts on where to ce this basilisk?" Drac asked, stroking the basilisk''s smooth, cool head. "It can''t really be ced in the Forbidden Forest like Professor Kettleburn suggested, can it?"


    "Let''s skip the Forbidden Forest," Dumbledore said decisively. "Even if we disregard the impact and conflict the basilisk might have on the native species of the forest, there is another issue to consider¡ª"


    "I am well aware that many brave students might secretly venture into the Forbidden Forest. If we ce a creature like the basilisk, which could kill with its gaze, in there, it would indeed be too dangerous."


    "So, you are aware that students sneak into the Forbidden Forest?" Drac raised an eyebrow at him, with a strange look. "I thought the warning you gave at the school feast about forbidding entry into the Forbidden Forest was just for show. I''ve never seen you enforce it."


    "Ahem, asional adventures can help develop young wizards'' courage, creativity, and adaptability," Dumbledore said, clearing his throat. "So I usually don''t stop them from exploring the forest''s periphery, provided it''s done safely."


    "But how do you ensure those mischievous ones won''t venture deeper into the forest?" Drac asked.


    "Don''t worry. The most dangerous areas of the Forbidden Forest are protected by appropriate magical defenses, so the young wizards cannot enter them," Dumbledore said with a wink. "If they do enter dangerous areas, it would definitely be because I allowed them to."


    Hearing thetter part of his statement, Drac couldn''t help but sneer and uninterestingly pop a blood-vored lollipop into his mouth.


    He had almost guessed that Harry Potter and his friends would likely face more trouble¡ª


    At the right moment, this old headmaster would definitely secretly lift the magical protections on the Forbidden Forest and allow the so-called savior to venture into the more dangerous depths of the forest, to test his courage, creativity, and adaptability.


    Such long-term scheming and training were something Drac found utterly boring.


    He patted the basilisk''s head and changed the subject.


    "Since we''re not going to ce it in the Forbidden Forest, do you have any other ideas?"

 Chapter 73 - 73 Double moon

    <h4>Chapter 73: Double moon</h4>


    HDumbledore nced at the obedient Basilisk, pondered for a moment, and then looked at Drac.


    "Since it is Szar Slytherin''s pet, it is best to entrust it to a close friend of Slytherin for cement," he said with a smile. "I believe I have no authority to dispose of a founder''s bequest."


    Drac chuckled and shook his head.


    "Szar has been dead for so many years; there''s no need to be polite," he said bluntly. "Now, his property is my property, and I even intend to use his property to deal with his descendants!"


    Saying this, he rubbed the Basilisk''s green forehead and said to it:


    "How about building a new home in the forests of Albania? While you''re there, could you help me find something? Look for the Ravenw diadem in one of the hollow trees in that forest¡ªthe one that Rowena Ravenw used to wear. You should recognize it."


    The Basilisk, having been nurtured by Slytherin and evolved over a millennium, was now quite intelligent and could understand human speech.


    Upon hearing Drac''s instructions, it closed its eyes and nodded its green, scaly head obediently.


    "Professor Drac, didn''t you get the news about the diadem from Voldemort himself?" Dumbledore asked curiously.


    Drac''s face darkened immediately.


    One could only say that Voldemort''s ploy to trade the secret of immortality for a chance to escape had indeed stirred his emotions significantly.


    After dealing with Voldemort''s bizarre maneuvers, all Drac could think about was how to kill this insensible, irritating person who had pricked his sore spot, and he even forgot to inquire about the Ravenw diadem for Helena...


    Fortunately, while contemting how to ce the Basilisk, Drac remembered his promise to Helena and decided to send the Basilisk to the forests of Albania.


    "Professor Drac, since you''ve decided to send the Basilisk to Albania, I have something else to tell you," Dumbledore said after a moment of thought. "Over the past few years, my friend Newt Scamander discovered some strange phenomena in one of Albania''s forests¡ª"


    "A few years ago, Newt, as an invited magical zoologist, was asked by the Albanian Ministry of Magic to investigate. In a forest there, many animals suddenly lost their vitality without any visible wounds, and they became shriveled..."


    Drac showed a look of surprise.


    "Isn''t that the condition that appeared in the Forbidden Forest some time ago?" he said with interest. "Such dark magic drains the life force from living creatures to replenish its own missing life force."


    "Are you suggesting... that the strange urrences in that forest were also caused by Voldemort?" he asked Dumbledore.


    "Very likely!" Dumbledore nodded. "After Voldemort arrived at Hogwarts through Quirrell, Newt sent me a letter. In it, he told me that the strange deaths of animals in the forest suddenly ceased."


    "In other words, after Voldemort failed to steal the Philosopher''s Stone and I annihted the power he had just umted, it''s highly likely he would return to the Albanian forest he is most familiar with and where he spent eleven years!" Drac''s lips curled into an eerie smile.


    "Given this, I''ll ask you to take on one more task," he turned to the Basilisk and said gently. "I need you to help me find Voldemort, the Slytherin descendant who controlled you before. I will periodicallye to you for clues about his whereabouts."


    The Basilisk, tame and without hesitation, agreed to abandon its former master''s descendant.


    "Professor Drac, I remember you mentioned in that abandoned bathroom that you don''t speak Parseltongue, correct?" Dumbledore suddenly asked. "So how do you n to get information from the Basilisk?"


    "Headmaster, don''t we wizards have methods of obtaining information beyond justnguage? Such methods are quite inefficient," Drac turned to him, giving him a deep look, and said with a smile, "Don''t you think that Legilimency might be a quicker way to get the information?"


    Dumbledore''s eyes twitched.


    Legilimency, which requires eye contact to obtain urate information, theoretically offers high efficiency in information retrieval when one has sufficient energy.


    However, using Legilimency to gain information from a Basilisk would require eye contact with the creature. Perhaps only someone like Professor Drac would dare to do that...


    Dumbledore privately sighed.


    Meanwhile, Drac had finished giving the Basilisk its task and patted its head.


    Then, he took a couple of steps back and thoughtfully looked at it.


    "Professor Drac, if you need, Fawkes can teleport the Basilisk outside of Hogwarts."


    Dumbledore, thinking that Drac was concerned about how to transport the Basilisk to Albania, smiled and said, "I can arrange a team that specializes in transportingrge magical creatures, using four skilled broomstick riders. They can deliver it to the forests of Albania tomorrow."


    "Or we could use Newt''s method and create arge, unmarked extension space to put the Basilisk into, then use a Portkey to go to Albania. I happen to be very good at making Portkeys."


    Drac nced at him and shook his head.


    "There''s no need to go through so much trouble," he said with a lightugh. "I was just wondering how big a moon would be needed to fit this big fellow inside."


    Under Dumbledore''s puzzled gaze, Drac grabbed the Basilisk''s tail and Disapparated from the room in the Forbidden Section.


    The next moment, Drac and the Basilisk appeared hundreds of meters above the castle.


    After a brief shock at being so high, the Basilisk began to squirm and struggle uneasily.


    "Stay still, or I might drop you," Drac said indifferently.


    The Basilisk immediately calmed down, allowing Drac''s magic to keep it suspended in the air.


    "Very good," Drac nodded in satisfaction. "The room was too small to maneuver, so I brought you here."


    With that, he raised a hand.


    A massive dark moon quietly appeared in the sky, emitting a cold light.


    The Basilisk''s enormous body waspletely enveloped by the dark moon. It then saw a dense forest, smelled the scent of rain-soaked leaves and old wood, and the fragrance of freshly washed, dust-covered grass...


    Tonight, there were two moons in the Hogwarts sky, casting two kinds of moonlight.

 Chapter 74 - 74 The Confusion of Tom Riddle

    <h4>Chapter 74: The Confusion of Tom Riddle</h4>


    Tom Riddle was feeling confused.


    He had no idea what was going on, what he should be doing, or even if his name was truly Tom Riddle.


    After all, he was just an abandoned diary.


    ...


    The scene shifts to the previous day, in Quirrell''s cramped assistant office.


    Quirrell had gone out to collect homework, leaving behind a phantom figure in the office.


    "I''ll be stealing the Philosopher''s Stone tomorrow," the handsome boy''s phantom sat quietly by the window, gazing at the diary in front of him.


    The diary flipped open on its own, and neat handwriting appeared on a nk page¡ª


    "Haven''t you already taken over my body? Why would you need to discuss this with me?"


    The ink revealed an annoyed emotion, clearly displeased with its body being possessed.


    "It seems you still don''t understand. I am the one who created you, the one who controls all the Horcruxes'' primary soul!" Voldemort''s tone carried a hint of anger, "Without the memories left in the diary from my youth, how could you have the magical prowess to form a soul body?"


    "But you were still defeated by a baby," the diary wrote.


    Voldemort''s face contorted, as if he wanted to tear the diary apart.


    After a long pause, he took a deep breath to calm his anger.


    "I didn''t bring you out to argue," Voldemort said in a low voice, "I have important instructions for you. This concerns whether I can sessfully revive and our shared future!"


    "You want your body back? Fine, I''ll return it to you!"


    The ink on the diary pages suddenly scattered, indicating intense emotions, almost destabilizing the text.


    "Are you serious? But why would you return the body to me?" Momentster, the ink reformed into a new line of text.


    "After absorbing the unicorn''s life force, I no longer need to rely on your body to act," Voldemort exined.


    Simultaneously, the handsome boy''s phantom was absorbed into the diary, reced by another figure with twisted features, a missing nose, and no hair, standing by the window.


    "Tomorrow''s mission is crucial, but my enemies are very powerful," the now hideous-looking Voldemort said, his red eyes shing continuously, "Dumbledore and Drac are both formidable opponents. Even if I can use some tricks to dy them, it won''t be for long."


    "So, there is a possibility of failure tomorrow!"


    "Do you need me to do something?" the diary hesitated for a moment before writing.


    "No, you don''t need to do anything," Voldemort''s gaze was grim, "I will ce you in the safest ce. You just need to protect yourself."


    "Remember, every Horcrux is my life, and I never risk my life. I will reattach myself to Quirrell. Having him as cannon fodder is sufficient!"


    The diary was silent for a moment before writing two words:


    "I understand."


    ...


    The diaryy quietly in the so-called safest ce Voldemort mentioned, spending an entire day in anxiety.


    In the evening of the next day, just as the sunset was rising outside the window, Riddle''s soul within the diary became wildly agitated.


    He suddenly sensed an intense disturbance in his primary soul, Voldemort.


    Following that, the primary soul''s position moved rapidly, getting closer and closer, with the connection between them growing stronger, mixed with extreme fear and urgency.


    Outside the window, a skull carrying a plume of ck smoke seemed to unintentionally circle around the eighth floor of the main tower. At the moment it was closest to the castle, it transmitted a brief yet intense message to the diary¡ª


    "Hide in Hogwarts Castle! The diadem near you will assist you! Obtain Harry Potter''s blood!!!"


    Shortly after receiving the message, an unexpected dark moon rose in the sky, which had not yet seen the end of the sunset.


    Then, Riddle in the diary could no longer sense the presence of the primary soul...


    "Sigh¡ª"


    The handsome boy''s phantom emerged from the diary, sighing deeply.


    He was now utterly lost, not knowing what to do next.


    Should he follow the primary soul''s instructions to hide in Hogwarts Castle and find a way to obtain Harry Potter''s blood?


    He hesitated.


    On one hand, Riddle didn''t know why Voldemort needed Potter''s blood. On the other hand, Dumbledore and Drac loomed like mountains, making him too afraid to act recklessly.


    As he pondered aimlessly, he recalled the second, seemingly irrelevant part of Voldemort''s message¡ª


    "The diadem near you will assist you."


    Riddle looked around but found no diadem-like object nearby. However, he didn''t believe that Voldemort would leave an unnecessary message in such an urgent situation.


    So Riddle raised his head, scanning the room.


    He stood in a space asrge as a cathedral, where high windows cast beams of sunset light, illuminating numerous old and ancient items piled high, forming a city of towering walls¡ªthese were items hidden here by generations of Hogwarts students or professors.


    "The Room of Requirement?" Riddle murmured.


    When Voldemort was young, he had mentioned this magical ce in his diary, so the Tom Riddle born from the diary''s Horcrux quickly recognized his location.


    Riddle felt a surge of curiosity.


    He picked up the nk diary and began moving through the narrow paths between the piles of various objects.


    The passageways were lined with precariously stacked broken furniture, likely hidden here to cover up spell mishaps; thousands of books piled together, mostly forbidden books, defaced books, or stolen books; some broken bottles contained solidified potions, with a few still glowing with malevolence; there were also a few rusty swords and a blood-stained axe...


    Riddle carefully examined his surroundings until he suddenly felt a raspy call from deep within his soul¡ª


    He could sense that the item calling to him shared the same origin.


    It was another of Voldemort''s Horcruxes!


    Riddle abruptly turned, entered a narrow path in the treasure pile, passed a giant troll specimen still emitting a foul odor, and quickly walked toward the source of the call.


    Finally, he stopped before arge cab with a blistered surface, as if it had been doused in strong acid.


    Next to the cab was a crate with a broken statue of an ugly old wizard on top, and behind the statuey a rusty diadem.


    The setting sun slowly sank beneath the ck Lake, and two differently colored moons rose in the sky, casting one soft and one cold beam of moonlight through the high windows of the room.


    Under the moonlight, a clear blue gem on the rusty diadem shone brilliantly.

 Chapter 75 - 75 Harry who is grateful to Snape

    <h4>Chapter 75: Harry who is grateful to Snape</h4>


    Riddle looked at the rusty diadem in front of him, sensing the same origin''s aura within it and feeling a surge of impulse from deep within his soul.


    A dark glint shed in his pure ck pupils, and an evil smile crept up his lips.


    In the next moment, Riddle abruptly extended his hand, mping the diadem tightly on his head. Simultaneously, he pressed it down with both hands, leaving no space for the diadem to escape.


    The diadem immediately sensed danger, and a powerful energy wave surged out, bombarding Riddle''s soul body wildly.


    At the same time, the position of the blue gemstone on the diadem began to flicker, and a bald little figure with crimson eyes burst forth from the gemstone, swiftly crashing into Riddle''s forehead.


    Riddle''s eyes instantly turned vacant.


    Dimly, crimson and ck light spots intertwined and tore at each other within Riddle''s eyes, as if two different souls were shing on a consciousness level, vying for control over one another.


    Riddle''s already phantom-like body kept fluctuating between reality and illusion, flickering repeatedly like an old ck-and-white TV barely disying a blurry image.


    As time passed, the crimson glow in Riddle''s eyes grew weaker and dimmer until it waspletely eradicated by the ck light spots¡ª


    Riddle suddenly opened his eyes, emitting a chilling gleam.


    His body, at the same time, stopped flickering, bing extremely solid, almost indistinguishable from a normal human being to the naked eye!


    "You must be disappointed, my main soul," Riddle chuckled darkly. "I have no interest in seeking help from anyone. Because, like you, I only care about what I truly hold in my hands..."


    If Voldemort saw this scene, he would be incredulous and furious!


    For he would never have imagined that the Tom Riddle in the Horcrux diary would actively absorb the soul fragment from the diadem Horcrux, gaining more powerful soul power!


    Although Voldemort split a simrly sized soul fragment into both the diary and the diadem, the differencey in the diary holding a vast amount of his younger self''s memories, rich in magical theory, and imbued with his principles and personality...


    Thus, the Horcrux diary could utilize Voldemort''s soul fragment to give birth to a soul entity very simr to him, with aplete personality, rich magical knowledge, and, most importantly, the potential for growth!


    Over fifty years, the diary, influenced by all the wizards who approached it, had greatly grown in its application of soul power.


    So it took hardly any effort for it topletely annihte the weak soul fragment within the diadem and absorb its power, fully merging with it.


    The fusion of the two soul fragments made Riddle''s phantom body as solid as flesh and blood.


    And after absorbing the soul fragment from the diadem, the once rusty and dark diadem was discarded like trash on the crate.


    No more calls sounded from it, nor did it retain any aura rted to Riddle...


    However, strangely, the rust and dark stains on the diadem gradually disappeared after the soul fragment was absorbed, revealing its original color¡ª


    Shining silver, pristine as if it were the most perfect essory in the world, untouched by the wear and tear of time.


    Yet, Riddle had no interest in appreciating this beauty.


    He frowned deeply, looking at the two moons hanging in the high windows, feeling downcast.


    Riddle knew that was a magic unique to Drac and understood the grandeur and power of that magic dark moon, so he had no intention of confronting Drac head-on.


    "Having Dumbledore at Hogwarts is one thing, but why is there also a Drac..." he muttered, fiddling with the diary absentmindedly.


    As he randomly flipped the diary to the title page, Riddle nced down and noticed that the page seemed sparse, as if a name was missing.


    His eyes flickered, and the name "Tom Marvolo Riddle" appeared on the nk title page.


    In the next moment, Riddle''s eyes widened¡ª


    He had found a way toplete his task!


    ...


    Two dayster, on the fourth floor of Hogwarts Castle, in the school infirmary.


    Dumbledore was bargaining with Madam Pomfrey, the head nurse.


    "Albus, the patient needs rest!" Madam Pomfrey said sternly. "Mr. Potter has been through something, but his spirit is very weak, and he shouldn''t be disturbed."


    "Don''t worry, Poppy, I''ll just visit the young hero for a moment," Dumbledore said with a smile.


    "Alright, given that you''re the headmaster," Madam Pomfrey reluctantly agreed, but as Dumbledore entered the infirmary, she added, "Just this once!"


    Dumbledore walked straight to Harry''s bed, looking at his closed eyes and the traces of pain on his face, and thinking of his unfortunate background, he couldn''t help but feel touched.


    He sentimentally wiped the corner of his eye, sat on the chair beside the bed, and stared at the scar on Harry''s forehead, lost in thought.


    Just then, the tightly sealed window of the infirmary suddenly opened, and a silver-haired figure appeared on the windowsill, smiling at Dumbledore.


    "Professor Drac, you''d better close the window," Dumbledore said helplessly, looking at the figure on the windowsill. "Madam Pomfrey is very particr about the temperature in the infirmary. If she finds out you opened the window, she will be angry."


    He had given up any hope of getting Drac to follow the rules and just hoped this unconventional professor would at least close the window and not bring Madam Pomfrey over.


    "Alright." Drac shrugged, jumped down from the windowsill, and casually closed the window. "How is Potter doing?"


    "Thank you for your concern, Professor Drac," Dumbledore said. "Harry is stable for now, and he should wake up soon."


    "You might have misunderstood my meaning," Drac said, waving a hand. "I wasn''t concerned about the student; I was just curious about how Potter managed to burn Quirrell with his bare hands. I''ve lived a long time and haven''t seen such magic before."


    Dumbledore looked at Drac''s face, full of interest and devoid of any concern for the student, and couldn''t help but shake his head in exasperation.


    "Harry''s mother died to save him," he said softly. "And Voldemort, born from a love potion, will never understand love."


    "Wait a minute." Drac raised a hand, interrupting Dumbledore. "You''re not going to start with that bond theory again, are you? That rhetoric might fool kids like Potter, but you don''t need to use it on me."


    "But I''m serious, Professor Drac." Dumbledore adjusted his sses, looking directly at Drac. "Harry''s mother left him a protective charm of love, hidden deeply in his skin and blood. Because of this, Quirrell couldn''t touch Harry."


    "Quirrell had sold his soul to Voldemort, bing tainted with unicorn blood and cursed, a half-dead remnant. Such a broken soul, when touching a wizard with a protective charm of love, would be purified by that strong positive emotion."


    "So, ording to you, any powerful wizard could be killed by a weak person filled with love?" Drac snorted, unimpressed. "Headmaster, do you think that''s reasonable?"


    "Professor Drac, but love is inherently unreasonable." Dumbledore gently stroked his wand, lost in thought. "Love is the positive energy projected by the human spirit; it can make us achieve things we otherwise couldn''t."


    "Lily also used her love to gain the power to resist Voldemort..."


    Drac frowned, suddenly cing his hand on Harry''s neck, his fingertips extending sharp nails.


    Dumbledore was startled, quickly standing up. "What are you doing?"


    "Nothing much, calm down." Drac withdrew his hand, ncing at Dumbledore. "It was just a specific bloodline magic. I don''t understand why you had to make it soplicated."


    "From my observation, Potter''s mother, while sacrificing her life, concentrated a strong positive emotion and infused this power with specific bloodline magic into Potter''s bloodline. Hence, she gained the power to resist her killer."


    "A clever piece of magic, indeed allowing her the possibility of the weak oveing the strong," Drac said, looking somewhat covetously at Harry''s neck artery.


    If Dumbledore weren''t here, he would have taken some of Harry''s blood, which contained that unique bloodline magic...


    At that moment, Harry woke up.


    He stared nkly at Dumbledore for a moment, then suddenly shouted, "Sir! The Philosopher''s Stone! Voldemort left Quirrell''s body; he must have taken the stone!"


    "Don''t get excited, dear boy, what you''re saying is already outdated," Dumbledore said gently. "Voldemort did not get the stone."


    Harry was stunned for a moment, then suddenly remembered thest scene he saw before passing out¡ª


    "I remember now! I saw Snapeing through the door!" he said gratefully. "Sir, did Snape... no, Professor Snape save me? He saved me twice!"

 Chapter 76 - 76 Treat sb with sincerity

    <h4>Chapter 76: Treat sb with sincerity</h4>


    Upon hearing Harry''s heartfelt words, Drac''s lips curled into a mischievous smile. He suddenly pulled open the white curtain between the beds in the hospital wing.


    Immediately, a greasy head with a haggard face appeared in Harry''s sight.


    "Professor Snape?" Harry was stunned, looking at the face on the adjacent bed. He was frozen, and the words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat.


    After all, in just one school year, he and Snape had developed deep resentment towards each other, constantly looking for ways to trouble one another.


    Waking up in the hospital wing today, Harry had the courage to express his gratitude to Dumbledore and Drac for Snape''s two rescues only because Snape wasn''t there.


    However, Drac''s sudden pulling of the curtain, as if unveiling a cover, made the two individuals with a highlyplicated rtionship face each other directly...


    The awkward scene made Harry''s face turn red, and he was at a loss for words for quite a while.


    On the other side, Snape had been lying sideways, eavesdropping on the conversation next door. The sudden opening of the curtain startled him, and he quicklyid his head on the pillow, pretending to be asleep.


    However, his actions of eavesdropping and then lying down were already in full view of the other three present...


    "Professor Snape, there''s no need to be shy. I know you''re awake," Drac said with a yful smile. "Harry is about to thank you. Isn''t it a bit rude to ignore him like this?"


    Dumbledore, watching Snape''s reaction, smiled warmly and chimed in.


    "Severus, don''t be so ungracious. This is a good opportunity to mend your rtionship with Harry. I''m sure Lily would be pleased to see you taking care of her son," he said cheerfully.


    Snape remained motionless on the bed, clearly unwilling to face the awkward situation.


    But his tightly pursed lips and trembling eyelids revealed his inner turmoil.


    "Pr... Professor Snape..." Harry looked at Snape''s haggard face, and his expression gradually became sincere and natural. His stuttering speech turned fluent, "Thank you, Professor Snape. I know it was you who saved me."


    Hearing Harry''s heartfelt thanks, Snape could no longer pretend to be asleep.


    "I didn''t save you. It was Professor Drac who truly saved you. If you want to thank someone, thank him," he said in a hoarse voice, opening his eyes. "As for me, in that room in the Forbidden Forest, I even wanted to kill you."


    "It was just because of the Imperius Curse, Professor Snape," Drac said with a grin, "I still remember vividly how bravely you stood before Voldemort to protect Harry!"


    Snape''s face darkened.


    "Professor Snape, I understand. Facing such a powerful enemy like Voldemort, not everyone has the courage to stand against him," Harry said sincerely, "I know only professors like Drac and Dumbledore can face Voldemort head-on, so it''s normal that you couldn''t defeat him."


    It was obvious that Harry''s words made Snape''s face even darker.


    He abruptly threw off the covers, not caring about his still-unhealed injuries, and limped out of the hospital wing with a sullen face.


    "Did Professor Snape get such serious injuries while fighting Voldemort?" Harry asked, looking at Snape''s retreating figure, then turned to Drac. "I must also thank you, Professor Drac. It must have been you who helped me and Professor Snape deal with Voldemort in the end!"


    "Not a problem, don''t mention it," Drac said, looking slightly ufortable.


    Drac didn''t have the heart to tell Harry that the situation he imagined wasn''t the truth.


    In fact, Snape hadn''t been injured in the battle with Voldemort at all. The wounds on his body were all inflicted by Drac after Snape was controlled by the Imperius Curse...


    Unaware of this, Harry gratefully looked at Dumbledore.


    "Thank you, sir, for all your help," he said emotionally. "With so many kind professors at Hogwarts, I don''t know how to express my feelings."


    Now it was Dumbledore''s turn to feel ufortable.


    Dumbledore couldn''t bring himself to tell Harry that the person who put him at risk, made him break into the Forbidden Forest to protect the Philosopher''s Stone, and face Voldemort, was the headmaster he trusted so much.


    So, Dumbledore decided that he would only reveal the sender of the Invisibility Cloak to Harry after he had nearly forgotten about this incident...


    After answering a few more questions, Dumbledore and Drac bid farewell to the recovering Harry and left the hospital wing.


    Madam Pomfrey, the matron, was carrying a bowl of potion for Harry when she met Dumbledore and Drac on their way out. She nodded lightly at them.


    But as they passed by, she suddenly felt something was amiss.


    "Professor Drac, when did youe in?" Madam Pomfrey asked suspiciously, "Did you sneak in without informing me? Don''t you know that visitors to the hospital wing must notify me first?"


    Drac paused, then smiled, turned to her, and said in a rich voice, "Don''t worry about those details, Madam. Shouldn''t you be giving the potion to Mr. Potter now? Don''t let it get cold."


    Madam Pomfrey''s expression became dazed, and she nodded in agreement.


    Drac smiled again and quickly left the hospital wing before she fully realized what had happened.


    Dumbledore, watching the scene, shook his head helplessly.


    Madam Pomfrey stood there for a while before snapping out of it. She stomped her foot angrily and carried the now slightly cooled potion to Harry.


    "You''re awake, right? Here, sit up and drink this potion," she said to Harry, taking a diary out of her pocket. "By the way, is this diary yours?"


    Harry drank the potion and looked at the diary in Madam Pomfrey''s hand, then shook his head honestly.


    "It''s not mine," he said.


    "But it has your name on it."


    Madam Pomfrey, puzzled, opened the diary to the title page and showed it to Harry.


    Harry''s eyes widened as he saw a name written in elegant script¡ª


    "Harry James Potter."

 Chapter 77 - 77 D.A.D.A. Teaching Assistants

    <h4>Chapter 77: D.A.D.A. Teaching Assistants</h4>


    After a week, an unexpected guest arrived at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office.


    "Professor Drac, ording to Miss Granger, you haven''t assigned any homework for a week," Professor McGonagall said sternly to Professor Drac. "It''s almost time for the final exams, and not assigning homework is irresponsible to the students."


    Drac lounged ungracefully in a soft armchair, one foot propped on his desk, swirling a goblet in his hand.


    "Grading homework is so tedious, and my assistant has vanished. I certainly don''t feel like grading," he repliedzily.


    He opened his mouth, and the goblet tilted slightly, allowing a stream of crimson liquid to flow down like a small waterfall into his mouth, making a pleasant gurgling sound.


    Satisfied, Drac drained the goblet, set it on the desk, and looked up at Professor McGonagall.


    "Isn''t this arrangement great? The students don''t want to do homework, and I don''t want to grade it. So, no homework¡ªeveryone''s happy," he said with a chuckle.


    "Professor Drac, not all students dislike homework. Hogwarts still has diligent students like Miss Granger!" Professor McGonagall said, pursing her lips and ring at Drac. "Moreover, grading homework is a fundamental responsibility of a professor. I won''t overlook your negligence just because you''re the Chairman of the Board of Governors!"


    Noticing Drac''s nonchnt attitude, Professor McGonagall continued earnestly, "Don''t take this lightly, Professor Drac. Homework helps reinforce and review what students learn in ss. Additionally, it allows professors to identify areas where students are struggling and address those issues in lessons."


    "Skipping homework deprives students of an opportunity to improve!"


    Drac poured himself another ss of wine and nodded indifferently.


    "Alright, assigning homework is no problem for me," he said. "By the way, who are these diligent students?"


    "I won''t reveal their names," Professor McGonagall replied warily. "Hogwarts has only a few good students, and I won''t let you retaliate against them!"


    Seeing her defensive expression, Drac''s lips twitched.


    "What do you take me for, Professor McGonagall? I just want them to help me out with a small task," he said innocently. "But I can guess who wants to do homework anyway. As you said, there are only a few good students at Hogwarts!"


    He raised a hand and counted three fingers¡ª


    "Hermione Granger in the first year, Cedric Diggory in the third year, and Percy Weasley in the fifth year, right?"


    Professor McGonagall paused, then reluctantly nodded.


    "In that case, they''ll handle the task of grading homework from now on!" Drac said cheerfully. "If they want more tasks, I can certainly give them plenty to do!"


    "Uh... Professor Drac, isn''t this a bit inappropriate?" Professor McGonagall asked, choosing her words carefully, her expression uneasy. "Besides, students from those years can''t grade sixth and seventh-year homework."


    "Why not? Grading helps reinforce their own learning too!" Drac said dismissively. "As for the sixth and seventh years, they''re almost adults. If theyck the initiative to study, they deserve to fail!"


    ...


    Thus, Hermione, Cedric, and Percy became the proud teaching assistants for Defense Against the Dark Arts.


    Each received a badge engraved with half a devil''s wing, beneath which were the letters "DADATA," representing "Defense Against the Dark Arts Teaching Assistant."


    The badge was designed by Drac himself, looking stylish and high-quality.


    However, Percy became the subject of ridicule because of this badge, with the Weasley twins mocking him for quite some time.


    Proud of his new role, Percy immediately wore the badge on his chest. But as he was already a Gryffindor prefect and refused to remove his prefect badge, his left chest was full. So he pinned the new badge on his right chest...


    This created a ratherical appearance with two symmetrical badges.


    "Hey, Ron, look at Percy''s outfit!"


    That evening in the Gryffindormon room, Fred called out to his brother.


    Ron, busy finishing his next day''s homework while munching on a chicken leg Harry brought him from the Great Hall, looked up at Percy.


    "Pfft¡ª"


    Ron couldn''t help but burst intoughter, spraying chewed chicken onto his homework.


    "Hahaha... Percy, what were you thinking!" heughed. "Two badges look so ridiculous!"


    Percy, passing through themon room, turned ck-faced.


    He had intended to show off his new badge, but the twins'' interruption turned his pride into embarrassment.


    To other young wizards, this way of wearing badges wasn''t as funny as Ron made it out to be. But because it was Percy, the Weasley twins and Ron never missed a chance to mock him, making Percy a unique source of amusement in the Weasley family.


    Feeling frustrated, Percy red at theughing Fred and George, then looked at Ron, ready to admonish him not to follow the twins'' bad example.


    But when he saw Ron''s homework, his mood improved instantly.


    "Stopughing, my dear brother," he said, sympathetically patting Ron''s shoulder. "Look at your Transfiguration essay. Isn''t it due tomorrow?"


    Ron stoppedughing and looked down at his homework, seeing only chicken bits and smeared ink...


    "I hate you, Fred!"


    He yelled in despair, searching themon room for another student. "Hermione, I need your help! I can''t finish my Transfiguration essay tonight!"

 Chapter 78 - 78 Dracula can’t do it without an assistant coach.

    <h4>Chapter 78: Drac can''t do it without an assistant coach.</h4>


    "What''s wrong, Ron?"


    A little witch with messy hair walked over, holding arge stack of parchment in her arms¡ªall first-year Defense Against the Dark Arts assignments.


    "Hermione, can I copy... no, ''borrow'' your Transfiguration essay? I don''t think I can finish mine today..." Ron looked at her with pleading eyes.


    "That''s not right. I remember you had already written half of it?" Hermione leaned in and looked at Ron''s Transfiguration essay.


    The parchment in front of Ron was covered in chicken crumbs, with saliva mixing the still-wet ink into a ck mess.


    "Ew¡ªgross, Ron!" The little witch averted her gaze in disgust, then cradled the Defense Against the Dark Arts assignments in her left arm and took out her wand with her right.


    "Tergeo!"


    The spell worked remarkably well, sweeping away the crumbs and saliva from the parchment.


    However, the ck ink stains left behind could not be cleaned.


    If Ron dared to submit this to the strict Professor McGonagall, he wouldn''t know how he got into trouble...


    "Hermione, look, my essay is unusable." Ron said guiltily, "It''s alreadyte. If you don''t lend me your essay, I won''t be able to finish mine."


    "If I don''t finish my homework, I can''t hand it in. If I don''t hand it in, Professor McGonagall will deduct points. If I get points deducted, Gryffindor''s chances of winning the House Cup will decrease... You see, your essay is crucial to whether we can win the House Cup!"


    Ron said a long string of words, thinking he made a lot of sense, and confidently looked up at Hermione standing beside him.


    "No way!" Hermione heavily pped the stack of parchment she was holding onto the table, puffed out her chest proudly, revealing the demon wing badge pinned there. "I''m a teaching assistant now. I need to set an example for the other first-year students. I can''t let a bad student like you take shortcuts!"


    Ron''s face immediately fell.


    "Harry, say something fair." He turned to Harry, who was sitting nearby and watching the scene. "Don''t you think Hermione should lend us her essay for the sake of Gryffindor''s House Cup endeavor?"


    "It''s not like I have to borrow Hermione''s essay..." Harry seemed to be in a good mood, smiling as he put a diary into his bag. "I''ve already finished my essay. Do you want to ''borrow'' it, Ron?"


    "What?!" Ron was shocked and stood up abruptly.


    His exmation was so loud that the little witches in themon room all gave him a look.


    Harry quickly gave an apologetic look to the surrounding students and then pressed Ron back into his seat.


    "Ron, why are you making such a fuss?" he asked discontentedly, "Can''t I finish my essay myself?"


    "No, mate, this isn''t right." Ron calmed down a bit but still whispered to Harry incredulously, "I didn''t even go to eat; I''ve been writing my Transfiguration essay and just finished half. But you ran from the eighth floor to the Great Hall on the first floor to eat, then walked back up, which took at least an hour, right? And you still managed to finish your essay? This isn''t like you!"


    Two ck lines immediately appeared on Harry''s face.


    "Just tell me if you want to see it or not!" he said angrily.


    "Of course! Only a fool wouldn''t!" Ron snatched the parchment from Harry''s hand, "If Hermione won''t lend me her essay, I''ll use yours to get by."


    Ignoring Harry''s angry look, he started copying Harry''s Transfiguration essay, using his unique "borrowing" technique, such as changing the order of paragraphs, altering wording, and switching between active and passive voice...


    However, after "borrowing" a third of the essay, Ron suddenly realized something was wrong.


    "Harry, did you really write this yourself?" He tapped Harry''s arm, eyes wide and unwilling to look away from Harry''s essay. "Are you sure you didn''t copy from Hermione? No, I think even Hermione didn''t write this well!"


    "Yes... yes, I wrote it myself."


    Harry''s eyes nced unnaturally at his bag.


    He hadn''t told anyone that his bag contained a magical diary. This diary could answer any of his questions and solve any problems in his studies or life...


    ...


    After appointing a teaching assistant to grade assignments, not much time had passed before Drac faced a new problem¡ª


    He also had to be responsible for setting the final exam papers...


    In the headmaster''s office on the eighth floor of Hogwarts'' main tower.


    Dracy bored on the sofa, holding a brand new Sorting Hat, tossing it high into the air and catching it again, passing the time.


    At first, the Sorting Hat yelled in dizziness, butter it either fainted or gave up struggling, being thrown up and down silently.


    "Professor Drac, you''ve been lying here all afternoon." Dumbledore finally couldn''t bear it, looking up from his desk at Drac on the sofa through his sses. "With the time you''ve spent daydreaming, your Defense Against the Dark Arts exam papers would have been done."


    That''s right, Drac came to the headmaster''s office this time to shirk responsibility.


    The final exams were approaching, and he wanted to pass the task of setting the exam papers to someone else so he could enjoy watching the little witches scratch their heads during the exams.


    "I''d rather daydream here than set exam papers..." Drac casually tossed the Sorting Hat back onto its stool, his eyes wandering as he stared at the ceiling of the headmaster''s office. "It needs to match the learning progress, have a certain difficulty, and differentiate the grades... It''s such a troublesome thing, whoever wants to do it can do it!"


    "Doesn''t Professor Snape want to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Let him set the exam papers for me."


    "Professor Drac, Severus wants to be a teaching professor, not to set exam papers for you." Dumbledore said. "I think you can refer tost year''s paper format and make the papers based on the content taught this academic year."


    "Why can''t I just usest year''s papers?" Drac saidzily.


    "Old exam questions are easily found by the students, and many have already done those practice questions." Dumbledore shrugged. "That would be unfair to those who haven''t."


    Drac sighed and heavily mmed his head against the sofa''s armrest. The solid gold armrest cracked on the spot.


    "No, I must find another assistant! I can''t do this without one!"

 Chapter 79 - 79 Exam week is here.

    <h4>Chapter 79: Exam week is here.</h4>


    Drac finally prepared the final exam papers.


    But they weren''t his own creation. Instead, they were crafted by a seasoned professor with extensive experience in Defense Against the Dark Arts.


    Yes, that person''s name was Albus Dumbledore!


    Dumbledore, as a veteran professor who began teaching in the early 20th century, initially served as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. It wasn''t until some twenty to thirty yearster, when he became the Head of Gryffindor House, that he transitioned to teaching Transfiguration.


    Thus,pared to the numerous Defense Against the Dark Arts professors who neversted more than a year over the past fifty years, Dumbledore''s experience in teaching and exam preparation was unparalleled. He was more than capable of crafting exam papers for the students!


    In the headmaster''s office, Drac spent a good half day negotiating with Dumbledore.


    In the end, Drac promised Dumbledore to extend Hogwarts'' lease for seven more years in exchange for having the headmaster personally create the exam papers.


    ...


    Time quickly flew by, and June arrived.


    The weather in Scond became swelteringly hot. The grass outside the castle, though lush and green, was bathed in sunlight, giving it the appearance of the African savanna.


    The marble floors exposed to the sun were so hot that heat waves could be seen rising from them. Students walked gingerly, afraid their shoes would melt and stick to the floor.


    The water in the ck Lake steamed up, and the mist that rose into the sky was quickly dissipated by the sun.


    The weather was stiflingly hot, with no clouds or wind.


    Drac hated this kind of weather the most. He stayed in his office all day, reluctant to go out. Even during the crucial first week of June, the exam week, he was toozy to move. He hoped the mischievous students could be a bit more considerate, collect their exam papers,plete them, and hand them in on their own...


    However, Drac''s peaceful solitude in his office was soon interrupted.


    "Bang, bang, bang!"


    The sound of knocking came from outside the office door.


    "Come in," Drac snapped his fingers, and the office door swung open.


    Two red-haired students slipped in quietly. George even peeked cautiously outside to ensure no one had followed them before he breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door.


    Drac, now used to their antics, lounged back in hisfortable armchair, not bothering to acknowledge them.


    "Wow, professor, it''s so cool in here!" Fred eximed in surprise, wiping the sweat from his forehead.


    "Professor, did you cast some kind of cooling spell here?" George asked, approaching with curiosity. "If there''s an easy cooling spell, please teach us!"


    Drac had no intention of telling them that the cool air was due to his own constitution.


    He nced at themzily and replied casually, "Just cast a freezing charm on each other. You''ll be cool in no time."


    The twins'' faces fell.


    "We''ve tried that before, but the cost is a bit too high..." Fred shot George a nce. "George ended up as an ice blockst time, and it took hours to thaw him out."


    "You''ve got the nerve to mention that?" George snapped, giving Fred a light p on the forehead. "You used me as a test subject without telling me, and then you were too scared to take me to the hospital wing after!"


    "Look at it this way, brother. At least you stayed cool all day," Fred said awkwardly.


    "Cool? I nearly froze to death that day!"


    Seeing that the two were about to start a fight, Drac promptly intervened.


    "This is my office. If you want to fight, take it outside," he said coldly, ring at them and making them jump. "The exam starts in two hours. If you''re not going to study, at least don''t disturb my rest."


    "If you don''t start talking business, don''t me me for using a freezing charm on you to cool you off."


    Fred and George finally shut up and sneaked up to Drac''s desk to discuss their "business."


    "Professor, do you have the answers to the exam?" Fred asked quietly. "We''re quite familiar with each other now, so perhaps you could be lenient."


    "Yes, professor," George echoed. "Even if you don''t give us the answers, at least give us the exam scope!"


    Drac stared at them in disbelief, then rubbed his temples in exasperation.


    He was genuinely surprised. Even after knowing them for so long, these twins never ceased to amaze him with their audacity.


    Were there really students bold enough to directly ask the professor for exam answers? It seemed he had been too lenient with them and needed to give them a little surprise.


    "You want the answers?" Drac smirked and raised an eyebrow at them.


    The Weasley twins, seeing hope, eagerly nodded their heads like two jackhammers.


    "Alright, no problem," Drac said with a sly grin. "Go to the headmaster''s office and ask for them. This exam was prepared by Dumbledore."


    Fred and George''s hopeful expressions froze.


    Going to the headmaster''s office to ask for exam answers? That would practically guarantee expulsion...


    Just then, the office door was knocked on again.


    Drac, amused by the twins'' reactions, chuckled and opened the door, letting the person outside enter.


    This time, a familiar student in a yellow Hufflepuff uniform with a youthful but already handsome face walked in.


    The Weasley brothers saw the new arrival, and their stiff expressions came back to life.


    "Hey, Cedric, I didn''t expect you to be that kind of person too!" Fred used, feigning heartbreak.


    George red at Drac, eximing, "Professor, did you see that? Cedric is here for the same reason. How can someone like him be your teaching assistant? If he can do it, so can I!"


    Cedric looked bewildered at their performance,pletely out of the loop and unsure what they were talking about.


    Drac, feeling a headacheing on, interrupted their usations and looked at his admired student, Cedric.


    "Tell me, Diggory, what brings you here?" he asked.


    "Yes, professor," Cedric nodded. "I have a question about my review, and I wanted to ask you in person."


    "What? You''re not here for the exam answers?!" Fred and George gaped.


    Cedric: "???"

 Chapter 80 - 80 Signals from Romania

    <h4>Chapter 80: Signals from Romania</h4>


    "So, you two came here to ask Professor Drac for the exam answers?"


    Cedric cast a disapproving nce at the twins and proceeded to pin his Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching assistant badge onto his chest.


    "I think I need to use my teaching assistant authority to deal with you two properly," he said.


    "Ahem, Cedric, we''re just joking!" Fred quickly put his arm around Cedric''s shoulder in a friendly manner, "We''re just testing whether you''re a fair and impartial teaching assistant, so we said that."


    "That''s right, don''t you know who we are? We would never do something hical!" George also said earnestly.


    Drac watched this scene with a twitch at the corner of his mouth.


    "Have you two forgotten that I''m still here watching?" He said with a hint of disdain, "The things you just did, and now you can''t even admit to them a few minutester?"


    Fred and George''s faces changed immediately, and they turned to face Drac, turning their backs on Cedric. They kept squinting at Drac, trying to signal him.


    "If your eyes are ufortable, go to the school infirmary to get them checked, so it doesn''t affect the examter," Drac said, ignoring their pleading looks and smiling lightly.


    Then, Drac looked at Cedric. "So, Diggory, what questions do you have about your revision?"


    Cedric nodded slightly and pondered for a moment.


    "I want to know, when answering exam questions, should we base our answers on the textbook or on what you taught in ss?" he asked. "There are many conflicts between what you taught and what''s in the textbook. I want to know which one we should refer to for preparation."


    "Do you really need to ask me that?" Drac smiled, his tone somewhat taken for granted, "What I taught is correct. Any discrepancies with the textbook are the textbook''s problem!"


    Cedric was taken aback but then nodded seriously.


    "I have another question, Professor." He hesitated before speaking again, "You mentioned at the beginning of the term that the amulet would be given to the top student in the first to third years, is that true?"


    Drac was momentarily stunned, then remembered that to motivate students to engage with Defense Against the Dark Arts, he did indeed make such a promise.


    But he hadn''t paid much attention to it at the time and had since forgotten about it.


    If Cedric hadn''t brought it up again today, he might havepletely forgotten about it...


    "Ah, yes!" Drac said, somewhat guiltily, as he rummaged through his pockets that he had expanded with a non-detection spell. "Don''t worry, I will keep my word!"


    After a while, he managed to find three small pendants among his numerous items.


    Drac took out a sinister wooden cross pendant and showed it to Cedric¡ª


    The cross pendant had an ancient runic symbol representing the moon in its center. Unlike the church''s cross, its shorter horizontal bar tilted slightly upwards, resembling a pair of outspread demon wings.


    "Coming to ask about the amulet before the exam, it seems you''re quite confident about your test!" Drac said with a light smile.


    "This amulet is mine for sure," Cedric said with a smile.


    Cedric''s confident expression made the Weasley twins beside him envious. They looked at the cross pendant in Drac''s hand with longing, their faces showing an expression of "Give me one too."


    "Any other questions?" Drac ignored the twins'' eager expressions and gave azy nce around the office.


    Though it was a question, his tone carried an unmistakable hint of wanting to get rid of them.


    Cedric, understanding the hint, thanked Drac and left the office.


    The Weasley twins, however, did not notice Drac''s intention to dismiss them and stood there dumbly, trying to find a way to get an amulet without relying on exam results.


    However, the next moment, the two red-haired figures were hurled out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office like trash, screaming.


    "Bang!"


    The office door mmed shut.


    ...


    An hourter, Professor McGonagall, who was well acquainted with Drac, came to the third floor from her office on the second floor to prevent him from shirking his duties. She called Drac out of the office and had hime to the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom to supervise the exam.


    The weather in June was very hot, and there was no cooling magic in the castle, so therge ssrooms were particrly ufortable for the little witches.


    Drac was the first to object to staying in such an environment. He closed the ssroom doors and windows and blew a breath towards the ceiling.


    A cool breeze descended, bringing a refreshing feeling to the summer ssroom. The little witches all rated their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam experience as perfect, saying they woulde back next year!


    Once all the little witches had each received a special feather quill for the exam, which had had anti-cheating spells cast on it, the Hogwarts clock tower''s bells rang loudly, marking the official start of the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam¡ª


    The little witches buried themselves in writing the exam questions personally set by Dumbledore. The ssroom was quiet, with only the scratching sound of quills on parchment.


    Some little witches furrowed their brows, struggling with the questions, some wrote with enthusiasm and speed, and some were calm... Of course, Drac also saw a few who had given up and were lying on the desks, apparently having never attended the sses...


    At first, Drac enjoyed watching the little witches'' worried expressions and actions, but as the exam time wore on, he gradually lost patience with their rather limited performances.


    So Drac quietly sat behind the podium, cast a spell to create a duplicate of himself in his seat, and, using the disguise spell as cover, quietly sneaked out of the exam room.


    Drac leaned against the railing in the corridor outside the door, gazing into the distance.


    At that moment, his eyes shifted slightly.


    He took out a delicate crystal ball emitting a soft glow from his pocket. It was a pair connected with the crystal ball that had been sent to Romania for the Weasley family.


    The crystal ball''s central part, which should have been a dimly rotating dark moon, was now extremely bright.

 Chapter 81 - 81 Voldemort and the Resurrection Stone

    <h4>Chapter 81: Voldemort and the Resurrection Stone</h4>


    **Ennd, Yorkshire, Two Months Ago¡ª**


    A feeble life emerged outside the vige of Little Hangleton, weaker than a ghost and more insubstantial than the humblest of spirits.


    This was a fragment of Voldemort''s soul.


    On the day the Philosopher''s Stone was stolen, Voldemort''s soul power, umted over eleven years, waspletely annihted by the blood-red water prison of Drac. Now, he could barely sustain his existence through the Horcruxes, which were his only means of ensuring his soul''s survival.


    Currently, Voldemort existed like a nearly invisible bubble, with a face whose features were blurred,cking hands and feet. He floated with the cold wind, at any moment on the brink of dissipatingpletely.


    His mind was somewhat unclear, but he still muttered unconsciously:


    "I haven''t lost... I haven''t lost yet... I have other cards to y... I will return..."


    Muttering to himself, he struggled against the wind, drifting towards Little Hangleton in Yorkshire.


    In reality, he had originally wanted to return to the Albanian forest where he had spent eleven years. At least he was familiar with that ce, and there was a snake named Nagini to keep himpany, preventing him from being utterly alone.


    However, after using his Horcrux diary to regain some strength, he discovered a more efficient and faster method of recovery. He deeply wished to avoid another eleven years of torment.


    Thus, he chose Little Hangleton, where the Gaunt family ancestral home was located.


    After an unknown amount of time, Voldemort''s weakened form finally reached a valley on the outskirts of Little Hangleton.


    In the dense forest at the valley''s edge stood a dpidated shed, partially hidden among a pile of fallen logs. The disordered trees around the shed blocked all light and obscured the view of the valley below, adding a touch of eerie atmosphere to the structure.


    The shed''s walls were covered in green moss, many tiles on the roof had fallen off, exposing the rafters in ces. Unnamed vines grew around it, their tips extending up to the small, dirty windows.


    The bubble that was Voldemort''s form showed signs of hope and joy as it slipped through the grimy ss cracks and floated inside the shed.


    Inside the shed, it was in a state of decay, filled with rusty pots and pans, moldy furniture, and various kinds of trash, just as it had been when Voldemort first came here at sixteen.


    At that time, the decrepit state of the Gaunt family home had filled young Tom Riddle with disgust and disappointment, giving him a new perspective on the so-called pure-blood supremacists.


    Now, returning in such a pitiable state, he was like a stray dog.


    He had no thoughts of reminiscing about the past or criticizing the decaying family; his only focus was¡ª


    To retrieve the Horcrux hidden under the floorboards!


    Voldemort''s bubble drifted through the warped, worn wooden floorboards, descending into the dark loweryers of the floor.


    In the muddy floor crevicey a ring.


    The ring was golden, set with arge, jet-ck stone. Its craftsmanship seemed rough, even somewhat ugly, with the gold band appearing clunky and unrefined.


    The ck stone bore a prominent mark¡ª a triangle with a circle inside, each divided by a vertical line.


    ording to Marvolo Gaunt, this mark was called the Peverell Crest.


    However, if Dumbledore saw this mark, he would likely involuntarily name it for what it truly was¡ª the Deathly Hallows!


    Yet Voldemort did not know this was the legendary Deathly Hallows.


    In the past, he only knew that this ring could control corpses and create an army of the dead. Now, he knew it could provide a more efficient recovery speed, aiding his resurrection ns.


    Seeing the ring in reality, a hint of relief appeared on Voldemort''s otherwise blurred face, and he quickly immersed his entire being into the ck stone of the ring.


    This Horcrux did not absorb Voldemort''s knowledge and personality, so it did not develop a consciousness like the diary. Additionally, Voldemort had ced a powerful curse on the Horcrux ring, one strong enough to harm a great wizard.


    Under these conditions, even in his weakened state, Voldemort could forcibly absorb the fragment of his soul within the Horcrux back into his own soul.


    A burst of light suddenly shone from beneath the rotting floorboards¡ª


    The already fragile wooden floor exploded into dust, countless fragments falling and piling up.


    Then, a grotesque spectral figure emerged from the debris.


    "My power is still insufficient; I need a real body!" Voldemort rasped, his terrifying voice murmuring.


    In the next moment, he appeared in a dark, overgrown cemetery.


    On the right side of the cemetery stood a tall yew tree, behind which was the ck silhouette of a small church.


    On the left side, on a slope, was a quaint old house¡ª the Riddle House, a luxurious and spacious building in stark contrast to the Gaunt family''s shed.


    Voldemort merely nced in that direction before losing interest, as the people there had long been mostly killed by him decades ago.


    Walking along the cemetery path, he examined each tombstone until he found a well-maintained marble tombstone with a name inscribed¡ª


    "Tom Riddle."


    Looking at the gravestone bearing his own name, Voldemort felt no sadness or joy. He had long abandoned everything associated with that name.


    He raised his hand, pointing the ck stone on the ring at the grave.


    The grave suddenly cracked open, and a skeleton emerged, floating towards Voldemort''s spectral form.


    Under the effect of the Resurrection Stone, a white light enveloped the skeleton, removing the dirt and filth from the bones, gradually purging all impurities, leaving only the pure, dust-free skeletal frame.


    Then, the skeleton of Old Tom Riddle rapidly elerated and mmed into Voldemort''s spectral form.


    The white light from the bones enveloped Voldemort''s entire being.


    Momentster, the light slowly dissipated.


    A terrifying figure stood before the cracked grave¡ª


    He had skin as white as bones, a withered body, and blood-red eyes. His chalky white face resembled a skull, with a sunken nose and unnaturally long fingers, resembling misshapen spider legs...


    Voldemort clenched his fist, relishing the long-lost sensation of having a body, his distorted face full of ecstasy.


    "It''s wonderful, the feeling of having a body¡ª" he took a deep breath of the stale cemetery air and whispered.


    "Father''s bones, unwittingly donated, allow his son to be reborn... Ha, this old fool still proves somewhat useful!" Voldemort sneered, unrepentant about digging up his own father''s grave, "What''s left below, the flesh of servants, the blood of enemies?"


    In reality, Voldemort had not obtained aplete body.


    He had only used the power of the Resurrection Stone, which he did not even fully understand, to construct a simple but functional body using his father''s bones as a framework. However, the flesh of this body was still not real, but conjured by magic.


    "The flesh of servants is easily obtained, as for the blood of enemies... It depends on whether my diary can retrieve Potter''s blood under Drac and Dumbledore''s noses."


    Thinking of how Drac hadpletely obliterated his soul''s essence, Voldemort''s red eyes flickered with vengeful light.


    "Ha, doesn''t Drac enjoy finding amusement?" he sneered, "If so, I might as well find some entertainment for him, hope he enjoys it..."


    Voldemort put the ring on his middle finger, and his fist tightened suddenly.


    In the next moment, the graves in the cemetery all split in half, and stiff skeletons began to crawl out of the graves. They were decayed, hairless, with murky eyes, and moved with twisted, eerie steps towards Voldemort.


    Voldemort''s mouth curled into a wicked smile.


    Then, a cloud of ck smoke covered the newly created undead, and he transported them to the outside of a dark cave.


    Inside the cavey many ragged humans, all tattered and covered in dirt, their eyes filled with hatred and despair.


    The deformed Voldemort, leading a group of grotesque undead, elicited wary looks from the cave''s upants, who bared their teeth and blocked the cave''s entrance.


    "What are you doing here? Outsiders are not wee!" a well-dressed leader among them stepped forward, speaking harshly.


    "Bang!"


    Without Voldemort moving, the leader was immediately sent flying, crashing into the cave''s ceiling and then falling heavily, unconscious.


    "Next time you see me, remember to speak properly!" Voldemort said coldly.


    The ragged people, seeing this act of violence, seemed unfazed, as if they were used to it.


    They crowded together, trying to bite and w at Voldemort with their teeth and long nails.


    Voldemort''s expression was icy as he waved his wand.


    Arge area at the cave entrance was cleared, creating a wide space for Voldemort and the undead behind him to pass.


    As they delved deeper into the cave, the number of people increased, all looking savage and bloodthirsty. They watched Voldemort and the undead with eager anticipation, as if waiting for amand to attack.


    "Who dares to make trouble here?" a tall man with a fierce demeanor emerged from the deepest part of the cave, "Does anyone not know whose territory this is?"


    The tall man had gray hair and beard, a fierce expression, and sharp teeth exposed when he spoke. His long

 Chapter 82 - 82 End of the first academic year

    <h4>Chapter 82: End of the first academic year</h4>


    Fred and George didn''t win their bet this time.


    Cedric Diggory truly lived up to expectations, taking first ce in the third-year Defense Against the Dark Arts exam and sessfully obtaining the eerie wooden amulet made by Professor Drac.


    The first ce in the second year went to a Ravenw girl named Autumn Zhang.


    However, to their surprise, Hermione Granger, despite having top marks in all other subjects, did not secure first ce in Defense Against the Dark Arts as they had hoped.


    The first ce in first-year Defense Against the Dark Arts went to Harry Potter!


    "Harry, do you think we''re nice to you?" That evening, after the results were released, Fred and George each had an arm around Harry''s shoulders and asked with serious expressions.


    "Well... well, you''re pretty nice... whether in the Gryffindormon room or on the Quidditch pitch, you''ve always looked after me," Harry replied, puzzled about what they meant. "W-what''s wrong? Did I do something wrong?"


    "No, you didn''t do anything wrong." George said with great distress, "But you''ve caused us serious harm!"


    "I... I did?" Harry felt a pang of guilt, unsure of what he might have done wrong.


    "Harry, how could you steal Hermione''s first ce in Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Fred patted Harry''s shoulder, mourning deeply.


    "Ah?"


    Harry was startled and nced at his book bag, fearing that something like a diary or notes had been exposed.


    However, George''s next words made him lose the desire to talk to them¡ª


    "We made a bet with those Slytherin rich kids that Hermione would get Professor Drac''s amulet. Do you know how those arrogant pure-bloods think? They didn''t believe a Muggle-born witch could possibly get first ce, so they bet ten Galleons with me."


    "We thought it was a sure thing, but in the end, you got the amulet..."


    George exaggeratedly gestured with his hands, pretending to wipe tears, and cried out dramatically. "That''s ten Galleons, Harry! That''s the amount my dad earns in a week!"


    Hearing George''sints, a red glow seemed to sh in Harry''s eyes.


    "Fred, George, you really need to stop gambling!" he suddenly shouted. "You know that ten Galleons is Mr. Weasley''s weekly sry. Have you considered that you might lose even more in the future?!"


    "The Slytherins can afford to lose! They might just get a scolding for losing money. But you? If you lose so much that you can''t afford it, you could end up affecting your younger siblings and the whole Weasley family''s livelihood!"


    Fred and George stared at the emotional Harry, looking a bit bewildered.


    "We''re sorry, Harry," George said weakly, "Why are you shouting so loudly? You nearly scared us to death."


    Harry realized he had lost hisposure. He quickly adjusted his sses, apologized, and hurriedly said goodbye to the twins.


    The twins exchanged confused looks, with question marks appearing in their eyes.


    "Was that really Harry just now?" Fred asked George. "He didn''t use to yell at people like that, did he?"


    "Not sure. Maybe he''s changed a bit after getting first ce in Defense Against the Dark Arts?" George shrugged, uncertain.


    ...


    Thest Quidditch match was held three days after the end-of-term exams.


    The match was between Gryffindor and Ravenw and was crucial in determining whether Gryffindor could win the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup.


    This was a vital game.


    Currently, the top of the House standings was Slytherin, who, due to Snape''s "unrelenting efforts," had umted a high score of 442 points. Following closely was Ravenw with 426 points, and Gryffindor was in third ce with 412 points.


    Although Gryffindor was only in third ce, the point difference between them and Slytherin was notrge. If Gryffindor''s team could win the Quidditch Cup, they would gain a significant 50-point bonus, allowing them to overtake Slytherin and win the House Cup!


    Moreover, Gryffindor had a strong chance of winning.


    With Harry''s outstanding performance, they had already defeated both Hufflepuff and Slytherin teams, creating a significant point gap with Slytherin, who was in second ce.


    Therefore, as long as they could defeat Ravenw, or even if they didn''t fall too far behind, they could win the final Quidditch Cup!


    In this crucial match, Harry, who had defeated Quirrell and driven away Voldemort, was in excellent form. Within an hour, he sessfully caught the Golden Snitch, securing victory for Gryffindor.


    With the 50 points from the Quidditch Cup, Gryffindor''s house points reached 462, surpassing Slytherin and Ravenw, and moving into first ce!


    As soon as the match ended, the Gryffindor lions eagerly lifted Harry and tossed him high into the air.


    That evening, Gryffindor Tower was festooned with decorations, and the celebration began early.


    They celebrated enthusiastically as Gryffindor had stopped Slytherin''s six-year streak of winning the House Cup and sessfully took the honor!


    ...


    However, they had forgotten that the end-of-year feast was still three days away¡ª


    Snape, whether because he really wanted Slytherin to keep the House Cup position or because he wanted Harry''s gratitude to turn into dislike, or perhaps both, was determined to make things difficult.


    In those remaining three days, he seemed to have gone mad, working day and night to deduct points from Gryffindor. He deducted five or ten points for even the smallest issues, and soon, Gryffindor''s points were nearly equal to Slytherin''s.


    So, on the afternoon of thest day of the school year, Harry went to Snape''s office and had a heated argument with him¡ª


    "Professor Snape, why are you doing this?" Harry asked with a pained expression. "You could be a good person, so why do you insist on making me dislike you?"


    On one hand, Snape''s usual actions were indeed quite unpleasant, especially to Gryffindor''s lions, who deeply disliked him, including Harry in the past; on the other hand, Snape had tried to save his life twice, so Harry didn''t harbor much hatred toward him now.


    Snape nonchntly continued to sort his potion ingredients, seemingly ignoring Harry''s questioning.


    However, upon closer inspection, it could be seen that his expression was tense, and his actions were merely unconsciously breaking herbs.


    "You''re thinking too much, Potter," he said after a long silence. "Isn''t it normal for me to want my house to win the House Cup? Or do you think I should help Gryffindor win the cup to be the ''good person'' you''re talking about?"


    "Don''t be so self-righteous, Potter. Not everything in the world revolves around you!"


    Snape threw thest two herbs into the pot and spoke slowly.


    Harry''s face turned red with anger at Snape''s mockery.


    A sh of red light appeared in his eyes, and his emotions suddenly became intense.


    "Isn''t it exactly what you want? Go ahead, deduct my points!" he shouted uncontrobly. "I should have been blind to be grateful to you!"


    Snape''s actions stopped, and he sneered coldly.


    "Indeed, the Potters are always so foolish, arrogant, and self-righteous," he said coldly. "As you wish..."


    "Defying a professor, Gryffindor loses fifty points!"


    ...


    That evening, Harry left the Potions professor''s office, feeling disheveled and climbed the spiral staircase to the entrance courtyard to attend the end-of-year feast.


    By the time he arrived at the hall, it was already filled with people.


    The hall was decorated in green and silver, representing Slytherin, to celebrate their seventh consecutive win of the House Cup. A huge banner with a snake was hung behind the guest seats.


    As soon as Harry walked in, Ron and Hermione pulled him over to the Gryffindor table.


    "Harry, did you know? Gryffindor just had fifty points deducted!" Ron said indignantly. "Now, even if we win another Quidditch Cup, we can''t catch up with Slytherin."


    "Yeah, I don''t know who gave Snape such a big opportunity," Hermione said, mming her book on the table, her mood ruined.


    Harry paused, his mood suddenly sinking.


    "Don''t say anything. I''m the one who did it," he said quietly.


    Ron and Hermione fell silent, staring at Harry in shock.


    "What happened, Harry?" Ron asked. "Didn''t you already reconcile with Snape?"


    "I don''t think we''ll ever reconcile." Harry said sadly, not understanding why he was so emotionaltely. "I wanted to talk to him about the point deductions for Gryffindor... but I lost control of my emotions and ended up arguing with him..."


    Hermione wanted to ask more, but just then, Dumbledore entered the hall.


    He walked out from the side of the staff table, smiling and waving at everyone. The noise in the hall gradually quieted down, and Hermione chose not to ask further, as the situation was already set.


    "Another year has passed!" Dumbledore said as he stood beside his seat, not sitting down but standing there excitedly. "Before we enjoy this delicious feast, I must trouble everyone to listen to an old man''s clich¨¦s. Let me say a few words..."


    Unlike the various headmaster speeches in Muggle schools,

 Chapter 83 - 83 Giedroy Lohart

    <h4>Chapter 83: Giedroy Lohart</h4>


    Gilderoy Lockhart was in high spirits.


    He had once again been awarded the Most Charming Smile Award by *Witch Weekly*, and his face graced the cover of the magazine with a broad readership.


    To celebrate this good news, or perhaps to further capitalize on it, Lockhart decided to host a tea party at Madam Puddifoot''s Tea Shop in Hogsmeade, where he would meet face-to-face with his loyal fans.


    Madam Puddifoot''s Tea Shop was located on a street corner in Hogsmeade.


    The shop was named after its owner, Madam Puddifoot, who had decorated the windows with a variety of quirky trinkets, mostly in a very pale pink, the kind of color young girls adore.


    Inside, the shop was cramped and cozy, with the steam from the tea creating a misty atmosphere. Almost all of the furnishings were adorned with tackyce.


    At this time of year, Hogwarts students were on vacation, so there were few young witches and wizards around Hogsmeade. Most of the people inside the tea shop were housewives and older witches who had made the trip specifically for the tea party.


    The shop was already filled with groups of witches eagerly watching the small stage set up in front of the tea shop.


    "My dear family, how are you all!"


    With a loud voice, a mboyantly dressed wizard emerged from behind the curtains of the tea shop.


    Gilderoy Lockhart looked very handsome. He had wavy golden hair, teeth so white they seemed to shine, and a robe that was extremelyvish, covered with intricate and luxurious patterns, resembling a peacock in full disy.


    Lockhart took the stage holding a golden microphone, warmly greeting the crowd.


    A wave of screams erupted in the tea shop as the witches shouted Lockhart''s name and eagerly tried to move forward, even dragging their small stools with them.


    "Please, everyone be patient. I''ve made sure to leave enough time for close interaction with my fans!" Lockhart shed his signature smile, his smooth, even teeth reflecting the light, "Rest assured, I will treat every fan equally. Everyone will receive my autograph and..."


    "A hug!"


    The witches below grew even more excited, with one of them even fainting from the excitement.


    Lockhart seemed prepared for this situation. He waved to the tea shop''s counter, and the shop owner, Madam Puddifoot, who was plump and had her hair styled in a sleek ck bun, immediately brought a cup of cool tea, struggling through the crowd to reach the fainted witch.


    This small incident did not dampen Lockhart''s enthusiasm. He stepped onto the specially constructed small stage, standing amidst the numerous candles arranged around it.


    "First of all, although everyone certainly knows me, I still need to do a routine self-introduction." He said with a smile.


    "I am Gilderoy Lockhart, a holder of the Third ss Merlin Medal, an honorary member of the Anti-Dark Arts League, and I''ve just recently won the *Witch Weekly* Most Charming Smile Award for the fifth time¡ªof course, I don''t unt this award. I don''t rely on my smile to drive away the banshees of Mourningshire!"


    The crowd erupted into enthusiastic apuse, with the witches pping so hard their hands were getting red.


    "Excellent, I see everyone has brought myplete set of works¡ªso let me first test how well you understand them..."


    "...Firstly, in my book *Voyages with Vampires*, what food did the vampire be obsessed with after meeting me? Please raise your hand to answer."


    Almost all the witches raised their hands. Even the witch who had fainted earlier, after drinking the cool tea prepared by Madam Puddifoot, had regained some energy and raised her hand high.


    "Good, you there, beautifuldy." Lockhart picked a middle-aged witch with fiery red hair, a bit plump, and who looked gentle and kind.


    "What''s your name?" he asked.


    The witch seemed surprised to be chosen and covered her face like a shy girl.


    "Molly, Molly Weasley, Mr. Lockhart." She stood up, excitedly saying, "The answer to the previous question is lettuce!"


    "Very good! Perfect answer!" Lockhart smiled as he took a bright pink rose from his pocket and handed it to Mrs. Weasley. "This is your gift. Thank you very much for reading my works attentively."


    Mrs. Weasley took the pink rose, her face beaming with joy. The other witches looked on with envy.


    Amidst the mor, a pleasant voice suddenly broke through the chaos from the window.


    "So... why did that vampire eat lettuce?"


    Lockhart was momentarily stunned and looked towards the window of Madam Puddifoot''s Tea Shop, realizing that the window, which had been closed, was now open.


    A figure with silver hair was sitting on the windowsill. One foot was resting on the window frame while the other dangled freely, and he was holding an open copy of *Voyages with Vampires*.


    His voice immediately captured the attention of most of the witches present.


    The witches looked at the handsome man who had suddenly appeared with curiosity, secretlyparing him to Lockhart, and found that Lockhart didn''t seem as handsome as before after theparison.


    "Madam Puddifoot, howe there''s a wizard here?" Seeing the sudden appearance, Lockhart was displeased and asked Madam Puddifoot sternly, "Didn''t I say that only those with myplete set of collectible books and a limited invitation coulde in? How is the security at your tea shop managed?"


    Madam Puddifoot, seeing this business might receive a poor review, quickly squeezed through the crowd towards the window, trying to escort the uninvited guest away.


    At that moment, Mrs. Weasley, who had just received the rose, suddenly eximed, "Oh my, you must be Professor Drac, right?" She eagerly greeted Drac, "Silver hair, wine-red eyes, incredibly handsome... it must be you!"


    "You are..." Drac looked at Mrs. Weasley''s red hair and thought of her surname, finding it a bit curious... Could it be another Weasley?


    "I''m Percy, Fred, George, and Ron''s mother!" Mrs. Weasley said cheerfully. "My children always talk about you, especially Fred and George, who say you''re the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor they''ve ever had!"


    "Don''t you remember, you once asked me and my husband to send that crystal ball to Romania!"


    "Oh, right! Thank you for your help!" Drac said, suddenly realizing.


    He almost forgot about this matter until Mrs. Weasley reminded him.


    Thinking back, if they hadn''t helped send that crystal ball to the Brown Castle, he wouldn''t have received any messages from there and wouldn''t have ended up attending Lockhart''s tea party.


    Mrs. Weasley warmly expressed her gratitude to Drac, thanking him for his care of her sons at school and introducing Lockhart as the so-called Dark Arts expert, believing they would have much to discuss.


    Meanwhile, on the other side of the tea shop, Lockhart, upon learning that Drac was a Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, decided not to rush him out but instead came up with a more brilliant n.


    He walked to the side of the stage and instructed the photographer and the reporter recording the event:


    "See that Hogwarts professor over there? In a moment, I''ll go take a photo with him. You can write in your newspaper¡ª''Shock! Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, who is also a renowned Defense Against the Dark Arts master, Anti-Dark Arts League member, and famous author, Gilderoy Lockhart''s fan!''"


    After saying this, Lockhart thought of Drac''s handsome face and was still a bit uneasy. He repeatedly reminded the photographer:


    "Remember, when taking the photo, absolutely avoid showing the professor''s full face! Position my ''most charming smile'' in the center of the frame and just find a small corner for him."


    The photographer gave an "okay" hand signal.


    Lockhart finally rxed, disying what he believed to be a very fitting smile, and walked towards Drac by the window.


    "Ah, Professor Drac, it''s a pleasure to finally meet you!" he said with exaggerated enthusiasm.


    At the same time, he extended a hand to Drac and gave what he thought was a perfect smile for the camera.


    However, Drac frowned in disdain, showing no intention of shaking Lockhart''s hand.


    He could smell a heavy perfume on Lockhart, even more intense than Quirrell''s! This scent was uneptable to a vampire''s sensitive nose.


    After the incident with the Philosopher''s Stone, everyone learned about Quirrell.


    He had used perfume to mask the decayed smell from Voldemort''s possession, and wasn''t the weak, lecherous man students had believed him to be.


    But Lockhart, looking vibrant and energetic, obviously wasn''t afflicted by any dark magic.


    So, one might suspect if such a person would have other physiological issues...


    "Click."


    The photographer captured a precious image¡ª


    Famous author Gilderoy Lockhart extending a hand with a forced smile towards the camera, while the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor beside him crossed his arms and looked out the window with a disdainful expression.


    "Ahem, that''s not how I asked you to take the photo!" Lockhart cleared his throat and urgently shouted to the photographer, "Destroy this photo immediately, do you hear me?!"


    After saying this, to avoid further embarrassment, he thought of another n.


    Lockhart snatched the copy of *Voyages with Vampires* that Drac had carelessly left on the windowsill and took out a peacock feather quill from his pocket, signing his name elegantly on the book''s title page.


    He nned to have the newspaper headline read:


    "Breaking News! The famous writer was actually taken by Professor Hogwarts in public and his whereabouts are unknown!

 Chapter 84 - 84 Blue Danube

    <h4>Chapter 84: Blue Danube</h4>


    On a deserted ind in the ck Lake, a sudden scream pierced the silence.


    "Ah ah ah ah¡ªwuwu!"


    Caught off guard by a sudden Disapparation, Lockhart fell heavily to the ground, his handsome face smashing into the soft, wet earth.


    He pulled his face out of the mud with no regard for his appearance, coughed awkwardly a couple of times, and spat the dirt out onto the ground.


    "I... I''m telling you, such sneak attacks are hical! You''re not fit to be a professor at Hogwarts!" Lockhart pushed aside the mud-smeared golden hair and faced Drac with his dirt-stained face. "I''m telling you, you''ve just angered the greatest Dark Arts Defense expert in the world!"


    "Then let me ask," Drac said with a smirk, "how could the greatest expert in the world fail to handle a simple Disapparation?"


    "Is it my fault that I failed? No, it''s not!" Lockhart insisted, "It''s because you''re not following the rules ofbat! To ambush someone like me, who has immense trust in his fans, is just ying dirty! You could never even touch a hair on my head in a fair fight!"


    Drac twitched at the corner of his mouth. He was surprised that Lockhart could still be so stubborn even in this situation.


    "Then, as you wish, great Defense Against the Dark Arts expert," he said with a gesture, "show me what a so-called member of the Anti-Dark Magic Alliance is truly capable of in a fair duel."


    Lockhart''s expression turned serious, and he looked resolute.


    However, with most of his face covered in mud, his serious expression looked moreical than solemn.


    He fumbled in his pockets with his dirty hands for a while before finally pulling out his expensive cherry wood wand, trembling as he pointed it at Drac.


    "Don''t regret this! If you don''t want to face the wrath of the world''s greatest Dark Arts Defense Master, hurry up and apologize and surrender! As a fan of mine, I might forgive you!" Lockhart dered with a mixture of sternness and weakness.


    "Get on with it, or you''ll lose your chance," Drac said impatiently, crossing his arms.


    Seeing that Drac showed no signs of changing his attitude, Lockhart gritted his teeth.


    He pondered for a while, then finally thought of an attack spell, and resolutely waved his wand¡ª


    "Indio!"


    "..."


    Drac watched as a tiny, weak me emerged from the tip of Lockhart''s wand...


    A cold breeze blew across the ind, causing the tiny me to flicker unsteadily, seemingly on the verge of extinguishing at any moment.


    "Is this the Fire-Making Spell?" Drac said, nearlyughing as he looked at the me. "If I had a cigar, would youe and light it for me?"


    Lockhart''s expression, along with the mud on his face, froze in ce.


    He hadn''t expected to forget even the most basic Fire-Making Spell.


    "Uh... well, I was just trying to lighten the mood, haha..." Lockhart said awkwardly, putting away his wand. "You know, as a well-mannered celebrity, I''m very fond of my fans. How could I possibly attack one of my own fans?"


    "I remember you just said you were an author. How did you be a celebrity now?" Drac asked with a sarcastic smile.


    "You don''t understand, there''s a difference between a flop author and a great author!" Lockhart seemed to regain some of his confidence, puffing out his chest and adjusting his luxurious robe. "And those celebrities in the magical world who sing and act have no cultural literacy, unlike me, a wizard with substance who writes books to broaden people''s horizons!"


    "By the way, can I leave now?"


    As he asked, he took a few steps, intending to sneak away from Drac.


    But the next moment, the air suddenly grew colder, as if returning to the coldest days of winter, and Lockhart shivered from the freezing cold.


    "Did I tell you to leave?" Drac''s expression had suddenly turned cold.


    The water of the ck Lake, which had quietly seeped onto the ind, climbed up Lockhart''s legs and froze him to the muddy ground.


    "Don''t get excited, Professor Drac!" Seeing the ice spreading to his chest, and feeling numb below his chest, Lockhart finally showed a look of panic on his face. "I... I was wrong. Please, spare me this time!"


    "Tell me, how did you write the experiences in your books?" Drac raised his hand, stopping the spread of the ice temporarily, and walked slowly toward Lockhart.


    "It''s all my fault, Professor Drac..." Lockhart, feeling his legs losing sensation, said with a worried expression. "But I did it to write books! If people didn''t think those things were done by me, book sales would be much lower¡ª"


    "Readers wouldn''t want to read about the deeds of an ugly old American wizard, even if he drove werewolves away from a vige. If his photo were on the cover, no one would even want to open the book! And that old witch who drove away the Vanara, she had a gap-toothed grin! Just think..."


    "I''m not interested in what you''ve told me, nor do I care about how you''ve imed others'' achievements as your own," Drac said impatiently, moving his finger. The ice on Lockhart''s body spread another inch upward, making him shut up immediately.


    "I only need you to directly tell me how ''Traveling with Vampires'' was written."


    "Oh, so you''re interested in that book? It''s the same story. The protagonist was originally just an old man hiding in the deep mountains growing vegetables, who wouldn''t attract any interest!" Lockhart didn''t understand Drac''s question and just keptining and shifting me.


    "You must understand, Professor Drac. My job is not as easy as everyone thinks¡ª I have to track down these people, ask them how they aplished those things, and then perform a Memory Charm to make them forget itpletely."


    "I''ve worked so hard for fame! I believe that as a Hogwarts professor, you must be a righteous person. I have nothing to say if someone like you catches me, but please pity the effort I''ve put in and let me go!"


    After speaking a lengthy discourse, he sighed weakly, looking at Drac with hopeful eyes. Due to his preconceptions, he still didn''t believe that a Hogwarts professor would cause him harm.


    Yet all he saw was indifferent detachment.


    The next moment, the icepletely covered Lockhart''s body, leaving only his mud-streaked head exposed.


    "Good person? I think you may have misunderstood me," Drac said coldly, curling his lips. "If you don''t know anything, then what use is your life to me?"


    As Drac''s voice fell, the icyyer began to rise again.


    "Wait... wait, I''m still useful, I really am!" Lockhart, feeling the threat to his life, shouted in panic. "I can find out, I can find out everything!"


    At this moment, he finally realized that the Dark Arts Defense professor in front of him was not like the upright and kind professors of Hogwarts he had imagined!


    This Professor Drac seemed to care nothing for the rules of the magical world, and would act immediately. Lockhart knew that his life was truly in danger!


    The bone-chilling ice stopped moving upward.


    "Onest chance," Drac''s voice was soft but eerily cold. "Tell me, what use are you to me?"


    "I... I can find the memory of the old man who traveled with the vampire..." Lockhart swallowed, but the saliva hadn''t gone down before it turned into ice, making his expression even more pained. "My memory magic has always been excellent. If I try hard to recall, I''ll definitely be able to find the old man''s memorypletely!"


    "I hope so," Drac said. "You have one minute."


    Lockhart closed his eyes tightly, furrowing his brows, his face as pale as paper.


    Drac, meanwhile, rxed against the ice pir that Lockhart was frozen into.


    A wave ofke water perfectly rose and sshed against Drac''s back, solidifying into a gracefully curved ice sheet just before touching his ck-red cloak, supporting Drac''s tilted body.


    Drac took out a goblet and a bottle of brightly colored red wine from his pocket, savoring it slowly.


    ...


    A minute passed in the blink of an eye.


    Driven by an intense desire to survive, Lockhart opened his eyes on time and took deep breaths.


    "Have you found his memory?" Drac asked, reclining on the ice sheet formed by the waves, sipping from his goblet.


    Lockhart nodded with difficulty.


    "I remembered. The old man''s name was Robert, a former Auror captain from Serbia. After retirement, he no longer wanted to live a life of conflict and chose to hide alone in the rarely visited mountains, leading a life of farming."


    He narrated¡ª


    After retiring, the former Auror Robert from Serbia was tired of conflict and hid alone in a forest. He had no descendants, no rtives, and no friends, so he thought he would live out his days in solitude.


    One day, while he was diligently farming, an injured vampire stumbled into his secluded forest.


    Due to the usual wizarding prejudice against vampires, Robert pulled out a wand he hadn''t used in a long time, intending to fight the intruding vampire to the death.


    However, the vampire had no desire to fight; he merely begged Robert for some food to replenish his critically depleted energy.


    Tired of fighting, Robert agreed and took out arge amount of lettuce from his storehouse. It was freshly harvested, in abundance, and too much to consume.


    The vampire bit into the lettuce one after another. However,

 Chapter 85 - 85 Attack on Castle Dracula

    <h4>Chapter 85: Attack on Castle Drac</h4>


    A beam of white light shot out from Lockhart''s wand tip, crashing towards Drac with immense force.


    Yet Drac merely stared at him coldly, his eyes shifting with light, allowing the beam of the Forgetfulness Charm to strike him.


    In the next moment, the spell took effect, creating a connection between Lockhart''s memory and Drac.


    A millennium of time seemed like a roaring tidal wave, crashing heavily into Lockhart''s mind, instantly shattering his fragile memories.


    The many memories Lockhart had hidden in his mind were like debris washed away after a tsunami, thoroughly merging into the sea as the waves receded.


    Drac quietly browsed through Lockhart''s chaotic memories, searching for what he had once plundered. After a while, he found information about Robert in a corner, learning the specific location of his seclusion.


    "I knew it. He is indeed not here," Drac said softly.


    He then looked at Lockhart, whose gaze had be vacant, and smiled self-deprecatingly, "If it weren''t for being influenced by Te''s principles and bottom lines, there wouldn''t have been such trouble."


    Actually, after hearing Lockhart''s story, Drac had already thought of using Legilimency to search Lockhart''s memories. However, Te, as a junior, had adhered to the pride and principles of being a vampire and refrained from drinking the blood of innocent people.


    Te''s actions touched Drac, so he adhered to a small principle himself¡ªhe didn''t directly invade Lockhart''s memories but tricked Lockhart into using the Forgetfulness Charm first, then used a millennium''s worth of memory, which ordinary wizards could not withstand, to counteract his brain.


    It seemed no different from directly taking action, but it made Drac feel a bit more pleasant.


    Thus, Drac deliberately spread his wings in the sky above the Danube River, allowing Lockhart to recognize his vampire identity.


    After recognizing the vampire identity, Lockhart would naturally worry about his safety and, in a panic, choose to resist... and then, as expected, be dealt with by the count who had already seen through everything.


    "Hello."


    Lockhart''s voice rang out.


    Drac looked at Lockhart and found him sitting on the ground with a nk expression, gazing vacantly ahead.


    "This ce is really remote, isn''t it?" he asked. "Do you live here alone?"


    "No." Drac raised an eyebrow with interest, finding that Lockhart without memories was much more pleasant to look at. "What can you still remember now, Mr. Lockhart?"


    "Mr. Lockhart? Is that my name?" Lockhart showed a friendly expression. "Oh, let me think. I vaguely remember being a professional swindler... Hmm, lying is wrong. Did I remember something incorrectly..."


    "Forget it if you can''t remember, Mr. Lockhart." Drac chuckled lightly. "If you trust me,e with me."


    "Of course, you look like a righteous person," Lockhart said with an honest expression.


    Drac then grabbed Lockhart by the cor and spread his wings again to fly into the sky.


    Following the direction found in Lockhart''s memory, Drac identified the path and flew towards the forest where Robert was hiding.


    Lockhart hung below Drac''s palm, with the cold air blowing through his hair.


    "Wow! Amazing! It''s like magic!" he shouted repeatedly.


    ...


    Robert''s residence was not far from the previous hill.


    After a short while, Drac retracted his wings andnded in front of a wooden house that looked very simple yet was meticulously repaired.


    Not far from the wooden house was a lush lettuce field. An old man was holding a sickle, cutting the lettuce nts one by one and cing them into a woven basket behind him.


    The old man''s face looked very weathered, covered in deep and shallow wrinkles, with very rough hands and dirt-filled nail beds. His clothing was also very simple and worn out, with a dirty towel hanging around his neck, which he asionally used to wipe sweat.


    He seemed just like an old farmer, showing no trace of the former captain of the Serb Auror team.


    Noticing Drac and Lockhart by the wooden house, the old man straightened up and walked out of the field with some difficulty.


    "Are you... wizards?" he looked at their robes with surprise. "It''s quite rare. Few wizardse to such a remote ce."


    "Hello, Mr. Robert." Drac curiously observed the old man who was friends with vampires and pointed to Lockhart beside him. "Do you know this guy?"


    The old man put down the basket of vegetables and looked at Lockhart.


    Lockhart appropriately showed a friendly expression.


    "I''ve never seen him before." The old man looked at Lockhart''s face, which was covered in dry dirt, and asked in confusion, "Is he also a vegetable grower?"


    "Ah, so I am a vegetable grower!" Lockhart said with a sudden realization.


    "Just keep your mouth shut," Drac said, twitching his lips as he sealed Lockhart''s lips together. "Forget about this fool for now. I want to ask if you remember any friends?"


    "What friends would an old fool like me have?" He shook his head indifferently after brushing off the dirt from his hands. "My friends either died in duels with dark wizards or were too old and passed away before me. I am nowpletely alone and unconcerned."


    "I see," Drac said after a moment of silence.


    He then bid farewell to Robert and left the forest where Robert was hiding with Lockhart.


    "Such strange wizards," Robert shook his head inexplicably as he watched them leave, then turned back to continue harvesting his lettuce.


    ...


    Drac walked quietly by the Danube River, with Lockhart following beside him, constantly signaling Drac to remove the spell from his mouth.


    However, Drac found his incessant questions annoying and ignored him.


    He realized that Robert''s memories of the vampire Te had beenpletely erased, and even the memory of meeting Lockhart had disappeared.


    Lockhart was indeed quite adept at using the Forgetfulness Charm. From Robert''s performance, there was no sign of having been extensively brainwashed by the Forgetfulness Charm. His behavior was very normal, with no apparent aftereffects.


    In such a situation, forcibly injecting the erased memories back into Robert''s mind would likely cause more harm.


    Drac, feeling somewhat irritated, turned to look at the culprit responsible for this situation and saw him still innocently pointing at his mouth, asking Drac to help him.


    Drac, uninterested, snapped his fingers.


    "Ah¡ªfinally able to speak!"


    Lockhart opened his mouth wide, shouting in relief, nearly provoking Drac to seal his lips again.


    Lockhart then asked with admiration, "Was that just magic? Did I meet a magician?"


    "And another thing, I wasn''t a swindler, right?" he said. "I know being a swindler is wrong. I must be a vegetable grower!"


    Drac, helplessly rubbing his forehead, sealed Lockhart''s mouth again.


    How could there be such an annoying wizard? He managed to make one want to hit him whether he had lost his memory or not.


    At this moment, Drac''s eyes suddenly shifted.


    He quickly took out the moonlit crystal ball from his pocket and looked into the center of the sphere¡ª


    The faintly glowing dark moon had now been stained with blood,pletely turning into a blood moon! A fiercely ominous aura spread rapidly with the blood-red moonlight!


    Drac vanished from his original spot in an instant.


    Lockhart, left alone by the Danube Riverbank, looked around the empty scene and scratched his head in confusion, not knowing what had happened...


    ...


    Romania, Bran Castle.


    This grand castle is located in the central-western part of Romania, about 30 kilometers from Bra?ov.


    To Muggles, it is a building started by the Hungarian king in 1377, originally a defensive fortification against the Turks. Today, Bran Castle has been converted by the Muggle government into a historical and art museum, disying ssic items from various periods.


    But that is only the surface, disconnected from the magical world.


    In addition to Bran Castle, Romania also has Drac''s Castle, which is protected by an Unplottable Charm and fortified with numerous defensive spells. The surrounding area is also covered with extensive Muggle-repelling spells.


    These spells are meant to protect Muggles.


    Because of therge number of low-level vampires in the area, they would show no mercy to those helpless Muggles. Once someone approached, they would be targeted by the ravenous vampires and be their prey.


    Within Bran Castle is a mysterious room, often upied by high-level vampires from Drac''s Castle, to guide visitors from the magical world into the true vampire territory.


    Arthur Wessley and Molly Wessley had delivered the crystal ball to Bran Castle.


    The high-level vampire on duty there received the crystal ball and immediately sent it back to the main tower of Drac''s Castle.


    However, when Drac arrived, the room in Bran Castle was empty.


    He realized the seriousness of the situation and used Apparition to arrive at the true Drac''s Castle¡ª


    ...


    Few people know that Count Drac was born in Romania.


    d Drac was initially born in a prestigious noble family in Romania during the 10th century. His father was a grand duke of high renown and had a powerful army.


    However, Drac was never interested in inheriting titles or learning noble etiquette. He was only curious about some magical urrences happening to him.


    He had an exceptional talent for self-learning various methods to use this magical power.


    Later, a wizard named Szar Slytherin traveled to Romania. He told Drac that these magical things were called magic.


    A sudden epidemic swept through Drac''s father''s domain, and nearly all the inhabitants lost their lives to the disease, including the duke himself.


    However, Drac remained alive,

 Chapter 86 - 86 Starlight burning on the battlefield

    <h4>Chapter 86: Starlight burning on the battlefield</h4>


    Drac looked up in the direction of the voice.


    It was a striking girl. Her hair was half ck and half white, and she had the distinctive red eyes of a vampire. A dagger-like hairpin adorned the side of her head, and she wore a short cape with a ck exterior and red interior, along with a long ceremonial dress.


    "It''s been a while, Serina," Drac said with a light smile, waving at her.


    "It has indeed been a while," Serina descended from the sky, retracting her ck and white wings, and looked at Drac with evident anger. "You''ve been living it up outside for over a century, leaving Drac Castle to a little kid like me. Aren''t you embarrassed?!"


    *"Ahem,"* Drac cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly. "You''re no longer a kid, Serina. You''re over a hundred years old now."


    "Does being over a hundred mean I should manage the castle for you?" Serina mimicked Drac''s gesture, crossing her arms. "I get it now¡ªyou picked me up back then just to find someone to manage your territory, while you happily went off to be a hands-off manager!"


    Serina''s usation was actually quite justified.


    Drac was indeed toozy to deal with the various troubles in Drac Castle, so he sought an agent.


    However, apart from powerful, long-lived vampire lords like Drac who were also the castle''s owners, proud vampires would not recognize anyone else''s authority.


    So, over a hundred years ago, the disinterested Drac adopted a malnourished, near-death little girl from an orphanage.


    After bringing her back to the castle, Drac personally turned her into a vampire, sessfully helping her survive the weakness of malnutrition with the strength of a vampire.


    Her name was also chosen by Drac¡ªSerina Alucard. "Serina" represents the moon, and "Alucard" is Drac''s surname reversed.


    As Serina grew up, she quickly developed considerable strength with Drac''s pure blood. Moreover, since she inherited Drac''s bloodline and was essentially Drac''s daughter, the vampires in the castle had to show her respect.


    Thus, Serina soon gained the ability to handle things on her own.


    Drac left Drac Castle with peace of mind, bing a proud hands-off manager!


    Not only that, when he got boredter, he even locked himself in a coffin he had prepared long ago, sleeping away a hundred years without a care...


    Although he indeed wanted to be a hands-off manager, Drac would never admit it out loud, or his adopted daughter might get upset.


    The real reason Drac didn''t want to return to Drac Castle was his fear of Serina''s emotional outbursts.


    "I''m doing this to train your abilities, Serina!" Drac quickly came up with an exnation and said earnestly, "In the future, it will be the world of you young ones. An old man like me, over a thousand years old, should already step off the stage of history. You are the moon just rising at night..."


    Before he could finish, Drac saw Serina looking at him with disdain.


    "Do you hear yourself? Is that something a vampire should say?" Serina sneered, "Since you say we are the rising moon at night, let me ask you, will you, the moon that has already risen to the sky, set?"


    "Uh..." Drac hesitated for a moment, then said without much confidence, "... It''s not impossible for it to set. I could go lie in the coffin."


    "Lying down again!" Serina fumed, "You''ve been lying down quietly for a hundred years. It''s easy for you, but I''ve been managing all these unruly vampires, and it''s exhausting."


    "So I told you before, those low-level vampires without any self-control should be abandoned, let them fend for themselves," Drac''s voice softened, and he said gently, "That way, you''ll have it easier."


    "No way!" Serina shook her head stubbornly, "Even the lowest-level vampires were once ordinary people like me. Besides, they still have the will and obsessions from their previous lives. You can''t just abandon them."


    "Suit yourself." Drac shrugged.


    At that moment, the werewolves below the wall couldn''t stand it any longer.


    "We''re already preparing for the siege, and you dare to chat up there?!" a tall man shouted fiercely from below the wall, "It seems you don''t take me seriously!"


    Drac and Serina looked down together.


    The man standing below the wall had gray hair and a beard, a fierce expression, and sharp teeth revealed when he spoke. His long yellow fingernails made him look like a real vicious wolf.


    "Who is he? The werewolf leader?" Drac asked.


    "Probably," Serina replied uncertainly.


    "Probably?" Drac raised an eyebrow, "Drac Castle and the Romanian werewolf tribe have been neighbors for so long, and as the current vampire leader, you still don''t know who the werewolf leader is?"


    "I do know who their leader is!"


    At Drac''s lightly mocking words, Serina jumped up like a cat with its tail stepped on, hurriedly defending herself.


    "The leader of the werewolf tribe was someone else not long ago. He had a decent rtionship with us," she said, "And this werewolf''s name is Fenrir Greybuck, who came from Ennd."


    "It''s him who brought a whole bunch of wraiths from somewhere, integrating them into the werewolf group, enhancing theirbat power. The non-urgent signal I sent you earlier was because we discovered arge number of wraiths."


    "Given that we haven''t seen the previous leader today, and the werewolves have suddenlyunched an attack on Drac Castle, I suspect the previous leader was killed by Fenrir."


    "From Ennd, huh?" Drac frowned thoughtfully.


    Fenrir Greybuck below saw that the two on the wall still ignored him and grew increasingly furious, his fur standing on end, and he let out a hideous roar.


    "You wait! When the moonlightes, I''ll be the first to tear you apart!"


    The surrounding werewolves echoed their leader''s cry, howling loudly.


    Most of the vampires on the wall felt intense pressure, their faces paler than usual, their bodies slightly trembling in the cold wind, looking precarious.


    But one vampire stood confidently, in stark contrast to the others'' weakness.


    He had just seen their pir of strength, Lord Drac!


    With him present, some mere wraiths couldn''t possibly breach the castle''s defenses!


    As for Drac and Serina, they were even more rxed.


    "Serina, catch himter and let me see what progress you''ve made in a hundred years," Drac said with a smile.


    "Why don''t you catch him yourself?" Serina rolled her eyes, "Or you could deal with the wraiths below and show me if you''ve weakened over the past century?"


    "That''s also possible," Drac said, ncing at the wraiths below, with a smile at the corner of his mouth.


    ...


    As thest bit of sunlight disappeared from the sky, the entire area turned dark.


    A full moon rose from the end of the sky, and moonlight shone on the werewolves mixed among the wraiths.


    The howls of wolves echoed around the castle, and soon, countless werewolves that were originally human began to convulse.


    Their front jaws extended into wolfish snouts, their backs hunched, arms spread out, and their bodies covered in thick fur.


    Fenrir was the first to leap from below the wall, with astonishing leaping ability, and crashed through the wall, charging straight to Drac and Serina.


    "Are you two ignoring me?" His wolfish mouth spat out unclear human words, "You will pay for your arrogance!"


    "A new breed!" Drac''s eyes lit up, "Can today''s werewolves stay conscious while transforming?"


    "You might not know, but a few years ago, someone developed a wolf venom potion," Serina exined, "Some wealthier werewolves take this potion before transforming to maintain human consciousness while in their werewolf form."


    "When they keep human awareness, their attacks are more purposeful and cause greater damage."


    "How extravagant," Drac clicked his tongue, "Other werewolves can''t even afford a bottle of wolf venom to stay conscious, and these wicked rich wolves use it to cause destruction."


    Seeing that Drac and Serina still ignored him, Fenrir, unable to suppress his strong anger, charged fiercely towards them.


    In the next moment, he saw the silver-haired male vampire raise his hand.


    Then Fenrir felt his limbs losing control, hanging limply by his sides.


    His wolf body floated lightly, as if an invisible force was holding him by the neck, hanging in front of the two.


    "Speak, who are you working for?" a deep voice rang in his ears, "A mere dog like you can''t summon so many wraiths."


    "Damn it, let me down!" Fenrir struggled violently, "Don''t use this strange magic. Fight me fairly!"


    Drac nced at Serina, who was smiling and looking at him.


    "Are you thinking of ying a game again?" Serina teased.


    "Indeed, it''s rare to encounter such a physically strong species that can maintain human consciousness," Drac admitted straightforwardly, "Watch here, if we can''t hold up against the wraiths'' pressure, call me."


    Serina nodded with a smile, stepping aside to clear enough space on the wall for the two of them.


    Drac then ced Fenrir down with great interest and released all the magical restraints on him.


    "Come on, as you wish, let''s fight fairly," he said with a yful smile.


    Fenriry on the ground in confusion, feeling his limbs regain sensation, and his head buzzed.


    Such a good opportunity? A high-level vampire with strong magic choosing not to use magic and

 Chapter 87 - 87 Vampire Code of Conduct

    <h4>Chapter 87: Vampire Code of Conduct</h4>


    After a while of cheerfully guiding his cheap daughter on the flexible use of magic, and amidst Serina''s angry nces, Drac walked toward the werewolf Fenrir Greyback, who was hanging from amp post.


    "Mr. Greyback, could you tell me who sent these undead to you?" Drac asked with a lightugh.


    Whether it was due to being upside down or still in transformation, Fenrir''s eyes were bloodshot, staring nkly at the mes burning below the city walls.


    "It''s impossible... how could there be a vampire like you..." he mumbled, "even the Dark Lord couldn''t be stronger than this..."


    "Dark Lord?" Drac furrowed his brows, catching the key point in his words. "So these undead were created by Voldemort?"


    Drac then shook his head. "No, I just obliterated his soul source a few months ago, so he should be wandering like a restless spirit by now..."


    "What did you say? You defeated the Dark Lord?!" Fenrir''s eyes widened suddenly.


    "What''s so strange about that?" Drac looked at him with confusion. "Just that tasteless little fellow without a body, did you all find him difficult to deal with?"


    Fenrir opened his mouth and suddenly made a very unattractive smile with his ugly wolf face.


    "Lord Vampire, as long as you lead us dark forces to dominate the magical world, I am willing to pledge allegiance to you!" he said tteringly. "We werewolves and vampires are both from the dark camp and naturally not on opposing sides. There''s no need for us to fight each other, don''t you think?"


    "You''ve changed your attitude quite quickly." Looking at the unprincipled werewolf, Drac shrugged and casually took out a blood-vored lollipop from his pocket. "But why should I dominate the magical world? Even ruling a castle seems troublesome to me, wouldn''t ruling the magical world be exhausting?"


    Just as he was about to put the lollipop in his mouth, Serina snatched it away and popped it into her own mouth.


    "You find ruling a castle troublesome, you''ve been exposed!" she said indignantly while licking the lollipop. "You just want to be a hands-off manager!"


    Drac shrugged helplessly and took out another lollipop to put in his mouth.


    "Forget it, talking to you is a bit troublesome. I''ll take a look myself." He opened his eyes, and light flowed through his pupils.


    Fenrir''s chaotic memories floated before Drac''s eyes.


    Drac saw that in a cave crowded with many werewolves, a wizard with twisted features and red eyes led a group of undead inside... It was Voldemort, who didn''t seem to be any weaker and even had aplete body.


    "Something''s not right." Drac frowned slightly.


    He examined Voldemort''s body in Fenrir''s memory more closely.


    Drac noticed that although his flesh looked very realistic, it had a certain detachment from the surrounding air, as if it was... conjured by magic.


    Using a skeleton as a frame to build an entire body?


    "Interesting." Drac''s mouth curled into a smile.


    He casually cast a stun spell on Fenrir, knocking him out, and then turned to Serina.


    "Lock this dog up. As Voldemort''s subordinate, he might be usefulter."


    "Did you have a conflict with the Dark Lord over in Britain?" Serina crushed the lollipop and tossed the stick over the city wall. "He tried to recruit our dark forces more than a decade ago, and our werewolf neighbors agreed readily. That''s one of the reasons they had a falling out with us earlier."


    Seeing Serina''s action of throwing the lollipop stick, Drac felt it was somewhat familiar and instinctively reached out.


    "io."


    After taking the leftover lollipop stick from Serina, Drac conjured a me and burned it to ashes.


    "Are you turning into an environmentalist?" Serina looked at him, puzzled. "And wasn''t this something the Muggle world started advocating twenty years ago? You were supposedly still asleep back then..."


    "Cough... It''s not to that extent." Drac coughed awkwardly. "I just suddenly worried¡ª I was thinking, wouldn''t there be a lively olddy popping up here, rushing to the city wall to lecture you on employee quality?"


    Serina looked at him with a "you''re an idiot" expression.


    "Forget it, I guess I have some reflexes. I''ll just change the subject." Drac, feeling a bit embarrassed, changed the topic. "Is there a high-ranking vampire named Te here?"


    "There is indeed a Te." Serina nodded slightly. "But he became a vampire about fifty years ago, and arrived at Drac''s castle in thetter half of the 20th century. You were still asleep at that time, so he probably isn''t the Te you''re referring to."


    "It should be him." Drac said. "Where is he now?"


    "Over there, among those high-ranking vampires who are teaming up to hunt dogs, the one in formal attire." Serina pointed her chin toward the distance on the city wall. "I don''t understand, how do you know him?"


    "It''s not that I know him, but a wizard does, or rather... used to." Drac smiled meaningfully. "Let theme back. If we force those werewolves into a frenzy, we might end up with casualties on our side too."


    Serina nodded in agreement.


    She transformed a bat in her palm, ignited it with her innate me, and controlled it to fly into the sky.


    Momentster, a brilliant white firework burst in the night sky, forming the shape of a pair of devil''s wings.


    "Wow, you learn quickly!" Drac praised in surprise as he watched Serina''s actions.


    After the brief teaching just now, Serina seemed to have understood the flexible use of magic and applied it in practice.


    "Of course." Serina proudly lifted her chin, her eyes sparkling with stars. "I must learn the spell you use to ignite the undead. It''s so beautiful!"


    Drac smiled gently and leanedfortably against the serrated city wall.


    He looked at the stars in the night sky and the flickering mes on the battlefield, waiting for the vampire named Te to arrive.


    Several pairs of wings swept through the night sky as nine high-ranking vampires appeared on the battlements, all kneeling on one knee in front of Drac and Serina.


    "Greetings, Lord Drac!"


    "Greetings, Lord Alucard!"


    Their voices trembled with excitement. They hadn''t seen Drac for over a hundred years.


    "You all did well tonight. Go and rest well." Drac offered some perfunctoryfort while directing his gaze to the only unfamiliar face among them. "Are you new here?"


    The vampire in formal attire froze for a moment, then looked up at Drac.


    His featurescked the vampire''s usual malevolence and instead had a refined appearance. His hair was neatly styled into a quiff, seemingly with hair gel, and he had a neatly trimmed goatee above his mouth.


    "Yes, Count." He took a quick nce at Drac before lowering his head again, nervously saying, "I became a proud vampire forty-eight years ago and learned of Drac''s castle forty-five years ago. I came to pledge allegiance to Lord Alucard."


    Drac waved his hand to dismiss the other vampires.


    "Leave first, I want to have a word with the new member." He said.


    The other high-ranking vampires all left the outer city walls after a solemn bow, spreading their wings and disappearing into the night.


    Now only Drac, Serina, and Te remained on the city wall.


    Drac lowered his head and carefully examined the nervous Te.


    His mind currently only had Lockhart''s memories. As for the vampire friend of Robert, he relied on Lockhart''s memories of his conversations with Robert, so he couldn''t be sure if this image-conscious neer was the person he was looking for.


    "Get up, we''re just chatting." Drac smiled softly and said, "Since bing a vampire, have you made any friends?"


    Te stood up, his hands nervously gripping the edge of his formal attire, eyes downcast, still too scared to meet the legendary Drac''s gaze.


    "Every vampire lord in the castle is my friend!" He said cautiously.


    "I didn''t mean those useless words." Drac turned casually, leaning on the crion with his elbow, and asked nonchntly, "I mean, have you made friends from other races besides vampires?"


    Te looked visibly stunned.


    After a moment, he spoke, "Lord Drac, sinceing to the castle, I''ve rarely gone out. How would I have had the chance to make other friends?"


    Drac furrowed his brow slightly.


    Could it be that he is indeed not Robert''s friend? If there really is another vampire named Te, it would be quite a coincidence.


    So he looked at Te in front of him and asked again, "So, you don''t know someone named Robert, a former Auro?"


    Te''s pupils suddenly constricted, and then he knelt on the ground abruptly.


    "Lord Drac, I have not vited the rules of vampire and human interaction set by Drac''s castle, nor have I disclosed any secrets of the castle to Robert." He knelt on one knee, head bowed, and said loudly, "If there''s any punishment, let it be on me, don''t involve innocent people!"


    "..."


    Drac fell into contemtion.


    It is now clear that Te is indeed the vampire friend of Robert he was looking for, but Te''s extreme reaction puzzled him.


    When did Drac''s castle have such vampire regtions?


    He looked at Serina with a questioning expression.


    Seeing Drac''s puzzled look, Serina proudly lifted her chin.


    "Noting back to see the changes in Drac''s castle for a hundred years, now you''re confused,

 Chapter 88 - 88 Lohart’s out of luck.

    <h4>Chapter 88: Lohart''s out of luck.</h4>


    Drac and Te, two vampires, emerged from the dark moon and appeared before a seemingly simple yet meticulously repaired wooden cabin.


    Not far from the cabin was a lush lettuce field, half of the lettuce had been harvested, but the remaining lettuce was still vibrant and thriving under the moonlight.


    Seeing the familiar lettuce, Te was deeply moved.


    It was these lettuces that had sustained him through an entire week of desperate hunger! It was also thanks to these lettuces that he had managed to drag his weakened body from Serbia all the way to Romania, ultimately delivering crucial information back to Drac''s castle.


    "Robert!"


    Te couldn''t control his emotions and stumbled toward the modest wooden cabin, calling out loudly.


    "Robert, are you there? I''vee to visit you!"


    His calls echoed, but no one answered. Te''s expression shifted from confusion to increasing sadness and despair.


    Just as he was about to force open the door to check on his old friend, the cabin window suddenly opened.


    "Who''s there, making such a racket in the middle of the night?" Robert''s elderly face appeared at the window, looking disgruntled. "It''s quite odd. Even though I''ve secluded myself in such a remote ce, there are still people here disturbing the peace!"


    Te''s emotional expression froze.


    As a vampire, it was entirely normal for him to be active at night, so he had subconsciously assumed that Robert''s sleeping hours would be during the day, thinking he would not be resting at this time...


    Robert,cking the exceptional night vision of vampires, peered out for a long while but failed to see the dark-d Drac and Te.


    Seeing no response, Robert muttered a curse and promptly mmed the wooden window shut.


    "Well, it seems Robert doesn''t remember you, but at least we can see he''s quite confident," Drac patted Te on the shoulder tofort him. "Clearly, the amnesia curse''s side effects haven''t manifested in him, so you needn''t worry about your friend''s safety."


    Te, listening to Drac''sforting words, nodded with a wry smile.


    Yet, he found it hard to believe that a friend who had weathered hardships with him could so recklessly forget him.


    Undeterred, Te approached the window outside Robert''s room and gently tapped on the frame.


    "Robert, it''s me, Te," Te said softly, "I''vee to visit you. Could youe out and talk with me for a while?"


    After a moment, the window was swung open.


    "Was that you shouting outside just now?" Robert, shirtless and clearly displeased, looked at Te from the window. "Why on earth would I be out here talking to you in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Who do you think you are?"


    "You don''t recognize me? I''m your old friend, Te, from the same boat journey!" Te said urgently.


    Robert stared at him in silence, his eyes shifting as if trying to recall something.


    Te''s face lit up with hope, thinking Robert was remembering his vampire friend.


    However, the next moment, Robert spoke without mercy:


    "I don''t know how you found out my name or discovered my secluded location. But I must tell you something¡ªyoung man, don''t always look for shortcuts and neglect hard work. I haven''t been the head Auror of the Serbian Ministry of Magic for a long time, so it''s useless to try and curry favor with me!"


    "Let me give you some advice¡ªwork hard and spend a few more years honing your skills at the grassroots level. When your timees, it wille naturally! Think of me back then, starting as an ordinary Auror trainee and working my way up to be an Auror squad captain, which took over thirty years. Did I everin? No!"


    "You need to have my spirit of hard work and dedication, and only then will the Auror Office''s director notice you from the crowd! Then you''ll have a chance to shine, and with your long-term experience at the grassroots level, bing an Auror squad captain like me will definitely not be a dream!"


    Te listened to Robert''s passionate and earnest advice, unable to stop a twitch at the corner of his eye.


    And Drac, standing off to the side, was leaning against a tree on a distant hillside, thoroughly enjoying the unexpected entertainment. He hadn''t anticipated thating to visit a friend in the wilderness in the middle of the night would turn into such a great amusement!


    It was a pleasant surprise!


    Meanwhile, Robert inside the cabin continued his lengthy speech. He mistook the young-looking Te for a trainee Auror eager to climb the ranks, believing that Te hade to this remote ce specifically to seek a connection with the former Auror captain, hoping to use his influence to rise quickly.


    "Young man, I won''t hold it against you for disturbing my rest tonight. But remember what I''ve told you! Only through hardship can you rise to greatness!"


    With that, shirtless Robert solemnly patted Te''s shoulder and then mmed the cabin window shut.


    The air fell silent.


    Te looked at the closed window, thinking about Robert''s earnest words, feeling a mix of emotions.


    Yet deep down, he was quite disheartened. He knew that this friend who had once saved his life and shared adventures on the Danube River had truly forgotten him.


    Drac walked over slowly, observing Te''s conflicted expression with a sigh.


    "Te, what are your ns now?" he asked.


    Seeing Drac approaching, Te silently turned away to wipe away a tear from the corner of his eye, trying to calm hisplex emotions.


    "I apologize for the inconvenience, Lord Drac," he said softly. "I wonder if you have any leads on the viin who erased Robert''s memory. I swear to take revenge and seek justice!"


    "Well... I have more than just leads," Drac replied with a slight smile. "In fact, I''ve already found the wizard who erased Robert''s memory. It was from him that I learned about Robert, who dared to befriend a vampire."


    "Also, you needn''t worry about finding him; I''ve already captured the wizard..."


    Drac''s words suddenly faltered as he recalled a crucial issue¡ª


    In the evening, he had received an urgent signal from Selina and had been quite anxious. He hadpletely overlooked Lothar, who had been with him, and left the Danube River for Romania''s Bran Castle...


    Which meant that the amnesiac Lothar had likely been left abandoned on the Danube River''s shore!


    ...


    Under the starry night sky, the Danube River appeared fragmented and delicate.


    Countless starlights were shattered in the river''s ripples, and a gentle breeze createdyers of ripples, with a few leaves floating on the water''s surface, adding a touch of trivial imperfection to the bright star points.


    By this beautiful rivery a dirty, disheveled man wearing only a pair of shorts.


    His face and hair were covered with dried, hard, yellowish dirt, and his entire body was covered in a dusty color, as if he had rolled in the dirty ground multiple times.


    Nevertheless, if one looked closely, they might still recognize his distinctive facial features and golden hair coated with wax.


    When Drac and Te arrived at the Danube River''s shore, this was the scene they saw¡ª


    Lothary on the ground, filthy, asionally groaning in pain. However, since Drac had forgotten to lift the silencing spell on him, his lips were still stuck together, making it impossible for him to cry out and adding to the sense of misery.


    "Lord Drac, I''m too dull to understand why you brought me here to find such a destitute wanderer," Te said hesitantly, unable to hold back his curiosity.


    Even Drac, despite his keen eyes, took a while to recognize this was Lothar and was now unsure how to start.


    "Hmm..." he said with frustration. "Although I don''t know how to exin it to you, this wanderer you''re referring to is actually the wizard who erased Robert''s memory..."


    Seeing Lothar''s disheveled state, not only Te but Drac was also in a state of bewilderment.


    He couldn''t understand how Lothar could have ended up in such a pitiful state in just a few short hours...


    "Ah?" Hearing Drac''s exnation, Te couldn''t help but exim in surprise. "So Robert''s memory was erased by such a wretched guy?"


    The thought of Robert being affected by such a pitiable wanderer made Te feel ufortable.


    At this moment, Lothar, reacting to Te''s exmation, raised his head and saw Drac approaching.


    "Uh-uh mm-mmm! Mmm-mm¡ª¡ª"


    His lips were stuck together, so he could only shout with his mouth closed, standing up with tears and snot streaming down, rushing toward Drac.


    Drac, feeling disgusted, extended his hand to keep Lothar a foot away, and then lifted the silencing spell from his mouth.


    "Mmm-mm... Wah¡ª¡ª" Lothar finally opened his mouth and began to cry.


    His sobs were heart-wrenching, deeply moving, and soul-piercing, making anyone who saw or heard it feel deeply saddened...


    "Alright, alright, tell me what happened tonight. How did you end up like this?" Seeing his intense sorrow, Drac softened his tone, speaking as ifforting a child.


    After crying for a while, Lothar, through his sobs and trembling, recounted what had happened earlier.


    "Where did you go earlier, and why did you leave me alone?!" He let tears and snot flow into his mouth as he loudlyined. "Not long after you left, I felt extremely hungry. But I didn''t dare to go far, afraid you wouldn''t find me when you returned. So I only dared to search for something to eat nearby..."


    Lothar, being a renowned writer

 Chapter 89 - 89 L have a dream.

    <h4>Chapter 89: L have a dream.</h4>


    "Is that so? You just easily approved Te''s vacation?"


    In the eerie reception hall of Drac''s castle, Serina reclined in a tall Gothic chair, looking somewhat displeased.


    "Yes, don''t you think his story is quite moving?" Drac casually sat on the long table in the center of the hall, ncing at Serina on the Gothic chair. "By the way, I remember that this chair is supposed to be mine. How did you end up upying it?"


    "Well, it''s your fault for being so hands-off." Serina rolled her eyes. "If you agree toe back and manage the castle, I''ll immediately return your chair to you."


    "Never mind, keep the chair. I''ve decided it''s yours now," Drac decisively abandoned his chair and shook his head. "Actually, sitting on the table isn''t too bad."


    "Of course, I prefer sitting on the windowsill. The view is much broader."


    He looked at the empty long table and felt something was missing behind him.


    So, Drac''s figure instantly disappeared from the table, reappearing a momentter on the tall windowsill on the side of the conference hall.


    He sat on the spacious windowsill, leaning against the dark-colored ss that blocked out sunlight, holding a ss of red wine and gently swirling it.


    "So, what happened to the wizard friend who erased Te''s memory andter became a fool?" Serina turned her head and nced at Drac by the window, asking helplessly. "His experiences by the Danube River seem rather pitiable."


    "Well, I suppose it''s the punishment he deserved."


    "I didn''t do anything to Lohart," Drac shook his head. "I thought about it and decided to send him to Dumbledore. As for dealing with his crimes and such troubles, it''s better left to professionals like Dumbledore."


    "As for whether he spends the rest of his life in Azkaban or St. Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries, that''s no longer my concern."


    At that moment, the door to the reception hall was knocked on.


    "Come in."


    Serina immediately adjusted her reclining posture into a more formal sitting position and red at Drac, hoping he would present a more authoritative vampire leader image.


    However, despite being over a hundred years old, Serina still looked somewhat youthful. Her so-called formal posture only made her seem a bit serious,cking any real sense of authority.


    As for Drac, having managed Drac''s castle for centuries, he didn''t need to rely on a formal appearance to instill respect in his subordinates.


    He was respected by all vampires because of his genuine strength and achievements in sheltering many vampires.


    Thus, Drac had no intention of adopting Serina''s formal stance. Instead, he changed to a morefortable position, sprawlingzily on the windowsill and savoring his wine.


    Two senior vampires entered the reception hall.


    They solemnly extended their hands, jointly pushing a ragged, tall man towards Serina''s Gothic chair.


    "Werewolf?" Drac nced at the man, noting the w marks on his clothes and the slightly unusual facial hair, and immediately became interested.


    The man was a pale, angr middle-aged individual.


    His light brown hair was streaked with gray, making him appear somewhat old. His clothes were tattered and patched up. It was clear that this werewolf, unlike Fenrir, was not one of the higher ranks and lived in great poverty.


    "You''re right, Lord Drac!" One of the senior vampires approached, kneeling on one knee in front of the long table, respectfully addressing Serina and Drac. "While patrolling below Drac''s castle, we discovered this werewolf sneaking around spying on our castle and captured him."


    "However, it''s strange that he did not resist our capture at all. Instead, he imed to be a member of the Order of the Phoenix and wished to meet you."


    "The Order of the Phoenix?" Drac raised an eyebrow, looking at the unremarkable werewolf. "You''re referring to Dumbledore''s Order of the Phoenix, the group he formed tobat Voldemort?"


    "Yes, that''s the Order of the Phoenix, Count Drac," the pale werewolf nodded. "My name is Remus Lupin. Two months ago, Dumbledore noticed unusual activity from Fenrir Greyback and sent me to infiltrate his werewolf pack to gather information."


    "A few days ago, I learned from Fenrir''s direct subordinates that the corpses Fenrir acquired were summoned by a mysterious person to help him subdue the werewolves in Romania. In return, Fenrir agreed to the mysterious person''s demand to attack Drac''s castle."


    Drac finished the wine in his goblet, then jumped down from the windowsill.


    "Hmm, it''s a fairlyplete ount, though a bitte," he chuckled lightly. "I already learned about this from Greyback''s memory. Voldemort knew these corpses wouldn''t pose any real threat to me. He just wanted to send some cannon fodder to annoy me."


    "But he might not realize that these mindless things aren''t even worth the trouble."


    Lupin showed a surprised expression.


    "You didn''t know? That werewolf king is already our prisoner, currently kept in arge dog cage." Drac raised his hand, signaling the two senior vampires. "Let him go; he doesn''t seem to be here to cause trouble."


    "Cough, cough, cough, hold on!" Serina suddenly coughed with a serious expression.


    The two senior vampires froze, ncing between Serina and Drac, unsure whose orders to follow.


    Serina then red at Drac as if to say that she was now the castle''s administrator.


    Drac chuckled and shook his head, stepping back and making a "please" gesture.


    Serina nodded in satisfaction.


    "Alright, you can let him go now!" she said with a stern expression.


    The two senior vampires twitched their lips, internallyining about the identical orders they received from the two and meticulously removing Lupin''s restraints.


    "Okay, you can leave now," Serina said. "We''ll question this werewolf separately."


    After the two senior vampires left, Lupin stretched his sore shoulders and looked at Drac.


    "Professor Drac, Dumbledore entrusted me with a letter for you," he said seriously, taking out a well-preserved envelope from his pocket. "But I must ensure that everyone present is trustworthy!"


    "Hey, what''s with this werewolf!" Serina was displeased with this statement and moved to snatch the envelope from Lupin''s hand.


    However, Lupin drew his wand and looked at Drac for confirmation.


    "Let her see it; it''s fine," Drac, seeing Serina''s fierce gaze, reluctantly nodded. "What could Dumbledore write that''s so secretive that it needs such protection?"


    "Forget it, I''m not even interested in seeing it." Serina wrinkled her nose and sat back in the Gothic chair. "There might be something suspicious between the two of you. If I looked at it, I might feel ufortable."


    Drac sighed and pped Serina''s head. "What are you thinking at your young age?"


    "You said I was already over a hundred and a capable youngdy when you wanted me to help manage the castle," Serina retorted, holding her head in grievance. "And now, when ites to teaching me, you start talking about my ''young age.'' I think you''re just bullying me because you know I can''t beat you!"


    Drac put a hand on his forehead.


    He felt he couldn''t win an argument with this troublesome daughter, so he quietly shifted his focus to the letter in his hand, pretending not to hear her.


    The envelope was of excellent quality, seemingly made from the same parchment as Hogwarts eptance letters, with the words "For Professor Drac" written on it.


    Opening the envelope, there was a small, hastily written note inside.


    Unlike the envelope''s high quality, the note was very carelessly written, appearing as if it was torn from a student''s cheat sheet.


    The note contained only a single sentence¡ª


    "Harry Potter might have identally be half of Voldemort''s Horcrux!"


    Drac''s eyes widened in surprise, his mind racing.


    A living person can be made into a Horcrux? Even the despicable Hepzibah didn''t dare to do that back in the day?


    He had to admit that Voldemort had quite a daring streak.


    If Dumbledore''s judgment is correct, does that mean killing Voldemort might require killing Potter first?


    That doesn''t seem quite right. After all, Potter is an innocent person, and such ruthless actions wouldn''t even be allowed by Serina''s vampire code of conduct.


    Drac pondered for a while and decided to stop thinking about it.


    He preferred to deal with Voldemort directly rather than get entangled in such troublesome matters!


    Suddenly, Drac saw the note in his hand burst into mes, instantly igniting by itself.


    Drac frowned, and a cold white me appeared in his hand, forcefully suppressing the mes on the note without damaging it in the slightest.


    ...Then he personally burned the note to ashes.


    Drac was very displeased with Dumbledore''s attempt to destroy the things in his hands. It meant¡ªhe could throw it away himself, but no one else could take it!


    "What kind of secret is so unspeakable that it has to be burned?" Serina looked over and asked suspiciously. "Could it be that there''s really something undisclosed between you two?"


    Drac pped Serina''s head again.


    "Focus on writing your ''Drac Castle Regtions'' and ''Vampire Code of Conduct,'' and stop being so unruly!"


    "Oh." Serina pouted, took out her notebook from her pocket, and secretly added a new note at the end¡ª


    "Don''t trust anything Drac says!"


    ...


    Drac paid no attention to Serina''s small act

 Chapter 90 - 90 Harry Potter and the Diary

    <h4>Chapter 90: Harry Potter and the Diary</h4>


    The distant sky had already brightened, and most of the vampires in Drac''s castle had fallen into a deep sleep. The surrounding air was utterly silent.


    Under the influence of the dark aura from the numerous vampires, the area around the castle felt oppressively gloomy, like an eternal dawn that never sees the sunrise.


    Drac and Selina each held a sunshade and leapt gracefully from the high castle walls,nding lightly on the ground.


    Anyone who hadn''t experienced the battle between the vampires and werewolves firsthand would have no idea from the ground''s appearance that such arge-scale war had taken ce here.


    If anyone else passed by, they might only think it had snowed heavily in June.


    There was no trace of blood on the ground beneath the castle walls, only a vast expanse of fine, snow-like ash, evenly spread across the battlefield.


    asionally, a breeze would stir up a grayish-white haze.


    Drac and Selina walked quietly on the bone ash of the undead, leaving two shallow trails.


    "I rememberst night, the area below the castle walls was densely packed with undead, impossible to count," Selina suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. "But you actually managed to control countless bats to burn every undead into ashes?"


    "Of course," Drac replied with a smile, nodding to her. "Not a single undead within my sensing range was missed."


    Selina puffed out her cheeks, seeming somewhat frustrated.


    "Keep working hard, and maybe in a few hundred years, you''ll reach this level," Drac said with a lightugh.


    However, the next moment, Selina''s expression turned to surprise, and she pointed excitedly towards the other side of the battlefield.


    "Look over there! That must be an undead. You can''t deny it!" she eximed loudly, ncing at Drac with excitement. "Admit it, even you can miss some."


    Drac looked in the direction Selina pointed and indeed saw a pale, stiff figure with cloudy eyes wandering aimlessly.


    He frowned and instantly vanished from his spot.


    When he reappeared, he was already beside the undead.


    Unlike most undead, this one''s body was well-preserved, with intact limbs and rtively unblemished skin, though slightly swollen as if it had been soaking in some liquid for a long time.


    Drac immediately checked the back of its neck and found a patch of charred skin.


    "Selina, look here," Drac called to Selina, who had just flown over, pointing to the back of the undead''s neck. "I didn''t miss this one. A bat with mes hadnded here, but for some reason, it didn''t ignite."


    Selina wore a thoughtful expression.


    "Could it be that your mes failed?" she asked. "Look at him, clearly soaked for a long time. Maybe the fire you sent with the bat was too small and got extinguished?"


    "..."


    Drac stared at Selina in silence for a long time.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" Selina asked weakly. "Did I say something wrong?"


    "I just wonder if you left your brain at home this time," Drac said, exasperated. "Tell me, when did our innate mes be so weak that water could extinguish them? Besides, there''s hardly any water left on him!"


    "Don''t be so harsh. I was just suggesting a possibility..." Selina muttered,cking confidence. "I''ve never seen something like this happen before either..."


    Drac was also puzzled and began to scrutinize the undead''s appearance.


    This was a somewhat frail undead, with long, thick ck hair that, despite prolonged soaking, hadn''t fallen out. Unkempt, it covered half of his face.


    Drac gently waved his hand, a breeze brushing the hair aside to reveal a still handsome face, even though it was swollen, with a hint of arrogance in its expression.


    "He must not have been an ordinary person in life. I wonder how he ended up like this," Drac sighed softly.


    His gaze moved downwards, inspecting the undead''s body.


    Though long soaking had faded his robes, their precious material was still discernible.


    "Wait, look here!" Selina''s voice suddenly rang out. "This mark looks familiar!"


    Standing beside the undead, she lifted his left arm, pulling up the sleeve to reveal a fresh red mark on the inside of his forearm¡ª


    A skull with a serpent emerging from its mouth!


    "This is... the Dark Mark?" Drac stared at the mark in shock, feeling even more confused.


    As Hogwarts'' Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Drac had inevitablye into contact with information about the Dark Lord. He had even personally obliterated the Dark Lord''s soul once.


    So he knew exactly what this mark was.


    This was the Dark Mark, a symbol possessed only by Death Eaters of high status. Lesser Death Eaters, like Fenrir, didn''t have this mark.


    But why was the Dark Mark on an undead summoned by Voldemort?


    Had Voldemort gone so mad that he mercilessly killed his own followers and turned them into undead?


    "If he was once a Death Eater, then it shouldn''t be hard to find out who this wizard was."


    Suppressing his confusion, Drac pointed to the left chest of the undead''s robe.


    "Reparo."


    A sh of light restored the left chest of the robe to a pristine state, revealing a family crest¡ª


    A shield adorned with a mountain symbol, two stars, and a short sword, nked by two leaping greyhounds.


    In heraldic terms, it was described as "Sable, a chevron between two mullets and a short sword, argent..."


    ...


    Meanwhile, at number four, Privet Drive in Little Whinging, Surrey, Ennd.


    Early in the morning, the Dursley family was already arguing at the breakfast table¡ª


    "That''s the third time this week!" a man, so fat he resembled a walrus, bellowed across the table. "If you can''t control that owl, it will have to go!"


    On the other side of the table, a skinny boy with sses tried to exin.


    "It''s bored, it''s used to flying outside. If I could just let it out at night..." He was cut off by his uncle, Vernon Dursley.


    "Do you think I''m a fool?" Uncle Vernon roared, a piece of half-chewed fried egg dangling from his mustache. "I know what happens when you let an owl out!"


    The skinny boy quickly finished his breakfast and rushed back to his room upstairs, locking the door and lying quietly on his shabby bed.


    This bespectacled boy was none other than Harry Potter, the famous savior of the wizarding world.


    However, this boy who had survived a deadly curse, the hero who won the House Cup for Gryffindor, was now locked in a small room, unable tomunicate with his friends for most of the summer.


    Since Harry returned home for the holidays, Uncle Vernon had treated him like a ticking time bomb, because Harry was not a normal child.


    To Muggles like Vernon Dursley, Harry was indeed far from normal.


    Harry was a wizard, a freak in the eyes of these Muggles. He had just finished his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and had to spend the summer with this unpleasant family.


    If the Dursleys were unhappy about Harry being home for the summer, their unhappiness was nothingpared to how Harry felt.


    He missed Hogwarts so much it hurt. He longed for the castle, the secret passages, the ghosts, and his magical sses. When he thought of his subjects, he remembered his admired Professor Drac, the stern Professor McGonagall, the kind Professor Sprout... even his feelings towards the once-despised, nowplex Professor Snape.


    Harry clearly remembered that he had a big argument with Professor Snape beforeing home, ruining their recently improved rtionship.


    Lying on his bed, he felt wide awake. However, when he recalled the argument with Snape over a month ago, the memory felt hazy.


    Harry knew he had grown up in harsh conditions, bullied by his cousin Dudley and his friends, yet he always found ways to cheer himself up.


    A boy growing up in such an environment rarely became quick to anger.


    Now, thinking back, the argument with Professor Snape might have been an impulsive outburst, fueled by his eagerness to mend their rtionship.


    "I should write an apology letter to Professor Snape," Harry thought, staring at the yellowing ceiling of his room.


    But he couldn''t write a letter.


    As soon as Harry got home, Uncle Vernon locked his spellbooks, wand, robes, cauldron, and his prized Nimbus 2000 broomstick in the cupboard under the stairs.


    The Dursleys didn''t care if Harry got expelled from the Quidditch team for not practicing. They didn''t care that he hadn''t done any of his holiday homework. To them, having a "wizard" in the house was the ultimate shame!


    Uncle Vernon even locked Harry''s owl, Hedwig, in its cage, preventing it from sending letters to anyone in the wizarding world.


    "Ron, Hermione... Neville, why haven''t you written to me?" Harryy in his bed, longing for his friends. "If only you''d remember to send your owls, I could write back..."


    Just as Harry was about to tear up, he heard the sound of pages flipping near the window.


    He turned instinctively and saw a nk diary with a ck cover flipping its pages by itself.


    "Tom?!" Harry walked to the window in surprise, eyes brimming with tears. "How did you get out of the cupboard under the stairs?"


    Then he realized the diary couldn''t hear him directly, so he fetched a quill he''d hidden and dipped it in some saliva, writing his question in the diary.


    Two neat lines of writing appeared on the nk page:


    "Harry, I told you, I can use a little magic."


    "Can you help me escape this awful ce?" Harry wrote. "I don''t want to stay here any longer, but I''ve lost my wand. I can''t use magic without it, and there''s no way I can deal with them."


    "Patience, Harry," the diary wrote back. "I may not have the power to take you away from here, but I can give you a good idea."


    "First, we must make them pay for all the suffering they''ve caused you!"


    Seeing the increasingly erratic handwriting in the diary, Harry hesitated.


    "Isn''t that wrong?" he wrote. "I can''t use magic outside of school; I''ll be expelled."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll take care of the revenge for you," the diary coaxed. "There won''t be any trace left behind. When school starts, you''ll still be able to take the express train to Hogwarts as usual."


    "Now tell me, does this family have any important nsing up? I''ll ruin it for them, and once the revenge isplete, I''ll get your wand back for you."


    Harry thought for a long time. Ultimately, the desire to retrieve his wand won out, so he gritted his teeth and wrote in the diary:


    "Tonight, Uncle Vernon is hosting a wealthy building contractor and his wife. They are very important guests; it''s crucial for his drill sales this year."


    "I understand."


    These words appeared on the diary''s page, and then it fell silent.


    Harry carefully ced the diary under his mattress, afraid that Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia would discover it.


    ...


    That evening, in the dining room of Number Four, Privet Drive.


    Vernon Dursley was awkwardly chatting with Mr. Mason, the wealthy building contractor, and his wife.


    "...Mrs. Mason, do tell Petunia those jokes about American plumbers; she''s been dying to hear them..." Vernon Dursley said with a self-satisfied smile to the contractor''s wife.


    At that moment, the diary silently appeared on top of the china cab in the dining room''s corner.


    "Finite."


    A spell to cancel any enchantment appeared on the diary''s nk page.


    The charms that had been cast on the house to make it unplottable and to repel were instantly lifted. The next moment, an owl that had been hovering nearby for several hours swooped into the house like a whirlwind.


    It circled near the ceiling of the living room, searching for direction, as if still disoriented from the recently lifted enchantments.


    After a while, it spread its wings and flew towards Harry''s room.


    Mrs. Mason screamed shrilly upon seeing the owl and fled the house, shouting "Lunatics, lunatics."


    Mr. Mason lingered for a moment longer, telling the Dursleys that his wife was deathly afraid of birds of all kinds and sizes, and asked if this was some kind of joke they had nned.


    Vernon Dursley awkwardly smiled and watched Mr. Mason leave.


    Once Mr. Mason was gone, he quickly rushed upstairs with surprising agility for his size.


    "What the devil are you doing?!" Uncle Vernon snarled, bringing his face dangerously close to Harry''s.


    "I''ve been in my room all this time, doing nothing!" Harry said anxiously, ncing nervously at the spot under the mattress.


    And indeed, he had done nothing, just waiting for good news from Tom Riddle''s diary.


    "An owl! Again, an owl!"


    Vernon''s face turned red with impotent rage. "Last year, these damn birds made us homeless, and this year, one has ruined a huge business deal!"


    He loomed over Harry like a furious bulldog, baring his teeth.


    "An owl, is it?" Vernon said with a crazed expression. "Well, I have news for you, boy... I''m going to lock you up... No owl will ever get near you! And you''ll never go back to that school! Never!"


    True to his word, the next day, Vernon had bars installed on Harry''s window.


    He personally fitted a p on the bedroom door to pass food through three times a day. They let Harry out to use the bathroom morning and evening but locked him up at all other times.


    "Tom, look at what you''ve done," Harry thought sadly as he sat by the window, watching the sun set behind the bars, contemting his future fate. He wrote in the diary, "Ruining Uncle Vernon''s business deal did make me happy, but now I''m trapped forever."


    A line of writing appeared on the diary, ringly visible in the striped sunlight filtering through the bars.


    "Harry, don''t forget you are a wizard," the diary wrote. "A wizard can''t be confined by a bunch of Muggles."


    "But underage wizards can''t use magic outside school," Harry wrote back. "If I use magic, I''ll be expelled from Hogwarts."


    "Don''t worry, Harry, the Ministry of Magic only issues a warning for a first offense," the diary wrote cunningly. "Would you rather be locked in this tiny room for life or take a chance to escape this miserable ce?"


    "Think of the spells I''ve taught you, Harry."


    The diary flipped through its pages again, finally closing, its ck cover blending into the fading sunlight.


    Beneath the spot where the diary hadin, a holly wandy quietly.

 Chapter 91 - 91 The "resurrection" of a corpse.

    <h4>Chapter 91: The "resurrection" of a corpse.</h4>


    Harry stared nkly as he picked up his wand.


    "11 inches, holly, phoenix feather. A wand made of this wood has properties to repel evil."


    "If using magic outside of school for the first time only results in a warning, maybe I can..." He looked at his wand, recalling the powerful spell the diary had taught him.


    "This spell should be easy for you, but you must have a strong desire to destroy¡ª the stronger the desire, the more powerful the spell!" the diary had said.


    Harry took a deep breath, slowly raised his wand, and pointed it at the sturdy iron bars outside the window.


    These bars were the biggest obstacle on his road to freedom. If he could use that spell, he could break free and head to King''s Cross Station, to Diagon Alley, to the Weasleys''... anywhere but this prison-like house!


    He opened his mouth, trying to utter the spell.


    But a voice in his heart seemed to tell him¡ªdon''t say it, don''t use that spell! A spell that requires such a strong desire for destruction must be evil and sinister, leading him down a dark path!


    Harry''s hand trembled, torn between his longing for freedom and his fear of the spell.


    He deeply regretted not working harder, like Hermione, to learn spells from higher grades. If he had, he could have used a cutting spell to escape, avoiding the need to use this unknown spell.


    "No, I can''t do it..."


    Harry gently put down his wand and took out a quill to write in the diary:


    "Tom, can you teach me the cutting spell? I don''t want to use this spell anymore."


    "The cutting spell isn''t simple; it''s hard to teach you through text alone in a short time," the diary responded.


    Tom''s handwriting in the diary seemed agitated, as if angered by Harry''s hesitation.


    "The spell I taught you is easy to use; you just need a bit of anger. Think about how Vernon Dursley locked you up! Think about how this family treats you like a prisoner!"


    "Harry, don''t you feel angry? Don''t you want to leave this cage immediately?"


    "Come on, raise your wand. Your future is yours to control!"


    The diary continued to write persuasive words, and Harry''s hand holding the wand went up and down repeatedly.


    Finally, his longing for freedom seemed to outweigh his doubts about the spell, and a red light shed in his eyes.


    He gripped his wand tightly, raised it fiercely, and pointed it at the bars blocking his way to freedom.


    "Avada¡ª"


    As Harry uttered half of the spell, his wand began to tremble violently, apanied by a chaotic noise, as if an unseen evil entity was flying by.


    At that moment, a ck, inverted cross pendant around Harry''s neck emitted a deep red light.


    Its short, nted crossbar resembled the wings of a demon, now dyed as if in blood, expelling the red light from Harry''s eyes.


    Harry''s eyes cleared instantly, and he closed his mouth, swallowing the rest of the spell.


    He lowered his trembling hand, then copsed onto his bed, as if all his strength had been drained.


    "No... I can''t..." Harry murmured painfully, "I can''t use that spell, Tom, I can''t..."


    The inverted cross pendant around Harry''s neck gradually dimmed, the blood-red wings fading, leaving only a deep, dark color.


    After a long while, the diary on the windowsill slowly opened, revealing a line of faintly blurry text¡ª


    "You disappoint me, Harry."


    ...


    At that moment, the cat p rattled.


    Harry instinctively hid his wand under the pillow, then realized the people outside couldn''t care less about looking in through the small p. They didn''t care about the poor soul inside.


    Aunt Petunia''s hand pushed a bowl of canned soup through the p.


    Harry was starving; he quickly put his wand away, jumped out of bed, and grabbed the cracked bowl meant for him.


    The soup was cold, but he gulped down half a bowl before stopping. He walked to Hedwig''s cage, pouring the soggy vegetables into her empty food dish.


    Hedwig puffed up her feathers, ring at him with disdain.


    "Don''t look so offended. This is all we have," Harry said sternly.


    He ced the empty bowl back by the p andy back on his bed, feeling hungrier than before.


    What if a month passed and he didn''t die of starvation but missed going back to Hogwarts? Would Professor Dumbledore send someone to find out why he didn''t return? Could the professors make the Dursleys let him go?


    If Professor Drac himself came, there''d be no problem. He never cared about rules, maybe he''d turn the Dursleys into fat pigs and a carrot...


    The streetlight outside the window went out, plunging the room into darkness.


    Harry, exhausted and overwhelmed by hunger and deeper pain, didn''t know if not using the spell was the right choice or what his future held.


    Lost in thought, he fell into a restless sleep.


    Harry dreamt he was again standing before the barred window, raising his wand.


    This time, he uttered the dangerous spellpletely¡ª


    A blinding, eerie green light shot from his wand towards the sturdy cage.


    But in the next moment, a red-haired, freckled boy appeared outside the window, struck by the spell.


    He fell with lifeless eyes.


    "No, Ron!"


    Harry jolted awake, drenched in cold sweat.


    He opened his eyes, seeing moonlight shining through the bars. Someone was staring at him from outside¡ªa red-haired, freckled boy with a long nose.


    Just like in the dream, Ron Weasley was really outside Harry''s window.


    "Even in your dreams, you''re thinking about me, Harry?"


    Ron tapped the ss, smiling at Harry.


    ...


    Under a dark night sky, the stars hung low, touching the blood-redke, at the edge of which stood a towering ancient castle.


    Behind Drac''s castley a vastke of blood, lying quietly beside an ancient tower.


    Drac and Selina, dressed in ck and red robes, stood by thekeside, with a bloated corpse floating beside them, drifting as they moved.


    The corpse had a dull expression and cloudy eyes, but a hint of pride remained on its lips.


    "Do you know necromancy?" Selina asked curiously, "I''ve never seen you use it."


    "Not really," Drac chuckled, waving his hand to submerge the corpse in the bloodke. "Just very good at it!"


    He took out a wand made of eerie wood, drawing aplex pattern in the air.


    Then Drac waved his hand, splitting the pattern into two¡ªone entered the corpse''s forehead, the other shot into its heart.


    After this, the blood-redke water surged up, covering the corpse''s arms, chest, face, and finally submerging its nose.


    The next moment, the corpse suddenly moved.


    It slowly stood up from the bloodke, then moved towards Drac and Selina on the shore, stretching out stiff hands as if trying to pull them into theke.


    "Wow, necromancy works so quickly?" Selina''s eyes widened.


    "No, necromancy hasn''t taken effect yet." Drac clicked his tongue in wonder. "It seems this corpse was given a water-rtedmand when created, hence its bloated appearance."


    "What do you mean?" Selina casually pushed the corpse back, looking puzzled. "Was it always soaked in water? Why did it attack us?"


    "This is a mechanism of necromancy." Drac waved his wand, binding the corpse tightly, then pressing it back into the bloodke, exining to Selina, "There are two main types of necromancy: one wakes up long-dead corpses..."


    "These corpses arepletely dead, retaining no actions or habits from life, like a nk te, obeying only the summoner''smands, with 100% obedience."


    "But they lose all malleability, moving aimlessly without control, easy to deal with."


    "The other type is like this corpse. It was given amand by a dark wizard before death. When thismand is triggered, it moves ording to specific actions."


    "You saw earlier, this corpse was activated when submerged in theke, immediately attacking us on the shore."


    "So I guess itsmand was to attack all shore life when in theke, trying to drag them into the water."


    Selina nodded thoughtfully, looking at the now submerged, struggling corpse, her eyebrows slightly furrowing.


    "Wait, I have a question." She asked, "If it only moves when triggered, why was it on the in under Drac''s castle? Can themand extend that far?"


    "That''s the second benefit of this type of corpse." Drac chuckled, "They can move bymand even without the summoner present, unlike the aimless corpses."


    "Given therge number of corpses Fenrir Greyback brought, Voldemort probably used most of his previously made corpses. Hemanded them to obey Greyback, bringing theke-dwelling corpses to Romania."


    The necromancy ritual was nearing its end.


    Countless ck lights passed through the blood water from the corpse''s position, flying into the sky, gradually forming a giant skull with a snake in its mouth.


    Seeing this, Drac waved his wand, altering the ck skull in the sky.


    "I have another question," Selina asked while watching Drac draw.


    "Go ahead, I''ll decide if I want to answer," Drac, enjoying his drawing, smiled faintly.


    "Why did only this corpse survive?" Selina asked, "I heard there were manymanded corpses, but you only kept this one."


    "That''s right, which is why I''m interested in it," Drac said, drawing smoothly while exining, "Corpses with pre-deathmands retain some awareness and habits, distinguishing them from lower-level corpses."


    "This corpse had a strong unfulfilled desire, retaining much of its potential awareness and habits

 Chapter 92 - 92 Regulus Black

    <h4>Chapter 92: Regulus ck</h4>


    "Hello, Mr. ck," Drac said as he approached the shadowy corpse, smiling slightly and gazing down at the face hidden beneath the ck hair. "It''s Mr. ck, isn''t it? I can see the ck family crest on your chest."


    After Drac''s magical transformation, the corpse was unrecognizable from its former self.


    With his ck hair drenched in blood, it hung limply over his face, obscuring half of his cheek. However, the half of his face that was visible still revealed his handsome and proud features.


    At this moment, his skin no longer showed signs of the long immersion-induced swelling. It was somewhat pale but very refined, looking like a pampered young master who had never known hardship.


    Hearing Drac''s voice, he lifted his head in confusion.


    "Ahem... Who are you? How did you end up here?" he asked, somewhat agitated. "Where is Kreacher? Where is Kreacher?!"


    "Calm down, Mr. ck," Drac said, extending his index finger, from which a phantom of demon wings appeared.


    The young man, sitting in the blood-redke, seemed to be doused with cold water and immediately calmed down.


    "I guess you need to know what time it is now," Drac began, recalling how he had felt upon awakening after a hundred years of sleep, and continued, "It''s 1992. I wonder if that differs from the time you remember?"


    "What?!" The young man''s eyes widened in shock. "Are you joking? It''s clearly 1979. That''s thirteen years off from what you''re saying!"


    "It seems you died thirteen years ago," Drac said with a smile. "Take a good look at your surroundings, Mr. ck. This is no longer the ce where you died. I revived you!"


    Upon hearing Drac''s terrifying words, the young man instinctively turned his head and looked around in bewilderment, his eyes filled with extreme confusion.


    "I... I remember being in a dark cave... dragged into the water by countless shadowy corpses..." he muttered. "Yes... I should have truly died..."


    Seeing that the young man still retained some memories, Drac nodded in satisfaction.


    He casually sat down, and the blood-redke rose to form a translucent ruby-like seat beneath him.


    "Mr. ck, tell us your story," Drac said as he sat back in the seat, casually crossing his legs and adopting a listening posture.


    "My name is Regulus Arcturus ck," the young man with ck hair said methodically. "I can''t remember much of my past, only that I was a Death Eater."


    He did not understand why he had no inclination to resist this silver-haired man from the bottom of his heart.


    "It''s clear you were a Death Eater," Drac said, slightly raising his eyes. "What I''m more curious about is why, as a core Death Eater with the Dark Mark, you were killed by Voldemort and even turned into a shadowy corpse?"


    "I don''t know if I was turned into a shadowy corpse, but I wasn''t killed by the Dark Lord himself," the young man, named Regulus ck, said expressionlessly. "I remember clearly that I went to my death willingly."


    "I discovered the Dark Lord''s secret to immortality, a secret that no other Death Eater knew."


    "Horcruxes, right?" Drac said with interest.


    Regulus'' face finally showed a hint of surprise as he nced back at Drac.


    "Yes, Horcruxes. I learned about this evil thing from my family''s dark magic library," he said softly. "To prevent the Dark Lord from achieving immortality, I willingly walked into the traps he set and took his Horcrux."


    "Wait!" Serena, who had somehow arrived beside them, frowned in confusion. "You were one of the Dark Lord''s most trusted subordinates, right? Why would you want to destroy his immortality?"


    While speaking, Serena nced at Drac, pointing at the chair he was sitting on and then at her own position.


    Drac chuckled and casually waved his hand, conjuring a matching ruby seat for Serena.


    "The Dark Lord... he... his methods are too cruel. He doesn''t care about anyone other than himself!" Regulus said with pain in his eyes, seemingly recalling his experiences as a Death Eater. "But I was only a little hesitant, I didn''t truly want to betray him."


    "Until one day, the Dark Lord demanded a house-elf for experiments. I rmended Kreacher." Regulus''s expression turned deeply sorrowful and resentful. "I told Kreacher to follow the Dark Lord''s orders and then return home."


    "Kreacher waspletely focused on my orders because I needed him to return home. Only then could he muster hisst bit of strength and use the house-elf''s unique Disapparation to break through the Dark Lord''s counter-spell and return to the ck family."


    Regulus''s eyes filled with blood-red tears.


    His body had notpletely left the realm of shadowy corpses, so he initially had no tears. These tears were actually blood used by Drac during his organ restoration.


    "I pushed Kreacher into the heart of pain and the edge of death with my own hands," he said, tears streaming down his face as he spoke passionately. "Kreacher was my bestpanion, a family member who had been with me since birth! Yet I pushed him into the fire!"


    "Don''t get too emotional, Mr. ck. Calm yourself down first," Drac said, raising his hand to interrupt Regulus''s grief. "If you get too worked up, the organs I just repaired might rupture again. I won''t repair them a second time."


    It wasn''t that he couldn''t repair them, but Drac disliked doing repetitive tasks.


    "Thank you, I will be careful," Regulus said, wiping away the blood-red tears.


    "After Kreacher returned home, he didn''t tell me what he went through," he continued after a moment. "But from Kreacher''s frightened expression and his weakened state, I discovered something was wrong. So I ordered Kreacher to tell me exactly what had happened."


    "Learning about the Dark Lord''s malevolence, I was very angry and had Kreacher take me to the cave where the Dark Lord had brought him."


    "It was only then that I finally knew the Dark Lord wanted to achieve immortality through Horcruxes," Regulus said, his emotions turning to anger again. "Such a person doesn''t care about even his closest subordinates. He doesn''t deserve immortality!"


    "So I went home and had a locket made that was almost identical to the Dark Lord''s Horcrux. Then I had Kreacher take me back to the cave where he kept the Horcrux."


    "I drank the poison he had prepared for me and exchanged the Dark Lord''s Horcrux."


    Regulus fell silent, and the air grew quiet.


    "So... you knew you would die from that point on?" After a while, Drac asked.


    "Yes, but I went to my death willingly," Regulus said. "Aside from the Dark Lord, I should be the only one who knew about Horcruxes. This became my mission."


    "If the Dark Lord had truly ruled the entire world, there would be no happiness left. Even the ck family would eventually be prey for him. Moreover, the Dark Lord would sooner orter discover the Horcrux had been reced. He wouldn''t spare me, and I would even endanger the entire family."


    "Therefore, I had to die. It was the best oue for me. My parents and family knew nothing. As long as Voldemort didn''t want to expose the fact of the Horcrux, he wouldn''t unnecessarily involve the powerful ck family."


    The air grew quiet again.


    Suddenly, a seat rose from theke, lifting Regulus'' still-waterlogged body.


    The seat was identical to the ruby-like seats beneath Drac and Serena.


    "You are a hero, Mr. ck," Drac said as he stood up and patted Regulus on the shoulder with a sense of admiration. "I never expected that a casually revived corpse would bring such apelling story."


    Initially, Drac was only interested in Regulus because he was the only survivor from that war. This made Drac feel embarrassed, so he wanted to investigate the reason.


    Later, when he saw the ck family crest and the Dark Mark on Regulus''s left arm, he became curious about why such a significant Death Eater was turned into a shadowy corpse.


    Thus, Drac "revived" Regulus to find some amusement in his possibly lingering memories.


    However, he didn''t expect that such a humble corpse would bring such a touching story.


    Drac, who originally intended to find amusement, was unexpectedly moved and felt somewhat embarrassed.


    He nced at Serena, only to find her with her face buried in her hands, her shoulders trembling.


    "Is little Serena crying because she''s touched?" Drac smirked and gently ruffled Serena''s hair, messing up the transition between her ck and white hair.


    Comparing himself to Serena''s reaction, Drac no longer felt embarrassed.


    "Not at all!" Serena''s muffled voice came from between her hands.


    She shook her head, trying to shake off Drac''s hand, but was unsessful.


    "Mr. ck, you should stay here for a while," Drac said, gently smoothing Serena''s hair while turning to Regulus. "You are no longer a wizard, but rather a special kind of shadowy corpse, a dark creature."


    "The bloodke here is very nourishing for dark creatures. Stay here for a few days to rest your organs that no longer function."


    "Cherish this opportunity; few are able to enter this bloodke!"


    Dragging the tearful Serena, Drac prepared to find something else to distract himself. The cold-hearted count couldn''t be moved by a young man!


    "Wait!"


    Before he had taken many steps, Regulus called out

 Chapter 93 - 93 The Black family

    <h4>Chapter 93: The ck family</h4>


    Regulus pressed his hand against the old doorbell.


    *Ding-dong¡ª*


    A harsh ringing sound pierced the surrounding silence instantly.


    Suddenly, terrifying cries came from inside the door. Though indistinct through the door, it was clear that the cries were mixed with a lot of abusive and cursed words.


    Hearing this, Regulus seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.


    "It sounds like my mother''s voice." He nced at Drac and awkwardly exined, "Since I don''t have my wand now and have lost my magic, I had to rely on my family to open the door."


    Drac nodded and stood with Regulus at the door, waiting.


    However, no one came to open the door.


    The shouting from inside grew louder, as if many voices were ovepping, creating a cacophony of unpleasant, jarring words.


    Regulus''s face grew paler, more so than before.


    Drac noticed this and realized that the situation was not as Regulus had anticipated. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.


    The door opened quietly¡ª


    Revealing to the two a nearly pitch-ck foyer. A damp, dusty smell wafted out, mingled with a sweet, rotting odor.


    The ce felt like an abandoned house that had been empty for a long time.


    Regulus stepped aside. Even in the darkness, he quickly found the gasmp switch due to his long-standing habit.


    With a rustling sound, a row of old-fashioned gasmps on the wall lit up, casting a flickering, unreal light over the long, eerie foyer, illuminating the peeling wallpaper and frayed carpet.


    A spiderweb-like chandelier overhead flickered with faint light. The branches of the chandelier and a nearby swaying candlestick on a table were designed to resemblerge snakes, seemingly showcasing the ick family''s heritage.


    On the adjacent wall, some portraits, darkened with age, hung crookedly. At this moment, the portraits all came to life, and the noisy shouting wasing from their mouths...


    The entire house was empty!


    "Has my troublesome son finallye back?"


    A huge portrait hung beside a moldy, bug-eaten curtain, depicting an olddy with a ck pointed hat, who was now angrily shouting.


    She was also the one who woke up the other portraits, making them join in the shouting.


    "That pure-blooded disgrace, filthy traitor, family disgrace, has finally deigned toe home?" the olddy shouted. "I would rather he had died in Azkaban!"


    After seeing this portrait of the olddy, Regulus didn''t even hear what she said clearly. His emotions got the better of him, and he trembled as he walked to the portrait.


    The olddy''s previously furious voice suddenly quieted down.


    She looked at Regulus, who was walking step by step from the door, with an incredulous expression.


    "Is it really you... Regulus... my dear son?" Her previously fierce emotions seemed to be instantly smoothed out, transforming from a cursing olddy into a gentle mother.


    "It''s me." Regulus cried uncontrobly. "I''ve returned, mother!"


    The other portraits around them gradually quieted down, staring nkly at the scene.


    None of the portraits noticed that Drac had entered from the corridor''s corner, curiously examining the wall of portraits. He saw that the olddy''s portrait wasbeled "Walburga ck."


    "You... didn''t die, Regulus?" Lady Walburga ck said. "Kreacher said you died in the Dark Lord''s cave. You have no idea how heartbroken I was!"


    "Do you know? Your father Orion passed away not long after you left. And your rebellious, shameful brother has nevere back! It''s just as well; he doesn''t deserve to return to the ick family''s ancestral home!"


    Sheughed maniacally, but then her expression turned somber.


    "Then I was left alone in this house... Regulus, after all these years, why didn''t you evere back to see me?"


    Regulus looked sadly at his mother''s gaze, hesitated for a long time, and finally spoke.


    "I am already dead, mother. I was turned into a corpse by the Dark Lord''s magic, and it was only yesterday that Mr. Drac restored my memory."


    "Oh! Merlin''s beard!" Walburga covered her mouth. "You... you mean..."


    "I am no longer a wizard, mother." Regulus said. "I am now just a lowly corpse. I actually don''t deserve to return to this home..."


    "You have be a corpse?!" An older ick family portrait suddenly spoke up. "You have be a disgrace to the ick family! Such a filthy species, a stain on the bloodline, will not be allowed into the ick family home!"


    His words made Regulus''s face look very grim, and his mood became extremely heavy as he turned to leave the sorrowful house.


    At that moment, Walburga ck spoke up.


    "Be quiet!" She shouted angrily at the stubborn old portrait. "This is my son! I don''t care what he has be; he is still my son!"


    Regulus''s steps stopped, and his eyes brightened with tears.


    He couldn''t believe that his mother, who cared so much about blood purity and family honor, would say such words. She had acknowledged a son who had be a corpse!


    "Regulus, stay at home." Walburga loudly urged Regulus. "This will always be your home, no matter what you have be. After you and your father left, I''ve been alone here for so many years. It has been enough time for me toe to terms with this!"


    "Okay." Regulus turned around, tears filling his eyes again.


    However, more of the ick family''s elders stepped forward, criticizing Walburga for viting the family''s ancestral teachings.


    And Walburga, with her typical shouting demeanor, stood up to the old ick family members, verbally battling them and confusing them.


    Drac chuckled as he watched the scene and said to a portrait hiding in the corner and watching themotion.


    "Your family''s portraits are quite lively, Headmaster ick."


    "Ah... Actually, they''re not always this uncouth, Count." Phineas ck, with sparse eyebrows and a goatee, forced a smile. "It''s just that seeing young Regulus return has made them a bit emotional."


    Phineas ck was quite embarrassed.


    He had been dozing off in the headmaster''s office when he suddenly sensed a disturbance in the ick ancestral home. Curious, he came to see what was happening. He never expected to witness a scene where two groups were cursing and greeting each other''s families...


    And these portraits seemed to have forgotten that they were all from the same family, and the greetings were directed at each other''s family members...


    What made Headmaster ck even more ufortable was encountering the powerful Count Drac, a frequent visitor to the headmaster''s office!


    The family''s dirtyundry was now on full disy...


    "Let them argue for now, Mr. ck." Drac, having listened to the portraits argue for half an hour, approached the stunned Regulus and patted his shoulder. "We have other things to do. Don''t forget about Voldemort''s Horcruxes."


    Regulus snapped back to reality and quickly left the noisy corridor, leading Drac towards the staircase to the second floor.


    Passing by the long, bug-eaten curtains on either side of the portraits and bypassing what looked like arge umbre stand made from a giant''s severed leg, they reached the dimly lit staircase.


    Climbing up the dark stairs, on the wall beside the staircase, a row of wrinkled little heads was clustered together. Drac nced at the heads and furrowed his brow¡ª


    These were the heads of house-elves, all with the same distinctiverge noses.


    "These heads... are they the house-elves that once served your family?" Drac''s face darkened.


    Regulus''s expression froze.


    "Yes, they were once house-elves who served the ick family for life and had their heads severed after death." He exined somewhat awkwardly. "This is a tradition passed down from the era of Great-Aunt Edora. Most of the old ones who are arguing with my mother left these behind."


    "Pah, house-elves devoted their lives to serving you wizards and ended up with such a fate." Drac''s tone was sarcastic. "It seems that the decline of pure-blood families in the wizarding world isn''t without reason."


    Drac had always thought that the existence of house-elves was distorted.


    This race clearly had significant intelligence and magical abilities but relied entirely on wizards, considering serving wizards as their life''s worth.


    Such a race deserved at least basic respect from wizards.


    "We have been trying to change these customs, but time hasn''t given us more opportunities." Regulus said softly. "In my mother''s generation, she got along well with Kreacher and didn''t support the practice of severing house-elves'' heads."


    "However, the heads left by the ancestors are permanently glued to the walls with Permanent Sticking Charms. We descendants can''t remove them."


    He looked at the row of neatly arranged house-elf heads in front of him and sighed deeply.


    "Permanent Sticking Charm, is it?" Drac examined the adjacent wall and coldly curled his lips.


    The next moment, his fingernails elongated and sharpened into des, and he swung his left hand sharply.


    An invisible, sharp light de sliced through the wall, cutting off the row of house-elf heads along with the outeryer of the entire wall.


    "Reparo."


    Drac casually waved his hand, repairing the damaged wall.


    "There, the heads of the house-elves are left here." He ced the long stone b he had cut off on the stairs leading to the second floor

 Chapter 94 - 94 Kreacher’s Redemption

    <h4>Chapter 94: Kreacher''s Redemption</h4>


    Certainly! Here is the trantion:


    ---


    *Cough, Clich¨¦, we won''t be using that panel on the wall anymore,* Regulus said awkwardly. *From today onwards, even if your lifespanes to an end, we won''t be hanging your head on the wall anymore.*


    *Ah?* Clich¨¦ seemed a bit disappointed and said in a high-pitched voice, *But... but Clich¨¦''s greatest dream is to have his head cut off and stuck on that panel like my mother''s. It''s the highest honor for a house-elf of the ck family!*


    Regulus rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit embarrassed as he noticed Drac watching from behind.


    *Clich¨¦, actually, this practice of cutting off house-elf heads is not good,* he tried to exin to Clich¨¦. *It''s disrespectful to you and irresponsible.*


    *Master Regulus, did Clich¨¦ do something wrong? Are you dissatisfied with me?* Clich¨¦ continued to speak in his unpleasant voice, sounding aggrieved.


    Then, he seemed to suddenly think of something and jumped up.


    *I got it! Master Regulus must be ming Clich¨¦ for not destroying that damn locket!* he shouted loudly.


    With that, he rammed his head against the nearby firece, hitting it while painfully chanting:


    *Bad Clich¨¦! Stupid Clich¨¦!*


    *Stop it, Clich¨¦!* Regulus shouted.


    Clich¨¦ stopped his actions due to his instinct to obey orders.


    *Listen to me, Clich¨¦. I''m not ming you at all,* Regulus squatted down to Clich¨¦''s level and looked him in the eyes. *It''s normal that you couldn''t destroy something belonging to the Dark Lord.*


    *Now, give me that locket, and I''ll find a way to destroy it.*


    Clich¨¦ looked at Regulus''s sincere expression, and tears welled up in his eyes.


    However, in the next moment, his expression suddenly changed, and he took a few steps back.


    *No, your aura is different from Master Regulus''s!* he cried out loudly, trembling as he spoke with great determination, *Master Regulus is dead! You must be an imposter sent by the Dark Lord trying to steal the soul container Master Regulus sacrificed his life for!*


    *I will never give that locket to you!*


    With those words, he wiped away his tears and vanished with a *bang*.


    Regulus looked at the scene in shock, feeling a deep sense of helplessness.


    *Mr. Drac, is my body as a corpse... really no longer myself?* he said sadly. *I never imagined that even Clich¨¦ wouldn''t recognize me.*


    *The aura of a corpse is indeed different from that of a wizard. It''s normal for a house-elf to be suspicious,* Drac came over from beside the tapestry and said. *After you and your mother passed away, Clich¨¦''s actual master should have be your brother, right? There''s no longer a master-servant contract between you.*


    *Moreover, he saw you die in that cave with his own eyes, and you had repeatedly urged him to destroy Voldemort''s horcrux. He would naturally be very cautious about this matter.*


    *You should be happy that your house-elf is still maintaining the necessary vignce!*


    *But if Clich¨¦ doesn''t recognize me, how can we retrieve the Dark Lord''s horcrux?* Regulus asked worriedly. *Didn''t you tell me that the Dark Lord mighte back at any time?*


    Drac did not respond but instead walked to where Clich¨¦ had vanished.


    *Even though I''ve seen it quite a few times, I still have to say that house-elf Apparition is much more interesting than wizard Apparition,* he said with a lightugh.


    Then, Drac extended a hand and began to carefully search the air, as if looking for something.


    When his hand touched the height where Clich¨¦''s shoulder had been, his eyes suddenly lit up. He thrust his hand into the air¡ª


    Drac''s long fingers seemed to pierce through the space and disappeared from the ck family''s living room. Then he pulled back his fingers from the other side of space with a slight effort.


    In his hand was the wrinkled neck of a house-elf with an ugly face.


    It was Clich¨¦, who had just Apparated away!


    Clich¨¦ looked at the familiar living room, still a bit dazed.


    But the next second, he was thrown out by Drac.


    *Regulus, has your house-elf not had a bath for decades?* Drac said with distaste, pping his hands and ncing at Regulus. *Clich¨¦ is covered in mud, especially in the folds of his skin. I suggest you give him a good washter!*


    At this moment, Clich¨¦ finally came to his senses and got up from the floor of the living room.


    *You... you are an evil demon. You shouldn''t be in the ck family!* he said with fear and horror in his eyes.


    At the same time, he shivered and took two steps back, intending to Apparate away again.


    Seeing this, Drac raised his hand and Clich¨¦ was instantly bound to the floor by an invisible force, unable to move even a bit.


    *You two demons, kill me!* Clich¨¦, realizing he couldn''t resist, closed his eyes and said resolutely, *Even in death, I will not hand over the item Master Regulus sacrificed his life for!*


    Looking at Clich¨¦''s *noble sacrifice*, Drac smiled and looked at Regulus.


    *Your house-elf says you''re a devil!* he said with a smile.


    Regulus shook his head helplessly and approached Clich¨¦, crouching down.


    *Clich¨¦, I really am your Master Regulus,* he said softly to Clich¨¦. *Open your eyes and look carefully. Can you truly not recognize me? This would make me very sad.*


    Clich¨¦ had no intention of opening his eyes, but tears continued to flow down his cheeks.


    *I saw with my own eyes... Master Regulus is dead. He was dragged into theke by countless corpses... It''s all my fault, I couldn''t save Master Regulus...* he sobbed loudly. *But even though he''s dead, you still don''t let him rest. You even use your despicable, vile, and ruthless appearance to impersonate him and deceive others with the things he sacrificed his life for...*


    *... I will not let you seed!*


    Regulus smiled helplessly, sitting cross-legged on the ground, and looked down at Clich¨¦''s ugly face.


    *Well then, Clich¨¦,* he said gently, *I''ll sit here and tell you about the stories of my life and what we''ve experienced together. Maybe it will help you stop doubting my identity.*


    Without waiting for Clich¨¦ to respond, Regulus began to recount his past stories.


    He spoke with great care, as if he were not telling the stories to Clich¨¦ but slowly trying to recover his fading memories of life.


    *I remember, I was the youngest child of my parents, and I had a rebellious older brother. From a young age, my rebellious brother liked to go against my father and mother, and even after he started at Hogwarts, he broke the ck family tradition by joining Gryffindor.*


    *I knew my parents were angry with my brother and had high expectations for me, so I tried my best to obey them and live as they wanted me to. Because I knew, that would make them happy.*


    *Later, I also entered Hogwarts and, living up to my parents'' expectations, joined Slytherin. In my second year, I became the Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team and defeated the Gryffindor team thoroughly. This made my Gryffindor brother very embarrassed.*


    *When I told my mother this news, she was very happy for a long time and would always use it to tease my brother whenever she saw us. My parents also told him that ''Regulus is a better son than him,'' and I''ve always been proud of this.*


    Clich¨¦''s overwhelming tears gradually stopped, and he listened attentively.


    *Everyone knows these things; you can''t prove you''re Master Regulus with these stories.* he mumbled, though his inner doubts were beginning to waver.


    *Then fine,* Regulus said with a gentle smile, *I''ll tell you some lesser-known things.*


    *I''ve always admired the Dark Lord since I was young, agreeing with his ideals of pure-blood supremacy. And I did quite well, even receiving a Dark Mark personally granted by him before graduating. After graduation, I naturally joined the Death Eaters. I was proud of it.*


    *Butter, I realized I was still too young. The reality of being a Death Eater waspletely different from what I imagined...*


    *At first, I thought Death Eaters wouldn''t torture Muggles and Muggle-born wizards like they didter. Everyone followed the Dark Lord just for their own bloodlines and power. Butter, I found that under the Dark Lord''s influence, everyone became cruel, extreme, and violent... I didn''t realize this was wrong, but I didn''t have the courage to resist.*


    *What truly made me decide to betray the Death Eaters was the moment the Dark Lord tried to kill you.*


    Regulus looked at Clich¨¦ with a somber tone.


    *You respected my orders so much that, because I told you to remember toe home afterpleting the Dark Lord''s task, you used yourst bit of strength to return home... Clich¨¦, I''m sorry for pushing you into that abyss.*


    *No, Master Regulus, you didn''t...* Clich¨¦

 Chapter 95 - 95 Professor Dracula has a book out?

    <h4>Chapter 95: Professor Drac has a book out?</h4>


    Here is the tranted text:


    ---


    **Xiaohui Jin District, No. 4 Nvzhen Road**


    Harry was picked up by the three Weasley brothers, Fred, George, and Ron, in a flying car.


    Listening to Uncle Vernon''s angry shouting from the window, he happily rolled down the car window and let the evening breeze tousle his hair.


    Harry couldn''t believe it¡ªhe was free!


    "See you next summer!"


    Harry stuck his head out the window and shouted to Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and Cousin Dudley, who were standing nkly at the window.


    The Weasley brothersughed heartily, and Harry leaned back in his seat, unable to stop smiling.


    "Harry, can you tell us what happened this holiday?" Ron eagerly asked once the car hadpletely taken to the night sky, "You didn''t reply to a single letter, and I was really worried. At first, I thought it was Errol having trouble..."


    "Who''s Errol?" Harry asked.


    "Our family owl," Ron exined, "He''s getting old and has copsed from delivering letters before. So I wanted to use Hermes¡ª"


    "And who is Hermes?"


    "The owl that Mum and Dad bought for Percy when he became a prefect," Fred, who was driving, said while looking back. Harry was worried he might crash if he wasn''t careful.


    "But Percy wouldn''t lend him to me," Ron said, "Said he needed him himself."


    "Percy has been particrly weird this summer," Georgeined, frowning, "He''s had Hermes deliver loads of letters and always locks himself in his room... I don''t understand, does a prefect''s badge need that many cleanings... You''re heading too far west, Fred."


    He pointed to apass on the dashboard.


    Fred adjusted the steering wheel.


    "So, did you take the car out without Dad knowing?" Harry asked, having already guessed the answer.


    "Oh, he doesn''t know," Ron said, "He''s workingte tonight. Hopefully, we can sneak the car into the garage without Mum finding out. Otherwise, Dad will be really mad at us..."


    Harry mentally observed a moment of silence for Mr. Weasley.


    Suddenly, Ron seemed to realize something, turning and staring wide-eyed at Harry.


    "...Wait, were you just changing the subject?" he asked.


    "Uh, I wasn''t..." Harry, embarrassed by the revtion, turned his head to look at therge moon outside.


    "You were changing the subject!" Ron insisted, "Come on, tell us what you did during the holiday!"


    Harry instinctively didn''t want to tell them about the diary, so he hesitated and left out Tom''s involvement.


    "I got back at the Dursleys for locking Hedwig up by ruining one of Uncle Vernon''s big deals..." he mumbled, "Then I waspletely locked in my room, only getting two meals a day and only two chances to go to the bathroom..."


    "They''re horrible!" Fred said angrily, shaking his fists.


    His actions startled George, who quickly reached out to straighten the empty steering wheel.


    "Hedwig being locked up makes sense if you didn''t send us any letters. But why couldn''t Errol find you?" Ron asked thoughtfully.


    "What? He couldn''t find me?" Harry asked, surprised.


    "Yes, at first I thought Errol was just old and confused. It wasn''t until Hermione wrote to tell me that her owl couldn''t find you either that Fred and George realized something was wrong," Ron said, "That''s why we decided to sneak over to see if something was wrong with you."


    "That''s right, the owl not finding you is probably due to a spell called the Concealment Charm," George said from the passenger seat, "Fred and I studied this charm before to keep Mum''s yelling letters from finding us, but we didn''t seed."


    He looked extremely regretful.


    "It''s a rather advanced charm that wizards use if they don''t want to be found or disturbed by owls. But if it''s been covering a Mugglemunity for a whole month, that''s very unusual!" Fred said.


    "Anyway, Fred and George are right!" Ron said happily, "If they hadn''t realized something was wrong, I might not have found out until school started that you were locked up."


    Harry''s face also broke into a happy smile.


    The flying car sped along, and as the four young wizards approached their destination, a faint red glow appeared on the eastern horizon.


    The sunrise gradually turned the clear, cloudless sky into a rose-like color, signaling that a beautiful day was about to begin.


    Ottery St. Catchpole Vige, they had arrived¡ª


    Fred skillfullynded the car beside a dpidated garage, clearly indicating it was not the first time he had piloted Mr. Weasley''s flying car.


    The garage was surrounded by a small yard. The yard seemed to have once been arge pigsty built from stones, which had been expanded into several floors of haphazardly stacked rooms.


    No professional architect would design a house like this; such a crooked house could never appear in the Muggle world. After all, even the Leaning Tower of Pisa couldn''t vite physics so severely, nor could it deviate so greatly from human aesthetics!


    So the only answer was that this house was magically pieced together...


    The four of them quietly got out of the car, and Harry saw four or five chimneys sticking out from the crooked red roof. A sign leaning against the house read "The Burrow."


    "It''s not much, Harry," Ron said anxiously, "I know it''s... well... a bit shabby, but I promise the house won''t suddenly copse while you''re sleeping!"


    "No way!" Harry shook his head, excitedly saying, "On the contrary, it''s fantastic!"


    After escaping from the prison of Number Four Privet Drive, he felt like anything was paradise! Moreover, the Weasley''s "Burrow" perfectly matched his imagination of the magical world''s strange and wonderful ces.


    The Weasley brothers were pleased with Harry''s evaluation.


    They decided to sneak upstairs and surprise Mrs. Weasley when she called them for breakfast.


    However, the next moment, Ron''s introduction got stuck in his throat, his face turning green, eyes fixed on the direction of the house.


    Fred and George sensed something was wrong and turned to see where Ron was looking.


    Mrs. Weasley was walking briskly from the yard, scaring the chickens and roosters into a frenzy.


    Harry was amazed that Mrs. Weasley, such a plump, kind-looking woman, could look so fierce, like a snarling tigress!


    "This is bad," Fred said.


    "Not just bad, it''s a disaster," George added.


    Mrs. Weasley stopped in front of them, hands on her hips, scrutinizing the guilty faces of Fred, George, and Ron.


    The atmosphere made Harry feel guilty as well, and he lowered his head silently.


    Mrs. Weasley was wearing a floral apron with a wand tucked into the pocket.


    "Alright, you three," she said.


    "Good morning, Mum," George said, blinking and using his most charming tone.


    "Do you know how worried I''ve been?" Mrs. Weasley said in a chillingly low voice, ignoring him.


    "Sorry, Mum, but we had to..."


    Though Mrs. Weasley''s three sons were taller than her, they all trembled and couldn''t reply when her anger erupted.


    "The beds are empty! No note! And the car is gone... It might have been in an ident; I''m going crazy!" she scolded loudly, "Have you ever thought about it? Out of all my children, you three are the most troublesome! Wait until your father gets home to deal with you, Bill, Charlie, and Percy never did anything like this..."


    Mrs. Weasley seemed to scold them for an hour, while Harry stood beside them, trembling.


    During the scolding, seeing that their mother had entered a trance-like state, Fred subtly elbowed George in the side.


    "George, you''re 14 now, and you''re not cute at all," he whispered, "Pleading won''t work, Mum doesn''t buy that. The only one who can save us now is Harry."


    George immediately understood, elbowing Harry''s left arm, startling him.


    "Harry, our lives are in your hands!" he whispered, "It''s your turn now, Harry, say hello to Mum and get her to notice you."


    "Seeing you as a guest, Mum will be very happy. She''ll soon forget about us sneaking out with the car..."


    Harry''s lips moved.


    Looking at Mrs. Weasley, who was like an angry tigress, he hesitated, unsure if interrupting her scolding would make her angrier or if his presence would really help.


    In short, he was feeling a bit scared.


    "Come on, Harry, distract Mum as soon as possible, and she''ll let us off the hook sooner," George''s voice came again.


    Harry gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind.


    After all, it was the Weasley brothers who had rescued him from that prison, so what''s the big deal about taking a scolding for them!


    Thus, he bravely stepped forward.


    "Uh... Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Harry said weakly.


    His voice immediately caught Mrs. Weasley''s attention.


    "Ah, it''s so nice to see you, dear Harry," she said, her voice somewhat hoarse after shouting, but now warm and friendly, "Come in and have some breakfast!"


    It seemed she had forgotten about scolding the Weasley boys and turned with a kind smile to go inside.


    Harry nced nervously at Ron and the others, who all gave him thumbs up, and Fred and George''s expressions clearly seemed to say¡ª


    "Nice job!"


    ---


    Life at the Burrow is worlds apart from life at Privet Drive.


    The Dursleys like everything to be orderly, while the Weasleys'' home is filled with magic and surprises¡ª


    The mirror on the kitchen firece mantel startled Harry.


    The first time he looked into the mirror, it suddenly shouted, "Tuck your shirt into your trousers, you slob!"


    There are also a few ghoul-like creatures living in the attic of the Burrow. Whenever they feel the house is too quiet, they howl loudly and bang on pipes.


    Additionally, there are always small explosionsing from Fred and George''s bedroom, which the Weasleys consider perfectly normal... Harry couldn''t help but think of the grand ns Fred and George had whispered about atst year''s Christmas party¡ªthey wanted to make fireworks that could engulf the entire Hogwarts Castle!


    ''I hope they don''t actually manage to do it,'' Harry worried about the safety of Hogwarts Castle.


    But none of these things were the most unusual aspect of the Weasley home.


    To Harry, the most unusual thing about the Weasley household was not the talking mirror, the banging ghouls, or the constantly exploding twins'' bedroom... but the fact that everyone here seemed to genuinely like him!


    Mrs. Weasley kindly mended the old socks with holes that Dudley couldn''t wear; she insisted that Harry eat several helpings at every meal, muttering that he was too thin and needed to eat more since he was growing; Mr. Weasley enjoyed having Harry sit next to him at meals and continuously asked him about Muggle life, inquiring about plugs and post offices...


    About a week after arriving at the Burrow, on a sunny morning, Harry received a letter from Hogwarts.


    "School letter," Mr. Weasley announced, holding several letters sent by Hogwarts''mon owl.


    Harry and Ron each received a yellow parchment envelope with green writing.


    "Harry, Dumbledore already knows you''re here," he remarked with some awe. "That man, nothing escapes him."


    Mr. Weasley handed the letters to the respective recipients, looking pleased.


    For a moment, no one spoke as they read their letters.


    Harry''s letter informed him that he would still take the Hogwarts Express from King''s Cross Station on September 1st, returning to Hogwarts Castle.


    Included was a list of new books needed for second year¡ª


    "Standard Spells (Year 2)" by Miranda Goshawk


    "Beginner''s Guide to Transfiguration" by Emeric Switch


    "Magical nts and Fungi" by Phyllida Spore


    ...


    Except for Miranda Goshawk''s "Standard Spells," which had advanced from Level 1 to Level 2, the other books werergely the same as the first-year list, with no additional purchases required.


    But Harry''s eyes widened when he saw thest line.


    The final item on the list was¡ª


    "Errors Picked from ''Dark Arts: A Self-Defense Guide''" by Brad Drac


    The name of this book didn''t seem like a serious textbook at all, but rather a book that critiqued another author''s work, which were generally the least liked.


    But the issue wasn''t there.


    "Professor Drac wrote a book?" Harry looked bewildered at Ron, who was sitting beside him.


    "Really? Someone aszy as Professor Drac actually wrote a book?" Ron''s expression of confusion was no less than Harry''s. "He''s sozy that he wouldn''t even grade assignments, and it seems like he didn''t even write the final exam."


    Hearing Ron''s words, Mr. Weasley looked up from his newspaper, frowning.


    "So you''ve encountered another unreliable Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" he said. "Honestly, Hogwarts hasn''t hired a reliable Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in decades!"


    "No, Dad, Professor Drac is the most reliable Defense Against the Dark Arts professor I''ve seen in my five years!" Percy, having finished reading his letter, interjected. "He mentioned in ss that there are some issues with ''Dark Arts: A Self-Defense Guide,'' and this new book might be to help correct those issues."


    "Wait, you''re saying... Professor Drac is staying on for a second year?!" Mr. Weasley''s mouth fell open, and the newspaper dropped onto hisp.


    Seeing the children in the living room nodding in unison, Mr. Weasley was astonished.


    "Hiss¡ª" he drew in a sharp breath. "A professor who stays on for a second year is quite terrifying. I''ve never seen a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor whosted this long!"


    "It''s actually not that surprising," Mrs. Weasley, who was clearing the table, gave Mr. Weasley a look and said, "I met Professor Drac at a tea party hosted by Lockhart at Madam Puddifoot''s Tea Shop. He looked like an exceptionally powerful wizard! More importantly, he was very handsome!"


    Mrs. Weasley''s eyes sparkled with stars.


    "It''s such a pity that I was deceived by that fraud Lockhart for so many years," she said wistfully. "If Professor Drac hadn''t captured Lockhart at that tea party, and if Dumbledore hadn''t exposed his memory-stealing crimes, I wouldn''t have known that Lockhart was such a despicable person!"


    "And don''t you remember? Professor Drac also asked us to deliver something¡ªthe crystal ball we took to Brown Castle when we visited Charlie in Romania!"


    Mr. Weasley pped his thigh in realization.


    "So that means Professor Drac must be incredibly powerful!" he said to Ron. "If that''s the case, isn''t it a good thing that he wrote a book?"


    "Well, it is good... but it just doesn''t seem like writing a book fits with a professor''s style," Ron shrugged.


    At that moment, Fred and George walked over side by side.


    "Actually... we know why Professor Drac wrote the book."


    They said, holding their heads high with a mysterious air.

 Chapter 96 - 96 Tip-over lane

    <h4>Chapter 96: Tip-overne</h4>


    Here''s the trantion of the text:


    ---


    "How did you find out why Professor Drac published a book?" Ron asked Fred and George, looking at them with suspicion.


    In the living room, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Percy, and Harry also turned their curious eyes toward them.


    Fred and George nodded with satisfaction and began to recount what they knew.


    "You know Cedric Diggory, right?" Fred said, "The one from third year... No, now he''s in fourth year. Anyway, he got the top score in our year''s final exam!"


    "Then why don''t you two hurry up and learn from Cedric?" Mrs. Weasley, setting aside a stack of dishes, put her hands on her hips and looked at the two troublemakers with disappointment.


    "Mom, that''s not the point!" George protested unhappily, "We''re in the middle of telling a story!"


    "Alright, I''m curious to hear what you have to say." Mrs. Weasley nodded and quieted down.


    She then took the dishes and tossed them into the kitchen, where a floating sponge scrubbed the dishes clean with bubbly foam.


    "Harry should know about this, right?" Fred continued, "Cedric received a pendant made by Professor Drac. I remember you also got one at that time."


    ''Not only do I remember, but I even lost ten Galleons to the twins over it!'' Harry awkwardly nodded.


    He had been tutored by Tom with his favorite Dark Arts Defense ss, so his grades improved rapidly.


    "Yes, everyone knows Cedric was the top scorer. But few people know that he almost became the second!" Fred, unaware of Harry''s thoughts, continued to speak to everyone in the living room.


    "How could that be? Isn''t Cedric''s score far ahead of the second ce?" Mr. Weasley asked, "Amos Diggory has been bragging about his son in front of me, and my ears are almost calloused. Could it be that Cedric isn''t as excellent as he says?"


    "Dad, though it''s hard to admit, Cedric is indeed that good." George shrugged, "His usual scores really do put a lot of distance between him and the second ce."


    "Oh? So what happened this time? Did he make a mistake?" Mr. Weasley folded the newspaper, ced it on the freshly cleaned table, and focused intently on Fred and George.


    "No, no, Cedric didn''t make a mistake." George said mysteriously, "It''s just that before the exam, he visited Professor Drac''s office..."


    "Get to the point, George!"


    Percy, unable to stand the twins'' teasing, shouted at them.


    "Percy, you really have no sense of humor." Fred said with a smirk, "Get to the point, George. They might be getting impatient."


    "The main point ising up!" George nced at Percy with annoyance, "Before the final exam, Cedric went to Professor Drac''s office to ask a question. The gist of it was¡ª"


    "When answering the questions on the test, should we follow the content in ''Dark Arts: Self-Defense Guide,'' or the content taught by Professor Drac in ss?"


    "George is right, but do you know how Professor Drac responded?" Fred said with a mischievous smile, mimicking Drac''s tone, "Professor Drac told him on the spot: ''The content I taught is the correct one. Any discrepancies with the textbook are the textbook''s fault!''"


    "That can''t be right..." Percy said in surprise, "I filled in all the answers based on the textbook, but I wasn''t deducted any points!"


    "That''s the key issue!" George told Percy, "The final exam papers were not set by Professor Drac, nor did he grade them. In fact, he even forgot to rify this with Professor Dumbledore, who was grading the papers..."


    "...So, Cedric, who answered ording to Professor Drac''s teaching, ended up with many points deducted unfairly..." Fred and George chimed in, "If the content in the textbook hadn''t been so close to what the professor taught, Cedric''s first ce might have been in jeopardy!"


    "Ah, Cedric is really pitiful." Mr. Weasley sighed and shook his head, taking a sip of his drink.


    Suddenly, his expression changed, and he spat out the water in shock.


    "Wait, you just said... who was grading the papers?" he asked, astonished.


    "Dad, you heard correctly, it was Professor Dumbledore." George said with a grin, "The exam papers were also set by Professor Dumbledore. I don''t know what kind of private deal he and Professor Drac made..."


    "That''s right. So, Harry and Ron''s confusion about why Professor Drac is writing a book is actually quite reasonable." Fred said, "Professor Drac is such azy person; it''s surprising he would suddenly decide to write a book!"


    "Yes, Fred." Ron asked in confusion, "What does Professor Drac publishing a book have to do with Cedric''s exam being unfairly scored?"


    "You don''t get it, little Ron." George said with a sly smile, "A few days ago, we invited you to the hillside to y Quidditch with Cedric. It was on that day Cedric told us this secret."


    "But you refused our kind invitation because you wanted to stay at home and study your wizard''s chess!"


    Hearing the embarrassing nickname "little Ron," Ron stood up, ready to confront George. Harry quickly held him back.


    "Cedric told us he went back to Professor Drac''s office after receiving his grades." Fred continued, "But this time he went to argue with Professor Drac, asking him why he lost so many points."


    "And that''s why Professor Drac is writing a book." George said with a smile, "Cedric told us that the professor felt embarrassed about this, so he decided to personally write a book, pointing out all the ws in our textbook!"


    Everyone present agreed with this exnation.


    If the idea of Professor Drac patiently writing a book was surprising, then writing it out of embarrassment was quite in line with Professor Drac''s character.


    At that moment, a gray feather duster fell in from the crooked window. Harry took a look at the duster and noticed it was actually breathing!


    "Errol!" Ron shouted.


    He picked up the dirty, sickly owl from the ground and pulled out a letter from beneath its wing. "It finally brought Hermione''s reply. I had written to tell her we were going to rescue you from the Dursleys."


    He ced Errol on a wider tabletop, muttering "poor Errol."


    "How old is that duster... I mean, owl?" Harry almost said what he was thinking but awkwardly corrected himself and asked Fred.


    Fortunately, the Weasleys didn''t seem to mind, as they probably thought the same thing.


    "Errol, he was the owl the family got Bill when he first went to school." Fred shrugged and told Harry, "Bill graduated five years ago."


    Harry counted on his fingers and realized Errol was already 12 years old¡ªabout the age of the oldest owls...


    "Well, it really is... quite old..." Harry looked at Errol with sympathy.


    "We actually wanted to retire him long ago, but we''ve always been too poor. Ginny is going to school this year too, with a bunch of things to buy." Mr. Weasley sighed, "So we can only make Errol work a bit longer. Once the family is better off, we''ll definitely find him a good retirement home!"


    Harry looked again at the old owl lying on the table, hoping it would live until the Weasleys were financially better off.


    At this moment, Ron had finished reading Hermione''s letter.


    "Merlin''s beard, Hermione is still busy with homework during the summer!" He eximed in surprise.


    "Yeah, so it''s almost unbelievable that Hermione didn''t get the top score in Dark Arts Defense!" George said, patting Harry''s shoulder.


    He was still a bit bitter about losing ten Galleons to Harry and Fred.


    "Then why don''t you hurry up and learn?" Mrs. Weasley red at him, "You, Fred, and Ron are the most worrying children!"


    ...


    The days at the Burrow passed quickly, and soon it was the day Harry and Hermione had nned to go to Diagon Alley to buy textbooks.


    Mrs. Weasley woke the young wizards early in the morning. They each hastily ate five or six pieces of quick sandwiches and then put on their coats.


    Mrs. Weasley picked up a flower pot from the kitchen firece and first handed it to Harry.


    "Ladies first!" she said with a smile, "Harry, you go first!"


    Harry stared at the flower pot in front of him,pletely stunned.


    "Do I... water the flower pot?" he asked hesitantly.


    At the same time, he started looking around for a container to catch the water, wondering if watering the flower pot was some strange tradition in wizarding households before setting off.


    "Mom, he''s never used Floo powder before!" Ron said suddenly, seeing Harry''s bewildered expression, "Sorry, Harry, I forgot to mention this."


    "You''ve never used Floo powder?" Mr. Weasley asked in surprise, "Then how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy suppliesst year?"


    "I took the subway..." Harry said weakly.


    "Oh, a new Muggle thing?" Mr. Weasley asked excitedly, "What kind of transportation is the subway? Is it simr to cars? How does it operate..."


    "Don''t ask now, Arthur." Mrs. Weasley interrupted him, "Using Floo powder is definitely faster than the subway, but... Merlin, if you''ve never used it before..."


    "He''ll be fine, Mom." Fred said confidently, patting Harry''s shoulder, "Harry, just watch us!"


    He pinched a pinch of sparkling powder from the flowerpot, walked to the firece, and threw the powder into the mes.


    With a "whoosh," the mes turned emerald green.


    The green mes rose higher than Fred''s height, and he walked straight into the fire, clearly shouting a word¡ª


    "Diagon Alley!"


    In the blink of an eye, he disappeared.


    "You must say these words clearly, dear," Mrs. Weasley said to Harry. "And be sure not to go through the wrong firece when youe out..."


    Meanwhile, George also reached into the flowerpot and then disappeared into the mes of the firece.


    Mrs. Weasley and Ron gave Harry many more instructions, and Harry nervously memorized them, nodding asionally.


    After Mr. Weasley also left the firece, Harry looked at Mrs. Weasley and Ron''s encouraging eyes and nodded firmly.


    He desperately tried to remember all the instructions and then took a pinch of Floo powder, walking to the edge of the mes.


    Harry took a deep breath, sprinkled the Floo powder into the mes, and walked forward.


    The green mes suddenly surged, creating a gust of hot wind. As soon as he inhaled, he immediately took in a mouthful of scorching soot.


    "Cough, cough... Diagon Alley..." Harry coughed out.


    In the next moment, it was as if he was sucked into a giant outlet.


    His body spun rapidly, and deafening howls filled his ears. He desperately tried to open his eyes, but the spinning green mes made him dizzy...


    After an unknown period of spinning, Harry fell face down onto a cold stone floor. He felt that his sses had been shattered.


    Dizzy and bruised, covered in soot, he carefully got up and ced the broken sses on his nose, looking at the unfamiliar ce before him¡ª


    It seemed to be a spacious and dimly lit wizarding shop, and he was standing in front of a stone firece inside the shop.


    But everything here was extremely peculiar, and nothing seemed to be on Hogwarts'' shopping list.


    Next to him, in a ss case, was a withered human hand, a stack of blood-stained cards, and a lifeless ss eyeball. A grotesque mask red down from the wall, and various human bones were disyed on the counter, with rusty, tooth-like instruments hanging from the ceiling.


    Looking through the dusty shop window, he could see a dark, narrow alley¡ª


    This was definitely not Diagon Alley!


    ...


    London, Knockturn Alley, The White Dragon Pub.


    It was an old-looking pub, located on the second floor of a ck wizarding tattoo parlor. Its exterior walls were made of exquisite marble, and arge metal sign hung outside, engraved with a two-legged dragon covered in white scales.


    Unlike most noisy and chaotic pubs, this one was very quiet.


    The pub was divided into discreetpartments, each with a tightly secured protective magic on the door, ensuring that every group of patrons had a very safe and private space.


    The White Dragon Pub had a luxuriouspartment, its walls entirely made of gold, windows adorned with crystal, chandeliers covered in blood-red jewels, and the edges of the tables iid with many pure diamonds.


    The decor of thispartment perfectly embodied the opulence of dragons.


    The pub had existed for at least a few hundred years, but it had never been open.


    However, today, the patrons of the White Dragon Pub were astonished to see that the barmaid, who had looked unchanged for decades and was usually extremely indifferent, was now respectfully leading a silver-haired man into the luxuriouspartment.


    She extended her finger and drew a symbol on the golden-decorated door.


    In the next moment, the door, which had not been opened for centuries, quietly opened...


    The patrons in the shop were shocked by this scene, unable to help but ask each other about the identity of the silver-haired man. The usually silent pub suddenly became noisy.


    At this moment, the barmaid, with snow-white hair and a streak of blood-red, and ck-red dragon horns extending from her head, suddenly turned around and red at the whispering patrons with eerie yellow slit pupils.


    "Have you all forgotten the rule of silence in the pub?" she said coldly.


    The people present shivered, quickly closing their mouths.


    The barmaid thenposed herself, once again respectfully walking through the door.


    "Lord Drac, do you have any further instructions?" she asked softly.


    Drac casually sat on a plush sofa, looking at the barmaid before him.


    "Bring me a bottle of the blood wine, the kind your dragon n collected in the early days," he said with a lightugh. "Also, someone wille to see meter. He''s not a big shot; just have a waiter take him up."


    "Understood." The barmaid nodded gently and turned to leave.


    Not long after, a pale-faced, cold-eyed wizard with light blonde hair entered the White Dragon Pub, carrying a staff.


    "I''m here to see Mr. Drac," he told the doorman.


    "Mr. Malfoy, correct?" the doorman asked with a standard smile.


    Lucius nodded proudly, evidently confident in his surname.


    However, the doorman paid no heed to the surname Malfoy, only politely extending a hand inward¡ª


    "Please this way."


    They passed through a quiet hall where many wizards were quietly drinking and speaking in hushed tones.


    Lucius recognized several acquaintances among them. They nodded to each other but refrained from speaking, fearing to break the pub''s rules and anger the fearsome barmaid¡ª


    There had once been a powerful wizard who did not heed the rules and caused amotion here... Later, he turned into a pile of ashes...


    Lucius followed the doorman to the most borately decorated door.


    Seeing the doorman gesture for him to enter, he widened his eyes in surprise.

 Chapter 97 - 97 The return of the Dark Lord?

    <h4>Chapter 97: The return of the Dark Lord?</h4>


    Sure, here is the trantion of the text:


    ---


    "Mr. Drac... Is he in this room?" Lucius asked quietly, his eyes wide as he looked at the attendant beside him.


    "Mr. Drac is in this booth, Mr. Malfoy," the attendant replied with a smile.


    Lucius swallowed hard, trying several times to knock on the door before ultimately lowering his hand again. He still couldn''t believe that this door would actually be opened one day and that he had the opportunity to step inside...


    "Come in, Lucius."


    At that moment, Drac''s distinctive deep voice came from inside the door, and the opulent, dazzlingly luxurious door opened.


    Lucius finally breathed a sigh of relief, pushed the door open, and tiptoed into the booth.


    Although, as the current head of the Malfoy family, Lucius prided himself on having seen many grand scenes, he still couldn''t help but gasp in awe when he entered this booth, taking a few moments to nce around.


    It turned out that on a certain day, just as the summer vacation for Hogwarts students had just begun, all Death Eaters with the Dark Mark tattooed on their left arms felt a series of strange sensations in their arms.


    They quietly found ces where there were no other people and secretly looked at the mark on their arms¡ªthe once pale red Dark Mark gradually turned crimson, and over time, the crimson color began to shift to a charred ck.


    Seeing this, some felt panic and fear, some felt confused and helpless, while others were overjoyed.


    But all former Death Eaters knew one thing¡ª


    The Dark Lord had returned!


    Due to the terrifying influence of the Dark Lord, regardless of their feelings about the Dark Lord''s return, all Death Eaters still active in the British magicalmunity Disapparated and rushed to Little Hangleton, the Riddle family graveyard, where Voldemort was.


    Among them were many wizards who had escaped Azkaban during the wizarding war years ago, including Alecto Carrow, Amycus Carrow, Antonin Dolohov, Auguste Rookwood, and notably Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy!


    Voldemort sessfully intimidated everyone with the body he had created using the remains of Tom Riddle, or rather, even though he only had an iplete body, he was still more powerful than all the Death Eaters!


    Facing the not inconsiderable number of Death Eaters after many years, whether they were sincere or feigned, Voldemort expressed his satisfaction.


    As for why he was eager to appear before fully restoring his strength, it was because he was worried that his former Death Eaters would be gradually divided and eroded by Dumbledore and Drac.


    In fact, Voldemort was never worried about the strongest wizard, Dumbledore, but rather about Count Drac of the vampire n!


    Voldemort knew that Drac did not have as solid a moral baseline as Dumbledore. If Drac was determined to weaken the Death Eaters'' power, he might use unscrupulous means to coerce, threaten, or even kill the living forces of the Death Eaters.


    This would have a significant impact on Voldemort, who had not appeared for over a decade.


    So, Voldemort appeared, summoned his Death Eaters, and personally told them¡ª"I am immortal. No one can kill me. All of you should not think about escaping my control!"


    At the same time, he reiterated his blood purity ideology, allowing these wizards who wanted more benefits for their families to see the future of pure blood they longed for in his words!


    Voldemort''s harsh and grandiose words were also very effective. Many wavering wizards extinguished their thoughts of turning to the Ministry of Magic or Dumbledore and instead returned to the embrace of the Death Eaters.


    After all, they believed that Dumbledore was already old, while Voldemort was undying and immortal!


    Lucius also wanted to restore his former glorious Death Eater identity and seize benefits in the pure-blood society for the Malfoy family.


    Until Voldemort praised Snape''s contribution as an undercover at Hogwarts and severely reprimanded him for losing something important¡ªLucius even received a soul-crushing Cruciatus Curse on the very first day Voldemort announced his return.


    As a result, Lucius changed.


    He knew that he had fallen out of favor within the Death Eater ranks and that continuing down this path was futile.


    However, in Lucius''s mind, the only one who could oppose Voldemort, Dumbledore, would not engage in dirty dealings with him.


    So, he thought of Drac.


    Having witnessed Drac''s actions at that board meeting and heard his son Draco''s praise of the professor, Lucius realized through a narrow lens that Drac''s strength was definitely not weak!


    In his view, even if Drac could not match Voldemort and Dumbledore, he would not be too far from them. More importantly, this Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had a more flexible moral baseline, which suited his cooperation needs.


    So, he arranged to meet Drac at the Leaky Cauldron in Knockturn Alley before the school year started, hoping to discuss cooperation in such a confidential ce.


    When Lucius arrived at the Leaky Cauldron and saw Drac sitting in the closed-off booth that had been shut for a hundred years, he also thought of the parchment in Drac''s hand that could expel board members¡ª


    Lucius suddenly realized that Drac''s identity might be moreplex and profound than he had imagined!


    ...


    "Interesting," Drac said with a smirk after listening to Lucius''s ount. "I''m thinking, next time Voldemort summons you with the Dark Mark... How about I Disapparate with you and deal with his new body?"


    Lucius was horrified.


    "Mr. Drac, please don''t!" he quickly advised. "Even if you can defeat the Dark Lord, if you don''t kill him thoroughly, he will suspect me when he returns next time!"


    "I hope you will spare me a life considering the information I''ve provided..."


    "Alright, it seems I can''t bully him for the time being," Drac said with a hint of boredom. "You may leave. Remember to send me the list of the dark magic equipment you used."


    "Certainly!" Lucius wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and hurriedly left the luxurious booth.


    Talking to someone who frequently mentioned "bullying the Dark Lord" was quite stressful...


    After Lucius left, Drac poured himself another ss of wine but suddenly lost his interest in drinking.


    "School is about to start. Howe I haven''t found a tool... um... an assistant yet..." Drac slumped onto the soft sofa, staring out the window with some concern.


    Through the crystal window, he observed the various dubious-looking wizards and dark creatures on the narrow street of Knockturn Alley.


    "Hmm?" Drac suddenly made a small sound of surprise.


    He saw a skinny figure with round sses.

 Chapter 98 - 98 The first professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts to be re-elected.

    <h4>Chapter 98: The first professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts to be re-elected.</h4>


    Harry sneaked out of Borgin and Burkes, pressing his cracked sses against his nose and looking around.


    Before him was a dirty alley, nked by what seemed to be shops dealing in Dark Magic. Borgin and Burkes appeared to be thergest, while across the street, the window of a store ominously disyed shriveled human heads. Between two storefronts, arge cage was densely packed with enormous ck spiders.


    In a dark doorway, two ragged wizards were whispering and eyeing him, while some creature-like beings were licking their lips in his direction.


    Harry felt a shiver run down his spine and wanted to leave this eerie ce as quickly as possible.


    He jogged along, asionally adjusting his broken sses.


    ...However, after two minutes, he sadly realized he had lost his way.


    "Lost, are we, dear?"


    Suddenly, an old, unpleasant voice startled Harry.


    An old witch stood in front of him, holding a dish that resembled a collection of deceased fingernails. She looked at him menacingly, exposing teeth that appeared to be covered in moss.


    Harry trembled, backing away in a panic.


    "I''m fine, thank you," he stammered, "I just..."


    At that moment, Harry suddenly felt something grab his shoulder and lift him off the ground.


    The old witch below reached out with sharp nails, trying to pull Harry down, but he was ascending too quickly for her to reach.


    With his feet off the ground, Harry iled his legs desperately, trying to escape, but afraid that if he fell, he would be the old witch''s prey.


    Summoning his courage, Harry turned his head, hoping the thing grabbing him was something he had learned about in Defense Against the Dark Arts... As the top student in his first-year Defense Against the Dark Arts final exam, he might find a solution!


    Turning his head, Harry saw a huge bat grasping his back, its wings pping continuously.


    The bat seemed somewhat familiar...


    Like...


    Like the one that caught him on the Quidditch pitch!


    Harry''s heart instantly lightened, and he even began to enjoy the view from up high.


    He saw the ugly old witch''s begrudging expression, the many shady wizards in the narrow street staring up at him in surprise, and a luxurious window that seemed out of ce in the alley...


    Inside that window was a silver-haired man, elegantly holding a crystal goblet and sipping wine.


    The bat''s wingbeats slowed as it hovered next to the window. Then, it suddenly elerated, flinging Harry''s small body toward the wall beside the window.


    "Ah..." Harry cried out in terror as the wall loomed closer.


    Just as Harry was about to crash into the marble wall, the silver-haired man inside nced over at him.


    The next moment, the marble wall seemed to turn into liquid, rippling with spiral waves.


    Harry passed straight through the thick wall andnded heavily on a soft sofa.


    "Mr. Potter, I believe you need to exin why you are in such a dangerous ce as Knockturn Alley?" Drac''s calm voice came from beside Harry. "Curious about the ce and sneaking in?"


    "Professor Drac!" Hearing that voice, Harry''s anxiety dissipatedpletely, and he hoarsely shouted, "I got lost... It was my first time using Floo Powder today, and I inhaled some of the ash... So I might have said the wrong word..."


    "Diagon and Knockturn don''t sound very simr, do they? How much ash did you inhale?" Drac asked with a hint of amusement.


    He then noticed that Harry was indeed covered in soot, which had even dirtied the luxurious sofa cushions in thepartment.


    Drac frowned.


    "Well, it''s clear you''ve inhaled quite a bit of ash."


    As he spoke, he snapped his fingers. The soot in thepartment vanished instantly, and Harry''s sses were repaired and as good as new.


    "Thank you, Professor..." Harry said weakly, "This Knockturn Alley doesn''t seem like a ce where respectable people woulde... Ah, no, Professor, I didn''t mean to imply that you''re not respectable."


    Drac''s expression immediately darkened.


    "Do you know who that old witch who stopped you just now was?" he sneered with malicious intent, "This is something to be covered in second-year sses. If you had studied well at home, this question shouldn''t be too hard to answer."


    "Ah?" Harry was stunned. "Wasn''t she just an old witch with a peculiar appearance and personality?"


    "It seems you didn''t study the uing content at all," Drac said with a pleased smile. "If you had observed carefully, you would have noticed that the old witch had many warts on her face and neck, simr to fungi or solid blisters growing on her skin."


    "If you had looked even more closely, you might have noticed that the front of her feet was much narrower than that of a normal person, because such creatures only have four toes."


    "So... that old witch wasn''t a witch at all?!" Harry asked in shock.


    "Correct, she was a hag," Drac said with a chuckle. "Hags particrly enjoy eating raw liver, especially that of children. If I hadn''t happened to be nearby and found you, you might have already had your heart and liver taken out, leaving nothing but a corpse!"


    Harry broke out in a cold sweat, feeling a wave of relief. He swore never toe to Knockturn Alley again!


    "Well, since you didn''t study properly at home, you''ll have double the homeworkpared to others for the first two weeks after you return to Hogwarts," Drac said, ncing at Harry, whose face had turned pale with fear, nonchntly.


    "Professor, there''s a reason I didn''t study!" Harry quickly exined. "After returning to the Mugglemunity, my aunt and uncle hid all my magical things, so I had no chance to prepare!"


    "What a poor child," Drac said.


    Harry''s face showed a glimmer of joy, thinking that perhaps his homework wouldn''t be doubled after all.


    "But what does that have to do with me?" Drac''s next sentence shattered Harry''s brief joy. "And how would I know if that isn''t just an excuse?"


    "I''ll assume what you said is true, but since you used Floo Powder toe to Knockturn Alley, it means you must have left your Muggle family and stayed with a wizarding family for a while, hmm, I''d guess the Weasleys."


    "So during your stay with the Weasleys, did you spend all your time ying andpletely neglect your studies?"


    Harry stared nkly at Professor Drac''s long-winded exnation and finally understood¡ª


    Whether he had studied or not was irrelevant; the petty professor was simply looking for revenge for his casual remark about "unrespectable"!


    He stood up indignantly and stared at Drac, saying resolutely:


    "Professor, I ept the doubled homework!"


    Seeing Drac''s smirking expression, Harry decisively chose to submit. He realized that resisting would be futile and that agreeing now was better than having the workload tripled. Besides, Drac didn''t usually assign much homework anyway... assuming he could prevent Hermione from reminding him!


    "Professor, you''re right. I am currently staying with the Weasleys," Harry said. "I mistakenly arrived at Knockturn Alley and now I''ve lost my way. They must be very worried. So... could you please take me to Diagon Alley?"


    Drac nced at him and casually ced his crystal goblet on the table.


    "Alright then, I should be leaving anyway," he said, standing up and walking to the window of thepartment, lifting the closed window.


    In fact, when thispartment was first built, the luxurious window couldn''t be opened to ensure privacy.


    But Drac found it too cumbersome to bypass the central hall, walk through many booths, and descend the stairs from the second floor of the White Dragon Tavern to the ck wizard tattoo shop on the first floor. It was faster to simply jump out the window.


    So, to amodate Drac''s preference, the tavern''s owner had specially modified the window to be operable.


    At this moment, Drac skillfully lifted the window and jumped out.


    Having had previous experience in Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, Harry gritted his teeth and followed Drac out the window.


    Indeed, just before hitting the ground, a bat skillfully flew beneath Harry''s feet, providing enough cushioning for a smoothnding in the dark, narrow alley.


    After the two left, the luxurious window in the White Dragon Tavern automatically closed, returning to its original tight-sealing state, leaving no chance for curious onlookers to peep.


    Drac, arms crossed, leisurely guided Harry through the winding, narrow alleys toward Diagon Alley.


    Harry noticed that the previously sinister and malevolent gazes from the alley''s denizens had changed.


    Upon seeing Drac beside Harry, their eyes showed fear and respect. They didn''t dare to linger their gaze on the two and quickly looked away.


    "Professor, it seems like people in this alley are quite afraid of you?" Harry asked curiously. "Did you deal with them before?"


    Drac nced dismissively at the various dark wizards and creatures along the street and sneered. "Them? I couldn''t be bothered to deal with them."


    Harry could only silently give a thumbs up to Drac''s extreme confidence, as he had no way to refute...


    The real reason wasn''tplicated.


    In an alley filled with dark magic like Knockturn Alley, a dark source like Drac, even showing a hint of darkness, could have a significant impact on the dark wizards and creatures here.


    The beings that managed to survive in this ce were not fools; their senses were sharper than ordinary people''s. Even if they hadn''t met Drac before, they could deeply feel that the silver-haired man was... not to be trifled with!


    After walking for about five or six minutes, the light in front of Knockturn Alley grew brighter, gradually dispelling the gloom and darkness of the alley.


    The two finally emerged into the bright sunlight of the outside world. Harry saw a familiar white marble building from a distance: Gringotts Bank.


    "I suppose you don''t need me to guide you the rest of the way?" Drac asked, stopping his steps.


    He disdainfully nced at the sunlight streaming into the alley, stepped aside, and stood in the shadow of a shop''s eaves.


    "Hmm!" Harry nodded vigorously. "Thank you for your help today, Professor Drac!"


    As he spoke, he ran toward Gringotts, where he saw Hermione standing on the white steps, happily waving at him.


    Drac watched Harry''s departing figure, then saw the Weasley family hurriedlying from afar. He chuckled and shook his head.


    In the next moment, his figure disappeared into the shadow under the eaves.


    ---


    In the Hogwarts Great Hall, the staff had almost all arrived.


    At this magical school, there was a peculiar phenomenon¡ªmany Hogwarts professors lived within the school.


    Professors like Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Flitwick could all be considered aging single wizards. They had no family burdens and didn''t need to return home to spend time with family during their off hours.


    Or rather, the students at Hogwarts were their family.


    So, unless they had other academic exchanges to attend, these professors spent most of the summer at Hogwarts.


    At this moment, Snape was leaning over to whisper something to Dumbledore, McGonagall was busy organizing the new student list and the opening banquet schedule, and Flitwick was cheerfully chatting with Professor Sprout...


    Suddenly, the light in the Great Hall seemed to dim.


    "Hmm, is it going to rain?" Professor Flitwick looked curiously at the magically enhanced ceiling of the hall. "There don''t seem to be any clouds up there?"


    "It might also be that Professor Drac has arrived," Professor McGonagall said calmly, writing on parchment while speaking to Flitwick. "Whenever the students are not around, he tends to do things like this."


    Sure enough, in the next moment, Drac appeared at the professor''s table and elegantly took his seat.


    Drac had never liked the magically enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall because it made him feel the sunlight indoors.


    So he had devised a good method using the Hogwarts property deeds¡ªto control the magical node of the castle to adjust the light transmission of the ceiling.


    In simple terms, it was about adjusting the brightness of the ceiling!


    However, this wasn''t very suitable when there were too many students. On one hand, it affected the mood of the little witches and wizards while dining, and on the other hand, it could reveal Drac''s aversion to sunlight, exposing his vampire identity.


    Of course, Drac himself never cared about revealing his identity; it was Dumbledore who was concerned about it for him...


    Thus, the sudden darkening of the sky was the result of these various reasons.


    Seeing Drac seated, Dumbledore dismissed Snape to his own seat and led the apuse.


    "Let us congratte Professor Drac! He has be Hogwarts'' first Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to be reappointed for a second year in decades!"

 Chapter 99 - 99 Where did Nagini go?

    <h4>Chapter 99: Where did Nagini go?</h4>


    Hearing Dumbledore''s congrattions, the Great Hall erupted into enthusiastic apuse.


    All the staff pped willingly and wholeheartedly.


    After all, being reappointed to the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for a second year was something that hadn''t happened in decades!


    "Professor Drac seems to have had quite a bit of luck; he hasn''t encountered any bizarre situations since he started," Professor Flitwick remarked, "The previous Defense Against the Dark Arts professors always seemed to face all sorts of oddities, which was quite nerve-wracking!"


    "Filius, you may not know this," Dumbledore said with a smile, "but Professor Drac has indeed encountered many strange situations. He has just handled them all very cleverly."


    And this was indeed true.


    The curse targeting the Defense Against the Dark Arts position seemed to have its limits; it couldn''t directly kill the professor in office.


    This curse subtly influenced and altered a person''s fortune, amplifying their bad luck so that even drinking water could cause them to choke, tripping over their own feet, orughing themselves to death from a joke...


    The effect of this fortune-altering curse became more pronounced and harmful as it approached the end of the year.


    However, Drac didn''t mind these minor inconveniences that could make someone unlucky, and no difficulty could really affect him.


    For example, encountering the troublemaking twins Fred and George, being ambushed by a troll on Halloween, staring down a basilisk in the Forbidden Forest, or fighting against the infamous dark wizard...


    Drac had faced enough strange things, but none of these had any real impact on him; if anything, they just added a bit of excitement to his otherwise dull life.


    In the midst of the lively atmosphere, the lunch reserved for the staff ended before anyone realized it.


    Once the tes had disappeared from the table, Dumbledore called for Drac, and the two of them left the Great Hall together, heading towards the Hogwarts Headmaster''s office.


    "Professor Drac, before you leave, could you please adjust the brightness of the Great Hall ceiling back to its previous setting?" Dumbledore said with a smile. "Also, with such bright sunlight, you wouldn''t want to fly directly up to the eighth floor from the entrance courtyard, would you?"


    "You''re right," Drac said nomittally, nodding as he left the Great Hall and restored the ceiling to its original brightness. "But that doesn''t mean I''ll have the leisure to apany you up the stairs."


    Before he could finish his sentence, Drac vanished from his spot, using Apparition to arrive at the Headmaster''s office before Dumbledore.


    Dumbledore shook his head in resignation, called for Fawkes, and with a burst of phoenix fire, entered his office.


    "Professor Drac, I actually think you don''t need to seek out excitement and fast-paced activities all the time. You might try finding special joys in the mundane small things," Dumbledore said as soon as he appeared in the office, addressing Drac who was lounging on the sofa and ying with the Sorting Hat.


    "As an old man of over a hundred years, I''ve probably lost the impatience of youth. Sometimes I think that a quiet walk up the stairs can also be a beautiful experience. Happiness is not an emotional expression but a state of living¡ªa pleasure in feeling at ease with every little thing in the castle."


    Drac tossed the Sorting Hat aside and nced at Dumbledore.


    "You''re right; as a man over a hundred years old, you can indeed find joy in small things around you," he said casually. "But as someone who''s over a thousand years old, I''ve long grown tired of those trivial matters. So why should I apany you up the stairs?"


    Dumbledore''s expression froze.


    Facing such a young face and energetic personality, he instinctively overlooked the fact that Drac was over a thousand years old. Today, he had even used age as an example in front of someone who had lived for more than a thousand years...


    "Ah, Professor Drac, I wonder if you''ve heard any recent secret rumors?" Dumbledore decisively changed the subject.


    "Secret rumors? How secret?" Drac asked with some interest, sitting up straight.


    Dumbledore''s face grew serious, and he stared deeply into Drac''s eyes.


    "Voldemort has returned," he said gravely.


    However, Drac merely smirked andy back on the sofa again. "I keep feeling like someone has been trying to tell me about Voldemort''s return recently."


    "You already knew about this, Professor Drac?" Dumbledore was somewhat surprised.


    "Yes, is that unusual? I''ve encountered quite a few people who knew about it recently. I almost thought it wasmon knowledge by now," Drac said nonchntly. "Your informationes from Snape, right?"


    "Even that you know?" Dumbledore felt a bit numb. He looked at Drac with a rare sense of helplessness.


    "Yes, it''s quite obvious," Drac said. "Last year, when Snape and I had a confrontation in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, I happened to see the Dark Mark on his arm, so I looked into his background."


    "Since Snape, a former Death Eater with a serious past, could gain your trust, it''s clear that he must have sided with you before thest wizarding war ended, and he''s definitely not a fair-weather friend who switched sides after Voldemort fell."


    "Unfortunately, Voldemort is a fool. Otherwise, he should have realized that if someone as intelligent as you trusts Snape, there must be something suspicious going on!"


    Dumbledore couldn''t help but chuckle, suppressing hisughter. "Don''t say that. Tom was actually quite clever when he was younger. Even now, his strength and intellect cannot be underestimated. We must not let our guard down."


    "Tsk, using dark magic to alter one''s body, tearing apart one''s soul for something as meaningless as immortality." Drac said with amusement. "I can''t agree with you calling Voldemort ''clever.''"


    "Let''s return to the main topic, Professor Drac," Dumbledore said with a smile, shaking his head. "After you drove Voldemort away, it seems he didn''t suffer any serious injuries. Within just a few months, he managed to return to the magical world and even regained a physical form..."


    "His experience is nothing short of a p in your face, Count."


    Dumbledore looked into Drac''s eyes, intentionally using a respectful title, and said with a half-smile.


    Drac''s eyes twitched slightly.


    When he first heard the news of Voldemort''s return, he hadn''t thought of it this way. But after Dumbledore made it so clear, Drac did feel a bit embarrassed.


    The fact that Voldemort could recover so quickly after his soul was obliterated was a direct affront to him!


    "No, the more I think about it, the angrier I get!" Drac said angrily, rising from the sofa. "I need to capture Voldemort and deal with him again!"


    "Perhaps you should wait a moment, Professor Drac."


    Dumbledore seemed to have anticipated Drac''s reaction. He calmly took out a piece of parchment from his drawer,beled "n."


    "Instead of repeatedly destroying Voldemort''s fragmented soul and allowing him to be resurrected under the protection of his Horcruxes, we should think about how topletely eliminate him!"


    He pushed the n towards Drac.


    Drac looked down at the parchment, which outlined three preparatory steps:


    "First, investigate the reason for Voldemort''s rapid recovery of power and physical form; second, determine the actual number of Voldemort''s Horcruxes and destroy them one by one; third, use spies to track Voldemort''s movements and prevent any dangerous actions that could threaten the magical world."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Voldemort himself, who was being discussed heatedly by Drac and Dumbledore, was walking contentedly along a path in the Albanian forest.


    After retreating for over a decade, Voldemort was very pleased to find that he still had many followers who responded to the Dark Mark and obeyed hismands. Moreover, many of these followers were influential figures in the magical world, including Severus Snape, who was one of Dumbledore''s most trusted allies.


    With an evil smile on his face, Voldemort quietly mocked Dumbledore in his heart:


    Dumbledore prided himself on seeing through people, but he didn''t realize that his trusted Head of Slytherin had already joined the ranks of the great Dark Lord, faithfully gathering intelligence for him while lurking at Hogwarts over the years!


    Thinking of Hogwarts, Voldemort couldn''t help but think of the vampire count who had chosen to be a Dark Arts professor at the school, causing his expression to turn grim.


    Why did Drac, who was born with the power of immortality, look down on his relentless efforts to achieve eternal life?


    Moreover, why did Drac, a perfectly good vampire count, choose to be a professor of Dark Arts at Hogwarts, disrupting his ns?


    Voldemort ground his teeth in frustration, wishing he could cast countless curses at Drac and end his effortless immortality with a killing curse.


    But he knew he wasn''t a match for Drac at the moment.


    He had to bide his time, wait until his Horcrux diary had Harry Potter''s blood, and his body was fully restored, so he could reach his peak power.


    At that point, Voldemort was confident he would be able to challenge Drac!


    To gain greater power to counter Drac, Voldemort decided to elerate an important task:


    He firmly believed that the number "seven" held great magical significance in the magical world. Thus, he nned to split his soul into seven parts, believing this would grant him even greater power.


    What Voldemort did not know was that twelve years ago, in Godric''s Hollow, he had inadvertently left the seventh fragment of his soul in his nemesis, Harry Potter.


    Therefore, his visit to the Albanian forest was to create what he considered to be his final Horcrux!


    He had already chosen the target for the sixth Horcrux.


    It was therge snake, Nagini, who had been by his side during his most vulnerable time, often apanying him.


    Of course, this carried risks. Even as a master of soul-splitting and Horcrux creation, Voldemort had never attempted to split his soul into a living being.


    But he was very fond of Nagini.


    Unlike other dumb snakes that merely followed orders, Nagini was highly intelligent. She could converse smoothly with him, understand his troubles, and share his anger.


    Moreover, the name Nagini was also something Voldemort had learned from the snake itself.


    Therefore, he was determined to make this magical snake his Horcrux, so she could always be by his side, bing the onlypanion he couldmunicate with when feeling lonely at the top!


    Walking through the Albanian forest with a smile, Voldemort searched for Nagini.


    Hours passed as Voldemort called out loudly in Parseltongue, trying to get Nagini''s response.


    However, despite searching the entire forest and his voice bing hoarse from continuous use of Parseltongue, the only responses came from various small snakes living in the forest, as if Nagini had vanished into thin air.


    Voldemort''s expression darkened significantly.


    ...


    In a secret cave, two snakes, onerge and one small, were hiding quietly in the dim shadows.


    Though described as rge and small," this was merely aparison.


    In reality, both snakes were enormous, any one of which would cause a stir in the Muggle world.


    One was a ringly greenrge snake, about fifty feet long, with a red feather on its head. The other was a spotted viper, twelve feet long. Though smaller than therge snake, it was still a massive creature.


    At this moment, the two snakes were hiding in the shadows, trembling as they heard the asional hissing of Parseltongue from outside the cave, pretending not to hear.


    Suddenly, Voldemort''s tone changed from his previous manner to amanding one, and he shouted:


    "Nagini,e out and see me!"


    Hearing themanding tone in Parseltongue, the smaller viper lost itsposure and began to slither toward the cave''s entrance.


    However, the giant snake used its size advantage to restrain Nagini, preventing her from going out to face Voldemort.


    Once Voldemort left, Nagini finally regained herposure, looking somewhat dazed.


    "I wasn''t wrong, was I, Nagini?" the giant snake hissed. "Just a little while without seeing him, and he uses such a fierce tone to call you. I tell you, this Voldemort is no good!"


    Nagini''s snake head nodded a couple of times, looking gratefully at the giant snake beside her.


    "Thank you this time, Grandpa," she hissed in response. "If it weren''t for you, I might not have seen through this man''s true nature for another twelve years!"

 Chapter 100 - 100 Voldemort and the diary are suffering.

    <h4>Chapter 100: Voldemort and the diary are suffering.</h4>


    The story of how the Basilisk and Nagini met goes back a few months¡ª


    After Voldemort''s failed attempt to steal the Philosopher''s Stone, Drac hadpletely obliterated his soul in the Forbidden Forest and then returned to the chamber where the Philosopher''s Stone was kept to release the Basilisk.


    Drac ced the Basilisk in the Albanian forest, hoping it would help him find Ravenw''s diadem to fulfill his previous promise to Helena.


    Given Drac''s formidable deterrent from a thousand years ago, the Basilisk acted swiftly upon arriving in the Albanian forest, diligently searching for the diadem and inspecting every hollow tree.


    The Basilisk nearly scoured the entire forest but found no trace of Ravenw''s diadem. Therefore, the most likely possibility was that Voldemort had taken it.


    The current dilemma for the Basilisk was whether to inform Drac that Voldemort had taken the diadem.


    The Basilisk secretlypared Drac and Voldemort in its mind¡ª


    One was an old friend of Szar Slytherin from a thousand years ago, powerful, and always able to torment the Basilisk inadvertently; the other was a descendant of Slytherin, whose power seemed reasonable but had failed in the form of a baby...


    As the saying goes, "distant rtives are not as helpful as close friends." Although Voldemort was a half-blood descendant of Slytherin from over a thousand yearster, Drac had genuinely lived for over a thousand years and had always been Slytherin''s close friend!


    So the Basilisk resolved to side with Count Drac.


    Of course, it wouldn''t admit that it was merely obedient due to the torment it had endured from Drac a thousand years ago; nor would it admit that Drac''s use of Legilimency to probe memories couldn''t be concealed from him...


    With this thought, the Basilisk felt a sense of relief and began to wander through the forest, exploring the environment where it would eventually settle down and live.


    During its wandering in the Albanian forest, the Basilisk encountered another sizable viper named Nagini.


    The two snakes hit it off immediately, recognizing each other as intelligent snakes capable ofmunication, and promptly formed a bond.


    When their conversation became more profound, the Basilisk realized how small the world was; the intelligent snake it had casually met was another unfortunate serpent that had dealt with Voldemort.


    The Basilisk, which had already aligned itself with Drac, began to ponder, feeling it couldn''t let this smart snake it had found fall into the hands of Voldemort, who seemed to have no future.


    Thus, it earnestly spoke to Nagini about Voldemort''s ws¡ª


    "Nagini, you don''t know, I was originally a very upright and noble snake!" it hissed with righteous indignation. "A thousand years ago, the great Szar Slytherin left me in Hogwarts Castle, hoping that one day I could help Slytherin''s descendants and protect the magical school in times of danger!"


    "But the glorious deeds I imagined of bringing honor to the school and fighting for Slytherin never came to pass. You have no idea what I went throughter!"


    Nagini listened curiously to the nearly thousand-year-old Basilisk recounting its past.


    "My master was mistaken; Hogwarts Castle, after admitting Muggle-born witches and wizards, did not get exposed as he had feared and attacked by Muggles." The Basilisk continued. "So, I had no chance to act for a long time and remained in the dark, gloomy dungeon, asleep."


    "Because of the Chamber''s secrecy, I would seldom see a living person for one or two hundred years. Even if a descendant of Slytherin found the Chamber, they would be so terrified to see me that they couldn''t think of what I could bring them."


    "Although my master was great, his descendantscked his resolve. Almost no one dared to release me; even if they did, they intended to control me, a powerful magical creature of the 5X level, with Parseltongue, thinking it would let them misbehave in the magical world."


    "Thus, I went from being a very righteous snake to bing the monster in the Chamber of Secrets. I lived in a daze, sleeping for one or two hundred years, barely feeding on underground rats and insects when I woke up, leading a miserable existence."


    "It wasn''t until several hundred yearster that a Slytherin descendant named Corvinus Gaunt could no longer bear my state and decided to use magic to improve my environment in the Chamber."


    Nagini listened attentively for a long time and lightly tapped the Basilisk''s stout body with her tail to offerfort.


    "But you haven''t said anything about the Dark Lord yet!" she asked with interest. "Why do you think he is an unreliable dark wizard?"


    The Basilisk nodded itsrge green head, its red feathers swaying lightly with the motion. "This story goes back sixty years¡ª"


    "I first met the Dark Lord when his name was Tom Riddle, and he was about fifteen or sixteen years old."


    "At that time, I hadn''t seen a person for over a hundred years. Seeing the young Tom Riddle''s impressive appearance and polite demeanor, I thought Slytherin''s descendants finally had an excellent heir. But I clearly misjudged..."


    "Tom Riddle was not only not a good student but had be deeply calcting and dark inside, even when he just started his fifth year. As soon as we met, he spoke only a few words in Parseltongue and immediately began to eagerly n his grand scheme."


    "Hepletely misunderstood my great master''s intentions, thinking that Slytherin despised Muggle-born witches and wizards and wanted to purge these unworthy Muggle-borns from Hogwarts."


    "Moreover, Tom Riddle''s temper is quite violent. He used Parseltongue to orchestrate numerous terrifying attacks at Hogwarts¡ªI only managed to keep them under control by secretly holding back, only turning students into stone through reflections in mirrors or puddles. Otherwise, Hogwarts would have been closed a long time ago."


    "But you know what they say, if you walk by the river often enough, you''re bound to get your shoes wet. One time, just after I had emerged from the Chamber of Secrets, I unintentionally locked eyes with a chubby little witch and identally killed her... So, Hogwarts was really on the brink of closing."


    "And then?" Nagini asked nervously, "Did the school really close?"


    "No, it didn''t close." The serpent''s yellow eyes disyed a hint of disdain. "Tom Riddle is not worthy of being a descendant of Slytherin. He even cast the me for his own crimes onto an innocent third-year student!"


    "That third-year student happened to have a giant spider, Aragog, so he was expelled from Hogwarts."


    "If what you say is true... then the Dark Lord indeed seems quite despicable," Nagini hesitated, hissing quietly. "But during the years he spent in this forest, I was often with him, and he didn''t seem like this kind of person..."


    "Well... He was very gentle, eloquent, and told many interesting stories," Nagini recalled. "The Dark Lord said... he said he was betrayed by others and had to exert all his strength to retain a fragment of his soul toe to this forest."


    "What nonsense is he spouting?" the serpent sneered. "Lord Drac has informed me that Voldemort clearly just wanted to kill a baby who might pose a threat to him in the future. He failed and ended up being rebounded by his own Killing Curse."


    "With such ack of capability, I don''t even want to acknowledge that he carries the great bloodline of Slytherin!"


    Nagini was puzzled by the serpent''s words. "He... failed with a baby? Are you not joking, Grandpa?"


    "I''m not joking," the serpent hissed. "You wouldn''t believe it, but recently he returned to Hogwarts, trying to steal a stone used to regain power."


    "I almost became fed up with him. How dare hee to ask me for help! If not for our inability to resist Parseltongue, I wouldn''t have bothered with him at all!"


    "So did he manage to steal the stone?" Nagini asked curiously.


    "No," the serpent''s hiss carried a touch of schadenfreude. "Voldemort certainly didn''t expect to encounter an old friend of his ancestor''s at Hogwarts. The difference in their generations is not trivial!"


    Seeing that Nagini still looked doubtful, the serpent nced at her and continued, "Nagini, if you still think Voldemort is a gentle, understanding wizard, perhaps we should test it..."


    And so, the scene of Voldemorting to find the two snakes hiding in the cave appeared¡ª


    During the time living in the Albanian forest, the serpent had collected many snake followers, and itswork extended throughout the forest.


    Thanks to the information provided by its followers, the serpent had anticipated Voldemort''s arrival and immediately decided to hide with Nagini in a well-concealed cave.


    After wandering the forest for a while, Voldemort lost patience. Having recently recruited many high-ranking Death Eaters, his mindset shifted from his previous cautious state to one of arrogance.


    So he dropped the pretense, revealed his true nature, and was no longer using a gentle, understanding tone to call out to Nagini.


    Voldemort used the harshest Parseltongue, trying tomand Nagini toe out of hiding and then to make her into a Horcrux!


    But Voldemort didn''t expect that the serpent, using its size advantage, would tightly restrain Nagini, preventing her from exposing herself to him.


    Seeing no response to his Parseltongue, Voldemort cursed under his breath, guessed that Nagini might have left the forest temporarily, and then Disapparated away.


    After Voldemort left, Nagini''s uncontrolled state finally returned to normal, but she still appeared somewhat disoriented.


    "I was right, wasn''t I, Nagini?" the serpent hissed to Nagini. "Just a little while of not meeting him, and he uses such a fierce tone to yell at you. I told you, Voldemort is definitely not a good person!"


    Nagini''s snake head nodded slightly, looking at the serpent with a sense of lingering fear.


    "Thank you this time, Grandpa," she hissed in response. "If not for you, I might not have seen the true nature of that man even after twelve more years!"


    "Ah, no need to thank me!" the serpent said proudly. "It''s rare to meet a fellow with wisdom like mine, so of course, we should support each other... oh no, I mean, work together!"


    ...


    Voldemort, unable to find Nagini and thus unable to create his sixth Horcrux, was quite distressed.


    And equally distressed was Voldemort''s Horcrux diary.


    Tom Riddle had been lurking beside Harry Potter for quite some time, but his main goal¡ªto obtain Harry''s blood¡ªremained unfulfilled.


    Actually, when Voldemort returned Riddle''s soul to him, he also sent a considerable amount of soul power, which allowed Riddle to sessfully set upplex spells like the Undetectable Extension Charm and the Protection Charm at Number Four, Privet Drive, preventing many owls from delivering letters to Harry.


    At first, Riddle thought the task would be simple.


    He believed that if he could stay close to Harry Potter, wait for a quiet night, use a powerful Stupify spell on Harry, and then cut open Harry''s wrist while he was asleep, he could easily collect the savior''s blood.


    However, Riddle faced a setback on his first attempt.


    After cutting Harry''s wrist, he tried to use the diary''s ink-conserving feature to collect Harry''s blood.


    Unfortunately, the blood, upon touching the Horcrux diary, acted like highly concentrated sulfuric acid, corroding arge hole in a nk page.


    Riddle had to spend a lot of soul power to repair the hole and, while repairing it, he also had to use a healing spell on the boy he loathed to prevent him from noticing anything unusual.


    On his second attempt, Riddle learned from the mistake and was more cautious.


    He used a ss container and a Cutting Charm to make an incision on Harry''s wrist, hoping to collect the blood in the container.


    Riddle was correct in his assumption that as long as he didn''t use the diary itself to touch Harry''s blood, it wouldn''t be corroded.


    However, he didn''t have much time to be pleased.


    As the blood umted in the ss container, it seemed to emit a magical force that Riddle had never encountered before, even causing Harry''s entire body to passively resist.


    Riddle felt an enemy-defeating powering from Harry.


    He exerted immense effort to return the spilled blood to Harry''s veins, stopping the magical attack from the blood, but this also drained more of his soul power.


    From then on, Riddle realized that an unknown power was protecting Harry Potter, so cutting his wrist for blood collection was not feasible.


    But Riddle did not get discouraged. Instead, he thought of a better n.


    He decided to stay close to Harry, subtly gaining his trust, and eventually have him bring his blood to Voldemort, helping him achieve true resurrection!


    Thus, Harry gained a patient, friendly, and highly skilled magical tutor, who helped him achieve the top score in the Defense Against the Dark Arts final exam!


    When Harry returned to his aunt and uncle''s home, all his magical supplies were locked up, including Riddle''s Horcrux diary.


    However, Riddle was not disappointed; instead, he was overjoyed¡ª


    Based on his own experiences in the orphanage, Riddle thought that Harry, being ostracized by his rtives, would long for a friend who could empathize with him and share his hardships.


    So he cast the Repelling Charm and Undetectable Extension Charm to prevent Harry from receiving letters from friends, making him feel extremely lonely.


    Riddle waited in the cupboard until Harry had been neglected by his aunt, uncle, and cousin for a significant period, and as Harry''s birthday approached with no one celebrating, he decided the time was right.


    He emerged from the cupboard and approached Harry just before his birthday.


    "Don''t worry, Harry," Riddle wrote in the diary. "Although I don''t have the power to take you away from here, I can give you a good idea."


    "First, we must get revenge for all the suffering you''ve endured!"


    Riddle recalled his childhood experiences in the orphanage.


    At that time, he had only wanted someone to give him power to exact revenge on those who had bullied him.


    Riddle thought Harry would also want to take revenge on the Dursleys, believing this would gain Harry''splete trust.


    But he was wrong, terribly wrong!


    Harry Potter was fundamentally a kind, caring child who found happiness even in unfortunate circumstances. He had a deep-seated fear and aversion to the dark, evil spells like the Killing Curse.


    Thus, Harry did not use the Killing Curse as Voldemort imagined and did not fully reverse his original nature.


    Moreover, Harry even began to suspect the diary, no longer sharing his concerns with Riddle as he had before.


    After Ron, Fred, and George picked up Harry in the flying car, Riddle felt that things were slipping out of control.

 Chapter 101 - 101 The car crash that Harry and Ron couldn’t escape

    <h4>Chapter 101: The car crash that Harry and Ron couldn''t escape</h4>


    Certainly! Here is the English trantion of the provided text:


    ---


    In the month Harry spent at the Burrow, he had hardly paid any attention to the diary he once cherished.


    Riddle was anxiously waiting, but the start of the school year at Hogwarts was drawing nearer. If Harry returned to school, he would be back under the watchful eyes of Dumbledore and Drac, making it even harder to obtain Harry''s blood.


    "No, I can''t remain passive any longer!"


    Determined, the diary Riddle resolved to take action.


    ---


    Harry felt the summer ended too quickly.


    He looked forward to returning to Hogwarts, but at the same time, the past month at the Burrow was just as wonderful, equally among the happiest times of his life.


    The thought of the Dursleys and the possible mistreatment he might face on his next visit to Privet Drive made him envious of his good friend Ron, who had such a warm and loving family.


    On thest night before departure, Mrs. Weasley had prepared a grand dinner with all of Harry''s favorite foods, culminating in a mouth-watering honey pudding.


    Fred and George had prepared two homemade fireworks, and they put on a spectacr fireworks disy during thest dinner before school started, making the evening even more perfect.


    The twins received praise from everyone except Percy. Harry and Ron even privatelymended them, believing the twins could surely achieve their goal before graduation¡ªto create a giant firework capable of engulfing Hogwarts Castle.


    After the festivities, the wizards at the Burrow each had a cup of hot chocte and then went to bed.


    The next morning, the rooster in the Burrow''s yard crowed right on time to wake the Weasley family.


    As soon as the rooster crowed, Mrs. Weasley woke everyone up. But they still seemed flustered, as if there were many things to finish before leaving.


    Mrs. Weasley was running around, finding extra bedding and clothes for Ginny, preparing snacks and lunch for the returning Weasley brothers, and gradually growing more agitated.


    Everyone kept bumping into each other on the narrow staircase.


    On the crowded stairs, Fred was halfway dressed, George was holding a piece of leftover bread, Ron was tugging at his pants, and Harry was rushing upstairs to retrieve forgotten textbooks...


    When everything was nearly ready, Mr. Weasley tried to carry Ginny''s trunk to the car but tripped over a Bludger in the yard and almost broke his neck.


    "Why is there a Bludger at the garage door?" Mr. Weasley gasped in pain, holding his aching neck, and questioned Fred and George. "Fred, George, did you not clean up the Bludger after your Quidditch game?!"


    "It wasn''t us, Dad!" Fred said.


    "It wasn''t us, Dad!" George added.


    Fred, seeing Mr. Weasley''s irritation, wanted to find someone to me. He nced at the proud rooster nearby and, with a quick thought, came up with an idea.


    "Dad, I think this rooster must have kicked the Bludger over here!" he said.


    George immediately caught on, and with a knowing look at Fred, said, "Yeah, Dad, Muggle chickens can y basketball, so why can''t our magical chickens y Quidditch?"


    When it came to Muggle games, Mr. Weasley forgot his pain and stood up with interest. "Basketball? Is that the sport where you use a basket to put the ball in? Is that a Muggle sport?"


    Harry had to step in as amentator, exining the rules of basketball.


    "Forget about basketball and Quidditch; we''re going to bete!" Mrs. Weasley''s urging finally made Mr. Weasley remember the important task and quickly put Ginny''s trunk into the back of the old Ford Anglia.


    With the use of the Undetectable Extension Charm, sixrge trunks, two owl cages, and a rat cage were all crammed into the trunk, with plenty of space left.


    "Don''t tell Molly," Mr. Weasley said quietly to Harry, showing off his achievement with pride.


    When they finally had everything packed and got into the car, Mrs. Weasley nced back in surprise¡ª


    Harry, Ron, Fred, George, and Percy werefortably seated in the back, while she and Ginny were in the front passenger seat, with seats extended to be as spacious as a park bench.


    "Muggles are smarter than we thought," she marveled, "You can''t tell from the outside that the car is so spacious!"


    Hearing Mrs. Weasley''s praise, Mr. Weasley looked a bit embarrassed and quickly started the car engine.


    With a "vroom," the car drove out of the yard.


    Harry looked back at the strange house with reluctance, wondering when he would see it again...


    Then they were back.


    George had forgotten his homemade firework at home.


    Ten minutester, with a "screech" of the brakes, the car stopped in the yard again so Fred could run back to get his broomstick.


    By the time they set off again, it was quitete, and Mrs. Weasley seemed so angry that steam could almost be seening from her ears.


    Mr. Weasley nced at his watch and then at his wife.


    "Molly, dear¡ª"


    "No, Arthur." Mrs. Weasley seemed to know exactly what Mr. Weasley was going to say and cut him off immediately.


    "No one will see us. There''s a small button for the invisibility booster I installed¡ªit will make us invisible and we''ll fly up into the clouds. It''ll take ten minutes to reach King''s Cross Station and no one will know..."


    "I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight," Mrs. Weasley firmly refused Mr. Weasley''s request.


    So, the old Ford Anglia was stuck on the road to the station, caught in traffic with a bunch of other cars dropping kids off at school.


    When the Weasleys finally arrived at King''s Cross Station with Harry, tform 9? was already empty of young witches and wizards; they were thest family to arrive at the station.


    Standing in front of the wall between tforms 9 and 10, Mrs. Weasley nervously watched the clock on the wall¡ªfive minutes until eleven, meaning the train would depart in five minutes.


    They had to pass through the wall in a nonchnt manner within five minutes without attracting the attention of the Muggles around them.


    "Don''t worry, Mom," Fred said with a grin, "we''re just in time!"


    Percy went first, ncing around before quickly walking into the wall and disappearing. Mr. Weasley followed with Fred and George right behind him.


    "I''m taking Ginny," Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry and Ron, "You two have been through this before, so you''ll be fine. Just follow us."


    She grabbed Ginny''s hand and walked forward, disappearing in an instant.


    "Let''s go together; there''s only a minute left," Ron said, looking at the clock, eager to go.


    Harry nodded, checked to make sure Hedwig''s cage was securely on top of the cart, and then turned the cart towards the wall.


    He was very confident, as passing through the wall was not nearly as ufortable as using Floo Powder.


    They both crouched down confidently and pushed the cart towards the wall, gradually speeding up into a run¡ª


    "Bam¡ªng¡ªcrash¡ª"


    The two carts collided with the wall and bounced back. Ron''s trunknded heavily on the ground, and Hedwig''s cage bounced onto the shiny floor and rolled aside.


    Hedwig''s head knocked against the cage, and she squawked angrily.


    Their odd behavior attracted the attention of arge crowd around them, and security guards rushed over.


    "What are you two boys doing?" a guard asked irritably.


    "Um... if I say the cart slipped, would you believe me?" Harry said awkwardly, getting up while holding his ribs.


    Ron hurried to pick up Hedwig.


    Hedwig continued pping her wings and squawking, causing many of the onlookers toin about animal cruelty.


    "An owl is a wild creature that longs for freedom. Why are you keeping it in such a small cage?" a middle-aged Muggle woman approached, wearing an animal protection association badge.


    "But Hedwig is actually a pet," Ron argued.


    "Lies!" the animal protection woman said loudly, "In all my years of working with animals, I''ve never seen anyone keep an owl as a pet!"


    But Harry and Ron were no longer paying attention to the stubborn woman.


    If it were any other time, they might have argued with her, but with only twenty seconds left and the clock''s second hand approaching twelve, they were just anxious.


    Ignoring the strange looks from others, Harry ran up to the wall, pressing his whole body against it.


    The wall remained solid and unmoving.


    "We''re going to miss the train," Ron also came over, pushing the cart hard against the wall, "I don''t understand why the passage is closed..."


    Harry looked up at the clock, feeling dizzy with panic.


    Five seconds... Four seconds...


    He gritted his teeth, stepped back sharply, and then "thud" mmed into the wall.


    "Ouch¡ª" he clutched his head and cried out in pain.


    "It''s over," Ron said, staring nkly as the second hand passed twelve, "The train has left. What if Mom and Dad can''te to get us?"


    At this moment, Harry, with arge bump on his head, was too dazed to hear what Ron said.


    "Looks like the kid has a problem with his brain," the animal protection woman, observing Harry''s collision with the wall, shook her head sympathetically, "What a pity, to have such issues at such a young age."


    The nearby guards also sighed and shook their heads, signaling one of them to find the station''s medical staff to check on him.


    "Harry, is this your diary?" Ron suddenly pointed to the floor next to Harry, "Did it fall out of your trunk?"


    Harry looked in the direction Ron was pointing, surprised to see Tom''s nk diary open with some writing faintly appearing.


    "Tom?" Harry quickly turned to block Ron''s view.


    The diary read¡ª


    "Harry, if you''re feeling distressed, I think I have a way to help you get back to Hogwarts."


    Harry''s expression shifted from anxiety to ecstasy, but he had no quill to ask Tom how he could help.


    The diary seemed to understand Harry''s situation and, without waiting for him to ask, provided the solution¡ª


    "Harry, I can create a Portkey for you. If you need it, I can make one that leads to Hogwarts."


    Riddle had already nned this in his mind.


    As Harry was about to pass through the wall between tforms 9 and 10 to reach tform 9?, Riddle manipted the magical barrier to prevent him from boarding the Hogwarts Express.


    Riddle knew that Harry, having a simr childhood and considering Hogwarts his home, would be unable to ept the possibility of not being able to return to Hogwarts.


    Thus, at the height of Harry''s anxiety, Riddle could offer to make a Portkey to Hogwarts, gaining his trust.


    However, this Portkey was certainly not intended for Hogwarts; Riddle was more interested in avoiding the two old enemies there!


    Riddle nned to make a Portkey directly to the Riddle House and the Riddle graveyard, sending Harry Potter straight to Voldemort himself.


    This way, Voldemort could arrange for his Death Eaters to collect Harry Potter''s blood and simultaneously use the remains of Tom Riddle and his Death Eater servants toplete his resurrection!


    If Riddle had a mouth in his diary form, he would haveughed uncontrobly. He thought his n was simply perfect!


    "A Portkey?" Harry looked at the writing in the diary with joy and turned to Ron, "Ron, do you know what a Portkey is?"


    "Why are you asking about Portkeys all of a sudden, Harry?" Ron asked in surprise, "Portkeys require approval from the Ministry of Magic, and we can''t use them privately to get back to Hogwarts."


    Harry''s eyes brightened, "Just tell me what a Portkey is; maybe we can find one."


    "Oh, a Portkey is a very convenient means of transportation, somewhat like Floo Powder," Ron said, "But seriously, it''s quite difficult to find a Portkey."


    Hearing Ron''s description¡ª"a Portkey is somewhat like Floo Powder"¡ªHarry couldn''t help but think of hisst experience with Floo Powder and the evil hag he encountered in Knockturn Alley.


    He shivered and instinctively felt a bit of aversion towards the Portkey mentioned in the diary.


    "I think we should wait by the car," Harry said, looking at the two medical staff approaching from a distance, "We can consider the Portkey only if absolutely necessary..."


    "Harry!" Ron suddenly jumped up and shouted, "The car!"


    "What''s wrong?" Harry was startled by his sudden action and asked in surprise.


    "We can fly to Hogwarts in the car!" Ron said excitedly.


    "But I think..." Harry was still a bit hesitant.


    "We''re stuck, right? We need to get back to school, don''t we? In truly urgent situations, young witches and wizards can use magic. There''s a provision in the Regtions, use 19 or so..."


    Clearly, these lines were something Fred and George had said to Ron.


    But Harry didn''t know about the dubious nature of this regtion and only wanted to get back to school as quickly as possible.


    "Can you drive?" Harry''s hesitation turned into excitement, instantly forgetting about Riddle''s mention of the Portkey.


    "Absolutely!" Ron said, turning the cart towards the exit, "Let''s go; if we hurry, we might still catch the Hogwarts Express."


    The two of them bypassed the concerned medical staff, quickly making their way through the curious crowd, exiting the station, and returning to the old Ford Anglia parked on the side road, leaving Riddle in Harry''s backpack feeling hopeless.


    Crossing the calm and deep, mirror-like surface of the ck Lake, against the dark horizon, the silhouette of Hogwarts Castle''s turrets and towers stood tall on the high cliff on the opposite side of theke.


    The castle was brightly lit, with countless candles floating in the air, illuminating the four long tables filled with people, making the golden tes and goblets sparkle.


    The enchanted ceiling clearly reflected the brilliant stars of the night sky outside.


    Professor McGonagall, wearing sses and her hair tightly styled into a bun, ced a new Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool in front of the new students.


    Drue held up a goblet, gently shaking it.


    He watched the surprised exmations from the young witches and wizards about the newly refreshed Sorting Hat, with a slight smile, very pleased with his achievement.


    But it seemed that not all the audience was impressed by Drue''s masterpiece.


    When Drue''s gaze inadvertently fell on the two red-haired figures, he noticed that they showed no interest in the Sorting Hat whatsoever.


    Seeing the ungrateful twins, Drue was quite displeased. He set down his goblet and red at them with an unfriendly expression.


    However, the usually mischievous Fred and George werepletely unaware of Professor Drue''s fierce gaze and did not engage in their usual antics or set up a betting pool to deceive a bunch of Slytherin''s wealthy second-generation students.


    The two of them sat at their seats absentmindedly, even looking a bit worried.


    "Why are these two so subdued today?"


    Drue furrowed his brows, observing the twins'' unusual behavior.


    Just as he wanted to go down and ask them what had happened, a muffled sound spread throughout the entire castle.


    The professors who were waiting for the division ceremony raised their heads in shock and subconsciously craned their necks to the northeast of the castle ...

 Chapter 102 - 102 The flying car has become a sperm.

    <h4>Chapter 102: The flying car has be a sperm.</h4>


    The sudden dull thud left the professors astonished.


    "Has Hogwarts been attacked? Have Death Eaters broken in?!" While the professors were shocked, the young witches and wizards in the audience were terrified.


    Soon, the entire Great Hall was in chaos.


    Professor McGonagall, holding the brand-new Sorting Hat, had a dark expression and shouted:


    "Silence¡ª"


    The hall gradually quieted down. The new students stood anxiously on one side of the hall, unsure of what was happening.


    "Hogwarts Castle is perfectly fine; there is no need to panic. The Sorting Ceremony will proceed as usual." Professor McGonagall reassured the students while giving a knowing nce to Dumbledore.


    Dumbledore smiled in understanding, turned to Snape, and said, "Severus, could you please go check what''s happening outside?"


    Snape nodded and was about to get up when Drac stood up before him.


    "I''ll go," Drac said cheerfully. "Seeing the Sorting Ceremony a second time isn''t very exciting; perhaps there''s some other fun to be found by checking the situation outside."


    Before Dumbledore could react, Drac downed the wine in his goblet, adjusted his robes, and leaped down from the professor''s tform.


    "I''lle with you," Snape said, following closely behind as they both walked toward the hall''s entrance.


    Drac nced at Snape and noticed his eyes were fixed on the Gryffindor table, scanning it repeatedly.


    "Professor Snape seems quite concerned about Gryffindor," Drac remarked with a smile.


    "Not at all," Snape replied, his voice cold and his jaw clenched as if speaking through gritted teeth. "I just have some issues with the house that stole the Slytherin Cup."


    Drac, intrigued, looked at where Snape''s gaze had lingered the longest¡ªHermione Granger, who appeared anxious and distressed, and the two empty seats next to her.


    He then thought of Fred and George''s unusual behavior, a hint of understanding crossing his face.


    "Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley haven''t arrived?" Drac mused, a smirk forming on his lips. "This seems to be getting interesting."


    He quickened his pace, moving swiftly towards the source of the dull sound as if gliding across the ground.


    Seeing Drac''s rapid departure, Snape''s lip twitched, and he also quickened his pace.


    Hisrge cloak fluttered behind him, truly resembling arge bat.


    From a distance, Drac saw a willow tree that was either dancing or, more urately, going mad.


    It was a Whomping Willow, nted at Hogwarts for decades.


    At this moment, the tree was wildly swinging its branches, both thick and thin, smashing down on a battered old car¡ª


    Countless finger-thick branches were pounding fiercely on the car''s front window, causing the windshield to tremble, while a branch as thick as a battering ram was furiously hammering the car''s roof. Several agile willow branches were even reaching through the broken windows, attempting to beat up the two young wizards inside.


    "This tree is really aggressive, we need to run!" Ron shouted from inside the car, trying desperately to push the door open.


    But just then, a branch slipped through the shattered window at an awkward angle, delivering a vicious uppercut that knocked him down onto Harry''sp.


    Ron, dazed, stared at the car roof as it was slowly copsing under the relentless assault of the battering-ram-like branch.


    "We''re finished!" he groaned, looking at the roof.


    At the critical moment, the bottom of the old Ford suddenly vibrated¡ªthe engine roared back to life.


    "Quick, reverse!" Harry shouted, renewed hope flickering in his heart.


    The car zoomed backward.


    The tree continued to attack them, furiously whipping its branches at the swiftly retreating car. It bent its trunk in an effort to stretch the longest branches far enough to reach the Ford, almost tearing its trunk apart and causing the roots to creak.


    "Merlin, that was close!" Ron, lying on Harry''sp after escaping the Whomping Willow''s range, gasped, "Well done, car."


    However, it seemed the Ford Anglia had reached its limit with Harry and Ron onboard. With two loud "thumps," the car doors suddenly flung open.


    Then, the seats tilted sideways, "kicking" Harry and Ron out onto the damp ground.


    After two more heavy thumps, their luggage was simrly ejected from the trunk.


    In a rather considerate touch, Hedwig''s cage was not thrown directly to the ground but was insteadunched into the air. The momentum opened the cage door, allowing Hedwig to fly out.


    With an angry hoot, she flew away towards the castle without looking back.


    After these actions, the battered Ford Anglia, with its deep dents and almost copsed roof, steamed and rumbled into the darkness, with only its tail lights shing angrily.


    "No, you can''t leave!" Ron''s eyes widened as he desperately waved his broken wand from the car crash, shouting, "Come back! If we lose the car, Dad will kill me!"


    After Ron''s words, the car actually stopped moving.


    The tail lights grewrger and brighter, and the car began to move back towards Ron.


    "Yes, that''s right,e back to me," Ron sighed with relief, satisfied.


    "Ron, the car seems to be acting strangely," Harry said awkwardly as he carried his trunk next to Ron.


    The old Ford Anglia was now floating in the air, its tail lights still shing angrily, its wheels spinning rapidly. The invisibility booster was blowing the soft grass beneath them, making it rustle, and the wind from the car''s motion was whipping Harry and Ron''s hair around.


    "It seems like... it''s struggling?" Ron said uncertainly, observing the car''s behavior.


    "That''s probably right," Harry nodded. "Maybe it can''t disobey the owner''s orders and can only listen to you toe back?"


    "Don''t joke, Harry," Ron said. "My dad is the car''s owner."


    Even though the car was still struggling, it came to a halt right in front of the bewildered Harry and Ron.


    Seemingly realizing it couldn''t break free, the old Ford Anglia gave up, turned off the engine, extinguished the lights, and resignedly dropped to the ground, its swinging doors, trunk, and hood making a nging noise.


    "Enchanted¡ª"


    A voice suddenly came from behind Harry and Ron, startling them.


    Harry stiffly turned around and saw a figure standing in the darkness, almost blending into the night, with a pair of eyes glowing a wine-red color.


    Seeing those eyes, he immediately felt a sigh of relief.


    "Professor Drac, you nearly scared us to death..."


    Drac ignored them and looked with great interest at the battered old Ford Anglia, his eyes gleaming.


    "Is this the car Mr. Weasley modified?" he asked Ron.


    "Ah... yes!" Ron responded nervously after a moment, "Did it... have some kind of problem?"


    "No problem at all; it''s doing very well now," Drac said with a smile.


    Harry and Ron looked at the battered Ford Anglia and then at Drac''s intrigued expression, wearing looks of disbelief.


    "Really, I''m not lying. The car''s condition is unprecedentedly good," Drac said, patting the Ford''s hood, causing a ttering sound of falling parts from inside the car.


    Harry and Ron exchanged nces, thinking that Professor Drac''s perspective was indeed... unusual.


    "It''s amazing that such a simple magically modified car has somehow developed a faint awareness," Drac continued, inspecting the Ford Anglia.


    "Do you feel resentful that I brought you back?" he asked the Ford.


    "Professor, do you think there might be something wrong with your head?" Ron whispered to Harry.


    Harry nodded in agreement, his face showing concern. "It''s over. Even Professor Drac, such a powerful wizard, seems to be losing his mind. This world is too scary."


    However, while the two were whispering, the Ford''s headlights suddenly flickered as if responding to Drac''s question.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything to you," Drac said with a lightugh. "Such a rare sight as a sentient being... even if it''s only a bit of instinct, it''s quite impressive."


    He reached out, touching the Ford''s roof, windows, trunk...


    Whenever he touched a spot on the car, the dented, scratched, and tattered surface would automatically repair itself, gradually turning the Ford Anglia into a new-looking car.


    "I can''t determine how your faint awareness was formed, so I didn''t repair the internal parts," Drac said. "If you want the internal parts fixed too, sh your headlights twice."


    The Ford''s headlights blinked once.


    Just one blink, meaning exterior repairs were sufficient.


    "Good, then I''ll leave a mark on you so I can track your location and then let you go," Drac said. "If you agree, sh your headlights."


    The Ford''s headlights blinked again.


    "Very cooperative," Drac said with satisfaction, nodding, and drew a mark resembling a demon''s wings on the car''s interior.


    Once the mark was made, it glowed red and then faded into the car.


    "All right, you can leave now," Drac said, patting the now fully repaired window. "I''ll check on you from time to time, so remember not to hide from me."


    Hearing this, the Ford''s engine roared to life, its headlights turned on, and it soared high into the air.


    It turned to face Drac, wobbled its front end as if nodding to him, and then sped off towards the Forbidden Forest, its bright taillights disappearing into the night.


    Harry and Ron watched the car drive away, their expressions nk as they tried to understand the interaction between Professor Drac and the car, feeling that even in the magical world, this was too surreal...


    It wasn''t until the taillights were no longer visible that Ron suddenly came to his senses.


    "Professor, we can''t let it go!" he shouted. "If my dad finds out I lost the car, he''ll kill me!"


    "You''re his son; he won''t kill you," Drac nced at Ron and said casually. "He might give you a good beating, though. Beating you half to death is possible."


    Ron''s face fell.


    "It''s over... The car is gone. What should we do..." he said, looking distraught.


    "Professor, can you think of a way... to not let Ron''s car go?" Harry hesitated for a while before asking.


    "Didn''t you see? This car developed a faint consciousness from all your operations. I wanted to observe it for a while longer," Drac shrugged.


    Then he thought about it and decided it wasn''t quite right to just let someone else''s property go, so he added, "Forget it, I''ll cover the loss. Tell me the address, and a new car will be sent over tomorrow."


    Ron''s distraught expression brightened up suddenly. "Is that true, Professor?"


    After receiving confirmation, Ron jumped with joy and quickly gave Drac the address of the Burrow, thinking he might escape his family''s punishment.


    Drac noted down the location of the Burrow and then finally looked directly at Harry and Ron.


    "Now that the car issue is settled, perhaps you should exin some other things to me," Drac said with a cold smile. "Why didn''t you two take the Hogwarts Express back to school and decided to drive yourselves instead?"


    "Do you think taking the school bus isn''t exciting enough and wanted to find a more interesting mode of transportation?"


    Mentioning "exciting" and "interesting," Drac''s cold expression suddenly shifted slightly, his eyes lighting up.


    Harry nervously observed the sudden change in Professor Drac''s demeanor. He could swear that while sending a new car to the Weasleys, Professor Drac surely wanted to buy one for himself too!


    Ron also breathed a sigh of relief.


    After a year of understanding, Hogwarts students generally knew that as long as they could make Professor Drac show interest, he would be very easy to deal with.


    "It seems we''ve passed this hurdle with Professor Drac," Harry and Ron exchanged relieved nces.


    However, their relief was short-lived. The next second, another sticky, greasy voice sounded behind them¡ª


    "It''s been a while, the renowned Harry Potter and his good friend Weasley."


    Harry and Ron turned stiffly and saw arge hooked nose and greasy hair hanging over the shoulders of the person.


    Snape looked somewhat out of breath, having spent quite some time running from the southwest hall to the northeast Whomping Willow.


    Even though he was panting, his malicious smile still told Harry and Ron that their situation was dire!


    "Good... evening, Professor Snape," Harry forced a smile that was uglier than crying and greeted Snape.


    "Good evening, Potter," Snape said coldly. "I see that the very precious Whomping Willow seems to have suffered quite a bit of damage."


    "That tree''s damage to us is greater than the damage we did to it..." Ron blurted out.


    "Quiet!" Snape snapped.


    "You two, follow me," he said, looking at the boxes in their hands, his mood brightening up again. "It''s a pity you''re not students of my house. If I had the authority, I would expel you directly. You wouldn''t even need to pack your things."


    Harry and Ron cast pleading nces at Drac.


    However, Drac seemed to have developed an interest in the Whomping Willow, standing under the broken branches of the tree, examining the violent nt, andpletely ignoring their gaze.


    They noticed that the once extremely irritable Whomping Willow now appeared as docile as a harmless, drooping willow tree in front of Professor Drac, allowing him to stand by the trunk and smooth out its broken branches.


    "What are you two still standing there for?" Snape urged.


    Seeing that Professor Drac had no intention of rescuing them, Harry and Ron despondently followed Snape''s lead towards Hogwarts Castle.

 Chapter 103 - 103 Howler Letter

    <h4>Chapter 103: Howler Letter</h4>


    After the Sorting Ceremony, Professor Sprout gathered her tools for treating nts and came to the Whomping Willow.


    "Oh, poor little tree, how badly it must have been hurt!" She said, looking at therge patch of bark that had been scraped off and the scattered Whomping Willow branches on the ground, covering her mouth with concern.


    At this moment, Drac was also standing under the tree, turning to look at Professor Sprout.


    "Frankly, Professor Sprout, this Whomping Willow might need to calm down a bit," Drac shrugged and said to her. "Actually, only that piece of bark that was knocked off was caused by Potter and Weasley''s mischief. The branches on the ground were all its own doing..."


    "Its own doing?" Professor Sprout asked, somewhat puzzled.


    "Yes, after it was hit by that car, it might have been in a bad mood, swinging its branches wildly at the sky, the ground, and that car..." Drac exined. "After all, its wood isn''t very strong, and it ended up like this after hitting and smashing."


    "Well, I have to admit that the Whomping Willow variety does tend to be temperamental," Professor Sprout said as she approached the Whomping Willow, "But getting hit hard for no reason would make anyone angry, not just the tree."


    "True," Drac chuckled, "But if I were the Whomping Willow, I wouldn''t let myself get that furious without even finding the opponent''s weak points."


    "If it were me, I would smash the car''s windows and use a couple of thicker branches topletely trap the car and block the doors. Then the people inside would be at my mercy."


    Professor Sprout nced at Drac''s intrigued smile and shuddered.


    Thinking about it, it was fortunate that the Whomping Willow was a novice and didn''t look for weak points. Otherwise, Harry and Ron would have had no way to survive.


    "Cough, cough, Professor Drac, do you know the Whomping Willow''s weaknesses?" She quickly changed the subject, avoiding discussing more effective ways to hit people, "It seems to be quite calm now."


    "Does the Whomping Willow have weaknesses?" Drac raised an eyebrow. "I haven''t noticed; it doesn''t get agitated when it sees me, so I haven''t had a reason to learn about its weaknesses."


    "..." Professor Sprout facepalmed.


    She silently approached the Whomping Willow, jumped high, and reached up to press on one of its knots.


    Though her height was somewhat short, she jumped quite high and pressed right on a knot, seemingly having practiced high jumping specifically to control the Whomping Willow.


    The effect was immediate; the Whomping Willow, which was still gently swaying, immediately went still when touched at the knot, as if it had turned into the most ordinary willow tree.


    "It''s quite an interesting tree," Dracmented with a chuckle upon seeing Professor Sprout''s actions. "But I have a question¡ª"


    "If you have to get close to the Whomping Willow to touch its weak points, what if the Whomping Willow is already in a furious state? In that case, wizards who can touch it wouldn''t need to look for its weak points, while those who want to find its weak points couldn''t get close."


    "So... what''s the point of knowing the weak points?"


    Professor Sprout''s face stiffened.


    "It does seem to be the case?" She scratched her head. "Unless someone can urately hit the knot with a spell or something like a small stone from outside the Whomping Willow''s attack range, and even then, it might not press the knot."


    "I need to remind the mischievous little wizards to stay away from the enraged Whomping Willow when I teach about it next time. They shouldn''t think that knowing its weak points will help them handle it easily."


    Muttering to herself, Professor Sprout quickly took out a series of nt treatment supplies and started bandaging the broken branches and the damaged bark to prevent the Whomping Willow''s vulnerable spots from being bitten by insects.


    Seeing Professor Sprout getting to work, Drac casually shrugged and walked toward the castle.


    He could guess that Harry and Ron had probably been punished by Snape or Professor McGonagall.


    However, Drac was not worried about their future.


    Dumbledore was nning to train Harry well to be a major force against Voldemort! So the two of them were naturally not going to be expelled, and even due to the start of the school year, they wouldn''t lose any house points.


    Drac estimated that given the carefree nature of the Gryffindors¡ªHarry and Ron hade to school by car without losing house points¡ªthey might even be considered heroes!


    Drac''s prediction was urate.


    The news of Harry and Ron driving to school spread quickly. Except for Percy and Hermione, the Gryffindors all thought it was an incredibly exciting and impressive event.


    When the two "heroes" returned to the Gryffindormon room, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open, and themon room erupted into thunderous apuse.


    The Gryffindor students, who were still awake, crowded in the roundmon room waiting for them. Many hands eagerly reached out from behind the Fat Lady''s portrait to pull Harry and Ron inside, while Hermione had to climb in by herself.


    "That''s amazing!" Lee Jordan, the twins'' roommate, shouted. "Incredible! What a spectacr way! Driving a flying car into the Whomping Willow, you''ll be talked about for years at Hogwarts!"


    "Good job!" A fifth-year student who had never spoken to Harry before said.


    Others patted Harry and Ron on the back as if they had just won a marathon.


    Fred and George squeezed through the crowd to get to the two of them, asking in unison, "Why didn''t you call us back? That''s so unfair!"


    Ron, blushing and glowing with happiness amidst the crowd, smiled brightly.


    Percy, the most upright person in the entire school, stood behind some excited first-years, wearing a stern expression and trying to push through to scold them. However, there were too many little lions around the two, and he couldn''t squeeze in.


    After another two minutes, as Percy finally got close to Harry and Ron, Harry noticed him.


    So, Harry nudged Ron with his elbow and nodded toward Percy. Ron immediately got the hint.


    "Yawn¡ªI''m heading upstairs," Ron said with a sudden change in his glowing red face, pretending to yawn by covering his mouth with his hand. "I''m a bit tired after flying all day..."


    Harry also pretended to be exhausted and made his way to the door at the other end of themon room, which led to a spiral staircase up to their dormitory.


    He was very convincing because he was indeed exhausted. The day''s various mishaps had left him somewhat drained.


    "Goodnight," Harry said, even though he was tired, turning back to call out to Hermione, who had a stern face just like Percy''s.


    Harry and Ron made quite an effort to reach the other end of themon room. By this time, someone was even patting their backs.


    Outside the door was a quiet staircase. The two of them ran up the stairs in one breath and reached the door to their dormitory. The sign that used to read "First Years" had now been changed to "Second Years."


    They walked into the familiar round room, seeing the five four-poster beds decorated with red velvet and the few tall, narrow windows. Their trunks had already been magically moved up by the house-elves and were ced at the head of their beds.


    Ron let out a sigh of relief and smiled sheepishly at Harry. "I know we shouldn''t be proud of this, but..."


    Just then, the dormitory door flew open, and Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom, other second-year Gryffindor boys, burst in.


    "I can''t believe you really flew the car here!" Seamus said, giving a thumbs-up.


    "Cool!" Dean added.


    "Amazing!" Even Neville, usually so modest, said with admiration.


    "Unbelievable," "amazing"... The three of them used almost everymon adjective to express shock!


    Harry couldn''t help it any longer andughed proudly with Ron.


    ...


    Of course, they couldn''t be proud for too long.


    The next morning at breakfast, Harry and Ron felt a bit uneasy.


    Harry shivered as he picked up his bowl and began to eat his porridge.


    As a noisy fluttering of wings filled the air above them, hundreds of owls flew in through the windows above the hall, circling and dropping letters and packages into the crowd of people talking below.


    At the professor''s table, Drac, who rarely had breakfast, felt somewhat irritated by the chaotic scene.


    "I still don''t understand why Hogwarts has owls deliver mail during meals," he turned to Professor Flitwick, who was sitting two seats away, and asked. "If owl feathers fall into our food, how can we eat?"


    "After all, it''s the only time of the day when all the little witches and wizards are here," Professor Flitwick said nonchntly, using the floating charm to move a feather that was about to fall on his head away. "Especially on the first day of school, many careless little witches and wizards forget to collect their things."


    Drac moodily put down his blood pudding, losing his appetite, and began to observe the reactions of the surrounding professors and students.


    Snape seemed quite displeased with not having expelled Harry or even deducted any points, and was intently staring at the Gryffindor table, thinking of ways to make things difficult for those two little wizards.


    At that moment, with a "plop," a grayish-white substance fell from the sky into Snape''s te.


    Snape stared for a moment, shifting his gaze from the Gryffindor table to his own te.


    "Ah, Severus, it seems you''ve won a prize," the elderly Professor Kettleburn, never missing a chance to tease Snape, leaned over and said. "Let me exin. This is bird droppings. From the looks of it, this owl must have caught a mousest night..."


    "Don''t say any more!" Snape gripped his wand tightly, seemingly struggling to resist the urge tomit owl genocide.


    "Ah, Severus, young people are so easily distracted," Professor Kettleburn said with a smile, not letting up. "The professors at Hogwarts should have been used to paying attention to what''s above their heads at breakfast by now. How could you forget?"


    Unable to argue, Snape shot a furious nce at Harry and Ron, abandoned his meal, and stormed out of the hall.


    Watching him leave, Professor Kettleburn clicked his tongue. "Young people are so impatient and careless."


    The other professors around him gave him sidelong nces at thisment¡ª


    ''Professor Kettleburn, you, who have gone through more than sixty detentions, are probably the most careless one here...''


    The chaos caused by the owls delivering mail wasn''t limited to just the professors'' table.


    Arge gray owl, as if drunk, couldn''t fly straight and crashed into the milk jug in front of Hermione.


    Immediately, milk and feathers sttered all over Harry, Ron, and Hermione.


    "Errol!" Ron cried out in a panic upon seeing the struggling owl in the milk jug.


    He pulled the wet owl out of the jug by its talons and ced it on the table.


    Erroly next to the jug, its legs stiffly extended in the air, still holding a wet red envelope in its beak.


    "Oh no..." Ron groaned, covering his face in distress.


    "Don''t be too upset, Ron, it''s still alive," Hermione said as she shook the milk off her robe and then gently poked the unconscious Errol with her fingertip.


    Errol''s bird talons twitched, seemingly indicating that it was still alive.


    "No, I''m used to seeing Errol like this," Ron said sadly. "What I''m worried about is that¡ª"


    He pointed to the red envelope that Errol was holding in its beak.


    Harry and Hermione looked at the seemingly ordinary envelope with confusion, but Ron and Neville leaned back with worried faces, as if it might explode.


    "What''s wrong with the letter?" Harry asked, puzzled.


    "Well... my mom sent me a Howler," Ron said weakly.


    "You better open it, Ron..." Neville said, trembling. "It''s worse if you don''t... My grandmother sent me one once, and I ignored it. The result..."


    He took a breath. "It was terrifying."


    Harry looked at their terrified expressions and then at the red envelope.


    "What''s a Howler?" he asked.


    But Ron''s attention waspletely on the envelope, his forehead sweating, ignoring Harry''s question.


    At that moment, the four corners of the envelope began to smoke, and the envelope itself started to puff up.


    "Open it quickly," Neville urged. "Only a few minutes left, or it will explode. It will be even louder..."


    Ron stared at the envelope, took a deep breath, and suddenly shouted, "Fred, George! Help!"


    The twins, hearing Ron''s voice, looked over with curiosity, followed by a crowd of Gryffindor students.


    "Wow! You really didn''t disappoint us, Ron!" Fred patted Ron on the shoulder with a pleased expression.


    "We knew it, you''re definitely our brother, Ron," George said with a cheerful smile.


    "There''s no time! You two, think of a way!" Ron was nearly in tears, shouting at them. "When you picked up Harry from Privet Drive, didn''t you say you learned that... Disengagement Charm to deal with Howlers? Now''s the time to use it!"


    "First of all, it''s called the Disengagement Charm," George pointed a finger at Ron. "We don''t know of any charm called the Avoidance Charm."


    "Alright, fine, the Disengagement Charm! Please just use it quickly!" Ron''s voice was tinged with desperation.


    "Secondly," Fred held up two fingers, "the Disengagement Charm is used to shield the location of the wizard. It only prevents the owl from finding the recipient. Your Howler has already been delivered, so the Disengagement Charm is useless now."


    "Lastly," George held up three fingers, joyfully said, "did you forget? We never actually learned the Disengagement Charm!"


    Ron looked at Fred and George, whose responses were like a tag-team, his lips trembling.


    "Why didn''t you just say you couldn''t use it? Why say so much beforehand!" he yelled.


    Finally, the red envelope was about to burst, and Errol''s beak couldn''t hold it any longer. Seeing this, Harry quickly took the envelope from Errol''s beak and handed it to Ron.


    Looking at the envelope in his hand, Ron gritted his teeth and said, "Harry, you''re truly a great friend."


    The next moment, the envelope exploded with a "bang," turning Ron''s hands and face red and then floating in mid-air.


    The envelope''s postmark was opened by the explosion, and the opening moved like a snarling mouth.


    Neville quickly covered his ears with his fingers and dove under the Gryffindor table.


    "Isn''t the explosion over?" Harry asked, bewildered by Neville''s actions.


    But he soon understood why.


    The next moment, a tremendous noise filled the entire hall, shaking dust from the ceiling.


    "...Stole the car! If they expel you, I wouldn''t be surprised at all! Just wait and see how I''ll deal with you when that happens!


    You probably never even thought about how your father and

 Chapter 104 - 104 How do you improve your defence skills? Fighting, of course!

    <h4>Chapter 104: How do you improve your defence skills? Fighting, of course!</h4>


    "Much quieter now," Drac said as he settled back into his chair, leaningfortably against the backrest.


    He picked up the blood pudding again, savoring the dessert while observing the diforting expressions on Harry and Ron''s faces with interest.


    After a while, the red Howler finally stopped its yelling. It fell to the ground and then caught fire, curling up into ashes.


    The milk shield also fell away, drenching Ron and Harry.


    However, they seemed oblivious to this, standing dazed and stunned as if a herd of rampaging rhinoceroses had just trampled their faces, leaving their faces a deep purple.


    "Are you alright?" Hermione, who had already cleaned up the area with a cleaning charm, asked with concern.


    "Sorry, Hermione, what did you say?" Ron rasped. "I feel like my head is buzzing, I can''t hear a thing..."


    "What are you two talking about?" Harry''s voice was also hoarse. He looked at Ron and Hermione''s moving mouths but heard no sound. "I think I might be deaf; I can''t hear anything!"


    Because they couldn''t hear, their voices were unintentionally loud, breaking the rare silence in the Great Hall.


    Draco Malfoy at the Slytherin table couldn''t help butugh as he watched their purple faces.


    Under someone''s lead, Crabbe and Goyle startedughing too, and soon, theughter spread from the Slytherin table to Ravenw, and even the Gryffindor table wasughing loudly.


    As for Harry and Ron, they didn''t feel embarrassed by theughter because they couldn''t hear it at all.


    The two of them continued to stare at each other nkly, their heads still buzzing.


    It wasn''t until Professor McGonagall came down from the staff table, distributed the ss schedules along the Gryffindor table, and cast a spell on them, that they finally regained their senses.


    "Professor, can I ask who cast that silencing milk shield?" Ron, regaining his wits, immediately prepared to find someone to take revenge. "Who would do such a thing, trapping us with the Howler from my mum?"


    Harry nodded in agreement. "That shield had such a big echo; Mrs. Weasley''s angry shouting reverberated inside it so many times... I even feel like it''s still echoing in my head..."


    McGonagall handed each of them a ss schedule and then looked at Harry and Ron with a slightly amused, unusual expression, unlike her usual stern demeanor.


    "What would you do if I told you who cast the spell?" she asked. "Are you nning to take revenge?"


    "Of course!" Ron said with determination. "It''s uneptable not to get even!"


    Harry, standing beside him, somewhat agreed with Ron but felt something was off, so he stayed silent, prepared to observe.


    McGonagall seemed to find their reaction amusing. She nodded at Ron and pointed towards the front of the hall.


    Harry and Ron followed her finger and saw a silver-haired professor casually eating pudding.


    "The one who put the shield around you is over there!" McGonagall said. "You can go and take revenge on him, Weasley."


    "Ah... so it was Professor Drac who cast the shield..." Ron''s face turned extremely awkward. "It must have been a misunderstanding! Yes, definitely a misunderstanding!"


    "Professor Drac must have been concerned for our safety, so he used the shield to protect us!"


    As if sensing their gaze, Professor Drac looked up and nced at them.


    He considered for a moment, then smirked. His lips moved slightly, and his voice, though distant, clearly reached Ron''s ears.


    "Weasley, for the first two weeks of school, your workload will be the same as Potter''s."


    Ron was stunned upon hearing this, then furrowed his brows in confusion.


    McGonagall looked at him and seemed to think that with Drac''s deterrent, they wouldn''t cause any more trouble. She turned and continued distributing the schedules to other students.


    "What''s wrong, Ron?" Harry asked, noticing Ron''s puzzled expression.


    "Harry, Professor Drac just told me that for the first two weeks, my workload will be the same as yours," Ron said, scratching his head. "But aren''t we in the same year? Our workloads should be the same anyway!"


    He then lowered his voice and leaned closer to Harry. "Do you think Professor Drac might be a bit mixed up?"


    "Why do you say that?" Harry cautiously nced at Drac, who had resumed eating pudding and was no longer paying attention to the Gryffindor table, and then asked in a low voice.


    "I heard Fred and George say that there''s always something wrong with the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, no matter the year," Ron whispered. "I mean, it''s one thing for him to talk to the car and have it respond, but..."


    "But the homework thing doesn''t make sense. Could your workload really be more than mine?"


    As Harry was about to respond, he suddenly fell silent.


    "Do you think so, Harry?" Ron, seeing Harry''s silence, asked persistently.


    "Ron," Harry took a deep breath and pped Ron on the shoulder with a serious expression, "I''ve got some bad news..."


    "...My homework is really twice as much as yours."


    After a joyful week at the Weasleys'' home and the psychological thrill of driving to school, Harry had almost forgotten about this issue.


    It wasn''t until Ron mentioned the homework that Harry suddenly recalled¡ªProfessor Drac had doubled the amount of homework for the first two weeks of this termpared to the other students!


    Ron: "..."


    ...


    The first day of school was a Wednesday.


    This year, Professor Drac''s first ss was for the sixth-year students.


    The sixth-year ss was an advanced course in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and the advanced ss was no longer split by houses butbined all four houses in one ssroom.


    Since there were only a few students taking the elective, it didn''t feel crowded with all four houses in one ssroom.


    When Drac arrived in the ssroom, students with four different colored cors were already neatly seated in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom.


    He nced at the lectern and realized he had forgotten to bring the lesson n, textbooks, and even the ss roster.


    Drac then gloomily remembered that the diligent assistant, Quirrell, had been dead for half a year.


    "You''re the sixth-year students, right?" he sighed and asked casually.


    "Yes, Professor!" A red-haired boy in the front row responded cooperatively.


    "Alright, I understand." Drac nodded at him, "Since you''re all sixth-year wizards, I assume you''ve all passed the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams?"


    "Yes, Professor!" Percy answered proudly.


    Percy Weasley had received twelve OWL certificates, a rare achievement.


    But Drac paid no attention to Percy or the nearly all-straight-A Ravenw students. Instead, he focused on a few gloomy-looking Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students in the corner.


    "If I''m not mistaken, some of you didn''t pass the OWLs, right?" Drac said coldly, looking at the Gryffindors in the corner who sat there like quails, afraid to look up.


    Percy nced at them and then raised his hand.


    "Professor, you usually don''t give much homework, and these undisciplined students tend to focus on other things and naturally end up failing," he reasoned.


    Drac''s expression stiffened.


    "So I suggest, Professor, that you should assign more homework..." Percy continued his theory but was interrupted by a Ravenw girl next to him.


    "Professor, Percy didn''t mean it that way. He just wants more homework for himself!" said Penelope Clearwater from Ravenw.


    Penelope had to intervene to save Percy.


    Herments had obviously offended most of the students in the ssroom, including Professor Drac, and she feared that the petty-minded professor might hold a grudge... If Drac bore a grudge, Percy''s future would be difficult.


    "Percy Weasley." Drac stared deeply at the red-haired student and curled his lips into a humorless smile, "Do you think... there''s something wrong with my teaching method?"


    The temperature in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom seemed to drop a few degrees, and Percy shivered.


    "Uh... actually, I was just speaking off the top of my head, Professor." Percy lowered his head and said weakly.


    "But I think you have a point, Weasley," Drac said coldly. "Since so many people didn''t pass the OWLs, it indicates that my teaching method has significant issues."


    The students in the ssroom looked terrified and then angrily red at Percy.


    If it weren''t for this meddlesome guy, Professor Drac, who usually didn''t assign much homework, wouldn''t suddenly be re-evaluating his teaching methods, right?!


    "Don''t show such terrified expressions just yet." Drac looked at them and suddenlyughed softly. "Even if some fail the exams, I still disdain to assign so much pointless paper homework. Your homework load will remain as it is."


    The students in the ssroom looked puzzled and surprised at Professor Drac''s words.


    But the next moment, their surprise turned into fear.


    "Defense Against the Dark Arts is a subject best suited for practice; paper homework won''t improve your grades effectively," Drac said, pulling out his sinister wooden wand from his pocket. "When learning Defense Against the Dark Arts, there''s no better way to improve than practicalbat!"


    With a wave of his wand, the desks and chairs in the ssroom were magically moved aside, neatly arranged along the sides of the ssroom, clearing arge open space in the center.


    The students in the ssroom were lifted by an invisible force and ced in the newly cleared space.


    "Now, take out your wands," Drac said with a sinister smile. "You alle at me, and let''s see what progress your five years at Hogwarts have brought you!"


    Saying this, Drac cast a Stunning Spell that whizzed past Percy''s ear and struck the window at the back of the ssroom.


    With a crash, the window shattered into pieces.


    "Your reactions are too slow!" Drac said coldly. "If this were a life-and-death duel, you''d all have died a thousand times by now!"


    Percy gritted his teeth and quickly cast a Disarming Charm aimed at Drac''s eyes.


    "Expelliarmus!"


    Drac casually shook his head, and the red Disarming Charm missed him, hitting the ckboard at the front of the ssroom instead.


    "Not bad reflexes, but your judgment iscking," Drac said. "Disarming Charms, which are used to disarm opponents, don''t differ much in effect depending on where they hit. So you should aim for the chest, the most likely target."


    At that moment, another red Disarming Charm flew silently towards Drac.


    Drac waved his wand and deflected it to the side.


    "Good use of the Silencing Charm, Miss Clearwater," he nodded approvingly. "And knowing to use surprise tactics against a strong opponent, taking advantage of their unpreparedness to win."


    "But you overlooked one thing¡ªyou and Percy are directly facing me. Can you really call a frontal surprise attack a surprise?"


    Before Drac finished speaking, a torrent of spells rained down from the wands of the students in the ssroom, almost leaving no space for Drac to dodge.


    However, Drac had no intention of dodging. He didn''t use his extreme magical resistance to withstand the attacks, nor did he use a powerful Shield Charm to block them.


    Facing the countless spells, Drac moved leisurely, dodging or deflecting the iing beams, while pointing out the ws in the students'' spells and suggesting improvements.


    "Move faster, increase the frequency of spell casting, and improve uracy!" Drac kept urging, asionally casting punitive spells on students who tried to ck off.


    This high-pressure environment forced them to use all their strength every second, exhausting their magical power and physical stamina while continuously casting various spells.


    Ten minutester, all the sixth-year studentsy copsed on the ground.


    And Drac hadn''t even cast a single offensive spell.

 Chapter 105 - 105 You know the little wizard.

    <h4>Chapter 105: You know the little wizard.</h4>


    Some sixth-year students at Hogwarts were regretting their choices, and regretting them deeply.


    They hadn''t studied properly and had failed their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam for ordinary wizard levels. Theoretically, these failing students were not eligible to attend the advanced ss in their sixth year.


    However, when Professor McGonagall asked Drac what level of students he was willing to ept for the advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, Drac set an unbelievably lenient requirement, allowing students with a "T" (Troll) grade to join.


    Students who had done poorly across the board and had few advanced sses avable for sign-up were initially worried. If their certificates were too few, their future job prospects would be extremely bleak.


    There were few job opportunities in the magical world as it was, and if they couldn''t even get exam certificates during school, they might have to go back home and farm... No, even their Herbology grades were mostly failing, so they might not even manage to farm properly at home!


    After hearing that Professor Drac would ept students with a "P" (Poor) grade, those underperforming students were overjoyed. Being able to join the advanced ss meant they had a chance to continue studying Defense Against the Dark Arts, which greatly increased their chances of passing the resit exam the following year.


    So, the underperforming students eagerly checked the box for "Defense Against the Dark Arts" on the advanced ss sign-up sheet and happily handed it to their respective Heads of House.


    However, they immediately regretted it after just one session of the advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts ss¡ª


    Professor Drac''s ss was no ordinary lesson; it was a trial by fire!


    He made the students in the ssroom continuously cast spells, and anyone who dared ck off was punished with spells that, while not lethal, were incredibly painful, until everyone waspletely exhausted and unable to move a finger before he would finally stop...


    This professor was nothing short of a demon!


    "I won''t assign you any homework today. Go back and think carefully about how to improve your spellcasting skills!"


    As the only one able to "stand" in the ssroom, Drac stood out among the mass of students lying on the floor.


    After assigning today''s work, he waved his hand as if clearing away trash, pushing the copsed students to the sides of the ssroom, and neatly arranging the overturned desks and chairs in the center of the room.


    Drac looked at the orderly ssroom and the chaotic group of students lying on the floor, nodded in satisfaction, and then returned to his office from the front of the ssroom.


    Twenty minutester, the students arriving for the next Defense Against the Dark Arts ss saw this scene¡ª


    Students from all houses were packed against the walls on either side of the ssroom, drenched in sweat, their robes soaked through, their faces pale, and none of them had the strength to move their bodies to leave the ssroom...


    "What... What happened here?"


    Cedric, who hade for the ss, stood frozen at the entrance of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, hesitant to step inside.


    Fred and George peeked out from either side of Cedric''s shoulders, saw the scene inside the ssroom, and gasped in shock.


    "Yikes..." Their expressions were filled with astonishment, "Is this some sort ofrge-scale crime scene? Hmm... It really seems like something Professor Drac would do!"


    At this moment, they inadvertently noticed a red-haired wizard, pushed into the corner of the ssroom and pinned down by several boys.


    "Hey, Fred, look who that is!" George eximed, excitedly patting Fred on the back.


    "Oh, Percy! It''s been a long time since I''ve seen Percy in such a sorry state!" Fred''s expression also became one of surprise, and he waved cheerfully at Percy.


    Seeing his younger brothers'' excited expressions, Percy felt somewhat embarrassed. However, he didn''t have the strength to free himself from the pile of burly boys, so he just turned his head silently, facing the wall and retreating into himself.


    "Shouldn''t it be time for ss?"


    Suddenly, a voice from the front of the ssroom broke the anxious silence of the students at the door.


    The fourth-year students looked up from outside the door and saw that Professor Drac had somehowe down from his office and was now standing at the podium, watching them with interest.


    "It''s already ss time. Why aren''t youing in?" Drac asked, "Are you worried that these upper-year students will affect your lesson?"


    As he spoke, he casually raised his hand and, as if dropping dumplings into a pot, threw the copsed sixth-year students out the window and onto the corridor outside on the second floor.


    Given the size of the window, he could only throw out five or six sixth-year students at a time, and it took several throws to get them all outside.


    Once Percy Weasley, who had been squeezed into the farthest corner, was thrown out, the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom was once again spacious and bright.


    "Alright, you cane in now?" Drac asked the students outside, smiling lightly.


    The trembling fourth-year students filed into the ssroom, took their seats, and shivered as they watched Drac at the podium, unsure of what kind of hell awaited them next!


    "You all seem quite interested in what happened in the previous ss?" Drac''s gaze slowly swept across the room, then he smiled, asking with a hint of amusement.


    The students who were caught in Drac''s gaze shivered and lowered their heads, afraid to speak.


    At this moment, they all hoped that a true hero would step forward and loudly tell Professor Drac that they had no interest in the previous ss''s content and that they certainly did not want to end up like those sixth-year students!


    And indeed, a true hero stepped forward¡ª


    "Professor, we have no interest in the content of thest ss!"


    In the ssroom, the little wizards who had their heads down like ostriches were overjoyed, secretly looking up with admiration to see who had the courage to face Professor Drac''s authority and oppression head-on!


    And they saw two heads of ming red hair...


    Instantly, the little wizards felt a chill of foreboding in their hearts.


    And the Weasley twins did not disappoint them.


    "That''s right, Professor. We''re not interested in the ss itself; we''re just interested in how you make Percy work like a dog," Fred said with a grin.


    "Yeah, Professor, we''ll definitely enjoy making fun of Percy when we get back!" George added.


    The little wizards in their seats kept signaling the two with angry nces, but the twins, immersed in their enjoyment of mocking Percy, didn''t notice what they were doing or see their ssmates'' "well-intentioned" reminders.


    "Very well," Drac said, with a smile that didn''t quite reach his eyes, "Since that''s the case, I can let you experience firsthand how Percy Weasley feels ''worked to the bone.''"


    The desks and chairs in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom were moved back to the sides...


    ...


    The next day, Drac''s infamous reputation spread throughout Hogwarts Castle.


    The reason it took until the next day to be widely known, rather than that night, wasn''t because the event wasn''t significant, but because the students who had endured the first day''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss were so exhausted that they went straight to bed, too tired to recount their tragic experiences to others.


    By the next day, when these students had somewhat regained their energy, they remembered to share their experiences with those who hadn''t yet attended Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, wishing them well and hoping they''d be alright...


    The Hogwarts students unanimously agreed that Professor Drac had toned things down a bit when he first arrivedst year¡ªafter all, he only had a whole ss of students use spells against him at the same time. But now, that seemed like nothingpared to what was happening!


    In the eyes of the little wizards, the crazed Professor Drac, in his quest to make everyone experience what it''s like to be "worked to the bone," didn''t hesitate to stretch the advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts ss to the lowest "T" level, openly refusing to leave any student out!


    ...


    On the eighth floor of the main tower, in the Hogwarts headmaster''s office.


    "Professor Drac, recently many professors havee to see me, all to give their opinions about you," Dumbledore said, looking helplessly at Drac, who wasfortably sprawled on the sofa across from him. "They all say that after attending your ss, the students are too exhausted to pay attention in their own sses."


    "What does that have to do with me?" Drac said indifferently. "Last semester, the failure rate for the Ordinary Wizarding Levels in Defense Against the Dark Arts was the highest, which was quite embarrassing for me. I''m not happy about it."


    "So from now on, in my ss, all practical exercises must be intensified, so those little wizards who are always thinking about fun will get a good lesson!"


    By the end of his statement, Drac''s voice unconsciously grew colder, and the temperature in the headmaster''s office dropped several degrees in an instant.


    Thete summer heat abruptly turned to winter chill!


    The phoenix Fawkes, who had been leisurely preening its feathers, suddenly fluffed up in rm, ruining the painstakingly arranged feathers.


    Dumbledore waved his wand helplessly to restore the temperature in the office to its original state, then extended a hand to smooth Fawkes'' ruffled golden-red feathers.


    "Professor Drac, I didn''t mean to imply that your teaching methods are bad," Dumbledore said thoughtfully, in a tone of negotiation. "I understand your intention; practical exercises are indeed very effective for improving students'' grades."


    "I know that increasing the intensity of practical exercises not only enhances students'' Defense Against the Dark Arts skills but also improves their adaptability,bat quality, and abilities in other subjects such as Transfiguration and Charms."


    "Moreover, as we both know, Voldemort has returned and might regain full power at any time. Therefore, having Hogwarts students with better practical abilities would give them a better chance of survival."


    Dumbledore, with a serious expression, gave a detailed affirmation of Drac''s teaching methods.


    "Since you, Headmaster, approve of my teaching methods so much, why did you call me here?" Drac asked, puzzled.


    "What I mean is, while practical exercises have many benefits, they also have their drawbacks," Dumbledore said. "This method of draining students'' energy will inevitably cause them to focus all their effort on Defense Against the Dark Arts, neglecting other subjects."


    "If that happens, fundamental subjects like Transfiguration and Charms might be gradually neglected or even forgotten. But Defense Against the Dark Arts is not just an independent course for dealing with dark creatures and dark wizards; it''s more like a defensive subject based on various fundamental magical subjects."


    "So I suggest, for the sake of the students'' overall development, it would be best not to disrupt their other courses."


    Dumbledore looked deeply into Drac''s eyes, analyzing the situation carefully.


    "Truly worthy of being a headmaster, Dumbledore," Drac said, sitting up from the sofa with a lightugh and shaking his head. "Your points are quite reasonable, leaving me at a loss for words."


    "Not at all, just some superficial teaching experience," Dumbledore said with a smile, stroking his long white beard.


    "Alright, then tell me, what teaching methods can bnce practical exercises with other subjects?" Drac asked.


    "Professor Drac, we could actually approach the problem from a different angle," Dumbledore said, winking at him. "Since practicing practical skills in ss leads to student fatigue and affects their next ss, why not find a time when there are no other sses for practical exercises?"


    "You mean... adding extra sses during the students'' free time?" Drac raised an eyebrow.


    "Don''t put it that way, Professor Drac; ''extra sses'' doesn''t sound very pleasant!" Dumbledore said with a smile. "We could rephrase it¡ªperhaps as starting a dueling club!"


    "Dueling is a traditional aspect of the magical world for centuries, seen as the most honorable challenge among wizards. No young wizard can resist the temptation of a proper duel. Trust me, they will definitelye to join this dueling club."


    "Professor Drac, what do you think of my idea?"


    Looking at the smiling Dumbledore, Drac''s mouth twitched.


    "...You really understand young wizards, Headmaster." He acknowledged Dumbledore''s suggestion. "But... there are still some students who haven''t yet experienced the feeling of being ''worked to the bone'' in ss. I need to make sure they experience it too. It wouldn''t be fair otherwise, right?"


    "Then let''s wait until next Monday; the dueling club will officially start after dinner next week!"

 Chapter 106 - 106 It’s a bad week for everything.

    <h4>Chapter 106: It''s a bad week for everything.</h4>


    Despite only having three days of sses during the first week of school, Harry felt he had endured an extremely tough week.


    On his first day at Hogwarts, he encountered an unexpected problem: the barrier between tforms 9 and 10 was blocked, preventing him from taking the Hogwarts Express. After struggling toe up with the idea of driving to the castle, he crashed the car into the Whomping Willow, getting pummeled for a while and even losing Mr. Weasley''s car...


    Had Mr. Weasley notter sent a letter to Ron saying that they had handled it well and that the Weasley family had unexpectedly received a luxury car from Professor Drac called the "Rolls-Lyce," Harry would have felt even more guilty.


    On the second day of school, Ron received a howler from Mrs. Weasley and was trapped in a soundproof bubble by Professor Drac, being bombarded by Mrs. Weasley''s enraged shouting.


    Moreover, even after several days, Hedwig was still angry at Harry for the disastrous flying car trip, and no amount of treats seemed to calm her down. To get back at Ron for driving, Hedwig almost snatched and ate his pet rat, Scabbers.


    If Scabbers hadn''t been smart enough to notice Hedwig''s hostile gaze and hide in Ron''s pants, Ron''s pet rat, inherited from Percy, would have likely be something unspeakable that fell in front of Snape that day...


    Ron and Harry even had a fight over the safety of Scabbers.


    But these were minor issuespared to the real challenge: Professor Drac''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, which was hellish for Harry and the other young witches and wizards. The feeling of having every ounce of magical energy and stamina drained was something they never wanted to experience again!


    Ron''s first week was even worse.


    After crashing the car into the Whomping Willow, Ron''s old and worn wand, inherited from home, broke. The financially strained Weasley family couldn''t afford a new wand for Ron, and even if they had the money, Mrs. Weasley would surely refuse to buy a new wand for Ron after such a major mistake.


    Unable to get a new wand, Ron had to use magical tape to piece his wand back together, thinking he could make do with it for the semester.


    However, if magical tape alone could fix wands, there would be no need for wandmakers in the magical world. Ron''s wand clearly did not return to normal, making crackling noises and emitting sparks from time to time.


    Especially in Friday morning''s spell ss, when Ron cast a spell, his wand suddenly flew out of his hand and hit Professor Flitwick on the forehead.


    Professor Flitwick let out a yelp, and arge green bump immediately appeared on his forehead, pulsating.


    As a result, Professor Flitwick rarelly deducted points from Gryffindor.


    As for the nightmarish Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, it''s needless to say that Ron''s wand caused him great trouble. He couldn''t even manage the simplest spells.


    Given this situation, Professor Drac paid special attention to Ron, asionally casting small punitive spells on him, forcing Ron to use his broken wand to cast spells...


    After enduring such trials, Harry and Ron were very relieved to finally reach Friday night.


    The two of them, exhausted,y in bed and fell into a deep sleep, hoping to recover from the grievances of the past half-week in their dreams!


    ...


    Early the next morning, Harry was jolted awake by arge figure. He had hoped to sleep a few more hours, straight through to noon.


    "Wh...what''s going on?" Harry mumbled, squinting.


    "Quidditch practice!" therge figure said, "Get up!"


    Harry rubbed his eyes, reluctantly opened them, and looked at the light outside, wondering if he had slept too long and lost track of time.


    Outside the Gryffindor dormitory window, the sky was covered with a thin mist of pink and pale gold, with crisp birdsong drifting in.


    "Oliver," Harry looked at the burly figure next to him, realizing it was his Quidditch team captain, Oliver Wood, "It''s barely dawn. Did you get the time wrong?"


    "I didn''t get the time wrong!" Wood''s eyes were gleaming with enthusiasm.


    "This is part of our new training n. Hurry up, grab your broom, ande with me," Wood urged eagerly, "Other teams haven''t started training yet. We need to outwork them and defend our Quidditch Cup!"


    "Oliver, how do you have so much energy..." Harry looked incredulously at Wood''s fervent expression, "Even Professor Drac''s extreme Defense Against the Dark Arts ss doesn''t seem to have worn you out?"


    "I have to admit, Professor Drac''s sses are really painful," Wood admitted, his eyes reflecting some dread but also a strange sense offort.


    "But after the suffering, I found that my endurance has significantly improved from yesterday''s Quidditch practice! It''s more progress than I made allst year!" he said, "So I realized that only extreme training can lead to greater improvement. From now on, our Quidditch training should be as intense as Professor Drac''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss!"


    Seeing Wood''s serious expression, Harry was horrified to realize he wasn''t joking!


    "Oliver, I want to ask you something..." Harry swallowed nervously, "You really don''t have a masochistic streak, do you?"


    Wood: "..."


    ...


    Ultimately, Harry decided to follow Wood''s n and go to Quidditch practice.


    He yawned, still feeling the effects of the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical training, and shakily got out of bed, starting to look for his team uniform.


    When Harry arrived at the stadium, the other members of the Gryffindor team were already in the locker room.


    He was relieved to see that only Wood was fully awake. Fred and George seemed to have not recovered from the torment of the Dark Arts Defense ss; they sat there, listless, with swollen eyes and disheveled hair.


    The female yers, Katie Bell and Angelina Johnson, sat opposite, yawning repeatedly.


    Seeing that everyone had arrived, Wood held up arge diagram of the Quidditch pitch, marked with various colored lines, arrows, and Xs. He took out his wand and pointed at the diagram, causing the arrows to wriggle across the board like caterpirs.


    In front of the drowsy Gryffindor yers, Wood began exining his new tactics. In fact, no one was able to take it in.


    An hourter, amidst the snoring in the locker room, Wood, engrossed in his own tactics, pped his hands.


    "This is the overall strategy!" he finally said. "Do you have any other questions?"


    "Zzz... Zzz..."


    "Didn''t you hear a single word of the strategy I painstakingly exined?!" he said angrily.


    "It''s not that we didn''t hear a single word..." Fred rubbed his bleary eyes, lifting his head from Angelina''s shoulder. "I did hear one thing ¡ª ''this is the overall strategy.'' How''s that? Did I get it right?"


    Seeing the indifference on the team''s faces, Wood was somewhat displeased.


    "Listen up, folks," he said with a serious face, "Last year, thanks to a bit of luck and our absolute strength, we won the Quidditch Cup. That was great!"


    "But this year our task is even tougher. Other teams won''t be standing still, and we have to put in a hundred times more effort to defend our championship!"


    "Enough said. Now let''s put the new theory into practice!" Wood shouted, grabbing his broom and leading the way out of the locker room.


    The yers followed behind, yawning and dragging their tired legs...


    However, this week seemed destined to be problematic for Harry.


    After they exined the tactics, and not long into the training, a group of Slytherin Quidditch yers showed up.


    At Hogwarts, there''s a centuries-old tradition that when lions and snakes meet, a fight is bound to break out!


    Sure enough, a confrontation ensued immediately after the two teams met.


    Wood believed he had booked the pitch, but Slytherin''s captain Marcus Flint produced a note signed by Snape ¡ª


    "I, S. Snape, professor, permit the Slytherin team to practice on the Quidditch pitch today to train their new Seeker."


    He read the note aloud with an air of superiority.


    The Gryffindor yers then discovered that Draco Malfoy, a second-year student, had be Slytherin''s new Seeker.


    And he hadn''t be a Seeker on his own merit but through the influence of his wealthy father, Lucius Malfoy ¡ª


    Lucius donated seven of thetest Firebolt 2001 brooms to the Slytherin team, using his financial power to get Draco onto the team.


    Naturally, the Slytherin team began mocking the Gryffindor yers'' old Cleansweep Sevens, while Hermione sharply criticized Draco Malfoy for buying his way onto the team.


    Draco was not pleased and uttered the most offensive term ¡ª


    "No one asked you, you filthy little mudblood," he said harshly.


    The term "mudblood," a derogatory word for Muggle-born witches and wizards, ignited the battlefield, and Gryffindor wizards roared as they charged at the Slytherins.


    Flint had to block Draco to prevent Fred and George from pouncing on him.


    Ron, who hade with Hermione to watch Harry''s training, angrily drew his tattered wand from his robe and shouted, "You''re going to pay for that, Malfoy!"


    In his fury, Ron aimed his wand at Draco''s face ¡ª


    "Slug-vomiting Charm!"


    Ron, in extreme anger, used a powerful version of the spell Fred and George had taught him...


    ...And hit himself urately.


    A huge explosion rang out across the pitch, a green light shot from the end of Ron''s wand, hitting his abdomen, causing him to stagger two steps and fall to the ground.


    "Ron! Ron! Are you okay?" Hermione crouched down, worried.


    Ron opened his mouth to speak but instead belched loudly, disgorging several fat, slimy slugs onto his thigh.


    Seeing this, the Slytherin yers burst intoughter.


    Flintughed so hard he couldn''t stand up, leaning on his Firebolt 2001. Dracoughed on the ground, pounding the ground with his fists.


    The Gryffindor yers looked worried and gathered around Ron, but seeing him continuously spewing shiny, slimy slugs, no one wanted to touch him.


    "Fred, George, you''re his brothers, help him to the hospital wing," Wood said heavily, patting the Weasley twins on the shoulder.


    "That, um... Captain, I think it''s fine to just leave little Ron here," Fred said, ncing at Ron with distaste, taking a small step back. "If we drag him to the hospital wing on the fourth floor, he might spew slugs all the way, and that would just give Snape a chance to take points from our house."


    "Ron, hang in there, you can do it!" George, matching Fred''s retreat, took a step back and gave Ron a thumbs-up. "Well done, Ron, at least you''ve shown us that you learned the dark spell we taught you!"


    Seeing his unreliable brothers, Harry gritted his teeth and stepped up to Ron.


    "We''d better take him to Hagrid''s; it''s closer," he said to Hermione.


    Hermione bravely nodded and, with Harry, gritted her teeth and dragged Ron to his feet.


    Fred was right; Ron indeed left a trail of slugs all the way. Fortunately, the Quidditch pitch was far from Hogwarts Castle, so it wasn''t too far to Hagrid''s hut.


    Harry and Hermione quickly got Ron to Hagrid''s hut, leaving a long, slimy trail behind...


    Just as they were standing at the door of Hagrid''s hut, ready to knock, a silver-haired figure suddenly opened the door and walked out.


    Seeing the figure, Harry and Hermione were overjoyed.


    "Professor Drac, Ron has been hit by the slug-vomiting charm. Can you help him?" Hermione asked hopefully.


    Drac looked at the three little wizards with some surprise and then nced at Ron with interest.


    "Of course, the counter-curse is actually quite simple," he said casually, raising his hand to perform the counter-curse.


    At that moment, Ron couldn''t hold it any longer and vomited another shiny slug, which happened tond on Drac''s shoe.


    The air went eerily silent.


    Drac''s hand stopped mid-air.


    "I suddenly forgot the counter-curse for the slug-vomiting charm," he said coldly.

 Chapter 107 - 107 The wand that "blows up".

    <h4>Chapter 107: The wand that "blows up".</h4>


    Drac''s cold, indifferent words left Ron feeling utterly desperate, despite his earlier optimism.


    "Professor, please...ugh..." Ron said, retching and struggling, "Don''t be so heartless, Professor...ugh¡ª"


    Just as Ron was about to vomit up another snot, Drac frowned in disgust and quickly cast a spell¡ª


    "Silencing Charm (Mimble Wimble)."


    This was a charm Drac had used on Gilderoy Lockhart before and was quite effective in certain situations.


    Under the effect of the charm, Ron''s mouth immediately sealed shut, trapping the snot he was about to expel. It was stuck in his mouth, neithering out nor going down.


    Ron frantically gestured with his hands, his eyes red, looking at Drac as if he were on the verge of tears.


    Drac flicked the snot off his shoe, then used several cleaning spells to make the shoe clean again. Seeing Ron''s embarrassed state, he finally allowed himself a satisfied smirk.


    "Professor, please help Ron!" Harry urged desperately.


    He and Hermione, frantic as if they were embers escaping a fire, circled around Ron, unable to do anything to ease his suffering.


    "Professor!" Hermione shouted, "Look at Ron''s face¡ªit''s turning red! If you don''t lift the spell soon, he might suffocate on the snot!"


    Drac nced at Ron, noting his flushed face, realizing that another snot might soone from his stomach.


    If another plump snot appeared while Ron''s mouth was still closed, it would block his throat and esophagus, and it was not impossible for Ron to choke.


    "Ah, what a shame." Drac, slightly disappointed, shrugged.


    He snapped his fingers, and a universal counter-spell silently covered Ron, instantly removing both the snot charm and the Silencing Charm.


    "Cough, cough..."


    After the spell was lifted, Ron immediately opened his mouth and began retching, coughing uncontrobly.


    "Ah¡ªso disgusting, I felt like two snot were wriggling in my mouth and throat!" he said indignantly, "Why can''t I vomit them out now? Did I identally digest them?!"


    Ron stared wide-eyed at Harry and Hermione in shock.


    "Think about it. The snot you vomited were magical substances; they naturally dissipated after the magic was lifted," Drac said casually.


    Hearing Drac''s voice, Ron turned his astonished gaze toward him.


    "Professor, how could you make me keep my mouth shut at such a critical moment? That''s so unkind!" he eximed, his face flushed as heined.


    "Oh? Is it unkind of me?" Drac''s lips curled into a sinister smile.


    Ron shivered.


    "Ah... Professor, you misunderstood. That''s not what I meant..." Ron''s angry and aggrieved feelings quickly subsided, and he forced a conciliatory smile, "I meant... your method was very kind! I know you were using it to train my perseverance!"


    "I understand now. In the future, when facing dark wizards or dark creatures, every time I think of today''s experience, I''ll never fall into deeper despair, and I''ll always have greater courage to face danger!"


    As he spoke, Ron gradually raised his head and puffed out his chest, his demeanor bing more resolute. It might not convince Drac, but at least it convinced himself...


    "Well, if you need it, next time I can let you swallow a few more snot," Drac said with interest, looking at the proud Ron. "If that''s not enough, I could even modify the snot charm to something more challenging."


    "Instead of snot, how about cockroaches? If you think that''s still not enough, spiders aren''t out of the question either."


    Ron, who had been pretending to be calm, suddenly shivered at the mention of "spiders," his face turning pale with fear.


    "Professor Drac, please stop scaring Ron. He''s terrified of spiders," Hermione said, her lips pursed in a serious tone as she tried to calm the unfeeling Drac.


    But Ron didn''t seem to appreciate the help.


    "Who...who''s afraid of spiders?" Ron said, feeling embarrassed as he retorted, "How could a grown man like me be afraid of spiders?!"


    "Then tell me, who jumped three feet into the air when the giant spider appeared at the entrance to the Great Hallst Halloween?" Hermione countered, "Everyone saw it¡ªyou were clinging to Harry''s neck until he carried you into the hall!"


    "You, you, you..." Ron pointed at Hermione, stammering for a while without being able to provide a proper defense.


    "Ron, why don''t you just admit it? You''re indeed afraid of spiders," Harry said, looking at the fuming Hermione and the aggrieved Ron, and decided to mediate with a conciliatory tone.


    Upon hearing his friend''s conclusion, Ron''s shoulders slumped, and he deted.


    Drac watched the debate among the three with interest, patiently waiting for them to finish before addressing an issue.


    "If you''re done discussing, how about introducing the situation to me?" he asked. "The snot charm seemed quite effective. Who ced such a harsh curse on the Weasley family? Was it one of your Slytherin rivals?"


    "No, Professor. It was Ron himself who cast the spell," Harry said with a chuckle.


    Ron''s face stiffened, and he silently lowered his head, his shoulders sagging further.


    "Ron himself?" Drac looked at Ron in surprise. "You can be that harsh on yourself? I didn''t expect you to be so tough, Weasley."


    "No, no, actually, it was Ron''s wand that malfunctioned, Professor," Hermione added cheerfully. She was quite pleased to see Ron getting into trouble. "Ron originally intended to use the snot charm on that annoying Draco Malfoy, but his spell came out of the end of his wand!"


    "Really?" Drac''s interest was piqued. He turned to Ron, who was still slumped. "Weasley, can I see your wand?"


    Drac had already noticed Ron''s wand was problematic during the previous Defense Against the Dark Arts ss. However, he had always been indifferent to wands, so he hadn''t paid much attention to it.


    But today he unexpectedly learned that Ron''s wand could cast spells in reverse, directly causing the Slug-Vomiting Charm to hit Ron himself!


    Drac immediately thought that such a unique wand had considerable potential.


    For example, when encountering a dark wizard, a poor little wizard could first pull out a wand that only cast spells in reverse, trick the opponent into using a disarming spell to take away their wand, and then lead the opponent to use the newly acquired wand for attacks...


    Then, the dark wizard would receive a surprise¡ªbeing hit by their own spell without any defense!


    Thinking of this, Drac instinctively curled his lips into a wicked smile.


    Ron shivered a bit upon seeing Drac''s smile.


    "Of course, Professor, I''ve had enough of this wand!" he hurriedly took the wand out of his pocket and handed it to Drac. "This wand originally belonged to Charlie. Later, Charlie bought a new wand, and Mom gave me this old one."


    "Mom thought it would save seven Galleons on the wand cost. She certainly didn''t expect that I''d break it after only a year..."


    Harry sympathetically patted Ron on the shoulder.


    Drac didn''t care about Ron''s backstory with the wand. He was only interested in the wand''s ability to cast spells in reverse.


    As soon as he took the wand from Ron, Drac felt it begin to tremble slightly in his hand.


    This sensation was simr to when he had first tested the unicorn tail-hair wand at Ollivanders, except this wand''s struggle was much weaker, possibly because it was damaged.


    "Unicorn tail-hair core?" Drac asked casually.


    "Yes, that''s right. I heard from Charlie that the core is unicorn tail-hair, the material is holly wood, and the length is 12 inches," Ron''s eyes brightened as he introduced it in detail. "Professor, do you know about wands? Can you help me fix it?"


    A glimmer of hope rose in his heart¡ª


    If Professor Drac could fix his wand, he wouldn''t have to tell Mrs. Weasley about the damage and might avoid a good scolding.


    "I don''t know much. I''m not interested in wands."


    Drac''s indifferent response extinguished the hope Ron had just felt. Ron slumped his shoulders again.


    Drac looked at the wand in his hand that was still struggling and trembling. He thought for a moment and then suppressed the dark power inside him, channeling only the purest magic into his right hand.


    His right hand began to emit a soft glow, the pale skin bing as smooth and lustrous as white jade.


    The wand''s trembling gradually ceased and it calmed down, no longer resisting Drac''s touch, resting quietly in his hand.


    Drac''s face showed a satisfied smile as he gently lifted his hand.


    "Lumos."


    A beam of white light appeared at the wand''s tip, quite normal, except for asional small sparksing from the wand''s body, reminding everyone present that this was a defective wand.


    "Is the magic power not strong enough?"


    Drac furrowed his brow slightly and then recited the enhanced version of the wand-lighting spell¡ª


    "Lumos Solemn!"


    The wand''s body sparkled with unprecedentedrge sparks, and then a dazzling beam of light suddenly shot out from the wand''s end, illuminating the area in front of Hagrid''s hut, almost blinding the three young wizards.


    "Ah ah ah¡ªWho am I, where am I?" Ron''s voice came from the bright light.


    "I can''t see anything!" Harry panicked, "Professor, what did you do?!"


    "Harry, Ron, quiet down!" Hermione shouted, "We should be grateful that Professor Drac is using a lighting spell for the experiment and not some offensive curse!"


    "What''s happening outside?" Hagrid''s rough voice came slowly from inside the hut, asking in shock, "Harry, is that you? I think I just heard your voice!"


    In the midst of the blinding light, Drac''s crimson eyes shone with interest as he looked at the wand in his hand.


    He could feel that when his pure magic passed through Ron''s wand and reached the middle of the wand, it encountered a significant obstruction.


    If a basic wand-lighting spell, which consumes little magic, was used, some of Drac''s magic would be diminished by the wand and manifest as sparks on the wand''s surface, while the remaining magic would ovee the obstruction and achieve its original purpose, casting the spell.


    However, using the highest-level version of the wand-lighting spell, which requires arge amount of magic, meant that the excess magic umted and had difficulty passing through the wand''s central obstruction. Consequently, the magic would get stuck at the obstruction, continuously umting and eventually causing an explosion!


    This situation was somewhat simr to the bursting of a Muggle firearm, both powerful and unexpected.


    But the difference was that after a Muggle gun barrel burst, the firearm waspletely destroyed and unusable; whereas Ron''s wand, after its "barrel burst," expelled the original magic from the wand''s end, allowing for repeated use.


    This was also why Ron could perform the powerful Slug-Vomiting Charm.


    Understanding the principle of the wand''s end emitting spells, Drac happily curled his lips and, amidst the panicked voices of the three young wizards and Hagrid, lightly snapped his fingers.


    "Nox."


    This was the wand-extinguishing spell, the counter-charm to the lighting spell.


    The bright light abruptly vanished, and the area in front of Hagrid''s hut returned to its usual vibrant appearance.


    "Thank you for the wand, Ron. It gave me some inspiration," Drac said, returning the wand to Ron with a smile, "Well... how about this: Since you two have had double assignments for the past two weeks, I can cancel them for you."


    Drac was in a great mood, smiling as he nodded to Hagrid, then picked up a cage covered with a ck cloth from the doorway of Hagrid''s hut and left.


    Harry and Ron exchanged a nce, both showing incredulous and extremely delighted smiles.


    The next moment, they both jumped up in unison¡ª


    "Yay!"


    Seeing their reaction, Hermione curled her lip in dissatisfaction and turned her gaze to Hagrid.


    "Hagrid, what was in the cage that Professor Drac took from the doorway?" she asked curiously.


    "Oh, that," Hagrid yawned, rubbing his eyes which had been dazzled by the bright light, and said casually, "Professor Drac called me up early this morning, and we went into the Forbidden Forest to catch some interesting creatures."


    "I don''t know what he did with that cage, but he at least caught a dozen different magical creatures, like Hippogriffs and Grindylows... I guess Professor Drac might be nning to bring those creatures to ss."


    "Oh, and by the way, Professor Drac mentioned that he wouldn''t be assigning homework for the first half of the month."


    Harry and Ron''s excited cheers suddenly quieted down.

 Chapter 108 - 108 A Death Eater meeting at Malfoy Manor.

    <h4>Chapter 108: A Death Eater meeting at Malfoy Manor.</h4>


    While Harry and Ron were stillining about their tough first week of school, their arch-nemesis Voldemort was quietly scheming¡ª


    In an elegantly designed mansion surrounded by a meticulously arranged garden.


    The garden was a lush green, filling the entire estate with its color. Dense rows of beautiful trees lined the stone paths, and a magical fountain spouted in the center of the garden. White peacocks wandered freely, adding a touch of opulence and nobility.


    Yet the master of this grand residence stood in the purple wallpapered living room, bowing and scraping before a man with a bald head, twisted features, and a sinister expression.


    "Lucius, how did you fare with the task I assigned?" the twisted man asked in a rasping voice from the chair at the front of the room.


    "It''s all taken care of, Master," Lucius said, bending deeply, almost to the floor, in a deeply respectful manner. "I''ve used a significant amount of money and the connections left by the Malfoy family to pave the way for Alecto to advance."


    "ording to reliable sources, he''ll soon be the third inmand at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."


    Lucius''s head was bowed so low that his face, full of bitterness and resentment, was hidden from view.


    With the considerable wealth of the Malfoy family and Lucius''s own talent for ttery and maniption, he had be a prominent Death Eater during the First Wizarding War. However, he had fallen out of favor with Voldemort after losing an unknown dark artifact.


    Now, Lucius had lost his former status within the Death Eater ranks. He felt that his position in Voldemort''s eyes had be that of a disposable pawn, to be discarded once he had outlived his usefulness and drained the Malfoy family''s remaining wealth.


    Thus, Lucius felt deep resentment and even contemted betrayal.


    Thinking about the list of dark artifacts he had sold to Drac a few days ago, Lucius felt a twinge of panic, but his anger and resentment quickly suppressed it.


    "You''ve done well, Lucius," Voldemort''s raspy voice came from the front of the room.


    Even though his tone was encouraging, his eyes were red and cold, like a snake with a cold, bloodthirsty nature. "You''ve devoted your estate and countless resources to paving the way for Alecto at the Ministry of Magic. You''ve certainly worked hard."


    "I am always fair in my rewards and punishments. So tell me, is there any reward you desire?"


    "Serving you is the greatest reward I could wish for, Master!" Lucius said with obsequiousness.


    Yet, despite his words, his face remained twisted with resentment, showing no trace of genuine ttery.


    "Do you think I don''t know you, Lucius?" Voldemort''s long, spider-like fingers interlocked, and his red eyes fixed on Lucius''s lowered gaze. "If I didn''t give you the reward you deserve, you''d probably start thinking about how to betray me, wouldn''t you?"


    Hearing Voldemort''s ominous words, Lucius''s heart raced. He feared Voldemort had learned of his plea for help from Drac.


    "Master, I..." Lucius nearly blurted out his dealings with Drac in his panic.


    Fortunately, he was interrupted before he could speak.


    "Let me think, what would be a fitting reward..." Voldemort''s sinister smile made Lucius''s heart pound with anxiety.


    "I''ve suddenly thought of a rather interesting idea," Voldemort''s mouth split into a terrifyingly wicked grin. "Lucius, you have a son, don''t you? I see he''s not in your estate, so he must be at Hogwarts now, right?"


    Lucius''s face turned ashen.


    He had waited until the start of term at Hogwarts to offer Malfoy Manor to Voldemort, specifically to keep his son Draco away from the Death Eaters'' mess.


    But Lucius had not anticipated that Voldemort would suddenly mention Draco.


    The Dark Lord seemed to be using his son as a potential hostage to prevent Lucius from betraying him!


    "Is something wrong? You don''t seem willing?" Voldemort''s indifferent gaze fixed on Lucius''s panicked face. He extended his bony, skeletal-like wand towards Lucius''s face and yfully tapped his pale cheek.


    Lucius''s mind went nk, trying to refuse Voldemort''s so-called "reward," but he found himself unable to utter the words of rejection.


    At that moment, from the other end of the long table in the living room, a voice spoke, subtlying to Lucius''s rescue¡ª


    "Master, Draco is my student. He''s still too young and unruly, which could hinder your ns." Snape spoke calmly from his position at Voldemort''s right-hand side, clearly indicating his high status. "If you need Draco to join the Death Eaters, I can pay more attention to him over the next two years and quickly develop him into the kind of talent you require."


    "Very well." Voldemort nced at Snape and nodded slightly. "Since Severus has said so, we''ll postpone this ''reward'' for another two years."


    He gestured for Lucius to return to his original seat.


    Lucius let out a sigh of relief, giving Snape a grateful look, and then bowed deeply once more before sitting down in the second seat to Voldemort''s left.


    The seat directly to Voldemort''s left was upied by a rtively tall, pompous wizard dressed in ornate robes, with his pale blonde hair neatly braided into a single it.


    Seeing Lucius sit down next to him, the arrogant wizard smiled lightly and said:


    "Thank you for this, Lucius. You must have spent quite a bit of money and used your connections for my promotion, didn''t you?"


    "Not at all, Aksley." Lucius, still shaken from his previous anxiety, nced at the wizard next to him with a nk expression and replied.


    The arrogant wizard named Aksley worked at the Ministry of Magic.


    Recently, he had been the one to inform Lucius, after hearing from Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and Rufus Scrimgeour, Head of the Auror Office, that the Ministry nned to search Malfoy Manor.


    Ironically, the anonymous letter reporting Malfoy Manor was sent by Voldemort himself, who was now seated in the main position. Although Lucius avoided the Ministry''s search due to Aksley''s tip, he lost Voldemort''s trust in the process, which allowed Aksley to rece him in his previous position.


    Not long ago, after Voldemort announced his return using the Dark Mark on his Death Eaters'' arms, Aksley had joined his former master.


    Upon learning that Aksley held a significant position at the Ministry, Voldemort saw the opportunity to use him to infiltrate and control the Ministry, thus gaining more influence in the magical world and challenging Dumbledore and Drac.


    Therefore, Voldemort instructed Lucius to use all of the Malfoy family''s resources to pave the way for Aksley at the Ministry!


    "I''m actually wondering, with the power of the Aksley family and your Malfoy familybined, why am I only able to sit in the third position at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?" Aksley said softly. "Could it be that you haven''t put in your full effort, Lucius?"


    He stared directly at Lucius, his eyebrows raised, with deep lines of frown etched on his forehead.


    "Amelia Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour''s positions are not so easily shaken!" Lucius retorted angrily, ring at him. "You know that! The current Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Head of the Auror Office are known for their iron-fisted approach, not to mention their families have significant influence too!"


    "Influence?" Aksley sneered dismissively. "Are you referring to the Bones family, which is full of Hufflepuffs, or the Scrimgeour family, which has very few members?"


    "Even without considering their influence, neither of them has any significant blemishes in their political careers. How can we possibly remove them from their positions?" Lucius argued. "Aksley, after working at the Ministry for so long, don''t you have any judgment of your own?!"


    Aksley''s face darkened as he mmed his hand on the armrest of his chair.


    "Both of you, be quiet!" As their argument grew louder, Voldemort said coldly. "Lucius is right; it''s indeed difficult to remove them from their positions. Aksley is also correct that a mere third position in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement cannot contribute much to our grand ns!"


    "Master, we can wait until Bones and Scrimgeour''s terms end..." Lucius adjusted his slightly disheveled clothes from the earlier argument and spoke seriously.


    "That would be toote; we must push Aksley to a higher position in a short period!" Voldemort interrupted. "Since they have no political blemishes, let''s create one for them..."


    "What do you think will happen if Azkaban is breached during their tenure as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Head of the Auror Office?"


    Voldemort''s lips curled into a cold, thin line as his crimson eyes scanned the Death Eaters present, causing them to hold their breath in fear.


    Among the Death Eaters present, only Snape seemed unaffected by Voldemort''s presence.


    He calmly asked, "Master, do we need to rescue ourrades who are imprisoned in Azkaban?"


    "Yes, unlike you cowardly, retreating fools who only think about exonerating yourselves after my departure and couldn''t even be bothered to look for them symbolically..." Voldemort looked at the gathered Death Eaters with a sneer. "Those imprisoned in Azkaban are my most loyal and trustworthy allies!"


    "Our attack on Azkaban will not only rescue our most reliable allies but also create a significant blemish on Bones and Scrimgeour''s careers, thus advancing Aksley''s position. It''s a win-win!"


    The Death Eaters enthusiastically apuded, praising Voldemort''s brilliant n in various ways.


    Amidst the praise, Voldemort showed a self-satisfied smile, then suddenly turned to Snape. "Severus, are you feeling scared?"


    Thepliments fell silent as everyone''s eyes turned to Snape in confusion.


    "I don''t understand your meaning, Master," Snape said, feigning a slightly bewildered expression.


    "No, you understand my meaning very well." Voldemort chuckled. "What I mean is, after I rescue our most loyal allies, will you be afraid that your current position might be threatened?"


    Snape''s pupils contracted slightly.


    He understood that Voldemort had not yet fully trusted him and that this question was just another subtle test.


    Snape remained vignt internally but showed no sign of it on his face.


    He replied, "Therades in Azkaban are also my friends."


    "Excellent!"


    Voldemortughed, his voice both raspy and sinister, as if a demon from hell wasughing.


    "Excellent, Severus!" he said, patting Snape''s shoulder. "I didn''t misjudge you!"


    Snape feigned a surprised expression, but his mind remained on high alert, not rxing for a moment.


    As a fellow undercover agent, Lucius did not need to be as tense as Snape.


    He was already a fence-sitter, with some alignment with Voldemort''s ideology.


    Therefore, even though Lucius''s mental lusion was not as refined as Snape''s and only covered details of his meeting with Drac and a list of dark artifacts, Voldemort had not detected anything amiss.


    This was because Voldemort had anticipated, or rather, understood the nature of the Malfoy family as fence-sitters, so he was not surprised by Lucius''s asional thoughts of escape.


    Just as Voldemort was about to continue exining the timing and n for the attack on Azkaban, a handsome young man with ck hair suddenly appeared like a shadow in the living room of Malfoy Manor.


    "Are you nning to invade Azkaban now?"


    The ck-haired youth asked softly, holding a diary in his hand.

 Chapter 109 - 109 The confrontation between Riddle and Voldemort

    <h4>Chapter 109: The confrontation between Riddle and Voldemort</h4>


    As Harry and Ron wereining about their unfortunate first week of school, Voldemort was quietly working on something significant elsewhere.


    In a stately mansion surrounded by an exquisitely designed garden, the entire estate was bathed in a soft green hue. The garden was adorned with hundreds of elegant trees nted densely along the stone paths. A magical fountain spouted water in the center of the garden, and white peacocks roamed freely, adding an air of luxury and nobility.


    However, the mansion''s owner was groveling in the living room, which was covered in purple wallpaper, bowing and scraping before a man with a bald head and a twisted, grotesque face.


    "Lucius, how are the things I asked you to handleing along?" The twisted-faced man, sitting in the foremost chair in the living room, rasped.


    "It has been taken care of, Master," Lucius said, bending deeply and almost burying his head in the floor in a respectful manner. "I have used a substantial amount of money and the connections retained by the Malfoy family to pave the way for Alecto''s promotion."


    "ording to reliable sources, he will soon be the third inmand of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."


    Lucius bowed so low that his face was hidden from view, showing no hint of the dissatisfaction and resentment he felt.


    Once a prominent Death Eater with considerable influence and resources, Lucius had lost his standing after losing an unknown dark magical artifact of Voldemort. Now, he felt like a pawn ready to be discarded as soon as Voldemort had drained all his resources and wealth.


    Feeling deeply resentful and even contemting betrayal, Lucius was unsettled by the recent list he had sent to Drac detailing the sale of dark magical artifacts. Despite his attempt to suppress his anxiety with anger and bitterness, he remained on edge.


    "You have done well, Lucius," Voldemort''s raspy voice came from the front of the living room. Though his tone was encouraging, his eyes were blood-red and cold, like a frigid, bloodthirsty serpent. "You have dedicated yourself to providing the manor and contributing considerable wealth to pave the way for Alecto in the Ministry of Magic."


    "I am always fair with rewards and punishments. Tell me, is there any reward you desire?"


    "Being able to serve you is my greatest reward!" Lucius said, his tone ingratiating.


    However, his deeply bowed face was full of resentment, showing no hint of ttery.


    "Do you think I don''t know you, Lucius?" Voldemort''s long, spider-like fingers intertwined as he looked at Lucius''s lowered eyes with his crimson gaze. "If I don''t give you the reward you deserve, you''ll probably start thinking about how to betray me, won''t you?"


    Hearing Voldemort''s sinister words, Lucius panic-strickenly raised his head, fearing that Voldemort had discovered his appeal for help to Drac.


    "Master, I¡ª" Lucius almost revealed his meeting with Drac in his panic.


    Fortunately, he was interrupted by Voldemort before he could speak.


    "Let me think about what kind of reward would be appropriate..." Voldemort said with a sinister smile, causing Lucius to feel increasingly anxious.


    "I''ve just thought of an interesting idea," Voldemort suddenly grinned, showing a terrifyingly hideous smile. "Lucius, you must have a son, right? I see he is not at your manor, so he must be starting his education at Hogwarts?"


    Lucius''s face changed drastically.


    He had specifically waited until the start of the Hogwarts term to offer the Malfoy manor to Voldemort, intending to keep his son Draco out of the Death Eaters'' mess.


    But Lucius never anticipated that Voldemort would suddenly mention Draco.


    The Dark Lord seemed to want to use his son as a hostage to ensure his loyalty!


    "What''s the matter? Aren''t you willing?" Voldemort looked at Lucius''s panicked expression, coldly extending his pale, skeletal wand towards his face and tapping his pale cheek with it.


    Lucius''s mind went nk as he struggled to refuse Voldemort''s so-called "reward," but despite several attempts, he couldn''t bring himself to say the words of refusal.


    At that moment, a voice from the other side of the long table, under the grand chandelier, spoke up and discreetly intervened to save Lucius.


    "Master, Draco is my student. He is still too young and unruly, and could hinder your ns," Snape said calmly. "If you need Draco to join the Death Eaters, I can pay closer attention to him over the next two years and train him into the talent you require."


    Snape sat in the first seat to Voldemort''s right, indicating his high status in Voldemort''s eyes.


    "Very well," Voldemort said, ncing at Snape and nodding. "Since Severus has said so, we''ll postpone this ''reward'' for another two years."


    He gestured for Lucius to return to his original seat.


    However, Voldemort gets along very well with the Dementors.


    Since Dementors can only feed on the happiness of wizards, which is a chaotic emotion in these eerie creatures, they only harm others.


    Yet Voldemort, being a product of a love potion and a human devoid of any feelings, offers no positive emotions for the Dementors to feed on in his mind.


    Because of this, Dementors have no leverage over Voldemort.


    During his research on Dementors around Azkaban, young Voldemort discovered that the Ministry of Magic had not truly controlled the Dementor species. They had merely established a hasty cooperative rtionship¡ª


    The Ministry continuously sent prisoners to Azkaban, and the Dementors fed on the prisoners'' happiness while assisting the wizards, or rather, helping themselves guard the delectable "dishes" and prevent their escape.


    Voldemort quickly realized that this cooperation was extremely flimsy and fragile.


    If one day Voldemort established his own regime and promised the Dementor poption freedom beyond Azkaban, allowing them to feed on the happiness of people across the entire world, these creatures would inevitably abandon the Ministry''s control and side with Voldemort.


    Although Voldemort''s power had not yet fully recovered and he had not yet established his own dark regime, negotiating with Dementors was still feasible.


    Even if Dementors were suspected of neglecting their duties by the Ministry, they would face no real consequences.


    This is because such diligent and freebor as Dementors is a rare and valuable resource! The Ministry would have to continue using Dementors if they did not want to increase their spending on prisoner supervision.


    "If some strong minister were in office, perhaps there would be slight concern about whether the Dementors'' work would be abolished by the Ministry," Voldemort thought coldly, "But now that that fool Fudge is the Minister of Magic, that coward who only wishes to retreat clearly does not have the courage to abolish the Dementors!"


    With this thought, Voldemort waspletely unconcerned about attacking Azkaban and casually waved his hand to the Death Eaters surrounding the long table.


    "You may leave now andplete the tasks I assigned at this meeting," he said. "Anyone who fails toplete their task knows the consequences."


    In the living room of Malfoy Manor, the Death Eaters stood up from their seats, bowing respectfully to Voldemort before Disapparating out of the room.


    Death Eaters like Lucius, who lived at Malfoy Manor, also carefully exited the room, leaving the space for the Dark Lord and his rebellious Horcrux...


    Soon, only Voldemort and Riddle remained in the spacious living room.


    "You arrived just in time. If I had obtained that item, attacking Azkaban would be a sure thing!" Voldemort, suppressing the heat in his eyes, turned to Riddle and asked, "Have you brought the item I requested?"


    Under Voldemort''s intense gaze, Riddle''s handsome face slightly changed color, and he solemnly shook his head.


    "What¡ªdid¡ªyou¡ªsay¡ª?!"


    Voldemort''s intense gaze turned cold instantly, his crimson eyes shing with a bloodthirsty light, "It''s been half a year! Since I left you at Hogwarts, half a year has passed, and you can''t even collect the blood of a first-year student?!"


    He stood up and stepped forward, pressing his wand against Riddle''s forehead.


    "You should know, my memory container? By obtaining Potter''s blood, I could restore my power to its peak, which would be immensely beneficial to both you and me!" Voldemort said coldly. "Why are you unwilling to make an effort in this matter? Do you really think I can''t do anything with my own Horcruxes?"


    "I have tried my best." Riddle, showing little change in his mood, looked at his main soul nearby and exined his efforts, "During my time at Hogwarts, with Dumbledore and Drac keeping watch, I couldn''t overtly take Harry Potter''s blood."


    "So I wrote Harry''s name on the first page of the diary, lurked near him, and gained his trust through conversations and tutoring his coursework. I even found him alone andpletely unguarded."


    "But I did not anticipate that Harry''s blood contained a powerful protective magic that counteracts us. I couldn''t collect his blood with normal methods and had to seek other ways."


    Voldemort withdrew his wand from Riddle''s forehead, frowning deeply without any eyebrows.


    "Indeed? I had suspected as much. When I possessed Quirrell, he couldn''t make physical contact with Potter''s skin. That''s the effect of this protective magic!" he said grimly. "Lily Potter left a spell in Harry Potter''s blood specifically targeting me!"


    "Is this why you''re willing to dy gaining power just to use Potter''s blood to restore your body?" Riddle asked.


    "Of course." Voldemort sneered, "I look forward to seeing Potter''s expression when he realizes that the protective magic his mother sacrificed her life for flows in his enemy''s veins."


    "I understand." Riddle bowed his head and said softly, "I will obtain it for you as soon as possible."


    "Even if you can''t directly obtain Potter''s blood, can''t you use the Imperius Curse to control him and bring him to me?" Voldemort was not ready to let Riddle off the hook so easily and asked coldly, "During those two months of summer vacation, you must have had many opportunities to do so, right?"


    "I have tried." Riddle said calmly, "But Harry has a talisman made by Drac that absorbs almost all dark magic. With my diary, which has little remaining magical power, I couldn''t break Drac''s talisman."


    Ironically, the talisman was most likely to be acquired by the high-achieving Hermione.


    Without the talisman, Harry would have been easily controlled by Riddle''s Imperius Curse, and Voldemort might have already obtained Harry''s blood and fully restored his body.


    However, to gain Harry''s trust, Riddle patiently exined various aspects of Dark Arts defense to him. Moreover, Harry was indeed very talented in Dark Arts defense.


    Thus, Harry surpassed Hermione to be the top of the Defense Against the Dark Arts final exam, and sessfully obtained the talisman made by Professor Drac.


    Because of this talisman, Riddle could no longer control Harry with the Imperius Curse.


    "I didn''t expect you to be so useless!" Voldemort mmed his hand on the long table, causing a crack to appear on the smooth surface. "I''m giving you another month and a half. Before the stroke of midnight on Halloween, I must see Potter''s blood in front of me!"


    After saying this harshly, Voldemort turned and left the spacious living room of Malfoy Manor without looking back.


    He feared he would lose control and destroy this useless Horcrux!


    Riddle watched Voldemort leave the living room and let out a long sigh, rxing his tense body.


    Attending the Death Eater meeting this time was very risky for him.


    Riddle had absorbed the Horcrux crown left by Voldemort in the Room of Requirement. Now, his soul power was several times stronger than when Voldemort first found him in the Malfoy house.


    However, if he chose not to attend the meeting out of fear of being discovered, Voldemort would immediately be suspicious¡ª


    Even if Voldemort did not believe that a Horcrux would betray him, he would at least doubt whether he could fully control such a Horcrux with self-awareness.


    Fortunately, Voldemort seemed not to have noticed his problem.


    Whether due to Voldemort''s excessive confidence andck of attention to him, or Riddle''s special nature allowing him to hide well and making Voldemort believe this was a normal power level for a Horcrux with self-awareness, it was uncertain.


    In any case, Riddle was still alive and had not been absorbed by his main soul.


    "Do I need to collect the blood before Halloween?" Setting aside concerns for his life, Riddle began to consider Voldemort''s ns to attack Azkaban. "Does he intend to attack Azkaban on Halloween?"


    Riddle knew that from sunset on Halloween night until sunrise on Halloween day, the entire night would be the time when dark magic was most intense in the magical world.


    During such a period of intense dark magic, Voldemort''s resurrection using dark magic rituals would be smoother; furthermore, it would be the most active time for Dementors.


    If Voldemort could negotiate with the Dementors and carry out the rescue on Halloween night, it would be the most difficult time for the Ministry''s wizards to resist.


    "But those who thrive in intense dark magic are not only dark wizards and Dementors..." Riddle thought with a hint of concern and muttered to himself, "Such a night is also the domain of vampires, right?"


    He thought of Drac, surrounded by dark power, and pondered for a moment but decided not to warn Voldemort about this.


    The next moment, Riddle and the diary in his hand disappeared from the spot.

 Chapter 110 - 110 Chocolate Frog Picture

    <h4>Chapter 110: Chocte Frog Picture</h4>


    In the Hogwarts Castle, Harry was clearly unaware that his invaluable mentor¡ªa diary he had stumbled upon¡ªhad been ordered to obtain his blood within a month and a half.


    At that moment, he was worrying about tomorrow''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.


    "Hermione, you''re the smartest one among us. Can you guess what tomorrow''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss will be like?" Harry asked, sitting on the sofa in the Gryffindormon room and looking anxiously at Hermione, who was scribbling away.


    "If you''re asking about Defense Against the Dark Arts, I''m not the smartest one, Harry." Hermione, with her messy hair, said without looking up, "You''re the top student in Defense Against the Dark Arts!"


    It was clear that Hermione was still a bit disgruntled about not being the top in all her subjects, especially considering that person was Harry, who often didn''t do his homework and was always fooling around with Ron.


    "Come on, Hermione, myst exam results were just a fluke. You''re definitely the smartest!" Harry said, leaning on the table and trying to butter up Hermione.


    At this point, he thought about the diary that had been helping him with his studies.


    ''Speaking of which, I haven''t seen Tom around these days,'' Harry wondered, thinking he might have misced the diary.


    Harry was about to look for Tom to ask if it had any thoughts about the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.


    Just then, Ron came down the stairs from the other side of themon room.


    "Hermione, I brought the book you wanted!" he said with a bright smile, handing Hermione a book. "Look, it''s the book Hagrid let slip about the magical creatures."


    Harry stopped in his tracks and looked at the book in Ron''s hands.


    The book had a deep green cover with some golden patterns, and the title "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" was written in sparkling gold near the top.


    "This is a work by Newt Scamander. If we choose to take the Care of Magical Creatures ss in our third year, we''ll likely use this book," Hermione exined to Harry and Ron as she took the book.


    She then showed a look of admiration, "This book includes almost all the magical creatures known in the wizarding world. I can''t imagine how Scamander managed to gather all this information!"


    "Wait a minute, Hermione," Ron said, looking confused. "You mean... this is a third-year textbook, but you''ve already read it?"


    "Yes, Hermione, we''re only in our second year!" Harry agreed.


    "What are you two thinking?" Hermione shot them a look, "I finished this book before the start of my first year. I forgot some details after not looking at it for a while, so I needed Ron to borrow it from the library."


    Harry: "..."


    Ron: "..."


    "Alright, stop standing there. Come look at this magical creature!" Hermione''s eyes lit up as she flipped to a page in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and waved Harry and Ron over. "It''s the creature Hagrid mentioned yesterday¡ªcalled the hinkypunk."


    Harry and Ron came over and saw the book describing a magical creature holding antern and hopping on one leg.


    "The hinkypunk is a small, one-legged magical creature that appears in blue, gray, or white mist. It likes to disguise itself as a helpful guide, carrying antern to light the way for travelers at night, thereby luring them off the path into dangerous swamps or marshes..."


    Hermione read out the characteristics of the hinkypunk from the book.


    "Hmm, so the hinkypunk just lures others into danger?" Ron asked skeptically, "It doesn''t seem to have much offensive power, right?"


    "It seems that way." Hermione nodded, her messy hair bobbing along, "As long as we''re a bit cautious in the wild, we''re unlikely to be led into danger by a hinkypunk."


    "But... this seems different from what we imagined?" Harry said with a puzzled expression, "We were just guessing how Professor Drac might torment us¡ªNeville guessed he might bring a fire dragon into the ssroom and make us fight it!"


    "Harry, Professor Drac is a good professor. He wouldn''t make us face an enemy that''s impossible to deal with!" Hermione said indignantly.


    "Uh..." Ron was interrupted, and he hesitantly added, "Hermione, do you think it''s possible that... Professor Drac himself is someone we just can''t handle..."


    Hermione was momentarily speechless.


    "Ahem, Hermione, let''s just find out what the other magical creature Hagrid mentioned is." Harry covered his mouth, trying to hold back augh, "What was it called... Grindelwald, right?"


    "It''s Grindylow, Harry." Hermione regained some of her confidence as the topic returned to magical creatures, correcting Harry''s mistake. "I remember Grindelwald was on the Chocte Frog card, or wait, was it on Dumbledore''s card?"


    Ron thought for a moment, pulled out a pentagonal blue box from his pocket, and unwrapped it.


    "I happen to have a box of Chocte Frogs. We can check if we have Dumbledore''s card," Ron said with interest. "I''ve collected a whole set of Chocte Frog cards, but they''re in the dormitory, and I''m toozy to get them now."


    "Ron, how can you be sure this box of Chocte Frogs has Dumbledore''s card?" Hermione asked, looking skeptically at Ron.


    "Can''t be sure, but it''s quite likely," Ron said as he removed the outer wrapping of the box and lifted the pentagonal blue lid. "Dumbledore''s card is the mostmon. Harry and I got Dumbledore''s card when we first met on the Hogwarts Express!"


    He took a Chocte Frog out of the box and ced it on the table. Harry quickly pressed down on the Chocte Frog to prevent it from jumping off the table.


    Then, Ron pulled out the pentagonal blue card from beneath the frog.


    The card had a golden frame with an elderly man with sses, white hair, and a long white beard smiling warmly.


    "See! I told you, it''s definitely Dumbledore, right?" Ron said proudly, holding up the card and showing it to Harry and Hermione.


    Hermione snatched the card from Ron''s hand, turned it over, and read the blue text on the back¡ª


    "Albus Dumbledore, current headmaster of Hogwarts; recognized as one of the greatest wizards of modern times. Dumbledore''s well-known achievements include: defeating the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, discovering twelve uses of dragon blood, and his sessful coboration with Nics mel in alchemy. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling."


    The three young witches and wizards were not aware of the stories behind Dumbledore''s "well-known achievements" and looked at the card with curiosity, somewhat stunned.


    "I just realized, we didn''t need to ask Professor Drac about Nics mel..." Harry said, still in shock, "Nics mel''s name is already on Dumbledore''s Chocte Frog card."


    "But Professor Drac gave you a chance to talk to Mr. mel remotely!" Hermione said indignantly, feeling regretful about not having the chance to speak with the famous alchemist. "You two wasted a great opportunity. If it were me, I''d have prepared hundreds of questions about alchemy..."


    "So Grindelwald is famous?" Ron asked, bewildered, "He''s even mentioned as part of ''Dumbledore''s well-known achievements'' on the Chocte Frog card."


    "I remember!" Hermione''s eyes lit up as she pulled out a thick tome from the stack of books beside her, "You must not have been paying attention in History of Magic!"


    "Professor Binns mentioned in ss that Grindelwald is considered one of the most powerful dark wizards of all time and led the global wizarding war fifty years ago..."


    "Only Hermione would listen to History of Magic..." Ron muttered.


    Hermione ignored him and flipped to ater page in "History of Magic," which showed a golden-haired, blue-eyed middle-aged wizard smiling broadly at the three young witches and wizards outside the book.


    If Professor Drac saw this wizard''s image, he might be reminded of the golden-haired youth seen in the Mirror of Erised, which could spark a deeper interest in this most famous dark wizard of the first half of the century.


    However, Harry and Ron were not very interested in the dark wizard defeated by Dumbledore; they wanted to quickly change the subject from Hermione''s enthusiastic quest for knowledge to something less tedious.


    "Hermione, haven''t you forgotten our main task?" Harry said cautiously, "We need to find out about tomorrow''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss and what we will be facing."


    For other subjects, they might have already found out the next ss''s content from the textbook.


    However, Professor Drac''s Defense Against the Dark Arts sses were notoriously unpredictable, seemingly taught on a whim without any nning... No wonder the failure rate in Defense Against the Dark Arts was higher than in other major subjects.


    Of course, Professor Drac was reliable enough, as the failure rate for Defense Against the Dark Arts in previous years was several times higher than the previous year!


    What frustrated the young witches and wizards was that this year, Professor Drac had authored a textbook, but it was not for teaching. Instead, it pointed out ws in "Dark Arts: A Self-Defense Guide," making it impossible for them to rely on any book, leaving their preparation for the next ss up to fate.


    This was particrly distressing for Hermione, who wanted to prepare in advance!


    Hearing Harry''s desire to focus on the main task, Hermione put away "History of Magic" and gave Harry a resigned look.


    Sure, here''s the trantion:


    ---


    It was Harry who mistakenly referred to Grindelwald as "Grindylow" because he had seen the name Grindelwald on a Chocte Frog card before, which led the topic astray!


    "The remaining magical creature is the Grindylow. Next time, don''t mispronounce it, Harry!" she said irritably, flipping a few pages back in the book *Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them* that had been covered by other books, "Found it!"


    "The Grindylow is a green water creature with horns, ssified as a dark magic creature. It has a green body, greenish-green teeth, and horns on its head. The Grindylow has very long fingers which, despite being quite strong when grabbing things, are easily broken..."


    "Hm... XXX level magical creature? Isn''t that a bit too low?" Ron asked curiously, looking at the danger level indicated in the book. "Hermione, what level magical creature is the cat-bat you always wanted? X level?"


    "The cat-bat is a XXX level magical creature and is somewhat dangerous," Hermione said. "So, I''m only nning to get a mixed-breed kitten with some cat-bat lineage, not a purebred cat-bat."


    "What?!" Ron eximed, his eyes wide in shock. "A cat is actually a XXX level magical creature?!"


    "Hermione, I beg you, please don''t get a cat, at least for the sake of my Scabbers, okay?"


    "Ron, a tamed mixed-breed cat-bat is not dangerous!" Hermione corrected him sternly. "And I will make sure to feed my cat only clean, good food, not mice. You can''t deprive me of my right to have a cat just because you have a rat!"


    "Hey! Are you implying that Scabbers is dirty?" Ron asked angrily.


    Seeing the two friends on the verge of an argument, Harry quickly stepped in as a peacemaker, standing between them.


    "Ron, Hermione, you''re going off-topic again!" Harry said. "We still haven''t figured out the danger level of the Grindylow!"


    "No need to research further, the Grindylow isn''t too dangerous," Hermione said, sitting down irritably and turning her head away. "I don''t think Professor Drac will be giving us that kind of devilish practical training anymore."


    "That''s good, that''s good," Harry breathed a sigh of relief.


    ...


    Even though Hermione suspected that Professor Drac wouldn''t be as ruthless as in the first week, Harry and his friends still couldn''t be sure what to expect in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss the next day.


    So, the next day, after the first period of Herbology, Harry volunteered to ask the third-year students who had Defense Against the Dark Arts as their first ss about the course content.


    "Harry, why are you so diligent today?" Ron asked suspiciously as he watched Harry quickly pack up his Herbology gear. "And the third-year and second-year content is quite different; I don''t think it will be very helpful."


    "The difference between third-year and second-year is only one year; the content in Defense Against the Dark Arts shouldn''t differ too much," Harry said, quickly slinging his bag over his shoulder and heading towards the greenhouse door. "Besides, I happen to know someone in Ravenw''s third year."


    "Wait a minute, Harry," Ron said, grabbing Harry''s backpack. "We can go together. When we return to the dormitory at noon, we can just ask a third-year Gryffindor what they learned in the morning."


    "But I''m still a bit anxious and want to know right away what we''ll face in the afternoon''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss!" Harry said determinedly, shrugging off Ron''s hand and rushing out of the greenhouse door.


    Watching Harry leave in a hurry, Ron and Hermione exchanged nces, puzzled.


    "When did Harry get to know a third-year Ravenw student?" Ron asked, bewildered.


    "I don''t know..." Hermione also shook her head in confusion. "I haven''t seen Harry act like this before."


    ...


    Harry ran all the way, urgently calcting in his mind.


    He packed up quickly, and since Ravenw students usually like to leave the ssroomter, the Ravenw students in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss should still be in the ssroom when he left Greenhouse 1.


    Although the Herbology greenhouse was quite far from Gryffindor Tower, it was rtively closer to Ravenw Tower. He still had to cross the entire teaching area¡ªthe greenhouse is located in the northeast corner of the teaching area, while Ravenw Tower is on the southwest side.


    If Harry was fast enough, he could run from Greenhouse 1 in the northeast corner along the north side of the teaching area to the west side, then climb up to the second floor from the entrance leading to the Quidditch pitch, and run south to the staircase near Ravenw Tower.


    The Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom was located on the second floor near the middle of the eastern corridor. Ravenw students returning to theirmon room would definitely pass through the southern corridor of the teaching area, just in time for Harry to meet them.


    Harry was betting on his luck, hoping the student he wanted to meet wouldn''t go directly to the Great Hall for lunch¡ª


    Generally, the Great Hall is the most crowded immediately after ss, and the path to the Great Hall is also very busy. So most Ravenw students prefer to return to themon room to read for a while before heading to the Great Hall for a meal...


    Finally, luck was on his side. Harry stopped the Ravenw third-year student he "knew" at the second-floor staircase of Ravenw Tower.


    Walking down the corridor was a very beautiful Asian girl with long, cascading ck hair, holding a few books in her hands, adding a touch of gentle bookish charm.


    "Hello, Cho Chang," Harry said breathlessly, his face flushed, as he greeted her. "We''ve met before, during the time Professor Drac distributed the talismans."


    Cho Chang looked at the red-faced boy whose hair was tousled by the wind with some surprise.


    "Harry Potter?" She smiled slightly. "Actually, you don''t need to introduce yourself. I''m sure no one here doesn''t know who you are."


    Then, Cho Chang smiled politely and looked at Harry with a questioning gaze, waiting for him to exin what he needed.


    "Uh... well, it''s not a big deal..." Harry nced at Cho Chang and quickly looked away, speaking shyly. "Our first ss this afternoon is Defense Against the Dark Arts. I was just trying to ask you, if you don''t mind, what did you cover in the morning?"


    Cho Chang nodded slightly, about to speak, but another voice cut in first¡ª


    "If you want to know what was covered, you could just ask me."


    A silver-haired figure suddenly spoke up from somewhere.

 Chapter 111 - 111 Dueling Club News

    <h4>Chapter 111: Dueling Club News</h4>


    "Ah... Professor... Professor Drac?"


    Seeing Professor Drac suddenly appear out of nowhere, Harry was startled and rendered speechless.


    "Why... Why are you here?" he stammered.


    "Why wouldn''t I be here?" Drac asked yfully, raising an eyebrow. "Is it only allowed for you, a Gryffindor, toe to the Ravenw Tower?"


    "I... I didn''t mean it that way, Professor," Harry said, his face flushed as he stared at his feet. "I just happened to think of a third-year student I know and thought I''de by to ask what you covered this morning..."


    "Just happened to think of it?" Drac''s smile widened.


    He seemed to have realized something and looked back and forth between Harry and Cho Chang, making them both feel uneasy.


    After the morning''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, Drac had returned to his office, bored, and was contemting what mischief to find for the day. Just as he was about to draw the curtains to block out the sunlight, his keen eyesight spotted a figure sprinting across the centralwn of the teaching area.


    The running student, likely just out of Herbology ss, still had specks of dirt on their robes. The student had run from the northeast side of the teaching area to the southwest, barely pausing to catch their breath.


    Intrigued, Drac used his excellent vision to recognize the student¡ªHarry Potter. He decided to use Disillusionment Charm to silently get to the Ravenw Tower''s stairwell ahead of Harry.


    What Drac did not expect was that Harry was not justing to see a female student but was using the excuse of asking about the morning''s ss content as a pretext for socializing.


    Drac was immediately displeased; he could not tolerate his ss bing a pretext for a student to flirt. So, he lifted the Disillusionment Charm and appeared before Harry and Cho Chang.


    "Running all the way from the northeast greenhouse to the southwest Ravenw Tower... Is that what you consider ''on the way''?" he asked with a smirk.


    Harry''s face turned even redder. He hung his head, his toes unconsciously digging into the ground, as if he wished he could burrow into the earth.


    Cho Chang, noticing Harry''s embarrassment, decided to take over the conversation.


    "Professor Drac, is there something you need at the Ravenw Tower?" she asked politely. "Perhaps I could help with something!"


    Drac nced at her and then nodded slightly.


    "Actually, yes, there is something you can help with," he said, thinking for a moment before pulling out a parchment withrge letters and handing it to Cho Chang. "Please put this parchment on the bulletin board in the Ravenwmon room."


    Cho Chang took the parchment curiously and looked at the contents:


    "Duelling Club Coming Soon! The first meeting of the Duelling Club will be held at 6:30 PM on September 7, 1992, in the Hogwarts Castle Great Hall. All interested Hogwarts students are wee¡ªno matter the house, year, or grades."


    "Are you starting a Duelling Club?" Cho Chang asked in surprise.


    Hearing her question, Harry leaned in curiously.


    However, Harry did not get too close but maintained a hesitant distance, as if wanting to get closer but too shy to do so. Moreover, he nced at the parchment in Cho Chang''s hand only briefly before his attention was captured by her long, flowing ck hair,pletely losing interest in reading the parchment.


    "Yes, the Duelling Club wees you both to join, top students in Defense Against the Dark Arts," Drac said with a soft chuckle. He then pulled out another identical parchment from his pocket and handed it to Harry. "Since there''s a Gryffindor here, I don''t have to make another trip."


    "Potter, as with the previous request, please put this parchment on the Gryffindormon room bulletin board," Drac said. "Potter?"


    "Oh, right!" Harry, finally snapping out of his daze after being called by name twice, took the parchment from Drac.


    "Good, don''t forget your tasks. I won''t keep you further."


    Drac gave the two of them a casual wave and turned to head back to his office.


    "Goodbye, Professor!" Cho Chang said politely. She then looked at Harry, who was still standing there dumbfounded. "Mr. Potter, do you need me to go over what we covered in the morning''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss?"


    "Ah..." Harry had been intently studying Cho Chang''s profile, and her sudden nce startled him.


    He quickly turned his head away, avoiding eye contact with Cho Chang.


    "...Thank you so much!" he said awkwardly.


    Autumn Zhang nced at Harry''s awkward movements, her lips twitching as if she found it somewhat amusing. However, she managed to suppress herughter and seriously recounted the morning''s ss content to Harry.


    Harry nodded repeatedly, though he was actually distracted and didn''t really absorb much of what she said.


    Even after he hazily returned to the Gryffindormon room, Harry was still lost in thoughts about Autumn Zhang''s voice and her expressions, looking somewhat silly with an asional goofy smile.


    "Hey, mate, are you daydreaming?" A hand waved in front of Harry''s face.


    Harry showed no reaction and continued to smile foolishly.


    "Hey!" Ron smacked Harry''s shoulder heavily, jolting him awake.


    "Ah, who?" Harry blinked, staring at the freckled face in front of him, "Oh, Ron, you startled me!"


    "I''ve been calling you for ages, Harry!" Ron said with frustration, "If I hadn''t scared you awake, who knows when you would havee back to your senses."


    "Yeah, Harry, the food we brought for you is getting cold!" Hermione chimed in, looking worried, "What happened when you asked Professor Drac about the ss content? Why do you look like you''ve been stunned?"


    "Did the Dark Arts Defense ss content get so intense that you were left dumbfounded?" Ron guessed with concern.


    "No, it''s not like that, Ron." Harry quickly shook his head, "I did get the content for Professor Drac''s third-year morning ss, it mainly covered..."


    Ron and Hermione looked at him expectantly.


    "...Well, I''ve forgotten." As soon as Harry thought about his recent experience, his mind was immediately filled with images of Autumn Zhang, and he couldn''t recall any details of the Dark Arts Defense ss.


    "Forgotten?!" Ron looked at him incredulously, "So what exactly did you do after the ss ended and rushed back to the castle?"


    "Rx, Ron." Harry gave an awkward smile and said weakly, "Professor Drac didn''t give another intense practical training session. She seemed to be in good spirits,pletely unlike someone who had just finished a practical training session."


    "Her?" Hermione sharply caught the key word in Harry''s statement and stared at him intently, "So the Ravenw student you know is not a senior but a senior girl?"


    "Her?" Ron also realized and jumped up, "I knew it! No wonder you were so diligent today!"


    Harry realized he had misspoken and quickly covered his mouth.


    "Give us a proper introduction about your situation, Harry!" Hermione said excitedly, her eyes sparkling, "Even if you don''t say it, there should only be a few third-year Ravenw girls, so it''s easy to figure out who it is!"


    She counted on her fingers, trying to recall which Ravenw girls she had seen in the library and who might have caught Harry''s interest.


    "I can''t believe Harry is already thinking about finding someone at his age." Ron mumbled, "I wonder what Ginny will think when she finds out. She''s the one who admires Harry the most."


    Seeing their excited or gossipy expressions, Harry''s face turned red.


    As the topic was heading towards uncontroble territory, in a moment of panic, he suddenly saw the parchment he had folded in his hand.


    "Wait, I just remembered there''s something important I haven''t done!" Harry grabbed the parchment as if it were a lifeline and rushed to the Gryffindormon room''s notice board, escaping from Hermione and Ron''s gossip.


    He carefully stuck the parchment on the notice board, moving slowly to dy his return to Ron and Hermione.


    Harry''s slow movements finally drew their attention, and they set aside their curiosity about his romantic interests to see what he was doing.


    "Dueling Club?" Hermione read the parchment on the notice board with a skeptical look, "Harry, are you starting a Dueling Club?"


    "As your friend, I feel I should advise you¡ªHarry, you can''t just think you can start a club because you got the top score in the Dark Arts Defense final!" she said seriously.


    "It''s not me, it''s Professor Drac." Harry corrected, "I happened to run into Professor Drac in the Ravenw Tower, and she asked me to put this parchment up here."


    "A Dueling Club? Wow, that sounds interesting!" Ron looked at the big letters on the parchment and immediately became excited, his eyes sparkling, "Let''s join this club, Harry!"


    Harry was about to agree when Hermione suddenly interrupted them with a serious expression.


    "Wait!" She carefully examined the parchment on the notice board, her expression turning grave, "Look at thest line. Doesn''t it seem familiar to you?"


    Ron and Harry turned their heads in confusion to look at thest line of the parchment¡ª


    "Open to all houses, all years, and all grades?" Ron read aloud, "What''s the matter, Hermione? Isn''t that good for us? Otherwise, a practical club like this wouldn''t let younger students participate."


    Harry nodded in agreement, thinking Ron''s point was perfectly reasonable.


    "So you know it''s a practical club, Ron?" Hermione said with a smirk.


    She looked at Ron and Harry with frustration, seemingly puzzled by theirck of insight.


    "Seeing these conditions, don''t you find them familiar?" Hermione jabbed at thest line of the parchment, "Don''t you remember how Professor Drac set the conditions for epting sixth-year advanced ss students?"


    "Professor Drac was even willing to ept ''T (Troll)'' grade students, just to make sure everyone experienced his intense practical training sses!"


    "Ugh¡ª" Ron gasped, "So it actually makes sense! I was wondering why a club like this had no restrictions. It turns out Professor Drac has moved his devilish training from the Dark Arts Defense ss to an extracurricr club!"


    "Is that what Professor Drac is thinking?" Harry recalled Drac''s slightly mocking expression when she handed him the parchment and shivered, "Then... should we still attend the Dueling Club?"


    Ron struggled with his decision, pacing in front of the notice board.


    Finally, just as Ron was about to make Harry dizzy with his pacing, he gritted his teeth and looked at Harry resolutely¡ª


    "But it''s a duel, Harry!" Ron grabbed Harry''s shoulders, his voice dry, "A duel is the most sacred confrontation between wizards. If I miss this opportunity, I''ll regret it for the rest of my life!"


    "I''ve decided, I have to go to the first club meeting. If I can''t keep up, I can always drop out at the second meeting!"


    Harry looked at Ron''s determined yet somewhat apprehensive expression and turned to Hermione.


    "Hermione, are you going to join too?" he asked.


    Hermione nced at Harry and Ron with a hint of disappointment.


    "Of course I am!" She raised her head, saying with a sense of entitlement, "I still want to get the top score in all subjects!"


    It turned out that Hermione had been trying to dissuade Harry from joining Professor Drac''s Dueling Club, hoping to improve her own Dark Arts Defense scores under the intense training and surpass Harry to be the top of the year.


    "Alright, then let''s go together!" Harry smiled.

 Chapter 112 - 112 Ron: We don’t stop badmouthing Snape.

    <h4>Chapter 112: Ron: We don''t stop badmouthing Snape.</h4>


    In the afternoon''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, as Harry had found out, Professor Drac didn''t resort to any severe training, nor did he repeat the devilish drills from the first week.


    The young witches and wizards sat in the ssroom, watching as Drac took out a Niffler from its cage and earnestly exined its unique characteristics. He meticulously detailed the methods to avoid being deceived by the Niffler, then had the students practice facing the Niffler one by one.


    The practical approach, using a real creature as a reference, was quite popr with the students. Their progress was swift, and most of them learned how to handle the Niffler during the ss.


    Even those with slightly less aptitude quickly grasped the methods for dealing with the Niffler. With a bit of practice and familiarization with the relevant spells, they managed to meet the subject''s requirements.


    The students reluctantly left the ssroom only when the bell rang to signal the end of ss.


    After leaving the ssroom, Ron, still in disbelief, touched his face and said, "I can''t believe I actually survived Defense Against the Dark Arts!"


    "Professor Drac really didn''t make us go through another round of devilish training?" He looked at Harry in shock. "Harry, why don''t you p me? I''m starting to think I''m dreaming!"


    "You''re not dreaming, Ron!" Harry nced at Ron''s face, suppressing the urge to p him, and replied helplessly. "Hasn''t Hermione already guessed this? Professor Drac hasn''t suddenly changed his nature; he''s just saving the severe training for the evening''s Duelling Club."


    "Better be prepared, Ron; we''ll have our share of it soon enough!"


    ...


    The time quickly approached six in the evening, with less than half an hour remaining before the first Duelling Club meeting started.


    Students in the Great Hall had already finished their meals, handed their trays to house-elves for cleaning, and were curiously looking around the otherwise usual Great Hall, searching for the setup for the club meeting.


    Meanwhile, as the sun was mostly hidden behind distant mountains and twilight began to fall, Drac leaped out of his office window, transforming into a bat, and flew to the eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle''s main tower.


    "Shall we go down together, Dumbledore?" Drac transformed back into human form,nding on the windowsill of the headmaster''s office and cheerfully looking at the white-bearded old man sitting behind the desk.


    He had decided that for this Duelling Club meeting, he definitely wanted Dumbledore to be his assistant!


    Before officially starting the club activities, Drac nned to invite Dumbledore to spar with him under the guise of demonstrating duelling techniques.


    After the duel, it would be time to torment the young witches and wizards!


    "You''re here so soon, Professor Drac?" Dumbledore greeted him with a smile, unaware of Drac''s true intentions. "I was about to send Severus down to find you!"


    "Severus?" Drac frowned, turning to look at the side of the office near the door, and noticed another professor had arrived before him. "Professor Snape? What are you doing here?"


    Snape nced sideways at Drac, with a barely perceptible smirk.


    "What a coincidence, Professor Drac¡ª" he said slowly, "if all goes as expected, it seems we''re here for the same purpose."


    "Same purpose?" Drac was surprised and thought, ''Does this guy also want to have a duel with Dumbledore?''


    Of course, Drac didn''t voice his thoughts.


    He was a bit concerned that if he revealed his desire to duel with Dumbledore, Dumbledore would likely be on high alert, and future opportunities to duel would be scarce.


    ''I didn''t expect Snape, who usually obeys Dumbledore, actually wants to have a duel with him too,'' Drac mused, eyeing Snape with a strange look that made Snape uneasy.


    "Professor Drac, Severus is indeed here for the same purpose," Dumbledore said with a smile, though his expression showed no real sign of apology. "For tonight''s Duelling Club meeting, Severus will be your assistant!"


    "What?" Drac diverted his gaze from Snape to Dumbledore. "Headmaster, I recall that the idea of the Duelling Club was proposed by you first. I''m just an interim person."


    "It''s one thing not to take the main role in proposing the n, but now you don''t even want to be an assistant? That seems rather inappropriate, doesn''t it?"


    Drac crossed his arms, clearly displeased.


    He was starting to understand how Selina felt when dealing with him as a hands-off boss. He wanted to cast an Avada Kedavra on this indifferent fellow!


    Of course, his feelings were quite different from Selina''s¡ª


    Selina thought it was unfair to ce all the troublesome management of the castle on her shoulders, while Drac was simply unhappy about losing the opportunity to duel with Dumbledore.


    "I''m afraid you''ll have to excuse me, Professor Drac," Dumbledore said with a smile that didn''t reflect any real apology. "Professor Snape will be a good assistant. As you know, he''s wanted to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for many years, but I''ve never given him the chance."


    Snape''s expression darkened, and he gripped his wand tightly. He was rare in aligning with Drac''s thoughts, wanting to give the headmaster a piece of his mind.


    But he ultimately restrained himself.


    "If you still have even a shred of the punctuality expected of a professor, I think you should be on your way, Drac." Snape gave Drac onest sideways nce before heading up the rotating stairs of the headmaster''s office.


    The revolving stairs soon carried him around the corner, and his figure disappeared from view before Dumbledore and Drac.


    "''But I''m perfectly on time,''" Drac nced at the clock in the headmaster''s office, casually shrugged, "''I could even have another drink before going down.''"


    Saying this, he indeed pulled a bottle of red wine from his seamlessly extending pocket, poured it into a goblet, and elegantly observed, smelled, aerated, and tasted the wine...


    After leisurely finishing his drink, Drac put away the goblet and returned to the headmaster''s office window, spreading his arms and lying back.


    His figure descended rapidly in thest rays of the setting sun, his ck and red cloak billowing in the wind...


    A few secondster, Drac''s descent unexpectedly slowed to an almost gentle pace, and he softlynded on the tiles above the Great Hall''s roof.


    He straightened his somewhat disheveled robes and leaped off the roof again,nding in the entrance courtyard of Hogwarts Castle.


    At the same time, Snape was swiftly descending the marble staircase from the entrance of the Great Hall to the second floor.


    Seeing Drac in front of the Great Hall, he couldn''t help but show a look of surprise, then deliberately averted his gaze and walked into the Great Hall first.


    When Drac entered the Great Hall, it was precisely 6:30 PM, to the second.


    The hall was already packed with students, who were loudly discussing what to expect from the uing Duelling Club, specting on how the hall, usually used for meals and banquets, would be transformed into a duelling venue.


    The bustling scene resembled another all-inclusive wee ceremony or end-of-term feast being held in the Great Hall!


    Drac habitually nced toward the Gryffindor table, and as expected, he saw Fred and George Weasley engaging in another bet, apparently debating where the duelling matches might take ce.


    The twins were convinced that Professor Drac would have students duelling on the long tables, perhaps even setting different tables for different houses, with the first house to have all its members fall off the table being eliminated;


    Their roommate Lee Jordan, on the other hand, thought they would stand between two long tables, using the tables as a boundary, and anyone who stepped out of bounds or touched the table would lose...


    Watching this chaotic scene, Drac took out a parchment from his pocket, tapped it twice, and then waved at the students¡ª


    The four long dining tables abruptly vanished, and every student seated beside the tables felt a light but irresistible force lifting their bodies from their seats,pelling them to stand up.


    Immediately, all the seats also disappeared along with the long tables.


    Amidst the students'' bewildered expressions, a golden stage slowly rose from the center of the hall, illuminated by hundreds of floating candles from above, shimmering brightly.


    The ceiling no longer reflected the outside sky but had turned a velvety ck, seemingly to focus all the attention on the stage in the center of the hall.


    The students in the hall automatically moved away from the golden stage, standing packed on either side, each tightly gripping their wands with excited faces.


    Drac looked at the scene before him, nodded in satisfaction, then lightly touched the ground with his toes and floated to the center of the stage.


    "Good evening, dear little wizards!" he cheerfully addressed the crowd on either side of the stage, "It looks like almost all of you have chosen to join the Duelling Club? I''m delighted to see this."


    "I hope that during your time in the Duelling Club, you can learn things not covered in ss. Simrly, I also hope you''ll have a ''great time'' in the Duelling Club..."


    Hearing this, Ron shivered instinctively.


    "Harry, did you hear that?" Ron leaned closer to Harry''s ear and whispered, "Professor Drac really wants everyone to join the Duelling Club! We''re definitely in for some rough times!"


    "But... what Professor Drac said doesn''t seem too unreasonable," Harry tried to defend his admired Professor Drac, also whispering, "Ron, think of it this way. If those words were spoken by another professor, would you still be this scared?"


    Ron thought carefully and then nodded vigorously.


    "Definitely!" Seeing that his previous whisper hadn''t been heard by others, he raised his voice slightly, "Just think, if those words hade from Snape, wouldn''t you be terrified?"


    Harry imagined Snape''s greasy face saying "Wee to the Duelling Club" and "Hope you enjoy your time" and shuddered.


    "That would be... so disgusting!" He made a face, holding his hand up to his mouth in a fanning gesture, "Thank goodness it''s not Snape running the Duelling Club."


    At that moment, Harry suddenly noticed Ron''s face turning extremely pale, as if he''d seen a ghost!


    Seeing Ron''s expression, Harry stiffened and slowly turned his head to look behind him.


    "Very disappointing, Potter¡ª" Snape''s icy smile stretched as he drawled, "Unfortunately, I''m exactly the instructor you least wanted to encounter."


    Harry''s face turned rigid, unwilling to ept this painful reality, and looked at the silver-haired figure on the stage, hoping to hear a different exnation.


    However, the next moment, Drac''s words shattered Harry''s hope¡ª


    "Now, let me introduce my assistant for the Duelling Club¡ªProfessor Snape!" Drac extended his arms towards the audience, signaling Snape toe up to the stage.


    Snape gave Harry a sidelong nce and then contemptuously walked up to the center of the Great Hall stage.


    Harry watched as Snape joined Drac on the stage, his eyes filled with despair.


    "Ron, seeing this ''assistant'' for the Duelling Club, I think the devilish training of Professor Drac doesn''t seem so problematic..." he said hopelessly, "The real question is whether we can survive Snape''s wrath!"


    Ron nodded in deep agreement.


    He then turned to Hermione, seeking help: "Hermione, if Snape targets us, you must report it to Professor Drac immediately!"


    Hermione nced at them, nodded reluctantly.


    "I don''t know how you two manage to always get caught talking badly about Snape," she said in bewilderment.


    "Cough, cough..." Ron cleared his throat, "Maybe it''s because we never stopped talking badly about Snape..."

 Chapter 113 - 113 Dracula: disarming spells are really bad

    <h4>Chapter 113: Drac: disarming spells are really bad</h4>


    "Before we officially begin the first session of the Duel Club, let''s start with a little appetizer." On the stage, Drac gave Snape a sly nce and a faint smile, "Professor Snape and I will give you a small demonstration."


    Since you want to rece Dumbledore, don''t me me for being impolite!


    To the students below the stage, Drac''s smile seemed rather sinister.


    Given Snape''s usualck of poprity among students, except for those in Slytherin, the students from the other three houses were loudly cheering for Drac, hoping he would teach the annoying Potions Master a lesson.


    "Professor Drac, give Snape a good beating for us!" Ron joined in the cheer.


    However, perhaps because Snape was particrly attentive to Ron and Harry, even though there were several students shouting, Snape''s sharp gaze still precisely swept over Ron when he shouted.


    Ron immediately shivered and looked at Harry with a trembling body.


    "Uh oh, Harry, Snape caught me bad-mouthing him again..." His face turned into a distressed frown, "What should I do? Will he deal with me under the guise of a duel?"


    Harry sympathetically nced at Ron and patted his shoulder, "Good luck, Ron!"


    Ron''s expression grew even more bitter.


    He could only watch the stage in the hall, hoping that Professor Drac would knock Snape out cold, so he might be spared...


    On stage, Drac, who was expected to perform well, and Snape stood facing each other at opposite ends of the stage.


    "Dueling is a traditional activity in the wizarding world. It''s not just about two people pulling out their wands and casting spells randomly; there are many rules and restrictions," Drac exined to the students below, "For example, before a duel begins, both wizards should bow to each other to show courtesy."


    He adjusted his ck and red cloak and elegantly bowed to Snape.


    Snape, with a serious expression, bowed as well, and then held his wand tightly in front of his chest.


    The students, including Harry, were very surprised by this scene.


    They had expected that, given Snape''s usual disdainful attitude, he would likely not bow properly to his opponent.


    However, today Snape''s demeanor was unusually formal, and even his bow was conducted with strict propriety.


    They had never seen such a solemn Potions Master before!


    As the students looked on in amazement, Drac and Snapepleted their mutual bows and then raised their wands to their chests like swords.


    "As you can see, duelists hold their wands in a specific posture," Drac continued to the increasingly quiet crowd, "In a formal duelpetition, a referee would count the time; for private duels like ours, the duelists can count together."


    "At the count of three, we will cast our first spell. Of course, in a friendly duel like this, neither side will use deadly curses."


    Hearing this, Ron looked extremely disappointed.


    "I was expecting Professor Drac to use a deadly curse to take care of Snape!" he muttered.


    On the side of the stage, a very enthusiastic Gryffindor student had volunteered to be the referee for the duel, loudly counting for the two professors¡ª


    "One¡ªTwo¡ªThree¡ª"


    At the moment "Three" was called out, Snape immediately raised his wand high above his shoulder.


    "Expelliarmus!" he shouted.


    A blinding red light shed on stage, instantly hitting Drac.


    Drac, struck by the spell, remained motionless, showing no reaction to the curse, but his wand was flung high into the air and fell directly into Snape''s hand...


    "What? Professor Drac''s wand was disarmed?!" The crowd below erupted in surprise.


    The students couldn''t believe that Professor Drac, who was expected to take down Snape, had his wand disarmed with just one spell and was left defenseless.


    How can one duel without a wand?


    After a brief silence, several Slytherin students, led by Draco Malfoy, suddenly cheered and began pping enthusiastically.


    "The duel is over just like that?" Ron stared at the two professors on stage, feeling empty inside due to the huge letdown.


    Harry''s mouth was agape, "No... it can''t be..."


    Standing next to them, Hermione, holding a notebook and preparing to record the duel''s key points, was also bewildered by the result, raising and lowering her quill, unsure of what to write.


    "I think something''s not right."


    At that moment, a pleasant male voice sounded near them.


    Harry turned around and saw Cedric Diggory, a fourth-year Hufflepuff student, had arrived near the stage and stood beside them.


    Cedric was also holding a notebook and a quill, with intentions simr to Hermione''s.


    Beside Cedric, Fred and George Weasley, with their ming red hair, gave Harry and the others a knowing wink.


    "Harry, you can''t go wrong listening to Cedric''s analysis," Fred said. "He''s quite the strategist and often sneaks off to get special training from Professor Drac."


    "So he definitely knows more about Professor Drac than we do," George added. "That''s why we specifically chose him as our technical consultant!"


    "Technical consultant?" Harry asked, puzzled.


    "Exactly," Fred whispered. "We''ve ced a bet with the Slytherins on whether Professor Drac or Snape will win, and also on how long it will take Professor Drac to defeat Snape."


    "To avoid another incident likest term''s, where you gave us a hard time, we got a consultant to make sure the bet was foolproof!" George also whispered.


    Harry paused, recalling his recent emotional outbursts. Seeing Fred and George''s behavior, Cedric smiled at Harry with a hint of resignation.


    Cedric, who was known for his integrity, originally didn''t want to get involved in the twins'' betting scheme. However, after persistent persuasion from the twins, he agreed to be their betting advisor. There were also other reasons¡ªlike needing extra money for gifts he was nning to buy for girls, and thought making some extra cash from the twins wouldn''t hurt.


    "In my view, this duel is far from over," Cedric said, analyzing the situation. "Do you notice anything unusual about Professor Drac''s wand? The one now in Snape''s possession?"


    Harry and Ron looked over in confusion and then shook their heads.


    Hermione also looked and suddenly had a realization.


    "Oh, right! Professor Drac''s wand isn''t this one!" she eximed. "When he was teaching us, Professor Drac''s wand was pure ck and very finely crafted. You couldn''t tell what wood it was made from. But this one is light brown, almost like white ash wood, and resembles Ron''s broken wand a bit!"


    "But what does that have to do with the oue of the duel?" Fred asked, leaning in. "Could it be that Professor Drac''s wand wasn''t working well, and Snape''s spell identally disarmed him?"


    "I don''t think so," Cedric said. "Look at the expressions of the two professors on the dueling stage."


    Everyone turned to look and noticed that Professor Drac appeared calm, seemingly unaffected by losing his wand, as if it was all part of the n.


    In contrast, Snape looked uncertain as he stared at the white ash wand in his hand, ncing up at Drac.


    "Drac, what are you up to?" Snape growled through clenched teeth.


    But Drac didn''t respond. Instead, he calmly addressed the students in the audience and began discussing the duel.


    "Did you all see that? Professor Snape just used a very impressive disarming charm to neutralize my weapon," he said cheerfully, as if it wasn''t his weapon that had been disarmed.


    "The disarming charm was invented by the 14th-century dueling master, Eliza Smatchlin. It''s been used effectively in duelingpetitions ever since."


    Drac then recalled that over six hundred years ago, during the time he first met Nics mel, a famous dueling master had emerged in the magical world.


    The wizard had be so proficient with the disarming charm that few could make it past the first spell in a duel with him. Drac had fought against Smatchlin, only to find that while she was skilled with the disarming charm, she was easily thrown off by someone like Drac who didn''t rely on a wand. She was quickly defeated.


    In this duel club demonstration, Drac was now exining the origin of the disarming charm to the students.


    Moreover, he wanted to advise the students not to overly rely on wands, as they might face someone like Drac who doesn''t use one and end up at a disadvantage.


    "As we all know, wizards in the magical world rely heavily on their wands, and some even lose their sense of security without them," Drac exined seriously. "Thus, sessfully casting the disarming charm can defeat most wizards."


    "But there are exceptions¡ª"


    Saying this, Drac suddenly raised his right hand''s index finger¡ª


    "Disarm."


    In the next moment, a more brilliant red light than Snape''s disarming charm shot from Drac''s fingertip and struck Snape forcefully.


    Snape was thrown off bnce and was propelled backward off the stage, his wand soaring into the air and ultimatelynding in Drac''s hand.


    Snape''s eyes widened, but he quickly reacted. Just as the disarming charm''s light began to shine from the end of the white ash wand, he threw the wand away and fell sideways to the ground.


    Thanks to his quick reaction, he narrowly avoided most of the disarming charm''s force, only his left arm was slightly affected, bing stiff.


    However, Snape had forgotten that he was on the edge of the stage, so falling meant he was falling off the stage¡ª


    With a heavy thud, Snape fell hard to the ground below the stage.


    The surrounding students quickly stepped back, afraid of bing the target of the irate Slytherin head of house.


    Thus, a rare clear space formed around Snape...


    "And that''s another thing I wanted to tell you," Drac said, looking at Snape''s pitiful state on the ground with a cheerful expression. "Don''t use someone else''s wand casually after disarming them; you never know what traps might be in ce."

 Chapter 114 - 114 Ron: Use the disarm spell on me!

    <h4>Chapter 114: Ron: Use the disarm spell on me!</h4>


    "Hey! Harry, did you see that? Professor Drac beat Snape using a method he learned from my wand!"


    Ron excitedly looked at the recent lightning-fast scene and jumped with enthusiasm, shaking Harry''s shoulder, "The method Professor Drac used was from my wand, which means, to put it simply¡ªit''s my method that defeated Snape!"


    Ron''s excitement was so high that it seemed as if it wasn''t Drac but he himself who had defeated Snape!


    Harry nced at him and was about to make a remark when he suddenly changed his expression, tensed up, and froze.


    "What''s wrong, Harry?" Ron asked, puzzled by Harry''s sudden change in demeanor, poking him in the ribs, "I get it now¡ªyou''re trying to downy my achievement and change the subject!"


    Harry was poked and felt a bit ticklish, trying to suppress hisughter, and subtly nodded towards the stage.


    "What''s going on, Harry? Why aren''t you speaking?" Ron poked Harry''s ribs again.


    This time, Harry couldn''t hold it in and burst outughing.


    "Ron, stop gloating here, and look at the other end of the stage!" he said betweenughs.


    "What about that end, other than Snape who just lost to Professor Drac..." Ron began, then suddenly realized, "Wait, Snape?"


    At the mention of Snape, Ron''s heart raced.


    He quickly covered his mouth to avoid saying anything more inappropriate, and cautiously nced towards the direction where Snape had exited the stage.


    There, at the edge of the stage, Snape had somehow stood up and was now ring at Ron and Harry with a chillingly cold stare.


    "Oh no, I''m doomed, Harry," Ron whispered to Harry, "I''m sure Snape heard everything I said. He looks like he wants to kill me!"


    "I think he probably wants to do more than just kill you¡ªhe''ll probably me me too..." Harry said with a frown, "Whether I participated or not, Snape will believe I was involved in bad-mouthing him."


    "Then let''s suffer together, good buddy!" Ron said, putting his arm around Harry''s shoulders with a martyr-like expression.


    ...


    On the other side, Snape, who had been feared by Harry and Ron, shifted his gaze away.


    He nced at the white wand in his hand, which had shot a spell from its tip, and threw it aside in frustration.


    Then, Snape borrowed Draco Malfoy''s wand and used a general counter-curse on his left arm¡ª


    "Finite."


    The petrification curse he had cast on himself was immediately lifted. He shook his left arm, feeling it was back to normal, then returned the wand to Draco and walked back to the stage.


    "Drac¡ªdoes ying these petty tricks make you happy?" Snape confronted Drac, his voice lower than usual, "You could have had a fair duel with me, but why resort to such despicable methods?!"


    Snape felt deeply aggrieved. He was not the type to be so careless.


    As a seasoned undercover agent, Snape was extremely cautious and rarely used others'' magical items without thorough checks to avoid being sabotaged.


    But today''s opponent was Drac, a very powerful adversary who had already defeated him twice!


    Snape didn''t think Drac would resort to such tricks; he could defeat him with sheer strength.


    Additionally, during the battle with Drac, Snape had focused most of his attention on observing Drac''s every move to guard against sudden attacks, leaving him little time to pay attention to the unimpressive white wand he was using.


    In summary, Snape had fallen victim to Drac''s scheming and was outwitted by his own wand.


    So he angrily confronted Drac, questioning why he used such trivial tactics to win.


    "Because I''ve already fought you twice," Drac said with an air of nonchnce, "I must admit, the first fight was somewhat surprising, butter battles with you became quite dull."


    Snape''s eyes widened in shock, followed by intense fury. He ground his teeth in frustration but could find no way to retaliate against Drac.


    "Sorry, Professor Snape," Drac said cheerfully, "This reverse wand was an inspiration I just got, and I couldn''t help but use you as a test subject."


    "The inspiration came from Ronald Weasley, didn''t it?" Snape''s mood gradually stabilized, and he showed a malicious smirk.


    "That''s correct," Drac nodded lightly, "Weasley''s wand was broken, but the magically repaired wand turned out to have different properties. That was unexpected."


    "I''m not interested in how you got your inspiration, Drac," Snape said darkly, "I just want to request an authorization for the Duel Club¡ª"


    "I want to request that Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter be paired up for a duel!"


    Drac''s gaze swept over Harry and Ron, who looked resigned, and a hint of interest appeared in his eyes.


    "Of course, no problem!" He was eagerly anticipating the scene of Snape tormenting Harry and Ron, so he decisively agreed to let the two Gryffindor students face off.


    "Alright, let''s end the duel demonstration here!"


    Drac turned to the students below and announced loudly, then snapped his fingers.


    Immediately, numerous bright dividing lines appeared on the marble floor of the hall, crisscrossing to mark out many small duel areas.


    "Now, Professor Snape and I will walk among you and pair you into groups of two. Each pair will have a duel."


    "Well... Given the size of the venue, it''s quite difficult for students from all seven years to duel simultaneously. Neither Professor Snape nor I can effectively ensure the safety of every pair of young wizards during their duels. It would be too troublesome..."


    Hearing this, Snape cast a sideways nce at Drac, with a twitch in his eye. ''So... this person isn''t unable to oversee all the students'' safety, just finds it too bothersome, right?''


    "Let''s start with the younger students," Drac continued, seemingly ignoring Snape''s thoughts. "Considering that first-year students have had less time to study, they will observe for now. Second-year students will start the dueling matches!"


    He cheerfully winked at Snape. "Professor Snape will handle the pairing for the second-year students'' uing duels."


    Snape nodded in understanding, sneering as he walked off the stage.


    Harry and Ron felt an immediate sense of dread, huddling together and nervously pushing toward the back of the crowd.


    Snape quickly descended the stage, his long ck robes billowing behind him.


    Even though he had just lost a duel, Snape still exuded an intimidating aura, making it so that not a single young wizard dared to approach him!


    As he moved through the crowd, he hastily paired up the second-year students¡ª


    Neville Longbottom and Hufflepuff''s Justin Finch-Fletchley were matched together; Draco Malfoy''s two henchmen, Crabbe and Goyle, were paired...


    Yet Snape''s pace did not slow down for the pairings, continuing to march towards the center of the crowd.


    Harry and Ron felt Snape''s gaze never leave them!


    Finally, Harry and Ron had backed up against the wall, with no retreat left.


    Snape approached them with a cold, enigmatic smile.


    "I think your dream team should be broken up," he said with a dismissive sneer. "Weasley, you can pair with Seamus Finnigan. As for Potter¡ª"


    Harry instinctively looked to Hermione for help, her eyes full of concern.


    "I don''t think you should be paired with Miss Granger. You''re always together, and there''s no real challenge in that." Snape continued with a frosty smile. "Malfoy,e here."


    He looked at Draco Malfoy, who was standing between Crabbe and Goyle. "Let''s see if the famous savior Harry Potter will live up to the expectations of those foolish people, or if Slytherin''s Malfoy wille out on top..."


    "And you, Miss Granger¡ªYou can pair with Miss Millicent Bulstrode."


    Malfoy strutted over, wearing a smug smile that was just begging for a punch.


    He was followed by a Slytherin girl who was tall and bulky, with a fierce, jutting chin that made her quite formidable, even more so than Crabbe and Goyle.


    Hermione forced a smile, but Millicent Bulstrode ignored herpletely.


    Millicent Bulstrode''s imposing presence even drew Drac''s attention.


    Drac immediately made his judgment, concluding that the poor Miss Granger had only a chance of victory by using the spells she had mastered to buy time from afar.


    Indeed, if a wizard is faced with a powerful physical opponent, things usually don''t end well...


    "To your partners!" Snape shouted loudly from the stage, "Bow!"


    Hearing themand, most of the young wizards below bowed politely to their opponents.


    However, Harry and Malfoy, the old enemies, didn''t move an inch, not even nodding. They just stared intensely and angrily at each other.


    "Raise your wands!" Snape''s icy voice rang out again, "One¡ªTwo¡ªThree¡ª"


    Before he had even finished counting to three, several young wizards, either due to nervousness or a desire to strike first, began their attacks.


    Malfoy was one of those eager to strike first. As soon as Snape counted to "two," he acted¡ª


    "Flipendo!"


    His spell hit Harry hard, making Harry feel as if he had been struck on the head by a cauldron. He staggered slightly.


    Fortunately, Malfoy''s Knockback Jinx seemed to be poorly executed and didn''t knock Harry away as intended.


    Seizing the opportunity, Harry pointed his wand at Malfoy and shouted:


    "Rictusempra!"


    A silvery light hit Malfoy in the stomach, causing him to double over and gasp for air.


    The silver light was a tickling charm, and upon hitting Malfoy, it made himugh uncontrobly, rendering him almost immobile.


    Seeing Malfoy kneeling on the ground, Harry hesitated, feeling it was hical to use magic on him while he was down. It seemed against the spirit of the match...


    However, not everyone shared Harry''s sense of fairness.


    Malfoy, stillughing desperately, pointed his wand at Harry''s knee.


    "Tarantallegra!" he shouted through hisughter and gasps.


    The next moment, Harry''s legs began to move uncontrobly, as if he were dancing a ridiculous tap dance.


    ...


    Compared to the duel between Harry and Malfoy, the duel between Ron and Seamus Finnigan was much friendlier.


    As soon as Snape finished counting to three, the duel officially began.


    Ron and Seamus stood on opposite ends of the arena, staring at each other, waiting for the other to make the first move.


    "Seamus, you go first. I''ll let you," Ron said mysteriously, seeing Seamus hesitate.


    He knew his broken wand was unreliable, and if he acted first, it might backfire and hit him instead.


    So he had to let Seamus make the first move!


    "Why don''t you go first, Ron?" Seamus retorted. "I can let you go first if you want!"


    Seamus also knew that his spellcasting was poor, and many simple spells turned into time bombs that could hurt himself as much as his opponent.


    So he had to let Ron go first!


    The situation reached a stalemate.


    At this moment, Ron suddenly recalled how Professor Drac had defeated Snape.


    Drac had won by letting a wand that reversed spells be captured by the opponent, thus using this method to outwit them and ultimately win.


    With this thought, Ron was overjoyed¡ª


    "Seamus, quick, use the Disarming Charm on me!"


    He shouted loudly, even holding his wand high above his head in a gesture resembling a "French salute" toward Seamus.


    Seamus: ?


    "Trying to trick me? Not a chance!" Seamus immediately saw through Ron''s trick andughed triumphantly. "Ron, don''t think I don''t know what your wand is like! You''ve messed up more than once in ss!"


    But seeing Ron''s high-raised arms, Seamus was reluctant to miss this rare opportunity to win.


    So he gritted his teeth and cast another spell¡ª


    "Lootor Wibbly!"


    The next moment, a violent explosion urred in front of Seamus...


    Looking at Seamus, now covered in soot, Ron couldn''t help butugh, "As expected, Seamus, the explosion expert, even turns the Wobbly Legs spell into a bomb!"


    Then, confidently, he raised his wand and pointed it at Seamus, feeling assured of his victory¡ª


    "Furnunculus!"


    The next moment, Ron''s own Boils spell hit him in the stomach...


    Seeing Ron''s face covered in boils, Seamus, though scowling, couldn''t help butugh, "As expected of you, Ron the genius, I knew you excel at hurting yourself!"

 Chapter 115 - 115 Harry: I’m going to use the disarming spell

    <h4>Chapter 115: Harry: I''m going to use the disarming spell</h4>


    "Finite!"


    Drac''s voice echoed on the stage, filling the entire auditorium.


    An invisible light curtain spread outward from Drac on the stage, gently sweeping over all the second-year wizards engaged in the duel.


    The chaotic magical lights in the auditorium disappeared in an instant, leaving Seymour with a dark face, Ron covered in bumps, Harry dancing wildly, Dracoughing uncontrobly...


    These young wizards who had been hit by each other''s spells all returned to normal. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.


    Now only two young wizards remained entangled in the chaotic duel¡ª


    Hermione and Millicent were still dueling each other!


    Millicent mped her head with arms thicker than Hermione''s thighs, and Hermione screamed in pain, tearing Millicent''s hair desperately...


    Both of their wands were forgotten on the floor, and everyone forgot that this was a magical duel, instinctively treating it as a daily brawl among Muggles.


    Drac rubbed his forehead in dismay and shook his head helplessly.


    Miss Granger still had the problem of getting nervous in battles. This issue had been evident since the second half of her first year when she, Harry, and Ron were looking for the Philosopher''s Stone, and it still hadn''t beenpletely corrected.


    When Millicent realized that she couldn''t beat Hermione with magic, she lunged at her with her strong body. Hermione immediately panicked under the pressure of weight, her mind went nk, and the vast amount of magical theories stored in her brain seemed to have disappeared into thin air.


    Thus, the two young witches ultimately returned to the primitive state and engaged in a physical fight...


    Drac waved his hand gently, and the muscles of Hermione and Millicent immediately lost strength, loosening their grip on each other''s necks and hair, and they were easily separated by Harry and Ron who rushed over.


    "You are too rough and vite many rules of the duel," Drac criticized. But his eyes were not serious at all, but rather full of interest, "To prevent other grade wizards from having such phenomena, I think it is necessary to find two young wizards to demonstrate¡ª"


    He pretended to select, then looked at Ron and Seamus in the audience with great interest, "Why not you two, Mr. Weasley, and Mr. Finnigan."


    Ron looked at his broken wand in confusion, and Seamus also touched his hairstyle that was still "angry" due to the explosion, looking at Professor Drac standing in the center of the stage in disbelief.


    "We?" they asked in doubt.


    "Cough!" Before Drac nodded, Snape finally couldn''t bear to watch any longer and coughed heavily.


    "Professor Drac, if you want to appreciate the art of explosion and the performance of self-harm, you might as well watch it privatelyter," Snape curled his upper lip, looking maliciously at another young wizard not far from Ron and Seamus,


    "Potter, Malfoy, why don''t you twoe up and show everyone?"


    Drac shrugged, looked at Ron and Seamus with some regret, but still nodded.


    "Well, Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy''s duel is also very exciting, not inferior to Weasley and Finnigan at all," he chuckled, "Listen to Professor Snape, you twoe to the stage."


    Harry nced at Snape angrily, then stared at Malfoy with hostile eyes, and then quickly walked up to the stage in the center of the auditorium, standing next to Drac, not wanting to be close to Snape at all.


    And Malfoy was not willing to be outdone, strutting onto the stage with his head held high, standing next to his headmaster and staring at Harry.


    Snape took two steps closer to Malfoy, leaned down and whispered a few words to him. Malfoy''s eyes lit up, his expression immediately became extremely confident, and he sneered.


    Seeing Malfoy, who obviously had been taught by Snape, might use some vicious spells, Harry looked up at Drac nervously.


    "Professor, Snape seems to have secretly taught Malfoy a spell, can you teach me a way to stop him temporarily?" he asked in a low voice.


    "Scared?" Malfoy saw Harry''s performance and said in a low voice.


    "You''re dreaming!" Harry gritted his teeth and blurted out these words.


    "Before the formal duel, the opponents on both sides should not whisper to each other," Drac nced at Malfoy.


    Then, he turned his head to Harry, "Well, in order not to let the biased Slytherin Professor Snape destroy the bnce of this duel, it seems that I should also tell you some practical small spells."


    "Hmm... How about this one, have you heard of the Tongue-Tying Curse?" Drac stood in ce, but his voice was very urately transmitted to Harry''s ear, without letting Malfoy and Snape hear.


    "I haven''t heard of it." Harry shook his head in confusion.


    "It''s okay, it''s a very simple spell that can be learned quickly. Although it can''tpletely seal a person''s voice like the Incarcerous spell, it can make the opponent''s tongue stick to the pte." Drac said, "Second-year wizards still don''t know how to cast spells silently, so if you can make the opponent unable to clearly say the spell, you can easily interrupt his casting."


    "The spell of the Tongue-Tying Curse is ''Langlock'', stretch the first syble and stress the second syble, do you understand?"


    Harry nodded in confusion, then opened his mouth, wanting to ask some more detailed questions.


    But Drac seemed very confident in him, and didn''t wait for him to ask other questions, and turned his gaze to the audience.


    "I just neglected to introduce the rules of the wizard duel, which led to a lot of behavior that vited the rules." Drac said loudly, "But the specific duel rules are too long, it''s too troublesome to read, you go back and check the materials yourself... I''ll briefly introduce a few important ones here¡ª"


    "In a formal duel, one wizard needs to first challenge the other party. If the other party agrees, both parties will agree on the time and ce of the duel. As for the duels conducted in our duel club, because there is an organizer, there is usually no need to challenge, but the organizer arranges the schedule..."


    "Also, as I mentioned earlier¡ªbefore the duel begins, the two wizards should bow to each other to show courtesy."


    "In a formal duel, there is usually an ''assistant'' who is a trusted ally of the duelists and can take over the duelists'' fight when necessary. But this was rare more than a hundred years ago, and wizards usually dueled one-on-one."


    "In a formal duel, duelists can only use magic to fight each other, and no physical contact is allowed. For example, Miss Granger and Miss Bulstrode, your ''duel'' vited the rules and turned the wizard duel into a brawl."


    Hearing Drac''s evaluation, Hermione''s face turned a little red, and she lowered her head and stared at her toes. Millicent looked proud, as if she was very happy because she won the fight...


    "In addition, in a friendly duel, it is forbidden to use ck magic." Drac continued, "Pay attention! The ck magic here not only includes the most vicious curses (Curse), but also covers the evil curses (Jinx) and poisonous curses (Hex) you use on each other..."


    "So, many groups of second-year yers such as Potter and Malfoy, Wesley and Finnigan, Lombard and Finch-Fletchley have actually vited our duel rules."


    Looking at the thoughtful little wizards in the audience, Drac nodded gently to Snape, "That''s about it, the following are Please ask Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy to give everyone a demonstration. "


    Snape walked to the side of the duel stage with understanding, and began to count for the start of the game in a cold voice:


    "One... two... three... start!"


    Malfoy quickly raised his wand and yelled: "Uu... woooo ... As the referee, Snape''s face became a little gloomy and he was a little depressed. He didn''t want Harry to win the duel with a simple spell.


    So he shook the wand in his hand slightly.


    Drac''s eyes moved and his mouth slightly curled up, but he didn''t say much.


    He also felt that it was too dull to end the duel like this, and it waspletely meaningless!


    So, Malfoy''s tongue and pte, which were stuck together, quietly separated.


    As soon as he regained the ability to speak, Malfoy angrily pointed his wand at Harry and shouted-


    "Serpensortia!"


    The tip of his wand suddenly seemed to explode, emitting a lot of ck mist.


    Harry was still happily thinking about how to teach Malfoy a lesson, and he didn''t expect that his tongue-locking curse had been solved by the hical Snape.


    Unable to react at all, he could only stare ahead in horror, and saw a long ck snake suddenly jump out of the ck fog,nd heavily on the stage between the two of them, and then raise its head, ready to attack Harry!


    The crowd watching the battle around couldn''t help but scream, and quickly retreated, leaving arge space for the stage in the center of the auditorium.


    "Shouldn''t this evil spell be a curse or a poison spell?!" Harry turned his head to look at Snape, and asked loudly in dissatisfaction.


    "Don''t question other people''s magic with your poor knowledge, Potter." Snape curled his lips contemptuously, "If you can put away your arrogance and ignorance a little, you may still be able to understand... what is the summoning spell."


    "Summoning spell?" Harry looked at Drac in confusion.


    "Didn''t Professor McGonagall tell you?" Drac crossed his arms and looked like he was watching a show. "The Summoning Spell is a branch of Transfiguration, and the opposite is the Vanishing Spell."


    However, Harry didn''t have time to think about the rtionship between the Summoning Spell and Transfiguration at this moment. The big ck snake between him and Malfoy had already crawled towards him and could attack at any time!


    "Don''t move, Potter." Snape saidzily, "I''ll get him away..."


    He saw Harry standing there motionless, helplessly looking at the angry ck snake''s expression, and felt very happy.


    But at the same time, Snape held the wand in his hand so tightly that even his knuckles turned a little white.


    Obviously, even if he wanted to scare Harry, he didn''t want Harry to get into trouble. This contradictory performance andplex mood were fully reflected in Snape.


    "Don''t move!" Harry suddenly shouted, "The duel is not over yet!"


    Snape''s movements paused, and he didn''t recite the solution to the Snake Summoning Spell again. As the ck snake approached Harry, his expression became extremely nervous.


    Harry was still a little unwilling in his heart. He didn''t want to lose to his mortal enemy Malfoy, nor did he want to admit that the spells taught by Professor Drac were not as effective as Snape''s... Even though he didn''t know that ording to the normal process, the spells Snape taught Malfoy had already lost at the beginning of the duel.


    At this time, Harry''s brain was spinning rapidly.


    He was thinking about how he could deal with such a big snake.


    First of all, the tongue-locking spell that Professor Drac had just taught would definitely not be used. This is a spell applicable to wizards when casting spells, and it obviously has no effect on snakes. Big snakes don''t need to chant spells like wizards!


    In addition, he carefully recalled what offensive spells he had learned in the first grade. Thanks to the devil''s practical training in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssst week, he was able to recall most of the offensive spells in an emergency.


    The evil spells that the Weisley twins and Ron secretly taught him were not considered, as they vited the rules of the duel.


    As for the spells learned in ss, such as the dance spell, the repulse spell, and the limp leg spell, it seems that except for the repulse spell, other spells are not magic that can work on a snake.


    For example, the dance spell that Malfoy used on him before... He couldn''t let a snake dance on the stage, right?


    At this time, a dazzling red light suddenly appeared in Harry''s mind-


    "Expelliarmus!"


    For some reason, he subconsciously recited the disarming spell that Snape and Drac had used on the stage before!


    A red light hit Malfoy directly, knocking the wand in his hand high into the air!


    Seeing this scene, Drac was stunned.


    Didn''t hement on the disarming spell for so long that it was not useful?


    ...This tactless little wizard actually used the Disarming Spell in front of him, and the key is that he used it well!

 Chapter 116 - 116 Hoklo

    <h4>Chapter 116: Hoklo</h4>


    After Malfoy''s wand was knocked out by the Disarming Spell, the ck snake on the stage did not dissipate.


    It seemed to have lost control all of a sudden and became even more ferocious.


    "Once the Summoning Spell is cast, it is equivalent to generating a real magical creation." Drac reminded at the right time, "Before the caster''s magic power is exhausted, unless it is dissolved by the Vanishing Spell, it will not dissipate because the caster is freed of the wand."


    "Are you still going to be brave at this time, Potter?" Snape held the wand tightly, but the words he said were still sarcastic.


    "Do you really think of yourself as the savior of the wizarding world, and can easily turn danger into safety no matter what you face?"


    However, Harry did not hear what Snape said at all, his mind was extremely focused-


    "Stop!"


    Harry didn''t understand why he did this, and he didn''t realize that he decided to do this. He didn''t even wave his wand, but stupidly shouted at the ck snake.


    However, his seemingly silly move was very effective, and a miracle happened--


    Under Harry''s incredible gaze, the ck snake copsed on the floor, bing docile and docile, as soft as a thick and ck watering hose, staring at Harry without aggression.


    Looking at this scene, Harry felt that his fear disappeared little by little.


    He knew that the snake would not attack anyone again... As for how he knew it, he himself could not say.


    But Harry at least knew that he had won!


    He grinned and looked up at Malfoy, trying to see the unwillingness, anger, and irritability on his face.


    However, Malfoy did not show the expression Harry imagined, but instead was a little panicked with doubt, and took a step back.


    Snape stepped forward and waved his wand-


    "Vipera Evanesca."


    The ck snake turned into a wisp of ck smoke and disappeared.


    Snape also looked at him with a look that surprised Harry: it was a look of surprise and meaning, which Harry did not like.


    He was also vaguely aware that the crowd under the stage were whispering and talking about him in private.


    Harry looked nkly at Professor Drac who was walking towards him. He wanted to ask a lot of questions. He wanted to know what happened when he was busy dealing with the ck snake and did not have time to react.


    "Mr. Potter,e to my office. I have some questions for you." Drac said.


    His wine-red eyes were full of strong interest, even a little hot, and Harry''s eyes unconsciously wanted to dodge.


    However, Drac reached out without saying anything, grabbed the hat of Harry''s school robe from behind, and easily lifted him up, just like lifting a chicken.


    "Professor Snape, I have to leave a few minutes early for today''s duel club meeting." Drac turned his head to look at Snape, and smiled happily, "I''ll leave thepetitions of other grades to you."


    "If you feel that you can''t handle it alone, you can call Professor Flitwick to help. Don''t forget that he was the duel champion back then!"


    After saying this, before Snape agreed, Drac took Harry and disappeared in an instant.


    "Wait..." Snape wanted to refute a few words, but he didn''t have time to speak.


    So, the corners of his mouth twitched, and then he turned his eyes viciously to the little wizards who were talking in the audience.


    "Shut up!"


    Snape took out his anger at Drac on the students, "Tell me, has the mucus of the Flobberworm prated into your thick skulls? Or do you think the snake that Potter just dealt with has anything to do with you?"


    "I am now deeply suspicious of your identity as wizards - whispering and making a lot of noise, are you students whoe to Hogwarts to learn magic or parrots eating on the owl tower?!"


    "..."


    The little wizards trembled and fell silent, and Snape on the stage began his sarcasm and scolding without spitting a single swear word.


    ...


    In the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office, the figures of Drac and Harry suddenly appeared.


    As soon as he returned to the office, Drac couldn''t wait to snap his fingers.


    The window that had been opened when flying to the principal''s office and had not been closed yet "snapped" and then the heavy curtains were automatically drawn, blocking the stars outside the window.


    Because there were not many lights on in the office, the light suddenly became dim.


    Drac''s attention was on Harry at this time. Because vampires like darkness, they didn''t pay attention to the light problem in the office at all.


    He waved his hand casually, and a chair ced on the side of the office moved sideways and stopped directly behind Harry.


    Harry was then pressed by Drac to sit on the chair.


    Looking at Drac''s excited and even somewhat fiery eyes, he was very flustered.


    ''The professor suddenly brought me to the office, closed the window, drew the curtains, and didn''t turn on the lights. What is he going to do to me? ! '' He was thinking about it in a panic, thinking about what countermeasures he could take to escape.


    Then Harry found that a powerful professor like Professor Drac would never give him a chance to escape...


    So, Harry closed his eyes resignedly.


    He felt Professor Drac''s slender fingers pressing on his shoulders¡ª¡ª


    "So you are also a descendant of Szar, Potter?" Drac asked softly.


    Hearing Drac''s question, Harry opened his eyes nkly.


    "Huh? Szar? Who is that?"


    "Szar Slytherin, one of the four founders of Hogwarts." Drac said, "Being able to talk to snakes is Szar Slytherin''s iconic ability and one of his most proud skills."


    "Why do you think the symbol of Slytherin College is a snake?"


    Drac stared into Harry''s eyes with a deep tone.


    "You are a snake, Potter."


    "What am I?" Harry didn''t hear the unfamiliar word "snake" clearly and was still very confused.


    "Snake Tongue!" Drac repeated, "The ability to talk to snakes is called Snake Tongue!"


    "I know!" Harry''s eyes moved, and he suddenly thought of something that happened more than a year ago, "I mean, this is the second time I''ve done this. Once in the zoo, I identally released a python, and then the python pounced on my cousin Dudley..."


    "It''s a long story, but I still remember that the python told me that it had never been to Brazil mentioned on the animal card. I felt sorry for it and let it go without knowing it... But I really didn''t mean it! At that time, I didn''t even know that I was a wizard..."


    Speaking of this, Harry felt a little flustered, "After receiving the admission letter, I learned that I was a wizard, so I thought... Many people in the magic world can do this."


    "Oh, they can''t do it," Dracughed softly, "This is not an ordinary skill, Potter, this is almost only a skill that can be used by the descendants of Slytherin."


    "But I''m not!" Harry hurriedly defended.


    He had a panic in his heart that he couldn''t exin.


    Long before the Sorting, Harry had a certain understanding of the four colleges through different channels.


    For example, Hagrid once told him that Voldemort, who killed his parents, came from Slytherin; in addition, Draco Malfoy, whom he met in Madam Malkin''s clothing store, also made him feel that most wizards in Slytherin were conceited, arrogant, and unfriendly.


    Later on the Hogwarts Express, Ron, his first friend of the same age in his life, told him that Slytherin was still a ce where dark wizards often appeared, which made him give up the idea of ??going to Slytherin.


    So,ter when he was sorted, Harry kept thinking in his heart, "Not going to Slytherin, not going to Slytherin..."


    The Sorting Hat listened to his opinion and sorted him into Gryffindor, which made Harry feel relieved.


    It turns out that Harry''s enemies aftering to Hogwarts, such as Malfoy and Snape, were all Slytherins, so he never regretted his decision not to go to Slytherin.


    But now Professor Drac told him that he was actually the descendant of the founder of Slytherin?


    Harry said he couldn''t ept it.


    "It''s not that you say you are not a descendant of Slytherin, so I can be sure that you are not." Drac said, "You will find it difficult to prove this - Szar lived about a thousand years ago. From what I know now, you are very likely his descendant."


    Harry opened his mouth and wanted to say that he really was not, but he didn''t know how to refute.


    "But..." Drac changed the subject.


    "!" Harry''s eyes were filled with hope again.


    "But... you are lucky, I happen to have a way to identify the rtionship between you and Szar!" Drac smiled with interest, admiring Harry''s expression from panic to surprise, "If you want to understand this rtionship, you need me to collect some of your blood."


    "No problem, professor!" Harry raised his arm very actively and rolled up his sleeves consciously, "By the way, the magic world doesn''t seem to have needles for drawing blood..."


    "Needles? I don''t need such useless things." Drac smiled contemptuously and took out an exquisite small crystal bottle from his pocket.


    The crystal bottle is slender as a whole, and the lower part is somewhat simr to the test tube in the Muggle world, but there is an extra thing at the mouth of the bottle - a cute white little bat with only half of its body left!


    The little bat pped its small wings and flew up with the crystal bottle, then put its small and sharp side teeth on Harry''s arm and bit it gently.


    Harry felt a little numb and itchy on his arm, but it didn''t hurt at all.


    Then, bright red blood flowed from half of the bat''s body and poured into the small crystal bottle.


    When the blood volume reached half the height of the crystal bottle, the bat pulled its teeth out of Harry''s arm, pped its wings, and left Harry''s arm with the crystal bottle.


    Harry subconsciously wanted to cover the wound with his hands, but found that the two shallow tooth marks had healed quickly, and in a blink of an eye, they were back to normal, as smooth as if there had never been a wound.


    "Professor, why do I always feel that you seem to be very skilled in drawing blood..." Harry couldn''t help butin.


    "Very skilled? Probably." Drac shrugged casually, stretched out his hand to take the half white bat that pped its wings and the small crystal bottle under it.


    In fact, as early asst semester, when he saw Harry contact with Quirrell and turned him into ashes in the restricted area where the Philosopher''s Stone was stored, Drac had already been a little curious about Harry''s bodyposition.


    After that incident, Drac and Dumbledore had a long talk and confirmed that the reason why Harry could survive Voldemort''s killing curse was actually because of the blood magic cast on him by Harry''s mother, Lily Potter.


    Therefore, Drac became very interested in the magic cast by Lily Potter on Harry''s blood, and even Harry''s blood, and almost sucked his blood directly!


    Unfortunately, Dumbledore had been on guard against Drac''s actions, making it difficult for him to seed.


    But today is different-


    Harry showed his talent for snake talk in public. This skill of talking to snakes almost proves that he is the descendant of Szar Slytherin, one of the founders of Hogwarts!


    In order to check whether Harry is a descendant of Slytherin, it is reasonable to test his blood, right? Even if Dumbledore is the headmaster, he can''t find any fault with his approach!


    What''s more, making Harry a descendant of Slytherin does not meet Dumbledore''s expectations of him.


    Drac certainly couldn''t miss this rare opportunity!


    So, he sessfully collected Harry''s blood with a small bat crystal bottle.


    In the dim Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office, Drac reached out and gently took the crystal bottle under the small bat.


    He pinched the bottle and carefully looked at Harry''s blood in the bottle.


    At the same time, Harry had a nk diary in his arms and was gritting his teeth...


    Because Harry was going to participate in the duel club today, he thought of the diary that taught him a lot of Defense Against the Dark Arts knowledge and brought it with him.


    It was also because of Harry''s decision that Tom Riddle''s Horcrux diary saw the scene of Drac easily getting Harry''s blood, and he almost vomited blood in grief and anger-


    Why did Harry Potter''s blood, which he tried so hard to get, be so easily obtained by others?


    No, it can''t even be said to be easy, it was clearly given away for free.


    Harry donated bloodpletely voluntarily, and even rolled up his sleeves himself!


    Diary Riddle was so angry that he almost went crazy. But he was afraid that the terrible Drac in front of him would find out, so he didn''t dare to reveal any emotion.


    So he could only stay in Harry''s pocket and sulk.


    Diary was obviously overthinking.


    Drac was in no mood to observe the book in Harry''s arms at this time. All his attention was attracted by the blood in the crystal bottle.


    It seemed that the little bat on the bottle mouth was a bit of a hindrance, so Drac grabbed its head, pulled it out of the bottle mouth with a "puff", and then threw it aside.


    After freeing up the space at the bottle mouth, Drac began to concentrate on observing Harry''s blood in the crystal bottle.


    As for the little bat thrown aside, it was so scared that it pped its wings a few times, dragged half of its body in the air, and got back into Drac''s pocket...


    Harry looked at this scene with a smile, and inexplicably felt that the little bat with only half of its body left was a bit pitiful.


    So he hesitated for a moment and asked, "Professor, did you raise that bat just now? Isn''t it a bit cruel to treat it like this..."


    Harry was a little confused at this time.


    He didn''t want to believe that Professor Drac, whom he admired, would abuse a small animal, but the facts were right in front of him-


    Professor Drac split the body of a bat into two halves, used it as a tool to draw blood, and threw it away after use. It was so cruel!


    ''Is Professor Drac really a cruel and ruthless person as some little wizards guessed? ''Harry thought secretly.


    "Excuse me, what did you say just now?"


    Drac was concentrating on studying Harry''s blood. When he heard Harry''s question, he looked up at him and said, "You mean this bat?"


    He took the poor little bat out of his pocket again, holding one of the bat''s wings and letting it dangle in the air.


    "That''s right, Professor!" Harry looked at Drac''s indifferent actions and said with courage, "I think even a bat can feel pain and shouldn''t be treated like this!"


    "I once heard Hagrid say that because we are wizards, we always have to use the characteristics of animals and the abilities of magical animals to improve our lives, which is understandable. But we must also understand the difficulties of animals and not abuse them!"


    Hearing this, Drac finally raised his head and looked at Harry as if he were a retard.


    "I... am I wrong?" Looking at Drac''s eyes, Harry instantly lost his confidence and asked weakly.


    "I just want to say... have you ever seen a bat that can still live well after losing half of its body?" Drac turned his eyes away from Harry and curled his lips with a bit of disgust.


    "Ah? Isn''t this one?" Harry asked puzzled.


    "If you want, then this bat is for you." Drac casually threw half of the little bat into Harry''s arms, and a yful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, "I suggest you take a closer look at what this thing is, and then decide whether to "raise" it!"


    Drac emphasized the word "raise".


    Harry quickly picked up the little bat from his arms and looked at it in front of his eyes.


    He found that the body of this bat was actually hollow. In addition to theplete head, wings and half of the body, there was no organ or internal organ system in its body!


    No, there is still an organ in its body - a small straw.


    "How on earth does it survive..." Harry looked at the body structure of the little bat over and over again, puzzled.


    "Haven''t you figured it out yet?" Drac finally raised his head and looked at Harry with a helpless look, "This is not a living creature at all, Potter, it''s just an alchemical product specially used for drawing blood..."


    "Ah..." Harry''s expression froze, his face turned red in an instant, and he said in a mosquito-like voice, "Yes... I''m sorry, professor... I misunderstood you..."


    "Forget it, it''s not a big problem." Considering that he got Harry''s blood today, Drac was in a good mood and didn''t embarrass him too much, "But I suggest you learn some useful knowledge after you go back, and don''t make a fuss about everything you see all day long..."


    Harry nodded repeatedly, indicating that he understood.


    "I understand." Drac waved his hand casually, "Put away the blood-drawing bat. Today''s focus is not here..."


    He suddenly leaned down, put his hand on Harry''s shoulder again, and whispered, "You really have a very good mother, Potter."


    "What... my mother?" Harry suddenly opened his eyes wide and became very excited, "Professor, do you know my mother?!"


    "I''m afraid I''ll disappoint you." Drac shook his head gently, "I don''t know your mother, Potter. But I can see that your mother left a very powerful protective magic in your blood-"


    "And this protective magic... is not something that can be cast with her level of spellcasting."


    "Why is that?" Harry murmured.


    ''It was created by sacrificing her own life. ''Drac wanted to say this, but seeing Harry''s lonely look, the words turned into: "Who knows? Maybe... it''s because of love."


    Drac never thought that this Dumbledore-style statement that he once sneered at woulde out of his own mouth.


    So he shook his body ufortably and his face changed instantly.


    "You can go, Potter." Drac said coldly, "I have identified from your blood that you are not the descendant of Szar Slytherin."


    Harry was frightened by Professor Drac, who changed his face faster than turning a book, and didn''t know why the professor suddenly started to chase people away.


    "Wait a minute, Professor." He asked hurriedly, "Have you found out the result? Don''t you need to take my blood for testing? Thenpare the two bloods and finally confirm the result... I remember that this is the process in the hospital..."


    "Are you questioning my judgment?" Drac said coldly, "Or... Can you find Szar Slytherin''s blood forparison?"


    After saying this, Drac silently added in his heart, ''Although I did keep Szar''s blood sample. ''


    Harry looked at Drac with a cold face and shook his head helplessly.


    "I know, Professor." He stood up from his chair and then turned to walk towards the door of the office.


    Harry looked at the alchemical bat in his hand, thought about it, and stuffed it into his chest pocket, together with Riddle''s diary.


    When he took his hand out, he identally brought out an inverted cross pendant.


    "Wait a minute!"


    Drac shouted suddenly.

 Chapter 117 - 117 I’m Lord Voldemort, of course.

    <h4>Chapter 117: I''m Lord Voldemort, of course.</h4>


    Drac frowned when he saw the pendant he had given away two months ago.


    The original gloomy wood amulet should have been darker than ck ink, as if it had gathered all the darkness in the world.


    However, the amulet hanging around Harry''s neck was not as ck as before, but instead seemed to be stained with a touch of blood red -


    Although it was still ck, it was not as pure as before.


    This was a phenomenon that would only ur after absorbing multiple powerful ck magics. Those ck magics that only appeared once or twice and had weak magic power could not change the color of the gloomy wood amulet at all!


    "Don''t leave in a hurry, I have something else to ask you." Drac stopped Harry who was about to open the door and asked seriously, "Have you met any dark wizards recently?"


    "Dark wizards?" Harry asked doubtfully, "No... if we exclude those weird wizards I met in Knockturn Alley."


    "Have those dark wizards already attacked you before you met me?" Drac frowned slightly.


    Harry shook his head nkly.


    Drac also felt that the dark wizards who could survive in Knockturn Alley were not the kind of reckless people who would act rashly.


    At that time, Harry suddenly appeared in Knockturn Alley, and those extremely cautious dark wizards first tried to test him, not sure whether this little wizard had any powerful backers wandering around.


    The female demon who stopped Harry should be the first creature to take the initiative to test, and the spooky wood amulet should not have been triggered...


    "Could it be..." Drac asked slowly, "You were attacked in that Muggle''s house?"


    "No... Professor, I really didn''t encounter any attack!" Harry said without thinking, "If Uncle Vernon locked me in an iron cage in the room doesn''t count..."


    "Wait." Drac suddenly interrupted Harry and asked with a frown, "Why did he lock you in an iron cage, Potter? Has this kind of abuse happened often before?"


    A cold light appeared in Drac''s eyes.


    Dare to imprison his students, and the other party is just a Muggle who has aplished nothing. This makes Drac feel very embarrassed!


    "Professor, don''t be impulsive!" Looking at Drac''s cold eyes, Harry shuddered suddenly.


    Although Harry hated the Dursleys and they were very unfriendly to him... but they were still his rtives who raised him since he was a child! Harry didn''t want to let the family die on the street because of his own reasons.


    After all, he knew that Professor Drac would really kill them!


    So Harry quickly exined, "Professor, it was actually me who provoked Uncle Vernon first, so he locked me up..."


    "Really?" Drac narrowed his eyes, and the coldness in his eyes faded a little, "Tell me, how did you offend him?"


    "Because Uncle Vernon and his men hid all my magic-rted things, I felt a little resentful..." Harry said uneasily, "So I messed up his big business..."


    After saying this, Harry secretly nced at Drac, but found that his eyebrows were frowned even deeper.


    "This is unlike you, Potter," Drac said, "I don''t think you''d take revenge on a little wizard in this way."


    "Maybe I got carried away..." Harry scratched his head.


    "No." Drac interrupted him again, "It''s true that getting carried away can happen, but you knew you couldn''t use magic outside, and you knew that destroying your uncle''s big business would make him hate you, but you still did it."


    "This can''t be exined by getting carried away, this is called stupidity!"


    Drac''s tone was too harsh, and his eyes were full of cold doubts.


    Harry''s face froze, and he subconsciously wanted to argue that it wasn''t him who did it, but a diary called Tom Riddle...


    But Harry couldn''t say it.


    Because Tom didn''t want him to expose its existence, he didn''t want to betray his academic mentor and friend.


    But Harry''s hesitation of less than a second made Drac see something different.


    "Interesting." Drac suddenly put away his stern face and raised his mouth, "Potter, you didn''t tell me the truth, right?"


    "I... I didn''t." Harry''s eyes shed with panic.


    "So who are you hiding the truth for? Who really destroyed your uncle''s big business?" Drac looked at Harry deeply and chuckled.


    Harry involuntarily took two steps back, shivering, "No... No, it was really all done by me."


    "If I remember correctly, at the end ofst semester, you had a quarrel with more than one person." Drac moved forward as Harry retreated, with a wine-red light in his eyes.


    "I remember very clearly that you wanted to go to the Potions Professor''s office to settle the feud with Snape, but you ended up having a big fight with him, which led to the intensification of the conflict..."


    "Not only that, the twins from Weiss''s house also said another thing in front of me - you scolded them fiercely because they lost money in a bet... Even if you are just a junior in the same college and a friend of their brother, there is no reason to do so."


    "Where did you go when you were so humble, optimistic and kind-hearted when you exploded?" Drac asked softly, "Who are you being bewitched by, Potter?"


    Harry finally retreated to the corner, with no room to retreat, but he still refused to say Tom Riddle''s name.


    "Look at me!" Drac suddenly raised his voice.


    Harry subconsciously raised his head and looked at Drac who was close at hand.


    He saw a pair of wine-red eyes, the twinkling light in them seemed to have an irresistible charm, making him fall deeply in love with them -


    In the school infirmary, Madam Pomfrey held up an unfamiliar book and asked him if the diary was his? After opening it, the name "Harry James Potter" was written on the title page...


    In the Gryffindormon room, Harry identally used a feather pen to throw a drop of ink, which dripped onto the diary, but was absorbed by the nk page...


    In the dead of night, Harry quietly climbed up from the four-poster bed in the dormitory, leaned over the desk by the window, lit a candle, and then wrote on the diary with a weak light...


    In the second half of the first grade, Harrymunicated with the diary with words, learned the knowledge he had missed in ss, and finally got the first ce in the final of Defense Against the Dark Arts...


    At number four, Privet Drive, the diary came from the cupboard to Harry''s room, instigated him to take revenge on Uncle Vernon, and used magic to trick the big customer for him...


    In the room blocked by the big iron fence, the diary urged him to use the evil spell...


    Thest picture is Harry taking out the diary from the bottom of the suitcase before the dueling club started.


    Harry suddenly turned his eyes away from Drac''s eyes, breathing heavily.


    He instinctively realized that something was wrong, and subconsciously protected the diary in his pocket.


    "Is it really a diary?" Dracughed happily, "I never thought that the thing I have been looking for is actually here with you."


    He took out a piece of parchment, which was densely written with evil ck magic items.


    This was a list of Voldemort''s ck magic tools sent to him by Lucius after meeting him at the White Dragon Bar.


    Now, various other names have been crossed out, leaving only a single word circled in bright red ink -


    Diary!


    "Professor, what are you talking about?" Harry nervously pressed the diary in his arms, looking confused, "Howe the thing you have been looking for is here with me?"


    "Potter, it seems that you really regard him as your friend." Drac suddenlyughed, "I have to admit that you are really sincere enough to treat your friends. You still want to cover for him at this time."


    Harry lowered his head in silence without saying a word.


    "But I have to tell you a cruel fact..." Drac leaned down and said softly, "Tom Riddle, whom you trust, has never regarded you as a friend."


    "This is impossible!" Harry shouted loudly, "He has always been very good to me, teaching me knowledge, talking to me, and persuading me when I encounter unhappy things..."


    Harry also knew that he could not hide the existence of the diary. But he still didn''t want Tom, who was both a teacher and a friend, to be misunderstood by Professor Drac, so he defended himself indignantly.


    Drac didn''t care about Harry''s rebuttal, just smiled casually, "Do you know what kind of magic the spell Tom Riddle taught you is?"


    Drac stretched out his hand to his side without waiting for Harry to answer.


    The next moment, a mouse that had lived in the Hogwarts dungeon for many years fell into Drac''s hands with a ray of moonlight.


    As if sensing the strong dark breath on Drac, the mouse immediately trembled.


    "Do you know what the name of that spell is, Potter?" Drac looked at the mouse in his hand and slowly took out his wand from his pocket-


    "Avada Kedavra."


    A dazzling green light suddenly appeared!


    The mouse was hit by the green light, lost its breath instantly, and copsed in Drac''s hands.


    "The name of this spell... is called the Kedavra Curse, Potter!" Drac said word by word.


    Harry opened his mouth wide and couldn''t speak for a long time.


    A scene vaguely emerged in his mind-


    A woman was crying beside him, kissing his cheek... Then, an ugly man with distorted features walked in... The next moment, there was a dazzling and terrifying green light!


    "Don''t--" Harry suddenly shouted.


    The next second, he copsed on the cold ground with trembling all over...


    After a dead silence, Harry took a deep breath, slowly raised his head, and saw Drac looking at him thoughtfully.


    "Professor... What happened to me just now?" He asked uneasily.


    Drac''s eyes moved, and he was silent for a moment, then slowly said: "It''s okay, you may have had a dream, don''t worry too much."


    After that, he forcibly changed the subject, "Riddle, it''s already this time, you still stay in Harry''s clothes and don''t want toe out?"


    A faint ck mist emerged, and the handsome ck-haired young man appeared in front of Harry very abruptly.


    "I knew you would find me sooner orter, Drac." His expression was not panic at all, but relieved. "But I didn''t expect that day toe so soon. I thought I had at least two months!"


    "You...you are Tom?!" Harry looked at the ck-haired young man in front of him, his mouth wide open in shock. Hisplicated thoughts were indeed dispersed by Riddle. "Didn''t you say...you are just a diary with thoughts, and you can onlymunicate with me by writing?!"


    Such a bizarre scene was no less than a volcanic eruption for Harry''s mood!


    He knew that he was really deceived. Professor Drac was right...


    Harry leaned against the wall of the office in a daze, his eyes almost losing focus.


    "I''m sorry, Harry, I did lie to you." Riddle turned his head and looked at Harry''s lifeless eyes, "But I had to lie to you. This is the task Voldemort gave me."


    "What did you say?" The name of the old enemy instantly pulled Harry''s thoughts back, "You just said... Voldemort?!"


    "Don''t you understand, Potter?" Drac sighed softly and looked at the ck-haired young man standing next to Harry, "Exin to him, Riddle, who are you?"


    Unexpectedly, Riddle did not resist Drac''s arrangement, but just nodded to him gently.


    "Voldemort..." Riddle looked at Harry and said softly, "It''s my past, present and future, Harry."


    He suddenly snatched his wand from Harry''s hand, drew a few strokes in the air, and wrote three shining names-


    Tom Marvolo Riddle (Tom Marvolo Riddle).


    Then he waved Harry''s wand, and the letters automatically changed positions and became -


    I am Lord Voldemort.


    "See?" He whispered, "I used this name when I was studying at Hogwarts, of course, only to my closest friends. Do you think I will use the name of my dirty Muggle father for the rest of my life?"


    "No, Harry. I came up with a new name for myself. I know that one day, when I be the greatest wizard in the world, wizards everywhere will not dare to say this name easily!"


    Harry''s mind seemed to freeze.


    He stared nkly at Riddle, this man, who was once an orphan whose parents died, and when he grew up, he actually killed Harry''s parents and so many other people...


    And he regarded this man as his close friend for a long time!

 Chapter 118 - 118 It’s a good show

    <h4>Chapter 118: It''s a good show</h4>


    Just when Harry was still in shock and confusion, a golden-red me suddenly appeared in the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office, illuminating the dim atmosphere of the office.


    "Oh? It seems that we have a guest."


    Drac raised his lips and walked towards the direction of the fire.


    An old man with white hair and a long white beard up to his waist strode out of the fire.


    His face was solemn, and he asked directly: "Professor Drac, I heard from Severus that you took Harry Potter away?"


    "You are muchter than I expected, Dumbledore." Drac chuckled and said to the old man, "In fact, I thought Snape would contact you earlier!"


    Snape may have been addicted to scolding the little wizard in the duel club, or he subconsciously did not think that Drac would hurt Harry Potter. He stood on the stage of the duel club for a long time and finally remembered that Harry was taken away.


    So Snape used a special Patronus Charm to send this message to Dumbledore in the headmaster''s office.


    After receiving this message, Dumbledore came to Drac''s office as soon as possible to prevent any possible idents to Harry, who was extremely important to him.


    However, this period of time was already very sufficient.


    It was sufficient for Drac to detect the rtionship between Harry and Slytherin, find out Harry''s memory, and even pull out Riddle''s diary, which had been bewitching Harry''s mind, from his arms.


    "Actually, you came at the right time. I have a surprise for you." Drac showed an interesting smile, then turned sideways, allowing Riddle''s figure to appear in Dumbledore''s sight.


    Even a wise old man like Dumbledore, his expression became extremely stunned in an instant.


    "Tom?" Dumbledore looked at the handsome ck-haired young man in front of him in surprise, "You are..."


    His eyes shed quickly, and his memory seemed to go back to sixty years ago-


    The handsome ck-haired young man in front of himpletely ovepped with the appearance of the brilliant Tom Riddle holding high the Special Contribution Award for the school!


    "Long time no see, Professor Dumbledore." Riddle showed a wless smile and bowed gracefully to Dumbledore, "My memory actually stays at the time when I won the Special Contribution Award for the school-at that time, only you, the professor, had doubts about it."


    "So you are Tom sixty years ago?" Dumbledore frowned, and his sharp eyes seemed to prate the slightly illusory figure in front of him.


    After a moment, he suddenly revealed a look of understanding.


    "So that''s how it is..." Dumbledore nodded slightly, then turned to look at Harry who was full of doubts in his heart, "Harry, can you go back to the Gryffindormon room to rest for a while? Professor Drac and I have other things to discuss."


    "But... I think this matter has a lot to do with me, professor!" Harry said hurriedly.


    Harry certainly didn''t want to leave. He still had a lot of things to figure out, and a lot of questions to ask, and he was full of doubts about what happened today!


    "When the time is right, I will exin it to you one by one, Harry." Dumbledore looked into Harry''s eyes, his eyes were still gentle, but extremely determined, "But please go back now, okay? After going through so many things today, it''s time for you to have a good rest."


    Harry opened his mouth, wanting to tell the two professors that he was not tired at all and didn''t need to rest at all.


    But looking at Dumbledore''s increasingly tough eyes, he finally nodded silently and turned to leave the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office.


    He left the nk diary in the office, lying quietly on the cold ground...


    After Harry left, only Drac, Dumbledore and Riddle were left here.


    "You are the Horcrux that Tom made after killing Myrtle, right?" Dumbledore looked at Riddle first and asked in a deep voice.


    "I can''t hide it from you, Professor Dumbledore." Riddle said softly, "I really want to know, is there anything in this world that can be hidden from you?"


    "There are too many things I don''t know, Tom." Dumbledore shook his head slowly, "If it weren''t for your performance in the Wu Orphanage that gave me a preconceived impression and I have been wary of you, I would have been fooled by your performance like other professors."


    "I am honored to hear the greatest wizard in the world say this!" Riddle''s voice gradually cooled down, "I didn''t expect that even after so many years, the greatest wizard in the world is still called Albus Dumbledore."


    "I thought that the foreign The ''I'' outside only needs a few years to rece you... However, not only did he fail to achieve this, but he was defeated by a baby! "


    Listening to Riddle''s cold words, Drac raised his eyebrows slightly and asked with interest: "You seem to be very dissatisfied with your original body, Mr. Riddle."


    "Indeed, Mr. Drac." Riddle looked at Drac and gave him a meaningful look, "The ''I'' outside not only failed to fulfill the wish he made when he was young, but also became more and more stupid. Hepletely fell into the powerful force. "


    Drac''s expression became more and more intriguing, and the corners of his mouth raised an exaggerated arc.


    "So what do you think, Mr. Riddle?" he asked.


    "Professor Drac!" Dumbledore''s voice suddenly resounded throughout the office, interrupting the conversation between Drac and Riddle, "I think I have an obligation to remind you not to forget our most important goal-"


    "Voldemort cannot be truly eliminated before all of Voldemort''s Horcruxes are destroyed!"


    Dumbledore looked at Riddle with a sharp look, "Tom, I guess Voldemort must have more than just you, right?"


    "It turns out that Professor Dumbledore also has things he doesn''t know." Riddle smiled and shrugged, "Of course, ording to our thinking, a single Horcrux is definitely not foolproof."


    "As for how many Horcruxes he made... Even I don''t know. After all, I only have the memory of Voldemort before he was sixteen years old. "


    "I know." Dumbledore nodded gently, "Thank you for the clues, Tom, I am also very happy to see you again without the distortion of the dark magic."


    Then, he gently raised the wand, "But I''m sorry, Tom, you should have guessed it - as a Horcrux, there can only be such an ending..."


    A wisp of red me gushed out from the tip of Dumbledore''s wand, burning violently in the air, and in an instant it expanded to the size of half a room, surging and burning towards the nk diary on the ground.


    "Dumbledore''s iconic firestorm?"


    Feeling the air that became scorching in an instant, Riddle closed his eyes gently, letting the mes prate his illusory body and approach the diary.


    He knew that he could not escape from the hands of the most powerful wizard in the magic world, so he did not hold any fluke.


    Riddle was waiting for another person to take action.


    ''I have given all the hints, I hope it will arouse his interest...'' He thought with his eyes closed.


    For a long time, Riddle did not feel the pain of the burning diary.


    So he opened his eyes and saw two different colors of mes, both extremely bright and beautiful, almost upying the entire space of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office, confronting andpeting with each other.


    On one side was a red that was thicker than magma, and the vtile heat seemed to be able to ignite the eyes of all the wizards present!


    On the other side was a white that was colder than bones. Although it was in the form of mes, Riddle could not feel any heat from it, but felt that it had a chill deep into the bone marrow!


    The two mes touched each other scorchingly, melting each other, and neither gave in.


    "Professor Drac, have you really forgotten our most important goal?" Dumbledore''s voice came from the sticky red, and his voice was unprecedentedly serious. "Don''t you want to do your part for the safety of Nico''s Philosopher''s Stone and the lives of him and Perenelle?!"


    "Mr. Principal, I have always protected the Philosopher''s Stone of that old guy, and I have never forgotten it." Drac''s voice sounded in the white mes, "But I thought you had already understood that destroying Voldemort has never been my most important goal..."


    After a period of silence, the red mes suddenly began to shrink and dissipated in the blink of an eye.


    Dumbledore''s figure emerged from it, and a faint red light could still be seen on the wand in his hand.


    "I always thought that your attempt to find any interesting things in the world was based on a solid bottom line." He said in a deep voice, "Nico has always told me this. He told me that although you are a little cynical, you still have the firm principles of being a noble..."


    "Professor Drac, but I can''t see any principles in your behavior of protecting Voldemort''s Horcrux today!"


    "Since you can''t see it, why bother to say more? It''s better to use personal strength to decide what is right and what is wrong!" Drac smiled evilly, "I wanted to fight with you a long time ago, Dumbledore. Let me see what kind of surprise the greatest wizard in the magic world can bring me!"


    The ck and red cloak behind Drac moved without wind, and waves of dark breath emerged around him without reservation. Gradually, a dark moon quietly appeared in this office, cold and heavy.


    Dumbledore''s face changed slightly, and then he sighed softly.


    "Professor Drac, I won''t fight you here." He said softly, "Choosing the battlefield inside the Hogwarts Castle, do you want to demolish the entire castle? Many students will be injured or even killed!"


    After that, the phoenix Fawkesnded on Dumbledore''s shoulder and gently spread a pair of broad wings.


    "I hope you don''t regret what you did today, Professor Drac." He looked at Drac deeply and said finally.


    The next moment, a golden-red me wrapped Dumbledore''s whole body and instantly took him to the principal''s office.


    In the principal''s office, there were already two other professors waiting there.


    "Albus, did you fight with Professor Drac?" Professor McGonagall asked anxiously, "I clearly felt in the office on the second floor that there was a very strong magical fluctuationing from the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office! I came here to ask Severus and found out that you just happened to go to Professor Drac''s ce."


    "What kind of conflict did you have that you had to fight to resolve it?!"


    It was very rare that Professor McGonagall rushed to the principal''s office without even wearing a hat.


    Compared to Professor McGonagall''s anxiety, Snape''s face looked even more nervous, "Albus, why did you suddenly fight?"


    "Tell me, did Drac do something bad to Potter?!"


    Looking at the nervous Professor McGonagall and Snape, Dumbledore suddenlyughed happily.


    "Don''t be nervous, Minerva, Severus." He said with a smile, "I did fight with Professor Drac, but it was just a good show performed by the two of us!"


    Dumbledore stroked Fawkes'' feathers and recalled what had just happened-


    After learning that Harry was taken away by Drac, he was very anxious, so he asked Fawkes to take him into the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office in an instant.


    "You came at the right time, I have a surprise for you." Looking at the uninvited guest in front of him, Drac said meaningfully.


    Dumbledore saw that there was a brilliant light flowing quickly in Drac''s eyes, and it seemed that there was some other information and content turning in those wine-red eyes.


    So he also activated Legilimency, colliding the spirits and thoughts of the two people together-


    "The results of Potter''s blood test are out, I think it is necessary to let you know." Drac looked at the sharp eyes behind Dumbledore''s half-moon sses andmunicated with him silently, "I have checked, Potter does not have any Szar blood, but he can use Snake Tongue."


    "So... my judgment is not wrong, right?" Dumbledore also said silently, "Did Voldemort really identally leave the soul fragment in Harry''s body, making Harry an alternative Horcrux?"


    "That''s right, so if Voldemort is to be eliminated, the child Potter must also die!" Drac said, "Is this really an ending you can ept?"


    "Hu¡ª¡ª" Dumbledore exhaled silently, "Of course I won''t let this happen, I already have a n..."


    He quickly passed the n he prepared to Drac''s mind.


    "I have to say that your n requires too many coincidences." Drac frowned, "and the price paid is too high, you are using yourself as a pawn!"


    "I have lived enough for more than a hundred years, it doesn''t matter, as long as I can seed." Dumbledore smiled silently.


    "Forget it, I want you to live a few hundred more years to feel what it means to be really tired of living!" Drac sneered, "I have another n here, do you want to listen to it?"


    "Of course, you need to cooperate with me to put on a good show in front of Riddle!"

 Chapter 119 - 119 He can replace them.

    <h4>Chapter 119: He can rece them.</h4>


    "Tell me, what do you think?"


    In the dim Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office, Drac looked at the ck-haired young man in front of him and asked with interest,


    "As Voldemort''s Horcrux, it''s fine if you don''t help your creator, but you actually want toe to me to be his enemy? I don''t quite understand."


    Diary Riddle exhaled lightly, looked at Drac seriously, and said: "Voldemort didn''t pay me the attention I deserved. He just treated me as another life as a backup."


    "Since I have been born with his memory of his youth, it is difficult for me to convince myself to follow his established route and just treat myself as a tool and an object without independent consciousness!"


    "Mr. Drac, I want to break free from his control!" Riddle said.


    Drac smiled and walked towards Riddle with interest, and stopped when he was beside him.


    "Let me see... Well, this is a body made up of soul power, right?" He looked at Riddle''s slightly illusory figure and asked, "I have some impression of this body structure. At that time, Voldemort confronted me in this state inside the restricted area where the Philosopher''s Stone was stored."


    "You are right." Riddle nodded gently, "He originally possessed Quirrell''s body, but under the huge pressure brought by you, the state of parasitism on a human was not enough for him to have enough power, so he thought of his Horcrux."


    "Voldemort has always known that I was the first Horcrux he made, and I also have most of his memories before the age of sixteen. I must have a stronger soul power than other Horcruxes... So he used some means to take me out of Malfoy Manor, wanting to absorb the soul essence retained in the Horcrux."


    "But what he didn''t expect was that I had already developed self-awareness, and his forced upation caused my resistance." Riddle said.


    "As far as I know, as a Horcrux, it is difficult for you to resist the power of the main body." Drac looked at him deeply, "In addition, when Voldemort officially started to steal the Philosopher''s Stone, I did not find your existence."


    "Yes, I couldn''t resist the power of the main soul at all, and he easily upied the soul body that I had worked so hard to condense." Riddle pulled the corner of his mouth, his expression was very unwilling, "Even before the final action, he told me that he would not take risks with his own Horcruxes, and even returned my body..."


    "...But I know that Voldemort is not He is not thinking about me, but is worried about his own life. He will not take risks with any Horcrux. I am no different from those Horcruxes without self-awareness! "


    "In fact, I also know that the mind that identally gave birth to a Horcrux is a burden and a disaster to my suspicious main soul... That is, he realized that he might fail to steal the Philosopher''s Stone, so he was willing to return the soul body to me and let me lurk in the castle toplete his backup n..."


    Riddle stared at Drac''s eyes, his eyes full of arrogance.


    Riddle is using practical actions to show that he was born from the memory of the Dark Lord who cannot be named, and has simr personalities and characteristics to Voldemort. He will never be manipted and lose his autonomy!


    Drac also looked into Riddle''s eyes, and there was a bit of appreciation in his eyes.


    "When Voldemort was young, his personality and appearance were more stylish than his current bald head." He chuckled and said, "I really don''t know what he didter to make himself look like that."


    "Although it''s hard to ept, I can understand his choice." Riddle said softly, "For me, immortality and power are much more important than external things like appearance."


    "Oh, immortality again." Drac sneered disdainfully, "What''s so good about immortality? There are always so many superficial humans who want to pursue it. It''s so boring!"


    Riddle was about to refute, but Drac raised his hand to interrupt him, "Don''t talk about those boring things. Tell me what you did when you were lurking in Hogwarts Castle."


    "Is the backup n Voldemort gave you just to seduce Harry Potter''s mind?" Drac looked at Riddle and asked thoughtfully, "It can be seen that you have obtained Potter has arge part of trust, and there should be a lot of hands -on opportunities. "" There are so many opportunities, just creating an ident can let him die, but you just do things like confusing. Is there any other reason for this? " Speaking, I asked me to leave Harry Potter. So I not only could not kill Harry directly, but even protect him! " For the reason, he was not stupid. "Ridhr shook his head gently," Do you know the prophecy made by Sibir Terrina twelve years ago? "Drac frowned slightly. Of course, he knew what the prophecy was. But twelve years ago, Drac was still in deep sleep, and had no idea what was happening in the wizarding world, let alone the prophecy that was listed as a secret by both the Ministry of Magic and the Death Eaters.


    ''Damn it, how many magnificent things happened in the hundred years I was asleep? ! '' Drac gritted his teeth in hatred and looked at Riddle with cold eyes.


    Seeing Drac''s cold eyes, Riddle''s expression tightened, and he immediately said the prophecy he knew from the main soul -


    "''The one who has the ability to defeat the Dark Lord is approaching... Born in a family that has resisted him three times, born at the end of July... The Dark Lord will mark him as his rival...'' - This is the prophecy that Voldemort learned, which may not beplete, but it is enough to select qualified candidates."


    "So Voldemort chose Harry Potter as his rival, went to Godric''s Hollow to kill him, but eventually fell under his own killing curse?" Drac asked with a strange expression, "If it weren''t for this prophecy , maybe he won''t fail? "


    "Yes, this is one of the reasons why I am dissatisfied with him." Riddle said coldly, "Instead of doing his best to achieve his goals, he believed the prophecy he heard from others and finally fell into this prophecy... It''s really stupid!"


    "So... just because of this prophecy, he didn''t allow you to hurt Potter?" Drac asked, "If it is really because of this, then Voldemort''s understanding of the prophecy is too superficial."


    "Want to hear what the real prophet thinks of the prophecy, Riddle?" He looked at Riddle with a chuckle and asked casually.


    Drac didn''t care about letting Riddle know the true meaning of the prophecy, nor did he care about the tiny possibility that he might reveal it to Voldemort.


    Because this kind of knowledge needs to be understood and respected with heart, even if it is revealed to Voldemort himself, it will not change his mind as a dark wizard who has long lost his original beliefs, but is more likely to disturb his thoughts.


    Now Drac is willing to tell Riddle about the prophecy. He wants to know how different Riddle is from Voldemort and whether he is really helpful.


    "Have you thought about it, Riddle?" Drac asked with a chuckle, "The prophecy ability of my prophet friend is notparable to the current divination professor of Hogwarts."


    "Mr. Drac, are you willing to tell me such important knowledge?" Riddle''s eyes shrank slightly, and he looked at Drac in disbelief, "I thought it would be difficult to gain your trust."


    "Gain my trust?" Drac raised his eyebrows, "Then you think too much, I can''t trust you. I will only consider how much help I can give you based on how much fun you can bring me."


    Riddle was stunned for a moment, and then heughed, "Then trouble you to tell me about the knowledge of prophecy, Mr. Drac."


    "I guess you can guess who my prophet friend is," Drac smiled and nced at him, and said, "Nico mel said that the reason he went to learn prophecy is because he was a prophet. , not just to kill time, nor to urately predict the future-"


    "The meaning of prophecy is not this, but to get rid of the shackles of fate, let us know that there are more possibilities in this world, so that our lives can be freer."


    "In short, prophecy is a kind of magic to help us live, not to restrict our behavior."


    "Wait a minute, I have a question..." Riddle raised his hand and asked Drac, "Since we already know the prophecy, how can we not be constrained by it? If we put the prophecy asidepletely, what is the difference between us and wizards who don''t know the prophecy at all?"


    "Riddle, no matter what the future mentioned in the prophecy looks like, everyone lives in the present." Drac said to Riddle as he walked slowly behind the desk and satfortably on the sofa.


    "The present isplete, but the prophecy is not. The prophecy is fragmented. It is impossible for it to tell us all the possibilities of the future, and naturally there is no need to let it interfere too much with our present."


    "For that old guy Nico, the role of prophecy is just a hint and a choice; for me, prophecy is just one of the ways to find a more interesting future." Drac said, "Voldemort''s real life was interfered by the prophecy, so he fell into the prophecy."


    Unconsciously, the two people in the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office seemed like an ordinary professor and student, one asking questions and the other answering. It was impossible to tell that one was the Dark Lord''s Horcrux and the other was a vampire count who had lived for more than a thousand years.


    "I understand, Professor." Suddenly, the young Riddle used the honorific that he would have used sixty years ago, "All magic is controlled by wizards, not wizards being controlled by magic."


    "Not bad, you have some understanding." Drac chuckled and raised a goblet, sipping a sip of bright red wine, "But I suggest you rece ''wizard'' with ''magical creature'', otherwise I will not be happy."


    "Yes, I subconsciously forgot that Professor Drac is not a wizard." Riddle also smiled and changed his words.


    For a while, the atmosphere in the office was harmonious and friendly, with a warm school scene.


    However, the next moment, this harmonious atmosphere was broken by a sentence-


    "I have told you the true meaning of the prophecy, which is quite sincere, right?" Drac gently ced the wine ss on the table in front of him and said softly, "In this case, shouldn''t you also tell me some more useful information?"


    "Well, I won''t make it difficult for you. I just need to know three things-"


    "First, what is the most fundamental reason for your betrayal of Voldemort; second, what is the purpose of Voldemort keeping you by Harry Potter''s side; third, when was the most recentrge-scale action of the Death Eaters, and what was the content of the activity."


    Burst after burst of dark breath with a strong sense of oppression emanated from Drac, and the atmosphere in the office quietly became solemn, as if even the air was filled with lead, so heavy that Riddle could not breathe.


    The wine-red light in Drac''s eyes moved, quietly rotating near the child''s hole, making Riddle feel that all his secrets had nowhere to hide.


    "... I stayed with Harry for his blood." Riddle couldn''t bear the heavy pressure in front of him, and said honestly, "Father''s bones, enemy''s blood, servant''s flesh, these are the three things needed for resurrection, now only Harry''s blood is missing..."


    "As for the reason why I chose to betray... it''s because I absorbed the soul essence of another Horcrux of the main soul, and he will find out about it sooner orter..."


    Hearing this, even Drac looked at Riddle in surprise.


    He didn''t expect that this Horcrux diary was so bold that it actually absorbed one of Voldemort''s Horcruxes directly...


    "What about thest thing?" Drac asked with interest.


    "The most recentrge-scale operation was on Halloween night..." Riddle said slowly, "Voldemort ordered me to get Harry''s blood before that. He wanted to bepletely resurrected that night, and then break through Azkaban in one fell swoop and rescue his most loyal servant!"


    Riddle looked at Drac, but found that Drac had exaggeratedly raised the corners of his mouth, revealing two sharp side teeth.


    This is Drac''s mostmon behavior when he thinks of something very interesting.


    "Listen to me, Riddle..." Drac said evilly with an exaggerated smile on his face.


    "Do you have any idea to rece Voldemort?"

 Chapter 120 - 120 Tom Riddle Assistant Coach

    <h4>Chapter 120: Tom Riddle Assistant Coach</h4>


    "Rece?" Riddle''s eyes widened, "What does this mean?!"


    "They are all iplete soul fragments of Voldemort. He can bepletely resurrected through his father''s bones, his enemy''s blood, and his servant''s flesh. So it makes no sense that you can''t use them to obtain a body!" Drac smiled evilly, with a light shing in his eyes from time to time.


    Riddle looked at Drac''s evil expression and was a little surprised and doubtful for a while. But at the same time, he was burning with a strong desire to rece his main soul and obtain a real body.


    If there reallyes such a day, he will no longer need to exist as a humble Horcrux, but can truly be a "wizard"!


    "Can I really do it?"


    After a moment of silence, Riddle finally made up his mind and asked.


    "Whether it''s possible or not, it''s always okay to try, right?" Drac raised the ss again and shook it gently. "Since Voldemort has chosen to split his soul, he must be prepared to be devoured by his own soul."


    "If his soul is divided into many parts, how much power will Voldemort''s main soul have left?" Drac sipped a sip of bright red wine and said to himself.


    "So what do you need me to do?" Riddle asked.


    "Don''t worry, it''s still a long time before Halloween." Drac chuckled, "Before that, I need your help with something."


    Riddle showed an inquiring expression.


    "Can you write lesson ns and correct homework?" Drac asked in Riddle''s stunned expression.


    ...


    In the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss the next day, Drac had a new assistant teacher.


    The young wizards all looked at the new young and handsome assistant teacher with curiosity. They were all specting, how could such a wizard who looked only about sixteen years old be an assistant teacher in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss?


    Other junior wizards were better, after all, they didn''t look older than Riddle, so there was nothing to say about it.


    But in the sixth grade Defense Against the Dark Arts Advanced ss, Riddle''s sixteen-year-old face was clearly the same age as the young wizards in the audience. Of course, some people would feel dissatisfied if such a person would have the "power of life and death" over their daily homework in the future.


    Marcus Flint from Slytherin was very dissatisfied with a person who was about the same age as him bing an assistant teacher, and he stood up on the spot and questioned it.


    "Professor Drac, I think such a person who has not studied magic for a few years is not suitable to be our assistant teacher." He said loudly.


    Drac looked at the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team with interest, andughed secretly in his heart.


    He had some impression of this student, because inst year''s Defense Against the Dark Arts Ordinary Wizard Level Exam, he was the only one who got a "T" grade, which represented a very poor grade. He was also the only "T" in the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam in recent years.


    Drac couldn''t figure out how such a poor student had the courage to question the Dark Lord''s Horcrux?


    "So do you have any other ideas, Mr. Flint?" he asked with a smile.


    Looking at the expression of Professor Drac on the stage, Flint secretly swallowed his saliva.


    He had already begun to back down, but at this moment, another Slytherin student next to him whispered to him: "Marcus, have you forgotten our purpose? We can''t let the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss recruit an assistant teacher. Do you really want to do your homework?!"


    That''s right, the reason why Flint and his ssmates questioned Riddle, who became an assistant teacher, was actually just one of the insignificant reasons for not epting it -


    The most important reason was that they didn''t want to do their homework!


    After a year of getting along, the students have already figured out Drac''s personality. Before recruiting teaching assistants, he was toozy to grade homework, and there was a high probability that he would not assign homework!


    Even before the end ofst semester, under the strict requirements of Professor McGonagall, Professor Drac reluctantly found a few teaching assistants to help grade homework, and he himself did not even look at the homework.


    In addition, in order not to affect the teaching assistants, the amount of homework on those days was actually pitifully small, which made Flint, a poor student, very happy!


    Thinking of the key points, Flint gritted his teeth and said in Drac''s half-smile:


    "Professor, I think the person who can be the assistant teacher of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss must at least have the strength ofst year''s assistant teacher Quirrell!"


    "The strength of assistant teacher Quirrell?" Drac yed with the wand in his hand, and his expression became more yful. "I remember that the information of assistant teacher Quirrell has been announced. I think you should know that he is a powerful dark wizard."


    "Do you want assistant teacher Riddle to have the strength of assistant teacher Quirrell?"


    Flint''s forehead was sweating, but for his n of not doing homework, he could only bite the bullet and said: "Yes, Professor Drac."


    "I think assistant teacher Quirrell did a good jobst year. I don''t want to find someone who is not as good as him as an assistant teacher...especially when he is so young."


    Drac shook his head with a smile and turned to look at Riddle who had been watching the show for a long time.


    "What do you think, Assistant Riddle?" he asked.


    "Professor, since the students doubt my strength, why don''t you let me show them a little bit?" Riddle smiled gently and nced at Flint.


    Flint looked at this gentle smile, and for some reason, he felt a strong chill from it.


    He probably never dreamed that the powerful dark wizard Assistant Quirrell, who he used as a shield, could be regarded as the servant of Assistant Riddle on the stage!


    "No problem." Drac nodded gently, "In this case, let''s change the teaching method for this ss."


    "Everyone put away the textbooks!"


    The students in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom said they were used to it and put the textbooks back into the drawer very skillfully.


    "Next, Assistant Professor Riddle will have a ''friendly'' duel with you one by one." Drac smiled maliciously, "Just take this opportunity to check your results in the duel club these days."


    Then, he looked at Riddle, "Don''t toss them too much, they have to attend the duel club party in the evening!"


    Riddle nodded slightly, and then walked straight to Flint''s position.


    "Let''s start with you, Mr. Flint." He said softly.


    ...


    When the bell rang, the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom was in a mess again.


    One "corpse" after another was ced in various corners of the ssroom, with eyes rolled back and heavy breathing.


    "You have a good rest at noon, and remember to attend the duel club on time in the evening!"


    Drac and Riddle walked out of the ssroom on time. Before leaving, Drac did not forget to remind them to attend the club on time.


    Outside the ssroom, groups of little wizards had alreadye to inquire about the news. Even though they had seen such scenes in the ssroom many times, they still felt a chill in their hearts.


    When they heard Professor Drac''s "kind" reminder, everyone present shuddered together, and a word quietly floated into their hearts-


    "Devil!"


    Fred and George, who had been waiting in the corridor for a long time, slipped into the ssroom first, jumping back and forth on the empty space where there were no bodies lying, and soon found Percy Weiss in the crowd.


    "Percy, tell us what we just talked about in this ss!" Fred shook Percy''s body and asked curiously.


    "Does Professor Drac feel that the training in the duel club is not exciting enough, or has he brought back the devil training?" George also asked beside him.


    "No... none of them..." Percy was shaken by Fred, but he had no strength to break free, and said intermittently, "Professor Drac found a new assistant from somewhere... He is just as devilish as Professor Drac... He challenged all of us alone..."


    "No, Assistant Riddle was there when we were in ss?" Fred saw that Percy was about to faint, so he stopped shaking, "But we clearly didn''t have such devilish training!"


    At this time, the speech of another sixth-grade student told them the truth of the matter.


    "Flint... I will kill you..." It was the breathless voice of Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, "Why provoke... provoke Assistant Riddle... and make all of us duel with him..."


    Fred and George looked at each other and silently put the new Assistant Riddle on their prank cklist.


    ...


    At the same time, in the principal''s office.


    "Albus, I want to know the identity of Professor Drac''stest assistant?" Professor McGonagall, wearing a pointed hat, hurried in and asked seriously, "I always feel that he looks familiar, and the familiarity with him... doesn''t seem to be a positive impression."


    "Albus, who is this assistant Riddle?!"


    Dumbledore was revising a document about Horcruxes. Seeing Professor McGonagall''s arrival, he quietly put the document away.


    "You may have remembered it wrong, Minerva." He said with a smile, "I don''t have any impression of Assistant Riddle... Oh, I know, maybe he looks a bit like your handsome Muggle first love decades ago?"


    "I''m not kidding you, Albus!" Professor McGonagall said angrily after hearing Dumbledore''s frivolous remarks.


    "Minerva, I''m not kidding either." Dumbledore still maintained a smiling expression, "Think about it carefully, both of them are very handsome, maybe they really look a bit alike?"


    "Since you don''t want to say it, then I''ll find it myself." Professor McGonagall pursed her lips, red at him angrily, and then walked down the spiral staircase of the principal''s office in a hurry to find clues by herself.


    Looking at Professor McGonagall leaving, Dumbledore sighed softly.


    Using this unorthodox way to anger Professor McGonagall can indeed quickly change the topic, but he doesn''t know how long he can keep it from her, and he doesn''t know if this matter will have any other adverse effects.


    Drac''s sudden decision to let Riddle be an assistant teacher did catch Dumbledore off guard.


    Although Voldemort''s face was distorted beyond recognition more than 40 years ago, few people in the current magic world know what he looked like when he was young.


    But wizards generally live long, and there are always some wizards who have experienced Voldemort''s student days and are still alive.


    Let alone the magic world, there are several wizards in Hogwarts Castle who know what Voldemort looked like when he was young.


    Excluding Dumbledore himself, Professor Kettleburn, who has been a professor of Care of Magical Creatures for more than 60 years, was one of the professors who taught Tom Riddle. Fortunately, as a Horcrux, Riddle does not need to eat in the auditorium, so he has not met Professor Kettleburn, who always teaches outdoors.


    However, not only that, the current gamekeeper Hagrid also knows Riddle and is even very impressed by him.


    Riddle reported Rubeus Hagrid, who was still a third-year wizard, and made the professors of Hogwarts think that the Acromanthus that Hagrid secretly raised was a murderous monster. Because of this, Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts, and Riddle won the Special Contribution Award to the School.


    Even Professor McGonagall, who had little impression of Riddle, only entered school less than ten yearster than this outstanding alumnus of the year, and there would always be many opportunities to learn about Tom Riddle''s legend and even see his appearance when he was young.


    Dumbledore took out the file he had just put away from the drawer and examined the n that Drac had briefly introduced to him.


    He actually knew that making Voldemort''s Horcrux an assistant teacher was probably not part of the n, but just another way for Drac to seek fun.


    But Dumbledore decided to indulge Drac''s willfulness once.


    Because he knew that only if Drac really enjoyed the n, he would follow this n and lead Voldemort to a dead end step by step; he would not choose to quit because he felt bored in the middle.


    For Dumbledore, the emergence of a professor like Drac was a blessing, which could add a powerful force to the n to destroy Voldemort; but the emergence of such a vampire who was not happy withwfulness was also a misfortune. Drac was out of Dumbledore''s control from beginning to end, and no one knew what outrageous thing he would do next.


    Amid the whispering of the portrait and the gentle cry of the phoenix, Dumbledore gently folded the document in his hand and put it in the drawer full of desserts.


    He sighed and burned the parchment on another table to ashes.


    That was his original n.


    Dumbledore knew that his original n had too many contingencies, and it was difficult to guarantee the sess rate of destroying Voldemort in the end, and it was also difficult to truly save the life of Harry Potter, who had be half a Horcrux.


    The price he paid might be too high, so high that he finally chose another n that was notpletely under his control...

 Chapter 121 - 121 A gathering of Death Eaters full of insiders.

    <h4>Chapter 121: A gathering of Death Eaters full of insiders.</h4>


    October ising soon.


    This October is particrly cold, and the damp cold air permeates the Scottish Hignds and prates into Hogwarts Castle from outside.


    In the cold temperature, colds suddenly spread among the faculty and students, which made the head nurse Madam Pomfrey in a panic.


    For this reason, she prepared arge amount of stimnts in the school infirmary, and posted notices in themon rooms of the four colleges of the castle and the staff lounge, asking faculty and students with colds to go to the school infirmary on the fourth floor to get stimnts in time.


    Madam Pomfrey''s stimnt has an almost immediate effect, but people who drink this potion will have smokeing out of their ears for several hours.


    Fred and George were infected.


    The lively twins of the Wesley family have a wide social circle and often go to various colleges to bet with others, so they soon caught a cold from other carriers.


    Unlike other little wizards who would feel miserable after catching a cold, Fred and George seemed even more excited after being infected with the cold.


    They rushed to the school infirmary to get two bottles of refreshing potion and drank them immediately-


    The next second, steam came out from under their bright red hair, and their heads seemed to be on fire.


    The two troublemakers had a lot of fun, and they were still not satisfied until the effect of the potion wore off. They wanted to go to the school infirmary to get two more bottles of refreshing potion, but they were discovered and Madam Pomfrey chased them out with a broom...


    ...


    One afternoon, Drac had just finished a Defense Against the Dark Arts ss for the second-year wizards, put away his wand, and was admiring Riddle''s lesson n on the podium.


    Even though the ss just now once again unknowingly deviated from the existing teaching n, Drac had to admit that Riddle''s teaching n was quite good, and his handwriting was very beautiful, clear, and neat, which was even easier to use than Quirrell, the tool man.


    At this time, Riddle was also in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, holding a thick stack of parchment and came to Drac - those papers were the students'' homework, all assigned by Riddle.


    Riddle, who had almost all of Voldemort''s experience in his school days, easily crushed the actions of those students who wanted to squeeze him out of the teaching assistant position. Flint and other poor students did not seed in getting rid of homework after all, and even suffered a lot for it.


    In fact, Tom Riddle, as a Slytherin born in an orphanage, was also excluded and disgusted by those pure-bloods in his early years at Hogwarts.


    But in this situation, he relied on his unique means, both soft and hard, to sessfully subdue arge number of Slytherin''s so-called pure-blood nobles. At that time, Abraxas Malfoy, Avery, and Strange all became the first batch of Death Eaters.


    The tricks that Marcus Flint and others used now were all left over from their grandfathers, so they naturally could not be Riddle''s opponents.


    So after the September when Drac promised not to leave homework, Riddle, as an assistant, immediately took control of the power of life and death in assigning homework, making those little wizards who were unwilling to do homework miserable.


    "Professor Drac, the homework has been collected." Riddle came to the podium and said to Drac, "Everyone is very conscious today."


    "How can they not be conscious? You went to the door one by one for those who didn''t hand in their homework yesterday." Drac smiled casually, "In the future, you can make your own decisions about homework, and you don''t need to report to me. Trouble!"


    "I know." Riddle nodded.


    At this time, Harry, Ron and Hermione from Gryffindor packed their schoolbags and stood up from their seats.


    Before leaving the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom through the door at the back, Harry, still carrying his bag, came to the front of the podium and said hello to Drac and Riddle.


    "See you next ss, Professor Drac!" Harry waved, and then turned his expectant gaze to Riddle, "Tom, after the duel club tonight, can I still study with you alone?"


    "Of course, we are friends!" Riddle smiled gently at Harry.


    Harry''s expression immediately became excited, and he ran towards Hermione and Ron who were waiting at the door of the ssroom with small steps.


    "So... you have already dealt with Harry?" Drac looked at Harry''s back with some surprise as he left, and asked Riddle.


    He clearly remembered that when Harry first learned that Tom Riddle had be an assistant teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts, he was extremely repulsive and puzzled by this matter.


    Drac was toozy to deal with the emotional problems of the young wizard, but letting Harry expose Riddle''s identity was not very suitable for the stability of this course.


    So he assigned Riddle a task, asking him to deal with Harry''s rejection and stabilize his position as an assistant.


    "It''s been done." Riddle sneered, "Harry is still too naive after all. I told him that I was just a collection of some of Voldemort''s memories, and now I have been conquered by Professor Drac and stand on the side of justice... He foolishly believed it."


    "I guess it''s not that simple." Drac shook his head, "Although Potter is a bit reckless, he is still quite smart overall."


    "Of course, there are some other details." Riddle had a slightly sarcastic smile on his face, "Harry just cares too much about feelings. I just used the previous method of being a diary to teach him some magic knowledge again, and he once again remembered his diary friend named Tom."


    Drac fell silent.


    "Potter probably already considers you as a friend, Riddle." After a moment, he whispered, "Since you have be a course assistant at Hogwarts and have decided to turn against Voldemort, then you actually have the position to make friends with Potter."


    "Don''t let the little wizard down, Riddle."


    Drac looked deeply at the ck-haired young man in front of him, his tone solemn.


    Riddle was stunned for a moment, looking at Drac who suddenly changed his tone in astonishment, and suddenly realized his problem-


    He has notpletely changed his mentality, and has not put his position on the side of the Hogwarts faculty.


    Faced with the naive and credulous character of the little wizards, Riddle did not correct them with the attitude of a faculty member, trying to teach them to learn those life lessons, but first produced emotions such as mockery and joking, and watched these scenes with a mentality of watching a y.


    This mentality of still considering himself as an outsider ispletely unpopr with Drac.


    Drac is different. Although he often observes the actions of the young wizards with a watching attitude, he still has a little professionalism in him. On the one hand, he has promised Nics mel toe to Hogwarts as a professor, so he naturally does not want the students he teaches to be inferior to others... This will make him lose face in front of his old friend. This is also one of the reasons why Drac is very unhappy about the high failure rate of Defense Against the Dark Arts. On the other hand, Drac actually thinks in his heart: Isn''t it enough to have a fun person watching the show in Hogwarts Castle? Tom Riddle is just a Horcrux, why should he watch his students with a watching attitude? So Drac immediately suppressed Riddle. "I understand, Professor Drac." Riddle lowered his head and said softly, "I won''t let Harry down." "I understand." Drac nodded withoutment and turned to walk towards the stairs leading to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office in front of the ssroom. When he was about to reach the door, he seemed to suddenly remember something, turned around again, and looked at Riddle who was still standing on the podium.


    "The next Death Eater gathering will be in two days, right?" Drac asked.


    Riddle was slightly stunned, and quickly responded, "Yes, it''s this Saturday night."


    "By the way, Professor Drac, Potions Professor Severus Snape is now Voldemort''s most trusted subordinate. If he tells Voldemort that I have be an assistant, Voldemort may doubt me..."


    "What I want is to make him doubt you." Drac suddenly interrupted Riddle.


    "What..." Riddle was shocked.


    "Don''t worry, at the Death Eater gathering, as long as you follow the words I told you, everything will be fine." Drac said, "Believe me, the n has been going on step by step..."


    In Riddle''s doubtful eyes, he pushed open the door and walked into his office.


    Then, Drac''s mouth curled up into an extremely yful smile¡ª¡ª


    "Riddle, Malfoy, Snape... I''m really looking forward to what Voldemort''s expression will be when he learns the truth!"


    ...


    It was twelve o''clock in the morning on Saturday, the night was deep, the sky was gloomy, there was no moonlight, no stars, and the horizon was pitch ck.


    Malfoy Manor seemed to be unable to pay for themp oil. There were no lights on in the living room, and it was almost as dark as the night outside.


    Voldemort yed with his wand with his spider-like slender fingers, walking on the thick carpet without making a sound.


    Lucius Malfoy had already asked his wife Narcissa to return to the bedroom, and he stood alone in the living room trembling, waiting for the arrival of the Dark Lord.


    "You are quite punctual, Lucius." Voldemort said softly. His scarlet eyes were particrly obvious in the dim light, "I just don''t know... whether other people are as punctual as you."


    He gently raised the wand, and Lucius consciously rolled up the sleeve of his left arm, revealing a skull with a snake head swallowing and spitting out.


    Voldemort suddenly exerted force, and the wand instantly poked the skull of the Dark Mark on Lucius'' left arm - the Dark Mark instantly turned as red as blood!


    Lucius clenched his teeth tightly, while enduring the burning pain of the Dark Mark and the severe pain of the wand piercing his arm.


    Apanied by a series of "bangs" and "bangs", one after another Death Eaters in ck robes Apparated to the living room of Malfoy Manor and sat in their respective seats.


    Voldemort pulled the wand out of Lucius''s arm and looked around the long table in the living room.


    Taking this opportunity, Lucius returned to his seat with cold sweat on his head and sat next to Yaxley.


    "If I''m not mistaken, we still have one person who hasn''t arrived yet." Voldemort said in a very light voice, but the Death Eaters present shuddered.


    At this moment, a young and handsome ck-haired figure suddenly appeared in the dim living room and came to Voldemort.


    "Sorry, I''m a stepte." Riddle said softly.


    "It doesn''t matter, it''s good to be here." Seeing Riddle''s arrival, Voldemort slowly revealed a smile, "Since everyone is here, let''s get started on today''s topic."


    After that, he couldn''t wait to look at Riddle beside him, "Have you brought what I want?"


    Riddle was silent for two seconds.


    "I haven''t got it yet." He replied calmly.


    Visibly, the smile on Voldemort''s face disappeared, and his expression instantly became gloomy, just like the dark night outside.


    In the living room of Malfoy Manor, everyone was silent.


    However, before Voldemortpletely exploded in anger, Riddle spoke again.


    "Although I haven''t got it yet, I have found a definite way." He said in a deep voice, "Now, I havepletely gained Harry Potter''s trust, and I have an hour alone with him every day."


    "So what does this mean?" Voldemort said coldly, "Don''t you have time alone with Potter during the summer vacation?"


    "This is different." Riddle said, "Before, I didn''tpletely gain Harry Potter''s trust, so there were many ways that I couldn''t use. But now it''s different-"


    "Now that Harry Potter haspletely trusted me, I can let him use a special bottle to collect the lost blood and give it to me. As long as Drac''s attention can be reduced a little, I can get Potter''s blood immediately!"


    Voldemort frowned and looked at Snape, who was sitting in the first ce on his right.


    "Severus, tell me, is there anything wrong with what my clone said?" he asked.


    "No problem." Snape nced at Riddle calmly and said, "Your clone is now the assistant teacher of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss. He has time to tutor Harry Potter every day and is indeed trusted by him. So there is nothing wrong with what he said just now..."


    "But--" Snape suddenly changed to a more serious tone, "The professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts is Drac! I don''t believe that your clone can hide from Drac and be his assistant openly!"


    "So what you mean is..." Voldemort asked, his voice seemed extremely low.


    "I mean... your clone is likely to have been discovered by Drac, and the clone sitting here now may have been tampered with by him!"


    Snape''s eyes were sharp, looking directly into Riddle''s eyes.

 Chapter 122 - 122 Voldemort is getting ready to do something.

    <h4>Chapter 122: Voldemort is getting ready to do something.</h4>


    "What if I say... I haven''t been tampered with by Drac?" Under Snape''s sharp gaze, Riddle also red back coldly.


    "That''s just your one-sided statement." Snape was unmoved. His eyes were very cold and empty, like two dark corridors.


    The two looked at each other with cold eyes, and the air between them seemed to be solidified.


    "Okay, Severus, Tom, you two can stop for now." Voldemort''s voice suddenly sounded from the front of the living room of Malfoy Manor, interrupting the almost solidified atmosphere.


    "Severus, don''t doubt my clone anymore." He said, "I have confirmed that he has not been tampered with by Drac and can still be fully trusted."


    Snape''s eyes froze for a moment, and then slowly moved his eyes back to the table in front of him.


    "I understand, Master." He said softly.


    Riddle tilted his mouth to Snape, revealing a provocative look, but received no response.


    He curled his lips in boredom, but in his heart he was very disdainful of Voldemort''s assurance in front of everyone just now-


    Riddle knew that Voldemort must have quietly checked whether there was any problem with his soul fragments during the time when he and Snape looked at each other.


    Voldemort was willing to believe Riddle not because of trust in him, but simply because of his confidence in himself.


    Whether the soul fragments in the Horcrux were tampered with, he would not be wrong at all under close perception!


    However, what Voldemort did not expect was that Drac did not do anything to Riddle at all.


    Drac only used words to bewitch him, and Riddle, the Horcrux diary, betrayed Voldemort''s camp and joined Drac''s team...


    After joining Drac''s team, Riddle was terrified by Snape''s report and Voldemort''s inspection-


    He was afraid that Voldemort would know that he had absorbed another Horcrux, and he was also afraid that Snape would expose his fact that he had joined Drac...


    Riddle spent the short meeting time in a trembling nervous mood. It was because Riddle inherited Voldemort''s memory, had a strong acting talent and adaptability, that he barely coped with Snape''s cold gaze and Voldemort''s inspection.


    In order to avoid himself from being exposed, he quickly found an excuse to leave.


    "To avoid being discovered by Drac, I can''t leave Hogwarts for too long." Riddle said, "Are there any other important things? If not, I''ll leave first."


    "Nothing more important." Voldemort thought for a moment, and said to Riddle in a deep voice, "Your only and most important task for us is to bring me the thing I want before Halloween!"


    Riddle nodded silently, and then disappeared on the spot.


    After leaving Malfoy Manor, he breathed a sigh of relief and quickly returned to the office of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts.


    "You mean... Snape is definitely on Voldemort''s side?" Drac, holding a lollipop in his mouth, looked at Riddle in front of him with interest. "How did you find out in just a few minutes?"


    "This Death Eater meeting just started not long ago, and Snape pointed the finger at me..." Riddle said in shock, "I thought he would at least hide something for me... As an assistant at Hogwarts, I am at least his colleague!"


    "But he didn''t! He exposed the fact that I was working for you right away, and encouraged Voldemort to stop believing my words. If I hadn''t been a fragment of his soul and still maintained a normal state, Voldemort might have really suspected me..."


    Riddle carefully recounted Snape''s performance at the Death Eater meeting, and then stared closely into Drac''s eyes.


    "Professor Drac, only by getting rid of Snape, the spy, can I work for you more safely!" He said seriously.


    "I see." Drac nodded nonchntly, took the lollipop stick out of his mouth, and threw it into the trash can next to him.


    Seeing Riddle still standing there, he waved his hand casually and said, "Go back and rest first, I''ll take care of it."


    Drac''s nonchnt attitude made Riddle''s expression stiff for a moment. He opened his mouth, but didn''t know what to say, so he could only leave the office with a cold face.


    "What are you going to do next?"


    Watching Riddle leave, Drac opened the window boredly and admired the Hogwarts Castle in the night.


    The Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office is located in the overall rectangr teaching area, on the east side of the third floor, and is connected to the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom close to the east corridor on the second floor.


    Looking from the lower third floor to the southwest side of the castle, you can see an extremely tall and magnificent cylindrical building - that is the main tower of Hogwarts Castle.


    The main tower has eight floors in total, each floor is very high. The top floor is a wide spire covered with tiles, full of ancient style.


    Outside the spire are three small towers that rise in sequence. That is the Hogwarts principal''s office on the eighth floor of the main tower.


    In the middle of the night, in the dim night, there are no stars in the sky, and the Hogwarts Castle has already turned off almost all the lights, and the world is dark.


    With excellent night vision, Drac''s office is not lit, blending into the deep night.


    However, the three small towers outside the main tower spire are faintly lit, adding a bit of color to the night.


    "It seems that tonight is not so boring!" Drac raised his mouth.


    He stepped lightly on the windowsill and jumped into the dark night.


    In this dim night, Drac did not need to avoid the eyes of the little wizards at all. He stretched out his wide wings and flew lightly in the protective color of the night.


    In this cold weather, the window of the principal''s office was not closed. A candle was ced on the windowsill, swaying gently in the wind.


    Drac''s figure quietly appeared beside the candle, blocking the rare light in the night.


    "Ah, you are here, Professor Drac." Dumbledore gently adjusted the sses on his crooked nose and smiled happily, "It''s cold today. Please help me close the window when youe down."


    "You seem to have been waiting for me here for a long time?" Drac frowned slightly, jumped down from the window frame lightly, and closed the window casually.


    "Ah, it wasn''t long. I opened the window when Severus left and waited for you toe." Dumbledore rubbed his cold and red hands, "I''m really old, I still feel warmer with the window closed."


    "Mind if I light a firece?"


    Without waiting for Drac''s consent, Dumbledore waved his wand and lit the firece next to the desk.


    The green me rose high from the firece, and the room suddenly became warm.


    "Tell me, what did you stay up sote to tell me?" Drac nced at the firece burning with green mes, andy down on the sofa next to the Sorting Hat skillfully, "If you ask me, you should really learn the work and rest schedule of that old guy Nico."


    "He goes to bed at around eight o''clock every night and gets up at five in the morning. He is over six hundred years old, but he can still walk on the ground by himself." Drac said with a chuckle.


    "To be honest, I envy Nico''s leisurely life." Dumbledore smiled and shook his head. "He originally had to worry about others coveting the legendary Philosopher''s Stone, but now that the Philosopher''s Stone is handed over to you for safekeeping, thest worry is gone."


    "Now he doesn''t have to worry about anything. He can livefortably just by watching a y and studying magic every day."


    "How can it befortable to do those repetitive things every day?" Drac disagreed. "But his boring life does make his work and rest more regr."


    "If possible, which old man is willing to stay upte? But I have no other way. If I don''t solve the problem of Voldemort, I can''t sleep or eat well, Professor Drac!"


    Dumbledore smiled and looked deeply at Drac.


    "If you feel sorry for me as an old man, you can promise to help me get rid of Voldemort. That way I don''t have to stay upte like those energetic young people." He said with a smile.


    "If I feel sorry for you, an old man, who will feel sorry for me?" Drac shrugged. "Voldemort, that troublesome, noseless guy, may not have much brains, but he has prepared a lot of spare lives for himself... I won''t make trouble for nothing and take on such a troublesome task."


    "You are joking, Professor Drac." Dumbledore smiled and yawned, "Which old man can be as energetic as you after not sleeping for a few days?"


    Drac closed his eyes, toozy to go around in circles with Dumbledore, the old fox, and say those meaningless words.


    "Tell me, what do you want to say to me?" He asked directly.


    "Don''t worry, we still have one person who hasn''t arrived yet!" Dumbledore looked at the firece beside him and said with a chuckle.


    ...


    On the other side, in the living room of Malfoy Manor.


    After Riddle left, the remaining Death Eaters continued the previous meeting.


    "Do you understand the next n?" Voldemort asked coldly, scanning the Death Eaters present with his scarlet eyes.


    "Understood, Master." The Death Eaters present all answered solemnly.


    "Very good, then let''s discuss the main tasks of each person in this operation."


    Voldemort stared at everyone''s eyes one by one, until they were scared to the point of sweating on their heads, and then he slowly said the next sentence.


    "Start with you, Severus." Voldemort pointed his wand at Snape, who was sitting in the first seat on his right hand, "Tell me, how to aplish your task."


    Snape nodded expressionlessly.


    "I will stay in Hogwarts and cast spells on the owls and magical messagesing and going to block Drac and Dumbledore''s ess to information." He said in a steady tone, "If Dumbledore and Drac have the intention to leave the castle, I will do my best to stop them and use other things to try to dy them until our action is over!"


    "Severus is right!" Voldemort''s hoarse voice sounded.


    "Drac and Dumbledore are the two biggest obstacles in our n. We must dy them to seed! Although we have two undercovers in Hogwarts, my clone has other tasks, so only you can dy these two obstacles."


    "Severus, for the confidentiality of your identity, you don''t have to participate in this operation on site." Voldemort said in a deep voice, "All you need to do is do your best to dy Drac and Dumbledore, the longer the better!"


    Snape nodded slowly.


    "Yaxley, what about the Ministry of Magic?" Voldemort suddenly turned his head and looked to his left.


    Yaxley was different from other Death Eaters who were all dressed in ck. His ck robe was embroidered with gorgeous andplicated patterns, as if to show his unique temperament as one of the twenty-eight holy families.


    Voldemort''s sudden question startled him.


    Yaxley shuddered subconsciously, then reacted and began to introduce his work content.


    "I have bribed the Aurors and observers stationed in Azkaban at the end of October. They thought I was just visiting the Yaxley family members in prison."


    "But why would those locked-up trash be worth visiting?" He sneered, "At that time, I will destroy themunicator between Azkaban and the Ministry of Magic when they are not paying attention, and cut off the possibility of them finding reinforcements!"


    "In addition, I have written the impeachment letter against Amelia Bones and Rufus Scrimgeour. As soon as we break through Azkaban, I will hand it over to Fudge."


    "With Fudge is a fool. He certainly wouldn''t mind weakening the influence of two political rivals. At the same time, doing so can not only please our Yaxley family, but also get rid of his responsibility for the breach of Azkaban. It can be said that it is the best of all worlds. "


    "It is a foregone conclusion that I will be promoted to the first or second position in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement!"


    "You have done a good job in your mission." Voldemort nodded approvingly, "When I lead the wizarding world, you will be the next Minister of Magic!"


    Yaxley showed a fanatical expression at the right time, knelt on one knee on the ground, and expressed his loyalty to Voldemort.


    Lucius sat in the second seat on the left, looking at this head of the family, who is also one of the twenty-eight holy families, groveling to Voldemort with great disdain,pletely forgetting how he licked Voldemort''s toes at that time...


    "Lucius, what about you?" Voldemort''s cold voice suddenly sounded in Lucius''s ears.


    Lucius took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, "I have already prepared all the Malfoy family''s assets, and our rtionship with the Ministry of Magic has also been properly arranged... Even if I have to spend all my wealth, I willplete the task assigned to me by my master!"

 Chapter 123 - 123 Benefits of having more undercover agents

    <h4>Chapter 123: Benefits of having more undercover agents</h4>


    While the Death Eaters were still secretly holding a meeting in Malfoy Manor, there was a different atmosphere in the headmaster''s office of Hogwarts.


    "Dumbledore, hasn''t the person you are waiting fore yet?" Drac leaned on the sofa boredly and yawnedzily, "You have added a few handfuls of Floo powder into the firece. Do you really think Floo powder is free?"


    He nced at the firece that had always maintained a green me, and his expression was a little strange.


    Although the price of Floo powder has remained unchanged for a hundred years, and it has been sold at two Sickles per spoon for a long time, it is really nothing for a big wizard like Dumbledore who is not short of money... But Dumbledore''s behavior of adding Floo powder every once in a while does seem a little unwise...


    "Ahem... Maybe there is something wrong." Dumbledore''s hand was about to reach for the jar of Floo powder, but he froze in mid-air when he heard Drac''s question.


    Without the replenishment of Floo powder, the me in the firece finally couldn''t maintain its green form and turned back to its original red color.


    "Professor Drac, hasn''t Tom Riddle''s Horcrux returned?" Dumbledore turned to look at Drac and asked, "That doesn''t make sense... Isn''t the Death Eater meeting over yet?"


    "So you''re waiting for Snape, right?" Drac curled his lips and looked at Dumbledore with disdain, "Riddle left the Death Eater meeting early to prevent his identity from being exposed, and the others should have to wait for a while. After all, he is Voldemort''s Horcrux, so it''s normal for him to get some special treatment."


    Drac thought Dumbledore was waiting for some important wizard, and his tone was mysterious.


    Unexpectedly, Dumbledore just felt Riddle''s return and thought that the undercover he ced in the Death Eater camp was about to return, so he used the special Floo powder to open the permission to go directly to the Hogwarts principal''s office.


    "Ah, so that''s how it is!" Dumbledore smiled awkwardly and retracted his hand that was reaching for the Floo powder jar. "It seems that we have to wait for a while. Hmm... I wonder if Professor Drac is interested in wizard chess?"


    He casually took out a wizard chess board and began to kill time with nothing to say.


    "You want to y wizard chess with me?" Drac showed a very strange expression, "Are you sure?"


    "Any questions, Professor Drac?" Dumbledore looked at Drac strangely, feeling that his expression was inexplicably weird.


    "It''s okay,e." Drac slowly raised the corner of his mouth and stood up from the sofa.


    He sat directly in front of Dumbledore''s desk, looking at the wizard chess board on the table, and his heart quietly became interested.


    Five minutester-


    Dumbledore looked at the situation on the chessboard in front of him and fell into deep self-doubt.


    He believed that with his high intelligence and judgment, as well as his experience in participating in wizard chesspetitions when he was young, he was a pretty good chess yer.


    Although he became increasingly busy after the outbreak of the global wizard war started by Grindelwald, and had few opportunities to y small things like wizard chess, he should not be defeated without any chance to fight back...


    "Professor Drac, I didn''t know you were a professional chess yer." Dumbledore looked at the silver-haired man in front of him with a yful expression, and said helplessly, "No wonder you look so confident, it''s my own fault."


    "I''m not interested in being a professional chess yer." Drac shook his head happily, "But I do have some experience in things like wizard chess that kill time."


    During the more than a thousand years that Drac had experienced, he was bored for a long time, trying to find various things that could kill time.


    Wizard chess, a game that was born in India a long time ago, is one of the things he has studied.


    In fact, in his thousand-year life, Drac had long been tired of ying the game of Wizard Chess. He had studied all kinds of ideas and ways of ying, and he was toozy to y chess with others.


    But Dumbledore''s sudden invitation suddenly made Drac interested.


    It sounds interesting to be able to defeat a great wizard in a unique way of Wizard Chess!


    Seeing that Dumbledore had not moved for a long time, the magic chess pieces on the chessboard began to make noises-


    Queen: "Why don''t you point out the next step quickly? I''ve been waiting for a long time."


    King: "Why don''t you surrender? It''s boring!"


    Knight: "We are about to fight to the death, why did your majesty surrender first?"


    Soldier: "..."


    Dumbledore looked at the chattering chess pieces on the chessboard with a dark face, raising his hands and putting them down again, wondering if there was any chance of aeback.


    At this moment, the me in the firece in the principal''s office suddenly swayed rhythmically.


    "Ah, it seems that Severus ising back." Dumbledore immediately noticed the movement of the mes and stood up as if he had been pardoned.


    He quickly put away the wizard chess, and covered up the chess game that had no chance of winning.


    "Ahem, Professor Drac, it seems that we don''t have time to decide the winner today, why not fight again another day!" Dumbledore coughed lightly and said to Drac who had not yet reacted.


    Drac: "?"


    He was just enjoying the embarrassed expression of the old headmaster with great interest, howe the chess was gone without paying attention?


    However, Dumbledore did not give Drac a chance to protest. He reached out and grabbed a handful of special Floo powder and threw it into the firece, and the mes in the firece immediately burned with a green light.


    A wizard with greasy hair walked out of the mes, his expression was cold, his long ck hair was draped on both sides like a curtain, in the middle was a grayish-yellow face, a hooked nose and a pair of dark eyes.


    "Wee back, Severus!" Dumbledore asked enthusiastically, "What did you gain from today''s Death Eater meeting?"


    Snape looked at Dumbledore with his dark eyes, his eyebrows slightly raised, as if he was surprised why the old headmaster was suddenly so enthusiastic today.


    Of course, what Snape didn''t know was that the situation of the wizard chess game just now made Dumbledore a little embarrassed, and now he just used him as a tool to reasonably divert the topic...


    "Drac, why are you here too?" Snape did not answer Dumbledore''s question, but turned his head to look at Drac sitting at the desk.


    "Why, don''t you wee me?" Drac stood up from his chair, chuckled and came to Snape, looking deeply into his eyes, "It seems that your undercover operation is very sessful, Professor Snape!"


    "I am very curious, how did you deceive Voldemort almost perfectly? Even Voldemort''s clone told me that you are definitely on the side of the Death Eaters."


    Drac showed a meaningful expression and raised his mouth slightly, "In addition, how did you manage to hide deeply in the Death Eater camp while gaining such deep trust from Headmaster Dumbledore?"


    Snape looked at the wine-red light flowing in Drac''s eyes, pursed his lips tightly, and fell silent. There was no trace of emotion on his face.


    The situation has be a littleplicated now. Not only does Snape not trust Drac, thinking that he is just an outsider who has only been in Hogwarts for a year; simrly, Drac also does not trust Snape very much, because he was personally confirmed as a Death Eater by Riddle!


    "Severus, Professor Drac, you two don''t need to question each other like this." Just when the air fell into silence, Dumbledore suddenly spoke.


    "Severus, Professor Drac is absolutely trustworthy. You can safely tell him what happened at the Death Eater meeting today." Dumbledore looked at Snape and nodded to him gently.


    After choosing to use Drac''s n to eliminate Voldemort instead of his own n, Dumbledore knew that all kinds of information in the future could no longer be hidden from the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Otherwise, there would only be more information gaps between the two, and even some rifts.


    So Dumbledore told Snape without hesitation that he could tell Drac the information he learned at the Death Eater meeting.


    Then, Dumbledore turned his head and looked at Drac again.


    "Professor Drac, I also fully trust Severus." He said softly, "Severus''s recognition by Voldemort is not a reason for us to doubt him, but should be used as our capital topete with Voldemort!"


    "Excuse me, what is the reason why the headmaster fully trusts Professor Snape?" Drac asked directly with interest, regardless of whether Dumbledore was willing to answer or not, "I have been curious about this for a long time."


    After asking this question, Drac noticed that Snape''s face changed slightly.


    "As far as I know, Professor Snape was a die-hard Death Eater back then..." Drac raised his mouth and stared at Snape''s eyes as deep as a dark corridor, "Why did he betray Voldemort so abruptly, and then he got the trust of Headmaster Dumbledore so abruptly?"


    "There must be something I don''t know in the middle!"


    Drac looked deeply into Snape''s eyes, and then sighed with some regret.


    Snape''s brain lumency is indeed very good. There is nothing useful in his eyes. No wonder he can be an excellent undercover in the Death Eater camp.


    "These things have nothing to do with you, Drac!" Snape finally couldn''t help it, gritted his teeth, and said word by word, "If I were you, I would definitely take care of my own business first!"


    "What a pity, Professor Snape... but you are not me." Drac didn''t take it as an offense at all, but smiled and said, "If you were me, you would understand how boring I am. It''s rare to find something interesting, so of course you have to find out!"


    Snape''s face became more gloomy, and the wand in his hand was clenched tightly, as if he wanted to hit Drac in the face at any time.


    But he immediately remembered the scenes of being defeated by Drac several times, so he turned his head with a stiff expression and chose not to look at Drac''s annoying face, out of sight, out of mind.


    "Albus, I think we should be prepared." Snape looked at Dumbledore and said in a deep voice.


    "Has Voldemort decided on the next action?" Dumbledore''s face also became solemn.


    "Yes, the Dark Lord asked us to take action on Halloween." Snape said seriously, "Almost all elite Death Eaters will be dispatched to break through the defense of Azkaban and rescue the most loyal servants of the Dark Lord!"


    Then, Snape carefully told Dumbledore about Voldemort''s n-


    Snape himself held back the two professors of Hogwarts, Yaxley bribed the officials of the Ministry of Magic, and Lucius used his connections and money to open up the rtionship...


    "In fact, after learning the detailed n, the Death Eaters'' action this time is easy to destroy." Snape said, "As long as you two can arrive in time, the Dark Lord will not have enough power to break the defense of Azkaban."


    "No!" Dumbledore tly rejected Snape''s statement.


    "Voldemort''s n can indeed be easily broken, but it is not worth the loss." He looked deeply at Snape and said in a very serious tone, "If Voldemort''s n is so easily destroyed by us, he can easily find out that there are undercover agents in the Death Eater camp!"


    "Severus, the premise of all our actions is to protect your own identity first!"


    "I know." Snape said softly, "The Death Eaters'' other actions cannot be stopped for the time being, but I can pretend that I didn''t hold you back and rule the Dark Lord''s news a littleter."


    "Even the Dark Lord knows that there are few things that can be hidden from Dumbledore. He can''t me me for this matter."


    "But even so, it will reduce his trust in you." Dumbledore frowned and shook his head gently.


    He looked at Drac, who was bored next to him, "Maybe we can find a better way. What do you think, Professor Drac?"


    Drac crossed his arms and sat back in the chair in front of his desk nonchntly, looking indifferent.


    "You are worried about the exposure of the undercover agent!" He crossed his legs and raised his mouth happily, "In fact... we don''t have only one undercover agent!"


    "You mean..." Dumbledore adjusted his sses thoughtfully.


    "Do what needs to be done!" Drac waved his hand and said decisively, "For example, the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Magic, and the Director of the Auror Office, you should notify them all... The same goes for the Aurors and observers stationed in Azkaban, rece those who have epted bribes!"


    "Anyway, ording to the original n, Riddle''s joining our camp will definitely be exposed soon, so why not let him expose it more thoroughly!"


    "And Voldemort will be more rxed about checking other undercover agents when he learns that he has a definite undercover agent, which can be regarded as making the best use of Riddle."


    "This is the advantage of having more undercover agents!"

 Chapter 124 - 124 Ghost Gala

    <h4>Chapter 124: Ghost G</h4>


    Timees and goes in a hurry like riding on a yful animal.


    The end of October ising soon.


    The day before Halloween, the sun had just set from the end of the ckke, and the pitch-ck night gradually pushed away the afterglow of the evening sun, wrapping the entire sky like a ck curtain¡ª¡ª


    This is the Halloween that countless wizards have been waiting for!


    There is an underground ssroom specially set up for ghosts in Hogwarts, filled with hundreds of milky white, translucent figures.


    Most of them wandered around in the crowded shabby dance hall, waltzing in response to the terrible and trembling sounds.


    This "yin music" is produced by a "musical instrument" called a music saw.


    This unique "instrument" is often yed with just a bow, producing a thrilling sound that sounds like a thousand fingernails scraping against a giant ckboard...


    The band ying the saw was seated on a stage covered with ck cloth. A chandelier above their heads imitated the structure of the Hogwarts Great Hall. It also lit a thousand candles, but it was not as bright and majestic as the Great Hall. Instead, it emitted a faint blue light at midnight.


    Now, this ghost territory has ushered in three unharmonious figures. Their breaths formed clouds of mist in front of them, as if they had walked into a refrigerator.


    Obviously, these are three living people who have sneaked into the ghost party.


    "Harry, so why did you agree to the nearly headless Nick to attend his death anniversary party?" Ron shivered and tightened his clothes around himself, "It''s cold, eerie and scary here... instead of staying there... Here, I would rather face the big Halloween spider at the entrance of the auditorium! "


    Harry nodded in understanding.


    He thought that agreeing toe here to attend Nearly Headless Nick''s death anniversary party was one of the most wrong decisions he made this year¡ª¡ª


    The other students in the school must have gone to the Halloween dinner happily, and the auditorium had been decorated as usual. The huge pumpkin nted by Hagrid was carved intonterns, big enough to amodate three people. Sit inside.


    What he regretted most was the rumor that Dumbledore had booked a skeleton dance troupe to entertain everyone.


    Although the Skeleton Dance Group is definitely not as surprising asst year''s star vampire singer Lorcan Demeans, it is at least much better than the "yin music" pulled out by the band Ghost with a musical saw!


    At this time, the almost headless Nick escaped from the crowd of ghosts in the underground ssroom and faced the three Harrys who had just walked into the door.


    "Ah, my dear friend," he said with a very sad tone and very happy words in a ck velvet curtain, "Wee, wee...I am so happy that you cane!"


    He took off his feathered hat and bowed gracefully to them.


    "Wee to my 500th death anniversary party," said the almost headless Nick. "What an honor that four living people wille to this party of ghosts!"


    "Four living people?" Harry was stunned for a moment and subconsciously looked into the depths of the underground ssroom.


    In the gloomy environment, he saw a figure with silver hair standing on the ground, which was in sharp contrast to the ghosts floating around.


    "Professor Drac?!" The three of them eximed at the same time.


    They thought that no one would agree to Nearly Headless Nick''s participation in the ghost''s party except for a big wretch like Harry.


    But the three of them never expected that Professor Drac would actuallye to Nick''s death anniversary party earlier than the three of them. Judging from how familiar he was with the ghosts around him, it seemed that he had already arrived. A short time.


    At this time, Drac was standing among a very beautiful ghost witch, a ragged man in chains, and a fat monk.


    Looking from a distance, Harry and the three of them could probably see that Drac was happily talking to the beautiful ghost witch, ignoring the ragged man in chains next to him with a guilty face on his face.


    The fat man in monk''s uniform was acting as peacemaker, trying to mediate the rtionship between several people.


    "Hermione, Ron, am I hallucinating?" Harry asked softly to the two people around him, "Why do I feel that Professor Drac is as spooky as those ghosts... If he hadn''t been well Standing on the ground, I couldn''t tell whether he was a ghost or a living person..."


    "I feel what you said." Ron pinched his chin and nodded exaggeratedly, "Harry, do you think...could Professor Drac not be a human being, but a materialized ghost?"


    "Look, Professor Binns, who is a ghost, can give us lectures. Why can''t Professor Drac be a ghost? ording to the experience Professor Drac showed us when he was giving lectures, it is absolutely impossible to only express it on his face. The age ofing out..."


    "In addition, Professor Drac can also be immune to the damage caused by our spells. This is definitely not something ordinary wizards can do..." The more Ron said, the more reliable his reasoning became, and he smiled proudly. , "So there is only one truth -"


    "Professor Drac is actually a ghost!"


    Harry: "..."


    Hermione: "..."


    "Wake up, Ron! It''s impossible for ghosts to use magic." Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron, "And if you arrange Professor Drac like this, aren''t you afraid that he will hear it and add a few more to you? Twice the homework?"


    "Oh, no!" Ron immediately covered his mouth and lowered his voice and said, "Quick! Get out of Professor Drac''s sight before you are discovered..."


    As he spoke, he walked towards the other side with small steps.


    "Let''s go, Harry. Follow Ron." Hermione and Harry looked at each other and shrugged helplessly, "We can''t leave him alone."


    "Okay." Harry sighed helplessly, "At least there seem to be a few dining tables in the direction he went, so we can fill our bellies."


    However, when the three Harrys walked to the long dining tables, they all showed extremely frightened expressions.


    As I approached the table, I was first hit by a strong smell of rancidity and sourness.


    Harry reluctantly opened his eyes and sawrge chunks of rotten meat on beautiful silver tes, dark, charred cakes piled onrge trays, and arge amount of maggot-stuffedmb tripe. , a piece of cheese covered with green hairs.


    In the center of the table, there was a huge tombstone-shaped gray cake, with tar-like frosting spelling out the following words -


    Sir Nichs de Mimsy Porpington died on October 31, 1492.


    The three of them were stunned.


    At this time, a fat ghost floated towards the table.


    He lowered his body and passed directly through the middle of the table, his mouth wide open, and just passed through a smelly salmon.


    "If you put it through like this, can you taste it?" Harry couldn''t help but ask.


    "Maybe," the ghost said sadly, turned and floated away.


    "I guess they let the food rot to make the taste stronger." Hermione quickly guessed.


    She held her nose and leaned forward to take a closer look at the rottingmb belly.


    "Stop studying these ''foods'', Hermione, I''m already so sick that I want to vomit." Ron said with a grimace, "Get out of here quickly, maybe we can make it in time for thest dessert of the Halloween dinner."


    "Okay, then let''s try to find another way." Hermione nced at the way we came and said softly, "I don''t want to talk to Moaning Myrtle¡ª"


    "Who?" Harry asked.


    "Do you know why the bathroom that Quirrell sneaked intost year became semi-abandoned?" Hermione said. "The bathroom breaks down all year round because she kept throwing water all over the ce because of her tantrums. "


    "I try not to go there as long as I can avoid it. Every time I go to the toilet there, she will scream and cry at you. It''s really scary..."


    They were talking, but before they could turn around, a short ghost suddenly emerged from under the table and stopped in mid-air in front of them.


    Harry, Hermione and Ron were instantly frightened when they saw this ghost.


    "Hello, Peeves..." Harry said carefully and a little timidly.


    It''s not because Harry is timid, it''s because Peeves is a ghost who likes to y more pranks than Fred and George¡ª¡ª


    Peeves is different from the ghosts around him. He is not pale and transparent. On the contrary, he wears a bright orange-red pointed hat, a rotating bow tie, and a broad, ruthless face with grinning teeth. Bad smile.


    Not only that, Peeves does not pass through any real objects like other ghosts, but can use his body to affect real matter. This is also his capital for mischief.


    "Want some?" Peeves looked at the three little wizards in front of him and said with a smile.


    At the same time, he reached out and handed them a bowl of mold-covered peanuts.


    "No, thank you." Hermione said stiffly.


    "What a shame," said Peeves.


    But there was no regret in his expression. Instead, his eyes flickered, "It''s so impolite to talk about poor Myrtle!"


    He took a deep breath and yelled, "Hey, Myrtle!"


    "Oh, no, Peeves, don''t tell her what I said, she will feel very sad." Hermione whispered anxiously, "I was just joking, I don''t mind her doing that..."


    However, the ghost of a short, fat girl has arrived.


    "Oh, hello, Myrtle." Hermione had to stop what she was saying and greeted Myrtle in a pretended to be happy voice.


    Myrtle''s face looked very mncholy and gloomy, half obscured by her long, straight hair and thick, pearl-colored sses.


    "What''s wrong?" She looked at Peeves with a sullen face, "I have something very important to do today. If it''s not important, don''t disturb me!"


    "Miss Granger was talking about you just now!" Peeves said slyly in Myrtle''s ear.


    "I was saying...well, yes, I was just saying that you look really beautiful tonight." Hermione red at Peeves fiercely and said with a stiff face.


    Myrtle looked at Hermione suspiciously.


    "I know you''re making fun of me," she said angrily. "You think I don''t know what people call me behind my back? Fat Myrtle! Ugly Myrtle! Poor, sniveling, sullen Myrtle. mother!"


    "You left out the word ''pimple-faced''." Peeves whispered in her ear.


    Myrtle''s voice broke off.


    "Whatever you say, I don''t have time to talk to you today!" She took a deep breath, turned her head and looked to the other side, "Professor Drac has finally be a ghost, and I can share a toilet with him. !Great!"


    Myrtle''s eyes seemed to light up with two stars, which was in sharp contrast to the bitter and resentful look just now.


    "Is this really Myrtle? Does she have emotions other than sadness...?" Hermione looked at the excited Myrtle and fell into deep doubt.


    However, at this moment, Harry keenly discovered a problem in Myrtle''s words¡ª¡ª


    "Wait, Myrtle." Harry said in surprise, "You mean... you also think Professor Drac has be a ghost?"


    ...


    On the other side, Drac, who was being discussed by Myrtle, Harry and other young wizards, did not pay attention to the situation here.


    He first expelled the bloody Barrow who came to apologize from the ghost party with an indifferent expression, and then drove aside the fat monk who came to be the peacemaker.


    Bloody Balor, the culprit who turned Helena Ravenw into a ghost, really couldn''t make Drac look back favorably on him.


    "Uncle Drac, thank you for venting your anger on me just now." Helena raised her eyebrows and said with a smile. There was no trace of her usual cold expression on her face.


    "It''s a trivial matter." Drac said casually, "If Barrow pesters you again in the future, just tell me this matter directly, and I will take action."


    "It is true that ghosts cannot die again, but there are still some magics that can restrict ghosts... Just use a special confusion spell on Barrow so that his memory will not recognize Hogwarts as the ce he has been - based on With the characteristics of a ghost, he can roll as far as he wants!"


    "Actually, there is no need to go to such trouble for me, Uncle Drac." Helena said, "After all, Barrow was once Uncle Slytherin''s proud disciple, and there is still some affection between you."


    "Since you said so, forget it." Drac shrugged, "Let''s see how he behaves in the future."


    Then, Drac took out a silver crown from his pocket¡ª¡ª


    This is another Horcrux that Drac learned about from Riddle. Now, all the soul fragments in the crown have been absorbed by Riddle, leaving only the purest magic power of Ravenw in the crown.


    "Happy Halloween, Helena!" Drac chuckled.


    At the same time, he secretly made up his mind to try not to make casual promises in the future¡ª¡ª


    Too much trouble!


    ...


    At the same time, in the dim living room of Malfoy Manor.


    The Death Eaters gathered around the long table. The whole room was silent and the atmosphere was extremely solemn.


    "Master, your clone hasn''t sent back any news yet?" Yaxley asked, breaking the silence in the field.


    Snape stayed at Hogwarts and was responsible for holding back Dumbledore and Drac; Riddle was still trying his best to get what Voldemort wanted.


    Under such circumstances, Yaxley considered himself to be the number one Death Eater present, so he took the lead without hesitation.


    "Master, we are about to start taking action now, but your clone hasn''t sent you what you need yet..." Yaxley whispered, "Is he really what Severus said? , where have you taken refuge with Drac?"

 Chapter 125 - 125 Voldemort: Follow me as I storm Azkaban!

    <h4>Chapter 125: Voldemort: Follow me as I storm Azkaban!</h4>


    "No, I still have confidence in my clone." Voldemort said hoarsely, his tone was cold, "Don''t say such things again in the future."


    Although the words were straightforward, Voldemort''s scarlet eyes kept shing, and no one knew what he was thinking in his heart.


    "Yes, Master." Yaxley lowered his head obediently.


    Another creepy silence...


    After a while, the firece in the living room suddenly lit up, making a crackling sound, breaking the silence in the living room.


    "Lucius." Voldemort nced at the absent-minded owner of Malfoy Manor.


    Lucius was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly stood up, walked to the green me of the firece, and put his hand into it.


    The me in the firece was very gentle and did not hurt Lucius''s hand at all.


    A piece of parchment rolled into a small paper roll was taken out of the green me by Lucius. He unfolded the paper roll, and a trace of surprise appeared in his eyes.


    "It''s a letter from Severus!" he eximed.


    Voldemort''s expression suddenly cheered up a little, and he looked at Lucius with an inquiring look.


    "Severus said that he has entangled Dumbledore and will go to the principal''s office to discuss with him how to deal with the threat of the Dark Lord''s return..." After reading this, Lucius looked at Voldemort with some fear, "This..."


    "This is normal." Voldemort was not angry at Snape''s statement, but just nodded calmly, "Severus'' identity as a Death Eater is impossible to hide from Dumbledore. Only if Dumbledore believes that he is an undercover lurking among us, Severus''s true camp will not be exposed."


    "I have alreadymunicated with him about what information can be told to Dumbledore and what cannot be told. You don''t have to worry about these useless things, Lucius, keep reading!"


    Lucius breathed a sigh of relief, looked at the wrinkled parchment in his hand, and continued reading:


    "Severus also said that in the next period of time, he will try his best to drag Dumbledore to the headmaster''s office and discuss with him the n to fight against the Death Eaters in detail, which can buy us about three hours..."


    "Three hours?" Voldemort nodded, "It''s enough for us to break through Azkaban!"


    Then, he seemed to think of some other threats, and his face sank, "Did Severus mention Drac? Did he only hold back Dumbledore, but not Drac, who is more threatening?"


    "Wait a minute, Master. Severus mentioned Drac on the back of this paper." Lucius quickly read the rest:


    "Drac attended the 500th anniversary party of the ghost Sir Nichs on Halloween. His rtionship with the ghosts They are all pretty good, and there are many new things at the ghost party, which suits his interests, so there is a high probability that he will not leave in the middle of the party. "


    "Not only that, ghost parties like this oftenst until after midnight, so Drac theoretically stays in Hogwarts Castle longer than Dumbledore - at least four hours. "


    Lucius read this and said with a rxed expression: "Master, so... we are lucky!"


    However, Voldemort frowned.


    "Severus just let Drac stay with the ghosts alone? This ispletely pinning hope on Drac''s character. I don''t see any rigor in it!" He said coldly, "What do you mean by good luck? What if Drac just doesn''t want to stay with the ghosts and has to leave Hogwarts?"


    "If Severus only does this, I will be very disappointed in him!"


    Lucius''s rxed expression froze for a moment, and he quickly looked at thest paragraph on the parchment:


    "In order to prevent Drac from suddenly changing his schedule and ns (he didn''t I have a backup n. Three days ago, I gave Drac a novel ck magic item on the pretext of easing the rtionship between colleagues. He has been carrying it with him these days, and he takes it out to y with it from time to time..."


    "However, Drac obviously did not want to dismantle this ck magic item, and did not find the positioning magic inside it, so it gave me an opportunity..."


    "Drac''s position is always recorded on the parchment. If you find that he disappears suddenly or moves abnormally, please pay more attention! ¡ª¡ªS¡¤S"


    After reading the text left by Snape, Lucius looked over and over at the wrinkled narrow parchment in his hand, but he did not find any traces of positioning magic on it, nor did he see the location record mentioned by Snape.


    "Bring him here, Lucius!" Voldemort looked at the flustered Lucius with disdain, and stretched out his spider-like slender fingers to him, "How could I have such a waste as you under mymand!"


    Lucius showed an embarrassed expression, tremblingly handed the parchment to Voldemort''s hand, and then lowered his head.


    With his face deeply buried, Lucius showed an extremely indignant expression.


    However, Voldemort''s attention was all focused on the parchment in his palm at this time, and he didn''t care about the expression on Lucius'' face that was wrong.


    He stretched out his wand and touched the narrow parchment, and whispered-


    "grate."


    The next moment, the handwriting on the parchment seemed to melt, all the ink was disrupted and reorganized, and the vertical and horizontal lines intertwined to form a simple floor n of Hogwarts Castle.


    A red light spot was marked on the left side of the floor n, which was the location of the underground ssroom where the ghost was.


    In addition, there was a line of almost indiscernible small words on the edge, which annotated thoughtfully -


    "The red light spot is Drac''s location. If the red spot suddenly disappears, or starts to sh, or moves quickly, please pay attention to it!"


    The Death Eaters present were all looking at this magical parchment in amazement.


    They were very curious about how Snape made such a delicate andpact positioning map in such a short time!


    What the Death Eaters didn''t know was that Snape''s former nemesis during school, the "Four Marauders", was best at making maps that could be located. They often used this kind of map to find Snape''s location and bully the young Snape at the time.


    As the nemesis of the Marauders, Snape also studied the principle of magic positioning in detail when he was a student.


    Compared with the Marauder''s map, Snape''s super simplified version of the small map is really a small witchpared to a big witch!


    "Very good!" Voldemort stood up from his seat and nodded affirmatively, "Severus is worthy of it. I knew that it would be impossible to find him and make such a low-level mistake just now!"


    Lucius: "..."


    That''s not what you said just now...


    "Now all I need is my clone to deliver Potter''s blood." Voldemort stood up impatiently and paced back and forth in the dim living room of the Malfoy family, "What a waste, he can''t even get the blood of a little wizard in more than half a year!"


    "Severus can only hold Dumbledore for three hours, and we don''t know when Drac wille out of the ghost party... Time doesn''t allow any dy at all!"


    "Waste! Waste! Waste!"


    Voldemort became more and more angry as he thought about it, and finally couldn''t help but yelled.


    In the whole living room, elite wizards from all walks of life were silent and trembling, and they didn''t have the courage to answer at all.


    Only Voldemort''s heavy breathing, which was still angry, remained in the living room.


    Just as the room was about to fall into silence again, the me in the firece lit up with a green light again, and Voldemort and the Death Eaters present all subconsciously turned their eyes to it-


    A face made up of various elements in the firece suddenly appeared in the green me!


    Although the face made up of mes, ash and coal looked a little scary, from the structure of the face, one could still vaguely see the handsomeness of this face.


    "Waste, you still know how to contact us?!" Voldemort roared, "What have you done in this month that you can''t even get a bottle of blood?!"


    "Who told me that I would be able to get Potter''s blood before Halloween?! I trusted you again and again, but you failed my expectations again and again!"


    "Say! Did you bring the things this time?"


    Voldemort stared at Riddle''s face in the fire with his scarlet eyes, burning with anger.


    Even as Voldemort''s Horcrux, Riddle was frightened by the violent temper of his main soul.


    This matter can be said to be the only important task Voldemort gave him, but he has been dragging it out for too long.


    At first, he didn''t find a practical way. When he finally found a way, he reached an agreement with Drac and could only drag it on.


    Of course, the most important point is that after absorbing the Horcrux fragments in the Ravenw crown, Riddle had already lost the possibility of standing with his main soul!


    So he took a deep breath, forced down the panic in his heart, and said, "Can you wait for me for a while?"


    "Wait more?!" Voldemort suddenly pulled out his wand and pointed at the fire where Riddle was.


    Under Voldemort''s angry eyes, the mes in the firece rolled wildly, the green fire tumbled, and jumped wildly in the narrow space, like an angry devil dancing in hell!


    Riddle''s face made of fire was messed up, and his voice became unclear.


    "Listen... I really... want to help... you." Riddle''s vague voice came out from the mes, intermittently, "But... it wasn''t until today that I finally found the best time to get Harry''s... blood..."


    "You said the same thingst time!" Voldemort was still angry and said loudly.


    Perhaps he wanted to hear what reasons Riddle would say, or perhaps he really wanted to get a slightly better news from Riddle, Voldemort did notpletely disconnect Riddle.


    The surging green mes slowly calmed down and gradually returned to the quiet burning state as before.


    And Riddle''s face was restored to its original state, and his voice became clear again.


    "I don''t know why, but Drac has been watching Harry Potter too closely during this period, and I can''t find a suitable opportunity to take blood." He exined to Voldemort, "But today is different from the past. Drac went to attend the ghost''s Deathday party and will note out from there until after midnight!"


    "This is a great opportunity! Although Harry Potter and his friends also went to the Deathday party, this kind of little wizard will definitely not be able to stand the gloomy atmosphere of the Deathday party. They will definitelye out from the ghost after staying for two hours at most."


    "When Harryes out, I will tell him that I have prepared for my friend A sumptuous meal tofort his psychological trauma from attending the ghost dinner... When Harryes to my assistant''s office, in the absence of Drac, won''t he be at my mercy? "


    "I only need three hours at most! I promise that before eleven o''clock tonight, I can definitely bring Harry''s blood to the safe ce you told me before!"


    Riddle''s tone suddenly became extremely serious: "If I can''t do it, I am willing to ept your punishment, even if it meanspletely absorbing my birth consciousness!"


    Voldemort narrowed his eyes and looked deeply at Riddle''s face, as if he was wondering how true his words were.


    "You are right about Drac staying with the ghosts."


    Voldemort slowly raised his hand and looked at the narrow, wrinkled parchment in his hand. At this time, the red dot representing Drac was still motionless in the underground ssroom.


    "In that case, I''ll give you onest chance..." He said in a cold tone, "I''ll even give you one more hour... If you haven''t delivered the blood before Halloween officially arrives, you know what will happen!"


    Riddle nodded slightly, and then his face disappeared in the green mes.


    Voldemort watched Riddle disappear with scarlet eyes, watching the mes in the firece gradually turn from green to red, with an inexplicable look.


    "Master..." Yaxley approached cautiously and asked softly, "Do we really have to wait for your clone for three hours? I''m worried... what if we miss the opportunity?"


    "No more waiting." Voldemort said, the red fire reflected on his scarlet eyes, as if there was a me burning in them, "Severus can only dy Dumbledore for three hours, we don''t have another three hours."


    "Let''s go, follow me to break through Azkaban!" He pointed his wand in the direction of Azkaban, "Wait until my most loyalpanion is rescued, and my clone will naturally get what I want."


    "But... isn''t your strength not fully recovered yet?"


    "Heh, in the absence of Dumbledore and Drac, do you think you can stop me with just those chickens and dogs in the Ministry of Magic?" Voldemort said coldly, "Even if the strength has not yet recovered!"

 Chapter 126 - 126 Mass graves by Azkaban

    <h4>Chapter 126: Mass graves by Azkaban</h4>


    With a strong momentum, in a series of continuous crisp sounds, the Death Eaters present disappeared into the living room of Malfoy Manor...


    The full moon was hanging alone, and the waves were surging.


    On an ind in the middle of the North Sea of ??Ennd, a lonely fortress was surrounded by tall steel walls on four sides. The waves hit the iron walls, sshing high waves, but no drop of water could pass over the towering walls of the ind.


    Countless Dementors, covered in tattered ck cloth, as if soaked in water, wandered in the sky. Wherever they passed, it seemed that all the happiness was sucked away, reminding people of the most terrible things they had experienced in their lives.


    This is the most strict and most inhumane prison in the British wizarding world. Here, all prisoners are guarded by Dementors, and the sess rate of jailbreak has always been zero!


    Most of the prisoners inside the walls died of despair and lost the will to live. Dementors have exhausted all people''s happiness and left them with the worst memories. Long-term contact usually leads to insanity or even death!


    For this reason, the Ministry of Magic built a tomb outside the Azkaban prison fortress, near the edge of the steel wall, to amodate those who died in prison.


    This ce is like an abandoned mass grave, with corpses lying there in a mess. Because the observers and Aurors sent by the Ministry of Magic are unwilling to get close to the range of Dementors, most of the corpses are hastily buried. Even in the coldte October, mosquitoes are still active in the corpses, and the buzzing sound is endless.


    There is no trace of blood on the ground, only cold and deste, deste and empty... This is because all the dead wizards have no wounds. They were either drained of happiness by Dementors, and their souls died before their bodies, or their souls were sucked away by Dementors, leaving only dead bodies...


    There are some scattered, low tombstones on the ground, which are left by the rtives of prisoners who are willing to visit.


    No one had been to this dead silent cemetery for a long time, but on this unusual Halloween night, the air here was suddenly filled with the rustling of cloaks.


    Between the dead graves, behind the rocks, and in every dark ce, wizards appeared in ck shadows. They all wore hoods and covered their faces, revealing no trace of themselves.


    Suddenly, a thick ck fog rose up!


    Voldemort''s figure slowly walked out of the ck fog and came to the front of many Death Eaters.


    "Wee, my servants," Voldemort said calmly, but from his trembling pale lips, it can be seen that his heart was not calm either. "Hehe, it seems that as long as there are Death Eaters carrying the Dark Mark here first, Azkaban''s so-called magical anti-apparition spell does not seem to be difficult to deal with."


    He looked around, as if he had crossed time and saw the scene many years ago.


    "Twelve years... It''s been nearly twelve years since ourstrge-scale action. I''m d that there are still so many loyal Death Eaters following me like they did back then... I''m d, this shows that we are still united under the Dark Mark! Right?"


    All the Death Eaters in ck robes and masks knelt on one knee on the ground, knelt in front of Voldemort, and formed a circle.


    "Swear to be loyal to the master until death!" They shouted loudly, scaring the mosquitoes and flies around to fly away from the center of the cemetery in a mess.


    "I really miss you..." Voldemort walked slowly, looking at the faces of the Death Eaters under the masks in front of him one by one, and reading their names, "Lucius, McNeill, Nott, Avery, Crabbe, Goyle..."


    He took two more steps, but suddenly stopped and looked at the gap between Lucius Malfoy and Avery - the gap was big enough for two people to stand.


    "The Stranges should be standing here," Voldemort said softly, "but they are still imprisoned in Azkaban. I know they are the most loyal. They would rather go to Azkaban than betray me..."


    "When Azkaban is breached, the Stranges will get rewards they can''t even dream of. Do you have any opinions on this, Lucius? Avery?"


    Lucius and Avery both shook their heads quickly, indicating that they had no other opinions at all.


    "When we breach Azkaban, the Dementors will join us... They are our natural allies. In addition, we will recall the expelled giants... I will find all my loyal servants and regain a group of magical animals that everyone fears..."


    He continued to walk, passing by some Death Eaters without saying a word, and stopped in front of others.


    "McNeill... Are you still jealous of the way I paved for Yaxley''s promotion?" Voldemort stared at an old wizard and asked.


    "I... I didn''t, Master." The wizard McNeill said in a panic, "I absolutely support Yaxley bing the Minister of Magic!"


    "Don''t worry, McNeill. Paving the way for him first is just because his department is more suitable for promotion." Voldemort said with an evil smile, "Your job is to eliminate dangerous beasts for the Ministry of Magic, which is not in line with our expectations."


    "But don''t worry, there will be better things for you to eliminate soon, McNeill. You have a very bright future..."


    "Thank you, Master... Thank you." McNeill murmured.


    "And you..." Voldemort then walked to the tworgest, hooded figures-"Crabbe... You will behave better this time, right? And you, Goyle, will you let it down again this time?"


    They are the fathers of Crabbe and Goyle, two followers of Draco Malfoy, and they seem to be cast in the same mold in terms of size and IQ as their sons.


    Both of them bowed awkwardly and muttered stupidly.


    "Yes, Master..."


    "I will, Master..."


    "Will?" Voldemort''s face turned cold.


    "Ah, no! I won''t let you down, Master!" Goyle immediately changed his words.


    Voldemort couldn''t do anything with these two fools. He sneered helplessly and turned to Lucius and said, "Lucius, keep an eye on your two old friends and don''t let them ruin our n!"


    "Yes!" Lucius responded quickly.


    "What about you, Nott?" Voldemort whispered to a hunchbacked man shrouded in Goyle''s shadow.


    "Master, I crawl before you, I am your most loyal--"


    "Enough." Voldemort interrupted Nott''s words of loyalty.


    He walked to thergest gap and looked at it with his empty red eyes, as if someone was standing there.


    "There are seven Death Eaters missing here... Three of them died for me, I still remember, they are Wilkes, Evan Rosier, and Barty Crouch Jr. Barty is buried in this deste cemetery; there is one who is missing and the Dark Mark can''t feel his existence, Regulus ck. He should be dead too; there is another one who doesn''t have the courage toe back, Ingor Karkaroff... He will pay the price."


    What Voldemort said was not urate.


    He didn''t know that Regulus ck had betrayed him for his house elf Kreacher, and now he was resurrected by Drac in a different way;


    In addition, he didn''t know that Barty Crouch Jr. was not actually dead, and the one buried in this cemetery was his mother who died for him. Now he is locked up in the house by Barty Crouch Sr., who controls him with the Imperius Curse every day, so that he does not respond to the call of the Dark Mark.


    "In addition, Severus and Yaxley have their own tasks and can''te to us now..." Voldemort continued.


    "Let''s not talk about the two who still have a mission, and those Death Eaters who left me forever. We still have tenpanions, including the Stranges, trapped in Azkaban."


    "And now, the prison where ourpanions are imprisoned is right in front of us!"


    Voldemort pointed his wand at the lonely, dpidated fortress in the distance.


    "Tonight, we must break through this prison in front of us!" He shouted to the Death Eaters present, "I will not allow my loyal servants to be bound by the politicians who are doing nothing in the Ministry of Magic."


    "At the same time, rescuing thosepanions is also an indispensable condition for achieving our goal!"

 Chapter 127 - 127 Launch the attack! Who’s undercover?

    <h4>Chapter 127: Launch the attack! Who''s undercover?</h4>


    Next to Azkaban prison, unlike the shabby and stale surroundings, a rtively clean hut stands.


    The hut is protected by airtight ss and is extremely tightly sealed. It is also surrounded by various protective magics to block the influence of Dementors on the mind. It is one of the few purends on the isted ind where Azkaban is located.


    At this time, a rtively tall man with a long blond hair braided into a neat braid quietly appeared and came to the outside of the hut that blocked most of the influence of Dementors.


    Before entering the hut, Yaxley quietly raised his sleeves, took a look at the bright red Dark Mark on the inside of his left arm, and nodded secretly.


    Through the reaction of the Dark Mark, he can confirm that the Dark Lord and many Death Eaters havee to the ind where Azkaban is located, so their next n can proceed normally.


    So Yaxley raised his hand and knocked on the door¡ª¡ª


    "Dong Dong Dong."


    A very narrow window opened behind the door, and a wizard showed one eye from behind the window, looking out vigntly.


    "Oh, Director Yaxley, right? Come in!" Seeing Yaxley''s face, the wizard let down his guard.


    He opened the door a little, let Yaxley in, then hurriedly closed the door and carefully checked whether the door was sealed.


    "Huh... I''m lucky that there are no Dementors nearby. Azkaban is a hellhole that is not a ce for people to stay!" After the wizard finished all this work, he patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief, "Director Yaxley, it''s really hard for you toe to a ce like this to visit your rtives in prison."


    "The Dementors here can clearly understand some people''s words, but they never care about our instructions and absorb our happy emotions regardless of friend or foe!" He said,


    "I just don''t understand... The prisoners in this hellhole will be sucked out of their energy by the Dementors. It is impossible for them to escape from the prison. Why do we have to arrange observers and Aurors to guard here? Working here is simply torture!"


    Yaxley smiled, ignored the wizard''sints, and looked around the structure of the hut.


    "Ogus, I bribed you... No one else knows about it, right?" He suddenly looked at the wizard named Ogus and asked, "I remember that there is amunicator here that can directly notify the Ministry of Magic."


    "How could that be, Director Yaxley?" Ogus said hurriedly, "Few peoplee to this remote ce on this poor ind, and there are a lot of Dementors guarding here, so why would we need amunicator?"


    He pointed to a magic bell hanging on the wall to Yaxley, "Yes, that''s it. As far as I know, this thing has never been used. It has been used by people, and in my opinion it is just a decoration."


    Yaxley took a closer look at the bell on the wall and nodded slightly, "I see. By the way, where are the two Aurors who are your partners?"


    "They are inside, I''ll take you there." Augus shrugged, and then shouted into the room of the hut, "Aurors,e out! Director Yaxley is here, remember to take your keys, the prison door cannot be opened without the keys of our two posts!"


    "Got it, Augus." A rough voice came from the room in the corner of the hut.


    An unkempt wizard walked out of the room, muttering as he walked: "I just patrolled among arge group of Dementors, and I didn''t expect to go out again... To be honest, if Yaxley hadn''t paid us enough, I would definitely not want to take people in... This is too painful!"


    "Who said it wasn''t!" Ogus agreed, turning to look at Yaxley, "So, Director Yaxley, don''t think our price is too high. It''s very risky for us to take you in!"


    "I know." Yaxley said casually, "Don''t worry about the reward. The Yaxley family has never been a pure blood like Weisi whocks money. As long as you can take me in, you will definitely get the reward."


    Ogus fumbled under a messy table for a long time, found a rusty key, and held it in his hand.


    "Ah, found it!" he said, "Then let''s go quickly, go early ande back early, so as not to suffer from the Dementors!"


    "No problem for me." The Auror next to him also nodded, and shook a bunch of keys in his hand, making a series of jingling and nging crisp sounds.


    "Wait a minute!" Just as the two were about to step out of the door, Yaxley suddenly called them.


    The two Aurors and observers stationed in Azkaban turned their heads and looked at him in confusion.


    "Where is the other Auror?" Yaxley asked seriously, "I gave three people the money, why are there only two of you now?"


    "This..." Ogus quickly looked at the unkempt Auror wizard beside him with an inquiring look, and asked in a low voice, "Wasn''t Raymond with you just now? Why didn''t hee out with you?"


    "Raymond was stopped by the Dementors while patrolling just now, and he was sucked dizzy. Now he has gone to sleep." The Auror wizard exined, "Mr. Yaxley, if you must let him go, I will wake him up now?"


    "Going to sleep..." Yaxley thought for a moment, then waved his hand, "Forget it, no need to wake him up, let him sleep well. Just a few of us will go, you lead the way."


    "Okay, then our reward..." Ogus asked cautiously.


    "It''s still three people''s." Yaxley said simply.


    Ogus nodded happily and turned to the small door of the hut.


    Then, he took a deep breath and put his hand on the doorknob.


    "Be prepared to face the Dementors, I''m going to open the door!" Augus had a fearless aura.


    The Auror next to him also looked serious.


    Yaxley stood two feet behind them and quietly tightened his wand.


    Just as Augus pressed the doorknob and opened the door, and the two observers and Aurors were all focused outside the door, Yaxley suddenly raised his wand -


    "Stupefy." He muttered in his heart.


    Two silent Stunning Spells shot out from the tip of Yaxley''s wand without interruption!


    The first one hit Augus'' back without any hindrance. Augus waspletely unaware and fell to the ground, unconscious in an instant.


    The second Stunning Spell shot directly at the unkempt Auror.


    However, just when the spell was about to touch the Auror''s cloak, he seemed to have been prepared for Yaxley''s sneak attack, and rolled on the spot to avoid the Stunning Spell that was going to hit him!


    "Hehe, are you surprised?" The Auror stood up from the ground, put his hands on his waist, and showed a naughty smile that waspletely inconsistent with his unkempt face. He smiled and looked at Yaxley, "Instructor Moody is right. You are the insider arranged by the mysterious man in the Ministry of Magic, right?"


    "What?!"


    Yaxley was shocked and quickly added another spell, but was firmly blocked by the Iron Armor Spell that the Auror had prepared.


    Just when the two of them were deadlocked in their attack and defense spells, Yaxley didn''t notice that another Auror quietly appeared behind him and raised his wand-


    A silent petrification spell hit Yaxley''s back fiercely.


    Yaxley''s wand fell to the ground. He froze in disbelief, and heard the wooden leg hitting the ground, making a "dong, dong" sound.


    A sturdy wizard with long gray hair and scars on every inch of his skin walked up to the Auror and entered Yaxley''s sight.


    "...stor Moody."


    Yaxley recognized the man in front of him in despair, knowing that he could notplete his mission today.


    "Tonks, you have too much desire to perform." Moody casually cast another Stunning Spell on Yaxley, making himpletely unconscious, and then said seriously to the Auror in front of him, "I clearly told you during the Auror training not to talk nonsense with your enemies."


    "When facing the enemy, you must defeat them as soon as possible and make them lose their fighting power. This is the best way to protect yourself! And you? You are smiling here all day long and you are not serious all day long!"


    "I know, Instructor Moody--" The unkempt Auror curled his lips and stretched his body with his arms.


    As his arms stretched, his short hair gradually stretched and turned into bubble gum pink, and his rough skin became white and delicate. He, or her face, gradually changed into a delicate and beautiful young witch.


    These two people are the most famous legendary Auror, stor Moody, and the trainee Auror, Nymphadora Tonks, who has just graduated for more than a year.


    They took advantage of the two Aurors stationed in Azkaban to forcibly interrupt their patrol with orders from headquarters, and sent them back to the Ministry of Magic in advance.


    After that, Tonks used her innate ability to transform into the unkempt Auror wizard.


    After entering the hut, she used her transformed Auror appearance to quietly use a Confusion Charm on Oggs in the house, making him mistake Moody for the previous Auror Raymond, and then the two of them sessfully entered the hut, waiting for Yaxley toe.


    "This is not my first time to participate in such an important operation. I am a little excited."


    After the transformation, Tonks, who had be young and beautiful again, said to Moody tteringly, "This is an operation against You-Know-Who! Instructor Moody, can I be promoted directly after participating in this operation?"


    "Don''t be too happy too soon, Tonks. We have to see how you perform before we can consider your promotion." Moody said, "In addition, this operation is very dangerous. You must protect your own safety first!"


    "This kind of high-risk operation against You-Know-Who should not have been participated in by you, a trainee Auror. But there is a thief-proof waterfall outside Azkaban, which can remove the effect of Polyjuice Potion. Except for your Disguisemagus ability, it is difficult for us to pretend to be someone else here."


    "Therefore, Director Scrimgeour of the Auror Office made an exception and let youe with us... But this does not mean that you can participate in the front-line battle!"


    "But my actualbat performance is very good!" Tonks said unconvinced.


    "That won''t work either. Results and practical experience are two different things!" Moody said, "Follow me closely and don''t get lost again like we did in the Cairngorms more than a year ago."


    ...


    On the other side, Voldemort had finished his speech and led many Death Eaters out of the cemetery and walked towards the Azkaban fortress on the other side of the ind.


    Smelling the scent of living people, arge group of Dementors surrounded them from all directions, constantly emitting a cold and gloomy breath and absorbing the rare happy emotions in the air.


    Many Death Eaters felt that the light around them was being absorbed, as if the whole world had fallen into darkness. The positive emotions in their hearts quickly faded, and nothingness gradually upied their hearts...


    However, in front of many Death Eaters, the bald wizard with scarlet eyes and no nose seemed to be unaffected by any Dementors, and walked straight into theyers of Dementors surrounding him.


    "My friends, do you still remember me?" Voldemort opened his arms and spoke enthusiastically.


    "I once promised you that if I ruled the wizarding world, all the Muggles in the world and those Muggle-borns who disobeyed our rule would be your food!" he said, "But unfortunately, I was framed by the bad guys and remained silent for twelve years..."


    "Today, in this deep and great night, I am back again!"


    "My friends, as long as you continue to help me as you promised me before, you will also get my promise as before!"


    "You don''t have to be confined to the small ind of Azkaban, and you don''t have to suppress your nature, but you can enjoy your food all over the world."


    "You...are you still not tempted?"


    The overwhelming Dementors seemed to understand Voldemort''s words, flying around more fiercely, raising waves of cold fog, forming a thick ck cloud, covering the moonlight in the sky, which was not bright to begin with.


    Voldemort stood in the group of Dementors,ughing morbidly.


    He watched the Dementors fly farther and farther, making a wide passage for him and the Death Eaters behind him.


    The Death Eaters looked at this scene in disbelief, and came to Voldemort hesitantly. Looking up at the scattered Dementors, they felt a sense of absurdity in their hearts.


    So Dementors, a species that has always been considered umunicative, have reached a cooperation with the Dark Lord?


    "What are you waiting for? Do you want me to urge you to move forward?" Voldemort''s cold voice sounded, interrupting the Death Eaters'' thoughts.


    They hurriedly followed Voldemort''s pace and walked towards the fortress that was just around the corner.


    As the Death Eaters approached the fortress of Azkaban, the prison that held countless criminals and no one had escaped so far slowly outlined an outline in the ck mist, floating in the eyes of everyone present.


    Azkaban Prison is more like a triangr prism-shaped tower than a fortress.


    It is built of marble full of historical vicissitudes. Because this ind is in storms all year round, the marble has been eroded by rain and has countless stripes, imprinting white lines of varying widths from high to low.


    There is no window outside this fortress, only an entrance designed for Dementors, which is narrow and slender.


    No matter how thin the wizard is, it is difficult to pass through the entrance. Only Dementors, a species without entity, can enter and exit freely to absorb the remaining happiness in the hearts of prisoners.


    Seeing the unguarded fortress in front of him, Voldemortughed wantonly, getting carried away.


    "Go, Death Eaters, use your spells to blow up this fortress!" he shouted, "Go and rescue yourpanions from prison. The future of the wizarding world belongs to us!"


    The Death Eaters'' wands were all lit up with lights of various colors. They used the powerful spells they were good at and shot towards the fortress in front of them--


    "Boom--"


    A huge roar sounded on this isted ind, even covering the roaring waves around the ind.


    However, to the surprise of all the Death Eaters, the fortress of Azkaban waspletely undamaged!


    A huge transparent barrier emerged, blocking many of the Death Eaters'' spells--the roar just now was the sound of the spells hitting the barrier!


    Voldemort stared at the barrier in front of him with a cold look, and saw a faint mist floating near the fortress. Shadowy figures in the mist walked out, and their figures became more and more obvious.


    Led by two people, dozens of wizards came out of the fog to meet the Death Eaters. They were wearing the uniform of the Ministry of Magic''s Auror uniforms, and their clothes and hair were rustling in the wind. Everyone''s eyes were filled with panic, determination, or disbelief.


    "I didn''t expect you to reallye back, Voldemort." A witch with a serious face gritted her teeth and said Voldemort''s name, which seemed to ovee

 Chapter 128 - 128 Voldemort: The undercover agent is actually myself?

    <h4>Chapter 128: Voldemort: The undercover agent is actually myself?</h4>


    Lucius was shocked, thinking that his contact with Drac had been exposed.


    "Master, there must be a traitor among us!" He said tremblingly, "I will definitely help you find the traitor, believe me... Master..."


    "But why can''t the traitor be you?" Voldemort put his face close to Lucius, and his breath almost blew the hairs on Lucius'' face, "I heard... you had several encounters with Drac a while ago, am I right?"


    Lucius'' hair stood on end, and he shook his head with all his strength.


    "I really didn''t betray you, Master!" He shouted tremblingly, "I don''t know how Drac got the authority to appoint and dismiss the board of directors. In order to maintain my status as a board of directors, I had to tter him, Master!"


    "Master... Yaxley''s father has lost his position on the board of directors because he offended Drac. We can''t have no board of directors among our Death Eaters... This is for ourmon cause!"


    Voldemort stared at Lucius with his scarlet eyes, and finally sneered after a long time.


    "I know you, Lucius. You always like to be a fence-sitter and you really don''t have the courage to betray." He said, "So... our traitor is someone else?"


    "Yes... it must be like this..." Lucius was racking his brains frantically under the pressure of life and death, "I know, Master, the only people who have the opportunity to spread our message are those in Hogwarts! The undercover among us must be..."


    "Enough." Voldemort suddenly interrupted him, "There are other guests here, do you want to tell the Ministry of Magic about our information?"


    Then, he lowered his voice in Lucius'' ear and said, "And ording to what you mean... the undercover is actually my own clone?"


    Lucius immediately closed his mouth, sweating profusely.


    "Well, now that the matter has been exposed, we definitely don''t have much time." Voldemort said softly, "How long has it been since you fought with the Ministry of Magic, my dear Death Eaters?"


    "I have been waiting for this day for a long time, Master!" Nott immediately stood up and expressed his loyalty earnestly, "My wand has been thirsty for a long time!"


    "Very good, Nott." Voldemort raised the corners of his twisted mouth and said in a cold tone, "Then you will lead our Death Eaters to stop those damn Aurors of the Ministry of Magic."


    The battle is about to start!


    A sword-like spell cut through the night like lightning, followed by a terrible sound of spell shooting. It was like a heavy rain like a waterfall falling horizontally, but it was more spectacr than a waterfall rushing down, and more gorgeous than a dense rain of bullets.


    On the rare bright ind of Azkaban, Voldemort walked towards the Ministry of Magic members opposite him step by step, facing the rain of spells, neither fast nor slow.


    However, no Auror dared to stand in front of Voldemort, and no spell was cast in the direction of Voldemort.


    The Aurors were all shaking their hands, pretending not to see the bald figure who was extremely conspicuous in the light of the spells, and they all went to other Death Eaters, and no matter how Scrimgeour, the director of the Auror Office, shouted, it was useless.


    Scrimgeour cursed inwardly and stood in front of Voldemort himself.


    "Rufus Scrimgeour... I''m curious, if you and Amelia Bones, the two heads of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, died on this isted ind, how would the Ministry of Magic react." Voldemort smiled coldly.


    "Unfortunately, I don''t have time to waste with you now, so I''ll let you live a few more days."


    "Do you really think you can win?" Scrimgeour raised his wand, his face extremely solemn, "I won''t let you pass!"


    "Tsk--" Voldemort looked at Scrimgeour''s actions andughed disdainfully, "Is it because I''ve been away for too long that you''ve forgotten me... Howe anyone dares to stand in front of me now?"


    He yed with his wand boringly, not taking Scrimgeour seriously at all.


    Scrimgeour shook his wand angrily, and a dazzling red light immediately shot out from the tip of his wand in the direction of Voldemort.


    However, facing such a spell, Voldemort didn''t even look up, but just shook his wand casually, and the red light flew to the side.


    The flying red light hit an Auror standing near Scrimgeour, knocking him unconscious immediately.


    The battle was reduced in an instant!


    Faced with the strong pressure from Voldemort, Amelia Bones, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, also came over and stood side by side with Scrimgeour.


    "Hold him, we have to hold him back." Bones turned his head and whispered to Scrimgeour, "Dumbledore has known about this for a long time, he should be here soon."


    Scrimgeour nodded gently.


    Then, both of them looked at Voldemort with solemn faces and raised their wands at the same time-


    Two spells were shot at Voldemort one after another, faintly blocking the space where he could dodge.


    "Do you think that one more person will be useful?" Voldemort sneered, without any thought of dodging, and continued to move forward without dodging.


    Before the spell was about to hit Voldemort, he casually drew a line in front of him with his wand. His wand was like a ma with strong maism, firmly sucking the two spells on the wand.


    Then, Voldemort shook his wand, and the two spells were returned to Bones and Scrimgeour, and they were apanied by Voldemort''s own magic power, bing more powerful.


    While Scrimgeour and Bones were busy dealing with the spells he cast, Voldemort raised his left hand that was not holding the wand.


    He waved his left hand, and tworge stones on the ind flew over quickly, causing a gust of wind.


    The next moment, the two stones hit Bones and Scrimgeour hard!


    The two men were shocked and fell to the ground in pain, spitting blood from their mouths, and suddenly lost the strength to fight again.


    "You are so weak, Director Bones and Director Scrimgeour." Voldemort curled his lips in a mocking manner and walked straight through the circle surrounded by a group of Aurors.


    The Aurors were filled with fear and trembling all over. They did not dare to stop the Dark Lord whose name could frighten them. They consciously made way for a wide passage.


    "Stop him... Aurors..." Scrimgeour''s weak voice sounded on the ground.


    Several elite captains among the Aurors moved their feet, but did not stop Voldemort''s steps at the same time. Instead, they stood in front of their director, fearing that Voldemort would be furious because of Scrimgeour''s actions and suddenly kill him.


    Voldemort nced at them, passed through theyers of defense of the Aurors with satisfaction, and continued to move forward.


    He deliberately did not use a killing move on Scrimgeour, just to prevent the loyal subordinates of the Auror Office Director from fighting desperately.


    Although he was not afraid of this, if he was dyed by a few flies for a few more seconds, Drac and Dumbledore would have a greater chance of arriving.


    Now it was just right, those loyal Aurors stood in front of Scrimgeour, vaguely reaching a tacit understanding with Voldemort.


    Voldemort did not kill their director, and they no longer blocked Voldemort''s way.


    In this way, Voldemort walked all the way to the fortress of Azkaban without any hindrance, and the huge prison wall almost filled his entire sight.


    However, just when he was about to destroy the solid wall of the prison, he encountered another obstacle.


    ...


    Moody and Tonks were just blocking the Dementor''s hut and knocked out Yaxley, the undercover agent left by Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic.


    As soon as they walked out of the hut, they met a man with scarlet eyes and a distorted face.


    "Who are you? Why are you here?" Tonks raised her wand vigntly and shouted to Voldemort.


    Then, she was surprised to find that her arm was grabbed by Instructor Moody beside her.


    "Leave here immediately, Tonks!" Moody gritted his teeth and pulled Tonks behind him, "Run as far as you can, don''t look back. This is an order!"


    Tonks turned her head in astonishment and looked at the legendary Auror who had always been fearless. She saw that he had a serious and solemn face, and his hand holding the wand was clenched so tightly that even his knuckles turned white.


    "Instructor Moody, he is..." Tonks opened her mouth wide, and a strong sense of absurdity surged in her heart.


    "Yes, he is Voldemort!" Moody stared at the terrifying figure in front of him, and at the same time stretched out his hand to push Tonks away, trying to buy a chance for the young trainee Auror to escape.


    Moody is different from most Aurors. He is old enough. He was a ssmate of Voldemort, who was still called Tom Riddle when he was in school at Hogwarts.


    Because of this, Moody is not afraid of Voldemort just because of a name like other wizards. Compared with others, he has a clearer understanding of the horror of Voldemort.


    So Moody knew that he was no match for Voldemort, and he didn''t want Tonks, who had just graduated, to die here.


    "stor, it''s been a long time since west met." Voldemort showed a nostalgic expression, and chuckled as he looked at Moody''s scarred face, "Do you also want to stop me from destroying this prison?"


    "You ask even though you know the answer!" Moody said irritably, "If you want to fight, just fight, why are you talking so much nonsense!"


    "Very good--" Voldemort''s face sank, "You are indeed stronger than the two before, and you seem to be a qualified opponent."


    The next second, without any signs, the two raised their wands at the same time-


    Countless spells shot out from the two wands at a rapid speed, like a long whip whipping the wind between the two people, like countless beams cutting the fog around Azkaban!


    In the continuous sound of breaking wind,bined with the eerie gurgling sound of the surrounding Dementors when they inhaled, it seemed as if there were bursts of ghostly cries on this isted ind.


    Finally, all the colorful spells disappeared.


    Two people, one red and one green, entangled with each other, like two glowing snakes wrestling in the air.


    Moody''s face was ferocious, and he used up all his strength, almost injecting all his magic power into the wand in his hand, just to gain a little advantage in the confrontation of spells.


    Opposite Moody, Voldemort looked at ease and rxed.


    "stor, after so many years, I actually want to fight you again, and then kill you, the legendary Auror, myself..." Voldemort chuckled, but said cruel words, "But I really don''t have time to y with you today."


    He raised his left hand again, and divided some of the magic power to the slender fingers of his left hand like spider legs.


    Then, Voldemort pointed his left hand forward, and a powerful repelling spell hit Moody!


    Moody flew backwards and hit the marble wall of Azkaban Fortress heavily, even creating a thin crack on the solid wall.


    "Cough cough..."


    Moody coughed and struggled to get up, but found that one of his wooden legs had been broken in the collision just now, and he could only stand on one foot by holding the wall.


    Although his ten fingers were trembling, the wand in his hand never fell out of his hand.


    "Do you still want to struggle, stor?" Voldemort showed a devilish smile¡ª¡ª


    "Expelliarmus!"


    Moody''s wand was finally thrown into the sky, like a discarded branch, and fell on the muddy ground of the ind.


    And this legendary Auror, who lost his wand and was seriously injured, was just an old man with weak body...


    "Even you, the legendary Auror, have fallen. No one wille to stop me now, right?" Voldemortughed, "If you ask me, apart from you, there is really no one in your Ministry of Magic who can fight..."


    "Who said that!"


    Just then, a crisp voice sounded behind Voldemort.


    Voldemort turned around and saw a young witch with violet hair nervously holding her wand with both hands. In the extremely nervous situation, her hand holding the wand did not tremble at all.


    "Tonks, what are you doing here?!" Moody was shocked and shouted anxiously, "Didn''t I tell you to leave here? You dare to disobey the instructor''s order. Don''t you want to be a formal Auror?!"


    "I... I am the first in the practical test among the trainee Aurors. Don''t... don''t underestimate me!" Tonks looked at Moody with a very firm look and said with some stammering, "I want to prove to the You-Know-Who that the Ministry of Magic is not a ce where no one can fight!"


    The next second, she suddenly cast a very good Stunning Spell.


    However, the gap between her and the Dark Lord was too big. This spell that worked very well for her was picked aside by Voldemort.


    "Hehehe..." Voldemortughed sinisterly, "Tonks, huh? What an interesting little girl."


    He suddenly turned to look at Moody, "stor, guess... If I kill you, an interesting student, will you, a cold-blooded Auror, feel sad?"


    "You dare?!" Moody shouted loudly, but anyone could see that he was timid.


    "What am I afraid of?" Voldemort sneered and raised his wand¡ª¡ª


    "Avada Kedavra!"

 Chapter 129 - 129 When the lezzies lose their lezzies

    <h4>Chapter 129: When the lezzies lose their lezzies</h4>


    A terrifying green light shot out from the tip of Voldemort''s wand!


    "Tonks!"


    Moody''s shout echoed faintly in Tonks'' ears... but she could no longer hear it clearly. The strong green light instantly upied all her sight, as if it had deprived her of all five senses at that moment.


    Tonks opened her eyes wide, watching this chilling green engulf every inch of her vision, and she had no time to make any effective reaction!


    At the critical moment, some different colors suddenly appeared in Tonks''s vision-


    A pure ck bat pped its wings, and a ck mark was squeezed out of the stubborn green, and its trajectory bloomed like a flower.


    The next moment, a dark full moon suddenly rose quietly from the ce where the bat flew out.


    Several bats rushed towards the green beam of the killing curse like moths to a me, and lost their vitality one after another under the effect of the spell, turning into light spots and dissipating.


    Under the consumption of these bats, the green light gradually consumed, and the dark moon also silently dissipated in the background of wisps of fog on the ind.


    A man with long silver hair and a strange face emerged from the dissipating moonlight.


    "This enthusiasticdy, you seem to have encountered some troubles?" A mellow voice sounded in Tonks'' ears.


    Tonks opened her mouth wide, and her hair instantly changed from violet to red.


    "You... you are... the one in the Cairngorms a year ago!" She eximed excitedly, "Why are you here?"


    Tonks vaguely remembered that a year ago, she had just graduated from Hogwarts. She became an intern Auror in the Auror Office of the Ministry of Magic, and experienced the daily actions of the Aurors for the first time with therge team...


    Then she failed the Auror''s "Stealth and Tracking" subject and got lost.


    Deep in the Cairngorms, Tonks met this handsome and cruel man. She was so smart that she wanted to protect him as an Auror, but she didn''t realize that this person might be the source of the dark magic...


    "Why wouldn''t Ie here?" Drac nced at Tonks and raised his lips slightly, "In fact, not only did Ie here, but I have also watched the show on the wall of Azkaban for a long time."


    "This is impossible!" Voldemort''s horrified voice suddenly came from not far away, "Drac, haven''t you been staying in Hogwarts all the time?!"


    He took out the parchment sent by Snape from his pocket and saw that the red light on it was still motionless on the left side of Hogwarts Castle, without any change.


    Drac turned his head and looked at Voldemort''s incredible expression.


    "Oh?" He asked with interest, "What made you have the illusion that I have been staying in Hogwarts all the time? The parchment in your hand?"


    In fact, in the underground ssroom full of ghosts in Hogwarts, Drac''s figure did stay in the same ce, chatting happily with Helena''s almost headless Nick.


    However, this figure was not Drac''s real body, but a clone created by necromancy, who stayed in Hogwarts with the "positioning device" left by Snape, thus confusing Voldemort and letting hime to Azkaban to carry out his n with confidence.


    However,pared with the real body, this clone looked a little illusory. This is why he was regarded as a ghost by Harry, Myrtle and others.


    As for the real Drac, he had already arrived in Azkaban in advance, turned into a bat hanging upside down on the marble wall, and watched the good show from a high ce for a long time.


    "So it was Severus who betrayed me?" After a short period of surprise, Voldemort''s voice becamepletely cold.


    He fiercely pinched the parchment in his hand into a ball.


    After rubbing it hard, the positioning map made by Snape was crushed into countless pieces, thrown aside by Voldemort, and blown away by the wind on the isted ind in a blink of an eye.


    "Tsk, you just found out about this?" Drac smiled sarcastically, teasing, "Professor Snape has always been trusted by Dumbledore and provided a lot of useful information for your great cause of destroying you."


    "Mr. Voldemort, you don''t really think Snape is your spy nted in Hogwarts, do you?" He walked a few steps closer to Voldemort with a sneer on his face, "But the truth of the matter may be just the opposite?"


    Drac''s sarcasm made Voldemort''s pale face gradually turn red, and his scarlet eyes kept shing, obviously very angry.


    "I will make him pay the price!" Anger rose in Voldemort''s heart, and his eyes seemed to burn with angry mes.


    Suffering setbacks in the hands of Drac, the proud and fragile emotions of the Dark Lordpletely broke out. He excitedly raised his wand and turned his anger into a dazzling green light that shot out of his hand!


    "Boom--"


    Drac turned slightly to the side, and a thick green beam of light hit the ground behind him, sting a huge deep pit in the ground and stirring up a cloud of flying dust.


    The next moment, Voldemort turned into a ball of ck mist and flew up.


    A magic wand suddenly appeared in the ck mist in the air, waving a colorful light curtain, like a star covered by dark clouds falling from the starry sky.


    These light curtains are beautiful and dangerous, all of which carry a soul-stirring evil breath and powerful momentum, and are all ck magic that others have never heard of.


    On this Halloween night when the dark atmosphere is the strongest, the power of ck magic has been greatly increased!


    Drac looked at the gorgeous light curtains in the sky, chuckled, and raised his magic wand-


    The dark moon lit up behind him, emitting an extremely cold light, and countless crescent-shaped light des flew out of the moonlight, urately colliding with every light curtain emitted by Voldemort.


    Gradually, more and more light des were released from the dark moon behind Drac, and they gathered into a backward waterfall, covering the dense spells cast by Voldemort from a high ce, and crushing into the sky filled with ck fog in the opposite direction.


    Seeing that the situation was not good, Voldemort immediately turned his whole body into a ck fog again, trying to avoid the attack of the light des.


    "Bang¡ª¡ª"


    Drac snapped his fingers lightly.


    The crescent-shaped light des suddenly turned after contacting the ck fog, and each group of four light des formed countless turbines, which instantly dispersed the fog in the sky.


    The turbines transformed from the light des also dispersed the dark clouds over Azkaban, and a vacuum area suddenly appeared in the sky.


    The crescent moony quietly in the sky surrounded by stratus clouds, casting cold moonlight on this sea that had never seen light.


    "Wow... so awesome..." Tonks watched this scene with wide eyes, muttering in her mouth.


    The scene of Drac beating Voldemort shocked her greatly. You know, this is the Dark Lord who must not be named!


    When Tonks thought about how she had once said that she would protect his safety, she felt ashamed...


    Under the moonlight, the ck mist seemed to be much thinner.


    A thin ck mist barely condensed on the ground, and then, Voldemort, with an extremely pale face, staggered and appeared where the ck mist was.


    "Drac, don''t be too proud too soon..." He looked extremely weak and panted, "When I recover all my strength, I will be the first to make you look good!"


    "Hehe, it''s different when you have something to rely on. You are still so confident at this time." Drac crossed his arms and chuckled, "Whatever you say, I just need to "entertain" you well every time you are resurrected!"


    "Mr. Voldemort, I wonder how many times your soul can be annihted with your soul power?"


    Hearing this, Voldemort''s face finally changed.


    Although he has Horcruxes as support and will never really die. But his soul is still limited.


    If the power of the soul source is forcibly annihted many times, then he may never be able to recover to his peak power.


    At that time, let alone making Drac look good, it is hard to say whether he can continue to be his Dark Lord.


    "You forced me to do this, Drac!" Voldemort lowered his voice, as if speaking through his teeth, "My allies, please help me..."


    The sky seemed to darken suddenly.


    The crescent moon that had just peeked out was once again blocked by a dark mass of evil, ugly ck creatures.


    The thick ink-like Dementors were stacked together thickly, and the entire group of Dementors looked like the ugly face of the devil, overlooking the front of the Azkaban Fortress.


    "Giggle--"


    "Woo--"


    Breaks of creepy sounds came from the overcast sky, and the air contained an extremely heavy and extremely oppressive atmosphere, which aroused the most fearful and painful emotions in people''s hearts.


    Innumerable Dementors surrounded Drac in the blink of an eye. There were no facial features under their tattered hoods, and a hole opened where the mouth should have grown, constantly absorbing the emotion called happiness in the air.


    Drac''s face immediately sank.


    He felt that all his fun had been sucked away...


    "Dementors... What a hateful thing..."


    Drac''s voice slowly turned cold, and the corners of his mouth that used to be raised also lost their original arc, and his wine-red eyes became like blood, shing with cold light.


    After the only fun in his long life was suppressed deep in his heart, Drac''s figure seemed to be outside this world, surrounded by indifference and indifference, not like a human figure-


    Two sharp side teeth protruded from his slightly opened mouth, and the sharp nails also extended, and the wide wings behind him suddenly opened, raising a gust of wind!


    The Dementors'' movements stagnated.


    They could no longer feel any happy emotions from Drac''s body, but only felt the extreme emptiness and loneliness.


    This made these evil species instinctively feel a fear!


    The next moment, Drac suddenly jumped up from the ground, spread his wings and flew in the air.


    His cold eyes were like a beast that wanted to devour its prey. Relying only on the fighting instinct of the blood n, he stared at a leading Dementor and shed in front of it in an instant.


    His sharp nails suddenly pierced into the chest of the leading Dementor, but he caught nothing and only tore a piece of rotten rag.


    "Crackle--"


    The Dementor made a few strange cries in its throat and opened the empty "mouth" under the hood again, trying to find and suck away the happiness in Drac''s heart.


    But it failed again.


    Drac''s current state is like a thousand-year-old ice, with indifference in his heart.


    And this indifferent ice suddenly changed the position of his attack when he saw the Dementor''s action.


    He stretched out his other hand and suddenly pierced into the empty "mouth" of the Dementor--


    The next moment, a white me appeared in Drac''s hand and burned in the "mouth" of the Dementor.


    "Woo-woo--"


    The effect of this kind of me that directly points to the soul is very obvious. The Dementor feels the burning of the me and begins to swing its rag-like body in pain, struggling to escape from Drac''s palm.


    Drac lets go of his hand as it wishes, and admires the Dementor struggling to fly around in the air, but it can''t escape the fate of being burned to ashes.


    He twisted his mouth indifferently, but then found that he couldn''t find the interest when he twisted his mouth in the past, and his face returned to a cold state again.


    Then, Drac seemed to have turned into a ruthless beast, killing all around in the group of Dementors, or tearing them apart in the most cruel way, or burning them into powder with mes...


    The Dementors gradually realized what fear was, scattered, and tried their best to fly away from the ce where the terrible man was.


    After the monsters left, the moonlight fell again, still as cold and pure as usual.


    Drac spread his wings and quietly floated in the watery moonlight, with confusion in his blood-red eyes.


    For some reason, he clearly ughtered countless Dementors that made him unhappy, and it was considered a great battle, so he should have felt very happy.


    But he didn''t feel any great pleasure at the moment, nor did he feel any pleasure after revenge.


    Drac now only felt an inexplicable emptiness, as if he had forgotten something...


    ...


    "Professor Drac, what''s wrong with you?" A voice sounded in Drac''s ears as if it was from a long distance.


    ...


    Yes, I seem to have be a professor. But why should I be a professor?


    ...


    "Uncle Drac, your expression is so scary." A somewhat flustered and pleasant female voice sounded in my ears.


    ...


    Isn''t this voice the daughter of Rowena?


    ...


    "Professor, wake up, the party is about to end!" This is a somewhat childish voice.


    ...


    This voice seems to be from an interesting little wizard, his name is Harry Potter, right?


    ...


    "Harry, your methods are useless, look at me¡ªProfessor, wake up and watch the fun!"


    ...


    Hearing this, Drac''s heart moved slightly, he felt that something that was suppressed in his heart suddenly awakened.


    ...


    "Where is the fun?!" Drac suddenly opened his eyes.

 Chapter 130 - 130 Dracula’s Patronus Spell

    <h4>Chapter 130: Drac''s Patronus Spell</h4>


    Drac opened his eyes and saw a ball of hair as red as fire.


    "See, my method is the most effective!" Ron Weiss jumped up excitedly when he saw Drac open his eyes.


    Then, arge group of ghosts and little wizards surrounded him.


    "Professor, what happened to you just now?" Harry asked with a worried look on his face, "You suddenly closed your eyes just now, and your expression was frighteningly cold!"


    "Professor Drac, just now you suddenly had a lot of murderous intent..." Helena said.


    In order to protect Drac''s identity, she did not use the title of "uncle" this time, "It felt like... as if you wanted to destroy everyone around you! We were all scared."


    "Professor Drac, you must have just turned into a ghost and didn''t react." The short and fat Myrtle also floated over, "It was the same when I just died, but I recovered after being awake in that flush toilet for a while!"


    While talking, Myrtle kept winking at Drac.


    Myrtle has not yet given up the idea of ??letting Drac share a flush toilet with her...


    Drac ignored Myrtle next to him and turned to Harry, the three little wizards, Helena, and the ghosts such as Nearly Headless Nick and shook his head.


    "Sorry to bother you, I''m fine." He said softly, "I just thought of something and lost myposure."


    "Professor, are you really okay?" Hermione, who was standing between Harry and Ron, asked with concern, "Is the ghost party too dark and affected your mood? Do you want to go back and rest for a while?"


    Hearing the dissatisfaction with the ghost party implied in Hermione''s words, Nearly Headless Nick looked at her unhappily.


    To Nick''s surprise, Drac actually nodded.


    "It''s better to go back and rest for a while." He said.


    Then, Drac said hello to Nick and Helena, turned around and walked out of the underground ssroom where the ghosts were.


    "Professor, wait for us!" Harry, Ron and Hermione hurriedly followed.


    As the host of today''s ghost party, Nearly Headless Nick looked at the wizards who left one after another and shrugged helplessly.


    "Well, there is no one left alive tonight." He said to the ghosts around him, "I feel sorry for them. The next show is the head hockey performance of the Headless Hunters."


    When the performance of the Headless Hunters was mentioned, Nearly Headless Nick''s expression suddenly became depressed, and he forgot on the spot the regret that no one survived to the end of the 500th anniversary party.


    "Hey, I finally found you, Patrick Podmore. You haven''t settled the ount with you for not letting me join the Headless Hunters!"


    He rushed to a headless ghost who held his head in his arms and entangled with him.


    ...


    On the other side, Drac sent Harry and the other two little wizards to the hall, asking them to enjoy the pudding that had not been removed from the Halloween dinner, and walked to the principal''s office alone.


    Dumbledore and Snape had been waiting there for a long time.


    "Our mission today is about to reach its climax, both of you." Drac looked at Dumbledore and Snape, who were both solemn, and slowly raised the corners of his mouth.


    In the space of a few minutes, he raised the corners of his mouth twice, but withpletely different feelings.


    On the isted ind of Azkaban, Drac''s desire to find fun was inadvertently withdrawn to the deepest part of his heart under the influence of the strange power of the Dementors. When hepletely lost the fun, he couldn''t find the feeling even if he wanted to raise the corners of his mouth.


    Although it onlysted for a few minutes, Drac, who found fun again, felt apletely different difference.


    In his heart, he silently sentenced the Dementors to death.


    "It''s your turn next, Professor Snape." Drac looked at Snape''s sallow face and smiled with interest, "Whether our n can proceed smoothly depends on you!"


    After saying this, Drac no longer paid attention to the reactions of Dumbledore and Snape, nor did he worry about whether the n could bepleted.


    He snapped his fingers lightly, and his body turned into a light spot and dissipated...


    The next moment, Drac''s vision suddenly changed.


    He saw a piece of cold moonlight, the Azkaban fortress under the moonlight, and the ck mist flying around-


    At this time, on the isted ind where Azkaban was located, Voldemort had taken advantage of Drac''s massacre of Dementors to escape from the scene.


    The Death Eaters who fought against the Ministry of Magic had some advantages at the beginning, but when they felt Voldemort''s departure through the Dark Mark, they instantly lost the courage and motivation to fight the enemy, and began to flee to the sea without the Anti-Apparition Spell.


    After leaving some Death Eaters to be captured by the Aurors, most of the Death Eaters finally managed to escape from this lonely ind.


    Near the Azkaban Fortress, Drac''s body was still hanging in the air under the moonlight, with a cold arc at the corner of his mouth.


    "Did I let you go?" He looked at the fleeing Dementors and said softly.


    Then, Drac retracted his sharp nails and took out his wand from his pocket.


    "Let me think about it, what magic should I use to eliminate you pests..."


    Drac thought and yed with the wand unconsciously. The pure ck wand body turned back and forth flexibly between his white and slender fingers.


    "Got it, I should still remember the spell." He suddenlyughed indifferently, and at the same time, it seemed that all the dark aura was suppressed in the deepest part of Drac''s body.


    Under the moonlight, there was no trace of darkness around Drac. His silver hair, the same color as the moonlight, fluttered in the wind. His eyes fluttered slightly, and he raised his wand in his right hand and pointed it at the night sky.


    Unlike his previous evil appearance, he now released a bit of pure and sacred aura.


    "Haha... Don''t you like to absorb my pleasure? Then absorb it as much as you want!"


    "Expe!"


    A silver light, brighter than the moonlight, suddenly burst out from the tip of Drac''s wand, illuminating the entire isted ind where Azkaban was located.


    In the dazzling silver light, it seemed that more and more silver-white bats pped their wings and soared in the night that was illuminated in an instant.


    After the bats gathered briefly, they dispersed in an instant, shining the silver light on all parts of the isted ind, and even covering therge sea outside the ind.


    The silver light shone on the sparkling water waves, and each piece of water light swayed and sparkled, which was extremely beautiful.


    The silver-white bats shuttled through the air like wearing silver yarn, spreading to every corner of the ind at a rapid speed, circled the scattered Dementors one by one, and then expelled them to a concentrated area.


    The Dementors instinctively realized that something was wrong, and flew around with uneasy emotions, but they could not break through thisyer of bright silver light at all.


    Gradually, countless Dementors were held hostage by the silver light and crowded together, and were locked in a closed silver light ball,pletely losing the space to fly.


    They were like a group of ants forced into a bag, and the bag was tied by Drac. The ants inside lost any room for survival and could only gradually die in the torture ofck of oxygen and hunger...


    "Are you almost here? Then I''ll take you there."


    Drac smiled gently, raised his hand, and snapped his fingers lightly.


    A white me suddenly rose up under the silver ball of light, engulfing the densely packed Dementors in the ball of light.


    I don''t know if it was because the burning was too intense, or the Patronus spellpressed the Dementors too tightly.


    With a "bang", the silver ball of light suddenly bloomed-


    It was like a firework of white and silver, instantly cutting through the gloomy night, and it was like a night-blooming cereus blooming in the middle of the night, bright and dazzling.


    In such an isted ind that is always upied by clouds and storms, this unique firework is simply breathtakingly beautiful!


    On the ground, Tonks looked at this gorgeous scene with stars in her eyes.


    "Wow-this is so beautiful!" Her hair turned silver unconsciously, and she shouted excitedly, "Instructor Moody,e and watch the fireworks together!"


    If it were normal, Tonks''s fussing behavior would probably be scolded by Moody again.


    But today Moody couldn''t care less about educating the trainee Auror. He was more horrified than Tonks!


    "This is impossible..." Moody muttered.


    There was a magic eye in his left eye socket, big and round, a bright blue color, which was spinning non-stop.


    Moody tried to use his invincible magic eye to see through this illusory scene. He couldn''t believe that a dark creature like Drac could use such a powerful Patronus Charm, and he couldn''t believe that a species ssified as "non-existence" like Dementors could be destroyed artificially.


    "This is impossible... Only those who are pure in heart and full of joy in their hearts can cast the Patronus Charm..." he muttered.


    "Who stipted that only those who are pure in heart can cast the Patronus Charm?" A voice suddenly sounded.


    Moody rarely failed to maintain his usual vignce, and didn''t notice that Drac hadnded beside the two of them.


    He was startled and raised his hand nervously, wanting to attack Drac, but found that the wand in his hand had been thrown into the muddy soil by Voldemort''s disarming spell.


    "Why are you so nervous?" Drac saw Moody''s performance andughed with interest, "Mr. Moody, right? Did you stipte the requirements for the use of the Patronus Charm?"


    "This ismon sense in the magic world!" Moody saw that he had no ability to do it, so he could only say viciously, "The sacred magic of the Patronus Charm has a strong purifying effect on dark wizards and dark magic creatures. Many dark wizards will be swallowed by the patronus they cast in their ignorant attempts."


    "I have to correct you on a few issues, Mr. Moody--" Drac folded his hands in front of his chest and chuckled, "First of all, I am not one of those dark wizards with little level, don''tpare me with them!"


    "Secondly, why do you think my heart is not pure? Is it because of the dark breath I released before?"


    Moody''s words paused.


    He suddenly realized that Drac hadpletely removed all the dark aura, which waspletely different from the way he fiercely ughtered the Dementors before.


    "To be honest, the only thought in my mind is to take back my pleasure. Isn''t that pure enough?" Drac said softly, "Besides, destroying those hateful Dementors makes me happy enough. Isn''t that enough for me to cast the Patronus Charm?"


    He patted Moody''s shoulder meaningfully, then turned around and walked towards Tonks, whose eyes were shining and extremely admiring.


    "What a coincidence, this enthusiasticdy. We meet again." Drac chuckled and said to Tonks, "Thank you for telling me the exact timest time, otherwise I might be deceived by an old guy who likes to do bad things."


    "No... You''re wee..." Tonks stammered.


    Then she looked up at Drac and asked curiously, "You... are you really the source of that dark atmosphere at that time?"


    Drac raised his eyebrows with interest and chuckled, "Yes. What, are you going to take me away?"


    "Ah no no no..." Tonks said hurriedly, "I feel... our entire Ministry of Magic can''t catch you, right?"


    "Tonks, stop talking!" Moody finally picked up his wand and crutches, walked up to him and shouted angrily.


    "I''m telling the truth..." Tonks curled her lips secretly.


    "I''ll teach you a lesson when I get back!"


    Moody red at her fiercely with his normal right eye, then turned his head and looked at Drac with his big magic eye, "Mr. Drac, I heard that the new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts is called Professor Drac..."


    "Yes, it''s me." Drac nodded.


    "Well, since you can be a professor at Hogwarts, it seems that Albus is willing to believe you." Moody said seriously, "Since he believes you, then our Auror Office will not embarrass you anymore."


    "It''s because you can''t catch them, so you want to find a way out..." Tonks muttered to herself.


    Although she was talking to herself, her voice was just heard by Drac and Moody.


    Moody''s face was as ck as coal, and he pretended not to hear it, and then said: "Professor Drac, I need to remind you that Dementors are under the management of the Ministry of Magic. Your action of attacking Dementors is actually an attack on the employees of the Ministry of Magic."


    "Oh? Do you still want to avenge them?" Drac asked expressionlessly.


    "I didn''t mean that. I just wanted to say that this kind of creature can''t usually be killed physically." Moody said, "Even if you just burned them to ashes with fire, as long as there are negative emotions in the world, they can never bepletely eliminated."


    "That is to say... Drac, what you just did may not have the desired effect, but will instead intensify the conflict between you and those stubborn politicians in the Ministry of Magic!"


    "So what?" Drac smiled indifferently.


    "As long as I''m happy."

 Chapter 131 - 131 You’re the undercover agent, aren’t you, Snape?

    <h4>Chapter 131: You''re the undercover agent, aren''t you, Snape?</h4>


    In a deep, quiet, and well-protected underground fortress, sparse ck fog floated in from all directions, forming a weak figure of Voldemort.


    After arriving at this bunker, Voldemort was obviously relieved.


    This is an underground building built with the financial, human and material resources of many very wealthy pure-blood families. It is also the most confidential assembly base that he asked the Death Eaters to build after his return.


    Although the construction time is too short, the structure, furnishings and decoration of the bunker are currently very simple. However, under the influence of various magical magics in the magic world, the general structure of the bunker has been clearly constructed in a short time, at least there is no problem in hiding people.


    The most important thing is that this bunker has been cast with the Fidelius Charm by Voldemort, and he has be the secret keeper himself.


    In other words, unless he bes an undercover agent of the Death Eaters, no one other than the Death Eaters will know the location of the bunker!


    This bunker is one of the confidences that Voldemort can make aeback.


    Before this operation, he thought he had made a second n very carefully, leaving himself a way out to prevent failure like thest time he stole the Philosopher''s Stone, so that he had to use the Horcrux to obtain power again...


    Voldemort shook his head, calmed down, and slightly sorted out his embarrassed image and expression. Then he sat at the long table in the meeting room, waiting for the arrival of many Death Eaters.


    In a moment, amidst the sound of "bang" and "bang", the Death Eaters Apparated one after another to the bunker, and sat around the long table in the same way as they sat at the meeting at Malfoy Manor.


    Unlike their previous arrogant, mysterious, or conceited images, these Death Eaters were now in a mess after fighting with the Aurors under Scrimgeour. The uniform ck robes and masks they wore became tattered.


    Voldemort looked around and found that there were few people in the entire meeting room who were not injured!


    "Scrimgeour only brought a few Aurors, and I beat their two leaders to the point of losing their ability to fight for you..." He said coldly, "I didn''t expect that you, the elites of the magic world, would be tossed into such a miserable state."


    "What a bunch of rubbish!"


    Voldemort scolded his men, forgetting that he had just made the same miserable escape as them.


    The Death Eaters alsoined in their hearts.


    Twelve years have passed. When they chose to follow Voldemort, they were young and vigorous, and of course they had a strong desire to fight and superb fighting power.


    However, most of them are now in their thirties or forties, and some of them are even in their forties or fifties. These noble pure bloods or elites of the magic world have been ustomed to a life of luxury for twelve years-


    These people are getting fatter and fatter, and those who are suffering from kidney deficiency are suffering from kidney deficiency. Not to mention that their fighting power has improved, there are very few who have not regressed!


    In short, the Death Eaters are no longer as strong as they used to be.


    Moreover, they were able to gain the upper hand in the battle with the Aurors at the beginning by relying on their numerical advantage.


    But Voldemort''s act of secretly escaping alone really gave them a "surprise", which instantly made the Death Eaters give up the idea of ??continuing to fight.


    Wizards of this age have long passed the age of youth and recklessness, and they are all shrewd and old. Who is willing to fight for a Dark Lord who has slipped away first?


    The gap between wizards who have lost their desire to fight and those who fight for justice in their hearts is naturally widened.


    As for the messy clothes and bloody wounds on the Death Eaters, they are not necessarily formed in the process of fighting with the Aurors-


    In fact, some wounds were cut by those shrewd Death Eaters themselves, and some damaged clothes were also torn by themselves.


    If you don''t do this, and let the Dark Lord see that everyone else is fighting bloody, with torn clothes and covered with wounds, but you are the only one who is clean and tidy, what will he think?


    Comparing the Dark Lord''s rage with their own embarrassment for a few minutes, those smart people certainly don''t want to face the Dark Lord''s rage!


    The most typical example is Lucius.


    As a glorious fence-sitter, he was already cking off when the fight just started.


    Facing the attacks of the Aurors, Lucius hid at the back of the crowd, constantly casting some useless but fancy-looking spells, and seemed to be trying his best.


    At the same time, his expression was also very exaggerated. He bit his teeth hard and shouted slogans loudly, but the wand in his hand often did not move at all.


    What''s even more outrageous is that when no one was paying attention, Lucius quietly chanted the water-making spell "Clear Water Like a Spring", wiped the water on his forehead, and dressed himself up to look sweaty and exhausted...


    After Voldemort took the lead in escaping, Lucius was the first to respond to Voldemort''s "call" to escape, and immediately sprinted from the back of the team to the coast not covered by the Anti-Apparition Spell and escaped from the ind.


    Before being summoned by Voldemort to the bunker for a meeting, he directly asked his wife, Narcissa Malfoy, to cast many mild but tragic spells on him.


    So, Lucius, who had no wounds on his body and even his clothes had few wrinkles, became the most embarrassed Death Eater present...


    "Forget it, I didn''t expect you guys to seed." Seeing the extremely embarrassed but extremely hard-working Death Eaters, Voldemort was indeed only angry on the surface, and did not continue to pursue their responsibilities, "Tell me, how much did we lose? Nott?"


    "Yes, Master." Nott stood up and said in detail, "ording to my preliminary statistics, it can be determined that Yaxley has been captured by the Ministry of Magic; in addition, McNeill did not run away during the retreat and was hit in the back by a Stunning Spell; and..."


    He named several Death Eaters with a face. These people were on the list of those who did not return in this operation.


    Voldemort nodded slowly, and suddenly looked around the Death Eaters around him with a scrutinizing eye.


    "We lost a lot ofpanions in this operation." He asked softly, "So, I think you must be very surprised, why I left there before rescuing ourpanions left in Azkaban."


    "I guess some of you must think that I did not keep my promise... Am I right, Death Eaters present?"


    "Don''t dare, you must have your own ideas." Nott smiled tteringly before he had time to sit down, "Your ideas are far beyond our understanding, we dare not specte..."


    "Nott is right, I do have some other ideas." Voldemort looked at Nott with satisfaction, and then said, "But these ideas of mine are not because I don''t want to save ourpanions, but because I can''t save them!"


    The Death Eaters on the long table suddenly showed some surprised expressions.


    "Perhaps you don''t know yet?" Voldemort''s scarlet eyes suddenly widened, staring at everyone present with indifference, "I just confirmed that there are undercover agents of Dumbledore and others in the Death Eaters'' team!"


    "If we rescue ourpanions in Azkaban at this time, they will be in danger again after just escaping from the sea of ??suffering."


    "So I left Azkaban." Voldemort made up a passable reason to avoid losing face, "As for when to rescue ourpanions in Azkaban, we still need to think about it in the long run!"


    Hearing the news that "there is an undercover agent" from Voldemort''s mouth, the Death Eaters were collectively stunned, and then began to look at other people around them with suspicion.


    Among them, Lucius, who was in tatters, was so shocked that he jumped up directly.


    He subconsciously thought that Voldemort had learned about his behavior of tipping off Drac.


    At this time, Voldemort was about to announce to the Death Eaters who the real undercover was, and then he saw Lucius jump up.


    "Lucius, do you have anything to say?" He asked with some doubt.


    Lucius looked at Voldemort''s slightly doubtful expression, and suddenly realized that his fence-sitting behavior had not been exposed, and the big stone hanging in his heart fell instantly.


    But now a new problem has arisen, how should he exin the reason for his jumping up so as not to arouse the suspicion of this suspicious Dark Lord?


    Lucius took a slow breath, showing a righteous expression, and then clenched his fists and raised them high above his head-


    "I will never coexist with the undercover!" He shouted loudly.


    Voldemort: "..."


    Death Eaters: "..."


    "Sit down first, Lucius." Voldemort''s mouth twitched, motioning Lucius to sit down, "I have found the undercover, but he probably won''t have the courage toe to see me again."


    "Master, who is the traitor?" Nott asked, "I will make him pay for it!"


    "The traitor is--"


    Before Voldemort finished speaking, with a "swish", the firece in the meeting room suddenly lit up with green mes, illuminating the dim room.


    A sallow-faced wizard with greasy long hair wearing a ck robe strode out of the mes, and said anxiously as he walked:


    "Master, I have something important to report to you!"


    For a moment, everyone''s eyes turned to thete wizard.


    "Severus Snape, you traitor, you have the nerve toe back to see me?!" As soon as he saw the personing, Voldemort''s scarlet eyes seemed to burn with a strong fire, and his voice was extremely cold and piercing.


    "What?!"


    "Severus is a traitor?"


    "How is this possible?!"


    The Death Eaters were instantly shocked when they heard Voldemort''s words. They couldn''t believe that one of the Dark Lord''s most trusted men was actually an undercover agent from Dumbledore''s side.


    Not only were the Death Eaters around the long table extremely surprised, but even Snape showed a bit of astonishment.


    "Master, you may have some misunderstandings about me." But soon, he adjusted his mood and said calmly, "You know me, Master, I will never be a traitor!"


    "Then how do you exin the map you gave me?" Voldemort said coldly, "Drac has alreadye to the ind of Azkaban, but on the map you made, the red dot representing Drac has always stayed in Hogwarts and has hardly moved!"


    "As far as I know, this is probably because Drac has learned that there is something wrong with the gift I gave him, so he left it in Hogwarts Castle." Snape exined, "Drac''s actions have never been fixed, and no one can predict it at all Where will he go next."


    "I don''t think this can be used as evidence that I am an undercover agent!"


    "You are just being stubborn, right?" Voldemortughed coldly, "Then let me see, how do you exin the other thing--"


    "Our final version of the n was officiallypleted before the action. It would take at least a few hours to get the information to Dumbledore and Drac in time. By then, the action should have been perfectlypleted!"


    "However, I met Drac who had been waiting for a long time outside the Azkaban prison... Such a speed cannot be a normal means ofmunication, that is to say, the undercover must be lurking in Hogwarts, and the one who is close to the water will get the moon first!"


    "Our camp is now There are only two people lurking in Hogwarts - one is you, and the other is my clone. "


    "Are you trying to say that the undercover is not you, but my clone?" Voldemort sneered, "How could I betray myself? How ridiculous!"


    "But that''s what I want to say, Master!" Snape suddenly said, "Your clone''s performance tonight is very abnormal. I suspect he is really the undercover you are looking for!"


    "Hahahaha..."


    Voldemortughed, "I can''t tell, Severus, I didn''t expect you to have some sense of humor. Can you say that my clone will betray me?"


    "Are you desperate, Severus? ? "His smile faded, and his face gradually turned cold. "You can find anyone here to tell me that he is an undercover agent, and it will be more credible than the answer you just gave."


    "I''m not kidding!" Snape said in a deep voice, "Don''t you feel strange? He has been doing such a simple thing as collecting blood for half a year without any progress..."


    "Not only that, as a clone without a physical body, he also has your face when you were young. How did he be an assistant teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts? Even Dumbledore, who knew your appearance when you were young, personally acknowledged his assistant identity..."


    "So I must advise you to stay vignt and be careful of your clone!"

 Chapter 132 - 132 A potion that can bring people back to life.

    <h4>Chapter 132: A potion that can bring people back to life.</h4>


    "Enough!" Voldemort''s expression was indifferent, his eyes were full of coldness, "Severus, you disappoint me!"


    Then, he raised his wand¡ª¡ª


    "Crucio!"


    Snape''s face turned pale in an instant, and he fell heavily to the ground, shaking all over.


    "This is just the beginning, Severus. Are you going to give up now?" Looking at Snape''s pale and trembling face, Voldemort cracked his mouth and showed a sick smile.


    Then, he turned his head to look at the Death Eaters sitting next to the long table, and his expression became fierce again, "Did you see it? This is the end of betraying me!"


    The meeting room in the entire bunker was silent, and the Death Eaters were all silent, leaving only Voldemort''s gloomy voice still echoing in the room.


    At this moment, Snape''s weak and depressed voice suddenly sounded in the meeting room-


    "Master... I really didn''t betray you..." Under the severe torture of the Cruciatus Curse, his voice was very low and hoarse, but it revealed an extreme firmness.


    Seeing Snape''s resolute expression, Voldemort''s movements could not help but stagnate.


    "Are you still stubborn, Severus?" he asked softly.


    "It''s not stubborn... I''m just stating a fact..." Snape took a breath and said with a big breath while Voldemort rxed.


    Voldemort''s eyes condensed, although his face was still as cold as ever, but the Cruciatus Curse that was being cast finally stopped unconsciously.


    "Forget it, catch him." He waved to the Death Eater beside him.


    Snape did not struggle, allowing himself to be tied up tightly with ropes.


    The meeting room fell into a deathly silence again...


    After this terrifying silence, another green me rose from the firece, breaking the dead silence.


    A handsome ck-haired young man walked out of the mes.


    Seeing the neer, all the Death Eaters present, even Voldemort himself, had a somewhat subtle expression.


    In the eyes of Voldemort and the Death Eaters, there were only two candidates for the traitors on their side, and they were the only two people who could report to Dumbledore and Drac in Hogwarts in time -


    Severus Snape, who is now the professor of Potions, and Tom Riddle, the assistant teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Voldemort''s clone.


    Only these two people who were originally in Hogwarts had the opportunity to inform Drac in time and let him arrive at the fortress of Azkaban before Voldemort.


    Now, as long as it can be confirmed that Voldemort''s clone did not betray the Death Eaters, it can basically be concluded that Snape is a traitor to the organization! No matter how hard he tries, it will be useless!


    "Have you brought what I want?" Voldemort asked Riddle with a cold face, "I remember I said that this is yourst chance. I hope you can seize it!"


    Riddle stared at Voldemort''s scarlet eyes, and then smiled slightly.


    "Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission!" he said.


    At the same time, Riddle took out a slender crystal bottle from his pocket, which was filled with bright red blood.


    Perhaps because Riddle had failed toplete the task too many times, Voldemort couldn''t help showing a surprised expression after taking the crystal bottle from Riddle''s hand.


    He pulled out the lid, stared at the blood in the bottle, and checked it carefully.


    "Yes, this is indeed Harry Potter''s blood." Voldemort''s eyes showed a suppressed ecstasy, "I can feel that there is also a kind of blood magic contained in it, which is a protective spell specifically for me."


    Then, he turned his eyes to Riddle who brought the blood, and waved his hand, "You did a good job this time. Do you want any reward? Just ask, I will try my best to satisfy your wishes!"


    "I don''t need any reward." Riddle smiled and shook his head gently, "Your timely recovery of your peak strength is the greatest benefit for a clone like me."


    Voldemort''s expression became more satisfied, and he nodded to Riddle approvingly.


    "Severus, do you have anything else to say now?" He looked at Snape who was tied up tightly, and asked with pride.


    "I...still hold my previous opinion." Snape said firmly, "Remember to be careful of your clone..."


    "It''se to this point, are you still unwilling to admit that you are an undercover agent?" Voldemort said coldly, "Severus, if you admit it honestly, I might even give you a way out for your years of hard work."


    "But if you are still so stubborn...I believe you also know that I have countless ways to make people live worse than death!"


    "Admit it, Severus." Voldemort''s voice was full of temptation, "Or...are the two words ''I admit'' so difficult to express?"


    "How can you admit something you haven''t done?"


    Snape''s expression has be numb, but his psychological defense line is still very strong, and he is unwilling to admit the "fact" that he is an undercover agent.


    "Good! You are very good!" Voldemort was angry andughed, "It seems that I must let you see with your own eyes how I have recovered to my peak strength! You will regret leaving me!"


    He pped his hands.


    A house elf appeared in the meeting room carrying a huge crucible that was two or three timesrger than its body.


    The house elf saw Voldemort''s distorted facial features and scarlet eyes, and took two steps back in fear.


    Like many house elves, this one was also very short, with bat-like ears, a slender nose, and protruding green eyes as big as tennis balls.


    But unlike other house elves, if you look closely, you may find that the elf''s green eyes as big as tennis balls are not only filled with obedience to wizards, but also contain some yearning for freedom.


    "Come here and put the crucible in the middle of the table." Voldemort ordered it as a matter of course.


    But the elf did not walk over obediently. It carried the crucible and subconsciously took a step back.


    "I told you toe over here!" Voldemort said more forcefully, turning to look at Lucius. "Lucius, your house-elf seems to have some ideas of his own!"


    Looking at the rebellious behavior of his house-elf, Lucius was so anxious that his face almost turned green.


    He stood up quickly and scolded loudly: "Dobby, the Dark Lord asked you to put the crucible over, didn''t you hear it?!"


    The house-elf named Dobby was forced to walk to the middle of the long table after hearing the master''s order, and put down the huge crucible in his hand with a struggling face.


    "Go aside and punish yourself in front of the Dark Lord!" Lucius continued to scold.


    Dobby chokedically, and then banged his head against the wall frantically.


    "Bad Dobby... Bad Dobby... Don''t listen to the master..." The elf banged against the wall painfully, making a series of heavy noises.


    At the same time, no one noticed that the house-elf Dobby was still whispering in a voice that no one else could hear:


    "Bad Dobby... Bad Dobby helped the Dark Lord who must not be named... But Dobby didn''t have the courage to resist..."


    "Shut him up, Lucius." Voldemort said.


    "Don''t make any sound, Dobby!" Lucius said fiercely.


    Dobby immediately shut his mouth and stopped hitting the wall, and instead used four tiny fingers to silently tear his ears.


    Voldemort nced at the house-elf and stopped paying too much attention.


    His attention was now focused on the crucible that Dobby had brought over.


    The other Death Eaters also stared at the huge crucible in front of them curiously, wondering what the Dark Lord wanted to do with it.


    "Watch out, Severus." Under the curious gazes of the Death Eaters, Voldemort suddenly said to Snape, "I know that your attainments in potions are deep enough, so I originally wanted to give this pot of potion to you to brew... but you betrayed me."


    "In that case... Avery!"


    Avery, whose name was called, walked out with a smug look on his face, and looked at Snape with disdain, obviously very satisfied with such a credit for free.


    "This potion is not difficult to brew, I hope you won''t let me down." Voldemort said coldly.


    Avery nodded confidently and raised his wand to the huge crucible-


    "Clear water like a spring (Aguamenti)."


    A stream of water quickly gushed out from the tip of Avery''s wand, and with the continuous sshing sound, the crucible was gradually filled with water-


    This crucible is veryrge, and when it is filled with water, it canpletely submerge an adult sitting in it.


    Voldemort looked at the cauldron filled with water, his eyes bing more and more excited, and he even lost control of his own magical aura, causing his ck robe to flutter.


    Avery waved his wand again, dotted and scratched the bottom of the crucible, and chanted another spell -


    "Indio."


    A crackling me sprang up under the crucible, and the fire gradually grew.


    Then, Avery took out several pre-prepared potion materials from a bag and added them to the crucible.


    After anotherplicated operation, the water in the crucible gradually turned into a green color, emitting a strange and unpleasant smell.


    The liquid in the crucible gradually took on the appearance of potion.


    Under Voldemort''s eager gaze, the potion in the crucible did not disappoint him, and it heated up very quickly.


    Within two minutes, its surface not only began to boil, but also burst out strong sparks, as if it was burning.


    The steam became thicker and thicker, and the figures of many Death Eaters present became blurred in the thick steam.


    Voldemort''s robes fluttered more violently.


    "Quick!"


    His sharp and cold voice revealed a strong sense of urgency, expectation and enthusiasm.


    "It will be ready soon, Master." Avery wiped the sweat from his head and said tremblingly.


    After all, he was not a potion master like Snape. This potion, which was not difficult to brew in Voldemort''s mouth, still consumed too much of his mind.


    After a while, the entire boiling water surface suddenly calmed down.


    Bright and dazzling sparks shed on the water surface, emitting sparkling light in the thick steam, as if it was covered with diamonds.


    "It''s done, Master." Avery breathed a sigh of relief, and his hand holding the wand rxed.


    Snape, who was tied to the side, looked at him with disgust, as if he despised Avery''s unprofessional way of brewing potions.


    "Now!"


    Voldemort''s sparkling scarlet eyes were filled with ecstasy, and his twisted features became even uglier, his whole face looked more like a t snake face than ever before!


    Looking at Voldemort''s ugly face, Riddle frowned slightly, and a trace of disgust shed in his eyes.


    But Voldemort''s attention was all attracted by the potion in front of him, and he did not notice Riddle''s abnormality.


    He walked straight to the crucible, jumped lightly, and stood on the edge of the hot crucible.


    Avery took a deep breath, knowing that the next process was more important than all the previous stepsbined, and raised his wand without any carelessness.


    "Father''s bones, identally donated, can make your son regenerate!" At Voldemort''s impatient signal, he said with a trembling voice.


    Voldemort, who was standing on the edge of the crucible, suddenly separated wisps of gray smoke and dust from his body, andbined into aplete human skeleton shape above the diamond-like liquid.


    Then, the skeleton gently fell into the crucible, and with a hissing sound, it sank gently.


    The diamond-like liquid surface suddenly broke, the water surface crackled, sparks sshed, and the liquid turned bright red and blue, looking like the most toxic poison in the world.


    After separating the skeleton of his father, Tom Riddle Sr., Voldemort''s figure suddenly became much more illusory.


    He looked at Avery with cold eyes. Even though it was an illusory figure, the powerful deterrence still almost made Avery breathless.


    Avery took a deep breath, raised his right arm tremblingly, and turned the wand in his left hand, which was pointing at the crucible, to his right hand.


    "The flesh of a servant, voluntarily donated... can make your master... reborn..." he said with difficulty.


    Then, Avery closed his eyes-


    "Diffindo."


    He let out a painful scream.


    Then came the chilling "plop" sound, and Avery''s broken hand was thrown into the crucible.


    The potion in the crucible immediately turned a fiery red color, and the strong light almost prated the thick steam in the meeting room, illuminating the chilling expressions of all the Death Eaters...


    Avery gasped and groaned in pain.


    He hastily treated the huge wound on his right wrist, put down his wand, and slowly took the bottle of Harry''s blood from Voldemort with his only remaining left hand.


    "The blood of the enemy... forced to give... can resurrect your enemy!"


    Avery poured Harry''s blood into the crucible.


    The liquid in the crucible immediately turned a dazzling white. The liquid was almost boiling again, and diamond-like sparks kept sshing everywhere, extremely bright and dazzling,pletely dispersing all the steam around.


    Averypleted the task and knelt down beside Voldemort at the edge of the crucible.


    He covered his broken arm, looked up at the Dark Lord''s satisfied and excited expression, and slowly breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he had done a great job.


    At this moment, Riddle, who had been standing aside and watching for a long time, suddenly moved!

 Chapter 133 - 133 Voldemort: So the undercover agent is really myself!

    <h4>Chapter 133: Voldemort: So the undercover agent is really myself!</h4>


    Just as Voldemort was about to throw his illusory body into the dazzling white potion in the crucible, Riddle suddenly stepped forward quickly, raised his hand and raised his wand¡ª¡ª


    "Flipendo!"


    Voldemort''s attention was all on the crucible in front of him at this time, and he had great trust in his split soul and did not pay any attention to it at all.


    Caught off guard, he was suddenly hit by the repulsive spell and fell from the edge of the crucible.


    "What are you doing?!"


    Voldemort was furious, and looked at Riddle with scarlet eyes.


    Looking at Riddle''s unruly look, Voldemort suddenly realized at this time that Snape was not wrong at all, and the soul that he split out was the real undercover!


    And the purpose of this soul fragment is exactly the resurrection potion that he desires so much!


    "All of youe! Catch him!" Voldemort looked at the terrified Death Eaters and roared viciously.


    At the same time, he also raised his wand and angrily cast countless angry spells at Riddle!


    Although Voldemort threw the bones of his father, Tom Riddle Sr., into the crucible, and lost some of his physical strength, his strength was still notparable to the soul fragments of Horcrux diary Riddle.


    Riddle fell into a disadvantage as soon as he fought with him, and could only resist Voldemort''s attack.


    However, there was not only Voldemort here, more and more Death Eaters surrounded him and attacked Riddle.


    The situation immediately became critical!


    However, although Riddle obviously could not withstand the invasion of many spells, he did not show any panic, and there seemed to be other confidence in his eyes.


    Sure enough, when he could no longer hold on, he suddenly shouted loudly-


    "Professor Drac, help me!"


    Hearing this call for help, almost all the Death Eaters, even all the wizards present, including Voldemort, froze.


    They subconsciously turned their heads left and right, trying to find the terrifying figure.


    Voldemort also looked around nervously, and found that there was no Drac, so he breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Don''t bluff, Tom, Drac can''t enter our base at all." A mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, "This ce is cast with the Fidelius spell. Unless I personally allow people to enter, no one can find the location of this bunker!"


    "Oh? Is this true?" A mellow voice suddenly sounded.


    "Of course!" Voldemort replied proudly.


    However, the next moment, he showed an extremely surprised and even terrified expression, looking at the ce where the sound came from.


    I saw a silver-haired figure who hade here at some point. He was leaning against the door of the conference room, looking at Voldemort and the Death Eaters here with a smile.


    "This is impossible!" Voldemort opened his scarlet eyes wide and looked at the direction of the conference room door in horror, "This is impossible... How could you enter a ce where the Fidelius Charm was cast..."


    "The Fidelius Charm is indeed very powerful, and there is almost no possibility of breaking it-" Drac looked at Voldemort''s panic expression with interest andughed softly, "But it is still just a magic after all. As long as it is magic, there must be a way to deal with it."


    "As far as I know, the mechanism of the Fidelius Charm is to hide a secret in the soul of a living person. As long as the secret keeper does not reveal it actively, then the secret will not be discovered, even if it is used "Mr. Voldemort, I don''t know if you have forgotten, but you do not have only one soul--"


    Dracughed happily, "Mr. Riddle''s soul is the same as yours. Since you have hidden the secret of this base in your own soul, the scope of the Fidelius Charm... is that only your soul can tell the secret."


    "And your soul is highly simr to Riddle''s, so as long as you use magic to modify Riddle''s soul a little, it is not difficult to deceive the Fidelius Charm."


    Looking at Drac with a happy smile on his face, Voldemort was stunned.


    He never dreamed that the person who exposed this base that had just been built a few days ago was not someone else, but himself!


    I am the undercover?!


    Voldemort knew that today was probably not a good day, he gritted his teeth, and suddenly rushed to the crucible.


    As he rushed forward, he shouted, "Stop them, dy as long as possible!"


    Voldemort wanted to be the first to put his soul into the resurrection potion in the crucible. If he could be resurrected on the spot and restored to his peak strength, then he would still have the strength to fight Drac!


    The Death Eaters around looked at Drac at the door with different expressions, some were high-spirited, some were hesitant, some were doubtful, and some were afraid.


    In the end, the Death Eaters led by Nott and Avery chose to attack Drac immediately.


    Nott made some mistakes in the more than ten years since Voldemort left, and now he wants to make up for it;


    And Avery only has one left hand holding the wand. He is very eager to help Voldemort restore his peak strength. Only in this way can his efforts be rewarded. Only when Voldemort recovers his strength will he help him make up for his right hand that was cut off when refining the potion, and only then will he give him a higher status that matches his efforts.


    Others are performing talents like Lucius.


    As soon as Lucius received Voldemort''s order, he began to find ways to avoid the center of the uing battle. At the same time, his actions also meant to distance himself from other Death Eaters in front of Drac to show his camp.


    A small group of Death Eaters led by Lucius once again began to perform azy show. They chanted spells louder than anyone else, and the light at the tip of their wands was much brighter than others, but for a long time no decent spell was fired.


    In the scene that suddenly became a mess, Voldemort rushed towards the crucible at a high speed.


    He was only hit by a repulse spell, and the distance from the crucible was not too far. After taking a step, he was immediately close to the crucible.


    However, this one step away became a long way away¡ª¡ª


    A silver-haired figure stood in front of the crucible, raised his hand and erected a transparent light curtain, blocking Voldemort behind the light curtain.


    His body, which looked a bit thin, blocked every inch of Voldemort''s path forward!


    Voldemort rushed very fast, and when he hit the light curtain, he hit it very hard.


    His face hit the transparent light curtain hard, and his face, which had no nose to begin with, became even tter, as if it was stepped on hard by the big feet of an elephant, and then pressed on the ground for a long time.


    After being frustrated, Voldemort subconsciously turned his head and wanted to scold the Death Eaters who couldn''t even stop one person.


    However, when he turned his head, he found that the silver-haired figure at the door was still standing there, waving his wand casually, and casually blocked the countless spell attacks of the Death Eaters.


    Seeing Voldemort''s sight, Drac at the door also shifted his gaze and smiled at him.


    Voldemort looked at the silver-haired figure in front of him again and found that it was also an identical Drac, but his figure seemed more real than the one at the door.


    Before, he was so immersed in shock and panic that he didn''t notice anything strange.


    It was not until now that Voldemort realized that Drac at the door was just an incarnation or a projection of power, so he looked a little illusory, just like his soul.


    Voldemort suddenly realized that there was probably nothing wrong with the map Snape gave him.


    But even he was deceived by Drac, so the red light spot on the map representing Drac could only be the location of Drac''s incarnation.


    "Severus, I wronged you." Voldemort said silently in his heart.


    Then, he gave Snape a meaningful look, hoping that Snape''s Legilimency could be activated in time to understand what he meant.


    The meaning of this look is this:


    "Severus, I may have failed again today, and the Death Eaters will probably suffer heavy losses. But you still have a chance. You should continue to lurk in Hogwarts. I will definitelye back!"


    Snape was silent for a while and nodded slowly.


    After Voldemort turned his head, Snape lowered his head and a mocking smile appeared on his face.


    Even Snape, who secretly had a great grudge with Voldemort because of what happened twelve years ago, couldn''t help but reveal a somewhat pitying look at this moment-


    Voldemort probably didn''t know that Snape, whom he sincerely ced high hopes on, was the biggest undercover...


    Whether it was Riddle''s exposure or Drac''s deliberate disy of his incarnation this time, it was to cover Snape''s better lurking among the Death Eaters, so as to ensure that Hogwarts could have sufficient intelligence from the Death Eaters.


    No matter what era, what asion, or what person, information is always important.


    On the other side, in Voldemort''s desperate eyes, a blood-red water prison wrapped up his illusory body.


    This is Drac''s blood-red water prison magic.


    Last semester, after Voldemort failed to steal the Philosopher''s Stone, his soul was wrapped up by Drac with this magic in all directions without dead ends, and was finallypletely eroded by blood.


    "Mr. Voldemort, it seems that I must let you see with your own eyes how your clone has reced you to restore your peak strength." Drac looked at Voldemort wrapped in blood and chuckled.


    Drac returned to him almost exactly what Voldemort had said to Snape before, but changed a few of the names.


    This murderous act made Voldemort angry, and even through the blood-red water prison, he could see his face was purple with anger.


    "This is just the beginning, Voldemort. Are you going to be unable to hold on?" Drac then repeated what Voldemort had said before, with a teasing tone in his tone.


    Voldemort took a deep breath and finally calmed down.


    "If you want to do it, do it quickly. You don''t have to bully me like this!" He said very stubbornly, relying on the fact that he still had a lot of Horcruxes, and there was still a way to revive even if his soul was annihted.


    However, Drac was also very aware of the fact that he had Horcruxes, and he didn''t buy it at all.


    "Don''t rush to die, Mr. Voldemort." He pinched his chin and said thoughtfully, "Let me think about it... What do you think? If I don''t destroy you, but keep your soul in this water dungeon for a long time, so that you can neither revive nor have the ability to go out and stir up trouble, will it be the best choice?"


    Voldemort''s eyes widened suddenly, his expression was horrified.


    "You are a devil, Drac!" He stared at Drac closely and said with gritted teeth.


    "Strictly speaking, you can indeed call me a devil." Drac was not offended at all, butughed softly, "Of course, if you look at what you do, it is obvious that you are more like a devil than me."


    Voldemort stood in the blood-red water prison, fell silent, and stopped talking.


    After a moment, he took a deep breath, as if he had made some kind of decision, and nodded heavily.


    "Don''t worry, Drac. I won''t do as you wish." Voldemort''s voice came from the blood-red water prison.


    Drac looked over curiously and found that ck mes suddenly ignited in Voldemort''s scarlet eyes.


    The next moment, Voldemort''s whole body was ignited by ck mes.


    "I wille back again, Drac..."


    After saying this, his illusory body waspletely burned out, turning into dust and floating in the blood-red water prison.


    Watching Voldemort burn himself in front of him, Drac blinked in a daze.


    "Um... Howe your main soul spontaneouslybusted?" He looked at Riddle beside him and asked innocently.


    "Didn''t you say you wanted to lock him up?" Riddle wiped the non-existent cold sweat from his head and whispered, "He chose to spontaneouslybust in order to have a chance to continue to revive..."


    "I was just joking just now..." Drac shrugged, "It''s too troublesome to maintain a magic just to guard Voldemort! I''m toozy to do that."


    Riddle: "..."


    "Okay, let''s not talk about this. This time Voldemort should be able to stay quiet for a long time and won''te out." Drac chuckled, "There''s another thing. The resurrection potion prepared by Voldemort is here. Don''t you want to go in and experience it?"


    "I''m just a soul fragment. Can I really use this resurrection potion?" Riddle still couldn''t believe it.


    "It''s always good to give it a try." Drac said, "Besides, Voldemort obviously divided his soul into many parts. If you absorb one of them, it may not be much smaller than the share of the main soul."


    Riddle nodded slightly and walked slowly to the huge crucible in the middle of the long table.

 Chapter 134 - 134 The cuckoo takes over the magpie’s nest

    <h4>Chapter 134: The cuckoo takes over the magpie''s nest</h4>


    Riddle walked to the crucible, took out the Horcrux diary from his chest pocket and threw it in.


    His figure turned into a ball of white light and drilled into the diary, sinking to the bottom of the crucible with it.


    The next moment, the sparks on the crucible went out.


    A white vapor rose from the crucible, and then sank along the edge of the crucible, quietly covering the floor of the conference room.


    "I don''t know if this diary will be damaged by the water."


    Drac thought with evil taste, and at the same time dispersed the now empty blood-red water prison, turned his head and looked at the trembling Death Eaters.


    "I almost forgot that there are still you guys here." He chuckled and said, "Tell me, your master abandoned you andmitted suicide first. What are you going to do?"


    The Death Eaters'' faces were very stiff.


    They gathered again under themand of the returning Voldemort, not just because of their fear of the Dark Lord...


    At least in the hearts of these senior Death Eaters, they thought that Dumbledore was old and Voldemort was resurrected, and no one would be able to check and bnce the Dark Lord in the future, and the future of the magic world would be the era of dark magic!


    And these Death Eaters, as the "founding heroes" of Voldemort, would be able to gain a high position and a lot of benefits for themselves in the future.


    However, to the surprise of all Death Eaters, after Voldemort''s return, a powerful professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts appeared, repeatedly thwarted the ns of the Dark Lord, and also caused serious setbacks to the Death Eaters'' camp.


    Now, this terrifying existence, who is obviously also a great wizard, is looking at them with an interested expression.


    Among the panicked Death Eaters, Lucius Malfoy, as a glorious fence-sitter and Drac''s colleague who still holds a position on the school board, stood up before his colleagues.


    "Uh... where is this ce?"


    Lucius stood up and then performed a face-changing technique for everyone on the spot, and the whole person seamlessly changed into a confused and puzzled look.


    The other Death Eaters behind him also understood immediately, and their acting skills were uneven, but most of them showed a confused look.


    "Ah... I seem to have forgotten something..."


    "Huh... how did I get here...?"


    "No... wasn''t I at home taking care of the kids just now?"


    "..."


    Drac: "?"


    Are these Death Eaters so uniform and unanimous in their pretense? They are all talented people...


    Lucius, the leader, turned around a few times, looking at the meeting room in the bunker with a confused and curious expression.


    When Lucius turned his gaze to Drac, he immediately made an unexpected expression, as if he had identally seen him here.


    "Professor Drac, you are here too!" Lucius said with great joy, "I came to such a strange ce unconsciously. I was just worried about who to find out what happened!"


    Drac looked at his superb acting skills and raised his mouth with a smile.


    "Interesting." He said with interest, "Do you really want to know what happened?"


    Lucius saw Drac''s raised mouth corners, and his face froze, recalling the fear of the originally arrogant school board being dominated by this man.


    He suddenly realized that something was wrong.


    "This... Actually, it''s good for me to find the answer myself..." Lucius whispered.


    "No, it''s faster for me to tell you directly-"


    Drac seemed to have thought of some interesting ideas, and a malicious and yful smile appeared on his face.


    "Do you know? With the joint efforts of you, the feared Voldemort was defeated." He said softly.


    The Death Eaters'' hearts suddenly stopped, and they couldn''t even continue the performance. They looked at Drac in amazement.


    "You were originally bewitched by Voldemort and joined the evil group of Death Eaters..." Drac ignored the stunned people and continued to tell the impromptu story, "Now, you are moved by justice and choose to make meritorious contributions."


    "You established the Anti-Dark Lord Alliance and fought fiercely with Voldemort!"


    "Just now, an extremely dangerous battle took ce in this meeting room - this was a battle between you, the reformed Death Eaters, and Voldemort. Voldemort was outnumbered and defeated by you because he had not recovered to his peak strength."


    "But Voldemort is still a lean camel that is bigger than a horse. Before he was defeated, he cast a very powerful Oblivion spell, erasing all your memories of reforming yourself, leaving you with only the memory of being a Death Eater. "


    "Voldemort used the Oblivion spell to make you return to his hands and help him make aeback. But I know you won''t. The Oblivion spell is notpletely irreversible, so you must recall your memories as members of the Anti-Dark Lord Alliance as soon as possible and stop letting Voldemort drive you!"


    Drac''s story stunned the Death Eaters.


    If the Death Eaters hadn''t still hadplete memories of that period in their minds, they might have really believed Drac''s lies-


    The story he made up was tooplete, and there was a little bit of rationality...


    It was outrageous!


    "Ahem... Mr. Drac, you are so humorous." Lucius smiled helplessly, "We are definitely not as great as you say..."


    Just kidding, they dare not admit the story Drac just made up!


    Any Death Eater who participated in this meeting knows that Voldemort will be resurrected!


    Even if Voldemort burned his soul into dust, the Death Eaters still can''t guarantee when the Dark Lord wille back.


    Under such circumstances, no one dared to agree with Drac''s story, even if such a story can help them get rid of the crime in the interrogation of the Ministry of Magic.


    The Death Eaters were afraid that the Dark Lord would suddenly return one day, and they would find trouble with those who followed Drac''s words and "turned from evil to good"...


    At this time, Lucius'' heart was also a little broken.


    Merlin''s beard, who would have thought that he showed the confused and puzzled expression just now, just to pretend to be a wizard controlled by the Imperius Curse.


    He didn''t have the courage to form an anti-Dark Lord alliance and then fight against Voldemort as Drac described!


    So, Lucius turned his back to the other Death Eaters behind him and kept winking at Drac, suggesting that he was one of Drac''s "own people" and there was no need to trap him with the Dark Lord''s hardcore Death Eaters.


    Drac saw the hint in Lucius'' eyes and nodded with a chuckle.


    He didn''t intend to push this fence-sitter too hard, just tease him a little and have some fun.


    After all, in Drac''s view, only Snape, an undercover in the Death Eater camp, was far from enough to shake Voldemort''s foundation, and another one had to be sent over.


    Lucius, a fence-sitter, was very suitable.


    In addition, for some unknown reason, Snape only listened to Dumbledore -


    In other words, if you want to get first-hand information from Snape, you must share information with Dumbledore.


    This made Drac very unhappy.


    Therefore, pushing Lucius to continue to be an undercover in the Death Eater camp was also one of Drac''s ns.


    In this case, Lucius was not suitable for being sentenced to too severe punishment by the Ministry of Magic, so that he would leave Voldemort''s power center.


    Therefore, Drac also acquiesced to his use of the rtionship disguised as the Imperius Curse.


    "Don''t be nervous there, wizards." After seeing the wonderful expressions on the faces of the Death Eaters, Drac was very happy, and his mouth corners were exaggeratedly raised, "I''m toozy to deal with you, it''s too troublesome. More professional people wille to judge youter."


    As he said, he turned his eyes to the crucible that had begun to cool down.


    Thest and most important step of the resurrection potion-injecting the soul, is finally about to bepleted.


    Through the gradually dissipating white mist, a man''s figure slowly rose from the crucible, tall, thin, and well-proportioned.


    The first thing that came into everyone''s sight was the face of Riddle in the Horcrux diary, with ck hair and ck eyes, handsome and handsome, and some evil and coldness in his facial expressions.


    Riddle held the nk diary in his left hand, which was not affected by the potion at all, and jumped lightly, leaving the huge crucible.


    The moment he took off, he quickly used Transfiguration to transform himself into a set of Hogwarts school robes, and thennded lightly on the ground.


    The school robe with a green cor also had a Slytherin College student''s outfit inside - a white T-shirt, a vest with green patterns, and a green striped tie.


    Suddenly, Riddle seemed to have returned to the time when he was still in school.


    That was the past that Voldemort often didn''t want to recall, but it was also all that Riddle in the Horcrux diary remembered.


    So the first time he put on clothes after getting the body, he put on a set of school uniforms like a student. However,pared with the current fashion trend, the school uniform style should have been outdated for a long time.


    "How do you feel, Assistant Professor Tom Riddle?" Drac asked with a chuckle.


    "Very good, better than ever!" Riddle alsoughed, but his voice was much more presumptuous than Drac''s.


    He still seemed to be unconvinced that he had obtained a body like this. After returning home, he kept looking up and down at every part of his body.


    This is not a body hastily built andbined with soul power, but a real body that can sense everything in the outside world!


    Riddle took out a magic wand that had been prepared long ago from the diary that had lost its soul fragments.


    He held it high above his head, and swayed the magic power in his body to his heart''s content, releasing a bright and dazzling light--


    Looking at this light, Drac frowned slightly.


    Judging from the upgraded version of the wand lighting spell released by Riddle, his total magic power seems to be somewhat different from the body that Voldemort transformed into, let alonepared with his peak period.


    If this is the case, then the effect of this dose of resurrection potion... is to create a corresponding body on the soul.


    The potion will create a body that is asrge as the ability, and it will also correspond to the appearance of the soul.


    In this way, if the person who used this potion to resurrect Voldemort was Voldemort, he would not have created a young Slytherin student like Riddle.


    More likely, an ugly monster with no hair, narrow nostrils, and scarlet eyes would be created in the crucible...


    Looking at Riddle''s handsome face, which was not yet ruined, Drac shrugged,


    "Well, at least it seems that this assistant Bigelow is more pleasing to the students..."

 Chapter 135 - 135 Step-by-step planning progress

    <h4>Chapter 135: Step-by-step nning progress</h4>


    Facts have proved that this year''s Assistant Professor Riddle is indeed more popr with young wizards than Assistant Professor Quirrell in the previous school year.


    But the students are not only weing to this handsome Assistant Professor Riddle, but also have a love-hate rtionship with him...


    "Professor Drac, go and take care of Assistant Professor Riddle!"


    "Yes, professor! Assistant Professor Riddle seems to have be a different person today, so scary!"


    Two almost identical voices rang out beside Drac, pitiful, as if they had been wronged.


    Drac put down the newspaper in front of his eyes, looked up at the two balls of fiery red hair, and suddenlyughed out loud-


    Fred and George, the twins recognized as troublemakers in Hogwarts, now havepletely lost their usual mischievous smiles, and their expressions are aggrieved.


    Their faces are bruised and swollen, and two huge symmetrical dark circles are left on the two identical faces.


    The Weiss twins who came to Drac now looked like two poor little wizards who had been bullied and came to the teacher toin!


    "Professor, it would be fine if you didn''te to help us, but you actuallyughed at us!" Fred''s expression became even more aggrieved, and he shouted loudly.


    "That''s right! Professor, if you don''t help us get justice, you will no longer be our favorite professor!" George also echoed indignantly.


    Dracughed dumbly, looking over Fred and George''s shoulders and looking at the duel stage in the center of the auditorium.


    Today is the second day after Halloween, a Monday, and the first day of normal sses and normal gatherings of the duel club after the holiday.


    The Halloween decorations and scenery have not been removed yet, and the auditorium is still filled with a strong Halloween atmosphere. Many huge pumpkinnterns are arranged around the auditorium, grinning and showing big smiles to the little wizards.


    Drac was lyingfortably in thergest pumpkinntern, holding a newspaper he had just confiscated from the little wizard, looking past the Weiss twins standing in front of the pumpkin''s big mouth and toward the center of the auditorium.


    At this moment, Riddle on the stage looked very excited.


    He called up the little wizards from the fourth grade and above one by one, and "instructed" them on their dueling skills one by one.


    It might not be appropriate to describe Riddle''s behavior as "instructing"... because rather than teaching, he was using the fighting power of the Hogwarts students to adapt to the body he had just acquired.


    Riddle was getting more and more excited, but the little wizards were miserable...


    Riddle, who had just acquired a body, had not yet mastered the use of his body, and could not cast spells freely, and he did not know how to control his strength.


    Therefore, like Fred and George, many young wizards were beaten ck and blue by him, which greatly increased the workload of Madam Pomfrey, the head nurse of the school infirmary, and made the young wizards above the fourth gradein bitterly...


    "So the dark circles around your eyes... what kind of spell did Riddle use to cause it?" Drac turned his gaze back to the Weiss twins in front of him and asked with interest, "This pair of dark circles is quite interesting, but it doesn''t seem to be the effect of a spell."


    "You are right, professor!" Fred stamped his feet, looking indignant. "When we went on stage to receive ''instructions'', Assistant Riddle disliked us for being too weak. Not only did he let us go together, he even put away his wand and fought with us barehanded."


    "That''s right, as your excellent students with quality and morality, we must of course uphold the principle of fairness and justice in the duel!" George took over and said, "So we resolutely rejected Assistant Riddle''s conditions."


    "Then Assistant Riddle attacked us without dueling etiquette and beat us with his fists." Fred said angrily.


    "Professor, there can be no physical contact in the duel, but it''s the rule you told us." George cried and sniffed his nose aggrievedly, "Assistant Riddle''s behavior is a naked contempt for the duel rules!"


    Drac listened to Fred and George''s usations with great interest, and quicklypleted the whole process in his mind-


    Most of the usations Fred and George just made should be fine. As fourth-year students, they were called up by Riddle for "instructions"... or more like sparring, which was a very normal thing.


    However, Riddle probably felt that he could not show his strength on these students, and wanted to y something exciting, so he asked the twins who cooperated well to go together, trying to test his strength more.


    Unfortunately, Fred and George alone could not meet Riddle''s needs, so he put away his wand and used these two little wizards to hone his physical fitness.


    Not only the magic power of the new body needs to be adjusted, but also the physical fitness.


    Drac knew the twins Fred and George very well, and knew that they certainly could not be as qualified and moral as they said. When they encountered such a good thing as Riddle putting away his wand to fight with them, the two would only be overjoyed and rushed up with their wands...


    Of course, facing Riddle, who was a good yer who could cast spells silently without a wand, even without a wand, the Weiss twins could not beat him.


    So the two of them were beaten up by Riddle...


    "Assistant Riddle''s behavior is indeed a bit unreasonable." Drac nodded in agreement, "Don''t worry, I will help you get revenge."


    He stood up from the pumpkinntern, chuckled and patted the twins on the shoulder.


    Fred and George looked up at Drac in disbelief, with extremely surprised expressions on their faces.


    In fact, they were just angry for a while, so they came to Drac toin, but they didn''t think that Professor Drac would be so kind and would help them get revenge.


    "Are you serious, professor?" Fred still asked in disbelief.


    "How are you going to help us get revenge, professor?" George also asked.


    Drac looked at the two big dark circles on their faces and raised the corners of his mouth yfully.


    "Don''t worry. I will personally duel with Assistant Professor Riddle to help him exercise his body..." He said with a smile, "In addition, I will cancel his temporary duel assistant position. How can you take the lead in viting the duel rules?"


    After listening to Drac''s way of venting his anger, Fred nodded with satisfaction.


    "Professor Drac, you are still our favorite professor!" He gave a thumbs up.


    However, George next to him keenly noticed something wrong and whispered, "Professor Drac, Professor Snape is not here today... If Assistant Professor Riddle''s duel assistant position is cancelled, who will train us?"


    "Do you still need to think about this? In the absence of them, of course I will train you!" Drac''s smile became more yful, "When the timees, you will alle together as a college, and I will personally serve as your duel opponent to train your duel skills!"


    Fred and George''s eyes suddenly widened, and their eyes showed extremely frightened expressions.


    "No, Professor!"


    "Professor, you can''t do that!"


    However, Drac had been intrigued by Riddle''s fighting style, and he ignored the crying Weiss twins and walked straight to the duel stage in the center of the auditorium.


    Drac threw the newspaper in his hand into the air, and the candle in the pumpkinntern swayed, revealing a few big words on the cover-


    "Azkaban was attacked by unknown dark wizards, and has been sessfully repelled by the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic!"


    ...


    The newspaper continued to fall, gentlynding in a thin and old hand.


    The hand put the newspaper on the table, gently supported a pair of half-moon sses on the slightly crooked nose, and stroked the long white beard on the face under the sses.


    "Professor Drac, I heard that you had a lot of fun in the duel club today?" Dumbledore stroked his beard and smiled at the silver-haired figure sitting on the window sill of the principal''s office.


    "It''s OK," Drac curled his lips, obviously not very satisfied, "I just hope they can get up on time for the first morning ss tomorrow."


    "I hope so, otherwise Minerva and the others willin to me again." Dumbledore smiled and asked, "What is the current state of Tom Riddle''s Horcrux?"


    "It''s weaker than I thought," Drac shook his head and said, "Voldemort''s resurrection potion did not allow Riddle to gain the power of the Dark Lord, but probably solidified his power level to the stage when he was about sixteen years old."


    "But it seems that Riddle has integrated well and there is still the possibility of further growth. He borrowed the method of fighting with the little wizards today to run in his new body, and he has made great progress."


    Dumbledore nodded slightly, but his expression was slightly hesitant.


    After a moment, he asked softly, "Professor Drac, do you think...our n is still going on as nned?"


    "Of course." Drac turned to look at Dumbledore, "Are you worried that I am not doing my job and don''t care about the n we made?"


    "Not really." Dumbledore shook his head, "I''m just not sure... Forget it, it would be great if everything can go on as nned in an orderly manner."


    "Have you read today''s Daily Prophet?" he asked.


    Drac nced at the newspaper in Dumbledore''s hand and sneered coldly.


    "Tsk tsk, the unknown dark wizards attacked Azkaban and were repelled by the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic..." He curled his lips indifferently, "What a good topic change, this so-called official newspaper."


    "Actually, it''s understandable." Dumbledore said expressionlessly, "The Ministry of Magic doesn''t want to cause panic among the people, so it didn''t announce Voldemort''s information. What''s more, Voldemort was indeed defeated by you, Professor Drac, and there should be no possibility of recovery in a short time."


    "Don''t want to cause panic?" Drac sneered again, "Tsk, do we have to wait until Voldemort ispletely resurrected before giving the wizards of the magic world a surprise?"


    Then, he Turning his head to look at Dumbledore, he said, "I clearly remember... the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Head of the Auror Office were both on the ind of Azkaban and saw Voldemort with their own eyes. Do they both have the same opinion?"


    "That''s not the case. Amelia and Rufus wanted to announce the information about Voldemort''s resurrection." Dumbledore said, "But the current Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, does not want the news to be leaked. Maintaining the current stability is already very difficult, and he does not want other risks to ur during his tenure."


    "Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic who was called a fool by Voldemort, right?" Drac chuckled.


    "Professor Drac, you don''t have to say that..." Dumbledore smiled helplessly, "Cornelly... well, he also has his merits that can be learned."


    "Learn how to cover up one''s mistakes?" Drac leaned against the window frame of the principal''s office bored, looking at the sparse stars in the night sky outside the window, "If I''m not mistaken, those Death Eaters who were sent to the Ministry of Magic were not actually sentenced, right?"


    "As you expected, Professor Drac." Dumbledore sighed, "Most of those people are long-term The pure-blood wizards who donated to the Ministry of Magic also have a considerable amount of family influence in the Ministry of Magic. Cornelius would not be willing to offend such arge number of pure-bloods..."


    "Besides, those Death Eaters insisted that they were under the control of the Imperius Curse and had no idea about this action. Fudge was also happy to find an excuse to let them go, and they hit it off. "


    Of course, what Dumbledore did not say was that Fudge and many people rted to the Ministry of Magic took the opportunity to ckmail those pure-bloods and made a lot of gold Galleons.


    "Sure enough, even after hundreds of years, your wizard regime is still so unreliable." Drac smiled carelessly and jumped down from the windowsill, "But it''s just right for our n."


    Fudge''s behavior was indeed just right for them.


    It can just protect Snape and Malfoy, the two undercover agents in the Death Eaters, so that they will not be punished by the Ministry of Magic, and do not need the additional help of Drac and Dumbledore, so that they can better protect their true identities and continue to lurk in the Death Eaters'' camp.


    "Has Snape rested well these two days?" Drac asked.


    "Don''t worry, Severus can go to ss as usual tomorrow." Dumbledore smiled knowingly, "He has a strong will and will not waste too much time because of a Cruciatus Curse."


    "That''s good." Drac nodded gently, "As you wish, Mr. Principal, our n can proceed step by step."


    "I hope Voldemort won''t make me wait too long."

 Chapter 136 - 136 Quidditch counter-buy, villa by the sea

    <h4>Chapter 136: Quidditch counter-buy, vi by the sea</h4>


    After Halloween, it was November.


    Entering November means that Hogwarts Castle has officially entered winter, and it also means that the first official Quidditch match of each school year will kick off this month.


    After the draw, the first game of this year is Gryffindor vs. Slytherin.


    Although the Gryffindor yers did not show it on their faces, they were actually a little unconfident in their hearts.


    This is because, with the support of Draco Malfoy''s rich father, all the members of the Slytherin team changed to thetest Nimbus 2001 flying broom, whose performance simply crushed the Gryffindor''s group of sweeping antiques. Only the Nimbus 2000 given to Harry by Professor McGonagall canpare with them.


    Fred and George, the two batsmen, had already explored the enemy situation early. ording to them, "Slytherin team members fly as fast as lightning!"


    Because of Slytherin''s top hardware equipment, Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor team, has been very anxious recently.


    In order to defend the Quidditch Cup, he pulled the Gryffindor yers out whenever he had time to conduct a devilish training that made Harry and others shudder.


    ording to Fred and George, Wood''s devilish training was even more perverted than Professor Drac''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss and dueling club!


    ...


    The first Saturday morning in November, the day when the first Quidditch match began.


    Harry woke up early in the Gryffindor dormitory.


    Hey in bed for a while, unconsciously looking out the window, looking at the Quidditch field in the distance from the tall Gryffindor tower, which was still green even in winter, thinking about the uing Quidditch game.


    Harry was a little nervous.


    He was mainly thinking about what Wood, who was eager to defend the championship, would say if the Gryffindor team lost; at the same time, he also thought that the teams they were going to face were all riding the fastest brooms that money could buy, and this obvious hardware gap could never be made up by a little bit of technology.


    But when he thought of the arrogant faces of the Slytherin Quidditch yers, the incident when Malfoy humiliated Hermione as a mudblood, and the pain when Ron was hit by his own slug curse... Harry had never been so eager to defeat the Slytherin team as he was now!


    His heart was churning, and hey on the bed with his eyes open, thinking about it for half an hour, then got up, dressed, and went downstairs to have breakfast early.


    When he arrived at the hall, he found that the other members of the Gryffindor team probably had the same mood as him and hade here early.


    They squeezed at the empty long dining table, each of them looked nervous and silent...


    The eleven o''clock when the Quidditch game officially started was approaching, and almost all the teachers and students in the school began to go to the Quidditch stadium to watch the game between the defending champion of the previous school year and the second-ce team in the standings.


    It was a hot and humid day, and the sound of thunder was faintly heard in the sky.


    When Harry walked into the locker room, his two best friends, Ron and Hermione, hurried over to wish him good luck.


    Then, he and the other team members changed into the bright red Gryffindor Quidditch uniforms, and then sat down to listen to Wood''s usual pre-match pep talk.


    "The Slytherins'' brooms are better than ours, that''s undeniable," Wood said seriously, "but every one of us is better than them on the brooms! We train harder than them and have flown in all kinds of weather conditions. In weather like today, if it rains, it will be an advantage for us!"


    "That''s right," George shrugged and interrupted, "My clothes haven''t been dry since August."


    "Of course, Professor Drac''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss and the Dueling Club also contributed to it," Fred added.


    Wood red at the two of them and continued passionately, "We will make them regret it and let them know that the Seeker who gets into the team by spending money can''t win the game!"


    Harry nodded in agreement.


    Wood was very excited, his chest was heaving, he turned to Harry and said: "It''s up to you, Harry!"


    "You have to show them that as a seeker, it''s not enough to rely on a rich father. Harry, today you either catch the Golden Snitch before Malfoy, or die on the field! Because we must win today, we must win!"


    He repeated "must win" twice, which shows how strong the Gryffindor captain''s desire to win is.


    "So don''t be stressed, Harry." Fred winked at him andforted him.


    However, the next moment, Wood turned his vicious eyes to Fred and George.


    "I heard you opened another bet, and bet on Slytherin to win?" He said fiercely, "If I see you guys not working hard in the game today, I''ll see how I deal with you!"


    "Ah... Hahaha, Oliver, how did you know?" Fredughed, "Actually, this is just our strategy. Don''t you know that catchy saying--"


    "Quidditch reverse bets, vis by the sea; asionally bet on a draw, ride on a light wheel; bet heavily on an underdog, surpass the big dog; bet on a strong team, line up on the rooftop... We are the strong team, so we can''t bet!"


    "After saying so much, don''t you want us to lose the game?!" Wood''s expression became even more dangerous.


    "Stop, Oliver, Fred was just joking!" George quickly stood in front of Wood and held down his clenched fist. "In fact, we are deliberately spreading the limelight to retaliate against those big dogs in Slytherin..."


    "Even if we both bet on Slytherin, they will definitely think that we have no confidence in this game and will bet with a fluke mentality... If you don''t believe it, look, we have deceived half of Slytherin College!"


    George took out a notebook full of various bet amounts and shook it in front of Wood.


    "And we only bet two silver Sickles on Slytherin. The real big money was bet on Gryffindor by Lee on our behalf." Fred also said.


    Wood saw the astronomical figure of "20 Galleons" behind Lee Jordan''s name, and then nodded with satisfaction.


    "In that case, to show my determination, help me put all my savings in!" Wood waved his hand, "I will definitely make a big profit this time!"


    Fred: "?!"


    George: "Do you want to reconsider... Buy a strong team, and line up on the rooftop, Oliver..."


    "Don''t persuade me, I''ve made up my mind!" Wood said confidently.


    "Okay, then I''ll wait for you on the rooftop of the Astronomy Tower." Fred gave him a thumbs up.


    "..."


    Harry looked at the yers who had ced heavy bets and felt more pressure...


    Finally, it was time for the Quidditch game to officially start.


    When Harry and his friends came out of the locker room and walked towards the stadium, they were greeted by a noisy sound.


    Mainly cheering and cheering, because Ravenw and Hufflepuff both wanted to see Slytherin defeated, but at the same time, they could also hear the boos and jeers from the crowd of Ravenw and Hufflepuff students.


    Madam Hooch, the Quidditch referee, asked Flint and Wood to shake hands. They stared at each other threateningly and squeezed each other''s hands more tightly than necessary.


    "Listen to my whistle," Madam Hooch shouted, "Three... two... one..."


    "All -"


    The whistle sounded.


    The crowd roared and sent them off. The fourteen yers soared into the dark leaden sky together, each to their own position that had been practiced countless times.


    Harry, as the Seeker, flew higher than all the yers. He squinted and looked around, looking for the shadow of the Golden Snitch.


    "Are you all right, Scarhead?" Malfoy shouted in a mocking voice.


    He rode Nimbus 2001, flying under Harry like an arrow, as if showing off the speed of his new broom.


    Harry had no time to pay attention to Malfoy. He was under great pressure in this game and just wanted to find the Golden Snitch as soon as possible.


    Just then, a heavy ck Bludger suddenly flew towards Harry and hit him hard on the head.


    He barely dodged it by a hair''s breadth, and even felt the ball graze his hair as it flew by.


    "That was close, Harry!" George flew over, still in shock.


    He rushed past Harry with a bat in his hand, ready to hit the Bludger at the Slytherin yers.


    George hit the Bludger hard at a Slytherin yer on the opposite side, trying to knock him off his broom.


    But what neither Harry nor George expected was that the Bludger suddenly changed direction midway and flew straight at Harry again.


    Harry quickly lowered his broom and barely dodged it again.


    George hit the Bludger hard at Malfoy again. However, the Bludger turned around again like a boomerang and went straight for Harry''s head.


    Harry felt something was wrong, and instantly sped up, whooshing to the other end of the field.


    But he could hear the Bludger still whizzing after him.


    ''What''s going on? '' Harry thought in surprise.


    Fred was ready to go, waiting for the Bludger at the other end. Harry lowered his head suddenly, and Fred used all his strength to hit the Bludger hard, hitting the Bludger to the other side of the court.


    "Good shot! It''s okay now!" Fred shouted happily.


    But he was wrong again.


    The Bludger seemed to be attracted to Harry by maism and flew after him again. Harry had to speed up and run away desperately.


    It began to rain in the sky, and big drops of rain hit Harry''s face and sshed on his sses.


    ording to Wood, this situation is beneficial to Gryffindor, who has experienced various weather training, but Harry is not happy at all.


    Under the cover of raindrops, he has no idea of ??other situations on the court, and can only barely take care of himself to avoid the Bludger that has been around him.


    "Slytherin leads, sixty to zero."


    Thementator Lee Jordan''s regretful voice rang out on the Quidditch field.


    Apparently, Slytherin''stest broom worked, and the Gryffindor yers could not stop their fast attack at all.


    Meanwhile, the crazy Bludger was still trying its best to knock Harry down from the air.


    In order to protect Harry from being knocked down by the Bludger, Fred and George were now flying close to him, so that Harry could only see them hitting the Bludger''s arms continuously, and there was no hope of finding the Golden Snitch, let alone catching it.


    "Someone has tampered with this Bludger..." Fred also discovered the problem. He frowned and muttered, while hitting the Bludger thatunched a new round of attack on Harry.


    "We need to pause." George nodded.


    He raised his hands and crossed them together, signaling to Wood, and at the same time, he and Fred had to prevent the Bludger from breaking Harry''s nose.


    As a qualified captain, Wood obviously caught his signal. He gestured to Madam Hooch to stop the game.


    "Dudu--"


    Madam Hooch blew her whistle.


    Harry, Fred and Georgended on the ground, still needing to dodge the crazy Bludger.


    "What''s going on?" Wood came over with a broom and asked in confusion.


    Harry flew too high and the raindrops were too big, so Wood didn''t notice anything wrong with him.


    "We were scored against repeatedly, and we couldn''t organize an effective attack." Heined, "Fred, George, where were you when the Bludger stopped Angelina from scoring? Do you really want to make money by suppressing the two Sickles from Slytherin?"


    "We were twenty feet above her, stopping another Bludger from killing Harry, Oliver." George said angrily, "Someone tampered with the ball - it refused to let Harry go. During the whole game, it kept ramming around Harry and didn''t chase anyone else!"


    "Maybe someone from the Slytherin team tampered with it." Fred spected, "Or likest year, a dark wizard like Quirrell sneaked into Hogwarts and wanted to harm Harry!"


    "But since the end of ourst training, the Bludgers have been locked in Madam Hooch''s office. At that time, they were all fine..." Wood said anxiously, "I''ll try to ask Madam Hooch to rece a Bludger."


    He walked towards Madam Hooch and anxiously exined Harry''s situation just now.


    Then Madam Hooch nodded, took the Bludger and inspected it.


    "I don''t see any problem with this Bludger." She checked it inside and out, then shook her head, "The flight path of the Bludger ispletely random. There have been examples of it flying around a person in previous games. Maybe you think too much?"


    "But, Madam Hooch..." Fred wanted to argue, but was interrupted by Madam Hooch.


    "Your break time ising up, can we continue the game?" She looked at the watch and said seriously.


    "Listen." Harry shook his head at Fred and George, "You two keep flying around me, I have no hope of catching the Golden Snitch! You should go back to the other team members, I can deal with the wild ball myself."


    "But we can''t watch you die!" George said excitedly.


    The conscience of the Weiss twins could not let them abandon Harry, even if they paid twenty Galleons.


    Just when several people were about to argue, an interested voice sounded -


    "It seems that you have some trouble here?"

 Chapter 137 - 137 Dobby the house elf

    <h4>Chapter 137: Dobby the house elf</h4>


    "Professor Drac!"


    Harry and the twins Weiss looked in the direction of the voice in surprise, and saw that the intrigued silver-haired professor hade to the Quidditch field at some point.


    From time to time, raindrops as big as beans fell from the sky, consciously bypassing the edge of Drac''s body, and falling on thewn with a "pat", "pat".


    Today''s weather has been gloomy, with no sunshine, and it has been raining since the game started.


    However, this kind of weather, which only brings difort to Quidditch games and spectators, just meets Drac''s wishes. In the weather without sunshine, he doesn''t minding to the first Quidditch game of the school year to watch the excitement.


    "I just saw that the Bludger has been bumping around Potter, right?" Drac asked.


    "That''s right, Professor, someone must have tampered with the Bludger!" Fred nodded heavily, "I now seriously suspect that someone sneaked into Madam Hooch''s office and cast a spell on the Bludger!"


    "Mr. Weisley, I have checked it, and there is nothing wrong with the Bludger." Madam Hooch red at Fred seriously, then turned to look at Drac: "Professor Drac, you should stay in the audience and should not appear on the Quidditch field. This is against the rules!"


    "I''ll just say a word and leave. I won''t dy your game." Drac smiled gently at Madam Hooch.


    Seeing Drac''s smile, Madam Hooch''s tone softened and she nodded reluctantly.


    "Well, since you''re a professor..." she said, "but you only have one minute!"


    "That''s enough." Drac chuckled, turned to look at Harry and other Gryffindor Quidditch yers, and said to them, "The Bludger may have been tampered with, but it''s unlikely to have been done before the game."


    "It''s very likely that it was cursed during the game, just like Potter''s broomst year."


    "Then what should we do?" George put his arm around Harry''s shoulders and asked worriedly.


    "Professor, you can definitely help us solve this problem, right?" Fred asked.


    On the one hand, they were worried about Harry, and on the other hand, if possible, the twins certainly didn''t want the twenty gold galleons they bet on to disappear.


    Madam Hooch also looked over with doubtful eyes and asked, "Professor Drac, are you telling the truth?"


    Faced with this unexpected situation, even if she didn''t want the Quidditch game to be suspended midway, she had to think carefully at this time.


    "It''s okay, just y as usual." Drac shook his head, "As for the guy who did the trick, I will help you catch him."


    As he said, he looked at Harry with a very yful look, "Even if I didn''t catch him in time, it''s still no problem to rescue Potter in time. I think you should have experience, right, Potter?"


    "Of course, I believe the professor can catch me in time." Harry nodded helplessly, and at the same time he was stillining in his heart, ''After all, I have experienced it once in the gamest school year...''


    Harry couldn''t figure out why there were always such and such problems when he participated in Quidditch games. Either Quirrell cursed his broom, or he was chased back and forth by a bludger like today, and there was always the danger of falling from the broom at a high altitude...


    Fortunately, today''s Quidditch game got Drac''s promise, and the yers and referee Madam Hooch all put down their hanging hearts.


    All Quidditch yers returned to their respective positions and got ready.


    "All--"


    Madam Hooch blew her whistle again.


    Harry kicked his feet and flew into the sky with a "whoosh". At the same time, he heard a gust of wind behind his head, knowing that the Bludger was chasing him again.


    He was not too anxious in his heart. He knew that as long as he dyed for a few more minutes, he could be saved when Professor Drac found the person who cursed the Bludger.


    The rain was getting heavier, and Harry was rising higher and higher. He turned, turned, turned sharply, circled up, and circled east and west in the sky...


    He walked back and forth in a "Z"-shaped route like a flower rope, trying to avoid the attack of the Bludger.


    The dense rain curtain formed by the heavy rain was thick, blocking the sight of the little wizards, and the audience outside the field could hardly see the abnormality of the Bludger. But they could see Harry making funny and weird movements in the air.


    When Harry hung headfirst on his broom to avoid another fierce attack from the Bludger, the rain even poured into his nostrils.


    Harry heard augh from the crowd on the Slytherin side. He knew he must look very embarrassed, but he didn''t have time to care about it. He just hoped to avoid the attack of the Bludger.


    Fortunately, I don''t know if the person controlling the Bludger was too far away to control it urately, or if the evil spell cast on the Bludger was not strong -


    The wild Bludger seemed very clumsy and could not change direction as quickly as Harry, so the Bludger and Harry were in a stalemate of chasing each other for a while.


    Harry felt a little dizzy in the continuous circling action, but he still wanted to win and kept his eyes wide open.


    His sight passed through the raindrops that crackled on his sses, through the silver-white rain curtain, carefully observing any golden reflection of the Golden Snitch within the entire Quidditch field...


    A whistling sound rang in his ears, and Harry knew that the Bludger almost hit him again. He turned his head and flew rapidly in the opposite direction.


    At the same time, Drac quietly appeared in the thick rain curtain.


    He spread his wings and floated in the sky, with light flowing in his wine-red eyes.


    The dense rain curtain had no effect on him at all, and only served as the best visual cover for the wings behind him.


    Drac watched Harry''s various funny and effective flying movements with interest for a while, and finally remembered his business after a long time, and then turned his attention to the Bludger that was flying around Harry like crazy.


    Looking at the magic trajectory connected to it, a look of surprise slowly appeared on his face.


    This kind of magic does not look like a wizard''s at all, but more like... a house elf?


    "Things are getting interesting."


    Drac raised his lips with interest, and disappeared into the thick rain curtain with a sh.


    ...


    Harry dodged the attack of the Bludger again.


    With his superb Quidditch talent and long-term adaptation to bad weather training, Harry has now be very familiar with the situation. He began to fly around the edge of the Quidditch field like a pendulum.


    After circling the field for half a circle, Harry suddenly found that the sound of breaking wind that often sounded in his ears disappeared.


    He turned around with joy and found that the crazy Bludger had returned to normal and flew in another direction, finally no longer chasing him.


    Harry knew that Professor Drac must have caught the bad guy. He finally breathed a sigh of relief and stopped spinning.


    This period of dodging the Bludger exhausted him!


    "Were you practicing ballet just now, Potter?" Just when Harry had just breathed a sigh of relief and wanted to take a short break for two minutes, Malfoy suddenly flew over on his Nimbus 2001 andughed loudly.


    Harry turned around and red at Malfoy with hatred.


    But since he really didn''t have the energy to argue with him now, Harry was ready to ignore him and fly directly to the other side of the Quidditch field.


    At this moment, he suddenly found that a ray of golden light quietly emerged in the thick rain curtain.


    Harry opened his eyes wide and looked through his sses to where the golden light appeared.


    He saw the Golden Snitch!


    The Golden Snitch was hovering a few inches above Malfoy''s left ear-Malfoy was busyughing at Harry and didn''t see it!


    At that moment, Harry retracted all his movements, his body suspended in the air, and didn''t dare to speed up and rush towards Malfoy.


    He was afraid that Malfoy would notice his movements and find the trace of the Golden Snitch.


    ording to the distance between the two and the Snitch, if Malfoy also saw it, then Harry would have no chance of catching the Snitch.


    Harry''s brain was spinning rapidly, trying to find another way to divert Malfoy''s attention.


    At this moment, the wind sounded in his ears, and he caught a glimpse of the familiar Bludger out of the corner of his eye.


    Harry''s eyes lit up, and he immediately thought of a good idea. He suddenly felt that this crazy Bludger was not so annoying-


    While Malfoy looked at him triumphantly, Harry resisted the fatigue and dizziness caused by long-term rotation, and urged the broom again to rotate up and down around the Bludger.


    "Hahaha..." Malfoy couldn''t helpughing out loud as he watched Harry''s funny movements, "I say... Pott - the so-called ''scoring star'' of the Gryffindor team is actually obsessed with dancing ballet on the Quidditch field... Hahaha..."


    Malfoy covered his stomach andughed on the broom, his whole body shaking, looking like he wouldugh himself off the broom at any time.


    He didn''t notice the Golden Snitch that was so close to him.


    In the hazy rain curtain, Harry performed an angry expression, suddenly stopped spinning, and rushed towards the face below that was sneering.


    He saw the eyes on the face widened in fear - Malfoy thought Harry was going to hit him!


    "What are you doing -" he shouted in fear, while hurriedly dodging Harry''s flying path.


    Harry didn''t hit Malfoy, one of his hands let go of the broom, and reached out fiercely to grab it -


    He felt his fingers holding a cold, winged metal ball!


    Harry felt relieved, but at the same time he lost the strength to continue flying, and fell straight to the ground. There was a cry of surprise from the crowd below.


    With a "bang", water sshed everywhere.


    Harrynded heavily on the muddywn, but managed to hold on to the ground and climbed down from the broom.


    A weak smile appeared on his pale face, and he raised his hand high -


    The golden snitch that represented victory was firmly in his hand!


    "Dudududu--"


    Madam Hooch''s whistle for the end of the game sounded on the field, followed by the cheers of the audience and the extremely excited shout ofmentator Lee Jordan:


    "Our genius seeker Harry Potter caught the Golden Snitch, and caught it next to the ear of the Slytherin team''s seeker! Let us congratte Gryffindor for their victory!"


    Fred and George flew over from a distance, threw their brooms aside, lifted Harry high and threw him into the air.


    "Good job, Harry!" Fred shouted.


    "We really made a lot of money on this bet!" George''s eyes seemed to have turned into the shape of gold galleons.


    Harry also showed a rxed smile and looked at the professors in the audience, hoping to see Professor Drac and thank him for his help.


    However, the seat originally reserved for Drac on the high tform was empty.


    ...


    At this time, Drac had returned to his office.


    With him came a very short house-elf with bat-like ears, a long nose, protrudingrge green eyes, and wearing only an old pillowcase.


    The house-elf, who was caught doing something bad, was trembling in front of Drac''s desk.


    He tried to sneak away several times using the house-elf''s unique Apparition, but was trapped in ce by Drac''s casual eyes and could not escape at all.


    The elf finally realized that this professor was not an ordinary wizard at all, and he was afraid that he would be in danger today...


    "It''s strange, why do I feel like I''ve seen you somewhere before." Drac sat behind the desk and looked at the house-elf with a puzzled look.


    He always felt that this elf looked familiar, but he was not sure if it was an illusion caused by face blindness of this species.


    So Drac said, "Why don''t you introduce yourself first and tell me who your master is?"


    "Dobby... Dobby was not sent by the master!" The elf looked unyielding, "Dobby will not surrender, Dobby cannot betray my master."


    "So your name is Dobby." Drac smiled casually, "But this is quite fake, how can a house elf act on its own?"


    "Well, I also know that house elves will not betray their masters, so let''s change the question - why do you want to assassinate Potter?"


    Hearing Drac''s new question, the face of the house elf Dobby suddenly changed. He seemed to be stimted by something, and tears kept rolling down his pointed nose.


    "Dobby... Dobby never wanted to assassinate the great Harry Potter..." Dobby sobbed.


    "''Great''... Harry Potter?"


    Drac frowned.

 Chapter 138 - 138 Lucius’ decision

    <h4>Chapter 138: Lucius'' decision</h4>


    "You seem to admire Potter, don''t you?" Drac asked softly, slowing down his tone.


    "Not only me... all of us house-elves admire him." Dobby groaned, and more tears rolled down his tattered pillowcase.


    "I wish he knew what he meant to us humble, enved little people in the magical world! Dobby has not forgotten the situation when the power of the demon who must not even be named was at its strongest, Mr. Professor!"


    "At that time, people treated us house-elves like pests... Of course, they still treat Dobby like that now."


    As Dobby spoke, he wiped his face with his dirty pillowcase, "But overall, since Harry Potter defeated the demon who must not even be named, the lives of us elves have improved a lot."


    "Harry Potter survived, the rule of the evil demon was broken, and this is a new beginning. For those of us humble people who think that dark days will never end, "For a house elf who will end, Harry Potter shines like a beacon of hope..."


    "I understand this a little bit." Drac nodded thoughtfully, "I met a house elf named Kreacher some time ago. He was not regarded as a human being by Voldemort at all, not even as a living creature, but just as a tool for testing magic."


    "Ah!" Dobby suddenly covered his ears and groaned, "Don''t say that name, sir! It''s too scary!"


    "Okay, go on." Drac shrugged nomittally, "Why do you worship Harry Potter so much, but want to use the Bludger to knock him off the broom and kill him?"


    Dobby''s behavior aroused Drac''s curiosity.


    As a house elf, it is already strange to act without the permission of the master... What''s even weirder is that he actually controlled the Bludger to hit Harry''s head while verbally thanking Harry.


    "No, that''s not the case! Dobby never thought of letting Harry Potter fall off his broom and die!" Dobby said emotionally, "Dobby wanted to save Harry Potter''s life! It''s better to be sent home with serious injuries than to stay here! Dobby just hopes that he will be slightly injured and then go back home to rest!"


    "But this doesn''t seem reasonable, right?" Drac raised his eyebrows, "You said a little injury, I think Madam Pomfrey can treat it easily, and she won''t give Potter a chance to go home to recuperate."


    "But...but Dobby didn''t think of any other way "The first thing he will do after he recovers his strength is toe to Hogwarts to seek revenge on Harry Potter... Dobby can''t let Harry Potter stay here, because history is about to repeat itself, and this time the big devil will never make the same mistake asst time-" At this point, Dobby''s words suddenly stopped. He was stunned and terrified, then he grabbed Drac''s red wine bottle from the desk in front of him and hit his head hard, muttering in a low and painful voice: "Bad Dobby, very bad Dobby... actually told the secret that the master must strictly guard..." However, just when the red wine bottle was about to hit Dobby''s wrinkled and bald head, his whole body suddenly froze. "Professor, please stop trying to stop Dobby! Dobby has revealed a secret that cannot be told, and he must punish himself!" Dobby thought Drac was trying to stop him from punishing himself.


    Drac''s mouth twitched, and a few ck lines fell from his face.


    "I don''t want to stop you from punishing yourself, Dobby," he said unhappily, "but when you punish yourself, can you please not use my treasured red wine as a weapon?"


    Drac took back the red wine bottle from Dobby''s hand with a casual move, and took out a tall wine ss to pour himself a ss of bright red wine.


    After tasting the wine elegantly, Drac''s mood eased a little, and he turned his attention back to this special house elf.


    "Your identity doesn''t seem simple, Dobby." The corners of his mouth raised an intriguing smile, "You know about Voldemort''s resurrection, and you also know where Voldemort wants to go most after his resurrection-"


    "In that case, the answer to the question of whose house-elf you are... the scope is too narrow."


    Drac stared at Dobby''s eyes with a smile.


    "Don''t say it... wuwuwu, don''t say it..." Dobby''s tears fell down in big drops, "Dobby betrayed his master, Dobby is a very bad house-elf..."


    However, Drac didn''t care about Dobby''s sadness at all, and then said in an affirmative tone:


    "If I''m not mistaken... your master is Lucius Malfoy, right?"


    Dobby''s crying suddenly stopped, he opened his big eyes like copper bells, horrified, and stuttered for a long time without uttering aplete word.


    Seeing Dobby''s performance, Drac knew that he was right -


    "The only ones who could know the details of Voldemort''s recovery of strength should be those Death Eaters who attended the bunker meeting. This is not difficult to guess." He said casually, "And most of those Death Eaters only knew the details of Voldemort after attending the meeting, so it was impossible for you to eavesdrop on the news before that."


    "Besides, it''s toote for them to try their best to distance themselves from Voldemort. It''s impossible for them to talk about Voldemort''s recovery of strength at home, and it''s even more impossible for them to reveal the news to the house elves. . "


    "So you must not have overheard this backward news from your master."


    Drac chuckled and stared into Dobby''s eyes, "Sorry, I''m a little blind to house elves, and I didn''t realize that you were the elf carrying a crucible in the bunker meeting room. I was wondering why I felt that a house elf looked familiar!"


    It turned out that when Dobby was called aside by Lucius and Voldemort to punish himself, before Voldemort finished making the potion-


    Because Dobby couldn''t bear to see Voldemort''s resurrection, he could only quietly leave the meeting room and punish himself in another ce.


    Therefore, Dobby also missed the situation where Drac and Riddle teamed up to pit Voldemort, and thought that Voldemort, who was sure to win, hadpletely returned, and his heart was in a mess.


    In order to save Harry Potter, whom he admired, he gritted his teeth and ran away from Malfoy Manor.


    Dobby waspletely stunned after hearing Drac''s long string of words. He swallowed hard for a long time and felt hopeless.


    "Dobby... Dobby can''t save Harry Potter. I didn''t expect that the professor of Hogwarts is also a core Death Eater..." Dobby murmured desperately, "Only the core Death Eaters can join that meeting, and that person is actually a dark wizard disguised as a professor."


    "I suggest you change your words, Dobby." Drac nced at him, "If you say I am a professor disguised as a dark wizard, I might feel better."


    "Dobby... Dobby will notpromise with ackey like you!" Dobby showed an expression of fearlessness.


    "... You are really something, Dobby, and you scolded your master by the way." Drac sneered.


    "Oh no!" Dobby''s tears, which had finally stopped, began to fall again, "Dobby is a very bad house elf..."


    "Forget it, I always feel that it is a bit difficult tomunicate with you..." Drac finally lost his patience and stood up from his seat.


    "Let''s go, let''s go directly to your master and let him exin to you!"


    ...


    At the same time, Malfoy Manor was decorated with lights and colorful lights-


    The bushes in the garden, the walls outside the house, the exquisite pirs... Every part of the manor was hung with bright and luxurious colored lights and colorful ribbons full of festive atmosphere, and even the peacocks that often wandered at the gate of Malfoy Manor had a strip of small light bulbs hung around their necks.


    If someone who didn''t know saw it, they might think that what just passed this month was not the spooky Halloween, but the lively Christmas!


    "Lucius, the Dark Lord just left... Is it really appropriate for us to decorate the house like this?" Lucius'' wife, Narcissa Malfoy, asked worriedly, "If other Death Eaters see it and leak it out, your position in the Dark Lord''s heart will probably be even more disadvantageous, right?"


    "Don''t worry, Narcissa." Lucius leaned on his cane and walkedfortably in the spacious back garden, "The Dark Lord is gone, I saw him burn himself to ashes with my own eyes! He will definitely note back without a few years."


    "Besides, I''m not worried about being seen by other Death Eaters. After all... my position is already irreversible."


    Luciusughed at himself, then unconsciously stared at the Dark Mark on the inside of his left arm, and fell silent unconsciously.


    If Lucius, as a fence-sitter, decides which side to lean to as the wind blows-


    Then the original wind actually blew towards Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and Lucius was originally slightly inclined towards Voldemort. After all, he was an extremely terrifying wizard, an extremely outstanding magic genius, and he had theplete power of the entire Death Eaters.


    Compared to a professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts who was weak and alone on the surface, even a fool would not stand on the wrong side!


    However, until Halloween, in that underground fortress, Drac''s crushing performance against Voldemort really made Lucius dumbfounded.


    The wind direction on the wall immediately changed.


    Lucius immediately turned from Voldemort to Drac, and decided to create a new faction in addition to the different factions of the Ministry of Magic, namely the "pro-Den faction", the "pro-Voldemort faction", and the "self-improvement faction" due to the policies. The name of the faction is -


    "Drac''sckeys'' faction!"


    Of course, ck-legged" is just a word that suddenly emerged in Lucius'' mind when he was a Death Eater and was responsible for almost all the aftermath, paying the bills, and smoothing rtions, but did not find any benefits.


    He felt that if he continued to do the dangerous job of Death Eater, the head of a pure-blood family would really be ackey of Voldemort, who could only lie on the ground and kiss Voldemort''s toes all day long, and would not get what he deserved at all...


    Now, thinking of the faction he wanted to open up about Drac, Lucius immediately thought of the word ck-legged".


    However, for the sake of his own face, he would still uncreatively call this faction "Pro-Drac Faction". He is the only one in this faction of the Ministry of Magic at present...


    "Lucius, I don''t quite understand." Narcissa Malfoy asked doubtfully, "Since you have chosen to leave the Death Eaters, why do you still keep in touch with other Death Eaters and even n to respond to the call of the Dark Lord at any time?"


    "Wouldn''t it be safer for you, me and Draco if we go directly to Professor Drac for asylum?"


    "You don''t understand, Narcissa, I can''t just leave the Death Eaters, and I can''t just ask for Professor Drac''s asylum." Lucius sighed and poked the ground with his cane sullenly, "No matter where we go, we need corresponding value!"


    "Isn''t the head of the Malfoy family valuable enough?" Narcissa Malfoy frowned.


    "No, the head of the Malfoy family is indeed valuable to the Dark Lord, but it is still far from enough for Professor Drac." Lucius shook his head, "What the Dark Lord wants is to conquer pure blood, to rule the magic world, and to gain greater power! So the identity of the head of the Malfoy family is very valuable to him."


    "But Professor Drac is different - Drac has nock of wealth. To him, the wealth umted by the Malfoy family for hundreds of years may be no different from the pocket money of a poor man in his eyes; and he has no interest in power, he only thinks these things are troublesome..."


    "Drac just wants countless fun!"


    Lucius said in a deep voice, "And so far his greatest fun is to deal with the Dark Lord who has no style for him... Because of this, I can only be worthy of being protected if I can continue to provide him with information about the Dark Lord!"


    "But that''s too dangerous... isn''t it?" Narcissa said worriedly.


    "It''s better than staying under the Dark Lord. I don''t want the Malfoy family to fall in my hands." Lucius changed his cane to another hand and put his arm around his wife''s shoulders. "Well, the Dark Lord is gone, it''s time to celebrate. Don''t talk about those tense topics!"


    "Be happy, Narcissa, at least this manor that has been upied by them for a long time is finally back in our arms!"

 Chapter 139 - 139 Let’s put a dress on the elf.

    <h4>Chapter 139: Let''s put a dress on the elf.</h4>


    Lucius, who no longer needed to look at the Dark Lord''s face, was in high spirits after regaining control of Malfoy Manor.


    Not only did he want to hang celebratory decorations and colored lights in the manor, he also had to light all the candles and chandeliers to make Malfoy Manor as bright at night as during the day!


    "Lucius, if I''m not mistaken, it''s daytime now..." Narcissa Malfoy looked at the sky in confusion.


    Although the sky was indeed a little gloomy today, unlike Hogwarts in the heavy rain, Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire, Ennd was just in a gray and cloudy day, and it was not so dark that all the lights needed to be turned on.


    Narcissa Malfoy looked at Lucius worriedly, "Lucius, is it because the Dark Lord put too much pressure on you before he left, causing problems with your brain? Otherwise, let''s go to St. Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Mdies and Injuries?"


    "Uh... not really." Lucius'' excited words got stuck in his throat. He was silent for a long time before saying, "Narcissa, don''t you think our manor was too dark when the Dark Lord was still here?"


    "In order to maintain his so-called mystery and secrecy, the Dark Lord didn''t even let us turn on the lights. It looked like we couldn''t afford candles. This is a great shame!"


    Lucius shook his arm holding the cane and said indignantly, "I think we must I have to prove to those friends who misunderstood me that our Malfoy family can afford candles!"


    Narcissa looked at her husband with a caring look, not understanding how hemunicated with other pure-blood friends. They actuallypeted over such a small matter as how many candles they lit...


    "...Okay." She nodded, "But if you light candles like this, the remaining candles in the manor should not be enough."


    As she said, Narcissa shouted to the empty yard: "Dobby, go out and buy a warehouse of candles!"


    Lucius and Narcissa paused for a while, ready to hear the "bang", "bang" sound of the house elf''s apparition as usual, and his respectful obedience after a deep bow.


    However, nothing appeared in front of them.


    A cold winter wind blew, making the two shiver.


    "Dobby!" After waiting for a long time, there was no sign of the house-elf Dobby. Lucius frowned and shouted impatiently, "Dobby, where have you gone, you stupid house-elf? Come here and punish yourself!"


    However, there was still no sharp voice of the elf to respond to them.


    "Don''t shout, he must have left without permission." Narcissa said expressionlessly, "Within the scope of this manor, the house-elf cannot fail to hear our call."


    "How dare this humble little thing leave the manor without our permission?!" Lucius''s face turned cold, "Go back, Narcissa. Write a letter to the owner of Wenrenju and ask him to send the candles to us."


    "When Dobbyes back, I will let him know the consequences of leaving without permission!"


    Whether it was Lucius or Narcissa, theypletely regarded the house-elves as the most humble and lowly servants. Of course, they would not sympathize with Dobby when he slipped out of Malfoy Manor without permission.


    They turned around with indifference and walked towards the living room, which was no longer the old one that could not afford candles, but had be splendid and dazzling.


    "So what are the consequences of leaving Malfoy Manor without permission?"


    Just before they stepped into the splendid living room, a mellow voice suddenly sounded behind Lucius and Narcissa.


    Lucius''s footsteps suddenly stopped in the air.


    The two turned around and saw a tall figure with long silver hair standing in a rose bush that was blooming out of season under the effect of magic at Malfoy Manor.


    Against the backdrop of green leaves and purple roses, the figure was looking at this exquisite and gorgeous manor with great interest.


    "Who are you? How did you get in?"


    Narcissa Malfoy''s face turned cold when she saw this man she had never seen before. Before Lucius could stop her, she blurted out, "Do you know the consequences of trespassing into Malfoy Manor?!"


    "Oh?" Drac nced at Lucius beside Narcissa, and his expression seemed to be yful, "Then tell me, what are the consequences of trespassing into Malfoy Manor?"


    Lucius'' pale face suddenly turned a little ck.


    "I''m really sorry, Professor Drac, Narcissa doesn''t know your identity, please forgive me if I offended you!" He took a deep breath and bowed deeply to Drac.


    At the same time, Lucius whispered to his wife: "Narcissa, this is the Professor Drac I mentioned to you. Hurry, apologize!"


    Hearing her husband''s remarks, Narcissa also panicked.


    She had already heard from Lucius how terrifying Professor Drac was. It was said that this professor was able to suppress the Dark Lord in terms of strength, and his personality was even more capricious, making him a more terrifying existence than the Dark Lord!


    "Sorry... Professor Drac. I really didn''t know it was you!" Narcissa also trembled and bent down like her husband.


    Under Voldemort''s rule, the two had long been ustomed to groveling.


    Lucius was already thinking hard at this time - in order to express his loyalty, should he crawl over and kiss Drac''s toes like he did before when he was under Voldemort?


    This is a question worth thinking about!


    "Lucius, you two are a bit boring." Looking at the performance of the Malfoys, Drac curled his lips and walked out of the purple rose bushes. "I thought I had invaded your territory anyway, and you should at least raise some objections... but you lowered your head instead."


    "Also, don''t show off the things left by Voldemort in front of me in the future, it''s meaningless! I would rather you fight me, maybe it will be more interesting."


    ''We don''t have a masochistic habit, how dare we fight you...'' Lucius smiled bitterly.


    At the same time, Lucius also gave up the weird etiquette of kissing toes in his heart.


    He even suspected that if he dared to make such a move, Drac would most likely feel disgusted, which might be more serious than attacking Drac...


    "I suddenly remembered...you haven''t answered my previous question yet." Drac walked out of the flowers and came to Lucius and Narcissa, "Tell me, what are the consequences of a house elf leaving the manor without permission?"


    Until then, Lucius noticed that Drac did note to Malfoy Manor alone.


    Right at Drac''s feet, there was a short elf wearing only an old pillowcase, with his mouth tightly closed and his big eyes staring in panic.


    "Dobby?" Lucius frowned and asked in confusion, "Why are you with Professor Drac?"


    Dobby saw his master, thought of what he had done, and was worried that Drac would tell the Malfoy family, and he trembled with fear and nervousness.


    "Woo woo woo--" Dobby''s voice was mumbling, trying to open his mouth to speak.


    However, his two lips seemed to be tightly stuck together, and he couldn''t speak at all.


    "Silencing spell?" Lucius looked at Drac in surprise, and then he seemed to think of something, and a frightened expression suddenly appeared on his face, "Professor Drac, did Dobby offend you?!"


    "Don''t worry, I will never let such a lowly servant offend you like this. As long as you speak, you can kill or cut me up as you want, and you can vent your anger as you want!"


    Lucius immediately put on an expression of righteousness and said loudly.


    Hearing the ruthless words of his master, even though Dobby had no feelings for him and was often abused, he couldn''t help but feel sad. Big tears fell from his big eyes to his nose, and then "tick-tick" and "tick-tick" dripped on the ground.


    "Forget it, Dobby didn''t offend me." Drac nced at Lucius and said casually, "I think he is quite interesting, at least much more interesting than the two of you."


    Among the group of house elves, Dobby is indeed very interesting, and can even be said to be the most interesting individual among the house elves-


    As a house elf, he will sneak out; he will resist some of the arrangements of his master in his heart; he will resist the requests made by Voldemort; he will worship Harry Potter and put his actions to save him into practice...


    This is a feat that no other house elf can do!


    "But Dobby is really interesting, but a little noisy." Drac chuckled and said, "So I put a Silencing Spell on him. I''m toozy to listen to him "self-reflection" and "self-punishment" there. It''s a bit noisy."


    Lucius breathed a sigh of relief.


    "If you like, I can sign a magic transfer contract to transfer the house elf to you and let him be your servant." He said carefully.


    "Transfer him to me as a servant? I''m not interested." Drac nced at Dobby''s dirty old pillowcase and shook his head with some disgust, "Make him a piece of clothing. This pillowcase is too torn and it''s an eyesore."


    "Clothes? For him?" Lucius opened his eyes wide in astonishment, "Professor Drac, I think I need to remind you that as long as you give any piece of clothing to the house-elf, it is equivalent to letting him go, and we will no longer have such a capable servant."


    "I know. But I don''tck those servants who obey orders and have no ideas of their own . "Drac said, "What I need most is someone or something that can bring me fun or freshness, not a puppet that only agrees and obeys orders."


    "Do you think I don''t know what will happen after signing a contract with a house-elf? They will lose all their own thoughts and opinions,pletely be the vassal of the master, and at the same time almost sacrifice all the fun in them."


    "It''s not easy to meet a unique house-elf like Dobby. I don''t want to frustrate his thoughts that seem to be beating all the time." Drac chuckled.


    "So hurry up, Lucius, find him a suitable piece of clothing."


    ...


    The living room of Malfoy Manor, which was where the Death Eaters held a meeting a few weeks ago.


    When it was upied by Voldemort and the Death Eaters before, it seemed that they were reluctant to light the lights, and it looked dim and gloomy.


    At this time, all the candles and lights have been lit here, and the whole living room has be brightly lit and magnificent.


    Luxurious furniture, marble fireces, gilded mirrors... These luxurious furnishings sparkled with gold, reflecting the bright lights in the living room. The stone floor tiles were almost all covered with precious thick carpets, all of which reflected the wealth and luxury of Malfoy Manor.


    Drac leaned on the soft sofa, holding a tall wine ss and shaking it gently, asionally bringing the cup to his mouth to taste a mouthful of bright red wine.


    Dobby, the house elf, stood beside Drac with big green eyes.


    Lucius and Narcissa sat at the long table for meetings in an orderly manner, exining to Dobby the facts about Voldemort that he had misunderstood before.


    At the same time, he also ordered a special robe for house elves from Madam Malkin''s robe store with an expedited order.


    "So... the dark devil who can''t even be named has been defeated again?"


    Dobby stared with big, round green eyes, his face full of astonishment.


    "That''s right." Lucius said coldly. He still couldn''t let go of his pride in front of his own house elf, and insisted on being a cold head of the family.


    "Then I am... bad!" Dobby suddenly sobbed loudly, "Dobby is sorry for Harry Potter. Dobby almost knocked Harry Potter off his broom, and Dobby also misunderstood the kind Professor Drac... Dobby is a very bad house elf!"


    "Kind?" Drac''s mouth twitched. It was the first time he heard someone use such irrelevant words to describe himself.


    And Lucius''s face at the long table was even darker.


    ording to Dobby, the house elf of the Malfoy family did not leak the news of Voldemort''s return to others.


    But when he tried to save Harry Potter, the savior, hepletely forgot about the young master of the Malfoy family, Draco Malfoy, who was in the same game... This made Lucius, the head of the family, dissatisfied.


    At this moment, an owl flew in from the window and dropped arge package on Lucius'' head.


    Lucius opened the package and saw the small and exquisite clothes inside.


    "I can''t believe it. It''s okay to exin the facts to the house-elf, but I actually made a set of clothes for him!" He looked around carefully and whispered, "If my friends knew about this, I''m afraid I would beughed at to death!"


    Lucius handed the small clothes to Dobby.

 Chapter 140 - 140 Dobby is free!

    <h4>Chapter 140: Dobby is free!</h4>


    Dobby stared at the small dress in front of him with his big green eyes in disbelief.


    This is a small dress suit - a white shirt, a ck coat and skinny trousers, and a matching small hat. It can be said that "small butplete".


    The dress looks very fitting, or it can be said that this is the first tailor-made house-elf dress in the wizarding world - its various size data are measured for Dobby using Narcissa Malfoy''s magic tape measure.


    For this reason, Narcissa decided not to use this tape measure to measure clothes in the future...


    "The master gave Dobby a set of clothes," the house-elf took the small dress with a trembling tone, and was extremely excited, "The master gave the clothes to Dobby!"


    "I know, you don''t have to repeat it twice!" Lucius said with gritted teeth, "Take your clothes and leave before I change my mind!"


    Although Lucius Malfoy is a typical pure blood who ignores house elves, his house elves are not blown by the wind.


    House-elves are magical creatures that cannot be hired just by having money.


    Magical families that can own house-elves are either upper-ss people with extremely high social status in the magic world, or pure-blooded people with a long family history and heritage. Only a few wizards can pick up those lonely house-elves abandoned by their owners by luck.


    Moreover, as natural masters of housework and using various magic, they do not need any sry or wages at all, and can handle the tasks assigned by wizards in an orderly manner, and rarely make their masters dissatisfied.


    There is only one Dobby among these rare magical creatures, even in the wealthy Malfoy family.


    Lucius'' heart was bleeding when he handed the clothes to Dobby!


    Dobby subconsciously looked at Drac, who led the matter single-handedly, and saw the handsome professor nodding to him with a chuckle.


    So, Dobby made up his mind and took the exquisite and small dress from Lucius.


    "Dobby--Dobby is free!" Dobby shouted excitedly.


    He was so excited that he even started to cry.


    Bean-sized tears flowed from his big eyes, across his pointed, long nose, and dripped from the tip of his nose.


    Dobby cried while carefully protecting his first set of clothes, not letting his tears stain this exquisite dress.


    "Lucius, so how bad are you to him normally?" Drac looked at Lucius Malfoy with a stiff expression in surprise, "It''s not something that ordinary people can do to make a house elf who has left its owner so happy?"


    Lucius coughed dryly and avoided Drac''s gaze awkwardly.


    Dobby''s performance made Lucius embarrassed.


    Because house elves are one of the magical creatures that obey their masters'' orders the most and have the deepest feelings for wizards, they are often not very happy when they get clothes.


    Because when they are free, they are also abandoned by their masters and be an elf that no one wants. This is not only not a relief for house elves, but also a shame, representing ipetence, and being looked down upon by their fellow house elves.


    Even many house elves who have suffered abuse will not me their masters, and will be sad when they are given clothes and "fired".


    For example, the corpses of the house elves that Drac saw in the house of the ck family - the pure-blood wizards of the ck family are ustomed to cutting off the heads of dead house elves and hanging them on the wall next to the stairs.


    However, the ck family''s actions did not cause the disgust of the house elves, but were regarded as the greatest honor in their lives by elves such as Kreacher...


    The deformed thinking of magical creatures such as house elves can be seen.


    Because of this, Dobby''s behavior is even more strange.


    Anyone can see that Dobby''s expression now is clearly happy to the point of crying. He had no reluctance or attachment to his master that a proper house-elf would have, and all he had was the joy of being free!


    Lucius had raised such a unique house-elf, so he was naturally ashamed, and he was speechless when facing Drac''s questioning.


    "Lucius, if you really want to get away from Voldemort, I''ll give you a piece of advice--" Drac stood up, slowly took a step forward, staring into Lucius''s gray eyes, "Put away those habits left over from Voldemort''s reign, and the bad behavior you call aristocracy."


    Drac said softly, "I can''t stand it."


    Lucius''s cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes on his back, and his face became paler than usual.


    "I understand, Professor Drac." He lowered his head, his knees bent involuntarily, and then forced them back, suppressing his habitual behavior of wanting to kneel down and beg for mercy.


    "Very good, it seems that you really understand." Drac raised his lips, drank the wine in the goblet, and then casually ced the goblet on the long table beside him, making a crisp sound.


    Lucius picked up the bottle with great tact and poured Drac a ss of bright red wine.


    Drac smiled with satisfaction, pulled out a chair and sat down, picked up the slender stem of the goblet again, and shook it gently.


    The bright red wine swirled in the cup, and the vortex on the surface of the liquid shattered the reflections of Drac and Lucius, and the color of the wine gradually became deeper.


    Lucius stared nkly at his messy figure in the wine, as if he saw hisplicated mood.


    "Tell me, whatpensation do you want?"


    Drac''s voice interrupted Lucius''s messy thoughts, "After all, I have caused you to lose a precious house-elf. You can think carefully about whatpensation you need."


    Lucius was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously wanted to say some clich¨¦s of rejection, such as "Being able to help Professor Drac is the best reward", "Serving Professor Drac is what I should do" and so on.


    He often said these words when facing the Dark Lord, and he was so skilled that he couldn''t be more skilled.


    However, when those polite words were about toe out, Lucius''s sight suddenly emerged like this-


    The same living room of Malfoy Manor, the same seat, but the scene was not as magnificent as it is now, but rather very dark and gloomy.


    A hoarse and low voice sounded from the seat in front of the living room.


    "You did a good job, Lucius." The figure with scarlet eyes and a cold look like a snake said coldly, "I have always been clear about rewards and punishments. Tell me, what reward do you want?"


    "Being able to serve the master is the reward I want most!" Lucius said in a ttering tone, saying the clich¨¦s he had said countless times before without any hindrance.


    However, this time, he didn''t seem to be as lucky as usual.


    "I suddenly thought of a very interesting idea," Voldemort cracked his mouth and showed a hideous and terrifying smile, "Let your son join the Death Eaters, Lucius."


    ...


    Lucius suddenly opened his eyes wide, looked at Drac who was shaking the wine ss in front of him, and swallowed the clich¨¦s that almost blurted out in his throat.


    "Professor Drac, I do have an unwee request." He took a deep breath and changed his words.


    "Tell me about it." Drac looked at the wine ss in his hand and answered casually.


    "I have a son studying at Hogwarts..." Lucius said carefully, "If it is convenient, please take care of him for a while."


    After saying this, Lucius looked up at Drac, hoping to discern his intentions from his expression.


    Drac stopped shaking the wine ss, turned his head with a little surprise, and looked at Lucius''s worried look.


    "Draco Malfoy, right? I remember him." Drac chuckled, "It''s a simple thing. Are you sure you want me to take this little thing aspensation for you?"


    "No, Professor Drac, Draco is not a small thing to me." Lucius said, "He is the most important thing in my and Narcissa''s life."


    "Okay, I know." Drac still held the stem of the goblet and stood up from the chair.


    He walked to the open space in front of the living room and waved to Dobby who was still wiping tears excitedly.


    Dobby hurriedly hugged his little dress and ran to Drac in small steps.


    A dark moon quietly emerged from behind Drac. The moonlight was cold, but it dimmed the splendid living room of Malfoy Manor.


    Drac gently shook the wine ss and walked into the moonlight with the elf¡ª¡ª


    "Don''t worry, I will take good care of Draco."


    Drac''s voice dissipated with the moonlight, and the lights in the hall became bright again, shining into Lucius''s gray eyes.


    Lucius breathed a sigh of relief and copsed on the back of the chair.


    He knew that his actions today were not in vain¡ª¡ª


    Since Drac agreed to take care of Draco, it meant that he didn''t mind providing some protection for the descendants of the Malfoy family, and Draco would no longer be forced to be a Death Eater.


    In this way, even if Voldemort resurrected again, even if Lucius angered the cruel Dark Lord, the Malfoy family would not be cut off from all inheritance...


    ...


    The dark moonlight sprinkled in the Defense Against the Dark Arts office.


    Drac shook the wine ss and walked out of the moonlight. He was followed by a house elf holding a small dress.


    Unlike the weather in Wiltshire, Ennd, where Malfoy Manor is located, it is still raining heavily in the Scottish Hignds where Hogwarts is located.


    Apanied by strong winds, raindrops hit the window ss of the office, leaving traces of water.


    Drac leaned against the cold window, took a sip of wine, and turned to look at Dobby, who had just stopped crying.


    "Are you finally not crying?" he asked.


    "Dobby... Dobby is just too excited!" Dobby wiped his eyes again, rubbed his wet palms on the old pillowcase he was wearing, and held the dress in his arms very carefully, while looking up at Drac.


    "Thank you, Mr. Drac, you freed Dobby!" He said gratefully in a piercing and sharp voice, "Mr. Drac set Dobby free! You are as great as Harry Potter who defeated the Dark Lord!"


    Drac chuckled and shook his head.


    He didn''t expect that even if he freed Dobby, he would only be able to reach the same status as Harry Potter. It is conceivable that in the eyes of the house-elf, the status of his savior student is so high!


    ''That is to say... before rescuing Dobby, my status was not as high as that of a student? '' He shrugged with a smile.


    "Dobby, I''m actually very curious." Drac then looked at Dobby and asked curiously, "As a house-elf, why do you yearn for freedom so much? Is it just because Lucius and others treat you badly?"


    "Because... Dobby is a unique house-elf!" The elf''s ugly brown-red face suddenly broke into a brilliant smile, revealing a mouthful of teeth, "Dobby has never been willing to be submissive like other elves, and Dobby has never been willing to go back to the past and live under the rule of the nameless!"


    "So Dobby wants to be a free house-elf!"


    At this point, Dobby became excited and jumped on the spot.


    "But if Dobby is still under the control of his master, then Dobby will never be able to be a free elf..." he said, "Fortunately, the great Mr. Drac helped Dobby gain freedom!"


    "Then you are really a house-elf with your own ideas." Drac chuckled, "What should this be called, the progressive elf of the new century in the magic world?"


    "It''s not as exaggerated as Mr. Drac said..." Dobby lowered his head in embarrassment and whispered, "Dobby... Dobby is just doing what he wants to do."


    "What are your ns next, Dobby?" Drac said with a smile "Speaking of which, I have lived for so many years, but I have never seen a free house elf. I am not sure what you can do..."


    "Sir, Dobby has thought about it." Dobby''s eyes widened, and his eyes were slightly sad. "Dobby is going to wear new clothes to meet the great Harry Potter and apologize to him in person... Dobby almost made Harry Potter fall off his broom and almost broke his bones..."


    "Harry Potter will never forgive the very bad Dobby..."


    Dobby lowered his head, his expression became a little lonely.


    "I think Potter will forgive you." Drac said with a smile.


    At this time, he had taken out the title deed of Hogwarts and saw what the little wizards in various parts of the castle were doing-


    The Quidditch match was justpleted a few hours ago, and the celebration that followed was far from over.


    Countless little wizards wearing red cored school robes gathered in the Gryffindormon room, surrounding a little wizard wearing round-framed sses in the middle, celebrating the Gryffindor team''s victory over Slytherin.


    Among them, two red-haired twins set off two huge fireworks in themon room, filling the entire space with fire.


    Wearing the prefect badge was another red-haired student, who arrived at the scene in time, extinguished the mes caused by the fireworks with a water-making spell, and then began to chase the twins around...


    "Dobby, you can go to the Gryffindor dormitory in a while." Drac smiled with interest and said to Dobby, "The Harry Potter you have been thinking about is having a celebration party in themon room!"


    "The morning game is very tiring. When their party is almost over, Potter should return to the dormitory to sleep. You can go to his dormitory to seek his forgiveness at that time."


    Drac gave Dobby an encouraging look.


    "Having just won the game, Potter must be in a good mood, and you don''t have any bad intentions. ording to his character, he shouldn''t embarrass you."


    Hearing Drac''sfort, Dobby''s expression became much happier and his mood became cheerful.


    "It would be great if Harry Potter could really forgive Dobby!" He smiled brightly, and his big pointed ears stood up. "When the great Harry Potter forgives Dobby, Dobby can go find a job with confidence!"


    "Wait, what did you say...find a job?" Drac''s mouth twitched, and he looked at Dobby in great confusion, "You just became a free elf, why do you have to find a job in the blink of an eye?"


    Dobby''s unique brain circuit is indeed fun enough, but it always makes Drac a little behind.


    "No, Dobby is a free house-elf, but not azy, passive house-elf!" Dobby carefully told Drac the difference between the two house-elfs, "House-elfs cannot live without work, and the life of a house-elf without work is meaningless!"


    "So you want to find another master?" Drac frowned.


    If Dobby really gave Drac a positive answer, it would only mean that he had misjudged this maverick elf. This also means that Drac''s interest in Dobby will no longer exist.


    Drac naturally did not want this unique house-elf in the history of magic who voluntarily gained freedom to find a master again.


    Fortunately, Dobby did not disappoint Drac.


    "Dobby doesn''t want to find another master." Dobby said shyly, "Dobby wants to find a real job... the kind that can get a sry!"


    "A house elf who needs a sry?" Drac''s eyes lit up and he became interested immediately, "Why don''t you work for me, two hundred Galleons a month, ten days of vacation. Is this sry eptable?"


    However, what Drac didn''t expect was that Dobby suddenly screamed loudly:


    "Mr. Drac is looking down on Dobby!"


    "Do you think it''s not enough?" Drac frowned slightly.


    The sry he offered was already a very good sry in the magic world. I''m afraid that even the Minister of Magic may not have such a high sry.


    "No! This sry is too high, it will make Dobby feel ashamed!" Dobby said loudly.


    Drac: "..."

 Chapter 141 - 141 Capitalists want to cry when they hear it.

    <h4>Chapter 141: Capitalists want to cry when they hear it.</h4>


    "So how much do you want to be paid?" Drac was a little speechless, and then asked.


    Dobby showed a very bright smile on his face, and tears of joy filled his eyes again.


    "Mr. Drac, Dobby wants wages just to buy enough clothes for Dobby to wear! Compared with wages, Dobby still likes work more!" Dobby said, "So, Dobby is a free elf, sir, Dobby only needs one Sickle every day and one day off every month!"


    "One Sickle every day?" Drac''s eyes twitched, "Your monthly sry is not even two Galleons, and you can''t even buy a nice set of clothes."


    How can there be such a conscientiousbor force in this world? I''m afraid that even the ck-hearted capitalists in the Muggle world dare not exploit their employees like this. If they dared to know that there are such employees, they would probably be moved to tears...


    "It''s okay, sir, the clothes Dobby has now are enough to wear for a long time!" Dobby said very contentedly, "Dobby has calcted that three sets of clothes are enough for a year! One set each for summer and winter, and one set for spring and autumn!"


    "So what you call wearing clothes... is simply finding a set of clothes to wear, rather than wanting to change into better-looking new clothes?" After listening to Dobby''s magical speech, Drac became more helpless.


    "Of course, house elves don''t need those nice clothes!" Dobby said confidently, "Dobby can even wear a pillowcase for several years!"


    "I can''t meet your request." Drac shook his head, "What kind of sry is one silver Sickle a day? If this gets out, people might think I''m a stingy evil capitalist... Where can you let me put my face?"


    "How about this, ording to your conditions, change Sickles to Galleons, and pay one gold Galleon a day." He calcted a little and changed a condition that he thought was not good, "As for rest days, it''s the same as the students of Hogwarts, two days off on weekends, so Is it eptable?"


    "So... seven Galleons a week, two days off?" Dobby counted on his fingers for a long time, and suddenly shuddered, "So much money and vacation time... this is terrible!"


    "More than seven Galleons a week..." Drac was silent for a moment, and then said, "Dobby, do you know that if your sry is a little lower and your vacation time is deducted, you will be no different from those free house elves."


    "But... Dobby is a free house elf..." Dobby stared at Drac in front of him with his big green eyes in confusion.


    Drac raised his hand to support his forehead.


    Free and freedom are the same word, "free", Dobby understood Drac''s free house elves as free house elves.


    "Mr. Drac, it''s not that Dobby wants to bargain, but you''ve given too much!" Dobby seemed to see that Drac had nothing to say, and exined tteringly, "Sir... Dobby likes freedom, but Dobby doesn''t want too much freedom. Dobby likes work more!"


    It would have been better if Dobby didn''t exin, but when he did, Drac waspletely helpless.


    It can only be said that even for a progressive elf in the magic world like Dobby, it will take time to escape the ideological confinement of a house elf.


    Others bargain with their bosses to increase their wages and vacation time. Dobby, on the other hand, reduced his own sry and shortened his vacation as much as possible. He would get angry with you if you couldn''t achieve his ideas...


    "Okay, it''s up to you in terms of treatment." Drac waved his hand and drove the speechless house-elf out of the office. "You can go to the Gryffindor dormitory and apologize to the great Harry Potter you admire!"


    ...


    Since the first Quidditch match in November, Hogwarts has had another house-elf who needs wages.


    Although the wages he needs are the same as nothing to Drac...


    Drac directly threw a bag of gold Galleons to Dobby, covering his wages for more than 20 years.


    Dobby felt very scared about receiving so much wealth at once, so he returned the gold coins to Drac. He only kept two Galleons for himself, which represented his monthly sry plus four days'' sry.


    The house-elf is also a good hand at housework, and he kept Drac''s office in good order.


    After bing the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and getting such an office, Drac never bothered to decorate and tidy it. Basically, when he saw that it was a bit dirty, he would use a cleaning spell to get rid of the dust in the office, and then continue to let it maintain that "messy beauty".


    As for the decoration in the office, Drac did not make much changes.


    He just used Transfiguration to turn the curtains into thick ck curtains to block the sunlight that might shine in during the day; and hung a few bats that looked like specimens but were actually alive at the door of the office to provide a warning for the office to prevent people from sneaking in.


    There were not many other furniture and furnishings - a desk, two soft armchairs, afortable sofa, a bookshelf with few books, a wine rack for wine, a candy rack for lollipops that was addedter, and a big bed.


    After Dobby took over the management of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office, there were earth-shaking changes here.


    The desk and bookshelf became neat and tidy, the bed was wrinkle-free, and every corner of the office was spotless.


    Dobby also deliberately added a lot of decorations to the idle space in the office ording to Drac''s preferences, using the funds Drac gave him to buy things -


    Such as a ck Gothic coffee table, arge vase with demon wings carved on it, a tall dark clock, a crystalmp decorated like a moon...


    After the furniture wasid out, Dobby found that a corner of the office was still empty, so he nted a few bright red flowers watered with blood.


    This is a flower from the ancient magic world in the Himyas. Its Sanskrit name seems to be Manjusaka. It has no leaves when it blooms, and its petals are as red as blood, and it is stained with a kind of enchanting temperament.


    Dobby has been taking care of Malfoy Manor for a long time, and he is very good at using magic to grow flowers. He thinks this strange flower is very suitable for Drac''s temperament, so he cultivates them very carefully.


    As Drac''s new housekeeper, Dobby has been taking care of Drac''s office very carefully.


    But it only took him a week topletely take care of Drac''s office, including shopping, cleaning and decoration.


    Then Dobby was free.


    In the past, he not only had to take care of the entire Malfoy Manor by himself as a house elf, but also had to ept the usations and various temporary instructions from the Malfoys.


    Even so, Dobby was still able to take time to sneak out and "rescue" Harry Potter from the threat of the Dark Lord...


    It is conceivable how efficient he is at work.


    Now it is just an office, even if there are some tasks in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom and the Dueling Club, Dobby still feels bored.


    When there is not enough work, Dobby feels a strong sense of guilt, thinking that thiszy life is not what a qualified house elf should enjoy.


    So, he slipped into the kitchen on the basement floor of Hogwarts Castle to help other house-elves working at Hogwarts...


    "Buddy, I tell you, I am definitely the most sessful house-elf now!" In the kitchen of Hogwarts, Dobby was washing dishes while holding his head high and showing off to the house-elves he had just met next to him.


    "Why do you say that?" Buddy, the house-elf working in the kitchen, asked curiously.


    "Because I am a house elf with my own wages!" Dobby said proudly, "I can earn 30 silver Sickles a month, which means that in less than half a year, I can buy a set of clothes with my own money!"


    "What?!" Buddy showed a horrified expression and moved aside a few steps, as if he didn''t want to stand with Dobby. "Who is your master? How could he let you degenerate to the point of taking wages? Buddy is really ashamed of you!"


    "Come on, Buddy, don''t you want to wear a new set of clothes?" Dobby asked, "Being able to earn wages means that we can buy clothes with our own money!"


    Dobby''s topic about buying clothes for himself finally aroused Buddy''s curiosity. He suppressed the unreal feeling in his heart and asked:


    "So your Why does the owner give you a lot? "" Because there is no owner, more than a free family raising elf! "Domabi said," I was hired by Mr. Drac, he spent money to hire me to work for him. "" Mr. Drac is really the greatest person I have seen. "Budi was frightened, shook his hands in his hands, and smashed the te in your hand on the ground." You said you have no owner, are you free to raise a small elves? " Attention. The little pitch in the kitchen was cutting vegetables. When he heard Budi''s voice, his face was gloomy. "We don''t need a depraved house-elf like you to help in the kitchen of Hogwarts!" he said viciously.


    The kitchen door mmed shut.

 Chapter 142 - 142

    <h4>Chapter 142:</h4>


    After solving the problem of Voldemort and returning to the regr school life, the extremely bored vampire lord has recently found a new hobby - that is, through the monitoring function of the Hogwarts title deed, remotely observe the actions of the house elf Dobby. Watching him preach the beauty of freedom to other elves everywhere, it is guessed that he will be driven away by his fellow house elves in a few minutes.


    ording to Drac''s observation, Dobby spent quite a long time in the Hogwarts kitchen inparison.


    In order to work, this progressive house elf went to the Hogwarts School Infirmary, Astronomy Tower, Owl Tower, Castle Dungeon, Professor Sprout''s Greenhouse and other ces to participate in the work of house elves and help his fellows in Hogwarts.


    But Dobby would often be driven out by the house elf supervisor on duty before working for a day.


    The fastest record of Dobby being kicked out was when he was cleaning the Slytherinmon room - he only took two minutes, and as soon as he opened his mouth, the conservative elves loyal to Slytherin College noticed something was wrong and immediately kicked him out...


    A "bang" sounded.


    This is the iconic sound of Apparition.


    Drac looked up from the Hogwarts title deed on the desk and looked at Dobby, who looked lonely.


    "Excluded by other house-elves?" he asked with interest.


    "Other house-elves don''t want to work with Dobby. They think Dobby is a fallen elf..." Dobby wiped his tears and said sadly, "They...they think that house-elves without masters are evil and unreasonable heretics."


    "That''s normal. After all, you are the first house-elf to eat tomatoes." Drac chuckled and peeled a bloody lollipop, leaning back on the soft chair behind him, "The first person to try new things will always be tabooed by his peers."


    "Mr. Drac, but Dobby doesn''t eat tomatoes..." Dobby wiped his eyes and said in confusion, "And...why would an elf who eats tomatoes be tabooed by his peers?"


    Drac''s words were stuck in his throat, and he almost swallowed the lollipop in one gulp.


    "Ahem... Tomato is just a metaphor, it''s not important." Drac coughed out the lollipop and looked at Dobby helplessly, "''The first person to eat tomatoes'' is an idiom, used to describe the first person who dares to do something."


    "But, but is there anyone who dares not eat something as normal as tomatoes? The first person who dares to eat tomatoes shouldn''t be that great, right?" Dobby asked in surprise.


    Then, the elf seemed to suddenly think of something and began to wipe his tears again, "Dobby knows that Mr. Drac must also think that Dobby is a corrupt and evil house elf, so he uses something like tomatoes to describe Dobby..."


    "..."


    Drac''s words stagnated again.


    "If you keep thinking so much, I will give you a raise, Dobby!" He gritted his teeth and bit the candy into pieces with his sharp teeth, then red at Dobby coldly, "I told you, this is just an idiom, it doesn''t have those meanings!"


    Dobby was so scared that he couldn''t cry immediately.


    He hurriedly wiped his hands on his big eyes to wipe away the tears, and subconsciously wanted to dry his wet hands on his clothes.


    However, he soon found that he was no longer wearing the dirty old pillowcase, but a delicate small dress suit.


    Dobby immediately took back his wet hands and put them behind his back at a loss.


    "Mr. Drac, you can scold me, but don''t give me a raise!" Dobby said pitifully, "A raise is terrible!"


    Drac rubbed his eyebrows and sighed.


    "Forget it, it''s embarrassing for you. After all, these idioms are notmonly used in the magic world." He exined, "In Europe, many Muggles and a small number of wizards often use tomatoes to describe the first warrior to take action."


    "In addition, as far as I know, unlike the terms used in Europe, the East prefers to use "the first person to eat crabs" to describe it."


    "Let me tell you the story about the first person to eat tomatoes--"


    Dobby quickly moved a small stool and sat in front of Drac''s desk, and began to listen carefully.


    "If I remember correctly, three or four hundred years ago, around the 16th century... there was a British knight who went to South America for a trip. I forgot the name of the knight, anyway, he saw the tomato nt."


    Drac recalled what interesting things he had experienced in the past thousand years, while telling Dobby the story of "the first person to eat tomatoes".


    Just three or four hundred years ago, Drac had a sudden idea to attend a meeting-that was the first time he participated in the joint meeting of great nobles after he received the earldom given by the Grand Duke of Ennd.


    It was also at that meeting that he met the knight who saw the tomato.


    In fact, tomatoes were originally a wild nt native to South America, originally called "wolf peach".


    At that time, wolf peach was an ornamental nt, and humans did not discover its edible value.


    Because people at that time learned lessons from fungi, they all knew that the brighter the color, the more toxic the nt, such as poisonous crops such as poisonous mushrooms, and colorful poisonous spiders...


    So there was a saying in the local area -


    Wolf peach, that is, tomatoes, was considered poisonous by experts at the time.


    ording to local people, people who eat wolf peaches will soon develop bumps and tumors on their bodies, and in more serious cases, their lives will be endangered!


    Although wolf peaches are bright red when ripe, and the red fruit with green leaves is very beautiful and attractive, just like the colorful mushrooms are highly toxic, people are still very afraid of it. No one has ever dared to try to eat a bite, and they just treat it as an ornamental nt.


    "I seem to have a little impression of that knight." Drac put the lollipop stick on his fangs to scrape out thest taste, and said to Dobby, "I remember that he was not only a noble, but also a wizard who was good at magic-"


    "In that situation where there was no reasonable way to preserve it, the knight used magic to bring tomatoes to Ennd."


    "Because the color of tomatoes is very bright and shiny, the knight gave tomatoes to the queen who was in power at the time... Well, it seems that the queen at the time was little Elizabeth."


    "In short, that knight He used tomatoes as a gift of love to express his love to little Yin Lisa Bai... Since then, tomatoes have been called "love fruit" and "lover fruit" by people at that time. "


    "But even though the poprity of this fruit has beenunched in one fell swoop, no one still wants to eat tomatoes. They just continue to nt tomatoes in the manor as ornamental nts, or give them to lovers as gifts symbolizing love."


    "As for treating it as a food? Sorry, no one has ever dared to eat it..."


    Listening to Drac''s story, Dobby was amused and burst intoughter.


    "They don''t even dare to eat tomatoes. They are even dumber than Dobby!" Dobby''s spirits really recovered, and he shouted happily, "So did they eat tomatoes in the end?"


    "Well... tomatoes really became food about two or three hundred years ago." Drac said thoughtfully, "There was a person who thought tomatoes were so beautiful, bright, and fresh, and looked delicious, and he couldn''t control his desire to eat..."


    "So that person tasted the first tomato in the world." Drac shrugged.


    The first person to eat tomatoes was a French painter. He had painted tomatoes with his brush many times. Faced with such a beautiful and lovely but "poisonous" fruit, he really couldn''t resist its temptation, so he had the idea of ??tasting it himself.


    It can only be said that the French painter is a typical foodie who wants to eat without caring about his life.


    He risked his life to eat the first tomato, but after eating it, he only tasted the sour and sweet delicious feeling, and did not feel any difort.


    But he still believed in the toxicity of tomatoes. After eating tomatoes, hey in bed waiting for the arrival of death.


    It is easy to guess what happened next. The paintery quietly in bed. He did not die for a long time until he could not bear it anymore and ate another tomato...


    It turns out that tomatoes, a red nt, are non-toxic and harmless, and can be eaten as a very delicious fruit or vegetable.


    The French painter recalled the delicious feeling when chewing tomatoes, and told his friends the news that "tomatoes are non-toxic and can be eaten" with a smile on his face. Not long after, the news of tomatoes being non-toxic shocked many ces and quickly spread all over the world...


    "From then on, hundreds of millions of people around the world enjoyed the delicious food brought by the "first warrior who dared to eat tomatoes" at the risk of his life."


    Drac finished the story slowly, his expression a little dazed.


    He told Dobby the story of "the first person to eat tomatoes" just tofort Dobby''s injured little heart and cheer Dobby up so that he could continue to maintain the title of progressive free elf.


    But when Drac was halfway through his story, he mentioned the knight who brought tomatoes from South America, and the French painter who first tasted tomatoes... He suddenly thought of the friends he had met hundreds of years ago, all of whom had returned to dust.


    Now, only Drac himself and Nics mel, who possessed the elixir of immortality, were still living in this boring world.


    From beginning to end, Drac had no real enemies.


    Even the many brilliant wizards, the magical creatures who regarded him as their mortal enemy, and the light of justice that wanted to sweep away the darkness... Drac never really cared.


    Because he knew that these people who led an era would eventually disappear in the long river of history as time passed.


    Even wizards as powerful as the four founders of Hogwarts, after a thousand years, gradually turned into a pale symbol, and no one else remembered their former voices and smiles.


    Mentioning Gryffindor, Ravenw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin, wizards will only think of the four colleges of Hogwarts, and will not think of the four amazing wizards at the first time.


    Drac''s enemy, from beginning to end, is only time.


    "...Sir... Mr. Drac!"


    Dobby''s voice interrupted Drac''s thoughts.


    Drac''s eye child regained focus and saw Dobby''s big green eyeballs blocking his face without blinking, which looked a little scary inexplicably...


    "What are you doing here, Dobby?" Drac pushed Dobby''s forehead with his index finger in annoyance and pushed him out from in front of him.


    "Mr. Drac, you just scared me!" Dobby was pushed aside by Drac''s finger, but his mood became happy, "Sir, your expression just now was too cold, I almost thought you would be a devil in the next second!"


    Dobby shuddered as he spoke.


    "Mr. Drac, are you really okay?" Even though he was still a little scared, Dobby still said with concern, "Otherwise, go see Madam Pomfrey in the school infirmary. She took good care of me when I was helping in the infirmary..."


    "I''m fine, don''t worry about me." Drac shook his head and threw away the indifference in his heart.


    He stood up from his office chair and walked to the window of this office.


    Now, Dobby has ced very delicate and beautiful ck porcin tiles on this windowsill. The smooth porcin tiles reflect the quiet moonlight outside the window, adding a sense of tranquility to the office.


    On the edge of the windowsill close to the side, there is a pot of bright red flowers blooming in the moonlight, which is particrly charming.


    Looking at the bright flowers in front of him, Drac suddenly thought of another guy who can be called a friend in his long life besides mel.


    "If we''re talking about that guy, he should still be alive."


    Drac stared at the flowers in front of him thoughtfully, then suddenly turned to look at Dobby with a concerned look on his face.


    "Dobby, I''m going to be out for a few days, you stay here." Drac said, "Go and tell Riddleter that he should take my ce in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss these days."


    "Isn''t this... not good..." Dobby hesitated.


    "I remember Riddle has been looking forward to this for a long time, and he also wrote the sybus, it''s okay." Drac chuckled, "If Dumbledore asks, you can say that if I continue to be so bored, I might blow up Hogwarts. He will understand me."


    As he said that, he stepped on the porcin tile on the windowsill, leaped out, spread his wings, and disappeared into the silent night.

 Chapter 143 - 143 Newt Scamander and Rolf Scamander.

    <h4>Chapter 143: Newt Scamander and Rolf Scamander.</h4>


    The sky was gloomy and the sea breeze was howling.


    Rows of dark green waves rose and fell, like countless sea beasts breaking free from their cages, and their rough backs covered with seaweed almost touched the dark sky.


    The southernmost country of the Balkan Penins is surrounded by the sea on three sides, and this area has been very turbulent recently.


    This is Greece, a country that once had one of the most brilliant civilizations in the world. However, for some reason, the Greek magic world today seems to beckluster.


    The Greek magic world had a very prosperous development more than a thousand years ago, and countless outstanding wizards were born in this area, leaving a great reputation.


    However, today''s Greek magic world is a decline in talent and a decline in all industries.


    Almost all wizards understand one thing - magic is a kind of knowledge that pays great attention to talent!


    In the history of the magic world, there are few examples of wizards who are born dull and be outstanding talents in the magic world.


    Even the magizoologist Newt Scamander, who was generally acknowledged to be taciturn in his youth, showed a rare ability to gain the trust of magical animals at a very young age.


    However, ording to statistics from experts, there are few wizards born in Greece in the past few hundred years who are more talented, and most of them are ordinary people who have been mediocre all their lives.


    This once brilliant ce has not produced a genius leading the times for a long time.


    Over time, wizards have left Greece, this evil ce, and turned to the magic world of other countries for development.


    Under the vicious cycle, the Greek magic world has seen this situation of talent decline.


    Today, this country with declining talents has weed two uninvited guests-


    The two wizards are one old and one young. The old man has a messy head of gray curly hair, a few freckles on his face, and carries an old-fashioned brown leather suitcase in his hand.


    The young man is a boy with golden hair, dark blue eyes, and soft features. He is probably only eleven or twelve years old and looks like he is still in school.


    "You must be the famous magic zoologist, Mr. Newt Scamander!" A bald middle-aged wizard came up with two followers, shook hands with the old man enthusiastically, and spoke fluent English, "Let me introduce myself, I am Albert, the Minister of the Greek Ministry of Magic. I was the one who corresponded with you three days ago."


    It can be seen that the Greek Ministry of Magic really doesn''t have many people.


    As the Minister of Magic, Albert personally wrote a letter to the magic zoologist and came to greet him in person, even with only two little followers behind him...


    "Hello, Mr. Albert." The old man looked a little shy and smiled at the Greek Minister of Magic.


    It seemed that it was the seque of contact with these people from the Ministry of Magic when he was young. He grabbed his suitcase without leaving any trace and subconsciously checked every button on the outside of the suitcase.


    Minister Albert obviously didn''t notice the old man''s little action, and was very enthusiastic to get close to him.


    "Ah, this is your grandson, right? He is really a handsome man!" He turned his eyes to the blond boy beside the old man and praised with a smile, "I heard that your grandson is only twelve years old and has be your assistant. He has just reached the second grade, right?"


    The blond boy imitated the old man, smiled shyly, and walked forward.


    "Hello, Mr. Albert. My name is Rolf... Rolf Scamander." The boy introduced himself, "I just entered the second grade this year."


    "It''s amazing that he can be your grandfather''s assistant in the second grade." Albert touched his bald head and sighed.


    How he wished that Greece could have a few such smart young wizards!


    But it was really strange. The young wizards born in Greece were less qualified than each other. Generally, they had to spend six or seven years to barelyplete the third and fourth grade courses in magic schools in other regions.


    And this gap is widening from generation to generation!


    "I guess Rolf is also studying at Hogwarts, right?" Albert continued to try to make friends with him with a smile, trying to lower the cost of hiring this elderly magical zoologist. "Which college are you studying in now? Hufflepuff like your grandfather?"


    "No, Mr. Albert, I''m not studying at Hogwarts." Rolf raised his head and said to the Minister of Magic, "My mother said that Hogwarts has to change the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts every year, and the teaching quality is worrying, so she asked me to study at Invermorny School of Magic."


    "I was assigned to Thunderbird College in Invermorny, the same college as my grandmother."


    Hearing Rolf''s words, Newt, who had been standing by for a long time without speaking, had a slight regret in his eyes.


    Because of raising illegal magical animals, Newt was expelled from Hogwarts halfway through school, so he still wanted his grandson toplete his wish of graduating smoothly from Hogwarts...


    "Because of the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts? That''s really a pity." Albert said, "I heard that Hogwarts has a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in the past two years, and he has been re-elected for the second year. He seems to be very powerful."


    "Do you know Bulgaria and Romania? The two countries north of Greece, their wizards seem to admire that professor very much. Especially the wizards in Romania, who are usually very arrogant, but as long as the name of the professor is mentioned, they will immediately be secretive..."


    "I don''t quite understand. They are two countries more than 2,000 kilometers apart. Why do the people in Romania admire a guy who is a professor in the UK so much."


    Albert spread his hands, looking puzzled.


    "You are talking about Professor Drac, right?" Newt finally spoke for the first time after greeting Minister Abbott. "Albus told me that Professor Drac is a very special person. There must be something we don''t know about him."


    "That''s right." Abbott spread his hands. "Whatever. Those arrogant Romanian wizards never take our Greek Ministry of Magic seriously. They can''t tell me anything about Professor Drac..."


    As he spoke, he became a little angry. "It''s really abominable! Our Greek magic world was once the world leader more than a thousand years ago. As a result, because of now... If we don''t develop well, we have to endure the anger of these guys..."


    "Ahem, Mr. Albert!" Rove found that his grandfather''s eyes had be a little erratic, as if he had drifted to some other ce far away, and hurriedly interrupted Minister Albert''sints, "You wrote to ask my grandfather toe over, didn''t you say that you suspected that there were magical animals here?"


    "Oh, by the way, look at me, I almost forgot the business!" Albert pped his bald forehead andughed awkwardly twice, "Rove is still smart, otherwise we don''t know how much time we would have wasted here!"


    As he spoke, he signaled to a younger brother beside him with his eyes.


    The younger brother expressed his understanding, took out a map from arge box behind him, and handed it to Albert.


    Albert took the Greek topographic map with satisfaction and drew a red circle on a mountainous area with his magic wand.


    "Mr. Scamander, look here--" He held up the map with his left hand and pointed at the circled ce with his wand in his right hand, "In this mountain range, arge-scale strange phenomenon has urred during this period."


    "Although I don''t want to admit it, our Greek wizards can never cast such arge-scale magic, so don''t me me for suspecting magical animals at the first time."


    Rolf looked at Minister Albert with pity, looking like a little adult, and sighed:


    "Your words are too hurtful, Minister Albert..."


    Albert''s words choked.


    ''It''s clearly my heart that is hurt, why are you sighing like a child? ! '' Heined wildly in his heart.


    But in order to maintain the demeanor of a country''s Minister of Magic, Albert could only smile stiffly, and the whole person looked as if nothing had happened.


    Newt didn''t care about the expression of the miserable Greek Minister of Magic. He just waved his wand, brought the topographic map closer, and then carefully looked at the area circled in red.


    There were densely packed arcs representing mountains there.


    "Is this... Mount Olympus?" Newt asked.


    "Yes, yes, Mr. Scamander is indeed professional!" Albert gave a thumbs up, "The entire area of ??Mount Olympus has been surrounded by fog recently, and it hassted for more than ten days without dispersing."


    "If it''s just fog, it should be normal." Newt asked softly, "It''s winter now, and the Olympus Mountains block the water vapor from the southwest wind from the ocean. It''s not a strange phenomenon that the rain and snowst a little longer."


    Newt analyzed it from a very professional perspective, and his face showed a very obvious disappointment.


    He thought that some new magical animals appeared in a ce with a strong mythological color like Mount Olympus.


    So, on the day he received the letter, Newt secretly brought his grandson and assistant Rolf to Greece without telling his wife Tina, wanting to see the magical animals.


    But after arriving here, Albert told him that it was just amon fog in winter.


    Newt immediately felt that he had been deceived.


    "No, of course I wouldn''t trick you here just because of the fog, Mr. Scamander!" Albert exined hurriedly, as if he saw Newt''s unhappy expression, "If it was just fog, it would be fine, but there wererge patches of ck gas and white lighting out from the fog from time to time, which was very strange!"


    After hearing Albert''s exnation, Newt became interested again.


    "Can you confirm the exact date when the fog appeared? Please tell me as much as possible about the appearance of the ck gas and white light." He said, "I need to use this to determine what magical animal caused the impact."


    "Well... I remember that the fog appeared after Halloween." Albert scratched his bald head and said thoughtfully, "I have discussed with the Muggle government and asked their experts to use the weather conditions as an excuse to exin the strange situation on Mount Olympus..."


    "After all, the symbolic significance of Mount Olympus is very important to our people here. It is too important for the public to let the public opinion ferment. Yesterday, I watched the Muggle news program on... something called TV. The Muggle observatory said that the fog appeared after Halloween, and it has been neen days today! "


    "Neen days?" Newt frowned, "There are not many magical animals that can cause such arge-scale weather change, and there are even fewer that canst for neen days..."


    Newt reached out to Rolf, and Rolf took out a very old leather book with a look and handed it to Newt.


    "Thunderbirds can do it, and the white light you described may also be the lightning caused by thunderbirds... but those ck air will not be caused by thunderbirds." Newt said while writing and drawing on the leather book.


    "So what you mean is..."


    "There are three possibilities--" Newt filled several pages of the leather book and handed it to Albert.


    "The first possibility is that the clouds brought by the thunderbirds are what caused thisrge-scale fog, and the white light is the lightning caused by the thunderbirds. As for the ck gas that does not match the characteristics of the thunderbirds, it may be that dark creatures such as Dementors and Voldemorts are fighting with the thunderbirds."


    "But there is a big problem with this possibility, that is, thunderbirds are not in the diet of Dementors; and Voldemorts are pitifully rare, usually only seen in tropical areas. Even if a few Voldemorts appear in Greece, it is difficult to cause ck gas that can be observed by wizards with the naked eye."


    "What about the second possibility?" Albert asked anxiously.


    "The second possibility is that some magical animals that I have not discovered yet have appeared in the world!" At this point, Newt''s eyes shed with excitement, "This is also the most ideal situation in my mind-whether it is a creature that has just been observed, a species born from the mating of different magical animals, or a new species that has mutated, I have no problem!"


    However, Albert did not have high expectations for this possibility.


    As we all know, Newt Scamander has be the world''s most famous magic zoologist since the 1920s. He travels around the world all year round, looking for all kinds of magical animals that have never been discovered.


    His book "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" has been published in dozens of editions. Basically, every new edition is selected by many magic schools as a textbook for the course on protecting magical animals.


    For such a legendary magic zoologist, decades have passed. Is it true that there are still magical animals that he has not discovered?


    Not to mention, this thing that may be a magical animal is so high-profile that it directly covers the entire Mount Olympus with special effects...


    "Then...what about the third possibility?" Albert asked again.


    "The third possibility..." Newt''s excited expression faded, and his face became solemn.


    "It may be that two extremely powerful wizards are fighting on Mount Olympus at this time!"

 Chapter 144 - 144 Mount Olympus

    <h4>Chapter 144: Mount Olympus</h4>


    "Two powerful wizards?!"


    Abbottel was shocked, "Mr Scamander, words are not to be taken lightly. We''ve never had a sorcerer of this ss on our side who can change the sky on arge scale!"


    "Minister Abbottel, why are you so unconfident?" The young Rolf jumped up and patted Abtel''s shoulder, saying to him in an old-fashioned manner, "I grew up listening to the stories of Greek myths and legends, maybe there are some ancient and early great sorcerers in your magical world that have been hidden and have not appeared?"


    Abbottelughed bitterly and shook his head, "I would rather believe that there are wizards from other ces running over to fight ..."


    "Mr Scamander, what do you think?" He turned his head to the older man next to Rolf who was frowning in thought.


    Newt''s eyelids lifted slightly as he nced at Abbottel, then turned his head to give Rolf a worried look.


    "I want to go into Olympus and see." He said softly.


    "That would be great, if you were the one to go into the mountain and explore it yourself, you would surely be able to find the truth about Olympus!" Naturally, Abattoir begged to differ, and excitedly gave a wink to another junior behind him.


    The little brother gave an "OK" gesture and pulled out a small golden statue from a box he had just brought over.


    "Mr Scamander, this is the key to the door that leads directly to Mount Olympus, produced by our Ministry of Magic!" Abbottel had obviously prepared for this and took the small golden statue and was about to hand it to Newt, "We don''t have many wizards here who can make door keys, and this thing is in short supply right now."


    Newt and Rolf looked at the golden statue in front of them, which resembled the legendary Hermes, and could not help but fall into deep thought.


    What was obvious was that in Greece, things like door keys were indeed in short supply.


    This small statue of Hermes in front of me seems to be cast in gold, and the purity is also very high, just such a statue may be able to have one or two pounds so heavy.


    ording to the more conventional price of gold, 10 galleons 1 gram of gold to calcte the price, such a small withered statue is feared to have eight thousand galleons, converted into pounds is as high as forty thousand pounds!


    The Greek Ministry of Magic used such a valuable item as a door key for processing and production, which has already proved the scarcity of door keys in this ce---.


    Inparison, if it was in the British Ministry of Magic, a basic travelling item like a door key could be made by almost every small clerk in the Magic Traffic Management Division.


    And given the nature of door keys, which are used once and then thrown away, most of them are made from old shoes, rolls of newspaper, broken teapots, and other useless scraps. The advantage of this choice of materials was that the Ministry of Magic didn''t need to recycle the used-up door keys, greatly reducing the time cost.


    Therefore, looking at the small apocryphal statue of gold Hermes that Abbottel was holding in his hand, both Newt and Rolf were showing looks of sympathy and pity.


    "Eh ... where is something wrong?" Abbottel looked at the two Scamander with a confused expression, "Don''t you guys even need a door key when you go out?"


    Rolf opened his mouth, wanting to open it to exin howmon such door keys were in Ennd and Amerika.


    But Newt rubbed Rolf''s head and interrupted him.


    "Rolf, we''re guests, don''t embarrass Mr Abbottle too much." Newt whispered, with a gentle face.


    Looking at his very considerate grandfather, Rolf nodded obediently.


    Newt revealed a smile and looked towards Abbottel who was still in a daze.


    "Mr Abbottel, I can understand your difficulties." With a gentle expression, he opened his mouth and asked, "Since your door keys are so rare, why don''t we just phantom shift to Mount Olympus?"


    Abattoir''s expression froze on his face.


    "Mr Scamander, do you mean to say ... Phantom Shift to Olympus, a hundred miles away?" He asked, his face stiffening.


    "Yeah, what''s the problem?" Newt asked curiously, "That shouldn''t be too far of a distance, should it?"


    Abbottel covered his face in pain.


    Rolf watched Abbottel''s expression and carefully tugged at his grandfather''s dirty trench coat from the side.


    "Grandpa, you need to stop talking ..." he whispered, "I now think that you are the one to me for embarrassing Mr Abbottle."


    Newt: "..."


    ...


    Newt, Rolf, Minister Abbottel, and his two followers, the five of them ended up using the apocryphal image of Hermes to get to the outskirts of Mount Olympus.


    This is because Newt, in order to take care of Minister Abbottel''s emotions, pretended that there was also no way to phantom shift to such a long distance ... although it is not too easy to say whether Abbottel would believe his well-intentioned lies.


    Several people stood on an empty road and saw a bleak mountain peak in front of them, shrouded in a thick mist.


    Based on the parts that were not covered by the mists, it was clear that Mount Olympus was extremely majestic and magnificent, with handsome, upright mountains, and from halfway up the mountain, one could vaguely see the towering snow-capped mountains that pierced into the mists.


    The dark grey of the bedrock and the white of the snow work extremely well together, perhaps only nature can blend such a very different but matchingndscape.


    The mountains are misty, and from time to time a white light shines, driving the mist into a pure white. However, amongst the white light was often mixed with some vaguely visible ck aura, adding a bit of evil aura to this mysterious mountain range with a bit of softness in its domineering aura.


    "I didn''t expect that the movements of white light and ck Qi in this area have be more frequent now." Abbottel said with a grave expression on his face, "When I came over a few days ago, alternating shes of white light and ck Qi would only appear once every half a day, but now it''s almost non-stop all the time ..."


    Newt frowned, looking at the mist-shrouded peaks in front of him, his face gradually sinking.


    "Minister Abbottel, this white light and clouds are by no means triggered by the Thunderbird." He said softly, "I once lived with a thunderbird for close to half a year, and I know very well that the clouds induced by a thunderbird''s natural magic are mostly dark and heavy rain clouds, and the light emitted is also electric with a slight blue colour ..."


    "So we''ve ruled out the first possibility?" Abbottel asked.


    "Basically, we can rule it out." Newt nodded, "But we can''t rule out the possibility of a special Thunderbird mutating."


    "Well, so the second possibility you mentioned can still be retained." Abattoir concurred.


    He took a couple of steps forward and scrutinised the thick mist for a while before turning his head and asking curiously, "So are you more inclined to be the second or the third possibility?"


    "There''s still too little information for me to jump to such hasty conclusions." Newt shook his head, "I''ll have to go into the middle of the mountain and gather more information before I can."


    Newt looked at Mount Olympus, where half of the mountain''s body was hidden amongst the mists, a gust of joy and inquisitiveness surfaced in his eyes.


    At the same time, Rolf, who was standing beside Newt, the same emotion surfaced in his eyes.


    "Grandpa, it looks like it''s time for us to go on an adventure together!" Rolf jumped up excitedly, "I''m only twelve years old and I''ve been given the chance to go on an adventure, I told you that I would be a great Magical Zoologist like Grandpa!"


    However, just as Rolf was jumping for joy, Newt cocked his head slightly and looked at his young grandson quizzically.


    "Who told you I was going to take you on an adventure with me?" He asked softly.


    Rolf''s celebratory movements came to an abrupt halt.


    "But ... but ... with Grandma Bunty out of the picture, aren''t you just going to have me as your little assistant?" He stammered a little as his emotions fell too far.


    Seemingly thinking of a possibility, Rolf suddenly opened his mouth wide, "You wouldn''t want to go into Mount Olympus alone where the situation is unknown, would you?!"


    "Of course." Newt rightfully straightened his dirty, but adventurer-looking trenchcoat, "I didn''t venture out alone much when I was younger, and I''ve long since be familiar with it."


    "But you''re not young anymore!" Rolf said eagerly, "You can''t go alone, Olympus needs me! The discipline of protecting magical animals needs me!


    "


    "Rolf, you''re still too young for me to let you follow me on this adventure." Newt said, "Besides, I''m not dead yet! The discipline of protecting magical animals still has to be held up by me, so it''s not toote to take over after you graduate."


    Newt gave a rare jokey smile and slipped a tie embroidered with a golden pattern into Rolf''s hand.


    The next moment, with a distortion of the air in front of Newt and Abbottel, the puffed-up Rolf disappeared into the outlyingnds of Mount Olympus.


    "I''m sorry to make youugh, Minister Abbottel." After sending off his unapproachable grandson, Newt breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Abtel, "Rolf is still too young to be involved in an adventure with such an unspecified situation."


    "Understood, understood!" Abbottel nodded repeatedly.


    He then looked at Newt''s hand, which had just handed out the tie, and opened his mouth slightly, but never got the rest of the words out.


    "Is there something you want to tell me, Minister Abbottle?" Newt asked curiously, seeing Abbottel''s desire to speak.


    "Ahem ... there''s nothing important ..." Abbottel coughed a little awkwardly, "Just wanted to ask if Mr Scamander just handed Rolf a door key as well?"


    "You are not mistaken, Minister Abbottel." Newt smiled softly, "It''s still a door key that Albus gave me decades ago to return to Hogwarts from anywhere in this world. I haven''t been able to use it all these years, and it sort of just came to me today."


    "Erm ... made ... decades ago anywhere in the world ...?"


    Abner gulped, feeling like he''d seen less after all these years of being in this little part of Greece.


    Newt smiled at the sight.


    In fact, he had been surprised at first at the extent to which the door keys Dumbledore had made were effective, and how long they could be retained.


    This was because normal door keys tended to only be used within the country, and most of them had a shelf life of just a few days. After that time, the magic contained in them will gradually dissipate and they will eventually be turned back into useless old shoes, rolls of newspaper and broken teapots. ...


    As for cross-country door keys, they require not only Ministry of Magic approval, but also more detailed magic casting; cross-continent door keys are even moreplicated - generally only the top group of wizards can make cross-continental door keys, and they only take effect for a few hours at most.


    Cross-country and cross-continental door keys require extremely strict approval, as well as extremely high fees, which is why the number of ck merchants peddling door keys in the magic world has always been high.


    Moreover, the door keys peddled by those ck merchants usually have no quality assurance, and often have idents such as being in the wrong ce, being too bumpy, or even throwing wizards out of the door key in the process of using it ...


    Dumbledore never had this problem with the door keys he made.


    The most powerful arch wizard in the wizarding world had demonstrated an extremely good ability to make door keys as far back as the time of the Global Wizarding War sixty years ago, using them on several asions to save Newt and his friends who were fighting Grindelwald from destruction.


    The door key that Newt used to teleport Rolf away, for example, was obtained from Dumbledore decades ago and has not lost its usefulness to this day ...


    Newt and the Greek Minister of Magic beside him were both thinking wistfully about having the door key while walking side by side in the direction of Mount Olympus.


    "Drip-drip-"


    Just then, several loud car honks sounded, interrupting the two men''s thoughts.


    Newt turned his head to see a ck sedan with its headlights on, driving slowly behind the two.


    "Hey - two guys in fancy dress in front of you!" A middle-aged man rolled down his window and poked his head out of the car, "Do you two have any quality, walking in the middle of the road, and when you hear the horn you don''t get out of the way?"


    The man was speaking Greek, and Newt looked at Abbottel beside him with some bewilderment.


    Abbottel''s face became extremely embarrassed and hurriedly took Newt''s arm and dragged him to the side of the road.


    "I''m really sorry about that, we were too preupied with our conversation." Abbottel smiled at the man.


    The man looked at Newt and Abner, who had moved to the side of the road, and let out a "hmph", sticking his hand out of the window and raising his middle finger in frustration.


    "You guys watch yourselves from now on." He tapped the grey shell of his car with his middle finger, "See this? This is a BMW 850Ci! The fact that I can afford this car means that I can casually clean up after you two wacky transvestites!"


    With those words, the man, still holding his middle finger outside the window, started the car with the ignition with his other hand and sped away from in front of Newt and Abbottel, leaving them with nothing but the roiling dust they had raised.


    Looking at this muggle so provocative, as the Greek Minister of Magic, the "powerful" Abbottel''s face reddened with anger.


    And although Newt couldn''t understand what the man said, he could still understand the middle finger and the tail end of the behaviour, and even the always good-tempered man was slightly disgruntled.


    But both men restrained themselves from making a move on the muggle with their magic. It was a matter of principle for wizards in the magical world.


    However just because the two of them didn''t make a move, it didn''t mean that others wouldn''t ...


    "Bang!"


    A loud bang came from not far in front of the two.


    The two of them looked up in shock and saw an impossibly handsome silver car and an equally handsome man sitting in the car.


    That man had long silver hair that was even more dazzling than the body of the car ...

 Chapter 145 - 145 How much to pay?

    <h4>Chapter 145: How much to pay?</h4>


    "Mka, are you people sick?!"


    The Muggle inside the ck sedan angrily pushed open the door and jumped out of the car, looking at his dented bumper in pain.


    Mka (¦Ì¦Á¦Ë?¦Ê¦Á?) was a very ssic Greek curse word. The muggle man still felt unrelieved after cursing and continued to yell at the wide open window of the silver car in front of him.


    "Can you people drive? Hmm?!" He pped the silver car body in front of him with all his might and yelled angrily, "I''m really out of luck today, it''s not even a problem that I just bumped into two transvestites who didn''t know how to get out of the way, but as it turns out, now there''s another ungrateful guy who dislikes the car right in front of mine!"


    The Muggle man peeked over his head to look at the silver-haired man in the car, and instantly became resentful of his facial features, and even angrier in his heart.


    "Yeah, so you''re with those two in the back!" He looked at the ck and red cloak on the silver haired man in front of him, an expression of sudden realization appeared on his face, "What bad luck, actually letting me run into three oddly dressed guys all at once, and one is even more obnoxious than the other!"


    The silver-haired man sitting inside the silver car was of course Drac.


    After he flew out of his ck Magic Defense Arts professor''s office, he had wanted to directly Phantom Shift to Greece and go directly to his destination.


    However, just on his way through the Forbidden Forest, Drac suddenly saw an old Ford automobile that originally belonged to the Weasley family driving around over the Forbidden Forest.


    It immediately urred to him that he had purchased two of the most expensive automobiles that could be bought on the market in the Muggle world at once, after he had made the decision to let the little car, which seemed to have been born with a slight sense of consciousness, go -


    One of them had been sent to the Weasley family aspensation for the old Ford, and the other had been modified to function as the flying car that Mr. Weasley had transformed, and had been simrly transformed using the alchemy he had learned from Nicole LeMay.


    But after Drac had finished transforming the car himself, and before he had a chance to drive it, he was distracted by the Dueling Club, the return of Voldemort, and dealing with Tom Riddle''s Horcrux journal.


    Gradually, the car that he hadn''t driven once after remodeling was run to the back of his mind, and he couldn''t even think about it ...


    After solving the problem of Voldemort, Drac had been repetitively going to and from sses every day, and had long been bored to a point.


    Under the stillness, he very hastily handed over the right to teach to assistant professor Tom Riddle and flew out of the office himself. And the old Ford that was driving around over the Forbidden Forest finally reminded Drac of the little toy he had long agopleted remodeling.


    He was instantly interested and flew off to Greece in the car.


    The alchemy Drac had learned from master alchemist Nicole LeMay was quite skillful, and the remodeled car was also very safe.


    Therefore, the car he drove certainly wouldn''tst the distance from Devon, Ennd to Hogwarts, Scond like the old Ford that Mr. Weasley had transformed and had thrown Harry and Ron out of the air and crashed into Beating Willow ...


    Drac had flown all the way from Scond to Mount Olympus in Greece, and was about tond out of the air when he happened to run into this scene of an arrogant Muggle taunting the two wizards -


    Drac then suddenly got excited and was ready to test how strong his remodeled car waspared to those crafts that belonged entirely to Muggles, and in the process teach this arrogant Muggle a lesson.


    As soon as he stepped on the gas pedal, the transformed car suddenly appeared in front of the muggle man''s ck sedan like a silver lightning bolt ...


    The rest of what happened was the scene Newt and Abner saw.


    "Is it your first day on the road, don''t you even know you can''t overtake on mountain roads? Suddenly running in front of me like a ghost!" The muggle man was still cursing angrily, "Don''te out and embarrass yourself if you don''t know how to drive!"


    After cursing angrily for most of the day, this Muggle seemed to be tired of shouting and stopped panting.


    "Are you a fucking mute? Just leave me alone to curse here, why don''t you give some reaction ..." He gasped, depressed, and looked at the yful smile that always hung on Drac''s face, suddenly feeling a little creepy and shivering all over.


    "Inbreath Sting." Drac suddenlyughed, "So this is the road rager of the muggle world? It''s kinda funny."


    The Muggle man didn''t know much English, but he could still understand the word ''Inbreath Sting (Iing)''.


    He immediately became depressed, "English? Dare you not understand even after I cursed for half a day?"


    "Mka, today is really bad luck!"


    The man cursed and started gesticting with his hands.


    While rubbing two fingers, his thumb and forefinger, in the air, he stammered out a few words he knew in English.


    "Money!" the Muggle man said with difficulty, his face flushed with suffocation, "You ... Bang! My car ...No use!"


    It was evident that he was struggling to convey that Drac had wrecked his car and needed to pay for it.


    Drac leaned back against thefortable backrest of the driver''s seat and watched him with interest, as if he were watching a y, and didn''t reply with a single word for half a day.


    After the Muggle man had gesticted for half a day and was thoroughly thirsty, Newt, who had stood watching for a while, finally couldn''t stand it any longer and signaled to Abbottel.


    "Minister Abbottel, I don''t think they canmunicate properly, why don''t you go and act as a trantor for them?" The kind and innocent Magical Zoologist was finally unable to stand by and watch.


    "Why? Wouldn''t that be fun?" Abattoir, on the other hand, didn''t quite agree with him.


    Despite the backwardness of Greek magic in the world, as the Minister of Magic, who was one of the most powerful people in the magical world, being provoked by a Muggle made him a little angry.


    "Now is not the time for drama." Newt shook his head, "The wizard in the car should be here to investigate the abnormal situation on Mount Olympus as well. Grab the problem and go about your business."


    It was only then that Abcessor reluctantly stepped forward to Drac and the muggle man.


    "What happened here?" He asked in Greek to the muggle man.


    He then looked back to Drac and asked in English, "Mr. Wizard, are you also here on Mount Olympus to scout out the anomalies these days?"


    Before Drac could reply, the Muggle man saw Abbottle, who spoke Greek, as if he had seen a savior.


    At this time, he didn''t care if Abbottel was some kind of transvestite or not, and tugged on the arm of the Minister of Magic, saying:


    "You hurry up and speak to this man, he crashed my car and must pay for it!"


    He then deliberately pointed at his car''s badge, "See this BMW? It''s going to take at least thirty thousand dors to fix this car of mine when it''s wrecked, and that''s not even counting a series of other damages such as depreciation costs ..."


    The corner of Abattoir''s mouth twitched as he looked at the muggle man who had once again begun to ramble on, immediately not wanting to act as a trantor for him.


    The man was still oblivious and still took several minutes to finish his long rant:


    "If you don''t know how to drive, don''te to these mountains. It''s only right that if you get into a car ident you have to pay for it!"


    Even though emotionally he didn''t want to do the man any favors, in the end, the mentality of doing the right thing overrode his personal emotions.


    Taking a deep breath, Abattoir turned his head towards Drac, who remained in the car, ready to briefly trante a few of the Muggle man''s words.


    It was then, however, that Drac suddenly spoke-


    "Unfortunately, I really don''t know how to drive." With a yful smile on the corner of his mouth, he said in fluent Greek, "Today happens to be my first day on the road, so it''s only natural for me to have some sort of traffic ident, so please do be considerate."


    Abner: "????"


    Muggle man: "?


    "


    "Mika, you boys tricked me, didn''t you?!" The muggle man was furious, "I see, you pretended you couldn''t understand for so long just to see me make a fool of myself, didn''t you?!"


    "You guessed right." Drac shrugged, "I''ve been a bit boredtely, and watching a Muggle curse here actually feels kind of fun."


    "Mka, asshole!"


    The muggle man was seething with rage and clenched his fists about to rush up and fight Drac.


    Abattoir hastily stopped him, while secretly using his magic to apply a calming spell to calm him down slightly.


    The dedicated Greek Minister of Magic was genuinely worried, worried that this wizard from nowhere would use ck magic on the pesky muggle ... although he had the urge to do so himself.


    "Okay, okay, everyone calm down." Abbottel acted as a peacemaker, "Our main goal is still to settle this one, so don''t all be too impulsive."


    The muggle men who had been calmed down by the magic had also finally calmed down, but their determination to get the money still hadn''t wavered in the slightest.


    "Thirty thousand dors, I''ll never be able to fix my car without that amount!" He held out three fingers and said to Drac, "This car of mine is a BMW 850Ci, forgive me if you have never seen this luxurious automobile!"


    Abner listened to the figure and quietly broke his fingers and did the math.


    ording to the exchange rate of most currencies in the magic world, one Galleon is equivalent to five pounds sterling, and thirty thousand dors is equivalent to twenty thousand pounds sterling ... This makes thirty thousand dors almost as much as over four thousand Galleons!


    Abattoir sucked in a breath of cool air and turned his head to look at Drac who still had a yful smile on his face.


    "Hey, how can you stillugh!" He said to Drac in English that the Muggle man couldn''t understand, "That''s over four thousand Galleons, how are you going to pay him back!"


    Who knew that Drac shook his head at him without a care in the world.


    "I thought you were supposed to be responsible for this crash." He took a blood-vored lollipop out of his coat pocket and stuffed it in his mouth, saying absently to the Muggle man, "This time it was clearly your car that hit my car, you should have paid me."


    "My responsibility? Joke!" The muggle man''s emotions tended to get out of control again, "Even though I was the one who hit you, who knew you would suddenly appear in front of me? It''s obvious you broke a bunch of traffic rules like speeding on a mountain road, plus failing to sound your horn to overtake, and that''s not looking for trouble!"


    "And not to mention the traffic rule aspect, the car alone was a bit more expensive for me too, and for the shit you''re in, a small bump like that can definitely be fixed for two thousand dors!"


    The Muggle man looked halfway down the side of the silver body of the Drac he''d hit and couldn''t find a single sign of a crash, not even a scratch.


    "That''s not right, howe you don''t even have a scratch on this car?" He muttered in some confusion.


    Being a Muggle, the man couldn''t even imagine that Drac had added a number of protective types of ancient such as Niven circuits to the car in order to prevent the type of situation that had urred when the Weasleys'' old Ford had crashed into the battering ram.


    More than that, he had added several instantly triggered storage spells to the bodywork that would automatically cast protective magic such as the Iron Armor spell and Unity Plus when there was a collision.


    As a result, when the muggle man''s BMW 850Ci crashed into Drac''s body, it didn''t even leave a trace under several magic spells and protective Ruinivan magic, instead, the muggle''s bumper crashed out with arge dent.


    "Do you want to take a closer look?"


    Drac snapped his fingers softly.


    The Muggle man blinked and saw what looked like a noticeable dent appearing suddenly in the silver body of the car in front of him.


    "Hmm? Did I just blink?" He was a bit confused, but inwardly he felt that this made sense and didn''t question it.


    "How about this, count me as an old brother taking care of you, and this time it''ll be 50/50 responsibility for the car ident." The muggle man patted his chest and said, "Five thousand dors for you to fix your car is definitely enough, just make up another twenty-five thousand dors for me."


    He had a n in mind.


    The Muggle man''s car actually had an insurancepany that would cover it. Besides, the price of repairing a dented bumper like this was actually nowhere near as outrageous as thirty thousand dors.


    After doing some rough calctions, he estimated that he would be able to get everything fixed for less than five thousand dors.


    If he could get twenty-five thousand dors from the man in the fancy dress, wouldn''t he make twenty thousand dors?


    The muggle man already had a smug smile on his face.


    "I agree to divide the responsibility on a fifty-fifty basis." The corner of Drac''s mouth also curled into a yful smile.


    "Now that you agree, let''s pay up!" The Muggle man couldn''t wait to extend his hand.


    He had already decided that once he got the twenty thousand dors that he had earned for nothing, he would go straight to a foreign country to party for three days and three nights!


    "Don''t be in a hurry."


    Drac snapped his fingers again, and on the wheels, the front of the body, and on the window ss, a logo consisting of two ovepping capital letters "R" slowly emerged on all parts of the silver car.


    "Take a closer look at the car and then recalcte the amount of money for this traffic ident."


    The Muggle man brought his eyes to the silver automobile in front of him, to the ovepping capital "R", his heart slowed fiercely, and his breathing gradually came to a standstill.


    "I ... you ... this ..."


    His lips twitched and he stammered for a long time before finally catching his breath.


    "Mka! This thing is a Rolls Royce Phantom?!"

 Chapter 146 - 146

    <h4>Chapter 146:</h4>


    Seeing the Drac''s license te, the Muggle man instantly developed a sense of withdrawal.


    He had already discovered that this silver-haired man could by no means just be able to afford to drive a Rolls-Royce look ... million-dor car said to crash, without any heartache, without caring about the behavior, is precisely the root of the cause of his trepidation.


    "Ahem ... I thought about it, and suddenly I don''t think a fifty-fifty split of responsibility is too reasonable." The Muggle man immediately changed his words and said, "In fact, let''s say that our two cars have received about the same degree of damage, so why don''t we each take a step back-"


    "In this case, otherwise, let''s just consider us as two people who don''t owe each other, I''ll suffer a slight loss, and you don''t have topensate me for this twenty-five thousand dors of my repair costs ..."


    Saying this kind of words, it seems that he himself also feels that he is in the wrong, not waiting for Drac to give a response before he once again got into the car, using the fastest speed in his life to start the automobile, and drove away from the scene in a simmering cloud of smoke.


    "Your Excellency, are you just going to let this Muggle go?" Abattoir asked slightly glumly as he watched the muggle man disappear into the car around the corner of the road, "Don''t you want to teach him a lesson?"


    "Of course I want to teach him a lesson, after all, I''ve never been a careful fellow." Drac''s mouth curled into a wicked smile as he turned his head to look around the corner on the other side of the mountain road.


    Newt and Abbottel followed Drac''s gaze to that one corner, which was oriented in just the opposite direction from where the muggle man had disappeared.


    Just as the two were puzzled, a ck sedan suddenly turned out of that corner, and upon closer inspection you could still see its dented front bumper ...


    "Is this the car that was just there?" Newt asked in surprise.


    The next moment, his question was answered -


    Only to see that inside the open window of that ck BMW sedan, a middle-aged man was looking at the two of them, Rolls Royce and Newt, on the side of the road with a look of disbelief, and at the same time reached out his hand to nkly rub his eyes.


    Who was this if not the Muggle man just now?


    The ck sedan sped past once more, once again disappearing around the corner where it had disappeared the previous time.


    "Eh ... Excellency, it urs to me that it''s not quite appropriate to lecture a Muggle with magic like this?" It hadn''t urred to Abbottel until then that he was the Greek Minister of Magic, "It''s against the International Confederation of Wizards Secrecy Act ..."


    "As long as you two don''t tell anyone, who knows I''m breaking the Secrecy Act?" Drac said, full of concern.


    "That''s true ...," Abbottel nodded, then realized that something was wrong, "No, how can I say that I''m also a Minister of Magic, how can I take the lead in covering up? "


    "But weren''t you the one who just said you were going to teach this muggle a lesson?" Drac nced at him.


    "A momentary fit of ... pique is all." Abner wiped the beads of sweat from his bare head.


    After a short while, the ck BMW sedan once again emerged from the corner it had been on before.


    The Muggle man in the car looked at the silver Rolls Royce at the curb and his eyes widened in shock.


    "Maraca?!"


    He stepped on the gas menacingly and sped away from the previous corner.


    Two minutester, however, the muggle man reappeared in front of the three Drac men.


    "Today ... is a wicked day!"


    Panting, he fiercely hit the steering wheel and turned the car around in a drift, turning to the corner from which he hade, hoping to find a way out.


    Two minutester, however, the ck sedan reappeared from the corner it had previously driven away from.


    After many unscientific experiences, the muggle man''s eyes were by now bloodshot and filled with a skeptical expression.


    He hit the brakes hard and stopped in front of Drac''s Rolls Royce.


    "Brother, can I call you big brother!" He was really afraid this time, tremblingly opened the car door, rolling and crawling to jump out from the car, "It''s me who is blind, actually messed with you this dignified character ..."


    "You ... you must be the devil who lives in Mount Olympus, right?"


    Seeing that Drac''s eyes became a bit unkind, the muggle man also realized that he had said the wrong thing and hurriedly changed his words:


    "No, no, no, my problem, you must be the god of the heavens who lives in Mount Olympus!"


    He pulled the keys out of the car, held them in both hands, and handed them to the window of the Rolls Royce Drac was in.


    "I''m really wrong this time, so please let me go! I''m not going to be insatiable for any morepensation money for this car, I can just gift it to you!"


    The muggle man''s hands trembled as the car keys shook in his hands, making the constant sound of strings of metal shing.


    Drac raised an eyebrow and turned his head to look at the keys that kept jiggling in his hands.


    "Have you thought this through? It might be cheaper to lose some money alone than to hitch the whole car." Heughed softly.


    "It doesn''t matter, I''ve made up my mind!" The muggle man eximed as he took a deep breath.


    All he wanted to do now was to get rid of such an evil ce, and such an evil person, and things like losing his money or his car were long gone from his mind.


    "Good thing too, it just so happens that I still feel a bit monotonous driving just this one car." Drac lightlyughed, took his car keys from the man''s hand, "Since you are still quite sincere, then you can go now."


    "Really ... really?" The Muggle man asked incredulously.


    "Of course, would I ever speak out of turn?" Drac''s voice went cold.


    "No, no, no ... I''m not questioning your intentions, I''ll go ... right away."


    The Muggle man couldn''t even be bothered to take the other misceneous things in his car with him, and after receiving Drac''s permission, he busied himself by running to the corner where he had returned it to its original position several times before.


    As he ran, he also looked back once in a while to see if he was still trapped in the middle of this loop on the mountain road.


    Just as the Muggle man was about to leave that corner and turn back for thest time, he saw the sherbeted, oddly dressed, Greek-speaking man pointing at himself with a strange twig-


    "One forgets all (Obliviate)."


    With such a strange phraseing out of the sheikh''s mouth, the muggle man seemed to have suddenly forgotten something.


    "Noooo, where''s my car?" He muttered as he kept looking left and right.


    Then, he suddenly saw two cars, one ck and one silver, ced side by side on the far side of the road, and a silver-haired man was sizing up the ck BMW sedan.


    "Stop, let go of my car!" The Muggle man shouted angrily.


    Drac stalled in his observation of the new car.


    "This Mr. Minister, does your so-called Oblivion spell only erase half of your memories?" The corner of his mouth twitched.


    "Uh ... well, you know, we Greek wizards aren''t too skilled in our magic ... " Abbottel said awkwardly, wiping the cold sweat from his bald head. "And this time the casting distance is a bit far, not too good to control."


    "I can kind of rte to that." Newt said with a sudden look of recognition.


    He then waved his wand and replenished the muggle man with a silent Oblivion spell.


    The muggle man immediately forgot about finding his car and left the area around that corner in a bit of a daze.


    "Thank you for your help, Mr. Scamander." Abbottel forced a smile.


    "Minister Abbottle, didn''t your Greek Ministry of Magic impose a Muggle banishing spell on Mount Olympus?" Putting his wand away, Newt frowned slightly as he watched the Muggle man''s distant form, and


    "Under the condition of not being sure of the specific situation here, using the Muggle Expulsion Spell to protect the safety of Muggles and prevent the official business of the Ministry of Magic from being interfered by Muggles should be the most basic andmon way of doing things, shouldn''t it?"


    "Eh ... Here ites down to the level of magic in Greece still, we don''t have enough personnel!" Abattoir said helplessly, "The Greek Ministry of Magic doesn''t have many ministry members in total, and even fewer of them know how to use Muggle banishing spells."


    "And the scope of Mount Olympus is just a bit too big, the wizards on our side couldn''t cover the entire mountainous area with the Muggle Expulsion Spell in a short period of time even if they worked overtime day and night ..."


    "So you didn''t consult well with the Muggle government?" Newt continued, "Tell the Muggle government to send troops to garrison the area and prevent civilians from approaching; and also arrange for some ''experts'' to speak about the dangers of the anomalies on Mount Olympus."


    "Or ... is the rtionship between the Ministry of Magic on your side and the Muggle government as bad as Amerika''s, with no possibility ofmunication?"


    Newt, after all, was also a ny year old man with a very rich experience; plus his brother, Theseus Scamander, was once a high official of the Ministry of Magic, so he was quite familiar with the way the magic world acted.


    When he saw how unprofessional the Greek Ministry of Magic was acting, he immediately picked out a whole bunch of their faults and also pointed out many good solutions.


    "Our rtionship with the Muggle government isn''t quite as bad as Amerika''s." Abattoir was even more helpless, "But nay the Greek Ministry of Magic is too small and they don''t listen to me!"


    "I''ve already informed that Greek president of what''s called Constantine days ago, and told them to give martialw to the Olympus side to prevent any idents."


    "But that Muggle president wasn''t happy about it! He said something about how ... Greece''s economic development model has be inseparable from tourism, which provides nearly one-fifth of the GDP, and how Mount Olympus is the big tourism head of Greece ... too messed up to remember. "


    "Anyway, the Muggle side is adamant about not agreeing to martialw for Mount Olympus. So our side of the Ministry of Magic really has no choice ..."


    Newt was silent for a few moments and gave Abattoir a sympathetic look.


    "You guys are really hard ... conditions." He hesitated for a long while before weighing his words and uttering such a euphemisticment.


    Meanwhile, Drac had already taken care of the small BMW car that the wealth offering boy had sent over earlier.


    He had casually used a repair spell to fix the bumper that the Muggle man had supposedly taken twenty-five thousand dors to fix, and then burned through the useless contents of the car before stowing the rather nice looking BMW 850Ci in his pocket.


    Drac was going to wait until he was bored and use the car to transform a more unique magically modified automobile that he could swap out for a ride every now and then.


    "So what are you guys missing now? Just covering this mountainous area with a muggle banishing spell?" He asked as he walked over to Newt and Abner after putting the car away.


    "''Only''? You''re making this too easy, aren''t you?" Abbottel questioned, "An area as vast as Mount Olympus can''t bepletely covered by just a few people, even with the simplest of magic spells."


    "But this matter is indeed simple." Drac smiled with interest.


    Abattoir frowned, full of disbelief, thinking that Drac was just bragging with him.


    So Drac lightly snapped his fingers.


    In the next moment, a hidden and colorless ripple centered on Drac, quietly stroked over Abbottel and Newt''s bodies, and extended out all the way to the outskirts of the mountain.


    If one were to look down from the middle of the heights, one might be able to see such a magical sight-


    Countless Muggles were either driving their cars, holding their cameras and taking pictures of Mount Olympus, orughing and joking as they climbed the majestic mountain. ...


    However, coincidentally, at the same time, they withdrew from what they were doing, put away their luggage and backpacks, and hurried away from the interior of the mountain to the periphery as if they had thought of something urgent.


    "Mr. Minister ... Mr. Minister, can you hear me?over."


    The voice of a junior suddenly came out from the inner pocket of Abtel''s shirt.


    He pulled a walkie-talkie procured from a Muggle out of his inner pocket and skillfully pressed the button.


    "Can hear, can hear, please will, over."


    Looking at Drac and Newt strangely, Abbottelughed awkwardly and whispered:


    "It''s not that the level of magic is a bit problematic, so we can only rely on other things to make up for it. ..."


    Then, the voice of the junior once again came from inside the inte:


    "Mr. Minister, an abnormal situation has appeared on the periphery of Mount Olympus. Arge number of Muggles who used to stay inside the mountain have left the Olympus area at almost the same time, it is unclear why. over."


    "Roger, Roger, OVER."


    Abattoir slowly removed the walkie-talkie from his mouth and looked at Drac with extremely stunned and even slightly horrified eyes.


    "Did you ... really just cover the entirety of Mount Olympus with that Muggle banishing spell you just did?!"


    "Mka! It was even a silent spell plus a wandless one!


    "


    This Mr. Greek Minister of Magic even burst into profanity.


    "The magic world is big, there''s always something you wouldn''t expect from this Mr. Minister."


    Dracughed softly and sat back down on his Rolls Royce.


    "Besides, if it''s nothing important, I suggest you all get out of here as well." He waved a hand at Newt and Abbottel, "What''s going on at the top of this mountain is not something you can easily handle."

 Chapter 147 - 147 The Secret Place at the Top of the Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 147: The Secret ce at the Top of the Mountain</h4>


    Seeing that Drac was about to drive off, Abattoir was anxious.


    This wizard born and raised in Greece had never seen such an exaggerated situation - in the case of casting a spell without a sound or a wand, he was able to make the Muggle Expulsion Spell cover the whole of Mount Olympus, and it seemed to be very easy to do so.


    How could one not embrace such a thick leg when given the chance?


    But the problem was, Abbottel didn''t find a suitable reason to hug his thigh, and he didn''t think that his identity as the Minister of Magic of a small country would be put in the eyes of this thigh ....


    Since this was the case, he could only borrow the identity of the other thigh beside him to fox around a bit.


    "Your Excellency, don''t rush off yet!" Abattoir called out to Drac.


    "Do you know who this one beside me is? This is the most prestigious magical zoologist in the magic world, Mr. Newt Scamander." He said in a serious voice, "Where he''s concerned, no question about magical animals will be difficult for us!"


    "One more is one more, especially with such a top-notch Pok¨¦monologist. Wouldn''t you say, Your Excellency?"


    Drac mmed on the brakes.


    His interest suddenly lifted at the sound of the name.


    "Newt Scamander?" Drac poked his head out of the car window and looked with interest at the old man who still had some freckles on his face and a mottled head of disheveled hair, "So you''re the one who was responsible for defeating the dark wizard Grindelwald fifty years ago?"


    "That was all a long time ago." Newt smiled coyly, his hand squeezing tightly as he carried his suitcase.


    Even after all these years, Newt still hadn''t taken it for granted to put acknowledgement of his credit during the time of the Global Wizarding War.


    In the humble magical zoologist''s eyes, the man who had been under pressure to maintain order in the wizarding world, and indeed the Muggle world, had never been more than Dumbledore, who was admired by all.


    "Don''t be modest, Mr. Scamander, I''ve heard your stories." Dracughed softly and shook his head as he backed the car back up to Newt and Abner, "That old man Nicole used to brag about you a lot when I asked about those times."


    "The old guy ... you''re talking about is Mr. LeMay?" Newt froze.


    He carefully measured Drac''s appearance once more, looking at Drac''s face that didn''t look like it could be more than thirty years old in any way, with a rather bewildered expression.


    "Can I take the liberty of asking, is your name ...?" Newt asked.


    "Just call me Drac." Drac said.


    Unless it was a particrly close friend, such as Nicole LeMay, or the four founders of Hogwarts back in the day, Drac had never been in the habit of just giving them hisst name, and didn''t like to hear his first name called.


    "Drac?!"


    Upon hearing thisst name, Minister Abbottel, who was standing to the side, suddenly jumped up.


    "You are the first Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts to be re-elected to a second term in decades at Hogwarts?!" He asked in surprise.


    There was no wonder why Abbottel was making a fuss, it was really because Drac''s reputation had spread to the top levels of various countries during this period of time.


    As the oldest magic school in the whole of Europe, and even one of the oldest magic schools in the world, Hogwarts had great poprity and wizard civilian recognition.


    And the strange events at Hogwarts regarding the subject of Defense Against ck Magic had actually not only received the attention of the local magicalmunity in the United Kingdom, but also the attention of the Ministry of Magic and magical schools around the world.


    When a subject that had never had any professor able to be re-elected for decades suddenly had an additional professor who had sessfully entered the second year, the world immediately became curious about Drac, a character who hade out of nowhere, and immediatelyunched a great deal of probing and investigation.


    Although the Greek Ministry of Magic wasn''t strong, it could still do some simple prying on a daily basis.


    As the Minister of the Greek Ministry of Magic, Abbottel naturally also learned about Drac''s identity through his own information channels.


    In addition, Drac''s surname can be said to be extremely rare in the magic world, and then based on the most basic information such as silver hair, burgundy-eyed child, and cynical personality, the identity of the person sitting inside the Lausitz in front of him was very recognizable.


    It suddenly urred to Abner that just half an hour ago, before Newt had sent his grandson away with the door key, he had discussed the matter of Hogwarts'' new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor with Master Scamander.


    He simply couldn''t believe that the man he''d been talking about half an hour ago had appeared so hastily in front of him!


    "Oh? Am I so well known now?" Drac raised his eyebrows and looked at the surprised-looking Abner, "I feel like I''ve been keeping a pretty low profiletely."


    Abbottel silently nced at the silver Rolls Royce in front of him and the corner of his mouth twitched.


    "You''re afraid that you don''t have any misunderstanding of the word low-key ..." he said helplessly, "And not to mention the other aspects of acting, the mere fact of being reelected to a second year is already in the spotlight! ..."


    "Is that so?"


    Drac rested his elbow on the car window, supporting the side of his face with his right hand as he pondered in silence.


    A strand of silver hair from his forehead hung over the back of his hand, gently ruffled by the refreshing mountain breeze that carried moisture outside the window.


    Abattoir gulped as he watched Drac''s lowered eyelids and well-defined side of his face.


    He looked like that for a few moments before he reacted that something was wrong and hurriedly raised his hand to p himself.


    "I''m still thinking of getting a wife before I''m forty, what''s the point of staring at a man like this!" Abbottel took a deep breath, "Though this man does seem a bit too handsome for his own good ..."


    He stole a nce at Newt beside him, only to find that Newt was also staring at the side of Drac''s face with immense concentration without moving.


    "Mr. Scamander, don''t you also think that His Excellency Drac''s handsome is a bit offending?" Abner asked quietly.


    "Hm?" Newt reacted only after a long time, twisting his head to look at Abbottel in puzzlement, "Well ... right, Professor Drac''s appearance is indeed handsome enough."


    He then turned his head once more to survey Drac''s face.


    "Sins!" Abbottel pped his bare head painfully, "Mr. Scamander, you''re a big man for your age, and your wife is still waiting for you at home!"


    Again Newt turned his head, his expression more puzzled.


    "What are you talking about, Minister Abbottel?" He asked.


    "Eh ... am I overthinking this?" Abbottel''s tone stalled for a moment, "Aren''t you admiring the looks of Lord Drac?"


    "Admiring? Not really." Newt shook his head, "I just wanted to confirm a suspicion."


    Newt turned his eyes back once again, focusing on Drac''s fingertips, the corners of his mouth, the child of his eyes, and the outline of his ears, and then a hint of realization gradually emerged in his eyes.


    Just then, Drac suddenly opened his eyes.


    "Forget it, there''s really no way for me toy low." He resignedly leaned against the soft car seat backrest, "Those kinda interesting guys who want to know about my deeds let them know about it, whatever!"


    Drac then turned his attention out the car window to Newt and Abbottel, "First things first, I actually know what''s up there at the top of the mountain, and there are no magical creatures or anything like that up there to match Mr. Scamander''s expertise."


    "So are you two still nning on going?"


    "Go on,e what may!" Abattoir said passionately.


    On the one hand, he thought of himself as the big brother of the Greek magic world, and should practically know about the visions of Olympus, the meaningful mountain of the gods; on the other hand, he had never seen a thigh as thick as Drac''s, so he was waiting to go along for the long haul!


    Newt, on the other hand, hesitated slightly, and then finally nodded.


    He was also a bit curious as to what kind of situation could cause such a wide range of visions in the entire mountainous region.


    "Then get in the car." Drac casually waved his hand.


    ...


    Mount Olympus was close to three thousand meters above sea level.


    Compared to many of the world''s mountains, Mount Olympus didn''t seem to be too high; but as the first peak of Greece, with its great drop from the ins at its base, it wasn''t low at all.


    It was quite cold in November, and Greece, being a typical Mediterranean climate, had a wetter winter, so there were still quite a few hardy nts struggling to grow.


    Sitting in Drac''s limousine, with his eyes looking out the window into the distance, he could see the green and dark underneath the mountains, stretching across the sky to the north and west in the misty weather.


    As the vehicle continued on its journey and shifted its gaze closer, it was possible to see the surrounding colors gradually switch from the light gray of the mass of man-made pavement to the dark green of the vegetation, and then to the wood ochre of the rocks.


    Finally, after the highway in front of them came to aplete end, the area as far as the eye could see was already filled with mist and snow.


    "There''s no road ahead, shall wee down and walk?" Abattoir looked at the mountain road that had reached its end and asked.


    After circling back and forth on the mountain road for many times, this poor Greek Minister of Magic was already about to be turned around, and at this moment, when he made the request to get off, there was even a bit of hope in his eyes.


    "Don''t be in a hurry, this has just begun." Drac waved his hand at him, the corner of his mouth curling up into an exuberant smile.


    Only to see his slender fingers on theplex driver''s panel strokes, do not know how to operate, the next moment, the front hood of the car looks like a "cherub" of the Rolls-Royce logo suddenly changed--- "cherub", "cherub", "cherub", "cherub", "cherub", "cherub", "cherub", "cherub", "cherub", "cherub".


    A pair of wings behind the "cherub" suddenly swelled, expanded, extended, and eventually split into two unconnected wings.


    One wing is attached to the left side of the body, and the other is opposite to it.


    Immediately afterward, the wings pped gently.


    A soft, yet powerful enough wind fanned out from underneath the wings, causing the snowkes in the surrounding area to fly in the sky, and even the mist in the air was blown away.


    Drac watched the scene with satisfaction, and pressed another button-


    One after another arcane ancient Ruyani symbols suddenly appeared on the body, windows, and even the bottom of the car, connecting with each other to form a glittering Ruyani circuit that wrapped the entire car.


    In the next moment, the silver-colored car suddenly elerated, flying like a bolt of lightning towards the ce with the strongest visions at the top of the mountain.


    "Mara ... this car can actually fly? And how can it fly so fast!" Abbottel was startled, the dirty words almost came out of his mouth, but fortunately reacted in time.


    He subconsciously grabbed the handle on the door of the car, as if he had grabbed a life-saving straw, and never dared to let go again.


    "Cough cough, Mr. Drac, I have a question ... I want to ask boldly."


    After a good half day, Abbottel barely recovered, and tremblingly looked at Drac who was driving with great interest and asked.


    "If you have something to say, just say it." Drac, still in a good mood at the moment, casually replied.


    "I just don t quite understand, since this car can fly ... then why did we have to go around the mountain so many times on the way up just now?" Abbottel asked weakly.


    He had just gotten so seasick that he was about to throw up ...


    Newt was sitting in the backseat, and a look of recognition appeared on his face, as if he had the same question in his mind as Abbottel.


    "Oh, this question ah ..." Drac nced at the two of them from the rearview mirror, the corners of his mouth slightly hooked, "don''t you guys think it''s fun to drive in circles on the mountain road?"


    "For ... that reason?" Abner''s mouth dropped open.


    "Of course, otherwise you''d think I''d have nothing better to do than drive in circles on a mountain road?" Drac said.


    ''I think you just have nothing to do ...'' Abbottel bbored in his heart.


    He then turned his attention to Newt, "Mr. Scamander, you''ve never been in a Muggle car either, have you? How is it that you haven''t noticed any signs of motion sickness?"


    "I''m actually quite familiar with Muggle transportation." A hint of remembrance passed through Newt''s eyes when he heard Abner''s question, "I used to take Muggle cruises back in the day, traveling between Ennd and many other countries ..."


    "One of the ces I went to most often was Amerika, when Tina was the head of the Auror''s office over there, and often couldn''t get away; and I had to look around for magical creatures, so I often had to take cruises to the US to meet up with her ..."


    Looking at Newt, who was full of happiness, Abner was silent. Almost forty years old and still single, he was once again hit by a storm.


    Listening to Newt''s stories of his youth in the car, unconsciously, the mist in front of his eyes had be so thick that it was nearly impossible to see anything around him.


    As the white light flickered more and more frequently, the ck air that appeared from time to time became heavier and heavier, and the atmosphere in the car gradually became depressing.


    Newt paused his words, and looked with a grave face out the car window at the thick mists, and the sight of white light interspersed with ck gas.


    "I am now able to determine that this is not a sight that any kind of magical animal could cause." He said softly, "This sacred, pure white light instead reminds me of a magic-"


    "A daemonic spell!"


    "You are correct, Mr. Scamander." Drac nodded slightly, "You can tell that whether it''s the mist, the white light or the ck aura, it''s all leaking from a gaping hole located at the top of the mountain."


    "Then this gap is the entrance for us to find out the truth!"

 Chapter 148 - 148

    <h4>Chapter 148:</h4>


    Drac threw the window open, his stern eyes searching for unusual locations amongst the surrounding mist.


    "Lord Drac, with the fog so heavy here, can you see anything out here?" Abattoir asked with a confused look on his face.


    He followed Drac''s example and opened the window and looked outside but found nothing but a white scene.


    Newt also tried to use "Meteolojio" on the window, but the fog was too heavy and covered too much area.


    Every time he cleared an area of fog, others would follow, leaving no gaps in the fog nearby.


    "There''s no way for anyone to see anything nearby with the naked eye in this situation, is there?" Drac said, "But we wouldn''t have needed to see anything with the naked eye, as long as we observe the flow of magic around here."


    There seemed to be a constant flow of light in Drac''s burgundy-eyed child.


    Under his perspective, the endless mists in the sky seemed to have disappeared, leaving only countless colors that outlined countless colorful lines in the sky.


    Whether it was the pure white light that flickered from time to time in the mists, or the ck gas that asionally escaped from the secret realm at the top of the mountain, at this moment, it was being transformed into countless ink-rendered drawings that were entwined together in the midst of Drac''s line of sight.


    Following these colors that were entangled with each other and at the same time separated from each other, continuing to look into the distance, it was as if he could see a dense cloudy haze.


    Drac''s eyes lit up and he suddenly stepped on the gas pedal.


    The silver car suddenly turned into a lightning bolt in the middle of the mist, threw a windy drift in the air and rushed towards that piece of haze in Drac''s line of sight.


    Abbott didn''t react, immediately knocked his head on the window next to the back seat, and a big bag swelled up behind his head.


    As for Newt, who was also sitting in the car, he was spared because he was still honestly wearing his seatbelt.


    "Slow down, slow down ...," Abbottel said shivering to Drac as he fumbled to grab the seatbelt beside him.


    However it was hard to find the suspected entrance and there was no telling when this natural magic that could change at any moment would change form and location, Drac was not willing to stop at this time.


    "Mr. Minister, justmiserate for a moment, we''ll be there soon." He saidfortingly.


    Hearing these words that were likeforting words, Abbottel''s face instantly turned green.


    And Newt, who was sitting next to Abbottel, was after all a legendary wizard who had seen a great deal of wind and waves, and after experiencing the initial two or three seconds of being at a loss for words, he immediately adapted to the speed of the super-fast speeding car, and even bothered to take out his wand from his sleeve.


    "Shoes stick to the ground (Colloshoo)."


    Newt recited to the poor Greek Minister of Magic beside him.


    The simple sticky feet spell, reworked by Newt, acted on Abbottle''s clothes, gluing them to the back of the car.


    Abbottel was then in no danger of crashing into anything again.


    "Thank you, Mr. Scamander." With a startled sigh of relief, Abbottel hurriedly pulled his seatbelt over and fastened it, and cast a grateful look at Newt.


    Newt nodded and reached out his wand again to point it at the back of his head where he''d knocked it, using a healing spell to dissolve the onerge bag.


    By the time all of that was done, the distance, which wasn''t too far, hade in a sh at the super high speed of the car-


    "This should be the neighborhood." Drac stopped the car in the air, the light in his eyes flowing once again.


    Obviously, this area was the ce where the colorful clouds representing magic power converged.


    However, if one were to look in the direction of this area where the magic was thickest with just the naked eye, one would only find a mistyndscape that was no different from any of the sights over Mount Olympus.


    "Alohomora (Aloha Cave)."


    Drac put his hand out the window and casually cast an unlocking spell there.


    The light representing the unlocking spell disappeared into the roiling mist, like a stone sinking into the sea, causing no reaction.


    "So faceless?" Drac furrowed his brows, "What about this spell-"


    "Drill the heart and pluck out the bones (Crucio)."


    Hearing this spell, Abbottel, who was originally dazed by the high-speed car, suddenly sat up with a jolt.


    But he forgot that his wizard robe was still attached to the seat behind his back, so ...


    "Snort--"


    The poor robe, after enduring many eleration and deceleration impacts, finally couldn''t withstand another impact under Abbottel''s great shock, and was finally torn open arge mouth.


    But at this moment, Abbottel couldn''t care about that much anymore, he was at this moment looking at Drac with a dazed look, questioning:


    "Lord Drac, what you just used is one of the Unforgivable Spells, the ... Drill Spell?"


    "That''s right, what''s the problem?" Drac responded with some annoyance as he watched the Drill Heart spell not make any waves either.


    He then nced at the balding face in the rearview mirror and suddenly remembered the identity of the man in the back seat, "Oh no, I forgot there was a Greek Minister of Magic here, sorry."


    "You misheard me, I didn''t even just use the unforgivable spell." He said without changing his face.


    Abbottel: "..."


    You''re making a fool out of me here!


    "Lord Drac, I must remind you that using the Unforgivable Spell without authorization is an illegal act within the scope of the entire world''s magicmunity!" Abbottel said seriously, "And the use of ck magic can have a great impact on a wizard''s mental state, and can easily lead one astray ..."


    "On our side of Greece, every sorcerer who has learned ck magic will end up with a mental disorder."


    Drac squinted over his eyes at Abattoir and suddenly snorted.


    "So, do you think there''s something wrong with my mental state?" He asked absently.


    ''There is quite a problem.''


    That''s what Abattoir thought, but looking at Drac''s gradually turning cold look, he didn''t dare to say it after all.


    "Ahem ... I think your spirit is quite normal, definitely not affected by ck magic!" He said with conviction.


    "Oh? I thought you were going to say that my mental state is not normal!" Drac stared into Abattoir''s eyes and said with a smirk.


    "There is absolutely no such thing!" Cold sweat broke out behind Abner''s back.


    "Forget it, it''s quite pointless to chat with you, you still have too little insight as a person." Drac shook his head in a bored manner, "I can give you a reminder-"


    "Something like ck magic will indeed have an effect on a sorcerer''s mental state, but that depends on how strong his own spirit is ..."


    "A sorcerer with a strong spirit, who has been immersed in ck magic all his life won''t necessarily be affected mentally by it; while sorcerers such as those of you in Greece, who have a weak spirit and not much potential to learn ck magic at all, will fall into the abyss of doom at the slightest contact."


    Drac suddenly hooked up the corner of his mouth and got up toe closer to Abbottel''s face, "How can a professor of ck magic defense teach defense against ck magic if he doesn''t know how to do it?"


    "Keep your eyes open and I''ll show you a proper feast of ck magic!"


    Saying that, he suddenly jumped out of the open car window and disappeared into the thick mist.


    Abattoir didn''t even react before the driver''s seat became empty, leaving only the dashboard and other various instruments at the front of the car still running as they should.


    "Hey..! Lord Drac, don''t think about it!


    "


    He froze for a long while before suddenly reacting, sticking his head out of the window and peering desperately down at the car.


    "I just said that casually ... Actually, you didn''t use the Unforgivable Spell on anyone, you don''t have to be put in your Azkaban!" Abattoir shouted into the fog.


    Just then, Newt tapped him on the shoulder.


    "Don''t worry Minister Abbottle, Professor Drac he''s fine." Newt shook his head at him and said softly, "Instead of worrying about Professor Drac''s well-being, why don''t you just mend your own back first."


    "Uh...," Abbottel''s next words stalled in his throat.


    The mountain wind with heavy humidity blew through the car window, and it was then that he felt a chill down his back.


    Abbottel hurriedly used a repair spell to restore his clothes to their original state, then looked curiously at Newt.


    "Mr. Scamander, how do you know that Lord Drac will be fine? This is thousands of meters up in the air!" He asked, still somewhat worried, "And I''m not afraid tough at you, what I''m actually most worried about is not His Excellency Drac, but my own little life ..."


    "You see, the operation of this Muggle automobile looks soplicated, and neither one of us knows how to drive it. If His Excellency Drac falls from here, odds are we won''t survive either ..."


    Hearing Abner''s frank words, Newtughed out loud instead.


    "Don''t worry, we won''t fall down just like that." He grinned and patted the old suitcase he didn''t leave his hand at all times, "I''ve got a lot of cuties here that can help usnd safely yet, would you like to hear them?"


    With that, Newt was about to introduce the air winged bird in his suitcase that had once helped him a great deal to Abner to get acquainted with.


    However, in the next moment, it was as if a thunderp boomed in the sky, interrupting Newt''s excitement.


    As a thick bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, it was as if the surrounding fog was split into two halves in an instant.


    Immediately after, countless rays of different colors surfaced in the air one after another, and they kept flickering, jumping, and bursting with the brilliance of that lightning ...


    In the blink of an eye, this sky that should have been upied by mists turned into a sea of all sorts of magic spells!


    "This ... this is ..."


    Abattoir looked out of the window in shock, this scene of roiling magic spells simply overturned his cognition.


    Many of these magic spells were ones that he had never seen or even heard of in his life, but each of them carried a powerful aura and filled with an appalling aura.


    "Sojourn Spell, Multiple Freezing Spell, Knightly Fire Spell ..." He carefully distinguished the magic spells that he could barely recognize among these endlessyers of magic spells, "Heavens... . are these all ck magic?!"


    At this moment, Abner finally understood what Drac meant by "a feast of ck magic".


    On the other hand, Newt on the other side had a much different understanding.


    As a legendary wizard who had personally experienced the era of the Global Wizard War, Newt had seen the most powerful ck wizard in the world, Grindelwald''s elegance when he performed magic many times.


    Not only that, he had even witnessed the 1945 duel between the two great wizards, Dumbledore and Grindelwald, which was the pinnacle of the magical world!


    Now that he saw the many magic spells cast by Drac, he even vaguely recalled the posture of the two great wizards when they dueled back then.


    "Seventeen, eighteen ... twenty-five ... this is put nearly how many magic spells cast at the same time?"


    Newt somewhat dazzlingly counted the magic spells that appeared in front of him, but how could he not count how many magic spells Drac actually cast at once ...


    But at least what Newt can be sure of today is that this Professor of ck Magic Defense Arts is definitely a great wizard level existence that is not inferior to Grindelwald and Dumbledore at their peak!


    Under the dense rain of magic spells, the space in front of him gradually fluctuated.


    Just as a deep purple magic spell light skimmed over a certain space, it disappeared very abruptly.


    Drac keenly looked towards that abnormal location, stopped casting all magic spells in an instant, and concentrated on waving his wand---


    A pir of blood-red light like a waterfall suddenly sted towards the ce where the dark purple magic spell had disappeared, fiercely shattering and annihting the hidden magic that existed in that space.


    In the next moment, a hexagram magic formation surrounded by circr light appeared at the ce where the pir of blood-red light had bombarded.


    Right behind this magic formation, it was as if there was an otherworldly world, vaguely outlining its mysterious outline in the eyes of Drac, Newt, and Abattoir.


    Now, the three of them were just separated from that world by a brilliant and magnificent formation aperture, intersecting and rotating like a doorway that did not wee visitors.


    Drac''s figure appeared once again in the driver''s seat of the car at an unknown time, cing his hand on the dashboard.


    "The one in the back, remember to sit still this time, but I''m ready to go." He said with a light smile as his eyes were fixed on the magic array not far ahead.


    Abattoir hurriedly fastened his seatbelt once more, sat upright, and nodded.


    Drac was still considerate enough to watch his movements in the rearview mirror, and then fiercely stepped on the gas pedal.


    The silver-colored car instantly elerated, and fiercely crashed headlong into the middle of that non-stop rotating magic formation.


    The moment they touched that light curtain, the three of them felt as if the sky was spinning, and the world seemed to have turned upside down.


    The towering and majestic Mount Olympus seemed to have turned upside down, hanging far above the canopy.


    Underneath Mount Olympus was a stretch of lofty and elegant buildings, with a strong ancient Greek style, standing on a water-like tnd.


    However, the most shocking thing was not these, but a silver giant as tall as Mount Olympus, as if connecting the sky to the earth, standing beside that building like that!

 Chapter 149 - 149 Invincible Andros

    <h4>Chapter 149: Invincible Andros</h4>


    "Is this giant a ... daemon spell?"


    Newt muttered as he looked at the daemon that seemed to be as tall as Mount Olympus.


    Abattoir was already in shock looking at the otherworldly general scene in front of him, and now that he heard Newt''s words, he almost stared his eyes out.


    "Mka! You''re telling me this is a daemon?!"


    He stared at the tall, silver-white giant with zed eyes, unable to believe that a daemon could reach such an exaggerated size no matter what.


    "I don''t know ...," Newt also shook his head somewhat bewildered, "I merely deduced it from the viewing, color and qualities of this giant. It''s the same as a daemon in every way except for its size ... but I''m still not sure it''s a daemon."


    "I don''t think it''s a daemon ... The size is too outrageous." Abattoir waved his head back and forth, making it clear that he didn''t trust Newt''s judgment.


    However, at this time, seeing the reaction of both Newt and Abbottel Drac hooked the corner of his mouth with amusement:


    "There''s nothing not to believe, this is the Guardian God spell!"


    "What?!" Abbottel was shocked, "You can''t scare me, Your Excellency Drac ... How could there be a daemon of this magnitude? You must be joking with me right?"


    "No, it seems like there really have been daemons as big as giants in history ...," Newt suddenly spoke up, interrupting Abbottel''s astonishment, "I remember that there was a very famous sorcerer a long time ago --"


    "He was called Andros the Invincible!"


    "Did you say Invincible Andros?"


    The two men said, almost in unison.


    "But Mr. Scamander ...," Abbottel wiped the beads of sweat from his bare head, "even though I would love to believe in the great sorcerers of our Greek antiquity, even a being like Andros could not cast a daemon as big as a mountain, right?"


    "Who knows about the past." Newt murmured softly.


    With that, he suddenly opened a button on top of his old suitcase and opened his mouth to shout inside:


    "Teddy, help me get the chocte frog picture Rolf left in your nest!"


    "What are you ..." Abbottel looked at Newt in confusion.


    "I suddenly remembered that my youngest grandson likes to collect chocte frog paintings, and he has a collection of them all secretly hidden away by Sniff." Newt smiled as he exined, "Inside that set of pictures were cards about the invincible Andros."


    Within moments, a small yellow paw peeked out from the crack of Newt''s old leather suitcase.


    This little paw very skillfully picked its way along the seam of the leather case, found another snap, and casually popped it up.


    Another, equally small paw then reached outside the case and lifted the leather case up an opening.


    A small creature with a long duckling-like beak, bright ck eyes, and covered in ck fluff poked its head out of the crate.


    "Is that a sniffer?" Abbottel peeked his head over curiously.


    "Yeah, Teddy''s pretty big for his age, and even helped me steal the Blood Alliance from Grindelwald''s hands back in the day." A touch of reminiscence surfaced in Newt''s eyes, and he reached out his hand to gently stroke the ck fluff on Sniff''s body.


    "Ah, this is that legendary Sniff back then." Abattoir looked at Sniff in Newt''s arms with reverence.


    "Did you bring over what I asked you to bring?" Newt gently stroked Sniff''s head, and a smile like an old mother''s couldn''t help but spread across his face as he said gently.


    Sniffy Teddy nodded proudly.


    Newt reached out his hand, and then tried to take out the chocte frog drawing that Rolf had left behind from the pocket in front of Sniff''s belly.


    Instead, Teddy ended up covering his stomach and in turn extended a small paw to Newt.


    Newt shook his head out ofughter and took out two gold coins from his own coat pocket and stuffed them into Sniff''s little paw.


    Sniff''s paw wasn''t big enough to grab the two gold coins at once, so Teddy had to lift his other paw, which was covering his pocket, and hold the two gold coins handed over by Newt in the middle of his two paws.


    Newt took this opportunity to reach into the pocket on the front of Sniff''s tummy, from which he pulled out a whole set of Chocte Frog Picture Pads.


    These pentagonal, flower-printed sheets were blue in color overall, and the main attraction for Sniff was the shiny gold frame that surrounded the sheets and the gold trim that was set around the periphery.


    Newt and Abbottel split up to look inside the chocte frog picture piece, and within moments, Abbottel was the first to find the great sorcerer from Ancient Greece, the Invincible Andros.


    "Invincible Andros (date of birth and death unknown): allegedly the only known sorcerer capable of casting a giant-sized daemon."


    Abattoir read into the chocte frog drawing in his hand.


    "That''s all that''s described on this card as well, nothing more is recorded." He shrugged at Newt, "A daemon the size of a giant doesn''t mean a daemon the size of a mountain, does it?"


    "Does Professor Drac know who summoned this daemon?" Newt frowned slightly and looked to Drac in the driver''s seat.


    "It''s the same Andros you''ve all been specting about." Drac, who had been watching the show for half a day, raised his eyebrows and let out a lightugh.


    "Is it really the invincible Andros?!" Abattoir changed his previous skeptical attitude and his expression became very excited, "I told you, our Greece must still be saved, an invincible character like Andros is still alive! Wow, he''s so invincible!"


    "Whether Andros is invincible or not I don''t know, anyway I know he must be very happy ..."


    Drac''s ghostly voice came from the front seat.


    A rare expression of envy surfaced in the eyes of this ck Magic Defense Arts professor.


    "I really don''t know how that guy''s brain circuits grew, after such a long time has passed, this daemon in turn is getting bigger and bigger." Drac chanted to himself.


    Without realizing it, the silver carnded on the ground as smooth as water.


    Drac, Newt and Abbottel stepped out of the car together and stepped on the ground, causing a circle of ripples like water waves.


    In front of them was aplex of buildings with a strong ancient Greek style, most of which were built with hard stones, almost as one.


    The dignified and elegant roofs and t floors were connected by many stone pirs, which were stacked on top of each other with drum-shaped blocks, connected by mortise and tenon joints or metal pins. Even the walls are made of stone blocks, with fine tness and tight joints.


    The entireplex was extremely tall and grand, full of the vicissitudes of history.


    The silver light shone on the clean white stones, entuating a majestic, beautiful and shocking sense of atmosphere.


    Any person would feel their own insignificance when facing this group of buildings, however, ifpared to the silver-white giants next to the buildings, even such a tall and grandiose group of buildings was as contrasting as a human facing this piece of architecture.


    Unlike before sitting in the car flying high in the sky, can barely nce at the whole picture of the giant.


    Now standing on the ground, can only see the giant''s pair of extremely abstract silver-white feet, and even can only see like a high wall like the side, can not see the surface of the feet.


    If the silver-white giant was the only source of light in this world, then it was as if there was an aura in the middle of theplex that was capable of annihting the source of light, and it was impossible to see what exactly existed behind the empty stone pirs.


    But whenever the sight tried to go deeper into the interior of the building, one would always feel a feeling of heart seasons welling up in one''s heart.


    Drac, of course, was not included in this.


    Not only did he look into the building, he even tried to walk in.


    "Hey - Andros, where are you people?" Drac shouted as he walked inside a stone temple.


    A ck aura emerged from the middle of that temple and circled around him, as if it wanted to erode away the visitor who had stepped inside the building without permission.


    Drac nced at the ck aura and casually pped it away, exiting this temple.


    He then walked towards the next building.


    Just after he had turned around three or four buildings, a tall man wearing a white costume simr to a wraparound robe with bare shoulders approached from the distance.


    "Ah, Drac, my old friend!" Heughed out loud and stretched his arms out to Drac, "It''s been such a long time since we''ve seen each other!"


    The tall man had long, curly red hair that was tied into a braid at the back of his head, and a silver tie that cinched the curls in front of his forehead.


    He had a high nose that almost touched his brow bone and a veryical red mustache on his face.


    "Slow down!" Drac suddenly reached out and held the man back, "Don''t touch me if you''re not even properly dressed! Who knows if you''ve had a shower in all these years."


    The man''s open arm froze in the air and a veryical expression of embarrassment appeared on his face.


    "Come on, I''m just a half-dead soul body now, relying on the daemon to renew my life, how would I need something as useless as a bath?" He reacted quickly and immediately propped his hands behind his head,paring it to a rambling gesture, "I think you''re just simply jealous of me!"


    "Why would I be jealous of you?" Drac said through gritted teeth.


    "Hahahahaha, didn''t you want to learn this optimistic mindset from me centuries ago?" The man said smugly, "You guys, you think about having fun all day long, but you end up feeling bored with everything. This kind of mentality just isn''t right!"


    "Then tell me, within the hundred years that the two of us haven''t seen each other, how have you managed to maintain this kind of mentality in this kind ofte-footed ce?" Drac asked casually, skimming his lips.


    "You see, by confining Helpo''s evil soul inside thisplex with a daemon, I can y hide-and-seek with him every day - sometimes I win, and I find Helpo and beat his soul so badly that he loses the strength to screw up... ..."


    "Sometimes he wins, and he manages to hide so I can''t do anything about it. But even when I lose, I can''t stop being happy at the thought that if I find him just once, I''ll be able to beat him to his weakest state all at once! Hahahahahaha!"


    Drac looked at him with a veryplicated expression, wanting to speak.


    "How can I put it? Your joy is just too ... in." He pondered for a long time before saying, "Andros, it''s been two thousand years, right, doing this kind of repetitive things every day, don''t you really feel bored?"


    "Get used to it and enjoy it." Andros smiled, "Especially since something went wrong a while ago, causing Helpo''s power to increase by arge margin all of a sudden."


    His smile tightened a bit, "Is it possible to see something out there? We had quite a battle earlier."


    "Well, Olympus is now surrounded by a mist, and every now and then there''s the glow of your daemon, including the ck aura that Helpo brought with him leaking out." Drac nodded, "What happened here?"


    "I don''t know what son of a bitch had nothing better to do than take out the Dementors out there!" Andros suddenly cursed, "Things like Dementors that are born in the midst of negativity will slowly put together a new one even if it breaks into crumbs."


    "That guy Helpo got his power from somewhere, able to absorb the power of the Dementors that were killed off, preventing the Dementors from regenerating while at the same time instead turning the Dementors'' power to his use."


    "It''s outrageous, this time I saw him suddenly absorb the power of hundreds of Dementors, I almost didn''t watch him and let him run away!"


    Andros was filled with righteous indignation, "If I dare to find out which one of these bastards did this, I''ll be sure to give him a few hard ps on the face!"


    Just then, he raised his head to look at Drac, and suddenly realized that Drac''s face became ugly.


    "Eh ... it can''t be that guy who isn''t a thing is you, right?" Andros asked dully.


    "It''s not me, Andros!" Drac red at him fiercely, "Come on, weren''t you going to greet me with a few hard ps?"


    "That''s what you said, then I''ming ..." Andros instantly got excited and made a motion of rolling up his sleeves, looking eager to try.


    But looking at Drac''s increasingly stern eyes, he didn''t dare to do it after all.


    "Alright, just kidding." He patted Drac''s shoulder, "As long as you help me deal with this dog Helpo, I''ll forget about it, how about it?"


    Drac red at him once more, pping the hand on his shoulder down before nodding.


    "Fine." He said.


    "Let''s go then!" Andros said with gusto, "The sooner we solve the problem of Helbo, the sooner we remove the vision from Olympus!"


    Just as the two of them were about to walk towards the depths of this ancient Greek styleplex, a weak voice suddenly sounded behind Drac-


    "Lord Drac, what were you guys talking about just now, why can''t we understand it ..."


    Drac then remembered that he didn''te alone this time, there was also a Magical Zoologist and a Greek Minister of Magic in the car!

 Chapter 150 - 150 Vile Hellebore

    <h4>Chapter 150: Vile Hellebore</h4>


    The conversation that just took ce between Drac and Andros was actually in the Greeknguage of the ancient and early times.


    There''s a big difference between Ancient Greek and Modern Greek -


    During the ssical Greek period, the various dialects of the time were collectively referred to as Ancient Greek. Gradually, these dialects underwent linguistic homogenization and formed Common Greek, the lingua franca of the eastern part of the Roman Empire, whichter evolved into Middle Greek.


    Modern Greek since then has been divided into two main types, informal Common Greek and formal Pure Greek. Modern Standard Greek isrgely a descendant of Common Greek and retains some features of Pure Greek.


    It is therefore quite normal that Albertus, a modern Greek, could not understand ancient Greek.


    Drac, on the other hand, a fellow who had lived for more than a thousand years, had learned most of themonnguages of the world without realizing it.


    In order not to miss out on the fun around the world, he tends to use thenguage of whatever ce he''s talking to, which is kind of well-intentioned ...


    "Drac, my old friend, who are these two?" Andros asked enthusiastically, "It''s the first time I''ve seen outsiders here besides you!"


    "An interesting magical zoologist, and a Greek." Drac said casually, "I''m mostly interested in the magical zoologist, the Greek is just incidental."


    Next to him, Abattoir,pletely oblivious to what Drac was saying, shed a polite smile and nodded confidently to Andros.


    "Uh, is this what we Greeks have be?" Andros looked at the shiny-brained Abattoir and subconsciously touched his own hair before he sort of sighed in relief.


    "Well ... he might be considered a special case?" Drac said casually, "Most of the Greeks I''ve seen are still very handsome, he might have balded his head from worrying about the Greek magic world."


    A sudden sh of realization shed in Andros'' eyes, followed by a deep sigh.


    "Sure enough, the magic world here is still in inevitable decline?" He sighed.


    Drac furrowed his brows, his eyes moving slightly, "How does it feel ... that you don''t seem to be very surprised about the decline of the Greek magic world?"


    "s, I am indeed not very surprised." Andros said softly, "But it''s better to take care of the matter of Helbo first, and wait until a little whileter to carefully exin the rest to you."


    Drac nodded softly, then turned his head to look at Newt and Abner.


    "Mr. Scamander, Minister Abbottel, I''m going to trouble you to wait for us here for a few minutes." He smiled at the two, "The architecture here is quite artistic, so you can wander around for a bit, as long as you don''t step inside the building."


    After a nod from both Newt and Abbottel, Drac and Andros walked shoulder to shoulder deeper into theplex to find the sorcerer that Andros had watched over for two thousand years ...


    Helpo is a ck wizard in ancient Greece, in the entire history of the magic world, he is the pioneer and leader in the field of ck magic, is the first to create the "soul weapon", is also the first to create the "serpent monster" wizard.


    Szar Slytherin is because inadvertently received the inheritance left behind by the Helbo, to the older slowly began to indulge in ck magic, can not be extricated.


    Because of Helpo''s evil reputation in the field of ck magic, he could be considered infamous, and was even called "Vile Helpo" by his wizard contemporaries.


    "So ... Helbo is sneaking and hiding now?" Drac asked as he surveyed the various ancient Greek buildings around him.


    "That''s right." Andros shrugged, "That coward Helpo, just now he was fighting me like hell. As soon as he sensed someoneing in, he immediately shrunk somewhere."


    "But what I''m more amazed about now is actually that after so many years have passed, you haven''t found a way topletely solve him?" Drac rubbed his eyebrows in some perplexity, "I''m not going to ask you why you''ve been so happy this time, I just want to know ... are you willing to keep ying hide and seek with Helbo like this?"


    "I don''t want to either, but there''s no way, no one knows where this despicable Helpo has hidden his own soul weapon." Andros was also a bit depressed when he said this, "So I can only be bitter and happy!"


    As a matter of fact, the feud between Andros and Helpo was born from a long, long time ago, and it could even be traced all the way back to the Ancient Greek period-


    At that time, there were two great sorcerers in Ancient Greece, the invincible Andros and the despicable Helpo.


    One of them was a notorious ck sorcerer, often making all kinds of inhumane ck magic experiments; the other was a leader in the eyes of the sorcerers, able to cast a giant-sized daemon, and was quite righteous.


    These two characters, who have very different styles of behavior, are supposed to be at loggerheads.


    In order to get rid of such a ck sheep as the despicable Helbo, Andros brought along arge number of wizards from the Greek magical world, representing the great power of justice to go on a crusade, and easily destroyed Helbo, and in the process, destroyed the base where he was doing experiments in ck magic.


    However, after a short time, Helpo appeared in front of the Greek wizards again as if he hadn''t gone through all this, unharmed.


    It wasn''t until several times after the elimination of Helpo that Andros realized that this ck sorcerer had created a new form of magic like never before - Soulcraft!


    Helpo had always had a deep understanding of the nature of the soul.


    With his knowledge of ck magic and his cold and ruthless character, he had deliberately killed people with the intention of splitting his own soul, and subsequently used ck magic to seal the split soul in an object, bing the first known sorcerer to sessfully create a Horcrux.


    In the presence of the Horcrux, no one was able topletely destroy Helbo!


    Therefore, Andros deliberately gathered the power of the top sorcerers in all of Greece to create a mysterious and mysterious secret realm at the top of Mount Olympus, andpletely imprisoned Helpo in the middle of this secret realm.


    This secret realm at the top of Mount Olympus could lock up the soul of a sorcerer, so that Helpo could not be resurrected to the outside world by virtue of the existence of the Horcruxes, and could only be trapped in such a corner for a long period of time.


    In order to keep a firm watch over the vile Helbo, Andros voluntarily integrated his soul into the secret realm and became one with his daemon, bing the eternal guardian of this secret realm.


    As long as the problem of Helpo could not bepletely solved, Andros could not be relieved!


    Beside a tall ancient Greek temple, Drac looked deeply at Andros.


    "I sometimes really envy wizards like you who are pure of heart." Heughed softly and said in a fluttering tone, "Working for a goal for thousands of years, two thousand years as one day, and never feeling dull."


    "Do you take it that I don''t envy you this way of living?" Andros retorted, "Doing whatever you want, living as long as you want, who wouldn''t envy such a life?"


    "Then why don''t you?" Drac asked, "You''d still be alive and well even if you didn''t bother with Helpo, right?"


    "Maybe." Andros shook his head, "But since I''m the only one who can stop him, it''s be my mission, a responsibility I''ve never been able to shirk lightly."


    The conversation between the two came to an abrupt end here, and neither of them had any thoughts of exploring it any deeper.


    For both Drac and Andros knew that they had their own unique insistence on each other.


    "From here?" Drac asked softly as he looked at the ancient Greek temple in front of him.


    "Let''s start here." Andros nodded, "You take care of the front part of this temple, and I''ll take care of the back area."


    Drac nodded softly, then lifted his wand-


    "Exhale God Guard (Expe)!"


    In an instant, it was as if countless bats scattered in all directions and surged towards the front of the temple, illuminating every inch of space obscured by the ck aura.


    Andros, on the other hand, spread his right hand-


    A silver-white light sprang out of his hand, connecting with the magnificent giant that was far taller than the looming temple in front of him.


    In the next instant, the giant bent down deeply, and a fist as big as a mountain bag came at him from above, sweeping through countless buildings in the blink of an eye and clearing away arge swath of the pervasive ck aura.


    "Why are you using your wand all of a sudden?" While clearing the presence among the various buildings, Andros curiously looked at the ck branch-like item in Drac''s hand, "I remember that you never used something like a wand back then."


    "Don''t mention it, I wanted to make a guest appearance as a professor at a magic school where wand use was mandatory." Drac bristled, "But after I really got used to it, this wand of mine is quite handy."


    Andros sniffed and scrutinized the wand in Drac''s hand before the corner of his eye suddenly jumped.


    "You''re ... casting a daemon spell with an eerie wood wand?" The corner of his mouth twitched, "Is there really no conflict between the two?"


    "I don''t find any conflict here anyway." Drac hooked the corner of his mouth, "Wasn''t it you who taught me? The sanctity manifested in the Guardian Spirit spell is only a manifestation of the purest emotion, and has nothing to do with the personal attributes of the spell caster."


    "Or else it''s because my daemon is originally a dark creature like a vampire bat, so it''s inversely attuned to the Eerie Wood Wand?"


    "I won''t lie to you, I only taught you to cast the daemon spell back then because I wanted to tease you." Andros said with a helpless face, "What I told you was really fine in theory, but who would have thought that a vampire would actually cast a daemon spell for real?"


    He pondered carefully for half a day before finally shaking his head casually.


    "Forget it, I can''t figure it out." He smiled, "It''s already unheard of for an existence as ck and dark as you to cast a daemon spell, so it''s not that hard to understand that the eerie wood doesn''t sh with daemons."


    Dracughed softly as well and said no more.


    It wasn''t long before Drac suddenly lit up.


    "Found him, at the replica of the Parthenon!"


    He snapped his fingers.


    A dark moon unceremoniously wrapped the figures of Drac and Andros within, and in the next moment brought the two of them before an extremely magnificent ancient Greek temple.


    As far as the eye could see, the temple as a whole was rectangr in shape and towered over three tall flights of steps, with an extremely expansive footprint at the base, half the size of a Quidditch pitch.


    The temple was made of white marble, and the entire temple was surrounded by forty-six ten-meter-high marble pirs chiseled in grooves, and the marble was wless.


    The roof of this temple is divided into two pitches, and the ends of the top form a triangr rampart, surmounted by a beautifully colored triangr frieze.


    And the front of the temple''s doorway was currently surrounded by arge swath of silvery-white bats, wrapping an old man whose body was filled with a ck aura, not leaving him the slightest bit of space to escape.


    "Mr. Helbo, we meet again." Drac greeted the old man surrounded by numerous bats like an old friend, "Do you still remember me after so many years?"


    "I remember you very well, Count Drac-sama!" Helpo looked at the silver-haired man who was walking in the moonlight in conjunction with Andros, and greeted him through gritted teeth, saying.


    "To be a dark creature and yet help others backstab fellow members of the same dark camp, you''re the first I''ve ever seen!"


    "Who told you that dark creatures have to help you dark wizards?" Drac walked carelessly to Helbo''s side and swatted away the swarm of silver-white bats around him, "You dark wizards always do things with no style whatsoever, I''m simply ashamed to be in yourpany."


    A look of disgust crossed his eyes as he looked at the unkempt, thieving, gray-haired, dry, and rather lewd looking Helpo.


    Whether it was Voldemort, the vile Helpo, or the dark wizards Drac had ever seen in his thousand years of life, there seemed to be very few of them who had that kind of style and ss.


    Most of them have been immersed in the study of ck magic for a long time, not seeing sunlight for years, and their bodies have been eroded by the dark power. Some of these ck wizards were even obsessed with remodeling their bodies with ck magic.


    As a result, most ck wizards look quite ugly. Even thete Saracha Slytherin was the same, bing hunched and wrinkled.


    As for why Drac was willing to befriend Slytherin and not other dark wizards ...


    That was of course because the two of them knew each other early enough! The founder of Slytherin Academy was still quite ssy when he was young, otherwise he wouldn''t have been recognized by the three great wizards, Gryffindor, Ravenw and Hufflepuff.


    At this moment, the Helper in front of him was also a typical ck wizard with no style, and he could be considered as the culprit who dragged Szar Slytherin into ck magic.


    Drac certainly didn''t think much of him!


    "Now that we''ve got him it''s a good thing." Drac gave Helpo a disgusted look before turning his eyes back to Andros'' face. Inparison, it was Andros''ical moustache that looked a little bit better.


    "Just destroy him and wait for him to slowlye back to life, or do you mean torture him to his weakest state?" He asked with interest.

 Chapter 151 - 151 The real reason for the decline of this place

    <h4>Chapter 151: The real reason for the decline of this ce</h4>


    "Wait a minute!" Helpo suddenly shouted out, "Sir Drac, I think there should be more room for us to cooperate."


    "What room for cooperation can I have with you?" Drac nced at him tantalizingly.


    With that, he gently shook his wand and summoned a bright red river.


    The water meandered and coiled, gradually condensing into a blood-colored ball of water that firmly imprisoned Helpo''s body.


    After being confined in this secret realm by Andros, it was naturally impossible for Helpo to obtain a new body, and the state he was in now was just like Voldemort''s soul state.


    In response to Helbo''s soul state, Drac naturally adopted the magic of the Scarlet Water Prison.


    This magic had been sessfully experimented several times on Voldemort''s soul body, and it worked very well!


    Helpo''s face really changed, and his expression became eager.


    "Drac, don''t you have any interest in how I absorbed the power of the Dementors?" He shouted in a hoarse voice.


    The speed of the blood-colored water prison''s contraction slowed down a little.


    "Quite curious indeed." Drac chuckled softly, "Then I''ll give you ten seconds to tell me carefully how you absorbed the Dementor power obliterated from the outside world into this ce?"


    "You have to promise to cooperate with me first and help me get out of this cage. Otherwise I won''t tell you." Helpoughed out deviously, "Don''t think I don''t know that you want to get something for nothing."


    "But you have no room to bargain before me."


    Drac wasn''t going to spoil him. The blood-colored water dungeon spun up once more, contracting at an elerated rate.


    "Drac, your magic doesn''t threaten me!" Helpo said hoarsely, "The big deal for me is that I''ll just die again, as long as my Horcruxes aren''t destroyed, I can never truly die!"


    "But if you really disregard the friendship between our dark camp and insist on striking out at me - then you will never know my secret, and you will never know how I absorbed the power of the Dementors!"


    Drac''s eyes moved slightly as he watched Helpo''s expression of conviction.


    He suddenly waved his wand, waving away the binding of the blood-colored water prison on Helpo, leaving behind only a ring of blood-colored ropes as crystalline as carnelian, and then lifted his foot and took two steps forward.


    "A wise choice, Sir Drac." Helpo revealed a smile and slowly nodded, "You won''t regret helping me."


    However, Andros, who stood next to Drac, did not show any hint of anxiety.


    Andros nced at Drac, and seeing the smirk on his face, he couldn''t help but look at Helpo with an expression of pity.


    Poorly, this Herald of the Dark Sorcerer still maintained his confident demeanor, believing that the unraveling of the Scarlet Water Dungeon meant that Drac was ready to regain his identity as a member of the dark camp and start a cooperation with him.


    In Helpo''s opinion, no matter how strong Andros was in the past, he was just like himself, just a broken soul without a corresponding body, naturally he could not be the opponent of Drac who had aplete body.


    Therefore, as long as Drac and himself agreed to cooperate, the two of them could easily get rid of the blockade of this secret realm, and even in turn trap Andros in this prison.


    Thinking of this, a self-satisfied smile unconsciously hung on Helpo''s face.


    However, right at this moment, a burning sensation that pierced his soul suddenly surfaced from the depths of Helpo''s soul.


    He lowered his head in shock, only to find that the blood-colored ropes wrapped around his body were burning with a morose-white me everywhere without exception.


    This kind of me seemed to have no temperature, yet it seemed to be able to burn to the soul, desiring to scorch one to ashes.


    "Drac, what are you doing?!" Helpo cried out in shock.


    Looking at the look in front of him that was full of pleasant smiles, Helpo then realized that Drac never intended to cooperate with himself. On the contrary, Drac didn''t even want him to die too easily.


    "Helpo, are you worthy of threatening me with just you?" Drac hooked up the corners of his mouth and smiled wilfully, "Since you don''t want to say it, then it''s fine. Sooner orter, I''ll be able to find out your secret, there''s no rush."


    "Trust me, Drac. You will regret today''s move!"


    Seeing that Drac was soft and hard, Helpo also finally stopped expecting to cooperate with him, and just stared at him with a deadly stare, coldly letting out harsh words.


    "You can also rest assured, I have a long life, but there are really not many things that can make me regret." Drac said with a light smile.


    Just like this, in the middle of Drac and Helpo''s two people''s stares, the old man with a lewd face was continuously burned by the mori white mes, gradually bing illusory and transparent.


    Helpo was burned by the mes, twitching the corners of his mouth from time to time, but always insisted on tightly closing his lips, not letting out a single roar of pain, maintaining hisst decency.


    Finally, Helpo''s soul body cauterized away, and the doorway of the replica version of the Parthenon in front of him became empty, with only some silver-white rays representing the daemon still quietly fluttering.


    "It''s really thanks to you today, my old friend, or I might still be ying hide and seek with him for years before I catch him." Andros stepped forward and patted Drac on the shoulder.


    Drac took a step to the side without a trace, avoiding Andros'' patted hand.


    "Actually, I''ve been a bit boredtely, so I sort of came over to see you on a whim, and I didn''t realize that I just happened to run into such a thing." Drac said to Andros, "And after all, it was me who eliminated the Dementors that caused Helpo''s power to increase, it''s only right to take care of this guy for you."


    "It''s been quite a strange year to say the least." Andros stretched out his hand and somewhat fretfully stroked hisical beard, "This Helpo fellow doesn''t know why, but instead of weakening, his soul power has be stronger and stronger over the years."


    "I can only keep using a special method to strengthen my daemon, which is barely enough to fight against Helpo."


    He pointed at the giant daemon that seemed to be as tall as a mountain, "Look, isn''t my daemon quite a bit bigger than it was back then?"


    "It is indeed obvious." Drac nodded in approval, "I was still amazed when I first came here. How is it that two thousand years have passed and you still manage to maintain such a see-through mindset that your daemon has risen instead of shrinking?"


    "That can''t be helped, I do have a good mindset, you can''tpare!" Andros proudly patted his chest, "You also don''t look at who taught you your daemon spell!"


    The corners of Drac''s mouth twitched viciously twice.


    He took a deep breath before barely suppressing the urge to beat this bastard up, and gritted his teeth, "Don''t tell me that just keeping your mind can amplify the daemon to such an extent ..."


    "s ... that is certainly not so." Andros sighed and exined to Drac, "I still don''t know if what I''ve been doing all these years is right or wrong in order to limit a Helpo."


    "In fact, I squeezed the magical potential of this area ahead of time!" He said slowly.


    Drac paused in his tracks.


    "So this is the real reason why the Greek magic scene is gradually going into decline?" He asked softly, furrowing his brows.


    "I can''t think of any other reason that could have caused a magicalmunity to decline to such an extent." Andros smiled to himself, "Gambling the future of a magicalmunity for the sake of one person, who knows if you''ve earned it or lost it?"


    "But how did you do it again?" Drac once again took a step to keep up with Andros, "I''ve never heard of this kind of magic that can squeeze the potential of a region in all the time I''ve lived."


    "This kind of magic with powerful effects, if it falls into the hands of those ck wizards with bad intentions, won''t they use the well-being of a magicalmunity to pave the way for their own power advancement?"


    "It''s not that simple ... " Andros gently shook his head, "The conditions for this kind of magic to take effect are actually too harsh - "


    This magic that had squeezed the potential of the Greek magicmunity could be traced all the way back to the birth of the secret realm at the top of Mount Olympus.


    In the fourth or fifth century B.C. during the Ancient Greek period, Andros, in order topletely imprison the unkible Helbo, specially led the entire prosperous Greek magicmunity to build a huge secret realm-


    That is, the secret realm at the top of Mount Olympus.


    In this secret realm, countless buildings that the Greek people had spent a lot of manpower, material and financial resources to build were duplicated by the wizards in the secret realm.


    These buildings were not so much copies of the buildings in the outside world as they were spiritual projections of the buildings and spirits in the outside world.


    This was also the origin of this magnificent cluster of buildings in the middle of the secret realm.


    Most of these buildings were ancient Greek temples, which contained the faith of countless human beings in the gods, as well as the most ardent expectations of the wizards and civilians in the magic world for Andros to defeat Helbo.


    One building after another served as the foundation of the formation, and together they were arranged into a magic array with rich magical power, sealing Helbo''s soul in the middle of this powerful array.


    At the center of the formation was the Giant Guardian God in the form of Andros!


    In the course of Andros''s two thousand years of fighting against Helbo, Andros''s power slowly weakened over time, but Helbo''s soul power was somehow growing.


    Gradually, Andros was unable to suppress Helbo.


    In order to do so, he borrowed the power of that building''s projection, and used the little power he had left tomunicate with the original building in the outside world, connecting with the beliefs of the ordinary wizards in thisnd.


    In the end, through the faith of the people in the outside world, Andros once again gained the power to rival Helbo.


    However, people''s faith was not endless.


    As time passed, the power of this faith became weaker and weaker, until when this faith could no longer support Andros'' confrontation with Helbo, the formation automatically drew on the foundation of the Greek magic world-- the escaping magic!


    the magic power that had escaped!


    As a result, the total amount of magic power in the Greek magic world became less and less, and the wizards born here became weaker and weaker, and even the local magic schools could only teach in the thin magic power, and could no longer cultivate the same outstanding talents as before.


    This is the root cause of the decline of the Greek magic world.


    "So, the method of absorbing the power of the Dementors that Helpo was trying to tell me just now is the same reason why his soul power keeps growing over time?" Drac asked, frowning.


    "Quite possibly." Andros nodded helplessly.


    "Then why didn''t you just stop me from killing him?" Drac red at Andros, "If you could have extracted his words, there might have been a solution to the problem, and you wouldn''t have to continue to squeeze the potential of the Greek magicmunity."


    "Don''t worry, I''ve been fighting with Helpo for at least two thousand years, I know him." Andros shook his head instead, "There''s no way that dog could honestly tell you what he said. Even if he did tell you his secrets, nine times out of ten, he''d be wrong, or at least hiding something."


    "If you ask me ... instead of going to listen to and believe Helpo''s bullshit, you should think of a solution yourself!" He smiled relievedly, not seeming to feel the slightest hint of regret.


    "Now I have to admit that your mindset is truly outstanding." Drac eximed in admiration, "No wonder you were able to cast the world''srgest-sized Guardian God spell."


    "Hahaha, it''s a pity that the size of a daemon spell doesn''t necessarily corrte with strength either." Androsughed, "Haven''t you always mocked me with this? I don''t know if I''m invincible, but I know I''m happy anyway."


    "I''m more interested now in how you''re going to exin that to the Greek Minister of Magic." Drac gloated, the corners of his mouth quirked up, "Abbottel is so worried about the magicalmunity that he''s gone bald, I''m curious how you''ll face him."


    He gestured forward, pointing the middle-aged man standing with Newt with a bald head to Andros.


    Andros'' smile froze on his face.


    "Honestly, I don''t want to lie to him." After a long silence, he sighed deeply, "I''m prepared to tell him the truth. If this minister resents me, I''ll admit it."


    Andros smiled to himself and walked straight in the direction of Abattoir.


    "One more question, do you speak modern Greek?" Drac suddenly called out behind him.


    "Of course I speak it." Andros gave a thumbs up behind him, "Anyways, I''ve always hadmunication to the various temples in the outside world, it''s not thatplicated to learn thenguage of a descendant."


    Drac shrugged and watched from afar as Andros pulled Abbottel, the current Minister of Greek Magic, away from Newt and talked to him about something off to the side by a low wall.


    Abbottel at first looked at the ancient Greek hero with a look of adoration, and then without knowing what Andros said, Abbottel began to be righteously indignant.


    After some more conversation, Abner sat down in a state of disrepute and agonizingly scratched his fingers through what little hair he had left.


    Finally, Abbottel sat lifelessly against the low wall, sitting on the watery ground, unresponsive to any calls.


    "Professor Drac, what''s wrong with Abner?" Newt asked with a worried face as he walked next to Drac.


    "Maybe it''s a copse of faith?" Drac sighed softly.


    "Let him sit alone for a while, this kind of thing still needs to be seen through by him."

 Chapter 152 - 152 Black Gas and Silence in the Secret World

    <h4>Chapter 152: ck Gas and Silence in the Secret World</h4>


    Abbottel was so stimted this time that he didn''t seem to recover that easily.


    Andros also went to apany him and crouched by the low wall, looking with a sympathetic face at the Greek Minister of Magic who was so worried about the Greek magicmunity that he went bald.


    Newt sighed in pity, then turned his gaze to Drac at his side.


    "Professor Drac, can you show me inside those buildings?" He opened his mouth and asked, "I vaguely sense something familiar from inside here, I''m not sure what it is yet, I need to get up close and personal."


    "Sure no problem." Drac nced at Newt with some curiosity and casually agreed, "But how could a ce like this that has been closed for thousands of years have an aura that makes you feel familiar?"


    "I''m curious too." Newt said softly, but his expression looked a bit grave.


    Drac led Newt inside a randomly selected ancient Greek style temple and stood on a t ne of stacked marble.


    The two made their way past a square hall to the inner sanctum of the temple, where they could look up and see a tall, gold-encrusted apotheosis standing directly in front of the sanctum.


    Drac couldn''t tell which statue it was, only that the apothecary was quite good at apothecizing.


    "Well, Mr. Scamander, did you find any scent that struck you as familiar?" Drac asked as he looked at Newt.


    "There is indeed a familiar scent, I can feel it around here." Newt paced the marble paved floor and closed his eyes to feel it.


    In the midst of this temple, a wisp if ck aura quietly wrapped around towards his body, seemingly trying to consume it ...


    Newt suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked towards the ck aura that was attached to the thick erosive aura around him.


    "Or maybe it''s not just near us, but everywhere around, all that familiar aura." He lifted his voice and said to Drac, "I know, Murmuran is that scent!"


    "Isn''t that the power of the Dementors that Helpo absorbed? What does it have to do with Merman?" Drac frowned.


    He opened his slender fingers and tugged on a ck aura, wrapping both hands around several times like a flipping rope, twisting the ck aura cascading around him into a ball and pulling it to his eyes to scrutinize it.


    "Is this power much like that of the Silmarillion?" Drac asked curiously, "It''s been a not so short time since I''ve seen something as rare as Merman, and I''m not quite sure what its power form looks like."


    Newt was silent for a moment and suddenly ced his old suitcase that he had shaped on the ground and pressed the two snap buttons open.


    No sooner had he opened the case''s snap buttons than a small yellow paw peeled itself out of the case.


    "No, Teddy, hurry back. I''m not here for you!" Newt rushed to pick up Sniff by the scruff of the neck and lift him up, "I''m not sure there''s any other dangers here, so don''t you go anywhere!"


    Drac watched with interest as Newt painstakingly stuffed Sniffy Teddy back into the case before waving his wand and removing a transparent magic bubble from the suitcase.


    A ck fluid-like substance existed in this transparent bubble, asionally bobbing in the air.


    "Is this ... a Murmur?" Drac looked at the ck fluid-like substance wrapped in the transparent bubble and asked in surprise, "Where did you retain it from? I remember that when the host of the Silent Ranch dies, it''s only right that the Silent Ranch dissipates with it."


    "This would have been more than sixty years ago." A strong sense of remembrance surfaced in Newt''s eyes as he softly exined, "At that time, I met a Silent Ranger in the Sudan, and she trusted me."


    "I still remember the way she looked at me with encouraging eyes and told me to let go of my power when I used all my strength to separate the Silent One from that girl''s body."


    "But I failed her in the end, and didn''t save her in the end ..."


    "You''ve been amazing, Mr. Scamander." Drac opened his mouth to console him, "Murmuran is supposed to be an extremely unstable and uncontroble dark force that often erupts into attacks and subsequently disappears into thin air ..."


    "As far as I know, it''s rare for a Silencer to be willing to trust others, even their closest loved ones. The fact that that little Sudanese girl was able to put her trust in you, and was even willing to allow you to help separate the Silent Ranges within her, would have said a lot about her attitude towards you."


    "That is all long past, Mr. Scamander." Drac said.


    "Yeah, those things are long gone." Newt sighed softly and shook his head, "The most important thing now is still this matter at hand."


    He looked deeply into Drac''s eyes, "Professor Drac, through this Murmur, can you discern the simrity between the two energies?"


    Drac gently beckoned, and the transparent bubble in front of Newt flew over lightly.


    However, when the Murmuran in the middle of the bubble gradually approached Drac, it seemed to feel a strong pressure faintlying from Drac''s body, and the Murmuran fluctuated fiercely as if it was suddenly touched.


    "Professor Drac, wait!" Newt shouted in a panic under great rm.


    If he let Murmuran erupt at such a time, it would likely consume the little power that was already left in it after decades of experience.


    Newt was unwilling to let that Sudanese girl from back then just dissipate thest trace of her existence in the world!


    Just then, Drac raised his hand and pressed downward against the transparent bubble.


    It was as if Murmuran in the middle of the bubble was immediately suppressed, and immediately stayed peacefully within the bubble he was in.


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Scamander, I have my measure." Drac hooked his mouth at Newt.


    He then ced the sphere made of entangled ck gas in his hand and the transparent bubble that contained Murmuran together, carefullyparing the simrities between the two.


    "There does seem to be a lot of simrities." Drac furrowed his brows, "Whether it''s the energy properties, colors, or traits, there''s an extremely simr vor ..."


    "But this shouldn''t be ah ... one of them is caused by a riot of magic power within the sorcerer''s body, and the other is a remnant of the Dementor''s power absorbed by Helbo, how should there not be such a strong simrity between the two?... ..."


    "If the two powers are really simr to this extent, that means that the magic power of a sorcerer and the power of a dementor are on the same path?"


    Drac pondered with a puzzled expression, his eyes drifting as he looked at the two different power systems ced side by side in the air.


    "Professor Drac, could it be that when the vile Helbo absorbed the Dementor''s power, he changed the Dementor''s power form in the process-" Newt spoke up and asked, "Helbo caused it to change into a power form that was more readily absorbed power form, hence the simrity to the power of the Silmarillion?"


    "I suppose not." Drac shook his head and said, "Because this kind of ck aura is not a suitable power for sorcerers to absorb either, purposely transferring the Dementor''s power into this kind of form before absorbing it is a bit superfluous."


    "Of course, there is no way for us topletely rule out this possibility, we can do some more observation."


    Saying that, Drac took out a mirror with an apocryphal engraving of the Phoenix Floating Apocalypse from his coat pocket and pressed a button on it.


    Nicole LeMay''s face emerged on the mirror.


    "Say, what is it that you old thing needs my help again?" Seeing Drac''s face, LeMay seemed to be in a good mood and said in a light tone, "I''m enjoying the theater! What is it that you have that you can say a little faster, I''ll see how I can help you."


    "How did you know I wasing to you for help?" Drac raised an eyebrow, "Couldn''t I just be suddenly wanting to talk to you?"


    "Don''t I know you old thing?" LeMay said confidently, "Whenever you wanted to talk to me you didn''t just parachute right up to me? A while ago, in order to be wary of you running around and scaring others, I almost didn''t dare to go out and watch a drama."


    "Ahem... it turn out to be so obvious?" Drac coughed a bit awkwardly, "Like this, help me check this energy with those instruments of yours ..."


    He tossed the ck gas balled up into a sphere in his hand in front of the mirror.


    "Focus on analyzing the simrities and differences between it and the Silence." Drac said into the mirror, "Mr. Scamander and I are not quite equipped right now to look for specific energy differences between the two."


    "No problem, just drop it off at my workroom on the second floor." LeMay smiled softly, "So ... Newt is with you too?"


    Drac tilted the mirror a bit in Newt''s direction.


    Newt saw the gray-haired figure in the middle of the mirror, a hint of surprise spread across his face, followed by a surprised smile.


    "Nicole, it''s been a long time." He waved at the mirror.


    "Newt, Perenal asked me about it a while ago! She asked what took Newt and Tina so long to visit us two old bones in Paris." Nicole LeMay said to Newt with a slight grumble, "Have we known each other long enough to be emotionally tantalizing?"


    "Of course not, Nicole!" Newt exined coyly, "It''s just that I''ve been busy traveling around the world gathering material for writing a new version of Where the Fantastic Beasts Are; and Tina and her good friend Lali have been busy preparing new textbooks for the Imperatori."


    "Don''t worry, we''ll be sure to bring Rolf to visit you and Perenal when this bout of busyness is over."


    "Then we have a deal! Perenal and I are waiting for you in Paris!" Nicole LeMay said cheerfully.


    He then turned his attention to Drac, who was watching from the sidelines, "Brad, and you! Don''t just look around for fun, remember to visit us two old bones more often!"


    "Okay, okay, no problem!" Drac shrugged his shoulders in disbelief.


    At the same time, he casually snapped his fingers and threw a ball of ck gas in his hand within a sliver of dark moonlight, teleporting it to LeMay''s safe house on the Rue de Morancy in Paris.


    "That cloud of ck gas was dropped off at the house for you, don''t forget about that in the middle of your drama!" Dracughed softly.


    "Of course, I don''t need you to remind me!" LeMay waved his hand in a good-natured manner, "Go about your business, don''t dy me from watching this y."


    Saying that, he took the initiative to disconnect the contact between the mirrors, not forgetting to add one more sentence beforepletely disconnecting:


    "Don''t forget to visit us two old bones often, both of you!"


    Drac and Newt were both smiling as they looked at the hale and hearty old man, watching his figure disappear from among the mirrors.


    "Nic looks like he''s still in good spirits." Newt revealed a pleased smile.


    "Isn''t he? He''s filled with renewed motivation to live once he thinks about how I''m still trying to have fun after living such a boring life." Dracughed softly and shook his head.


    "After all, the fact that he loves theater is something that never changes, and the Muggle world is constantlying up with brand new ys. The joy of his life never went away."


    Who would have thought that this old man would have been talking to another old man this timest year about using the magic stone as bait to lure Voldemort in, and then be ready to use it as an opportunity to pass away?


    ''If we really let Nicole die a long time ago, it will be very difficult to find an expert who can analyze magical energy now, right ...'' Drac thought to himself.


    "Come on, let''s go see how those two guys outside are doing." Heughed softly and shook his head, taking the lead to walk towards the outskirts of the temple.


    A sliver of silver light representing the daemons shone into the middle of the temple''s square hall, tantalizing and refreshing.


    Side by side, Drac and Newt walked towards the low wall where Abbottel and Andros were, and looked towards the Minister of Magic, who was balding for the Greek magicalmunity.


    "How''s it going, Minister Abbottel?" Drac asked, first ncing at Andros, then hooking his mouth.


    Andros looked up at Drac and Newt, who wereing from the distance, and showed his hands to the two, meaning that Abbottel was still in the midst of a tangle, with no sign that he was going to recover.


    Drac raised an eyebrow in surprise at the sight and looked over at Abner.


    "I would have thought that as a Minister of Magic, your ability to resist stress shouldn''t be so weak, right?" He asked with interest.


    Abattoir raised his head with a numb expression, nced at the silver-haired figure in front of him, and lowered his eyes again with a dull expression.


    "What can I do?" He said in a heavy tone, "When I realized that no matter how hard I tried, the Greek magicmunity would inevitably go into decline ... could I have any other emotion in my heart besides despair?"


    "What other emotion could there be? Letting go, of course ..." Drac''s exuberant words were interrupted by Newt before he could finish them.


    Newt tugged a little grudgingly at Drac''s sleeve and crouched down to look levelly into Abner''s eyes.


    "Albertur, I can see that you are a very responsible Minister of Magic." He said softly, "But some things are not beyond our ability to handle. The despair that no amount of effort is of any use, I can understand that!"


    "I never had that same feeling of powerlessness when I faced Grindelwald back then."


    "So how did you face this emotion then, Mr. Scamander?" Abattoir''s eyes wavered slightly.


    Newt pursed his lips.


    "I chose to trust my otherpanions!" He said.

 Chapter 153 - 153 Come and visit me in my castle.

    <h4>Chapter 153: Come and visit me in my castle.</h4>


    "Trusting otherpanions?" Abattoir opened his eyes a little puzzled and looked at Newt''s gentle smile.


    "That''s right, trust our otherpanions!" Newt repeated the sentence, "Some things bring too much pressure for a small person like us to handle. There''s absolutely no need to put too much pressure on ourselves at this time."


    "But you''ve never been anything but a little man, Mr. Scamander." Abattoirughed bitterly.


    "No,pared to those two great wizards standing at the peak of the world, I am indeed just a small person." Newt smiled and shook his head, "There is not much I can do in the midst of such world power, I can only do my best. Leave the rest to Dumbledore and the rest of hispanions."


    "Minister Abbottel, don''t you trust the invincible Mr. Andros to take care of things in the Greek magic world?"


    "Me?" Andros was suddenly mentioned from the side, pointing a finger at himself with an expression of disbelief.


    He didn''t seem to have thought at all about how to handle the matter of the Greek magicmunity.


    Newt hurriedly gave him a wink, signaling Andros to cooperate with the wave and calm down the emotions of this miserable Greek magic minister first.


    Andros nodded knowingly and began to beat his chest incessantly.


    "Ah, yes, I''ll take the shot!" He said in a loud voice, "Just put your mind at ease, Abattoir. I''ll naturally take care of the problems I left behind myself!"


    While saying such confident words, Andros secretly looked at Drac with helpless eyes, wanting to learn the solution to the problem from his eyes.


    However, Drac spread his hands at him and expressed his love ...


    Abattoir didn''t notice Andros'' small movements behind his back.


    Hearing Andros'' statement with conviction, his spirit finally recovered partially, or at least he was no longer as distraught as before.


    "Mka, I''ve decided! I don''t care!" Abattoir said in self-loathing.


    "I should have thought of it, a Greek like me with little ability to manage my own Ministry of Magic is already having a hard time, trying to sway such a major event in the magic world is simply asking for trouble!"


    "Yes, that''s right, Abbottel!" Newt gave him a relieved smile, "Don''t put too much pressure on yourself, learn to trust your otherpanions."


    "That''s right, I''m just a minor character, no need to bother myself with such things." Abattoir nodded approvingly, "The invincible Andros will settle things in the Greek magic world!"


    ''After all is said and done, in the end, don''t you still choose to let yourself go ...''


    Looking at Abattoir, who had realized the true meaning of swinging for the fences in life, Drac fell into deep thought.


    He always felt that there seemed to be a difference between the "don''t have too much pressure" that the Minister of Magic understands and the "trust in your fellow man" that Newt said. ...


    After half a day of thinking about what exactly is different, Drac felt a bit troublesome, so he also decided to put up a bad show.


    Who cares whether there is a difference or not, it is good to let the Greek Minister of Magic live in peace!


    Now that the despicable Helbo has been eliminated, a weak soul, even if it possesses a Horcrux, if it wants to be resurrected again, it will need to umte at least a few more years of power, so it''s not enough to worry about for a while.


    As for the decline of the Greek magical world, it is also closely rted to Helbo - the only way to find Helbo''s soul is to find his soul.


    Only by finding the hiding ce of Helbo''s Horcruxes andpletely eliminating Helbo will Andros be able to free himself from the secret realm at the top of Mount Olympus; when Andros no longer needs to draw on the magic world''s fugitive magic power to fight against Helbo, then the root cause of the decline of the Greek magic world will bepletely eliminated.


    In response, Drac didn''t have any good solutions.


    He could only promise Andros that he would try his best to help find Helbo''s Horcrux, but there was no certainty that he would be able to find it.


    After all, more than two thousand years had passed, who could know where a cunning ck wizard would put the Horcrux?


    On top of that, what made Drac most curious right now was the rtionship between the ck aura left behind by Helpo and Murmuran.


    This matter had already been handed over to an expert like Nicole LeMay to analyze, and it shouldn''t take long to be able toe to a conclusion, again there was no need for Drac''s few people to continue to stay in this secret realm.


    In this way, it seems that the main things that need to be aplished toe here have been carried out more or less, and now there is nothing else worthwhile for a few people to continue to stay.


    So Drac made a very spontaneous farewell to Andros, and once again sat in the silver-colored Rolls-Royce that was parked on the polished ground.


    "Are you sitting down?" He asked with a soft smile as he looked through the rearview mirror at Newt''s Abbottel sitting in the back.


    Already having had experience of riding in a car, Abbottel''s eyes tightened and he hurriedly pulled the seatbelt over and fastened it, gripping the armrest by the door with both hands tightly before nodding nervously to Drac.


    Drac couldn''t help butugh as he casually flicked a few buttons on the dashboard and started the car with a steady hand.


    The "cherub" badge on the front hood changed just as it hade to be - the "cherub".


    "A pair of wings behind the cherub slowly expanded, widened and stretched out, eventually splitting into two disconnected wings.


    One wing was attached to the left side of the body, and the other to the opposite side. Both wings pped at the same time.


    A soft breeze fanned out from beneath the wings, blowing tiny ripples across the water-like ground, glistening under the light of Andros'' silver-white daemon.


    Drac put his hand out the window and waved at Andros from a distance.


    He looked at the red-haired figure of Andros in his ancient Greek wrapped robes in the side reversing mirror, and suddenly thought of what he hade here for in the first ce-


    At the very beginning, in fact, Drac was just feeling a bit bored and wanted to find some old friends who still survived in the world, or perhaps just wanted to chat and catch up with them.


    Who would have thought that this journey to Greece would have unknowingly experienced so many things:


    Helping Andros destroy the vile Helpo; meeting Newt Scamander, who upies arge part in the story told by Nicole Lemay; and discovering the truth about the dwindling of the Greek magicmunity ...


    "Let''s just say the trip wasn''t quite in vain."


    Dracughed softly, and without another moment''s hesitation, pressed another button on the dashboard - the


    One after another arcane ancient Ruyani symbols surfaced on the body, windows, and even the bottom of the car, hooking up with each other to form a glowing Ruyani circuit that wrapped around the entire automobile.


    In the next moment, the silver-colored car rose from the ground and flew lightly towards the upside-down Mount Olympus in the sky.


    ...


    After passing through the non-stop rotating magic formation at the top of the mountain, the sky was turned upside down again.


    It was as if the direction of the world had once again been turned upside down, and Mount Olympus had suddenly turned around, the majestic mountains standing on top of the levelednd as they had when they came.


    Looking out of the window towards the majestic Olympus, the eye could see that the thick fog from whence it hade had dissipated as much as it could, and there was no longer the asional flickering ckness and white light on the summit.


    Bright beams of light shone out from behind the mountain''s crest, piercing into the distant sky like swords and illuminating the snowkes on the entire summit of Mount Olympus.


    The colors of Mount Olympus became clearer--the


    The top of the mountain was a snowy white; some distance below it changed to a wood ochre formed by bare rock and dirt; continuing downward, one could see a great deal of artificially paved light gray, as well as a dark green representing vegetation that was rare in winter.


    With each passing excess of several colors, Drac pulled up at the base of Mount Olympus.


    There were several members of the Greek Ministry of Magic waiting anxiously at this location.


    "Minister Abbottel, do you know? The vision at the top of the mountain has disappeared!" As soon as one of the juniors saw Abbottel walking down from Drac''s Lauis, he rushed to report the good news with an excited face, "We''re victorious after all!"


    "Yes, we did win ... didn''t hand out any field victories." Abbottel was now also considered to have experienced big waves along with Drac, and at this time, in the face of the excited little brother, he expressed very tantalizing.


    "All of you calm down, don''t let others see the joke!" He suddenly reprimanded loudly, "I really don''t understand how we, the Greek Ministry of Magic, recruited you useless guys who make a fuss when they encounter a little thing."


    The several juniors were all looking at Abbottel with a bewildered plus aggrieved face after being scolded by him.


    They thought to themselves, ''Wasn''t it you who made the most fuss before? We all thought it was normal when we saw such abnormal weather, just Mr. Minister was in a hurry and instead thought that the Greek magic world was about to have a big disaster ...''''


    Of course, they didn''t say what was on their minds, but the unconvincedness on their expressions was quite obvious.


    "Disconcerted huh?" Abattoir looked at them with a hateful expression, "Then let me ask you guys, do you know the reason for the appearance of a weather this time?"


    Several of the minions shook their heads in bewilderment.


    "And do you know the reason why the weather is back to normal again?"


    The minions shook their heads again.


    "You don''t know this, you don''t know that, and you don''t think to investigate the truth of the matter, for that you guys dare to be unconvinced?!" Abbottel was furious, "Go back and write a check for me through and through!"


    Abbottel greeted Drac and Newt and cursed as he used the few remaining door keys to lead his minions away.


    Drac and Newt looked at the departing Greek Minister of Magic and both couldn''t help but smile.


    "Looks like Abbottel''s mind is recovering quite well!" Newt couldn''t help but say, "Looking at his state, he should havepletely let go of his worries about the Greek magic world."


    "I don''t know if he has let go of his worries or not ...," Drac said with the same uncontroble smile, "but I can guess that after Abbottel goes back, the members of the Greek Magic Ministry are going to be in bad luck! "


    "It''s about time these not-so-helpful ministry members got a good training session." Newtughed and shook his head, "These people can''t even use a Muggle banishing spell, I don''t know how they get their usual official duties done."


    Drac nodded with a lost smile and turned his head to Newt.


    "Mr. Scamander, is there anything else nned next?" He asked, "If nothing else, I''d like to invite you to be my guest at my private castle, and it would be nice to be able to stop by and tell me about the Global Wizarding War period."


    "Private castle?"... "Newt''s eyes moved slightly, "Professor Drac, are you trying to invite me to be your guest at Castle Brown?"


    Drac''s demeanor changed slightly.


    "Has that old man Nicole told you who I am?" He asked, "Or did Dumbledore tell you? I''ve heard you''re quite a personal friend to both of them."


    "Neither of them told me who you are, Professor Drac." Newt smiled coyly, "But your identity isn''t really that hard to guess, is it?"


    He turned his eyes to the corners of Drac''s mouth and the side of his ears and opened his mouth to exin, "You probably didn''t care to overdisguise yourself, so you only hid your vampire fangs, nails, and wings, but your child''s hole, hair color, and ears are still distinct from the norm."


    "I thought there were quite a few wizards in the magicalmunity who were physically different from the norm, it''s only fair that you shouldn''t be drawn to these small details." Drac asked thoughtfully.


    "Those details of appearance really aren''t enough for me to identify you." Newt said softly, "Even if you have done a good job in your daily performance, you can still tell something different in some minor details ..."


    "For example, when you are sitting in the driver''s seat, I have observed that whenever there is a faint sunlight shining through the mist in the car, you will subconsciously retract your exposed hand from the car window and put it in the position of the door handle where the sunlight does not shine ..."


    "In addition, while driving out of the middle of the secret realm, because the fog had lifted, you made a very obvious frowning motion when faced with the sunlight and subsequently closed the windows of the car."


    "Combined with some of your physical characteristics, it basically determines your identity as a vampire." Newt recounted seriously, "Of course, the most important thing is your very natural attitude when you are with both Nicole and Andros ..."


    "Facing a great man like Nicole who is several hundred years old, I also waited until I was old before I gradually lost the pressure of conversing with him." He then smiled to himself, "But I was actually in awe of him when I was younger."


    "But you seem to not have any pressure when conversing with them, instead you have a feeling of being a peer, and both of their old men respect you very much. This can also side-step the fact that your age is by no means what it appears to be on the outside."


    "In that case, perhaps you are that Count Drac-sama who once left a strong color in the history of magic." Newt said.


    "How wonderful, is this the observation of the world''s most prestigious magical zoologist?" Drac said with interest, "You''re still the first wizard to recognize my identity."


    "I actually only found out by ident." Newt smiled a little coyly.


    "No one else found out so much by ident." Dracughed softly and shook his head, "Now I''m more interested in you, Mr. Scamander."


    "So you want toe around to my castle?"

 Chapter 154 - 154 Dracula finally remembers the snake monster

    <h4>Chapter 154: Drac finally remembers the snake monster</h4>


    "Of course," Newt smiled and nodded, "I''ve long wanted to meet those blood-sucking bats, ghostly blood vines, bloody crows, and other endemic magical creatures of the legendary Castle Brown."


    "Won''t disappoint you, Mr. Scamander." Drac quirked the corner of his mouth and started the car again, "Greece isn''t too far from Romania, it won''t take long to get there."


    Drac was now quite impressed with Newt.


    Instead of being offended that Newt had recognized his vampiric identity, he used it to gain a deeper understanding of the magical zoologist''s image.


    It was clear from Newt''s statement that he had been skeptical of Drac''s identity as early as the first time he initially met him because of the details of his appearance.


    When he saw the way Drac and the legendary invincible Andros got along, this suspicion basically turned into certainty.


    Yet Newt didn''t easily reveal Drac''s identity as a vampire, instead he kept holding back the curiosity in his heart.


    It was only when Drac opened his mouth and invited him to visit his private castle, ready to take the initiative to reveal his identity to Newt, that the magical zoologist finally revealed his suspicions.


    What''s more, Newt didn''t reveal Drac''s identity in front of the others.


    Instead, it was only when Drac and Newt were alone after Abbottel left that Newt was willing to inform Drac of his suspicions.


    There is nock of reminding Drac, so that he can carry out a more perfect disguise meaning.


    It was evident through all of Newt''s behavior that the gentle magical zoologist did not have the prejudice against dark creatures such as vampires that wasmon among wizards, and would instead be considerate enough to take care of other people''s emotions, regardless of whether those people were wizards or any other race.


    "You seem to be very good at taking care of other people''s emotions, Mr. Scamander."


    Drac, with one hand on the steering wheel in front of him and the other elbow propped up on the side of the window, leaning over the side of his face, chuckled softly at Newt, who was sitting in the passenger seat.


    It seemed that the Olympus side had absorbed too much of the fog, and after the fog cleared, the Greek sky became very clean, like blue velvet, with the sunlight hidden behind the clouds, haloing the sky inyers.


    Drac did not like this sunny weather.


    Fortunately, after being guessed by Newt, he didn''t need to do any more disguises, and directly turned on the additional UV protection on the car ss to the maximum.


    Every piece of ss now turned as colorful as Drac''s special sunsses, shutting out all sunlight from the windows and not letting a single UV ray hit Drac''s body.


    "And there isn''t, is there?" Newt, still cradling his old suitcase, sat somewhat constrainedly in the plush seat, his expression looking slightly embarrassed, "It''s not often that I''m judged that way, and I''ve always been prone to being slow about sensing other people''s emotions."


    "I remember ... Tina, Jacob and the others preferred to call me an elf."


    As he said that, he smiled to himself.


    Drac gave Newt an interested look and asked curiously, "I do know that Tina is your wife, so Jacob is ...?"


    "Jacob Kowalski, a Muggle." Newt gave a guffawing smile, "He''s a friend I met in Amerika back in the day, a very nice guy."


    "Oh, that''s right, I remember the stories Nicole told me about there being a global wizarding war, and there was indeed a rather important Muggle in it." Drac nodded knowingly, "Mr. Kowalski was that Chosen Muggle, wasn''t he?"


    "The Chosen Muggle? You could say that." Newt smiled knowingly.


    "In case you didn''t know, when Tina and I weren''t together yet, Jacob once told me very seriously never to describe her eyes as fire lizards."


    Newt couldn''t help but reminisce about his past experiences, and a light seemed to shine in his eyes.


    "But I couldn''t resist ... in the end because I just couldn''t think of a more beautiful image than a fire lizard as it peeked out of the water."


    "Then you are indeed an elm, Mr. Scamander." Drac said pleasantly, "So how did it turn out in the end, Ms. Goldstein didn''t throw you a nk stare?"


    "No, she didn''t." Newtughed a little coyly, "I never would have guessed that Tina actually read my book ... She brought up the fire lizard herself before I even finished that scene."


    Drac''s expression, which had been waiting for a joke, froze on his face.


    ''So this magical zoologist is showing his love ...''


    Drac nced back at Newt breathlessly and saw that he was lost in memories of the good old days of that year, and couldn''t help but bristle.


    The car sped through the air at high speeds, a mountain range stretching out like ocean waves under the blue sky, the white clouds being left behind in strands as if blown away by the refreshing wind.


    Drac''s eyes followed the open, spreading ins ahead and saw a dense forest.


    "Wait, I remember that there shouldn''t be a forest this big on the route I nned ahead to Romania." He said with some confusion.


    Drac gently stepped on the brakes and slowed down the speed of the vehicle''s flight.


    Newt had also recovered from his past memories at that moment, and his eyes looked through the ink-colored windows of the vehicle to the forest in the distance that was almost impossible to see the end of.


    After thinking about it, he casually took out apass from his pocket and skillfully ttened it in front of his eyes, observing the direction in which the car was traveling.


    "Do you even carry apass with you, Mr. Scamander?" Drac nced his way curiously.


    "Spending long hours searching for magical creatures in all sorts of ces can get me in trouble if I don''t bring something practical with me." Newt exined, "A lot of little things made by muggles work quite well, like this littlepass."


    "As long as you don''t run into one of those ces where the magical reaction is particrly strong and you can determine the maic field properly, then this little thing will work quite well."


    He looked at the direction on thepass, in which the "N" for north was slightly to the right of the two.


    "If we''re traveling from Mount Olympus, we should be traveling due north, that''s the correct direction to Romania through Bulgaria." Newt said, "Now we''re traveling a little to the west."


    Drac nced toward thepass and had to admit that he had been talking too much with Newt to notice the exact direction of travel.


    "I don''t know when it started veering off, or I could have used it to determine where we are now." He sighed slightly, "Now I don''t know how far east we should go to get our direction right."


    "Is it really hard to just phantom shift to Romania?"


    Drac was a bit reluctant about the matter of going off course.


    This was at least the first time he had used his remodeled automobile to carry a passenger, and it was also an official invitation for a guest to Drac''s castle.


    What was the difference between this and the nobles in the past who arranged for a carriage to receive their honored guests, only for the carriage to get lost halfway? No invitee could ept such a thing happening!


    If just because of the wrong direction, it caused the two of them to only be able to go to Drac''s castle through a sorcerer''s way like Phantom Shift, then wouldn''t he be rather disgraced?


    So Drac thought of a way.


    He quietly illuminated a small bat and directly threw this small bat into the middle of the dark moon, teleporting to his room in Drac''s castle.


    Afterward, Drac immediately determined the exact direction of Drac''s castle.


    "It''s just a little bit off course, it''s not hard for me." The corner of his mouth curled into a confident smile, "Mr. Scamander, I''ve already found the correct direction, we''ll head to Romania right away!"


    "This should be Albania." Newt suddenly spoke up.


    "How did you determine this?" Drac froze for a moment.


    Judging by the positioning of the small bat that had just been sent out, Albania was really in this direction.


    "Actually, we can determine the local geography and climate through the species of trees, and then use the climate to specte which country is here." Newt exined, "Looking closely one can see that most of these trees in front of them have rigid leaves and are distributed more around the Mediterranean Sea."


    "Climates around the Mediterranean usually have a bit more rainfall in the winter and hotter summers, and to minimize evaporation, the leaves in these climates are usually evergreen and rigid, and even mostly shaggy or degraded into thorns."


    "We weren''t really off course long enough to reach a country too far from Greece." Newt said, "So in that case, it does seem that Albania is the most likely."


    Drac looked at Newt in silence for a long time before speaking up and sputtering:


    "So these days magical zoologists have to moonlight as geographers?"


    "I''ve just been exploring around the world for a long time, and I unknowingly have some knowledge of the geography of various regions." Newt said very modestly, "Actually I''m still far from it."


    "There''s no need to be modest about such things, Mr. Scamander." Drac shook his head helplessly, "I''ve lived for so many years, and I''ve learned a lot of all sorts of strange knowledge, but I haven''t learned about this kind of geography either."


    "You just don''t care to learn it, Professor Drac." Newtughed.


    Drac shrugged, deciding not to dwell on it with the humble magical zoologist.


    "Speaking of Albania, it always feels like I''m forgetting something ..." He rubbed his brow, his gaze drifting to a forest below.


    "I so thought I heard Dumbledore mention that the Mysterons were hiding out in an Albanian forest for the decade or so that they were gone." Newt echoed thoughtfully, "I''ve been here before to explore the phenomenon of strange animal deaths, but nothing definitive."


    "So this is where Voldemort was hiding before?" Drac mused.


    His eyes shed back to the few times he had crossed paths with Voldemort - the


    Thest time was inside a bunker that a pureblood family had gone to great lengths to build, and the time before that was on the ind of Azkaban ... As for the first time he had fought Voldemort, it was in the forbidden area of Hogwarts that protected the magical stone.


    Drac also vaguely remembers that Voldemort was merely a weak remnant of a soul that could only inhabit the body of Assistant Professor Chilo, and even tried to pull off a sneak attack by relying on Saracha Slytherin''s snake monster ...


    Wait, snake monster!


    Drac finally remembered that he had once sent the snake monster bred by Slytherin to the forests of Albania with the main purpose of having it help Helena find the Ravenw crown.


    However that crown had actually been hidden in the Hogwarts Room of Requirement all along, and after taking in Tom Riddle''s Horcrux journal, the crown had been pulled out of the Room of Requirement by Riddle and used to ingratiate himself ...


    Since then, Drac had gradually forgotten about the snake monster that he had thrown into the Albanian forest, and it wasn''t until he happened to pass through Albania today that he finally remembered.


    "Ahem, Mr. Scamander." Drac suddenly coughed dryly twice and looked at Newt, "I suddenly remembered some other interesting magical animals, I wonder if they interest you?"


    ...


    "So there really is a snake monster inside this forest?"


    Newt asked Drac at his side as he opened his mouth, holding up his wand lighting spell as he trudged through the middle of the jungle that covered the sky.


    The forest was too dense for even a modified car to navigate, so Drac and Newt both got out of the car and prepared to walk in search of the snake monster.


    Drac put the Rolls Royce away in his pocket, while secretly deciding that he would take the time to add some more features to the car in the future, such as jungle driving, walking in water, and so on, in order to cope with a wide variety of terrains, so that he wouldn''t have to get out of the car and walk, as he was doing now.


    "As I recall the snake monster went extinct over a thousand years ago." Newt said, "No one other than Slytherin has ever been able to replicate this creation of the vile Helpo again."


    He sighed a little regretfully, "I actually did try, by cing an egg under the body of a toad to hatch it, but in the end nothing hatched."


    "So you actually dared to try and hatch a snake monster ...," Drac nced at Newt, but didn''t feel any surprise, and even felt that it would be bizarre for an avid magical animal enthusiast like Newt not to have tried to hatch a snake monster.


    "It''s true that no one has been able to replicate serpent monsters since Szar''s old age." He exined to Newt, "But serpent monsters can survive for thousands of years."


    "Do you mean that the serpent monsters hatched by Slytherin a thousand years ago are still alive?" Newt asked with some surprise.


    "That''s right, the serpent monster I''m going to show you is the one that was born a thousand years ago." Drac nodded.


    Walking to a more open spot in the forest, Drac stopped.


    "Pretty much right here."


    With that, he raised his wand and pointed it at the dense canopy of trees above -


    First, a green serpentine mark emerged over the forest, followed by a blood-red mark consisting of demonic wings blossoming out side by side with it.


    "This is ...," Newt asked curiously.


    "The green one is Slytherin''s mark, the red one is mine." Drac exined simply, "Feel the scent of these two markings and the aged snake monster wille looking for us."


    Newt nodded softly, then self-consciously closed his eyes.


    As a good magical zoologist, he was of course aware of the serpent monster''s arguably cruel magical gifts - its gaze was deadly to the touch!


    Drac also saw Newt''s cautious movements and shook his head with a lost smile.


    "Mr. Scamander, you don''t actually need to close your eyes." He said to Newt.


    "Could it be that the books are wrong about the magical talents of snake monsters?" Newt opened his eyes to look at Drac in surprise and spoke, "I remember that the eyes of a snake monster can kill any person or animal whose eyes make contact with it in an instant."


    "Indeed, but this snake monster will close its eyes on its own." Drac quirked the corner of his mouth pleasantly, "Since it knows it''s here to see me, then I guess it won''t even open its eyes even if someone else forces it to do so."


    The poor snake monster had been tortured too hard by Drac over a thousand years ago, not only did it evolve its own eyelids, but it also suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder towards Drac, and it couldn''t help but close its eyes at the thought of Drac.


    Newt: "?"


    So what the hell did this vampire count do to poor little snake monster cutie back in the day ...


    Not long after, sure enough, arge snake with a green body crawled out from the depths of the forest, its body as thick as an oak tree trunk, reaching a staggering 50 feet in length, with a bright red feather growing from its head.


    As Drac expected, because he knew he wasing to see the Count, the snake monster had already closed its eyes tightly long before it arrived, not letting itsrge yellow eyes expose a single bit.


    With the help of its sense of smell and its sense of heat, the snake monster arrived in front of Drac and tamely dropped itsrge head down to lie in front of Drac.


    "Very good, it came quite fast." Drac patted the serpent monster''s big green head with satisfaction.


    Newt looked over curiously, especially focusing on the red feathers on the snake monster''s head.


    "Is this a male snake monster?" He tentatively touched the bright red feather and opened his mouth to ask, "Female snake monsters aren''t supposed to have this feather."


    The snake monster shook its head in a slightly disgruntled manner.


    It was not known whether it was because Newt''s affinity for magical animals was really too high, or because it felt the pressure Drac was giving it by standing next to it, the snake monster surprisingly did not react too much, and let Newt grab the feather on its head and study it.


    "I think it''s a male?" Drac said with less certainty.


    After knowing the snake monster for so long, he hadn''t really cared about the big guy''s gender.


    Newt also saw that asking Drac wasn''t too reliable and didn''t ask any other questions, but instead got a little emotional and took out a notebook and a quill and started to record the snake monster''s form.


    Drac watched as the magical quill pen automatically scribbled on the book, and in the blink of an eye, it sketched out a lifelike image of the snake monster.


    The next moment, the picture on the book moved.


    "Are all the animals on Where the Fantastic Beasts Are drawn like this?" He asked curiously.

 Chapter 155 - 155 Nagini and the Meredith Blood Spell.

    <h4>Chapter 155: Nagini and the Meredith Blood Spell.</h4>


    "Not all." Newt asionally added a few strokes to his book with another quill while speaking, "Some animals are less difficult to observe and I will have a collection in my case. In this case I will ask a professional artist to draw them for me."


    "But the danger of the snake monster is still too high to go to a painter for help, just a sketch with a quick feather brush is about right."


    He nced at the snake monster''s tightly closed eyes and opened his mouth to inquire, "Can you get it to open its eyes a little? I can close my eyes and let the sketching feather pen do the drawing. Leaving just the image of the snake monster with its eyes closed would be too iplete."


    "No problem." Drac nodded and casually patted the snake monster''srge head, "Open your eyes, I just happen to have to ask you something."


    At the mention of opening his eyes, the snake monster''s huge body physically shivered and subconsciously shook his head.


    "Hurry up, how am I supposed tomunicate with you using Regard and Fetch Thoughts if you don''t open your eyes? It''s not like I know the old snake ent!" Drac urged.


    "Wait, Professor Drac ...," Newt heard Drac''s words and didn''t hold back to open his mouth to inquire, "You''re going tomunicate with the snake monster using Regency Nimbus? Wouldn''t that be looking at the snake monster?!"


    "That''s right." Drac said rightfully, "This is the only way I can think of tomunicate with a snake monster."


    Newt couldn''t help but gulp.


    Was this speaking humannguage? Staring into the eyes of a snake monster, is this an operation that a human coulde up with?


    Oh, Professor Drac is a vampire, that''s okay then.


    Newt pushed the book and quill that were floating in front of him forward, cing them in the right position for drawing, and then closed his eyes tightly.


    The snake monster also opened its eyes at Drac''s coercion, ring into Drac''s burgundy-eyed child with itsrge yellow eyes.


    Drac once again felt that sensation of his entire body bing light and airy, as if he had drunk too much wine, and something was grabbing his soul and pulling it outward.


    Of course, the snake monster''s magic couldn''t really yank Drac''s soul out of his body like it had yanked Myrtle in the first ce.


    It could only consume the magic power in its body for nothing while transmitting what it saw and heard in the Albanian forest to Drac''s magical eye child through the meeting of sight.


    After a moment, Drac moved his eyes away in realization.


    After removing his line of sight, the snake monster hastily closed his eyes tightly, fearing that Drac''s eyes would once again look over.


    "It seems that during this period of time, you''ve been living quite nourishingly in this forest in Albania!" Drac hooked up the corner of his mouth and teasingly said to the snake monster, "Now if I let you return to Hogwarts, are you unwilling instead?"


    The snake monster quickly shook up its big head one by one, with refusal written all over its face.


    The snake monster stated that this Hogwarts would return to whoever it liked!


    Ever since Slytherin left it alone at Hogwarts, it could only stay in the dark basement, relying on Hogwarts'' sewers that hadn''t been cleaned in hundreds of years. ...


    Without enough food, it can only go to catch some rats in the sewers to barely satisfy its hunger; without a clean water source, it can only go to drink the stinky water in the sewers and the sewage leaking down from the basement, which is simply not something for snakes to drink!


    The most outrageous thing is, even if the snake monster wants topletely fall into a deep sleep, with sleep to get through the thousands of years of hard time, the result is always some do not know the high ground of the Gunter family heir to open the secret room from time to time, to disturb its sleep ...


    If those who have the heart of a thief without the courage of the descendants of the Slytherin to disturb it, even if, the big deal is to sleep less for a while, and so on the people left and then make up for sleep.


    However, it is possible toe across the kind of Tom Riddle, who has both the heart of a thief and the courage of a thief, arranging for the snake monster to do this and that, and even causing it to identally kill a Hogwarts student.


    In the days after killing Myrtle, in fact, the snake monster''s whole snake was panicked.


    Maybe it would be found by then-Principal Dippet and made to atone for Myrtle''s life?


    Not to mention the fact that the then Professor of Transfiguration was also the most powerful arch wizard in the magical world, so it would only be a matter of time before it found the secret room left behind by Slytherin if it was seriously searched for.


    Fortunately, probably because that Professor of Transfiguration named Dumbledore''s main focus was on a dark wizard named Grindelwald, and didn''t pay too much attention to the things inside Hogwarts, so he didn''t find the existence of the snake monster.


    Finally, when Drac changed its living environment to the Albanian forest, the snake monster immediately felt the difference.


    Here is everywhere is the sky trees, everywhere is avable for free movement space, fresh air, enough food, abundant water, wide range of activities ... snake monster aftering here, simply feel is toe to heaven!


    Its huge size in this ce can not find natural enemies, want to go wherever, and also has the same high-level wisdom of the viper Nagini can chat with it to relieve boredom ... This can be better than staying in the Hogwarts narrow, dirty basement inside too much!


    All in all, the snake monster was adamant that it did not want to return to Hogwarts!


    It gave Drac a somewhat wary look and shrank back, silently thinking about how likely it would be to resist if Drac insisted on letting it go back to Hogwarts....


    Looking at the performance of the snake monster, Drac lost his smile and shook his head.


    "Don''t worry, I don''t want you to return to Hogwarts either." He said, "That humorless olddy Professor McGonagall wouldn''t be the first one to leave me alone if I put you with the younger wizards."


    The snake monster sighed in relief at this and once again curtly brought hisrge head around.


    "Speaking of which, what about that viper you met in the forests of Albania?" Drac was a bit curious about the fact that a guy like the snake monster could actually make friends, so he opened his mouth and asked, "It''s called Nagini, right?"


    "I just happen to have invited a magical zoologist here today, so I can have Mr. Scamander stop by and see what species your friend is ... It''s the first time I''ve ever heard of a viper that big."


    In fact, Drac wasn''t just curious about the viper friend that Snake Monster had made, he had just found out some Voldemort rted news in the midst of his regal fetching exchange with Snake Monster.


    None of the news rted to Voldemort involved the viper named Nagini.


    Drac wanted to see the viper with his own eyes, and then directly obtain the news rted to Voldemort from the viper''s memories by taking thoughts from the gods.


    After all, it had been some time since Voldemort hadmitted suicide in front of him, and it had been some time since he had heard anything about the Dark Lord.


    The serpent monster nodded itsrge head at Drac.


    Its huge body looked too bloated even for this open ground, so it could only coil up and spin around in a circle, which barely managed to reverse its direction and crawl into the thick bushes.


    "Professor Drac, are there any other magical creatures I haven''t seen here besides the snake monster?" Newt had already recorded the physical characteristics of the snake monster in detail by now, and closed his book, asking Drac with an expectant face.


    "It doesn''t have to be a magical animal, does it?" Drac thought back to the image of the viper in Snake Monster''s memory and said with some uncertainty, "It''s possible that it''s just a viper that lived long enough to produce some mutations?"


    "That viper didn''t seem to be much different from a normal viper, except for being slightlyrger and more intelligent."


    "In fact, just the two differences of size and intelligence alone are already considered a big difference from a normal viper." Newt shook his head and said.


    He opened his book where he had recorded numerous magical animals once again and prepared himself while exining to Drac, "Actually, there are many magical animals in the magical realm that are very simr to some species in the muggle realm."


    "Like the Swallowtail Dog is very simr to the Jack Russell Hound from the Muggle side, and the Ball Vanishing Bird is even identical in appearance to the extinct Dodo Bird from the Muggle world ... but they are indeed XXX and XX ranked magical animals respectively."


    "That''s why those of us wizards who study magical animals don''t usually rule the animals as non-magical because of their excessive simrity to species in the muggle world." Newt told Drac in minute detail.


    "I see." Drac nodded knowingly, "You''ve really given me a lot of insight today, Mr. Scamander."


    The serpent monster moved quickly, and the two of them, Drac and Newt, hadn''t been chatting for long before it came crawling all the way through the depths of the bushes with a giant viper about twelve feet long.


    Although as a snake, twelve feet was already quiterge, and its body was almost thicker than an adult''s thigh.


    But when this viper waspared to the fifty-foot-long snake monster that was as thick as the trunk of an oak tree and nearly covered the sky, it in turn looked rather miniature.


    "Is this your new friend inside this forest?" Drac asked as he curiously surveyed the giant viper, which was overall green and covered in ck markings, and opened his mouth.


    The snake monster nodded itsrge head obediently and rolled to the side very self-consciously, allowing Nagini''s form to be fully visible to Drac and Newt.


    "Mr. Scamander, would you like to see if this snake is a magical creature or not?" Drac circled around Nagini, the light in his eyes flowing as he watched with interest to see if there was any magical power fluctuation present in its body.


    I don''t know if it was because the snake monster had already exined to his viper friend the horror of the count''s lord, Nagini was so frightened by Drac''s scrutinizing it up and down that he was shivering and didn''t dare to move a bit.


    "It seems as though there is indeed a magical wave present in this viper, albeit slightly more subtle." Drac thoughtfully supported his chin with two fingers, "What do you think, Mr. Scamander?"


    Newt, however, gave little response for half a second.


    Drac turned his head to look at Newt, only to find him motionless and wide-eyed, looking at Viper Nagini, who had appeared from the midst of the bushes, with a mixture of extreme surprise, dismay, and even a touch of remembrance.


    "Mr. Scamander?" Drac asked suspiciously.


    "Professor Drac, what did you just say she ... called this viper?" Newt took a deep breath, his tone a little shaky.


    "Her? So quick to tell the gender of a snake?" Drac looked at Newt with a surprised gaze, "The viper''s name should be Nagini, at least that''s the name among the snake monster''s memories."


    "Is it really Nagini?" Newt muttered.


    He suddenly opened the old suitcase case that he had been carrying in his hand, and summoned from it a cowhide book with the Fly spell that was remarkably simr to the one floating in the air, only a bit more dated.


    Newt caught the cowhide book and, in a rare appearance of some fumbling, rummaged through it.


    "Wait ... Mr. Scamander, could it be that you''ve seen this viper before?" Drac raised his eyebrows in even more surprise at Newt''s behavior, "Or is this a very rare species?"


    "Just give me a moment Professor Drac, I''ll exin it to you more carefully in a few moments." Newt hastily flipped the cowl in his hand to a page leaning forward, "Found it!"


    Drac casually dodged and quietly appeared beside Newt, looking curiously at the page Newt had turned to - the


    On the vellum, which was already visibly yellowed and creased at the edges, two figures holding each other and wrapping their arms around each other were drawn in a style far less mature than today''s.


    The two figures were a man and a woman, the man was a young man with an old-fashioned mushroom head, pale face, and a formal, mute expression; the woman was a beautiful Asian woman wearing a long, dark blue dress withplex floral patterns, with her long ck hairbed at the back of her head.


    A man and a woman snuggled together, clearly a handsome male and a beautiful female pair, but they seemed to have a forlorn and helpless feeling.


    "Do these two people have anything to do with this viper brought by the snake monster?" Drac frowned slightly.


    "Professor Drac, look at this page." Newt flipped the cowhide book back a few more pages.


    Only on this same somewhat yellowed page, Newt''s drawing ability had clearly improved a lot, and the image on the page was more realistic and detailed.


    There was no longer the pale-faced male youth from before on this picture, only the ck-haired female still wearing a dark blue intricately patterned dress was left, standing quietly on a piece ofwn.


    From theyout of thiswn, it looked like the one near the Hogwarts Forbidden Forest.


    Just as Drac was still puzzling over what this beautiful Asian woman had to do with Viper Nagini, the image on the page suddenly moved-


    The woman''s irises suddenly widened, the whites of her eyes turned ck, and then, with her arms wrapped around her, her body suddenly copsed softly backward. Her entire body was as if she had no bones, her back nearly reaching a parallel angle with her thighs.


    At the same time, the woman''s two arms were quickly covered by scales, transforming into a snake-like body that wrapped around her upper body.


    In the next moment, the dark blue patterned dress also suddenly changed. The floral pattern on the dress transformed into speckled ck spots, and the dark blue color transformed into a green serpentine, turning instantly to wrap around the woman''s entire body ...


    Within a few moments, a beautiful woman was transformed into a giant viper with a size thicker than a grown man''s thigh and twelve feet long!


    Drac subconsciously turned his attention to the viper, Nagini, who was lying honestly on his back beside the snake monster, andpared the patterns on the scales of the two, realizing that the two vipers were indeed identical.


    "Is this the ... Melodicus Blood Spell?" Drac said thoughtfully.


    "Indeed." Newt sighed and nodded softly, "I met Nagini at a wizard circus during the Global Wizarding War, and she was already under the MacLeodix Blood Curse then."


    "Nagini was long ordered by the ringmaster of the circus to be serpentine for the amusement of the audience, and was abused almost as if she were a sideshow monster. Fortunately, Creedenceter escaped with her."


    "Creedence is ...?" Drac asked.


    "That''s him." Newt turned the book back to the previous page and pointed the formal, mousy young man out to Drac, "Actually, Creedence should have been named Aurelius Dumbledore ..."


    "Hisst name is Dumbledore?!" Hearing Creedence''s surname, Drac instantly became interested, "Dumbledore has illegitimate children outside?"


    He couldn''t help but tickle the corners of his mouth, already thinking about how to flirt with the old principal once he returned to Hogwarts.


    "I can''t imagine that even if this Dumbledore guy looks old and immodest, he''s also so immodest in this aspect of being a human being." Drac grinned an exaggerated arc at the corner of his mouth and said with interest.


    "Ahem, Creedence is not Albus''s child." Newt, eyeing Drac as he wondered what strange things hade to mind, hurriedly exined, "He''s Albus''s brother, the child of Albus Dumbledore."


    "So Dumbledore doesn''t actually have a bastard child?" The corners of Drac''s grin instantly retracted.


    Newt nodded helplessly.


    "No point." Drac bristled, "Let''s skip that point and move on to Nagini."


    Drac''s flip-flopping speed made Newtugh a little bitterly.


    He coughed dryly twice, and helplessly followed Drac''s idea, and proceeded to tell the story of Nagini.


    "Well ... Creedence waster lured by Grindelwald and joined the camp of the Witch Nazi Party, so Nagini became alone." Newt recounted, "Then she came with us to Hogwarts to find Dumbledore."


    "At the time, she had a pretty bad Meredith blood spell. We tried to cure her ... but because the Mdix Blood Curse was still too rare after all, and Dumbledore had been tied up with Grindelwald for a long time."


    "We didn''t find anything that could bring her back, and had to watch her transform into a snake and lose her humanity for longer and longer ..."


    "Then Nagini, probably unwilling to let us suffer with her anymore, secretly left us alone. And then, until today, none of us ever saw her again."


    Newt sighed deeply, "I suppose she''s been hiding in this forest in Albania since then."


    While listening to the story that Newt was telling, Drac supported his chin with two fingers and thought quietly.


    "It''s a pity that old Nicole didn''t wake me up at that time." He said softly, "I''m traditionally an expert in magic rted to blood."


    Of course, Drac was fully aware of the reason why Nicole LeMay didn''t wake him up during the Global Wizarding War.


    Because that camp Grindelwald belonged to at the time was anything but ascking in style as dark wizards like Voldemort and Helpo ...


    In such a situation, he might have chosen to help Grindelwald and the Wizarding Party, standing against Dumbledore and Newt and the others.


    And how could he even think of helping a Meredith he''d never met before?

 Chapter 156 - 156 Newt’s Magic Suitcase

    <h4>Chapter 156: Newt''s Magic Suitcase</h4>


    "So you still have a way to help Nagini recover now?" A glimmer of hope surfaced in Newt''s eyes.


    It suddenly urred to him that this person in front of him was the originator of almost all blood magic in general, so maybe there would be a way to help Nagini lift the Melodicus blood spell?


    "It''s hard." Drac quietly walked over to Viper''s side and said softly, "She''spletely lost her consciousness as a human being now, and that loss of consciousness has probably been a long timeing."


    "Look at me." He looked into Nagini''s eyes and suddenly spoke.


    Nagini subconsciously raised his head and met Drac''s burgundy-eyed child.


    In an instant, countless jumbled memories flooded into the middle of Drac''s mind -


    Nagini''s earliest memories were disjointed, and it seemed that every once in a while a piece of memory would be missing; and as time passed, the disjointed memories gradually became coherent ... the missing memories became fewer and fewer until all the memories were connected.


    Not only that, the earliest memories are not only missing, but also appear to be very moldke, seems to be a kind of ignorance, obscurantistke coating state, as if just out of the world of the newborn generally ...


    As the memory slowly became coherent, Nagini''s consciousness gradually woke up, his memory also became clearer, and his intelligence improved at a speed visible to the naked eye.


    Eventually, after the scene in Nagini''s memory appeared in a forest, there was no more break in the memory.


    Drac watched in silence as Nagini''s memories went from disconnected toplete, knowing that this was the beast consciousness from the Maledictus blood spell gradually overrunning the original Nagini, causing her memories to slowly dissolve in the passage of time.


    By the time Drac was able to see the memory images that tended to bepletely clear andplete, that was also the moment when the original Nagini''s consciousnesspletely dissipated.


    "It is indeed impossible to find the consciousness of being a human inside this snake." Drac sped his hands to his chest and let out a slow breath, "The original Nagini''s consciousness hadpletely dissipated decades ago, and the Viper''s consciousness was the next to take its ce."


    Newt froze for a moment, but unexpectedly didn''t feel too hurt either, just sighed helplessly.


    Deep down he had actually prepared himself for this and had guessed Nagini''s eventual end as a meredicus blood cursed orc.


    "I want to take Nagini away." Newt said softly, "Maybe there''s a chance to find another way to lift the blood spell in the future?"


    Drac naturally had no problem with this and nodded casually.


    However at this point the snake monster was reluctant.


    It brought itsrge green head over and shook it anxiously, as if it was raising some kind of objection.


    "What, you have an opinion?" Drac hooked up the corner of his mouth and reached out to pat the snake monster''s messy head, "But you don''t think about it, when I''m around, where is the ce for you to speak?"


    The snake monster''s movements froze.


    Even in such an unwilling situation, it didn''t dare to open its own eyes, so it could be seen to what extent it feared Drac.


    This snake monster no longer had the slightest bit of courage to refute Drac at all.


    "Is Mr. Snake Monster unwilling to have his friend taken away?" Newt very kindly looked at the snake monster and asked in a gentle tone.


    As if he had grabbed a lifesaver, the snake monster secretly avoided Drac and kept nodding at Newt.


    "That''s right, you two snakes are probably the only intelligent creatures in the middle of the entire forest." Newt nodded thoughtfully, "If I take Nagini away, you one snake staying here must be very lonely I think ..."


    "Hiss-" the snake monster plopped down at Newt''s feet, a hopeful expression even somewhat anthropomorphized on the snake''s face.


    It had endured too much loneliness in the basement of Hogwarts Castle for too long, and the previous thousand years of encounters had no desire at all to experience it a second time.


    Now that it had managed to make a snake friend who was also highly intelligent, how could it want this friend to be taken away by a stranger who suddenly arrived?


    "Mr. Scamander, you actually don''t need to take care of this snake monster''s emotions so much." Drac looked at the snake monster that was trying its best to please Newt and shook his head with a lost smile, "Just take Nagini, I''ll take care of it."


    He walked over to the snake monster and said to it, "Don''t think I don''t know, all you have to do is molt ayer of skin and sleep for a while, and a few decades will pass, it won''t be as lonely as you think at all."


    "Or how about this, you can sleep until Mr. Scamander passes away, and by then, if I haven''t found a way to undo Nagini''s Meredith blood spell, I''ll personally go and bring her back to be yourpanion!"


    Hearing Drac''s "good idea", even with Newt''s good temper, he couldn''t help but darken his face.


    "Ahem, Professor Drac, I don''t think I''m going to die that easily ..." he coughed dryly.


    "Oh, I''m sorry Mr. Scamander, I actually didn''t mean it in a bad way." Drac then realized that what he just said wasn''t quite appropriate and changed his tone.


    But then, he couldn''t help but add, "But it''s true that you won''t live longer than me and Snake Monster, so there''s actually nothing wrong with my idea ..."


    Newt''s face darkened even further.


    "It''s okay, I understand you meant no harm ..." he said, "I wonder if you''d be interested in hearing what I came up with?"


    "I''d like to hear it." Drac said.


    "In fact ... I could take Mr. Snake Monster with me so he wouldn''t feel alone." Newt unconsciously licked the corners of his mouth, and a light seemed to shine in his eyes.


    Drac: "..."


    So that''s what you guys had in mind!


    Drac seriously doubted that Newt wanted to take the snake monster away from the first time he saw it ... Maybe even without Nagini, his old friend, he would have proposed the idea of taking the snake monster away.


    It''s just that having Nagini as a lead-in made Newt''s idea even more justified ...


    But Drac thought carefully about it in turn, and suddenly realized that there was nothing wrong with letting Newt, the world''s best magical zoologist, take away the serpent monster -


    Because of the special and cruel magical talent, wherever the serpent monster was ced was actually a great risk.


    In case one day, a few unlucky Muggles came to explore this forest in Albania and stumbled upon the snake monster; at the same time, the snake monster was ying too oblivious and forgot to close his eyes in time ... then tragedy would probably happen so rashly.


    Before Drac wanted to ce the snake monster in the Albanian forest, the main idea is still let it help to find the Ravenw crown just.


    Now that the crown had been returned to its rightful owner, the snake monster naturally didn''t have to stay in this forest.


    So Drac shrugged and looked at the snake monster.


    "What do you think?" He asked.


    The snake monster shook his head in a hurry.


    After spending some time in an environment asrge as the Albanian forest, it never wanted to move into any human dwelling.


    Even if it was as grand and wide as Hogwarts Castle, the only space that could be used for the snake monster to move around was a basement that was rather cramped for it, a patch of pipes that led in all directions but made it difficult for it to turn around, and a small underground za that was the only thing that was considered open.


    Compared to the vast forest, it was the difference between a Quidditch pitch and Myrtle''s washroom!


    The snake monster couldn''t believe that Newt could provide it with a living environment that wasrger than Hogwarts, let alonepared to the forests of Albania.


    Newt seemed to see what the snake monster was reluctant because of and couldn''t help but smile.


    "If it''s because of the range of motion, then you don''t really have to worry about it." He opened the old suitcase in his hand and ced it t on the ground, "You cane in and take a look, this suitcase is no smaller than this forest!"


    The snake monster still shook his head vigorously.


    Although this person looked quite agreeable, but to say this kind of bullshit to trick the snake, really think that he is a stupid snake?


    He must have wanted to use flowery words to trick himself into this small box, and then immediately closed the box once he was inside.


    The snake monster thought he saw the truth.


    "What''s the matter, you don''t believe it?" Newt was dumbfounded and helplessly turned his head to look at Drac, "Professor Drac, its intelligence is indeed too high, and now it''s starting to doubt what I said."


    "I didn''t expect you guys to be quite vignt." Drac kicked the snake monster''s thick serpentine body with interest, "Mr. Scamander didn''t lie to you, his box is indeed the size of a forest!"


    "Niko once told me about that interesting magical zoologist who carried a box that looked like a small world inside. Now that another few decades have passed since the time of the Global Wizarding War, this unimpressive looking chest is only going to get bigger."


    With Drac''s endorsement, the snake monster was finally convinced that Newt''s chest was big enough.


    But it was still a bit hesitant, wondering if the environment inside was as wonderful as this forest, and if there was enough food and water.


    "If you''re still unsure, I actually have snakes in this box like like the Nystriped Snake, Bird Snake, Longhorn Water Snake, and so on." Newt saw the snake monster''s hesitation and smiled at it.


    "Although these snakes won''t be any more intelligent than you and Nagini, but it''s not bad by any means, so at least you can have some otherpanions, right?"


    Hearing Newt''s words, the snake monster finally made up its mind.


    It slithered and shook its huge body, burrowing headfirst inside Newt''s suitcase.


    And as if the suitcase had sticity, it obediently expanded its entrance into an oval shape, just enough to amodate the snake monster''s oak tree-like thick body.


    "Remember to keep your eyes closed and don''t hurt the other animals!" Newt shouted from behind its tail.


    After the snake monster had gotten inside Newt''s old suitcase, Nagini followed suit.


    Newt then turned his attention to Drac and smiled an invitation:


    "Professor Drac, would you be interested ining to my Fantastic Beasts World to take a look?"


    Drac slowly hooked up the corners of his mouth, a look of interest emerging on his face.


    "Of course, I''ve wanted to visit this legendary suitcase for a long time." He chuckled softly.


    Together, the two walked to the edge of the suitcase and looked down the opening from above to see a deep cavern with what appeared to be lights on inside the case.


    There was a narrow woodendder attached to the outside of the box from the ground floor.


    Newt, even though he was no longer young, was still very agile and climbed into the box quickly and skillfully.


    "You cane down now, Professor Drac!" Soon, Newt was down to the bottom rung of thedder, his voiceing up far from the box, "Please close the lid for me when youe down!"


    Drac shrugged and didn''t reach for thedder that connected the top and bottom, instead he jumped lightly.


    The cloak behind him spread out like ck and red interlocking mes, and as Drded lightly on the floor inside the chest, it also slowly closed and retracted, falling t and sprawling down to the position of his ankles.


    Drac then raised his hand and snapped his fingers.


    The lid snapped shut with a snap, so tightly that even the sps were fastened.


    "Er ... Professor Drac," Newt looked at the closed lid of the box, expression stupefied said, "you put the button closed, then how can we still go out?"


    Drac''s high and clear expression froze instantly.


    "Unlocking spell?" He asked in a small voice.


    "I put an anti-unlocking spell on the lid for security ..." Newt covered his face.


    "It''s okay, I''ll take the shot." Drac rubbed his brow, "Big deal, I''ll just destroy the lid and fix it when we get out."


    "Never!" Newt rushed to stop it, "I can get Teddy to stick his ws out of the case and gouge the snap buttons from the inside, there''s no need to destroy the case."


    "Well, so that''s what sniffing is for." Drac shrugged helplessly.


    After solving the problem of how to open the lid of the case from the inside, the two walked together out of the smallpartment that housed thedder.


    Behind the cubicle was a small workroom that housed a marching bed, a few tropical outfits, a small wooden table, a half-sized bookshelf, and an assortment of tools hanging on the walls.


    In addition to that, the workroom was full of manuscripts and books on magical creatures - just cowhides of the kind Newt had taken out earlier filled most of the shelves here.


    Newt took a set of overalls off the wall and slipped them on, then pushed open the wooden door on the side of the workroom.


    "Wee to the world of Fantastic Beasts!" He said cheerfully.


    Drac spared a nce in the direction of the wooden door -


    As the wooden door opened, a new world presented itself to Drac!


    The first thing that caught his eyes was a forest, in which countless tall trees grew, on which some round bird''s nests made of bamboo were hanging, and a group of strange birds were frolicking in the forest.


    Looking back across this wooded area reveals andscape unlike any other. It was dotted with arge savanna, arge rainforest, a moonlit sandy area, and a small rocky outcrop of a hill, among other things ...


    "I really underestimated your creativity, Mr. Scamander."


    A few rare moments of wonder appeared in Drac''s eyes, taking in the magical world with interest.


    "Actually, this ce was only as big as a small yard in the beginning ..."


    Newt said while casually taking a bottle of bait from the side of the road, and full of unconcern, he put his hand into the bottle filled with meat worms, scattering the worms inside the round bird''s nest in the forest.


    "But as my appetite gradually grew and I rescued more and more magical creatures, I had to keep expanding the old box that had been with me for decades with the Unscarred Stretch spell."


    "Gradually, I realized that keeping the animals in a normal crate wasn''t suitable for their growth. So I taught myself some useful herbalism, nt growth spells, weather spells, and other magic, trying to transform an environment suitable for the animals to live in."


    "Without realizing it, this suitcase has slowly turned into what it looks like now ... This is one of the things I''m most proud of in my life."


    While feeding the small animals in the bird''s nest, Newt told the story of this magical suitcase, with tenderness and relief in his eyes.


    "It''s marvelous." Drac surveyed the assortment of ecosystems around him and sauntered over to Newt.


    He watched Newt''s movements as he fed the little creatures, and noticed that the circr bird''s nest contained several magical little creatures covered in bluish-purple scales and possessing the body of a snake and the head of a bird.


    Theyy coiled in the nest with their mouths open in a wailing manner.


    "Is this the bird snake you introduced to the snake monster earlier?" Drac asked with interest.


    "Yes, it''s the bird snake." Newt pitched and fed the bird snake babies like a milkmaid while exining to Drac, "Don''t look at them as if they''re small now, but in fact, this magical animal can fill up the entire space they''re in."


    "Bird snakes can be over fifteen feet tall at theirrgest!"


    "So it looks like even when they grow to their maximum, they''re still not even close to that snake monster guy." Dracughed.


    "Professor Drac, it''s the fifteen foot height that bird snakes can reach, not the length." Newt smiled and shook his head, "They can be fifty feet just as well if you go by length."


    "Like that?" Drac raised an eyebrow, "That''s quite a big one."


    He then suddenly thought of something else, "Speaking of which, where did Snake Monster and Nagini go? Aren''t you worried about that Snake Monster guy wreaking havoc on your ce?"


    "It''s fine." Newt smiled and shook his head, "Snake Monster''s intelligence is higher than I thought. In that case, judging by how much he fears you, messing with the damage can only be described as asking for trouble."


    Soon enough, Newt skillfully finished feeding the little bird-snake guys and wiped his hands on a nearby towel.


    "Let''s go check on the snake monster and Nagini now if we''re worried." He said to Drac, "If nothing else, they should go and make a home in the cave environment I''ve set up. Most snakes prefer a dark, warm, and humid living environment."


    "There are two Ruini striped snakes living there as well though, so let''s hope a few of them don''t start any conflicts."


    Together, the two walked towards the other side of the jungle environment, where a gloomy cave could be seen at the end of the tall trees.


    Borrowing the vampire''s excellent vision, Drac easily spotted the snake monster''s size beyond that of a normal snake.


    However, at the same time, there were three other, no, it was another snake that was sword-fighting with the snake monster.


    This was a Ruini snake that was orange in color, covered in ck stripes, and had three heads.


    Its size was quiterge, and surprisingly, it barely lost to the snake monster!


    "Would a normal Ruini striped snake be this big?" Drac turned his head to Newt and asked.


    "It''s true that normal Ruini striped snakes aren''t very big, they''re only six to seven feet long." Newt exined, "But this one has been with me for decades, and I''ve used some special cultivation methods to breed him, and that''s how I''ve raised a big guy that''s over thirty feet long."


    "But I think ... instead of discussing the size of the Ruini Striped Snake, it''s more important for us to go and persuade the fight now."

 Chapter 157 - 157 Strange, what’s so special about this forest?

    <h4>Chapter 157: Strange, what''s so special about this forest?</h4>


    "You two hurry up and stop!"


    Just after saying that he was going to persuade the fight, Newt jumped inside the cave in a sh, blocking the middle of the two giant snakes with his small body.


    Drac couldn''t help but twitch the corners of his mouth as he watched this scene.


    "Are you really not afraid that these two snakes will start their temper and injure you by mistake?" He asked with a strange expression.


    How to say that Newt was also considered an honored guest invited to Drac''s castle, and this snake monster that doesn''t allow people to worry was also brought to him by himself ... Drac, for the sake of his own face, he said that he couldn''t allow Newt to be injured because of the snake monster.


    Thus, a pair of ck wings abruptly stretched out from behind Drac.


    With two wings pping, Drac shed at the same level of the two giant snakes'' heads raised high in almost an instant.


    At the next moment, Drac pped the snake monster''s brain door.


    With a loud bang, the snake monster''s head sank deep into the hard stone ground.


    Drac then turned around in the air, facing the Ruini snake.


    In the blink of an eye, he kicked out three times in session, one under each of the threerge heads of the Ruini Snake, causing the snake with three heads to fall straight backward and hit the ground hard.


    "That''s much better." Drac pped his hands in satisfaction andnded beside Newt, "Well, no injuries, Mr. Scamander?"


    "Well ... I am indeed unhurt." Newt looked at the tworge snakes that fell to the ground, the corner of his eyes jumping, "But I guess Mr. Ruini Striped Snake and Snake Monster should be injured quite a bit ..."


    He never expected that this Hogwarts'' ck Magic Defense Arts professor didn''t even bother to use his magic, and with just one p and three kicks, he had knocked the tworge snakes, which stood up as tall as a four or five-story building, to the ground.


    "Injured is injured, it''s also a way to make them learn a lesson. In the future, they will remember not to fight casually." Drac said with disinterest.


    "Eh, Professor Drac ... not to hide it from you, I am willing to block in between them actually have my own measure." Newt cried andughed as he exined, "The probability of these two snakes fighting is actually quite low, and can even be said to be infinitely close to zero."


    "This is also the reason why I dared to physically stop between them ... I''m old now, and I''m no longer as reckless as I was when I was young and protecting magical animals!"


    Drac looked at Newt a little oddly, with a look of disbelief.


    "What I said was true!" Newt defended, "If you had just looked more carefully, you would have noticed that the snake monster''s eyes did not show the slightest sign of wanting to open ... while the snake monster''s gift of gaze killing happens to be their strongest means of attack."


    "Thispletely proves that Mr. Snake Monster is still under your intimidation and is unwilling to cause trouble."


    After hearing Newt''s introduction, Drac couldn''t help but look back and realized that the snake monster was still tightly closing its eyes even though it was smashed into the ground.


    The expression on its serpentine face even humanely looked a bit aggrieved, as if it was still confused as to why it had suddenly been punched by Lord Earl.


    "Ahem ..." Drac dryly coughed twice in some embarrassment, but was still talking tough, "But there''s still another problem, even if the snake monster is still intimidated by me and has no intention to make a move, but how can you make sure that the Ruini striped snake won''t make a move as well?"


    "This matteres down to the habits of the Ruini striped snake, Professor Drac." Newt said, "In earlier years there were some wizards who could use the old serpent''s ent who specialized in the study of such magical animals as the Ruini Striped Snake, and thanks to them, I know quite a bit about the animal as well."


    "ording to the written records of the researchers'' pioneers, the Ruini Striped Snake has three different brains growing from its three heads, and each of the three brains serves a different purpose-"


    "The brain on the left is the nner, which decides where the Rudraksha will go and what it will do; the brain in the center is the fantasizer, and when this brain is dominant, the Rudraksha will often stay motionless in one ce for days at a time, indulging in visions and fantasies ... "


    Newt said as he walked over to the thirty plus foot long Ruini striped snake and pointed out the characteristics of the three heads to Drac, "And the rightmost brain is the Critic and is the most aggressive, thus the right side of the mouth has long fangs with highly poisonous teeth."


    "The right brain of the Ruini striped snake is the most irritable one, and it will constantlyment on the practices of the two heads on the left and in the center, making impatient hissing noises. Because of this, it is often the case that the Ruini striped snake loses the right side of its head ..."


    "I can''t believe there''s such a thing, interesting." Drac murmured as he surveyed the three snake heads in front of him with interest.


    "So why did the Ruini striped snake lose the right side of its head? Is it hard to believe that it was bitten off by the other two heads?"


    After uttering this guess, Drac himselfughed first, "If three heads on a snake can still start infighting, this magical animal can be too stupid."


    "You guessed it right ... as the three heads of a nystagmus serpent can really start infighting." Newt nodded helplessly from the side.


    "There really is such a stupid magical animal?" Drac said in amazement, "The same three heads, but that three-headed dog Hagrid raised doesn''t seem to be this stupid ... Well, even though it falls asleep when it hears music it''s just as not very smart."


    "Unlike the Ruini striped snake, the three-headed dog has three heads as well, but their minds are at least unified." Newt also shook his head out ofughter, "The other two heads of the Ruini Snake will often team up to bite off the right head when it keeps criticizing them."


    "And because the three heads will attack each other from time to time, Ruini striped snakes don''t usually live very long."


    Hepassionately stroked therge head on the right side of this Ruini Striped Snake on the ground and sighed softly, "This one is because I thought of many ways to induce his three heads to live in harmony, which allowed him to reach his current size."


    "In addition to this one, I also raised another normal sized Ruini Striped Snake, but the right side of that one''s head still needs to wear a headgear for a while."


    "That seems kinda sad," Drac also reached out and patted the head of the middle one of the Ruini striped snake, "I never used to be much interested in magical creatures. Otherwise it might have passed quite a bit of time just admiring all the silly things these stupid animals do."


    "You won''t regret thepany of animals, Professor Drac." Newtughed, "Animals can be a lot more fun than wizards."


    "I would agree with that, some wizards are downright boring." Drac nodded approvingly, "But the most important thing you haven''t told me yet - why won''t this Ruini striped serpent attack the snake monster?"


    "That''s because before descending into the interior of the cave, I saw that the Ruini striped snake was the center head sticking out in the forefront." Newt exined, "The Ruini striped snake''s aggressiveness is low when the fantasist in the center is the dominant one."


    "If the snake monster didn''t give him too much of a threat, I even doubt he''d suddenlyunch into a daze."


    "So that''s how it is ..."


    Drac looked at the Ruini Striped Snake that was paralyzed on the ground and had been dazed for an unknown period of time, and then looked back at the Snake Monster that was full of aggression and was stuck in the ground and couldn''t get out, and inexplicably felt a little bit of emptiness.


    Thus, he silently snapped his fingers and used his Transformation spell to restore the ground that the snake monster had smashed down to its original state, freeing the snake monster from the ground.


    Afterward, Drac thought for a moment and cast two more healing magic spells, which acted on the body of the snake monster and the Ruini tattooed snake.


    "I was indeed wrong about them just now." He said to Newt, "Now that I''ve healed them, there shouldn''t be any major problems."


    With that, Drac turned his attention to the tworge snakes in turn.


    "Do you have any other questions?" He asked in a "gentle" tone.


    Upon hearing Drac''s ice-cold tone, which was gentle on the surface but actually made the air drop a few degrees, the huge bodies of both the Ruini Striped Snake and the Snake Monster couldn''t help but shiver for a moment, and then they began to shake their heads unceasingly.


    The snake monster shaking its head was a bit better, but the three-headed Ruini Striped Snake was a bitical.


    Three heads have three different thoughts, and there is no tacit understanding at all, can only be messy and disorderly each shaking around, often the phenomenon of one head bumping into the other, and even the middle head and the right side of the neck behind the head almost tied into a knot ...


    The peace that the three brains of the Ruini striped snake had maintained for decades in Newt''s suitcase was almost broken today!


    The chaotic movements of these three big brains made Newt''s heart skip a beat as he rushed over to Ruini Striped Snake and painstakingly calmed them down.


    It was hard to calm the three heads down, and as soon as Newt turned around he saw Drac who was standing behind him watching with interest.


    "Uh, Professor Drac, otherwise you can go outside and admire the other magical animals."


    Newt deliberated for half a day beforeing up with words that could politely shoo Drac away, "I can handle it here, don''t bother helping out here."


    Drac, however, was rather un-self-aware,pletely unaware that he was being disliked and still watching the show with great interest.


    "Just looking at these two big guys, by the way where did Nagini go?" He asked Newt as he nced around the cavern.


    "I think it''s on the other side of the cave?" Newt guessed, "The other normal sized Ruini striped snake is on that side, Nagini should be with her."


    Drac nodded softly and walked confidently towards the other end of the cave.


    Within a few steps, he saw the twelve-foot-long viper spending time with a six or seven-foot-long Ruini snake, making asional "hissing" noises and apparentlymunicating happily in the old snake''s ent.


    The other Rhinopithecus, as Newt said, was indeed normal-sized, with the right side of its head encased in a brown leather hood.


    The right side of the mouth was securely sealed off by the hood,pletely eliminating the possibility of "critics"menting on the behavior of the middle and left side of the head.


    Today, it is the center head that ismunicating with Nagini, and the two snakes seem to be talking freely about the past and thinking about the future.


    "These two snakes seem to be getting along quite happily, no adjustments needed." Drac called back to Newt, "So is there anything else you need from me on your end, Mr. Scamander?"


    "No, Professor Drac, I can handle this alone!" Newt shouted in a huff, "Nagini and Mr. Snake Monster will be assigned two suitable areas to settle in here!"


    "Well, you''re the professional."


    Drac shrugged and flew away from the gloomy cavern with some bemusement.


    He roamed aimlessly through various different environments, looking at the different gestures of each of the magical animals under different ecologies, his mind unconsciously drifting to a faraway ce ...


    Under a tall guardian tree on a lonely ind, a few small, slender, green tree guardian rooibos curiously surveyed the silver-haired figure that had drifted in.


    Drac leaned against the tree, his burgundy-eyed child flickering slightly as a memory belonging to Nagini''s past quietly surfaced in the middle of his vision-


    He also remembered that the memories he had probed from the viper''s eyes earlier had contained some other very interesting elements, besides the earlier years of the moldedkes.


    After Nagini''s consciousness, which belonged to Viper, hadpletelye full circle, he had spent an unknown number of years alone in the middle of the Albanian forests.


    Until one day, a remnant of a soul stripped of its physical body, less than a ghost, more fragile than the humblest of wandering souls, appeared quietly, and the forest gained an unwee visitor.


    It was Voldemort, who had perished under his own spell of sorcery!


    Voldemort''s state was so weak that he could only parasitize on various small animals, taking in the few life forces within them.


    Until one day, Voldemort found Nagini.


    Nagini, being Voldemort''s favorite snake, also possessed an intelligence not unlike that of a human, which pleased him greatly. So instead of taking the life force from Nagini, Voldemort made friends with the viper.


    In the forests of Albania, a remnant of a soul and a snakemunicated in the old serpentine ent, keeping each otherpany for more than a decade until a pretentious young man named Quirinus Chilo appeared in the middle of the forests ...


    When Voldemort returned to Albania once again, wanting to make Nagini his sixth Horcrux to apany him, he did not realize that his originally close viperpanion had already recognized Voldemort''s true nature of brutality and insensitivity, and chose to leave him when the snake monster got in the way.


    Nagini never saw Voldemort again after that.


    ...


    Drac slowly opened his eyes.


    Among Nagini''s past memories, the most valuable information would be the different states Voldemort was in when he came to Albania''s forest several times.


    When Nagini first met Voldemort, Voldemort was in the kind of weakened state after the death of a dark wizard who possessed a Horcrux, and his residual soul, which was even worse than ghosts and wandering souls, could only parasitize other creatures and rely on the plundering of life force to maintain his survival.


    However, the curse of death by touch has a powerful effect that borders on the rule, and is actually capable of obliterating the soul within the wizard in an instant.


    So how did the remnants of Voldemort''s soul survive his own bouncing Sojourn Curse?


    Drac frowned slightly, once again recalling the scene when Voldemort''s soul was annihted in front of him twice-


    The first time, he used a magic that could erode souls like the Scarlet Water Prison, crushing Voldemort''s soul to the point where nothing was left. At that time, there was also no residual soul that flowed out from the middle of the water dungeon.


    But Drac could still feel that Voldemort was notpletely dead.


    The second time, in order to prevent himself from being captured and imprisoned by Drac, Voldemort decisively chose to end himself and burned his own soul.


    This time, Voldemort''s soul was likewise not left in the slightest, and likewise no remnants of his soul escaped from it.


    This time, however, Drac did not feel it as clearly as he did the first time, and could not confirm the truth that Voldemort was still alive in an instant.


    Was this proof that the more deaths there were, the weaker the soul power of the Horcrux holder became?


    Drac shook his head gently.


    The vile Helpo was the best example.


    In the confrontation with Andros, for more than two thousand years, Helpo did not know how many times his soul had been obliterated. Yet Drac was still able to feel Helpo''s clear signs of survival when he annihted him in the secret realm at the top of Mount Olympus.


    This would seem to prove that no matter how many times the holder of a Horcrux is resurrected, the power of the soul is never weakened to a perceptible degree.


    So why was Voldemort''s own perception so unclear when his soul was obliterated a second time?


    Dracpared the scene during the first obliteration of Voldemort''s soul to the scene during the secret world at the top of Mount Olympus, and suddenly had a sh of light.


    ording to Andros, he had united with many ancient Greek sorcerers and managed to build a secret realm that confined Helpo''s soul by utilizing the power of faith, cohesion, and other forces of Greece as a nation.


    As a result, Helpo''s every rebirth could only be resurrected in the secret realm, that is to say, his weak residual soul after death always stayed in the secret realm.


    Perhaps this was the reason why Drac was able to clearly sense Helpo''s survival. Helpo''s soul was close enough to him!


    As for the first time when he obliterated Voldemort''s soul, Drac and Voldemort were not far away from Hogwarts Castle, not even out of the range of the Anti-Phantom Shift spell.


    And Drac now knew that there were two of Voldemort''s Horcruxes present in Hogwarts Castle at that time - Tom Riddle''s diary and the Ravenw''s crown.


    It was very likely that Voldemort''s residual soul was resurrected at the location of the closest Horcrux. But in order to prevent being discovered by Dumbledore and Drac, he fled out of the castle as soon as he appeared, without letting anyone know.


    Because of this distance, Drac''s perception that Voldemort was still alive at that time was very clear.


    As for the second time, the time when Voldemort had immted himself in front of Drac.


    That bunker, built jointly by a number of pureblood families, was located in a very remote suburb for the sake of concealment, most likely quite far away from Voldemort''s Horcruxes.


    If Voldemort was bound to be reborn around his Horcruxes, then the excessive distance might indeed prevent Drac from sensing the signs of Voldemort''s survival very clearly.


    Drac once again recalled the scene when Nagini had first seen the remnants of Voldemort''s soul - at that time, Voldemort had been so weak that he could barely maintain the stability of his own Horcrux.


    That wasn''t really normal.


    Voldemort had probably been on a long road trip by then.


    And Drac likewise knew that Harry Potter had been inadvertently made into a Horcrux by Voldemort.


    So Voldemort had probably just turned into a remnant of his soul around Harry on the spot, and then flown thousands of miles from Godric''s Hollow, where the Potters lived, to the forests of Albania.


    "So why did Voldemort have toe all the way to Albania?" Drac mused somewhat perplexed.


    "Strange, what is so special about this forest?"

 Chapter 158 - 158 Pears in bloom

    <h4>Chapter 158: Pears in bloom</h4>


    In theory, there really was no reason for Voldemort to necessarily travel to Albania to hibernate again.


    The Ravenw''s crown had long ago been taken from one of the hollow trees in the middle of this forest by a young Tom Riddle, whoter made it into an Horcrux, and it sat in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts for the next few decades.


    So he didn''te to Albania in search of his Horcrux.


    Also, ording to Nagini''s memories, as Voldemort''s only friend during his hibernation, it''s also true that she didn''t meet Voldemort until after he perished in Godric''s Hollow, in this forest.


    Which means that Voldemort was also unaware of Nagini''s existence beforehand.


    Nor did Voldemorte to Albania in search of his Viperpanion.


    In that case, there was probably something in the forests of Albania that would have attracted Voldemort, that would have made hime all the way here, dragging along a remnant of his soul that was less than a ghost and more fragile than a wandering spirit.


    What could that something be?


    Drac frowned and remained silent for a long time.


    Indeed, he could not think of anything else to be concerned about in this mediocre forest ...


    "Pickett, don''t mess with other people''s things!"


    Newt''s voice rang out indistinctly, interrupting Drac''s thoughts.


    Drac lowered his head and saw an animal with two small brown eyes and only the size of a hand standing where his cuffs were, fiddling with a delicate button.


    The small animal had a wood twig coloring all over its body and seemed to be made up of bark, leaves, and twigs, so it would probably be hard to spot if it was lying on its back in a tree.


    Hearing Newt''s voice, the Tree Protector Robot Pickett immediately retracted its two long, thin, tentacle-like ws and stood honestly on Drac''s folded arms, looking at Newt with an innocent face.


    "Pickett seems to like you quite a bit, Professor Drac." Newt smiled at Drac.


    He reached forward and received Pickett on his index finger and raised his hand to his eyes, looking at him favorably.


    "Does this tree guardian robo-pot actually have a name?" Drac asked with some surprise as he temporarily shook off the doubts in his mind about the Albanian forest.


    He turned his head to look at this Tree Protector Tree he had his back against.


    The Patronus Tree was very simr to themon sorrel tree in the Muggle world, with many of what looked like bark, leaves, and twigs of the Patronus Robe lying on its slender branches, curiously surveying Drac below, and some of them bouncing affectionately off the tree to greet Newt.


    Drac looked back and forth a few times between the tree protectors and the Picts standing on Newt''s index finger, but couldn''t quite tell what the difference was between the little things.


    I don''t know how Newt could tell the difference, but he was able to tell at a nce that the tree-guarding rookery that was just fiddling with the buttons was the Picts he was talking about.


    "It''s not possible that every Tree Protector Rokpot here has a name, is it?" Drac suddenly thought of a possibility and looked at Newt in shock.


    "It''s not that much of a stretch ...," Newt looked over to the Tree Protector Rokkot on his index finger, "but I did think of doing that when I was younger, giving each of the magical creatures a name unique to them. "


    "But then I got older and my memory isn''t what it used to be, and there''s no way to memorize every single magical animal''s name. Also, naming was never easy, so in the end it just went away."


    "But Pickett was different, he was one of the first animals to apany me. Together with Teddy, Pickett did me a lot of favors during the Global Wizarding War decades ago. Especially the time they rescued Theseus from the Erkstag prison in Germany ..."


    A nostalgic tinge unknowingly came back into Newt''s eyes.


    "Ah, excuse me, Professor Drac." Newt suddenly reacted and smiled apologetically at Drac, "That''s how people are when they get old, they always like to reminisce about the past."


    "That''s okay, I''m also quite interested in the Global Wizard War period." Drac gently shook his head.


    Drac had already discovered that the hundred years he had spent in slumber could probably be called the most turbulent hundred years in the magic world.


    The global wizard war triggered by Gellert Grindelwald, the wizard war in the British magicalmunity set off by Voldemort, and the emergence of three great wizards one after another within a hundred years ...


    Drac missed all of these at once.


    Nowadays, he is extremely curious about the stories of his sleeping period, but he can only go through other people''s oral narratives as a way to keep adding to his knowledge of all kinds of big events that happened in the world during this period.


    Newt, as a personal witness of the Global Sorcerer War, could even be considered one of the most important characters, what he recounted was naturally of quite high value.


    It was also because of this reason that Drac had the whim to invite Newt to his castle as a guest.


    While the two were talking, several curious Tree Protector Robots quietly jumped down from the Tree of Protections andnded on Drac''s shoulders, each finding a seat and sizing up Newt on the opposite side.


    "Professor Drac, it does seem that you are quite beloved by the Tree Protector Robot." Newt watched the scene with some surprise, "I just thought Pickett was just an example ..."


    "What, shouldn''t I be loved by them?" Drac nced over his shoulder at the small creatures, and remained safely slumped against the trunk of the Protector Tree, giving them a safe environment.


    "How do I put it ...," Newt scratched his chin, "Tree Protector Robots are gentle and shy by nature, and usually don''t get too close to people."


    "Pickett, on the other hand, can seem clingy because he was injured as a child and was brought up under my care. But it''s still fairly rare for him to be like that."


    "Also, there''s something else I''m not sure if I should say ...," Newt nced at Drac, some hesitation in his words.


    "Tell me, there''s nothing you can''t say." Drac said to Newt as he sped his hands to his chest with interest, "It''s not like these little guys can still turn on me, right?"


    Newt gave Drac another look, focusing on Drac''s back where he was clinging to the trunk of the Tree Protector.


    "The Tree Protector''s Cauldron won''t turn against you, but the Protector''s Tree does have the potential to ..." he said, "As you may know if you''ve read Herbology''s Thousand Miraculous Herbs and Mushrooms --"


    "The Patronus Tree is a magical tree that protects those who touch its trunk from dark creatures."


    Newt nced at Drac again, and said with deliberation, "But as far as I know, a vampire is supposed to be a dark creature, right?"


    "So that''s what you''re worried about." Drac smiled pleasantly, "Mr. Scamander, removing the vampire traits, do I look like a dark creature to you?"


    Newt looked hesitantly around Drac for a moment before he slowly shook his head.


    "It is true that I would not be able to recognize any of the characteristics of a dark creature in you if I did not already know that you are a vampire." He said nkly, "Is it possible that a vampire could not be categorized as a dark creature?"


    Drac slowly hooked the corners of his mouth in a softly rted smile.


    "Not so, Mr. Scamander. I have always ascribed to the darkness, that has never changed." Heughed, "But you know what? When I becamepletely a part of the darkness, then the darkness could no longer passively affect me."


    "Instead, I can control the darkness like a charm, like this-"


    In Newt''s eyes, it was as if Drac had suddenly changed his appearance.


    Although this vampire Count Lord was still leaning against the trunk of the tree, not moving a muscle, and his expression was still a kind smile that hooked the corners of his mouth.


    But his entire person was shrouded by an evil, dark aura in an instant.


    The ck and red cloak was windless behind his back, and there was a hidden blood light appearing in the burgundy colored eye child ...


    In the next instant, a fierce wind was blowing!


    The tree protector Luo pots that stepped on Drac''s shoulder jumped up in fear, one by one jumped down from the shoulder, and climbed up to the tree of the protector of thew as if they were escaping, and there was a look of uncertainty and shock among their small brown eyes.


    Protecting thew tree in the gusts of wind shaking madly, a slender branch on the buds emerge, full of mountain pear flowers bloom almost at the same time!


    Clusters of white pear blossoms swayed with the wind, and the entire tree was like a heavy snowfall in the dead of winter.


    In Newt''s eyes, the suitcase environment that had just been a colorful summer day seemed to have changed colors in an instant, filled with bright white. The wind blew over the snow-winning flowers as if it had blown down pieces of glowing crystal.


    Each flower was literally enveloped in bright white light!


    These white lights squeezed and rolled towards Drac, wanting to push this being full of darkness away from his own spotless ground.


    Yet Drac still justughed, his body unmoving.


    "See, Mr. Scamander." He said softly, "If I don''t want to, there will be no one to find out that Ie from the darkness ... not even the Guardian Tree."


    Yet at that moment Newt barely heard Drac''s voice, all his eyes were focused on the blossom-filled Guardian Tree.


    This was the first time Newt had seen this magic tree, which resembled a sorrel tree, able to blossom!


    "It''s so beautiful!" Newt murmured, "So the blossoms blooming from the Protector Tree are really the same as the Yamanashi Tree."


    The blossoms of the Protector Tree were still in full bloom, and the white light became more and more dazzling, as if it was going to envelop this isted ind that was specially built for the Tree Protector Luo Pot.


    Just then, Newt''s boy hole suddenly contracted.


    He saw that as the light shone, the flowers on the Tree Protector but began to gradually wither away.


    "Professor Drac, stop it!" Newt shouted in a hurry, "The magic power of the Protector Tree is limited, there''s no way for it to withstand the impact of such a strong dark aura!"


    Drac looked back with some surprise.


    Sure enough, the branches and leaves of this Protector Tree had gradually be wilted, and the slender branches all over the tree were dry and drooping.


    Countless Tree Protector Robots panicked and jumped down from the tree, carrying many, many earthworms and other small insects as food, moving towards the next door Tree Protector.


    Drac straightened himself up and left the grounds of that Patronus Tree.


    "It seems the herbology textbooks at Hogwarts are still exaggerated." He looked back at the Patronus Tree, whose light was slowly falling back, and shrugged helplessly, "What happened to the promise that just touching the trunk of such a tree would protect you from dark creatures?"


    "But you are no ordinary dark creature, Professor Drac." Newt cried andughed, "I''ve seen the scene of the Protector Tree expelling dark creatures quite a few times, but this is really the first time I''ve seen such a spectacr sight as a tree full of blossoms."


    "Just in those two minutes just now, the magic power released from this Protector Tree might have been able to whisk away a pack of werewolves, yet it seems to have had no effect on you ..."


    Newt sighed emotionally and walked over to the Protector Tree carrying his wand and began to heal the tree with nt Growth Recovery magic.


    Drac also withdrew the dark aura around himself and approached the magical tree once again.


    It wasn''t known whether it was because he couldn''t feel the darkness in Drac''s body anymore or because he knew that there was no way to banish this being, this time, the Protector Tree didn''t have any reaction to Drac''s proximity.


    "Professor Drac, I think you might have to be memorized by the Tree Protector Robot." Newt said suddenly.


    He was working his magic on the Tree Protector while Pickett, the Tree Protector Robot who was still standing on his index finger, keptining to him.


    "Pickett is upset with you, as are his kind." Newt ryed to Drac, "Pickett says you''re destroying their habitat, don''t evere near here again ..."


    "Huh, these little things think they can stop me?" Drac looked at Pickett on Newt''s index finger with interest, "I just withdrew my dark power and they think they can again?"


    "Come on, Professor Drac." Newt said helplessly, "The little ones were made to move after all, why don''t you apologize to them anyway?"


    "Fine, for your sake." Dracughed lightly and shrugged, "But I''ve broken a whole tree, will my apology be forgiven by these little ones?"


    "Could try to make up for it with a little gift?" Newt said uncertainly, "In fact, the Protectorate Tree serves as an excellent wand material and magic potion ingredient, and many wizards will want to break some branches or leaves off this tree ..."


    "Normally, to take down leaves or wood from the trees guarded by the Tree Protector Robots, wizards need to give them some earthworms or fairy eggs. Tree Protector Robots like these two things the most as food."


    "If you count on the fact that it takes two earthworms to break a branch ..."


    Newt nced at the Tree Protector Tree whose branches were as shriveled as they could be and gulped, "Professor Drac, you might want to prepare thousands of earth turtle or fairy eggs."


    Drac''s face stiffened.


    "Do you really have to be that serious?" He asked with the corners of his mouth twitching.


    "The Tree Protector Robot can be very vindictive." Newt nodded with a sympathetic face, "If it''s too much trouble for you, Professor Drac, I can go digging in the earth with you. I''m fairly experienced, I should be able to dig enough in three or four days."


    Drac took a deep breath and curled two fingers slightly, supporting them on his chin.


    "Actually,... it''s not that troublesome." A momentter, he suddenly spoke.


    "Not troublesome?" Newt looked at Drac in shock, "First things first, Professor Drac, copy spells and morphing spells to turn out turds can never be given to the Tree Protector Roppongers, it''ll hurt their bodies."


    "I''m not that inhumane to give them magical creations." Dracughed lightly and shook his head, "I really have a better way."


    Saying that, Drac suddenly snapped his fingers.


    A dark moon quietly floated around the two of them, and there was a vague scene of a dense forest in the dark moon.


    In the next moment, thousands of bats fluttered their wings and appeared from behind Drac, surging into the dark moon like a ck torrent, and entering the forest in that dark moon as much as they could.


    Newt was startled by thisrge group of bats, he subconsciously blocked in front of the Protector Tree beside him, thinking that Drac was going to use this group of bats to brutalize the Protector Tree Lobo ...


    "What are you doing with that, Mr. Scamander?" Drac watched Newt''s actions with amusement and said to him, "This round moon is leading to the Albanian forest outside the box, I''m asking each bat to each help me catch a turd in the forest, won''t that solve the problem?"


    "Ohhh, so that''s what you had in mind." Newt sighed in relief at this, and with an embarrassed look on his face, he gave up the guardian tree behind him.


    Dracughed softly and shook his head, slowly closing his eyes.


    As a matter of fact, Drac''s purpose of releasing these bats was not just to catch earthworms for the Tree Protecting Robots, he was not so bad as to do this for a group of tiny magical animals.


    His most important purpose was to use the sight of the many bats to explore this seemingly ordinary forest. He wanted to find out what exactly was here that had attracted Voldemort''s attention toe from Godric''s Valley to hibernate in Albania even after traveling thousands of miles.


    Time passed as bat after bat flew back from the midst of the dark moon.


    Each bat grabbed an earth turtle in its ws and threw it in front of the guardian tree, then disappeared into trivial points of light.


    The forest of Albania also gradually became slim in Drac''s eyes, and every suspicious ce was not spared.


    Drac borrowed his bat sonar-like hearing and carefully explored every corner, even the most hidden caves and the most remote bushes were not ignored.


    Yet he never found anything special in the forest.


    That was until thest bat returned to the world of the suitcase, and the entire Albanian forest was in Drac''s sights.


    He had to admit that it was indeed just a more ordinary forest ...


    "Professor Drac ... Professor Drac!"


    Just then, Newt''s voice interrupted Drac''s thoughts.


    Drac opened his eyes to look at Newt and saw that he was standing next to arge group of earthlings, circling them with his magic, not allowing these insects destined to fall into food to have a chance to escape.


    Beside Newt was arge group of Tree Protecting Robots, who were excitedly dancing around the earth turtle group, thankful for this sudden surprise.


    "Pickett asked me to thank you on behalf of the Tree Protecting Robots'' colony, Professor Drac." Newt smiled at Drac, "He says that if you''d like to bestow this food upon them, even if it means taking that Tree Protector Tree with you!"


    Drac froze for a moment, then shook his head out ofughter as well.


    As expected, even the most loyal guardians of the Tree Protector Tree like the Tree Protector Luo Pot could not resist the temptation of bread at all!

 Chapter 159 - 159 Back to Castle Dracula.

    <h4>Chapter 159: Back to Castle Drac.</h4>


    Half of the sun had set beyond the distant skyline, a bright haze of great beauty coloring the sky red in the afterglow of the setting sun.


    A line of mist floated over the forest below, reflecting the vexations on the ground and adding to the brilliance of the sky.


    The silver luxury car flew silently in the half-light, half-dark sky, and its body was also colored by the haze with a ssh of crimson, rendered inteced with the curtain of stars that were gradually rising in the sky.


    Now that the car was no longer exposed to ultraviolet light, the ink tint on the ss had been manually turned off by Drac.


    He looked through the car window into the twilight of the Albanian forest, which was slightly reddened by the setting sun, and his brow furrowed slightly.


    Even at the end of the day, Drac hadn''t noticed any unusual sights in this forest or any more unusual locations.


    ''Maybe it''s just that I''m overthinking it?''


    He thought silently as he held onto the steering wheel and took onest look at this forest below him that was about to fly over the end.


    Newt sat in the passenger seat with Sniffy Teddy in his arms, stroking his plush fur.


    This Sniffy had just done a great job and managed to poke his little paws out of the box and release Newt from inside the tightly closed lid.


    As for Drac, the culprit who had closed the lid and fastened the snap button, he butchered out of the box with his Dark Moon magic early on, and lifted Newt with the box directly outside the Rolls Royce before the two of them once again embarked on their journey to Romania.


    The car sped off in a northeasterly direction.


    Time passed, and as the stars rose high in the sky, a steep mountain appeared at the end of Drac''s field of vision.


    ck as ink, the walls of the castle stood darkly above the crest of the mountain, and an overcast cloud hung between the peaks, obscuring the outline of the castle''s moldedke.


    Like a hook of the bright moon hanging above the gloomy clouds, the cold moonlight was cut by the clouds intoyers and pieces of trivial shapes, messy sprinkled on the walls, vaguely illuminated a few flying bats shadow, a gloomy scene.


    But amidst this eeriness, there was nock of an alternative atmosphere and prosperity.


    "Then ... wee to Castle Drac, Mr. Scamander."


    Drac hooked the corner of his mouth and said to Newt beside him.


    Newt raised his head a little sleepily to the treacherous mountains shrouded in overcast clouds and illuminated by the messy moonlight, and the castle standing on the crest.


    "Is this the legendary Castle Drac?" He couldn''t help but see a sh of surprise in his eyes as he muttered, "I always thought that Castle Brown was the home base of the Romanian vampiremunity, but I didn''t realize that there was another, even bigger, castle hidden behind it."


    Newt sat up straight and moved his somewhat sore waist and neck.


    Still old after all, Newt felt a little woozy after a few hours of sitting in a car, even if the seats had been transformed by Drac''s magic.


    Sniffing Teddy, who was curled up in his arms, was sleeping soundly, and after being woken up by Newt''s movement of his body, he gave him a grumbling look, grunted and rubbed his eyes, and unfolded his two short arms and stretched his waist.


    Teddy then crawled up Newt''s legs to the windshield of the car and pressed his two little eyes against the ss, looking out the window with a curious expression at whatever glitter was caught in the moonlight.


    "The truth is, Castle Brown is just a front, Mr. Scamander."


    Drac had one hand on the steering wheel and the other casually rubbed Sniffy Teddy''s head, earning a disgruntled look from Teddy before he smiled at Newt:


    "Let''s see how to describe it ... Castle Brown should count as a Castle Drac''s foreign office, right? Some of the peripheral vampires would be on duty there while overseeing the behavior of other vampires."


    "After all, vampires are still creatures of darkness, and there are always some unruly ones who like to sneak off and suck muggle blood. We''re the ones who are responsible for thew and order in the area."


    Drac introduced himself to Newt.


    "Responsible forw and order?" A very ridiculous emotion surfaced in Newt''s eyes.


    Even a magical zoologist like Newt, who had no discrimination or disdain for any creature, simply could not associate the term vampire with policing.


    Newt, unlike other wizards, did not have a stereotypical image of vampires, who were ssified as "human beings" by the Ministry of Magic, and knew that there was nock of vampires among the vampire group who couldmunicate with normal people.


    Even in this group, there are also vampire singer Lorcan Deuis and other very good and sessful people.


    But as a magical zoologist, Newt also knew that most of the vampires at the bottom of the hierarchy hadn''t escaped their old habits after all, and still maintained the impulse to suck human blood indiscriminately, with no way to control their own desire to feed.


    This kind of vampire tends to be, as the stereotypes of the wizards suggest, a destroyer and stirrer ofw and order in the magical world.


    Therefore, he had no way to imagine that this Drac Castle actually had a special external office of Castle Brown, which was used to maintain the stability of the magic world society!


    "Don''t be so disbelieving, Mr. Scamander." Dracughed softly, "Let me ask you a question first: in this area of Romania, there is a ce where arge magical ident that jeopardizesw and order suddenly urs, what would be the first thing you would think is the cause?"


    Newt froze for a moment, somewhat hesitantly:


    "Although I wouldn''t subconsciously associate it with what kind of person caused the magical ident, but if you think about it differently ... the wizards living in Romania, probably the first thing thates to mind is what vampires and werewolves did, right?"


    "I remember spending some time at the Fire Dragon Reserve in Romania." Newt''s eyes flickered in thought, "At that time, whenever a fire dragon was harmed in any way, the dragon tamers at the reserve tended to look toward vampires for suspicion first."


    "The Romanian werewolf packs were slightly better inparison, as they were still infected by humans after all, and were only aggressive and uncontroble enough when the moon was full."


    "However, vampires are different, in the general opinion of witches, vampires need to drink blood no matter what time of the day, and have the uncontrobility of not being able to control the desire to suck blood."


    While saying that, a surprised look gradually emerged in Newt''s eyes, "So ... in order to prevent others from suspecting you, the vampire''s group took the initiative to make the act of policing the magical world?"


    "That''s sort of one of the more important reasons." Drac nodded gently, "In order to prevent other magical mishaps from jeopardizing the already not-so-positive reputation of the vampire''s group, we naturally have to take responsibility for policing the Romanian magicmunity."


    "Of course, that''s not the main reason." Drac''s mouth suddenly quirked up in a fastidious manner.


    "Have you ever dealt with the Romanian Ministry of Magic, Mr. Scamander?" He asked softly.


    "Not exactly dealt with ...," Newt said, "but I''ve met a few officials from the Romanian Ministry of Magic before when I was at the Fire Dragon Reserve, and during the day when I was interacting with Minister Abbottel he talked to me about the Romanian Ministry of Magic."


    "This is how Abbottelmented on it - he told me that those wizards from the Romanian Ministry of Magic were usually very arrogant, but as soon as the name of the ck Magic Defense Arts professor from Hogwarts was mentioned, they would immediately turn into a look of secrecy... ..."


    At this point, Newt''s words suddenly stalled.


    His eyes suddenly widened and he looked at Drac with an incredulous gaze.


    "Could it be that ..."


    "You guessed correctly, Mr. Scamander." Drac smiled pleasantly, "Under the years of Castle Drac''s operation, the Ministry of Magic in Romania has long been upied by high-ranking vampires for the majority of seats."


    "By maintainingw and order in the Romanian magicmunity, we are also supporting the work of thosepanions in the Ministry of Magic, why not?"


    "No wonder ... I used to think that Romanian wizards were all very enlightened, that they were actually willing to share a magicalmunity with vampires." Newt showed a dawning realization, "It seems that under the influence of Drac''s Castle, the wizards here are already light on vampire prejudice."


    "I actually had quite a profound experience when I lived in the Fire Dragon Reserve-" Newt said.


    "Most of the wizards who stereotyped vampires were dragon tamers from other countries; those born and bred in Romania, on the contrary, had little else to say about the pack."


    "I vaguely remember that whenever some foreign wizards from the Fire Dragon Reserve tried to question the vampires, the officials of the Ministry of Magic would always make a big deal out of it and take those wizards'' questioning lightly."


    Newtughed out loud with emotion as he spoke.


    "That''s truly remarkable, Professor Drac." He said with emotion, "To be able to do this, it should be hard, right?"


    Looking at Newt''s sincere eyes, Drac''s expression suddenly became a little unnatural.


    "Ahem, it''s not that uplicated ...," he coughed dryly.


    How was this matter going to be exined to Scamander?


    Is it hard to tell him that he hadn''t paid much attention to the vampiremunity at all in the past few hundred years, and that the one who subconsciously changed the vampire''s reputation was actually his own inexpensive daughter, Serena?


    Drac silently shook his head.


    As a Drac Earl Lord but as a shirker, that would be too disgraceful ...


    In the middle of the conversation, Castle Drac and the treacherous mountains below were getting closer and closer.


    Trivial moonlight unconsciously sprinkled on the silver body of the car, and Castle Drac loomed up in front of them, as if it were a heavy paperweight, firmly pressed on top of the mountains.


    Just then, a figure suddenly leapt up from the walls below.


    A pair of wings stretched out from his back and pped gently, driving the figure to fly, eventually stopping in front of Drac''s Rolls Royce.


    "Ahead is Drac''s castle, outsiders are exempt from entering!"


    A cold voice came from the direction of the figure.


    Drac slightly raised his head, using his extremely excellent night vision to look ahead of the vehicle.


    The figure that stopped in front of the vehicle was clearly a high-level vampire.


    His face was not too evil with the evilness of a blood, but instead had a civilized look. His hair was meticulouslybed into a neat quiff and seemed to have hairspray on it, with a well-trimmed goatee above his mouth.


    At the sight of this image, Drac quirked the corner of his mouth with interest and rolled the window down gently.


    "Why are you the one on duty here, didn''t I grant you a vacation?" He asked tantalizingly.


    The high-ranking vampire who stopped in front of the vehicle had originally put on a cold, cruel demeanor, wanting to put up the demonic image of the vampire n and directly scare the visitor away so that he would not have to do anything.


    However, after hearing Drac''s voice, his cold expression instantly became taut.


    "Drac-sama?!"


    His eyes widened in surprise, and through the window of the car with his equally very good night vision, he saw the demonic and handsome face, and the iconic silver hair that cascaded behind him.


    "I was wrong, Lord Drac, I really didn''t know it was you." He pped his wings and flew outside the car window, apologizing to Drac somewhat awkwardly, "Why did you suddenlye back, and didn''t let us greet you in advance?"


    It could be seen that this senior vampire tried hard to bend down and salute, but the pping of his wings in the hovering state needed to maintain bnce, and he was not able to bend his body at will.


    So he could only keep his head down and silently look at his toes hanging in the air.


    "It''s fine, it''s not like you''re to me." Drac lightlyughed and waved his hand, "Speaking of which ... time have I returned to the castle to inform you guys?"


    "Eh ..." The senior vampire looked at Drac dumbfounded, and silently moved his eyes back to his toes.


    As a new young vampire who had been here for less than a hundred years, he waspletely unaware of Drac''s behavioral habits, and he didn''t dare to express any opinion at this time, so he could only continue to remain silent.


    "There''s no need to be so nervous, I''m actually quite easy to get along with." Seeing this subordinate''s nervousness, Drac carelessly pulled a family affair, "How was your recent vacation?"


    Saying that, he suddenly hooked up the corner of his mouth with interest, "Did that old Auror named Robert remember anything about your memories, Te?"


    That''s right, the young senior vampire in front of him was the protagonist who had been written by Giedroyd Lohart in the book "Traveling on a Ship with a Vampire".


    Lowhart had snatched the memory of the old Auror Robert, who had actually traveled with the vampire on the same ship, and had also unceremoniously erased the memories about Te from this rare wizard who was willing to make friends with the vampire, and that was how he had written that best-selling book.


    However, Lowhart''s proudest spell of forgetfulness was countered by Drac a few months ago, losing most of his own memories.


    He''ll probably have to spend the rest of his life in St. Mungo''s Hospital for Magical Injuries. It was even more likely that he would be swept away by the hospital and be a brain-dead vagabond when the money he had umted from writing his books waspletely spent.


    Using the forgetting spell to do bad things all his life, Lohart got this kind of end, but it is also a kind of retribution.


    However, Robert, who had his memory erased, lost the only friend he had in his life.


    It was in order to salvage this friendship that was on the verge of breaking that Te gathered the courage to ask Drac for a long vacation ...


    "Lord Drac, you were absolutely right at the time, Robert will probably never in his life remember the experiences we shared then." Te sighed.


    Then, a hint of joy appeared in his eyes, "But I used this time to get reacquainted with Robert. It''s just a matter of making a friend by stalking him, he didn''t have to say no."


    "So now you''ve be friends again?" Drac asked, giving him a somewhat surprised look.


    "Uh-huh!" Te nodded heavily, "Drac-sama, and then I wasn''tzy at all and came back on duty immediately!"


    Drac nodded with a lost smile.


    "Now that you''ve started your watch, let''s give you a task." He arranged, "I''ve brought a guest this time, so go find a few peripheral vampires to arrange some meals for hospitality as well as a guest room."


    "Alright, Lord Drac, I''ll just do these myself." Te nodded and said, "I don''t feelfortable letting those low level vampires do the work, what if they make your guest unhappy?"


    "There is no need to be so polite." Hearing this, Newt hurriedly persuaded, "I''m already used to sleeping in the wind, so I''ll have no problem with any kind of conditions."


    "Kir!" Sniffing Teddy also stood in front of the windshield and echoed.


    "How would that work!" Te immediately retorted, "You''re a valued guest brought by Lord Drac himself, it''s my responsibility to make you happy!"


    He then added in a low voice, "Lord Drac, this kind of thing must be done by me personally."


    "As thetest Blood n to arrive at Castle Drac, I haven''t made any outstanding contributions yet, yet I have taken the longest vacation ever among all the Blood ns. Lord Alcott doesn''t seem too happy with me ..."


    "If I can show her that I''m dedicated, there might be a chance to redeem myself."


    Drac looked at Te''s careful expression and held his tongue quite a bit.


    "Since that''s what you''re thinking, go ahead." He waved his hand casually, "Also, if Serena is unhappy with you in any way because of the vacation, then juste to me andin."


    "I personally granted a vacation and this little ninny has the audacity to have a dissatisfaction, I think she''s just being rebellious!" Drac said viciously.


    Te levitated in the air next to him, his mouth saying yes repeatedly.


    But in his heart, he saw very clearly as to whom he should please -


    Even if Count Drac was the spiritual symbol of the vampire n and possessed great power, he was toozy to take care of things!


    Usually, the matters of Drac Castle, no matter how big or small, are all taken care of by Lord Alcott.


    In this case, how dare because of the support of Lord Drac to make Lord Alcott angry?


    If by the vindictive Alcott adults remembered, as long as the front foot of Drac adults just left, her revenge may immediately as expected toe ...


    So despite getting Drac''s promise to let himin at any time, Te still decided to go to work honestly!

 Chapter 160 - 160 Tina’s howler letter to Newt.

    <h4>Chapter 160: Tina''s howler letter to Newt.</h4>


    In front of the looming castle, the silver colored vehicle slowly descended andnded on a dark, inked ground.


    Te pped his wings ahead of time tond next to the vehicle, moving quickly to pull the doors on either side open ahead of time for both Drac and Newt.


    This was a big favor to Newt, who with one hand holding Sniffy Teddy''s fleshy body and the other carrying his old suitcase, didn''t have any extra free hands left to open and close the doors.


    Te then bent down and stretched one arm out at his side to gesture to Newt, ready to lead him toward the VIP guest room in the castle''s central tower.


    "Mr. Scamander, this way." Te said, "Castle Drac''s most honored guests have separate rooms and courtyards located in the very center of the entire castle."


    "Eh, there''s actually no need to go through that much trouble." Newt hesitated for a moment and called out to Te, "I came here to this castle mainly because I want to observe the featured magical animals here, so feel free to arrange me in an edge area close to the natural environment."


    What Newt didn''t expect, however, was that what he had thought to be a simple demand was causing Te some difficulty.


    "Mr. Scamander, I understand where you''reing from, but the featured magical animals in this ce are not all located in the same area." Te exined, "Common species such as vampire bats are fine, they are found all over the castle and aremon pets of the Blood n ..."


    "But rarer species like the Bloody Crow, they mainly live in the dead trees at the top of the mountain on the north side; if you want to find aquatic creatures like the Decaying Goldfish, you have to go to the Blood Lake behind the castle; on top of that, there are also species scattered all around the neighborhood ... "


    Te said somewhat helplessly, while carefully turning his head to look at Drac.


    Drac''s brows furrowed slightly.


    He hadn''t invited Newt to the castle as a guest just so he could study the magical animals here on the edge of the castle.


    Drac was mainly there to listen to Newt''s perspective as a first-hand witness, telling himself what interesting things had happened during the Global Wizarding War period back then, that is, when he was asleep.


    If Newt was allowed to live in a location far away from himself, what other reason would there be to seek him out to rub his nose in the story?


    "Arranging it on the fringes would certainly be inappropriate, that would be poor hospitality on our part." Drac said.


    He decisively rejected this need of Newt''s.


    But simply cing Newt in the center of the castle away from the magical creatures would make it very inconvenient for him to observe the magical creatures in action, and would be equally inconsistent with hospitality.


    "Tell you what, Te." Drac thought for a moment and came up with an idea, "What about the Runic Teleportation Magic Array you normally use when you''re out on duty? Install a few for Mr. Scamander''s room, and try to involve as many as possible for each location."


    He then turned to Newt, "That way you''ll always be able to make observations in the areas where all types of magical creatures are active around here, Mr. Scamander."


    Of course, the more important point was still the fact that Drac himself could string along to dabble in stories whenever he wanted.


    "Would that be too much trouble for you guys?" Newt asked a little hesitantly.


    "It''s no trouble at all, Mr. Scamander." Te said hurriedly, "It just so happens that the henchmen who specialize in setting up teleportation magic arrays haven''t been assigned this type of task for quite some time, so we can let them practice their skills in the meantime."


    He once again extended his hand to the side of his body, gesturing for Newt to join him in heading to the castle''s central tower.


    This issue regarding guest amodations was sessfully resolved, and Drac nodded in satisfaction.


    He then tried to secretly butch away before he was tripped up again by the various chores inside Drac''s castle.


    However, things were always not to his liking.


    In the very next moment, a girl with a heroic auranded from the sky.


    Her hair was half ck and half white, and the pair of small and delicate wings pping behind her were the same color, only reversed from the direction of her hair color.


    As soon as the girl saw Drac she pped her wings and flew straight over,nding lightly in front of Drac.


    "Great, sneaking back without telling me!" She stared at her big red eyes and huffed, "If it wasn''t for the fact that Te had just informed me of your return, shouldn''t you have taken the opportunity to escape again?!"


    "Ahem, I wasn''t preparing to escape ah ...," Drac blushed and coughed dryly, his mouth hardened, "I wasn''t just preparing to go back to the central tower to look for you?"


    At the same time, he was secretly angry in his heart.


    This guy, Te, clearly had his own permitted leave to be able to be friends with his Robert again. Yet this fellow had actually betrayed his Count Lord in order to improve Serena''s impression of him!


    And Drac''s sophistry obviously didn''t help.


    "Do you think I''m still a child less than a hundred years old?!" Serena dismantled his im with a single nce, "Then tell me, if you''re going to look for me in the central tower, why are you spreading your wings facing the direction outside the city?"


    She took a look at the wall of the city that Drac was facing, then turned her head and began to point at Drac''s wings leaping behind him.


    Drac: "..."


    There was really no way he could argue with that.


    Drac had indeed just tried to butterfly out of the city for a while, lest Serena find out, and then maybe get dragged along to deal with the backlog of various incidents in the castle ...


    "Since you''re here,e over here and help me see how these two things are handled."


    As expected of Drac, Serena said that while tugging his arm and flew in the direction of therge meeting room.


    "Also, how long you''re nning to stay this time give me a clear exnation in advance, lest you sneak off again in the middle of the trip!" Serena said furiously.


    ...


    The change of seasons was almost indistinguishable within Castle Drac.


    The days passed quickly, but even when the temperature was a few degrees colder, the scenery inside and outside of the castle didn''t change in the slightest.


    The castle''s Yin Qi was so heavy that all the nts and animals on the nearby mountains and forests had mutated.


    The nts that roamed the mountains were all dead trees without a few leaves, trees covered in strange saas, vines stained with blood, and bushes with charred ck leaves ....


    No matter what season it was, these nts seemed to look the same, as they had long since developed a special ability to withstand drought, cold, wind, and rainstorms under the darkness of the atmosphere.


    These nts never relied on the outside weather to survive, but instead sucked the blood qi deep underground to live.


    And the surrounding animals were all mutated varieties, such as flesh-eating rabbits with bright red bodies, corrupted goldfish that lived in blood water, and crows that lived by sucking blood.


    Newt expressed great satisfaction.


    His time living in Drac Castle could be said to have opened his eyes to the fact that the magical animals here were almost impossible to see a single one of them in the outside world, and it was only in this area that these species existed.


    Newt was out early andte every day, and ran out of several of the cowhide books he used to keep track of the magical animals.


    It was rumored that the world''s most prestigious Pok¨¦monologist was going to start another book in the Where the Pok¨¦mon Are series, to be called Pok¨¦mon in Vampire Territory.


    It would feature all the magical animals featured in and around Castle Drac.


    Not only was Newt pleased, but Drac was equally pleased.


    The vicinity of Drac''s Castle was ultimately not without its dangers, and both the magical animals and the various strange nts were significantly more aggressive and destructive than the flora and fauna of the outside world.


    Therefore, Newt often encounters species that cannot be solved by one person.


    At this time, he would need to turn to Drac for help.


    And Drac was more than happy to help Newt solve these problems.


    After all, to him, these were the nts and animals in the vampire territory, they all relied on the blood and Yin Qi brought by the many vampires to be what they are now, and each of them was very sensitive to the powerful aura of the Lord Vampire Count.


    Whenever they sensed Drac''s arrival, these rather aggressive flora and fauna would seem to wilt, docilely allowing Newt to study them repeatedly and cooperate with his shorthand quill drawing.


    Drac would also ask Newt about the Global Wizarding War during the time he was studying the new nts and animals.


    During this period of time, he had basically be conversant with all the major events that had urred in the first half of this century, and also had a slight understanding of the trivial details of those individual events that Newt had known about.


    It could be said that in the future, even if he was asked tomunicate with older wizards like Dumbledore and Professor Kettleburne about the past decades, he would not be as double-minded as he was when he first woke up!


    Of course, there was also a point of beauty for Drac during this time.


    Serena, as the de facto manager of Drac''s castle now, always disliked Drac''s behavior of being a shirker, and every once in a while, she had to find a way to find something for him to do.


    And Drac for the huge castle to their own cheap daughter to manage also have a little bit of weakness, always can not bear to directly refute her face, so most of the things that are arranged to end up or casually disposed of.


    After all, Serena is now considered to hold Drac''s concern.


    If this cheap daughter also follow their own appearance as a shirking cab, then the whole castle is afraid topletely mess up ...


    ...


    Without realizing it, November and December quietly passed.


    For both the muggle world and the magic world are very important holiday - Christmas, will soone!


    However, vampires have never had the tradition of celebrating Christmas, and the connotation of this holiday is in conflict with their identity.


    In contrast, it was Halloween two months ago that could still create some waves in Drac Castle.


    Therefore, the Drac Castle on the eve of Christmas did not have any atmosphere about Christmas, and the vampire n was still doing their own things in an organized and unperturbed manner.


    And Newt, who is deeply immersed in this atmosphere, gradually forgets the time and ispletely immersed in the life of exploring new and strange magical animals ...


    Until one day, a magical animal out of ce in Drac''s castle breaks this harmonious atmosphere-


    Early in the morning, just as the vampire n is about to start resting.


    Drac had slept long enough in the previous hundred years to have basically nothing to sleep about nowadays.


    So he once again walked out of his big luxurious room and headed towards Newt''s room where seven Ruinivan teleportation magic arrays were ced.


    He was ready to listen to Newt''s rumors about the past of Dumbledore and Grindelwald.


    Just then, a golden-red me suddenly appeared out of nowhere and burned violently in Drac''s doorway.


    In the midst of the mes, arge golden-red bird burrowed out and walked towards Drac with a lofty step.


    "Fox?" Drac looked at therge bird with some confusion, "What''s the matter, did Headmaster Dumbledore finally think of letting me go back to teaching the students?"


    He secretly tittered, and wondered what mistake Tom Riddle had made with that Horcrux diary that had caused Dumbledore to send Fox over to him ...


    Phoenix Fox walked over to Drac with a condescending stride and gently raised his sharp ws.


    Drac looked down and saw a rolled up piece of parchment and a delicate package tied to Fox''s foot.


    He gently beckoned, and the rope used to bind the parchment and the delicate package came off on its own.


    The two items flew up lightly andnded in Drac''s hands.


    Fox gave Drac a condescending look, seemingly a little ufortable with the overly eerie surroundings of the neighborhood, so after delivering the items, he turned into a ball of golden-red fire and left the ce.


    Drac first looked at the delicate package in his hand and found that it was a packet of thetest tasting version of the blood-vored jelly produced by the Honey Duke, and he couldn''t help but nod his head in satisfaction.


    "Headmaster Dumbledore is quite good at what he does!"


    He smiled as he opened another item in his hand, the rolled up piece of parchment.


    Written on the parchment in very elegant handwriting was a message-


    "To dear Professor Drac:


    Without realizing it, it has been close to two months since we have seen each other, and I miss it now.


    First of all, I would like to wish you an early Merry Christmas! I have asked Fox to bring me my Christmas gift as a token of my sincere affection.


    Also, I would like to remind you of two things, Professor Drac:


    Firstly, I''m sorry to inform you that just in the past two days, the teaching assistant you arranged for, Tom Riddle, had some teaching idents and now has to spend some time recuperating.


    So as ast resort, I can only ask you to end this unannounced vacation early and return to Hogwarts to continue teaching the young wizards;


    Secondly, it is my understanding that Mr. Newt Scamander should stay with you. The Castle Drac unmarkable and evasion spells are too powerful for an ordinary owl to find the exact location, so his family has not been able to contact him for some time.


    If you read this letter, please also trouble yourself to find an owl that has been wandering back for a long time on the outskirts of Castle Brown and give the letter in its hand to Newt.


    I hope we can meet again soon.


    Sincerely yours.


    A-D"


    Drac read Dumbledore''s letter and froze slightly.


    Something had happened to Tom Riddle''s Horcrux journal? It actually took a while to recuperate?


    Drac knew very well that Riddle, as a Horcrux who had received most of Voldemort''s memories before the age of sixteen, and also possessed his own unique physical body, his strength and magical knowledge was actually not that weak, and was still growing rapidly.


    So what the hell had he done that he could have gotten himself to the point where he had to undergo recuperation?


    Also, he realized that Newt had been here for quite some time now, and during that time had evenpletely forgotten to contact his family ...


    The protective spells of Castle Drac were to me for this.


    No owl could find this ce, and only a powerful and spiritual magical animal like the Phoenix could break through the heavy protective spells and sessfully find Drac''s face with Dumbledore''s help.


    Drac lightly snapped his fingers.


    A vampire bat silently flew out from under the shadowy eaves andnded at his fingertips.


    "Go to Castle Brown and bring in one of the owls from the neighborhood. When ites in escort it around for a while so that no other bats get at its blood."


    The vampire bat nodded rather humanely and flew out of the castle along the shadows of the sessive buildings.


    Drac, on the other hand, was still walking to Newt''s room as nned.


    "Professor Drac?" Newt pulled open the door, and his expression became somewhat helpless after seeing Drac, "I really don''t have anything left to tell. As for the past events of Dumbledore and Grindelwald that you''re interested in, I''ve mostly just heard about them from hearsay ..."


    "Don''t worry, there''s no rush to hear your stories today." Dracughed softly and shook his head.


    Newt couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief.


    During this period of time this Count Lord was really about to dig his brain out, but on the contrary, he also had a request and wanted to record the magical animals here with Drac''s help, so he was also too embarrassed not to tell ...


    "A little something else came up today," Drac said, "Do you realize that it''s almost Christmas already?"


    "It''s almost Christmas?!" Newt froze for a moment, then gasped, "Oh crap, I have to go! I already promised Tina that I''d be back home for Christmas this year!"


    He then began to pack his bags on his hands and knees.


    Listening to Newt''s tone, it might have been several years since he had promised Tina toe home for Christmas.


    But it just so happened that each year he was so engrossed in being out watching magical creatures that he lost track of time, so that he missed the holidays ...


    "Mr. Scamander, you don''t have to rush yet, take your time packing." Drac advised, "It''s still not toote to go back, big deal, I''ll just teleport you home!"


    "There''s another owl outside the castle right now that was going to deliver a message to you, but it never found a location. I just had a vampire bat pick it up."


    "Oh yeah, and I forgot to write to Tina again!" Newt covered his face in chagrin.


    Not muchter, a starved and skinny owl flew over carrying a red letter.


    The vampire bat that had just followed beside it carefully escorting it, afraid that this frail bird would fall out of the air in the middle of the journey and dy the task that Lord Earl had sent it.


    "Why does this envelope look a bit familiar?" Looking at the red envelope in the owl''s hand, Drac murmured.


    At the same time, Newt''s face changed drastically.


    "This is the ... Howl Letter!"

 Chapter 161 - 161 Rolf got into trouble at Hogwarts?

    <h4>Chapter 161: Rolf got into trouble at Hogwarts?</h4>


    "A howler letter?"


    Drac froze for a moment, thinking of the explosively effective red envelope Ron Wesley had received when the semester first started.


    ''Speaking of which, it''s interesting that the culprit who caused the two to drive to school is now their teaching assistant.'' Drac thought this cheerfully.


    When the scrawny, scrawny owl was only thest few feet away from Newt, it finally couldn''t hold it up and fell headfirst out of the air.


    Chagrined, the vampire bat covered its face with its wings for a moment, then darted downward in an attempt to catch therge bird, which was several times its size.


    Fortunately, Newt hadn''t forgotten about caring for the animals even under the pressure of the howling letters.


    He stepped in ahead of the others and used a slowing spell to slow down the owl''s fall, then proceeded to catch it and cradle it in his arms.


    "That was hard for you, good boy, finding me for so long."


    Newt stroked the owl''s crumpled feathers soothingly before looking nervously at the red envelope that bulged at the corners and seemed on the verge of exploding.


    "What do you say, do you want me to destroy it for you?" Drac asked casually, "It''s simple, a spell thing."


    "Better forget it." Newt sighed and finally shook his head, "I lost track of time myself after all, it''s only natural that Tina would send me howler letters."


    Saying that, his chagrined look turned into a small smile again, "Not to mention, after being out there alone for so long, I still want to hear Tina''s voice and what she''s going to say to me."


    Is it even possible to show love in this kind of emergency?


    Drac gave Newt a strange look on his face and silently backed away a few steps.


    Newt quickly tucked the owl in his arms into his suitcase to prevent the weakened one from being startled by the howler letter again, before opening the fire-painted seal on the red envelope with trembling hands.


    The next moment a somewhat aged but middle-aged sounding voice rang through Newt''s room-


    "Newton Artemis Fido Scamander, look what you''ve done!"


    Tina''s voice, recorded in a yelling letter, called out Newt''s full name directly, and you could tell she was in a tizzy.


    "Your son asked you to help with the kids, but look what you''ve done! Leaving Rolf alone at Hogwarts? I now suspect you did it on purpose! You didn''t want Rolf toe to my alma mater, Yinfamoni, when he first started school, and had to send him to the same Hogwarts that expelled you."


    "I don''t know what''s so great about that school, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor changes every year, can he teach his students well? It''s only Headmaster Dumbledore that gives them the edge, but isn''t our old friend Professor Elie Hicks in Imperiumoni good enough?"


    Hearing the words in Tina''s growling letter, Newt wore a somewhat embarrassed expression.


    He had really forgotten about his grandson ever since he used the door key to send Rolf back to Hogwarts ...


    This was because in Newt''s opinion, as long as Dumbledore was around, Hogwarts was the safest ce in this world.


    So he was putting a hundred percent on letting Rolf stay at Hogwarts!


    However Tina didn''t think so:


    "I think you''re doing it on purpose, letting Rolf experience staying at Hogwarts on his own. I don''t know what kind of psychedelic drug this school has given him, but it actually made him write to me of his own ord saying that he wants to transfer to another school!"


    Hearing this, instead of continuing to feel embarrassed, Newt''s face uncharacteristically revealed a happy smile.


    "Not bad for Hogwarts, well done!" Newt had an expression of shared honor.


    Drac in the distance: "..."


    I see you really had the idea of getting Rolf to transfer ...


    "Newt, I''m sure you must be very happy right now?" In the next moment, Tina, knowing Newt very well, nailed his mood, "But don''t be too happy, Rolf is now in trouble at Hogwarts, and caused an ident with one of the teaching assistants."


    "I''m not caring about you two, you''re on your own, let''s see how you''re going to give the Hogwarts teaching assistants a piece of your mind!"


    Along with the bulging red envelope gradually drying up and burning out, Tina''s voice finally stopped.


    Newt stood frozen in ce, not knowing what to say.


    Drac also didn''t know when he reappeared by Newt''s side, with a strange expression as he looked at the roaring letter that was slowly turning into ash.


    "So ... my teaching assistant was made a teaching ident by that little wizard Rolf, so that he had to recuperate for a while?" He said in an odd tone.


    Drac couldn''t quite believe that the Horcrux diary, which had inherited nearly all of Voldemort''s memories from his youth, would fall into the hands of a young wizard who was only a second year.


    It should be known that when Tom Riddle initially came to Hogwarts to attend school, he had been ostracized and dealt with by those unconscious purebloods because of his orphanage origins and his status at Slytherin Academy.


    Therefore, Riddle should have yed quite purely with the little tricks between students, how should he not have been counted by the little grandson of the Scamander family?


    Drac nced at Newt''s mute, rigid face, always finding it a bit unbelievable that the good old man had a grandson like that.


    "So that little brat Rolf harmed the assistant teacher of ck Magic Defense?" Newt''s face stiffened even more, "Don''t worry, Professor Drac, I''ll go to Hogwarts right away to teach that Rolf kid a good lesson!"


    "There''s no need to jump to conclusions like that even before things are clear, Mr. Scamander." Drac stopped him with a raised hand andughed softly, "Maybe it really was just an ident?"


    A possibility sprang to mind, thinking of the curse Voldemort had ced on the position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts.


    It couldn''t be that Riddle had personally experienced the curse ced on his main soul during his time as acting Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, could it?


    ...


    Time went back to more than a month ago, the day Rolf Scamander had just been sent back to Hogwarts from Mount Olympus by his own grandfather.


    Rolf appeared on a tall bridge made of marble with the tie-shaped door key embroidered with a golden pattern in his hand.


    The bridge was surrounded by an endless deepke, the temperature of which was so cold in winter that most of it had been covered in a thickyer of ice without a single ripple.


    When Rolf raised his head somewhat bewildered, his heart was instantly filled with boundless shock -


    A tall and magnificent castle stood in the sunlight, light spilling out from behind the clouds in the sky, the sun half-hiding behind the clouds, scattering red, orange, and gold colors, adding a shimmering golden light to the most gigantic main tower.


    A building and a spire, all with some ancient atmosphere, topped the clouds and daylight in the sky, as if subdued in Rolf''s heart.


    He looked at the end of the bridge he was on with a marvelous expression and saw a square rectangr courtyard, which was surrounded by a cloister that was connected together.


    Where the bridge connected to the courtyard was a huge oak gate.


    Seeing this breathtaking scene, Rolf couldn''t help but recall in his mind the magic school located in Scond that he would mention to himself from time to time every time he went out exploring with his grandfather-


    Hogwarts!


    Newt would tell him about the towering, majestic main tower of Hogwarts, speak of the gilded auditorium, tell of the spacious, open Quidditch pitch, introduce the kitchens next to the Hufflepuffmon room, mention the Forbidden Forest filled with all sorts of magical creatures, and the small ind on the ck Lagoon ...


    Perhaps after decades, some of these ces were long forgotten even by Newt, but these Hogwarts sights had long ago etched a full impression in Rolf''s mind.


    "I was actually able toe and visit Hogwarts with my own eyes!" A sh of surprise surfaced in Rolf''s eyes.


    Immediately afterward, he spread his legs as if he was scattering, and ran wildly in the direction of the Hogwarts entrance courtyard, wanting to enter this school that his grandfather had praised so much and had been haunted by.


    However, being normal school hours, the oak gates that connected the marble bridge to the entrance courtyard were firmly closed and showed no signs of opening.


    After all, it wasn''t supposed to be the gates of Hogwarts, only a side entrance to wee new students to the school, and it was rarely open.


    However, it was hard to resist Rolf Scamander, who aspired to be the greatest magical zoologist of the future!


    Rolf first carefully looked around to make sure that his grandfather hadn''te to Hogwarts with him before he reached into the inner pocket of his shirt and pulled out a green sphere from it.


    The sphere looked like a green, spiky cocoon, but it was actually a curled-winged demon that Rolf had smuggled out of his house.


    "Over to you, little one." Rolf affectionately touched the green, cocoon-like sphere in his hand and whispered to it.


    In the next moment, the sphere suddenly unfolded and extended a pair of wings that were blue on the inside and green on the outside.


    After it unfolded its spike-filled wings, its appearance seemed to have turned into a big, weird bird, and a huge butterfly.


    The Curled Wing Demon pped its wings and flew up, hovering over theke on the side of the bridge.


    Seeing this, Rolf made a rather bold move-


    He climbed up on top of the marble railing of the bridge and stood on the narrow railing, facing the cloister window nking the oak gate in silence.


    The curled-winged demon was still circling, asionally flying past Rolf''s eyes.


    Rolf took a deep breath and suddenly jumped up from the railing, leaping straight into the air, as if the next moment he would fall from high in the air into the hard, cold ice of the winterke, and end up with serious injuries if not death ...


    However this scene did not appear.


    The Curled Wing Demon, even though it had been hovering in the air, was able to very urately appear at Rolf''s point ofnding the moment he jumped, giving him a supporting force.


    Rolf then used this strength to jump inside the window of the Hogwarts entrance courtyard cloister in a single bound.


    "Well done, little one!"


    Rolf gave a thumbs-up to the curled-winged demon who had aplished a great feat, and then walked out of the cloisters and into the interior of the entrance courtyard in a happy manner.


    He was now officially stepping into Hogwarts!


    In fact, under normal circumstances, entering Hogwarts wouldn''t be as simple as Rolf, just jumping to the side of the bridge.


    He was still able to enter Hogwarts because of the golden patterned tie in his hand, the door key made by Dumbledore.


    In fact, back in theter stages of the Global Wizarding War, Dumbledore''s reputation had risen as he continued to fight against the dark wizard Grindelwald.


    As a result, Dumbledore became the vice-principal of Hogwarts early on during Armando Dippet''s time as principal, with partial authority over the Hogwarts castle.


    Whenever Dumbledore made a door key for the members of the team that rebelled against Grindelwald, he would incidentally utilize the relevant permissions of the Hogwarts Castle, thus allowing the door key to directly enter the Hogwarts'' guardian magic spell cage range, thus reducing the danger of the members.


    This door key in Rolf''s hand was the one that directly led him to break through the outer protective magic and teleported him to the interior of the guardian spell.


    As a result, Rolf casually entered Hogwarts Castle after two jumps.


    However, even after easily entering Hogwarts Castle, Rolf was once again blinded ...


    He did not know the geography of the castle at all, and did not know which direction he should go, so he could only go around in the entrance courtyard.


    Just at this moment, Rolf saw three young wizards who looked about his age walking over, and couldn''t help but light up.


    "Hello guys, I''m a second year student and I wanted to ask how to get to Hufflepuff''smon room." Rolf lied without blushing.


    He thought carefully for a while and finally decided to visit themon room his grandfather always mentioned first.


    "Are you really a second year student?" Among the three young wizards, two men and one woman, the young witch with messy hair and somewhat long incisors questioned, "It''s been a year and a half at Hogwarts, how could you still not know how to get to themon room?"


    "Maybe ... I''m usually a bit forgetful?" Rolf''s eyes darted around and very quickly he found an excuse.


    The two young male witches beside the little witch were easily recognizable, one with messy hair, round-framed sses and green eyes, and the other with fire-like red hair and a face densely covered in freckles.


    Hearing Rolf''s exnation, they both gave a look of realization.


    "Hermione, what are you suspecting? It should be a normal thing for Hufflepuff students to be forgetful, right?" The red-haired boy said with a big grin, "Look at Neville, he''s forgetful all the time, but he was almost sorted into Hufflepuff."


    ''So I really did say that by mistake? Hufflepuff wizards are really prone to forgetfulness?'' An astonished expression surfaced on Rolf''s face.


    But his grandfather wasn''t forgetful either, right?


    At that moment, another green-eyed boy wearing round-framed sses was the first to hold back, and he stepped forward, about to point the direction of the Hufflepuffmon room to Rolf.


    However it was the little witch with the long te teeth and disheveled hair who pulled the boy back.


    "Wait Harry, I always thought something was wrong." Hermione frowned as she stared at Rolf, "We''re second years too, and we often have sses with Hufflepuff, howe I don''t remember anything about him? And he''s not even wearing a Hufflepuff house uniform!"


    "You''re not one of the students from another house trying to blend in with Hufflepuff, are you?" She asked suspiciously.


    Rolfe was a little bit furious at her stare and hurriedly exined, "My presence has always been rtively low, it''s normal for me to go unnoticed by others."


    "As for not wearing a hospital gown then ...," he stuck an entire arm into one of the small bags he carried with him, patiently searching for something.


    After a few moments, Rolf finally pulled out a ck and yellow scarf that Newt had given him as a gift on one of his birthdays.


    "Found it! I have the Hufflepuff scarf, so I should be fine!"


    Fortunately, both the school uniform and scarf styles at Hogwarts hadn''t changed for hundreds of years, so there was no chance of Rolf revealing Newt''s scarf by taking it out.


    "Like this?" Hermione''s eyes were still a little skeptical.


    Still, since she was about to bete for her next ss, the studious Hermione quickly told Rolf the approximate location of the Hufflepuffmon room that she knew, and then dragged both Harry and Ron on a wild goose chase all the way to the teaching area.


    Although the young witch was indeed very clever, she would never have imagined that there would be a student of the Imperatorium inside Hogwarts who had suddenly butted in, much less that this Imperatorium student had a grandfather who had once been a loyal student of Hufflepuff!


    ...


    After getting the exact location of themon room, Rolf joyfully walked in through a stairway on the side of the entrance courtyard and went down to the first floor of the castle.


    He then walked down a long corridor to a pile ofrge wooden barrels resting on a shadowy stone trough.


    Here was the entrance to the Hufflepuffmon room.


    Next, however, Rolf was in a quandary ...


    Within the things Newt had once told him about Hogwarts, there was no mention of a way to enter the Hufflepuff Common Room at all!


    Given the fine virtue of loyalty and diligence of Hedgepatch''s students, no Hedgepatch student would reveal the method of entering this ce to anyone else, not even their own offspring!


    This is because there is no evidence whatsoever that Hedgepatch''s offspring will necessarily enter Hedgepatch Academy.


    Because of this, the Hufflepuff Common Room was the onlymon room that hadn''t been seen by anyone outside of the Hufflepuff Academy in over a thousand years, and thus became the safest of all themon rooms.


    Rolf, however, didn''t believe it, and he aimlessly tapped his hand on the barrel a few times at random, wanting to hear if there was any part of it that was hollow, and in the meantime look for the entrance to the ce himself.


    At the same moment Rolf''s hand tapped on the barrel, the lid of the other barrel next to him suddenly burst.


    Vinegar was poured all over Rolf''s body in an instant.


    Rolf: "..."


    Howe there''s a penalty for knocking on the wrong barrel here?


    This anti-intrusion magic cut Rolf off from trying to ess the method on his own.


    He couldn''t think of anything else to do and didn''t want to miss out on the wonderful lounge that his grandfather was talking about, so he gritted his teeth and sat down with a sour taste in his mouth.


    Rolf would wait for the other Hufflepuff wizards to return and open the door for him!

 Chapter 162 - 162 The first person to infiltrate the Hufflepuff common room.

    <h4>Chapter 162: The first person to infiltrate the Hufflepuffmon room.</h4>


    Rolf used several cleansing spells in a row to get the vinegar off of him, but there was still a great sour smell surrounding him.


    He smelled himself and felt a little bad in his mind.


    If this obvious smell of vinegar were to be smelled by other Hufflepuff students, wouldn''t they immediately know that he had gotten a bad taste in his mouth here in the barrels at the entrance to themon room?


    Thinking like this, Rolf secretly took out the Curled Winged Demon that was staying in his shirt pocket, curled up into a cocoon.


    "Little one, lend me some of your venom." He whispered, "I haven''t learned the Oblivion spell yet, so I might use your venom."


    The venom of the Curled Wing Demon had a certain effect of erasing memories after being diluted, somewhat simr to the Oblivion Spell.


    However, the Oblivion Spell could eliminate any memory, while the effect of the Curled Wing Demon''s venom after dilution was to make one forget bad memories.


    Rolf''s grandfather had once borrowed the venom of the Curled Wing Demon in Amerika to help the Amerika Magical Congress erase the memories of magic from all the local Muggles, or as they were called over there, non-magical people.


    It was also because of Newt''s actions that the International Confederation of Wizards Secrecy Act was maintained.


    Rolf had the idea of erasing people''s memories when he wanted to collect the venom of the Curlywinged Fiend.


    If the matter of him secretly butting into Hogwarts was really discovered by someone, then he was prepared to suddenly put on a ghostly face to scare that person, thus making the memories of other people seeing him turn into bad memories, and then utilizing the diluted Curlywing Demon Venom to erase them.


    Rolf looked at his bag that his grandfather had hidden from his grandmother by casting the No Trace Stretching Spell, which contained a mask made ording to Bogart''s characteristics, and revealed a satisfied smile.


    As long as he wore this mask, the sorcerer who came face to face with him would see the most feared thing in his life, very practical!


    As a future magical zoologist, every time Rolf went out on an adventure, he would prepare himself with all sorts of props that he didn''t know if they would be useful or not, so maybe they woulde in handy at some point.


    He skillfully took out a small bottle, grabbed the sharp teeth in the curled-winged demon''s mouth and began to collect the venom.


    Just then, however, a student who looked two or three years older than Rolf and was quite handsome suddenly walked around the corner of the corridor and appeared next to the barrels in front of the entrance to the Hufflepuffmon room.


    "Hey, what grade are you in and why are you staying in front of themon room entrance?" The Hufflepuff student nced at the yellow and ck scarf around Rolf''s neck and didn''t question Rolf''s identity much.


    "I don''t seem to remember much about you. I''m Cedric Diggory, fourth year, what''s your name?" He asked as he casually drew his wand from his pocket and was about to tap it against the bottom of one of therge wooden barrels.


    Just then, a sour, buttery smell reached Cedric''s nose.


    "Is this the ... smell of vinegar?"


    Cedric frowned and instantly turned the wand he was about to tap into the barrel and pointed it at Rolf.


    "I told you how I hadn''t seen you before, so you''re from another academy." Cedric said seriously, "Why are you wearing a Hufflepuff scarf pretending to be a student from our House anding to the door of ourmon room?"


    Rolf was originally watching Cedric''s movements with bated breath, wanting to take a closer look at how this Hufflepuff senior entered themon room.


    He didn''t expect this senior to be so perceptive that he immediately suspected him, so he secretly hid the vial of curled-winged demon in his hand behind his back.


    "What is that in your hand?" Watching Rolf''s sneaky movements, Cedric frowned and asked, "Is it some kind of mischievous prop that you want to throw into ourmon room?"


    "No, Senior, I''m really from Hufflepuff Academy." Rolf slyly said without changing his face, "I''m a first year and forgot the way to get into themon room for a while ..."


    After the experience of being suspected by Hermione, this time he knew he shouldn''t say his original second year, it was too easy to be seen through.


    If he pretended to be a first year, he might be able to use the excuse of not being familiar enough with the ce to weasel his way out of it for a little while longer.


    "Don''t be ridiculous, the first semester of first year is almost over, what kind of person can''t remember the password by now?" Cedric didn''t buy into Rolf''s bullshit at all, "Let me guess, you''re not supposed to be a Ravenw, they''re not that boring in their house ..."


    He guessed Rolf''s house thoughtfully, not realizing that in fact the young wizard wasn''t even a student at Hogwarts ...


    "Gryffindor and Slytherin''s are both possible-"


    "I wouldn''t be surprised at all if it''s Gryffindor with another prankster like Fred and George, and if it''s Slytherin, chances are you''re one of those purebloods who are so full of discrimination against Hufflepuffs, the ones who are always trying toe over and bully the students here."


    "So which one are you?"


    Looking at Cedric, who had an expression as if he had seen through everything, Rolf was somewhat speechless.


    How is it that any random student hees across is such a smart guy, are all the students at Hogwarts this powerful?


    "But I''m really from Hufflepuff, senior!" Rolf said with a stiff upper lip.


    He wanted to struggle a little more, and quietly took out the bag he had cast the No Trace Stretching Spell on, trying to pull the mask for scaring people out of it.


    "Don''t move!" Cedric amplified his voice, disliking his wand forward, "Don''t even think about sneaking up on me with your mischievous little things. I''ve known Fred and George long enough to be quite familiar with these things!"


    Seeing that Cedric had punctured his n in one go, Rolf became more and more helpless.


    What kind of talents were Fred and George, that they could make this Hufflepuff senior see this little prop he used for his prank at a nce?


    Hogwarts was truly full of talents, and was by no meansparable to Yin Fa Mani!


    "Senior, but I''m really a Hufflepuff student." Sneak attack seems to be out of the question, Rolf decided to take the emotional route, "I''ve always had a bad memory, and I''ve often forgotten all sorts of things since I was a kid ..."


    He changed into a crying expression, "... My father and grandfather both studied magical animals, they originally wanted to train me to be a magical zoologist, but just because my memory was too bad, they gave up!"


    "Whenever I feed the critters, I always can''t remember which ones I''ve fed, so it often happens that one animal has been fed several times and is about to die, while the other hasn''t been fed even once and is still hungry ..."


    "Just because of this reason, I''m afraid I won''t be able to be a magical zoologist in my life ..."


    Rolf''s eyes were filled with a watering expression.


    Of course, all of these things were all made up by him. Or rather, it was an experience taken from a forgetful wizard who had previouslye to the Scamander''s house and applied for an assistant job.


    However, Cedric didn''t know that these things were made up by Rolf, and he was touched badly.


    Cedric''s father, Amos Diggory, worked for the Ministry of Magic''s Division of Magical Animal Management and Control, and could truly be considered a magical zoologist.


    Cedric, who grew up with his ear to the ground, was of course aware of how magical animals had to be fed and what precautions there were in between.


    So he knew very well that Rolf''s words about magical animals were all fine, so he shouldn''t be lying about Rolf''s father and grandfather wanting him to be a magical zoologist.


    "I''m sorry, I was wrong about you." After a slight hesitation, Cedric put his wand away.


    Most of his suspicions about Rolf subsided.


    But Cedric was still the best of his age after all, so he still maintained a certain amount of doubt about what Rolf had said.


    "What a poor little wizard, why don''t you tell me your dormitory number and I''ll send you straight back to your dormitory?" Cedric said with concern.


    His tone was very gentle, but the connotation of it was to inquire about Rolf''s dormitory, wanting to further confirm if this strange student was a freshman at Hufflepuff or not.


    As an excellent student who had given Professor Drac half a year as a toolman ... nay, a small teaching assistant, Cedric often went to each dormitory to collect homework, and remembered the dormitory numbers of each grade very clearly.


    Cedric had already decided that as long as Rolf could not say his dormitory number, or said a dormitory number that was not a first year dormitory, then he would immediately whisk this deceitful little wizard out of the underground floor where Hufflepuff was located!


    However Rolf was no slouch either, he realized Cedric''s n almost immediately and his heart tightened.


    How was he to know which dormitory the first years were in?


    If he were to talk blindly, the probability of being dismantled would be too great; but if he continued to shrug it off by saying that he had a bad memory, it would be too unconvincing, and it was likely that he would continue to be suspected as well.


    While hesitating, Rolf''s mind suddenly thought of the story about Hogwarts that Grandpa Newt had once told him---


    "The kitchens at Hogwarts are hidden behind a huge portrait of a silver fruit bowl, and to open it, you have to reach out and tickle the pear in the portrait, which then turns into arge green doorknob. It''s something that basically only Hufflepuff students know about."


    Rolf''s eyes lit up.


    "Senpai, I don''t need you to walk me back to my dormitory, that would be too much trouble." He opened his mouth.


    Just as a skeptical look resurfaced in Cedric''s eyes, Rolf followed up with, "I''m feeling a bit hungry and would like to go to the kitchen to eat something, would you like to join me?"


    Cedric froze for a moment, then slowly nodded.


    "Good." He said.


    Cedric wanted to see if this strange student could find the location of the Hogwarts kitchens or not.


    The method of entry to the kitchens was basically something that had been passed down from generation to generation of Hufflepuff''s young wizards, and if he did get into the kitchens, then that would roughly sit with Hufflepuff''s young wizards.


    Rolf was also quietly relieved to see that Cedric was willing toe along.


    If this senior didn''t follow along, how else could he use the location of the kitchen to prove that he was a Hufflepuff student?


    With that thought in mind, Rolf rounded the corner of the wide marble corridor with brisk steps, looking unobtrusively from side to side for the portrait depicting a silver fruit te.


    Finally, he spotted arge oil painting hanging on the wall.


    Unlike other magical portraits where the picture moved around, this one showed no signs of activity at all, as if it were a most ordinary Muggle oil painting.


    There was a huge silver fruit te in the painting, which was filled with apples, bananas, grapes, pears, and various other fruits.


    The one and only pear happened to be ced at the very front of all the fruits!


    Uncontroble delight surfaced in Rolf''s eyes, while a hint of nervousness also appeared.


    He took a deep breath, slowly raised his hand, and gently scratched the huge pear-


    It was only at this point that the magical properties of the painting manifested.


    A cute little face suddenly appeared on the pear, and as if it couldn''t withstand being tickled, it couldn''t hold back itsughter.


    At the same time, theughing pear seemed to be yanked out of the painting by something, lengthened and thinned, and transformed into arge green doorknob.


    The stone in Rolf''s heartpletely fell.


    He gripped the doorknob and pulled the kitchen door gently open.


    The opening of this kitchen door also seemed to mean that a new world opened up to Rolf ...


    ...


    Later that night, there was a new face inside Hufflepuff''smon room-


    His name was Rolf Scamander, and he was the first non-Hedgepatch student to enter the Hedgepatchmon room!


    Rolf deliberately left the kitchen a littleter than Cedric and, following the method Cedric had told him for entering the Hufflepuff Common Room, tapped his wand on the bottom of therge barrels in the center of the second row, in the rhythm of "Helga Hufflepuff".


    The lid of one of the barrels slid open with the correct tap, revealing a narrow passageway.


    Rolf followed this passage into the Hufflepuffmon room that he had been longing for- the


    The Hufflepuffmon room was round, in, low, weing, warm, and sunny. It is full of yellow mantles, polished brass trimmings and soft sofas and armchairs decorated in yellow and ck.


    The round windows look out onto ''swaying grass and dandelions'', making the whole loungee alive.


    There was arge honey-yellow wooden firece opposite the entrance, with an apocryphal image of a badger, Hufflepuff''s representative animal, and a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff, the founder of the college, hanging above the firece.


    Rolf entered when themon room was at its most crowded, and few people paid much attention to the sudden appearance of a new face.


    After all, Hufflepuff had absorbed all the young wizards who did not fit the qualities of either house, and had long since be the most populous house at Hogwarts.


    As a result, there were so many students in Hufflepuff''s seven years that it was usually difficult for the young wizards here to have the chance to recognize every single student in the same house.


    Taking this unique opportunity, Rolf quietly stopped a Hufflepuff young wizard who looked to be in a very young grade and affectionately put his arm around his shoulder.


    "Hey there ssmate, are you a first year?" He asked in a self-congrattory manner.


    "Ah, yeah ... right." This Hufflepuff''s young wizard seemed to be stunned by Rolf''s self-congrattion, and his speech became a bit stuttered.


    "Nice to meet you, I''m Rolf Scamander, a freshman who just transferred here." Rolf made up nonsense without a fight, "Professor Dumbledore told me toe down to themon room and find myself a first year dormitory with a bed still avable."


    "Do you know of any other first year dormitory with an extra bed?" He asked.


    It was actually supposed to be Dean Sprout''s job to assign beds, but Rolf only knew his grandfather''s old acquaintance, Professor Dumbledore, at Hogwarts and didn''t know who the Dean of Hufflepuff was.


    So he could only think of snubbing this young first year wizard of Hufflepuff in the principal''s name.


    Rolf''s idea was that there were four people in each dormitory, and as long as this year''s Hufflepuff freshmen weren''t multiples of four, then there were bound to be dormitories that still had empty beds, and then he''d be able to sneak in and stay in them.


    "Ah, it''s nice to meet you too, my name is Jamarco Rondon." The small Hufflepuff first year wizard scratched his head and said nervously, "It just so happens that we have an extra bed in our dormitory, so you cane and stay in our dormitory."


    Rolf''s luck wasn''t bad, and this empty bedspace was obtained without any trouble.


    He put his arm affectionately around Jamarco''s shoulder, and the two of them went to Jamarco''s dormitory together - the


    Each of Hufflepuff''s bedchambers contained four-poster beds with patchwork sheets, coppermps that emitted warm light, and copper bed-warming stoves for the young wizards to use in the winter.


    Jamarco''s bedchamber was the same, except that there were only three four-poster beds with sheets, and one bed that was empty, making it obvious at a nce that it was unupied.


    As a would-be magical zoologist, Rolf had long ago gotten into the habit, like Newt, of carrying his bunk with him and winding up wherever and whenever he could.


    He naturally pulled a set of bedding out of the bag he''d cast the No Trace Stretching spell on, and spread it out on the vacant bed on the spot,pletely unperturbed by his three new roommates'' suspicions about the authenticity of his identity.


    Not only that, but that very evening, Rolf distributed various trinkets made from parts that had fallen off of magical creatures that he had with him to all of the little first year Hufflepuff wizards, and quickly bonded with the innocent little ones.


    "How about it, the things I brought you guys are interesting, right?"


    At this moment, in Rolf''s new dormitory, all of the little Hufflepuff first year wizards were gathered together, star-studded around Rolf.


    "These little things of yours are so much fun, Rolf!" Jamarco, who had gotten to know Rolf pretty well by now, said, "But how can it be fun when you''ve given us so many nice things, but we have nothing to give you?"


    "Yeah, yeah, we can''t ept so many expensive gifts from you!"


    "That''s right, it''s too broken!"


    "..."


    The little wizards of Hufflepuff were still pure, kind, and loyal after all, and none of them were willing to ept Rolf''s gifts for nothing.


    "Don''t be in a hurry to reject it first, you guys listen to me."


    Looking around at the sincere-faced new students, Rolf couldn''t help but feel a touch of emotion rise in his heart, and in his heart, he became even more satisfied with the school and academy that his grandfather had praised so much.


    He unknowingly put on a smile on his face, "Actually, the reason I gave you all so many things on the first day I came to Hogwarts is because I have a request for you all ..."


    "Just say what you have, Rolf, we''re all good mates!" One of the young Hufflepuff wizards said atmospherically.


    "Yeah, Rolf, it''s only right that we all help each other out!" Another little wizard said, "And since you''re so generous, we can''t be too stingy, right?"


    The pure and kind Hufflepuff little wizards werepletely unaware of what Rolf was up to, and expressed their approval.


    "Thank you all so much." Rolf revealed a touched expression, "In that case I won''t hide it from you all ..."


    "Can you guys help me hide my identity as a transfer student in front of the other professors and ssmates? If others ask, just say that I enrolled together with you guys, only that I usually keep a low profile and go unnoticed."


    "I don''t want to be ostracized by the others for being a transfer student."

 Chapter 163 - 163 A Different Kind of Christmas

    <h4>Chapter 163: A Different Kind of Christmas</h4>


    "Hey, I thought it was something!"


    "A little thing!"


    "..."


    The innocent little Hufflepuff wizards didn''t realize that they had be a shield for Rolf to hide their identities, all they knew was that they could get Rolf''s funny trinkets with a clear conscience by doing something easy, and it was a no brainer!


    Although they didn''t know why this new student said that transfer students would be ostracized, they all agreed that it was their duty to help their fellow students from the same academy.


    The little badger from Hufflepuff wasn''t going to let one of his own be ostracized!


    ...


    And so, the next day there was an unfamiliar face in the first-year ssroom -


    "If my memory is not faulty, then I don''t seem to remember much about you, this student sitting in thest row ..."


    A light, greasy voice squeezed word after word out of single thin lips.


    In the Potions ssroom, which was drenched in many taxidermy animals and had an overall grim look to it, Snape looked condescendingly at the young wizard in front of him, who he had never seen before, his face a little grim.


    "Professor, I''ve actually been in ss here all this time, it''s just that I''ve been ignored by you all this time because I''m rather non-existent." Rolf opened his big, innocent eyes and blinked at the waxy-faced professor.


    The righteous little Hufflepuff wizards beside him also expressed their approval.


    "That''s right, Professor, Rolf is the first year who came to Hogwarts on the boat with us!"


    "Yes, Professor. You must have neglected him all this time!"


    "Scamander has beenying too low, so it''s only natural that he wasn''t noticed by you."


    "..."


    The Hufflepuff''s young wizards were talking at cross purposes, not seeing that the blue-cored Ravenw young wizards in the same ssroom were looking at them with retarded eyes.


    "Snort-"


    A cold snort stuck out of Snape''s throat.


    He nted his eyes across the entire ssroom and swept around the room, which had been a very noisy Potions ssroom immediately became quiet.


    Under the intimidation of Snape''s longstanding notoriety, the young wizards of Hufflepuff also shivered and subconsciously shut their mouths.


    "Mr. Rolf Scamander, right?" Snape''s deep ck eyes looked to Rolf and said slowly.


    "That''s right, Professor." Rolf was feeling the pressure at this point.


    He didn''t expect to run into such a difficult professor in his first ss, as if he had seen his flimsy behavior right away.


    "Oh ... so it''s a Scamander." Snape quirked up the corner of his mouth, an icy smirk on his face, "If your brains aren''t already filled with the feces of those magical creatures, you and your troll-brained friends should take a look at how seating in the ssroom is actually organized."


    A troll''s brain was said to be no bigger than a walnut, kind of a ssic insulting analogy in the wizarding world.


    After hearing Snape mocking them for having troll heads, the young wizards of Hufflepuff all red at Snape in exasperation, and then withdrew their respective eyes abashedly under the Potions professor''s return re ...


    Rolf subconsciously paid more attention to theyout within the Potions ssroom, and his eyes suddenly widened as he looked at one of the crucibles ced between every two young wizards.


    He fiercely pped on his forehead, knowing that this time he waspletely exposed.


    Hogwarts magic potion ss how is the two by two group ss mode ah ... this way as long as there is just one more person, won''t it be obvious to see the ssroom number of people attending the ssroom single and double number change?


    No wonder he was instantly suspected ...


    "It seems you''re not quite as stupid as your friends ... though you''re not at all bright either." Snape sneered, "Heh, please, Mr. Scamander, whose brain has not been cleaned of the Moonstruck Beast''s feces, go back to where you belong."


    "That ... Professor, I can actually exin." Rolf remained stiff-lipped, "I sat in the corner by myself in every Potions ss because I didn''t find a suitable tablemate, which is why you didn''t notice."


    Snape''s face sank.


    "You will pay for your foolishness, Mr. Scamander." He said coldly.


    "Five points off Hufflepuff for deceiving the Professor!"


    "No, Professor, you can''t!" Hufflepuff''s young wizards were shocked and retorted.


    "Disturbing ssroom discipline, Hufflepuff deducts another five points." Snape said lightly as he looked tantalizingly at the students.


    The Hufflepuff wizards'' outragedments stuck in their throats.


    Just when the atmosphere waspletely awkward and the entire ssroom was silent, a voice with a fluttering tone suddenly broke the silence.


    "Can''t find your tablemate? What a coincidence, I can''t find one either, I can be your deskmate!"


    Surprised, Rolf turned his eyes to where the voice came from and saw a little witch with messy, waist-length dirty blonde hair.


    The little witch had gray eyes that appeared to appear dazed and bulging outward, her eyebrows were tantalizingly pale in color, and her whole person had an air of insanity about her that seemed to bepletely oblivious to the Potions Professor''s words.


    "Miss Lovegood, it is not a question of being able to find a tablemate." Snape''s face sank once more, "This Mr. Scamander doesn''t belong here at all, in fact, I''d rather suggest that he return to his grandfather''s box ..."


    Somehow, the appalling Potions professor seemed to bepletely aware of all of Rolf''s details simply by locking eyes with him.


    "But I just happen to be missing a fellow student, isn''t it just right that he''s here?" The little witch named Luna Lovegood said in a brisk tone, "Otherwise I''d have failed to finish the ss assignment you assigned again Professor."


    Luna had never been well liked in Ravenw because of her madness.


    And with just an odd number of students previously in this ssroom, the ostracized Luna had been upying a table by herself for almost a semester in the Potions ssroom.


    Favoring Professor Snape''s penchant for assigning the kind of coborative tasks that took two people to barelyplete, it had been a long time since Luna hadpleted a ss assignment in Potions.


    "Yes, Professor, I can take the ss with this youngdy." As if he had grabbed a lifesaver, Rolf hurriedly said to Snape.


    With that, he also moved with a quick action, carrying the cooking pot he had indiscriminately used as a crucible and the textbook he had temporarily copied with a copying spell, and ran over to the Ravenw side of the seat, sitting right next to Luna.


    Once seated, he immediately disyed a good-natured expression and eyed Snape.


    "You should be thankful that someone is willing to help you, Mr. Scamander." Snape said, his voice cold, "Now, stay in your seat honestly and don''t do anything to disrupt this ss, do you understand?"


    Rolf nodded his head in a hurry.


    ...


    As soon as ss was over, Snape strutted up to the Hogwarts Headmaster''s office on the eighth floor with a six-packed stride and a long ck cloak dragging behind him.


    As soon as he saw the old man with the gray hair, he spoke coldly and in that drawn out tone:


    "Headmaster, I think you need to give me an exnation."


    "An exnation?" Dumbledore ced the ss of water in his hand on the table with a look of fake surprise, "I''m not quite sure what exnation you want, Severus."


    "You can''t be unclear!" Snape''s gritted his teeth, "Or do you think that I''m going to believe that a student who wasn''t supposed to be here suddenly appeared at Hogwarts without the Headmaster''s knowledge?"


    "Oh! So you were talking about Little Rolf." Dumbledore gave another fake look of dawning realization, "s, that was actually a gadget I made decades ago that allowed Newt to teleport Rolf into Hogwarts."


    Dumbledore seemed to have known about Rolf''s arrival for a long time, except that there seemed to be something strange about his attitude towards Rolf.


    "If I may say so, Headmaster, this Mr. Rolf Scamander is not a Hogwarts student at all." Snape said coldly, "Personally, I think at this point you should send Mr. Scamander back to where he belongs."


    "Oh Severus, no need to be so serious." Dumbledore said with a smirk, "I see that little Rolf is quite happy at Hogwarts and has absolutely no desire to go back, so we don''t have to be so rigid about sending him back."


    "Besides I heard that Rolf is filling a double in your Potions ss, huh?"


    Snape''s mouth twitched.


    He sort of realized that Dumbledore, the wily old man, had been paying attention to his old friend''s grandson ever since he arrived at Hogwarts, and that attention was quite something, even sneaking in to listen to thest Potions ss.


    "Let''s just hope you''re not approached by the Headmaster of Yinfamoni for someone, Mr. Headmaster!"


    Snape''s expression didn''t look too good as he left the Headmaster''s office with a cold flick of his sleeve.


    Dumbledore smiled as he picked up his teacup and took a gentle sip, revealing a satisfied expression.


    After putting down the teacup again, he hesitated for a while, but still notified the Dean of Hufflepuff, Professor Sprout, and the Vice Chancellor, Professor McGonagall, preparing to secretly inform them, so that they could be prepared to teach Rolf.


    Just as Dumbledore had informed the two professors, but before either of them had arrived at the Headmaster''s office, a not-so-pleasant voice suddenly rang out.


    "Are you just going to let that little wizard stay in Hufflepuff, Dumbledore?"


    The sub-hat, which had been cleaned once but had be a little dirty again after a year''s time, asked, "Don''t you need me to sort him out?"


    "No need to go to all that trouble, Rolf''s grandfather was a Hufflepuff representative!" Dumbledore said with a smile, "If Rolf is sorted into a house other than Hufflepuff, Pomona will definitely be upset."


    "But he doesn''t act ... like a Hufflepuff at all!" The Branch Cap questioned, and in passing listed off the deeds Rolf had done in the one day he''d been here -


    "You''ve shown me before what that Rolf Scamander has done ... Borrowing magical creatures to get over walls is something I won''t go into, his grandfather did it all the time and it''s kind of a variation on utilizing magic, there''s nothing controversial about it."


    "But after entering Hogwarts, this little wizard went around lying to people, telling lies without a trace ... In the end, he really let him trick a Hufflepuff student dormitory bed, it''s really not simple ... "


    "You say he cheated a ssmate still forget it, the key he still wants to listen to the ss in Hogwarts, actually want to fool the professor all over ... Dumbledore, you really think this is a Hufflepuff?"


    Dumbledore looked at the House of Divisions hat sitting on top of the stool, a smirk on his face.


    "What, your hands are itching to sort the young wizard after months of inactivity?" He asked teasingly.


    "Of course I have itchy hands!" The dividing cap yelled out, exasperating a few portraits of the principals who were taking a break and cut it severely, "It''s only that one time a year for the dividing ceremony, and I only had time to sing one song, so how can I possibly divide it up enough!"


    "Sorting or forget it, always felt there was no need to be so rigid about Rolf, he hasn''t even transferred to Hogwarts for school yet!" Dumbledore said smilingly, "And ah, I see Rolf''s character, it''s not really certain that you''ll be assigned to Hufflepuff."


    Ô­À´ÄúÀÏ»¹ÖªµÀÕâ¸öÊÂʵ°¡,ÄÇÄ㻹·ÅÈÎËû´ýÔÚºÕÆæÅÁÆæµÄ¹«¹²ÐÝÏ¢ÊÒ°¡,²»Å´¿ÆÓµÄС⵱»´ø»µÂð ...


    Branch cap heart has ten thousand grooves want to spit, but finally in the way of Dumbledore''s face did not say anything.


    "In fact, if you ask me, you don''t need to care so much about the Branch Hat." Dumbledore waved his hand at the Split Hat, "After all these years, it''s always seemed that the habit of splitting up has made the whole school a bit cutthroat."


    "What''s more, it''s also perfectly obvious that Rolf''s feelings for Hufflepuff are in no way shallower than anyone else''s!"


    "And isn''t that ... enough?"


    Dumbledore had a smile on his face, his bright blue eyes sparkling in the candlelight ...


    ...


    From then on, Rolf was able to dabble in sses at Hogwarts with honor.


    Thus, the young second year wizard of Yinfamoni was thoroughly integrated into Hufflepuff''s first year team, attending a wide variety of sses that differed greatly from Yinfamoni''s.


    Rolf was thrilled with the teaching style at Hogwarts and praised the professors for their teaching.


    Even the unreliable Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts, which others had been railing against, Rolf felt was unexpectedly good as well.


    Assistant Professor Riddle''s lecture was quite good, but unfortunately, as the only ck Magic Defense Arts professor Drac whosted until the second session without being reced, Rolf didn''t meet him and felt a bit sad.


    Rolf had unknowingly fallen in love with the various sses at Hogwarts and felt that the methods of these sses were much better than those of Yinfamoni.


    Of course, there were two sses that were exceptions in Rolf''s mind--


    One ss was History of Magic, taught by Professor Binns.


    Legend had it that Professor Cuthbert Binns had been a History of Magic professor for many years before he was born, until one day, in his old age, he had stood up to go to ss, identally left his body in an armchair in front of the fire in the faculty lounge, and then turned into a ghost.


    Poor Professor Binns devoted his life, both in life and in death, to the education of the history of magic.


    However, as a ghost, Professor Binns was very stubborn and had a hard time connecting with his students. The format of his lectures was unchanging, and he always read from a book. He also huffed and puffed and dragged his words, making it difficult to concentrate and quicklypsing into a drowsy sleep.


    As a result, this ss was recognized as one of the most boring sses at Hogwarts.


    Rolf justifiably skipped all History of Magic sses.


    His name was never in Professor Binns'' roll call anyway, and it didn''t matter if he took this ss or not.


    As for the other course, it was Professor Snape''s Potions ss.


    Snape never seemed to be used to Rolf, a student who didn''t belong to Hogwarts, always picking on him, and his verbal sarcasm wasn''tcking either.


    If it had been the Rolf of old, he might have been exasperated by the nasty professor.


    However, today''s Rolf didn''t even miss a single potions ss, and even tended to arrive at the ssroom a bit earlier than usual.


    He did this for his new friend Luna, a crazy little witch who was unexpectedly very much in tune with his nature, and the two quickly became close friends.


    Of course, it was never the variety of sses, the scrumptious food in the auditorium, the rustic castle or the spacious Quidditch pitch that interested Rolf the most ...


    What really interested Rolf was never the forbidden forest with its many dangerous magical creatures that were forbidden to students, or the small inds in the center of the ck Lake that housed many magical creatures.


    This was what Yin Fa-Moni really didn''t have, and the biggest bargaining chip that most attracted future magical zoologists like Rolf!


    Rolf spent almost every day dragging his Hufflepuff ssmates, who were otherwise still very much inpliance with school rules and regtions, through the Forbidden Forest, around the Lake Ind, and hanging out with magical creatures, and had a prettyfortable time.


    Because of this, he also wrote a letter to his grandmother and mother, which meant that he wanted to transfer from Yinfa Magi to Hogwarts to attend school, and also therefore let Tina think that it was the idea of Newt, an honest man ...


    And so, a month or so passed quickly, and Rolf was very happy here, to the point where he could hardly have been happier.


    But his happiness until a few days before Christmas came to an abrupt end, and this incident also made Hogwarts experience a different kind of Christmas ...

 Chapter 164 - 164 Rolf and Luna

    <h4>Chapter 164: Rolf and Luna</h4>


    "Luna, are you sure we''ll be able to find the Bent Horned Hearty Beast and the Bubble Snot Monster in the Forbidden Forest?"


    Two small figures appeared in the Forbidden Forest in the silent depths of the night.


    The light of the moon shone through the trees into the forbidden forest, and the trees of varying heights shed mottled ck shadows, as if they were ghosts.


    The snow-covered pine trees swayed, asionally dropping a few loose snowkes onto a head of disheveled, dirty blonde hair.


    "Maybe we''ll find it?" Luna grabbed some crumbs of snow from her hair and watched with a somewhat dazed expression as it gradually melted into her hands.


    Rolf looked helplessly at the somewhat crazy little witch, wanting to say something.


    "I still can''t believe that magical creatures like bent-horned hearty beasts, bubble-nosed monsters and codling hooks really exist?" He asked, "I don''t understand how my grandfather, who is considered an authority on magical creatures, has searched his whole life and found no trace of these magical creatures you say exist."


    Rolf and Luna quickly became good friends as desk mates in Potions ss.


    Rolf was pleasantly surprised to find that Luna was also very interested in magical animals, just like himself, and often talked about those cute little guys.


    What surprised him even more was that Luna confidently admitted that she knew about many rare magical creatures that had not been recorded in Where the Magical Creatures Are, such as the Bent Horned Hearty Beast, the Bubble Snot Monster, the Coddling Hook, and the Harassing Gadfly. ...


    So after a month of thoroughly familiarizing himself with Hogwarts Castle and its surroundings, Rolf made it a point to invite Luna to join him on a nighttime excursion into the Forbidden Forest to look for signs of those new creatures.


    Luna gave Rolf a somewhat surprised look, as if she couldn''t believe that her friend would be suspicious of these magical creatures.


    "Of course it''s true, my dad got the horn of a bent-horned hearty beast once." She said with a serious look on her face, "I have that horn with me all the time ..."


    "What? There''s actually such an important piece of evidence?!" Rolf instantly became excited and couldn''t wait toe over to Luna''s side, "Take it out and take a look!"


    Luna''s face was calm as she peeled inside her silver sequin-encrusted robe, a string of chains made of metal bottle caps rattling around inside her clothes, emitting a crisp ringing sound.


    "Found it."


    She found arge what looked like a rhinoceros horn from the top of one of the strands of chain, and held it up to Rolf''s eyes.


    "Look." Luna said in a fluttering tone.


    Rolf excitedly turned his sight to therge animal horn in Luna''s hand, his heart especially exhrated.


    He felt that he could be recognized by his grandfather as one of the youngest magical zoologists in the magical world if he could help Luna confirm the existence of the bent-horned hearty beast!


    However, the next moment, Rolf''s hopeful eyes went out.


    "Luna, you''re telling me that this is the horn of the Bent Horned Sound Beast?" His face stiffened a bit, and he seemed to have an urge to curse, but he didn''t have the heart to do so in front of Luna.


    "Uh-huh!" Luna nodded gently with a calm face.


    "But this is actually the horn of a poisonous horned beast ah ..." Rolf covered his face helplessly, thinking in his heart that his dream of being a magical zoologist wouldn''t be realized for a while, I''m afraid.


    "Luna, were you tricked by your father?" He asked.


    "I can feel that this is the horn of the Bent Horned Sound Beast." Luna cupped her hands around therge animal horn and said in a firm tone, "The Bent Horned Sound Beast will definitely help us tonight."


    Rolf despaired.


    He always felt that ording to Luna''s unreliability in talking about the so-called "Bent Horned Beast", it was very likely that the other magical animals not discovered by Newt were also either fabricated by her or lied to by her father. ...


    "I knew ... there was no way my grandfather could have missed so many magical creatures after a lifetime of busy work." Rolf said helplessly, "Forget it, anyway, this time we came to the Forbidden Forest not only to find those few magical animals."


    "The little curly-winged devil still has no food for these days ... I can''t go and steal the little sheep that Hagrid raised again, he seems to have already realized that the sheep is lost, and today I saw him reinforcing the fence where the sheep is penned."


    Listening to Rolf''s skepticism, Luna, however, seemed to take this in stride, and looked as if she cared nothing at all. Her hands were still cupped around the bent-horned sound beast, or poison horn, and her eyes drifted around the forbidden forest.


    "Rolf, haven''t you stolen like ten sheep this month? Did Hagrid not realize until now?" She asked curiously.


    "Ahem, Hagrid was a bit careless and never counted the number of sheep." Rolf said with some embarrassment, "That is, I''ve been stealing a bit too muchtely, and at a nce it looked out of ce, which aroused suspicion."


    "I''d say so ...," Luna looked thoughtfully at the snow-covered floor, "Lamb has been showing up a lot at meals in the auditoriumtely."


    Upon hearing this clueless remark, Rolf''s expression became even more awkward.


    Magical animals like Curlwing Demons usually fed on the brains of animals, and undomesticated Curlwing Demons even preferred to eat the brains of humans.


    Rolf had to feed the Curlwing Demon he carried with him on time in order to keep the Curlwing Demon from getting too hungry and prevent his own brain from being eaten first.


    So he hit upon the small stockyard that Hagrid, the Hogwarts Hunt Warden, had circled by the Forbidden Forest ...


    Every few days, Rolf would go to Hagrid''s sheepfold to steal a sheep and feed its brains to the curly-winged demons.


    As for the rest of themb, he would use the convenience of the location of the Hufflepuffmon room to find a time when no one was around to sneak it inside the Hogwarts kitchens and give it to the house elf working in the kitchens to dispose of.


    Luna, although she looked crazy, had unknowingly seen the truth and guessed that the recent changes in the auditorium''s recipes must have been caused by Rolf.


    Just then, the curled winged demon curled into arge green cocoon in Rolf''s coat pocket stirred.


    "Hold your horses for a moment, little one, I promise I''ll find something else to eat today." Rolf hurriedly patted the bulging pocket to calm down the curled-winged demon.


    He then looked over at Luna and smiled helplessly, "Curlywing Demon is hungry."


    "And this little guy is also a picky eater, it has eaten sheep''s brain too many times during this period of time, it has long felt dissatisfied, and was even protesting with me a few days ago." Rolf said.


    Luna cocked her head and nced at Rolf''s bulging shirt pocket, what looked like an orange radish and was actually called a blimp Lee''s earring bobbing just below her earlobe.


    "So what are we waiting for?" And without seeing her square her head, she just cocked her head and said to Rolf, "Hurry up and go find food for the curly-winged demon!"


    With that, she hopped towards the depths of the forbidden forest.


    Rolf looked at Luna''s back when she said she was leaving and didn''t react for a moment, and froze for a while before following.


    ...


    Rolf and Luna''s luck was quite good, and it didn''t take long to spot a big, fat boar.


    Rolf made an instant decision to throw the Curled Wing Demon.


    The Curled Wing Demon immediately changed from the form of a cocoon, spreading its wings to take the form of arge blue-green butterfly, and very skillfully wrapped the boar''s head with its two spiked wings.


    "The next image will be a bit gory, why don''t you look somewhere else first?" Rolf thought of the curled-winged demon''s hunting method and looked at Luna beside him with some concern.


    He felt that such a simple little witch should not be able to ept such a bloody and brutal hunting scene.


    However, Luna gently shook her head, her face calm as she looked at the picture in front of her -


    The boar, wrapped around its head and blindfolded, felt the sharp paining from its head and began to struggle violently.


    It was blindfolded by the Curled Wing Demon''s wings, and with darkness before its eyes, it couldn''t see the direction, so it could only run around aimlessly, wailing, and flinging its head around like a madman in an attempt to shake off the Curled Wing Demon on its head.


    However, the small body of the curled-winged demon was exceptionally powerful, firmly imprisoning the boar''s head, never giving it any chance to break free.


    As time passed, the boar''s struggles gradually became weak.


    Finally, its fat body fell heavily on the snow, sshing a flying snowke ...


    The curled-winged demon ate and drank enough, retracted its wings, flew up from the boar''s head, and once againnded back on Rolf''s palm, changing back to its cocoon-like form.


    The boar on the ground, however, was drenched in blood on its head, and arge hole seemed to have hollowed out in the back of its head, the skin on that part of the brain drying out, and nothing left in therge hole but a patch of still-flowing blood.


    "Are you okay, Luna?" Rolf looked at the bloody scene and rushed to look at Luna beside him, wanting tofort and console her young mind.


    However, he was surprised to find that Luna didn''t have a trace of fear on her face, but was only slightly dazed, her eyes foggy.


    "What''s wrong with you, Luna?" Rolf asked with some concern. He felt that this disy was beyond hisprehension.


    "Nothing, I have friends over." Luna shook her head and looked toward a few pine trees near the boar neighborhood.


    Rolf moved his eyes over as well, but saw nothing.


    "Crap, Luna couldn''t have been scared silly by this bloodshed, could she?" He was shocked and hurriedly reached out his hand in front of Luna''s eyes, "Luna ... Luna ... do you still recognize me?"


    "I''m really fine, Rolf." Luna smiled very happily as she watched Rolf''s behavior, "It''s true a few friends havee here."


    Rolf willfully moved his eyes once again to where Luna was looking, but still found nothing but the unchanging pine trees and snow in the distance.


    ''Surely it''s still Luna''s brain that''s freaking out.'' He secretly made a judgment.


    Just as Rolf wanted to turn around and forcefully take Luna to the school infirmary to see if she was sick, the ident suddenly happened---.


    A horseshoe-like footprint suddenlynded on the snow-covered ground, very abrupt and clear, and in the blink of an eye, it connected from a single footprint to a piece.


    The number of these footprints increased, but the eyes remained empty, as if the footprints had appeared out of nowhere.


    The footprints extended out far and wide, stretching from behind a tall tree to the headless boar before stopping.


    Immediately afterward, there was the frightening sight of the boar''s meat being easily torn apart, yet pieces of it disappeared into the air ...


    "Horseshoe-like footprints, invisible bodies, flesh-eating habits ..." Rolf muttered as he looked at the iprehensible scene in front of him, "So there''s a Night Tiara in the Forbidden Forest?!" He looked to Luna.


    Luna nodded happily.


    "It was Hagrid who adopted a baby Night Tiara decades ago, and then gradually nurtured it into a bunch as big as it is now." She exined, "The carriages at Hogwarts for the school holidays are pulled by night Ti''s."


    With that, Luna stepped forward and spoke happily into a patch of air.


    "So that''s what Hogwarts carriages are like?" Rolf froze.


    He had arguably smuggled himself into Hogwarts with a door key, and had never ridden in, or even seen, a Hogwarts carriage at all, so he had absolutely no idea what Luna was talking about.


    Wait, the point doesn''t seem to be here ...


    The point is, Luna actually chatted to herself with those Night Tiaras that Rolf couldn''t see, and seemed to look like she was familiar with them.


    Watching Luna''s move of talking with the Night Ti, an extraordinarilyplicated look emerged in Rolf''s eyes.


    After all, he was Rolf who was motivated to be a future magical zoologist, and even without having seen it with his own eyes, he was well aware of one of the Night Ti''s major characteristics-


    Only those who had truly witnessed death could see the Night Ti!


    In other words, Luna had already truly witnessed death just by being a freshly enrolled Hogwarts grade?


    Rolf hesitated for half a second, feeling like he was suddenly suffering from his grandfather''s characteristic inability to speak, not knowing what to say.


    "Bang," "Snort," "Bare." ...


    Just then, a strange rattling in the distance suddenly caught Rolf and Luna''s attention.


    Rolf just didn''t know what to say tofort Luna and hurriedly changed the topic.


    "It seems like someone is using magic deep in the Forbidden Forest." He walked over to Luna and whispered to her.


    Luna''s eyes drifted over there.


    "Night Ti told me ... there is great danger in that direction." She said. The voice seemed more fluttering than the eyes.


    "You can talk to Night Ti?" Rolf looked at Luna in shock.


    "I can''t understand what Night Ti is saying." Luna shook her head and said imploringly, "But it''s easy to read what''s going on in their eyes ah ..."


    The corner of Rolf''s mouth twitched, always feeling that what Luna said was a bit unreliable.


    Reading what animals are thinking from their eyes ... He felt that his grandfather couldn''t even do such an amazing thing.


    "Harassing gadflies." Luna said suddenly.


    "What?" Rolf froze.


    "You''re getting harassing gadflies in your head." Luna said, "I can see a whole bunch of harassing gadflies flying around in your brain."


    Rolf, now inplete disbelief of the novelty of the magical creatureing out of Luna''s mouth, just shrugged casually.


    "So how am I going to drive them away?" He coped.


    Luna reached out and tugged on Rolf''s sleeve, handing him something like a rhino horn.

 Chapter 165 - 165 Asst. Coach Riddle got a sneak attack?

    <h4>Chapter 165: Asst. Coach Riddle got a sneak attack?</h4>


    "What are you giving me the horns of the poisonous horned beast for?" Rolf asked in surprise.


    "It''s the Bent Horned Sound Beast." Luna retorted with a serious expression, "The horn of the Bent Horned Hearty Beast will bring you luck, you must take this."


    "... I think it''s better not to use it." The corner of Rolf''s mouth twitched, "This is something I suggest you''d better not carry on your body, it''s going to explode when it gets irritated."


    "You''ll definitely need it." Luna was still very determined, holding up the poison horn in her hand.


    "Well, it''s good for me to keep it for you, so that I don''t identally let it explode and hurt you ..."


    Unable to resist Luna''s insistence, Rolf took the Poison Horn Beast Horn in her hand and put it in his pocket.


    Afterwards, a small sorcerer who had always been bold and a small sorcerer whose brain circuits had always been abnormal walked together towards the ce where the sound came from deep in the Forbidden Forest.


    In the gloomy Forbidden Forest, there was an area that was bright and dark at times, and from time to time, the hissing of wild beasts and the chirping of animals in pain were heard.


    Hearing these animal sounds that were clearly not normal, Rolf''s face instantly changed, pulling Luna to speed up and run towards the front.


    Only when he was close to the area where the sounds wereing from did he slow down his pace and carefully hid behind a thick tree trunk.


    "Keep it down, I''ll see what''s going on in there."


    Rolf gave a silencing gesture to Luna, who nodded, her attention drifting off to the ants crawling underneath the tree trunk.


    The glow of the magic spell that came from time to time continued to flicker, and as the animals hissed in pain if anything, Rolf peeked out from behind the trunk to see where the glow wasing from.


    Only to see a wizard in ck robes and a hood standing in the middle of the forest, waving his wand with casual movements, not uttering a word out of his mouth, and every now and then the light of a magic spell shot out from the tip of the wand.


    Many different kinds of magical animals were weakly lying on the ground, bound all over their bodies, their mouths asionally emitting painful whimpering sounds, their limbs asionally involuntarily twitching a few times, but they simply couldn''t break the firm ropes on their bodies.


    That ck-robed wizard was still waving his wand.


    He was obviously very strong, and with every wave of his wand a powerful silent spell shot out, basically able to knock arge-sized magical creature to the ground every time.


    However, even though the ground was already littered with all sorts of magical animals, there were still many more animals that were oblivious to the fact that they were charging towards the ck-robed wizard as if they were possessed.


    "Damn it, someone is hunting the magical animals of the Forbidden Forest!" Rolf withdrew his head from beyond the trunk of the tree and said to Luna with righteous indignation, "He''s using baiting spices and luring magic to attract magical creatures to him, and then one by one, he''s knocking the animals out!"


    "You want to go stop him?" Luna looked at Rolf curiously with big bulging eyes, "That''s probably a grown up powerful dark wizard."


    "I know." Rolf said with a stony face, "But as the greatest magical zoologist of the future of magic, I certainly can''t allow magical creatures to be hunted and killed in front of me."


    He stood up and whispered to Luna, "In a moment, I''m going to take care of this ck-robed wizard, so stay behind this tree trunk and don''t get caught."


    Luna nodded with a fluttering expression.


    Rolf looked at her expression and always felt that he was still a little uneasy ... He simply didn''t know what this little witch with unusual brain circuits was thinking.


    Just then, Luna suddenly looked as if she had remembered something and said with an expectant expression:


    "Remember to bring the horn of the Bent Horn Sound Beast, it will help you!"


    Rolf''s expression froze for a moment, and he finally nodded helplessly.


    He didn''t have the heart to worry about what Luna had done anymore, and in silence, he turned around to look at the ck-robed wizard who was still continuously casting spells to harm the magical animals.


    Rolf knew that it was obviously impossible for him, as an overly young young wizard, to defeat such a being who was able to skillfully use silent spell casting and suspected dark wizardry head on.


    Now that he also didn''t bring along the various small props that his grandfather had handed him, there weren''t many cards that he could use, and there weren''t many methods that he could use to fight.


    Fortunately, it was still the enemy''s light and our darkness, so he could engage in a sneak attack!


    After thinking about it, Rolf pulled out several herbs from the bag he had imposed the Traceless Stretching Spell on, skillfully crumbling and mixing them together.


    As a future magical zoologist, he was familiar with this kind of decoy spice and naturally knew what to use to fix it.


    When mixed, these herbs that Rolf had kneaded were able to emit a tantalizingly clear scent that increased the rationality and mental state of the animals, usually counteracting the effects of the decoy spice.


    He then crept to the ground and quietly moved back and forth around the area, untangling the ropes from the magical animals that had fallen and restoring the injuries they had sustained with a restorative potion.


    Because Rolf was too young to have learned to cast spells silently, he could only use items like potions that didn''t make any sound to heal the animals, and couldn''t use obviously more cost-effective and less expensive magic like healing spells to do so under the watchful eyes of the ck-robed wizard.


    But the Scamander''s weren''t really that bad at paying for magic potions, so Rolf didn''t care at all.


    Newt has raised so many magical animals at home in his life, basically each magical animal has its corresponding value, casually sell a few parts that fall off the animals can let a wizard family eat and drink for a lifetime, not to mention the entire box of magical animals not thousands of also have a few hundred.


    Wizards who bred magical animals were not much short of money-


    For example, Hogwarts hunting grounds keeper Hagrid, from time to time he would go to the forbidden forest to take care of the animals living in the forest, and also collect some parts that fell off the animals.


    Like unicorn tail hair, the market price in Diagon Alley is 10 Galleons for a small bag, which can be said to be not cheap.


    However, Hagrid was able to pick up unicorn tail hairs in the Forbidden Forest whenever and wherever they fell naturally, or hung on the trunks of the surrounding trees and shrubs, so for him, unicorn tail hairs were instead something that was rotten to the core.


    He even used these for him rotten street things weave a carpet, casually ced under the buttocks to sit ...


    Even the rtively simple Hagrid was so rich, not to mention Newt, who had a "small world" of magical animals, so the Scamander family never took money too seriously.


    In such a state of mind, Rolf quickly fed all the recovery potions he had with him to all the animals that were close to the bushes and suitable for hiding.


    The animals quickly recovered and looked curiously at the little imps who were doing their best to help them.


    With the Skarmander''s very magical ability to make animals trust, Rolf quickly calmed the magical animals'' desire to rush up and take revenge, and for the time being kept them on the ground to prevent the ck-robed sorcerer from finding out what was going on.


    Unfortunately, however, the ck-robed wizard wasn''t exactly a brainless ck wizard.


    He soon realized that the speed at which the magical animals were sprinting this way had obviously slowed down a lot, and their eyes that were mesmerized by the bait spice had also be clear.


    asionally there were magical animals still rushing this way, but looking at their sober eyes they didn''t look like they had been affected by the spice, as opposed to possibly being only partially affected by the baiting magic.


    The ck-robed sorcerer secretly frowned, noticing a strange fragrance ... permeating the surroundings This fragrance seems to have the ability to tranquilize the mind and calm the emotions.


    The decoy spice had been cracked!


    "What kind of people are around?!" He raised his wand, his eyes looking to the bushes around himself, and turned in a wide circle warily.


    The ck-robed wizard took in his surroundings carefully and soon spotted the stray footprints Rolf had just left in the bushes.


    "Oh?" Looking at the small footprints in the bushes, a hint of surprise passed through the ck-robed sorcerer''s eyes, "A young sorcerer who is still in school?"


    He instantly let go of the tension in his heart and leisurely slowed his pace, surveying each sufficiently hidden bush and group of nts one by one.


    "Come out, little wizard, I won''t harm you." The ck-robed wizard smiled in an easy tone, "By your footprints, you shouldn''t be too old, should you? To be able to decipher the power of the decoy spice at this age, I have to admit that you are indeed quite outstanding."


    Rolf looked at the ck-robed sorcerer who approached step by step, his face tightening.


    He simply did not believe the words from the ck-robed sorcerer''s mouth that he would not be harmed. All of these magical creatures had been captured by him without the slightest bit of sympathy, and were still cruelly bound to the ground just like that, Rolf just couldn''t believe that such a sorcerer could be harmless.


    Yet the ck-robed wizard was getting closer as well.


    Rolf did not have any possibility of escaping from the bushes he was hiding in to run away, because any hint of movement would be clearly shown in the eyes of the ck-robed wizard.


    "Stupefy (Stupefy)!"


    Rolf suddenly jumped out from inside the bush he was in and pointed his wand firmly at the ck-robed wizard.


    However, the carefully prepared stupefy spell was as if it had no effect at all, and was picked off by the ck-robed wizard''s casual movement of his wand into a nearby bush.


    But Rolf wasn''t discouraged either, and after he finished reciting the incantation for the stupor spell, he hooked two fingers over his lips and let out a strange whistle.


    "You are indeed quite interesting, little wizard." The ck-robed sorcerer looked at Rolf curiously and asked, "What kind of weird stuff have youe up with again?"


    However, in the next moment, the ck-robed wizard realized what Rolf was doing-


    After hearing Rolf''s whistle, countless magical animals seemed to wake up at the same time, quickly breaking away from the ropes on their bodies and pouncing straight towards the ck-robed wizard.


    Countless magical animals ran wildly together, still ring with vengeful, furious eyes, desperately using their natural abilities, wanting to give the person who knocked them out a little more damage.


    However, the ck-robed wizard, not knowing whether he was dumbfounded by the scene or overconfident, didn''t even move as he looked at the dense mass of magical animals in front of him.


    The ground deep in the forbidden forest was shaken as the animals rushed forward.


    At the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid, who was sitting in a shack quietly munching on a rock pie, thought it was an earthquake and rushed out of the door of the shack, wanting to go to the Headmaster''s office as fast as he could to inform Dumbledore of the incident.


    Of course, he did not know that this can be much more serious than a normal earthquake ...


    Rolf looked at the ce where the ck-robed wizard and the magical creatures were fighting, and looked at the vast noise and momentum of the animals, and breathed a slight sigh of relief, thinking that today''s matter was probably settled.


    However, just as the Horned Camel Beast at the forefront, which was twice the size of the sorcerer, was about to crash into the ck-robed sorcerer, a transparent barrier suddenly held up from his side, blocking the Horned Camel Beast from the barrier.


    Not only the Horned Beast, but all of the raging magical animals crashed into the transparent barrier.


    However, even after taking multiple rounds of the magical animals, the barrier remained solid as gold, just as the spell needed to cast it said.


    Instead, the animals crashed into it in droves.


    Rolf''s eyes widened in disbelief as he cast a spell at the barrier, only to have it bounce back just the same.


    "Don''t waste your efforts, little wizard." The ck-robed wizardughed eerily, "My magic spell is not so easily broken."


    Rolf gritted his teeth and was about to try a few new magic spells and try again to see if he could break that barrier.


    However the ck-robed wizard was one step ahead of him, disarming the weapon in Rolf''s hand in a sh.


    "You are too young, young wizard." He said pleasantly, "Those adult wizards couldn''t break my Solid Gold spell, let alone you, a mere young wizard of less than third year."


    "Also, I think I need to tell you that the stupor spell isn''t used like this."


    Saying that, the ck-robed wizard suddenly raised his wand-


    "Stupefy (Stupefy)!"


    As if he was instructing Rolf, he recited the spell clearly for the first time.


    A magic spell with a faint red light shot out from the tip of the ck-robed wizard''s wand and instantly struck Rolf.


    Rolf fell heavily to the ground ...


    "Rather, he caused me quite a bit of trouble, but in the end, he''s still a weak little wizard!"


    After casually ncing at Rolf, the ck-robed wizard shook his head and continued to start dealing with these waking magical animals around the protective barrier.


    ...


    Rolf, however, did notpletely pass out.


    The ck-robed wizard''s stupor spell had hit Rolf right where the curled-winged demon bulging in his pocket had been, without actually hitting Rolf.


    And the outer epidermis of the curled-winged demon had the ability to resist magic spells, especially when curled up, which was quite effective against magic, and didn''t suffer much damage.


    Rolf secretly took the Curled Wing Demon out of his pocket.


    Looking at the animal curled up into a cocoon in front of him, his face looked a bit better, but still a bit ugly.


    There really didn''t seem to be any other way for him to defeat this ck-robed wizard who was hurting magical animals ...


    Rolf raised his head slightly and vaguely saw Luna poking her head out behind a distant tree trunk, revealing messy, dirty blonde hair.


    With a fierce light in his eyes, he pulled the curved, hearty beast horn that Luna had told him would bring good luck out of his other pocket.


    It seemed like there wasn''t exactly no way to defeat the ck-robed wizard anymore?

 Chapter 166 - 166 The Return of Dracula

    <h4>Chapter 166: The Return of Drac</h4>


    "Little one, over to you."


    Rolf whispered to Curlywing Demon, while handing out the poisonous horned beast horn in his hand.


    The Curlywing Demon had just been hit by a ck-robed sorcerer''s stupefaction spell, and although it hadn''t suffered much damage due to the outer skin that repelled the magic spell, it was still a bit emotionally dissatisfied.


    It viciously bit on Rolf''s hand, and then flew up carrying the horn of the poisonous horned beast in its two small ws.


    In the distance, the ck-robed wizard still stood in the midst of the transparent protective barrier, idly waving his wand and casting magic spells at the animals that swooped around from time to time.


    A piece of magical animals once again fell around the barrier, leaving only a horned camel beast, two eight-eyed giant spiders and other higher danger level animals still maintaining their fighting strength, but looking at the current situation should not be able to hold out for long.


    Right at this moment, an animal with a green exterior and blue interior spread itsrge butterfly-like wings and swooped down from high in the air towards the barrier surrounding the ck-robed sorcerer.


    "Huh, is there actually a curled-winged demon in this forbidden forest?"


    The ck-robed wizard nced up suspiciously, but didn''t pay too much attention to it, only waving his wand casually.


    He was obviously aware of the fact that the outer skin of a curled-winged demon could repel magic, and the magic spell he cast did not attack the green skin on the curled-winged demon''s back, but instead purposely struck at its blue abdomen.


    In the ck-robed sorcerer''s opinion, this curled-winged demon was just an unexpected delight that appeared in the forbidden forest, and was no different from other animals.


    However, when the spell was about to hit its abdomen, this curled-winged demon loosened its two ws, revealing the horns of the poisonous horned beast.


    The ck-robed wizard''s magic spell was just about to strike this dangerous horn-


    "Boom!"


    With a loud explosion, the poison horned beast''s horn instantly burst apart!


    The curled-winged demon very nimbly wrapped itself in its wings and turned into a green cocoon, blocking the impact of the st with its very sturdy outer skin and bouncing far away from Rolf.


    At the same time, the powerful impact immediately blew a huge gash in the protective barrier around the ck-robed wizard.


    Rolf immediately stood up and once again blew the whistle calling for the animals to attack.


    In the next moment, magical animals such as the Horned Camel Beast and the Eight-Eyed Giant Spider that still retained their physical strength also immediately discovered this opening outside the barrier.


    They used this opening as an entry point for their charge and instantly tore through the barrier, attacking inside.


    Before the ck-robed wizard could react from this matter of the barrier being torn apart, he was toppled to the ground by a horn of an angry horned camel beast.


    Immediately after that, an eight-eyed giant spider fiercely stuck its huge front chelicerae on his thighs, and the poisonous nds at the tip of the chelicerae immediately secreted arge amount of venom.


    The ck-robed wizard gripped his wand tightly and tried to continue resisting, but in the blink of an eye, he was crushed by the other angry magical creatures, andpletely fainted while being bruised all over ...


    Rolf was finally relieved to see the trouble resolved.


    But he didn''t want that ck-robed wizard to be killed under the siege of magical animals just like that, so he pulled out some more scales and feces of fire dragons from his own pouch, found the gaps between the animals, and threw them at the ck-robed wizard''s side.


    There were also grades between magical animals, in which arge, fierce beast like the Fire Dragon, which was of the 5X grade, capable of reaching tens of feet in length, weighing several tons, and could also fly, was undoubtedly located at the forefront of magical animals.


    Even the eight-eyed giant spiders, which were also at the 5X level of danger, were only overrated by the magical zoologists who rated them because of their short temper, toxicity, and overly intimidating looks, which didn''t mean that they would be able to go head-to-head with the fire dragons.


    Therefore, when Rolf threw out the scales and feces that were tainted with the Fire Dragon''s scent, these animals that were originally still aggressive felt threatened and did not dare to continue staying.


    The fire dragon''s scales and feces were indeed quite effective as well, and the animals soon walked away cleanly.


    "I told you that the Bent Horn Sound Beast would bring you good luck, right?"


    After the animals had left, Luna came bounding out from behind a tree trunk and over to Rolf.


    "It did work this time." Rolf nodded approvingly, then looked at Luna with some guilt, "But I''m really sorry for destroying your poisonous horns, well ... the horns of the curved-horned hearty beasts."


    "It''s okay!" Luna said full of concern, "It was the Bent Horned Hearty Beast that volunteered to help you, and I''m willing to honor it."


    "Eh ..." Rolf sweated, "It''s good that you don''t care that the Bent Horned Sound Beast''s horn was destroyed."


    He had absolutely no idea what kind of brainwave the little witch was in to be able to say something as bizarre as it being a horn willing to offer to help ...


    "I think I''d better go see how the ck-robed wizard is doing, don''t make a scene ..." Rolf said, changing the subject.


    He moved his feet to the ck-robed sorcerer who had fallen to the ground, looked at his messy sorcerer''s robes, bruised skin, and pale face, and reached out to press his hand on the ck-robed sorcerer''s heart.


    The heart was still beating.


    "Whew, it''s a good thing no one was killed, I still don''t know who the hell this guy is."


    Looking at the ck-robed sorcerer who was bruised and deep in aa but at least still had a breath left, Rolf quietly sighed in relief.


    He then lifted the hood covering the ck-robed wizard''s face, wanting to see what kind of person this was that would actually appear inside the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts and look familiar with the neighborhood.


    However, when Rolf saw the ck-robed wizard''s face, he couldn''t help but widen his eyes-


    "This is Assistant Professor Riddle?!"


    "What is Assistant Professor Riddle doing in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night?!"


    ...


    "That''s pretty much what happened."


    In the Hogwarts Headmaster''s office, Rolf condescendingly recounted the events of the past few days to the two people in front of him.


    "Grandpa, Professor Drac, I really didn''t think that Assistant Professor Riddle was catching magical animals to add teaching props to the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss!" Rolf defended.


    "And the way he captured the magical animals wasn''t right at all, he actually used something harmful to magical animals like bait spice ... Of course I couldn''t hold back and did it!"


    "How dare you make excuses with me after you made a mistake?" The older Newt red at Rolf in a rare moment, "Why don''t you hurry up and apologize to Professor Drac?"


    "Do you know that just because you made Professor Drac''s teaching assistant have problems, he ended his vacation early and came back, dedicated professors like Professor Drac are rare!" Newt said.


    "I''m sorry, Professor Drac." Rolf said honestly under his grandfather''s coercion.


    "It''s fine, it''s just a short little vacation, it''s not a big problem!" Drac waved his hand graciously.


    As a matter of fact, he would have been toozy to continue staying at Drac''s castle.


    After all, having to be arranged by this cheap daughter of Serena to do all sorts of things every day always made him feel a bit faceless. In contrast, it was instead morefortable to teach at Hogwarts.


    Just as Newt and Rolf were still praising Drac''s dedication to giving up his vacation, another voice came tearing down the stage-


    "But I vaguely remember that Professor Drac didn''t have the Headmaster''s approval for this vacation at the time, did he?" Dumbledore, who had been sitting behind his desk watching the y for half a day, suddenly interjected at this point.


    "You directly dumped the professor''s job to Riddle, the assistant professor, and didn''t even bother to greet me, and then disappeared alone for more than a month?" Dumbledore said with a smirk.


    "I take it you weren''t originally nning oning back for a few more days? Just in time for Christmas when the students are out of school and there''s still another month of vacation left."


    "Ahem ... I don''t think I''ve gone overboard to that extent either, have I?" Drac pulled down a ck line on his face.


    As a matter of fact, he had really thought about it like that.


    "Been there, done that!" Dumbledoremented with a nod.


    In the blink of an eye, it was revealed that Drac hadn''t even asked the Headmaster for a leave of absence, had granted his own leave, had thrown his work to the TAs, and had secretly butchered his way out of Hogwarts all by himself.


    Newt and Rolf were both a little stiff-faced.


    The two wizards, one of them old and one of them young, had just been praising Drac''s dedication to giving up his vacation toe back to ss, and in the next second they were listening to Dumbledore talk about Drac''s behavior of secretly running away from Hogwarts on his own ...


    "So thest time we met on Mount Olympus, you didn''t take time out of your vacation to go there, but instead you just butchered out of Hogwarts?" Newt couldn''t help but ask.


    When he had taken Rolf to Mount Olympus to observe that strange weather vision, he had at least greeted the professors and leaders of Yinfamoni and given Rolf an early vacation.


    Although by this time, Rolf''s previous vacation had long expired, but at least it wasn''t like Drac who left without saying goodbye and gave himself a vacation ah ...


    "It''s true that I had just run away from Hogwarts at the time, and I was feeling a bit bored at that moment, so it suddenly urred to me to visit an old friend in Mount Olympus." Drac shrugged, "I was going to go back after a week, but I didn''t expect to meet Mr. Scamander."


    "Quite a lot did happen in between, and it was dyed for quite a while."


    "Otherwise it wouldn''t have been so bad that a small wizard sneaked up on my assistant professor and seriously injured him."


    Drac nced at Rolf andughed softly.

 Chapter 167 - 167 Tom Riddle cursed Tom Riddle.

    <h4>Chapter 167: Tom Riddle cursed Tom Riddle.</h4>


    "I''m really sorry this time, Professor Drac." Newt said, "This boy Rolf has caused you a lot of trouble."


    Saying that, Newt was ready to make a fierce expression and teach his grandson a lesson in front of Drac and Dumbledore.


    But he ispletely a good old man character, forced to make an expressionpletely does not match with "fierce", on the contrary, it seems to be a little kind, but also a littleical ...


    "Don''t embarrass yourself, Mr. Scamander." Looking at the strange expression on Newt''s face, Drac couldn''t help but say, "In fact, the matter of Assistant Coach Riddle isn''t entirely Rolf''s fault alone."


    "You don''t have to take my face into consideration, Professor Drac, who is to me for this matter if not him?" Newt waved his hand, "If it wasn''t for Rolf''s inconsequential actions, how could Assistant Professor Riddle have been trampled by a magical animal and thus seriously injured?"


    "I have no regard for your face, Mr. Scamander." Dracughed softly, "But it may be true that Rolf isn''t entirely to me for this ident, and there''s no way for Asst. Prof. Riddle to deny this when he arrives."


    A look of bewilderment came over both Newt''s and Rolf''s faces.


    "Professor Drac, Luna didn''t put up a fight from start to finish!" Rolf seemed to have suddenly thought of something, hisplexion suddenly became anxious, "The whole thing was my doing, you must not implicate her!"


    "Luna? Luna Lovegood from Ravenw? Was she there?" Dumbledore froze for a moment, then looked at Rolf with a smirk, "Little Mr. Scamander, what you just told us didn''t mention Miss Lovegood."


    "Eh ... so you guys didn''t know Luna was there?" Rolf opened his mouth wide, "Then why would Professor Drac say that this matter isn''t all my responsibility?"


    "How are we supposed to know exactly what other people were present when you, the only person involved, didn''t even tell us?" Drac shrugged, "I''m guessing you misunderstood the whole thing where I said you weren''t solely responsible."


    "Let''s leave that aside for now. ording to you, the injury to Assistant Professor Riddle had Ms. Lovegood''s share of the me right?"


    "No ... no, she really didn''t do anything from start to finish!" Rolf was so anxious that he was close to tears, he really didn''t think that he had actually involved the originally innocent Luna in a slip of the tongue.


    However, it seems that ... the one who made the biggest contribution was really the horn of the "Bent Horn Sound Beast" that Luna gave him.


    "Honestly, little Mr. Scamander, besides you and Miss Lovegood, who else was at the scene where Assistant Professor Riddle was injured?" Drac asked as he sped his hands to his chest and looked at Lovegood with a smirk.


    "There really aren''t any more ah ...," Rolf said bitterly, "It really was all me alone, what else would go to the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the night?"


    "Everyone in Gryffindor except Percy Weasley, that could be anyone." Drac replied as a matter of course, "Oh no, Percy Weasley seems to be dating that Ravenw Head of ss, and the two of them often sneak off to the Forbidden Forest for dates as well."


    "When you think about it like that, everyone in Gryffindor could be your aplice!"


    Hearing Drac''s analysis, Dumbledore, who was sitting behind his desk, pulled down two ck lines on his face.


    "Professor Drac, have you forgotten that there is another Gryffindor-born wizard here?" He said with a leathery smile, "As a professor, academy bias is not something to be trifled with."


    "That''s not academy bias on my part." Drac retorted without budging in the slightest, "I''m just making a reasonable analysis and guess based on the differences in the personalities of the small wizards of each different academy, which is beneficial to resolving this business with little Mr. Scamander."


    "But this act of analysis on your part is itself a product of academy bias." Dumbledore said, "Gryffindor House isn''t all reckless, there are students here who follow the rules of the school ..."


    "And Hufflepuff College isn''t all loyal, kind, and sincere; there are the same sort of naughty, beckoning young wizards there."


    While speaking, Dumbledore subconsciously nced in Rolf''s direction.


    Newt and Rolf''s faces stiffened at the same time.


    One of their grandparents and grandson was halfway expelled from school for breeding magical animals in vition of school rules; the other simply sneaked into Hogwarts and skillfully blended into the Hufflepuffmon room.


    Dumbledore''s words certainly spoke to them vicariously ...


    "First things first, Lord Earl, I''m not the one who divided Little Rolf''s Hufflepuff!" The same Branch Cap that was ced in the Headmaster''s office jumped out at this point, "That is, Dumbledore indulged him, otherwise how could the Hufflepuff Common Room be entered by anyone else?"


    "Is that so?" Drac looked to Dumbledore.


    "Sort of, and I was only a trivial push for Rolf''s enrollment." Dumbledore nodded gently, then turned to the subcap and asked in a small voice, "Why did your guts follow you as soon as you saw Professor Drac?"


    "Isn''t that nonsense? He and my maker is a generation, but alsoe to find me things all day, I''m not afraid of him afraid of who ah ..." Branch Hat simrly whispered.


    Seeing that several people were arguing endlessly, and it seemed that they couldn''t stop for hours, Newt hastily stepped forward to round them up.


    "Albus, Professor Drac, don''t be so hasty to argue, we haven''t finished our business yet!" He interrupted, "Didn''t Professor Drac just say that? Rolf doesn''t need to take all the responsibility. So if it wasn''t Luna, what would share this responsibility with Rolf?"


    "Not really ''whoever'', but if you really want to count it, it can be counted on one person." Drac thought for a moment and turned to Newt, "Do you have any knowledge about the position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts?"


    "I know!" Rolf jumped in and said, "Every term of the ck Magic Defense Arts Professor at Hogwarts always has all sorts of idents and cannot be re-elected to the next term. Of course, you, Professor Drac, were the first to break that rule."


    "That was the biggest reason my grandmother and mother didn''t allow me toe to Hogwarts to study at the time. They both said that with a new professor every term, it was definitely impossible to teach to teach the students well."


    "Yes, that was indeed the thing." Drac smiled and nodded, "You may not be aware of it, but it can be proven that Voldemort, harboring hatred after his second failed job search, put a curse on the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."


    "Does this have anything to do with Assistant Professor Riddle''s injury?" Newt asked.


    "It''s more than rted, it''s quite relevant." Drac didn''t know what happy thought had urred to him, and the smile on his face grew more pronounced.


    "Didn''t I just happen to be away for over a month''s time? Assistant Professor Riddle was substituting for me during that time, which means that he was the equivalent of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts before I came back."


    "Voldemort''s curse wouldn''t have worked on me, but it wouldn''t have been much of a problem for Assistant Professor Riddle-"


    "It''s also because of his curse and extremely bad luck that he was able to just happen to stumble upon little Scamander''s nighttime excursion inside the Forbidden Forest, and ended up losing to this little guy by mistake even in the face of bad luck."


    "Hahahahaha ... this Voldemort, this Riddle is also too interesting!"


    Saying this, Drac exaggeratedly grinned and actuallyughed out loud.


    Newt: "..."


    Rolf: "..."


    No, is it appropriate for you to gloat so much when your assistant coach is seriously injured?

 Chapter 168 - 168 Overly Hasty Dividing Ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 168: Overly Hasty Dividing Ceremony</h4>


    Just as Newt and Rolf''s grandchildren were silently condemning Drac''s gloating behavior, anotherugh came unexpectedly from behind the desk.


    "Pfft ..."


    The corner of Newt''s mouth twitched a little as he turned his attention to the old, white-haired principal.


    "Albus, why are you starting to gloat too?" He asked suspiciously, "Is it so funny that your side''s assistant teacher was injured?"


    "Ahem ... I didn''t mean to gloat." Dumbledore forced himself to regain his serious expression, yet his facial muscles still twitched strangely from time to time, "I just thought of something happy."


    It wasn''t really Dumbledore''s fault that he didn''t hold back hisughter.


    It was really that the curse on the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor that had gued Hogwarts for decades had actually ended up taking effect on Tom Riddle himself, and the matter was tooical!


    Even if this Riddle was just one of Voldemort''s Horcruxes and not the man himself, that was enough to keep the old Headmaster, who had had a headache over this for ages, happy for many days.


    Unable toprehend Drac and Dumbledore, both of whom had smiles pervading their faces, Newt shook his head in perplexity and decided that it would be better to leave the two inexplicable people alone.


    He looked at Rolf once more and raised a hand to knock him on the head, holding out a hand with a stern face:


    "Now that the truth is out, take it out."


    "Take out what?" Rolf blinked his eyes and began to y dumb.


    "You kids have learned to y dumb with me now, haven''t you?" Newt said glumly, "With only you, a little wizard, not even getting close to Assistant Professor Riddle, how could you possibly have the chance to put the Poison Horns horns close enough to blow away his guards on your own?"


    Rolf was still putting on a show, with an expression of not knowing what he was asking. This infuriated Newt.


    Newt had actually guessed what magical animal Rolf had taken, and had seen the bulging pocket he had been holding back with his arm from start to finish.


    So, with a wave of his wand, Newt summoned a special sheep brain for curled-winged demons out of his old suitcase.


    As soon as the goat brain left the suitcase, the curly-winged demon in Rolf''s pocket smelled the tantalizing scent and immediately began to struggle in his pocket.


    Rolf, such a small, tiny little man in his early teens with thin arms and legs couldn''t hold down the Curlywing Demon with an extremely high danger level, so he could only let it tear his robes apart with the spikes on the outside of his wings, and then couldn''t wait for it to fly out.


    "Sure enough, you snuck this Curlywing Demon away."


    Newt held out his hand, letting the Curlwing Demonnd on his hand to enjoy its meal, while turning his head to re at Rolf, "Do you know how long I searched for the Curlwing Demon after realizing that one of them was missing, and do you know how much workload that increased my workload?"


    Seeing that the curled-winged demon flew out on its own, Rolf had no way to y dumb anymore.


    He used his hand to cover his robe that was partially torn and had already exposed part of his belly, and smiled awkwardly, "Grandpa, I wasn''t also trying to retrace your route at that time!"


    "You see, when you helped the U.S. Magical Congress arrest Grindelwald, it was Curlywing Magic that helped seize his wand - in case I ran into any dark wizards or something, I could use Curlywing Magic to defeat them too!"


    "So you ran into a dark wizard?" Newt asked with a grimace.


    "No ..." Rolf shook his head.


    "Who was thest one you defeated?" Newt asked.


    "Asst. Coach Riddle ...," Rolf said weakly.


    "And it was only through a series of coincidences such as a sneak attack, luck, the help of other magical creatures, and the explosion of a poison horned beast''s horn, that you finally managed to cause trouble for Assistant Professor Riddle." Newt said with hatred, "At this level you still think you can defeat the dark wizard?"


    Rolf fell silent and didn''t say anything.


    He admired his grandfather too much, and wanted to be unique and be a good magical zoologist like his grandfather too much, but he ignored his age and the time he had been exposed to magic, and ignored thew of growth of magic power ...


    "Actually, I know, you just want to prove yourself, Rolf." Newt sighed and his angry expression gradually calmed down, "There''s no need to rush, after a few years, you''ll slowly grow up."


    "Your future achievements will definitely not be worse than mine. When I was at your age, I never got top grades like you on my exams!"


    Newt squatted down and pinched Rolf''s tender cheeks, smiling.


    "You''ve been at Hogwarts for quite a long time, now it''s time to go back to Yinfamoni for a proper lesson." He said seriously, "When you''re a few years older, I''ll make you my assistant again and take you on adventures in various parts of the world, okay?"


    Rolf''s eyes seemed a little touched, but he shook his head anyway.


    "I don''t want to go back to Yinfamoni, I want to stay at Hogwarts." He said, "I assume you want me to attend Hogwarts as well, Grandfather?"


    "Well ...," Newt hesitated and let out a bitterugh, "Stop it, have you forgotten all the friends you made in Unfamoni that whole first year? And neither Tina nor your mother would approve of you changing schools."


    "Then I don''t care, you can help me convince them!" Rolf said stubbornly, "I''ve made several friends in the month or so I''ve been at Hogwarts too!"


    "And I''ve never seen as many magical creatures as I have in the Forbidden Forest and the ck Lake in Imperium, I love it here so much!"


    Hearing Rolf''s approval of Hogwarts, Newt couldn''t help but see a glimmer of joy cross his eyes, only to be followed by helplessness.


    "I don''t know how many more howler letters I''d get from Tina if I agreed to you staying at Hogwarts." Newt shook his head, "You should know, I can''t convince either of them."


    Newt turned his attention to Dumbledore and Drac, giving them a pleading look, hoping that the two professors would help him convince Rolf to go back to school.


    "You''re a second year at Imperatori?" Drac saw Newt''s look of help and spared a few steps forward, moving closer to where Newt and Rolf were, "Yet from what I understand, you were a first year at Hogwarts for over a month."


    "Because first years are so easy to fool ...," Rolf said very honestly, "If I say I''m a second year, but no other students know me, then my identity will be revealed immediately. Pretending to be a first year would be a bit more of an excuse."


    "Yeah?" Drac hooked up the corner of his mouth, "I thought you joined the first year specifically for Miss Lovegood of Ravenw!"


    "Professor, I didn''t meet Luna until after I entered first year!" Rolf made a big red face.


    At that moment, the House of Branches hat suddenly made a noise:


    "See, I told you he wasn''t right for Hufflepuff! What kind of young wizard from Badger House would say something like ''first years are good liars''?"


    "But we''re all from Hufflepuff as a family." Newt frowned, "And Rolf has been loved by magical creatures since he was a child, that''s a characteristic of Hufflepuff students."


    Before Newt could finish his words of defense, however, the Branch hat was grabbed by Drac and slipped over his hand and swung it around in a circle, shaking the hat in a dizzying fashion.


    "Ignore him, let''s get on with it." He looked over at Newt and Rolf with disinterest as he swung the centurion hat around, "This hat just lifts from time to time sometimes, just spin it around a few times."


    Newt froze for a moment at the sight of the clean, unpatched, pointy hat Drac had slipped over his hand.


    "Wait, this is a ... Branch hat?" He asked, his eyes widening in shock, "I don''t remember it looking like that when I was at Hogwarts!"


    Newt hadn''t realized this just then, thinking that the hat was just a random and interesting alchemical product that Dumbledore hade up with.


    After all, the original tattered, dusty, and patched up House of Branches hat had been transformed into an exquisite bowler hat that was clean, with few creases and no patches, and was really far from Newt''s memories.


    He turned his head to Dumbledore, "Albus, could someone really give this hat a bath?"


    The whole thing of bathing the House of Branches Hat had actually be one of the biggest goals of Hogwarts students long ago, but no one had ever been able to do the job.


    Basically, every single attempt to clean the Hat was easily dispatched, either by the Hat''s flirtatious words, or by the Hat''s spirit magic, which changed their minds ...


    Few people know that as a magic hat that has stored the magic power of the four giants, the level of its magic is still quite good.


    Only an existence like Drac, who was deeply respected and feared by the Branch Hat and was also very powerful, was able to effortlessly change the image of this old antique hat.


    "The matter of whether or not there is anyone who can bathe the Branch Hat, I think you can ask Professor Drac." Dumbledoreughed, "Professor Drac cast a cleaning spell on the hat justst year and tinkered with it along the way to make it as good as new."


    "Speaking of which, after so many years of looking at dirty, tattered and tattered Branch hats, it was a bit of a shock to see this clean and tidy one this year." He said.


    "But I''m used to it." Drac shrugged, "That''s what the hat looked like when Godric first wore it. Who knows how the hat has managed to bend itself into such a human look over the course of a thousand years!"


    Dumbledore and Newt bothughed helplessly.


    They just remembered that this Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts was clearly an existence of the same era as the four founders, and it waspletely understandable that he wasn''t used to an originally brand new hat turning into a dirty appearance.


    At the same time, Drac was swinging the hat in his hand, which had already passed out and woken up several times.


    It woke up once more and immediately opened the slit in the brim of the hat, its voice breaking as it begged for mercy from Drac:


    "Bur...Jenn...Lord, I was wrong ... I...shouldn''t have...minded my own business, can...can you put me ...put e?"


    Drac nced at the Branch Hat in his hand and casually tossed it up.


    The Branch Hat spun in the air for two seconds beforending squarely on Rolf''s head, covering his eyes in the process.


    "I thought you said little Scamander wasn''t fit to go to Hufflepuff?" He leaned against a nearby locker and looked at the divisional cap on Rolf''s head with interest, "Giving you this chance to judge which academy he''s really better suited for?"


    "By the way, remember not to talk out of your ass. If you make any more Azkaban Academy out of it, I''ll burn you immediately."


    Drac snapped his fingers.


    A cluster of morose white mes emerged at his fingertips, causing the Branch Hat, who had just been gibbering and shredding, to instantly quiet down.


    The hat resolutely stopped swooning and very quickly switched to its working state.


    "Well, let''s see, it''s hard, very hard ... " Branch Hat, as always, first said a bunch of condescending words, while observing Rolf''s character with his regal fetching thoughts, quietly muttered.


    "Is this what my grandfather once said about the Hogwarts'' House Dividing Ceremony?" Rolf asked in a curious tone as his eyes were covered by the wide brim of his hat, "Seems a lot more interesting than the four moving apocryphal statues of Yinfamoni!"


    Newt walked over to Drac with some concern, looking at the refreshed Branch hat and his grandson.


    "Professor Drac, Rolf is after all a student of Yin Fa-Moni, isn''t it too hasty to just let him go through the separation ceremony?" He asked in a low voice.


    "What''s wrong with that?" Drac gave him a look, "Let alone a student, I won''t lie, I myself was a bit curious before about which founder I would be more in tune with, so I put on my Dividing Hat and let it divide me."


    "And?" Newt came on as well, "I was rather hoping that you would be sorted into Hufflepuff."


    At that, Drac suddenly froze in his face and Dumbledoreughed at the same time.


    "Newt, don''t even think about it." Dumbledore had a tolerant look on his face, "Hufflepuff was the first to be ruled out by the divisional cap."


    "Yeah, I actually probably could have figured that out." Newtughed as well, "So in the end which academy did Professor Drac get assigned to by the Sorting Hat? All three of the other colleges seem likely, I''m personally leaning towards Slytherin."


    Dumbledore nced at Drac with an inscrutable expression.


    "None of them." He said.


    "Neither?" Newt was confused, "Could it be split up into anything other than these four colleges?"


    "You''ll never guess." Dumbledoreughed, "It''s actually Azkaban."


    "What?"


    "Professor Drac was sorted into Azkaban Academy!" Dumbledore let out augh, "I don''t know if I remember correctly, it seems that it was because of this incident that Professor Drac took a personal vendetta to give a clean bill of health to the sorting hat!"


    Drac''s face darkened even more.


    "That''s enough, you guys don''t need to say anymore." He said to Dumbledore and Newt with a dark face, "It should be about time, enough time for the Branch Hat to judge Mr. Scamander Jr.''s Academy."


    Only then did the trio turn their eyes to Rolf''s location once more, except that Dumbledore couldn''t hide the smirk on his face, and Newt still had some doubt on his face.


    Just then, the Branch Hat suddenly opened the slit in its brim and shouted-


    "Hufflepuff!"

 Chapter 169 - 169 There are other secrets in the Forbidden Forest?

    <h4>Chapter 169: There are other secrets in the Forbidden Forest?</h4>


    "Hufflepuff?"


    Drac let out a soft ''eep'' and looked curiously over at the chapter hat.


    Why did he remember that the hat had just said that Rolf wasn''t suited for the Hufflepuff academy, and how did it self-p itself in the blink of an eye?


    Yet Rolf and Newt had absolutely nothing to be upset about.


    Rolf had jumped up and hugged Newt heavily.


    "Grandpa, I''ve really been sorted into Hufflepuff!" Rolf eximed excitedly, "I just thought I wouldn''t be able to get into the academy that trained you."


    "I''m so proud of you, Rolf." Newt smiled and patted Rolf on the back.


    Both the grandparents and grandson had a pleasant look on their faces as Newt spoke words of encouragement to Rolf, while Rolf begged Newt to once again tell a story about something that had happened to him in Hufflepuff while he was in school.


    "What''s that ... Can you two wait a little while before you talk." Branch Hat said weakly above Rolf''s head, "Can you put me down from my head first?"


    The two men''s excitement was instantly interrupted, and their expressions immediately became a little awkward.


    Drac let out a lightugh and beckoned, letting the Parting Hat fly over Rolf''s head and holding it in his hand.


    "Didn''t you just say that little Mr. Scamander wasn''t right for Hufflepuff?" He asked with interest, "Why did you change your mind again after only a few minutes?"


    "It''s not my fault this time, Professor Drac." The Branch Hat looked innocent, "This little wizard wants to go to Hufflepuff too much. It can''t be helped, even though I''m in charge of the branch, I''m usually still very reasonable and considerate of the opinions of the young wizards themselves."


    "Is that so?" Drac smiled nomittally, "But he still carries some Hufflepuff qualities about him, doesn''t he? I don''t think you''d assign a young wizard who doesn''t belong to a college at all to a college that doesn''t correspond."


    "As expected of a count-sama, you saw through things in a sh." The Branch Hat patted Drac on the back for following his words, "Although Rolf Scamander is more suited to Gryffindor in terms of his personality, his animal-loving character and kind heart still fit in with Hufflepuff."


    Drac nodded in understanding and looked to both Newt and Rolf.


    "Then congrattions to you both on getting what you want, Mr. Scamander gentlemen." He smiled.


    "And thank you for your help, Professor Drac." Newt put his arm around Rolf''s shoulder and said to Drac and Dumbledore, "Albus, Professor Drac, since Rolf has already performed the ritual of separation, this is a way of ending one of his wishes."


    "Thanks to the Hogwarts side for taking care of Rolf during this period of time, I will bring him back to Yin Fa Mony tomorrow, no need to trouble the professors of Hogwarts anymore."


    Rolf seemed to have finally been convinced by his grandfather at this time as well. He took two steps forward and bowed to Dumbledore.


    "Thank you for letting me into the school then, Mr. Headmaster." He said, "I''ll be sure toe back to Hogwarts to visit you from time to time once I graduate from Yinfa Muni!"


    With Newt''s reminder, Rolf already knew that the reason why he was able to enter the Hogwarts castle, and even the Hufflepuffmon room, was not just due to his wit and luck, but also the old principal''s tacit approval.


    Without the old principal''s nod, he wouldn''t have been able to fool so many smart, powerful, and intelligent Hogwarts professors for over a month anyway! Just one Snape alone could have dismantled him!


    Dumbledore smiled and shook his head.


    "There''s really no need to wait until graduation to visit me." He said softly, "I''m too old and I''m not sure I''ll live long enough to see you graduate."


    "You mustn''t say that! A great wizard like you surely won''t have a problem living for two hundred years." Rolf was taken aback by Dumbledore''s words, "Otherwise, I coulde and visit you every year on my vacation?"


    "That''s not what I meant either." Dumbledore smiled, "What I mean is ... Rolf, you can stay at Hogwarts and attend school."


    Rolf looked up menacingly, his eyes instantly filled with surprise.


    "Is what you say true?!"


    "Albus, but ..." Newt was stunned for a moment when he heard Dumbledore''s words.


    "Don''t be so quick to retort just yet, Newt." Dumbledore raised his hand to interrupt Newt, "Tell me, what is the most fundamental reason why Tina won''t allow Rolf to attend Hogwarts?"


    "As far as I know, a witch as brilliant and sensible as Tina wouldn''t force Rolf to attend Imperium simply because her alma mater is Imperium, regardless of his future, would she?" There was a wry gleam in his eyes.


    "Indeed, Tina''s main concern is still the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss at Hogwarts." Newt said, while unable to hold back a nce at Drac, "Tina felt that an important course like the Defense Against ck Magic ss, studying it at Hogwarts wasn''t conducive to Rolf''s development."


    "But that''s no longer a problem now, is it?" Dumbledore said with a smile, "Professor Drac is a very good Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and with his skills isn''t going to be affected by Voldemort''s curse and can teach it until Rolf graduates!"


    "Wait, Dumbledore, I don''t remember ever saying how long I''d be teaching, did I?" Drac interrupted Dumbledore, "Maybe I''ll get tired of teaching next year and butch myself?"


    The corner of Dumbledore''s mouth twitched.


    Let alone next year, this year you are already feeling bored, how dare you let the teaching assistant teach the ss on your behalf and go out to simmer yourself ...


    "Uh ... Professor Drac, I meant no offense." Newt said from the side, "I remember that Hogwarts'' Defense Against the Dark Arts ss didn''t do well on the Wizarding Rank Examst school year. Tina still wouldn''t agree to Rolf''s transfer when she saw that grade."


    "Newt, that''s not because of Professor Drac." Dumbledore hurriedly remedied, "The professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts changed too often some years ago, and the students at Hogwarts didn''t have a strong foundation, that''s why their grades were a bit weak."


    He didn''t mention this not-so-good grade at all, and there was actually a reason why Drac rarely assigned homework in it.


    "Newt, you should already know something about Professor Drac, his level of magic is absolutely mother nature!" Dumbledore continued, "Believe me, in this school year''s wizard level exam, Hogwarts'' ck Magic Defense will definitely be at the top of the magical world!"


    Dumbledore was very confident.


    This was because Drac hadunched devilish training for a long time in the dueling club, and even in the ssroom of ck magic defense arts, and the students'' defense arts skills progressed quite rapidly under practice.


    How many schools have a great wizard personally helping students practice magic? I''m afraid not even one! This was Hogwarts'' greatest advantage.


    Seeing that Newt still seemed to be a bit hesitant, Dumbledore added onest point-


    "How about this, let Rolf stay at Hogwarts for the rest of this school year, and during the final exam week he can be allowed to return to Imperatori for his exams." He said, "If Rolf''s grades are more favorable thanst year''s, it would mean that the teaching at Hogwarts is better suited to his development!"


    "It''s also when it''s just like being an exchange student at Hogwarts for half a year, Tina shouldn''t refuse, right?" Dumbledore smiled and looked at Newt.


    Newt frowned and thought for a moment before finally nodding.


    "If it''s only six months, I think I still have a chance of convincing Tina and Rolf''s mother." He said.


    After hearing Newt''s words, Rolf jumped up fiercely.


    "Grandpa, did I hear you right? I can really go to school at Hogwarts?" He shook Newt''s arm and asked with a hopeful expression.


    "It''s only for a mere six months," Newt gave him a helpless look, "And I haven''t evenpletely convinced your mother and your grandmother yet!"


    Rolf however broke into an extremely happy smile regardless, "I don''t care, just because you said so means it''s a done deal anyway!"


    "Hooray! You can stay at Hogwarts!"


    Rolf circled back and forth around Fawkes, who was grooming his feathers, cheering, and unsurprisingly received a look of disdain from the phoenix.


    ...


    Newt and Rolf''s grandchildren soon left the Headmaster''s office.


    One of them had to go contact his wife and convince her to let Rolf stay at Hogwarts for six months; the other had an appointment with Luna for the evening to analyze the possibility of the existence of the Harassing Gadfly and the Bubbly Snot Monster.


    Both had things to do.


    By the time the two left, only two idlers, Dumbledore and Drac, remained in the Headmaster''s office.


    "Stealing a student from the Imperatori?" Drac looked at Dumbledore and teased.


    "Between principals, how can this be called stealing students?" Dumbledore said with a big smile, "I''m just doing this for the sake of my old friend''s child to be better in the future!"


    "Come on, I think you just see that little Mr. Scamander''s potential is not inferior to that year''s Newt, so you want to poach him." Drac instantly poked Dumbledore''s thoughts, "You werefortable using Mr. Scamander as a tool back then, so now you''re hitting on his grandson?"


    "Heh heh heh ... It''s a nice day." Dumbledore smiled sarcastically and stiffly changed the subject.


    Drac looked back out the window at the foggy weather and grimaced breathlessly.


    "You''re doing this for Potter again, aren''t you?" He sped his hands to his chest and leaned against the bookcase behind him, giving Dumbledore a sidelong nce, "The savior trio has the courageous bearer, the wise bearer, and the funny bearer within them, is there anything missing?"


    "Ahem ... Professor Drac, Mr. Weasley might not be too happy if you say that." Dumbledore coughed dryly, "I didn''t mean to insist on putting together abination. Well, but Harry doesck a friend who is good with magical creatures."


    Drac was silent for a moment and sighed softly.


    "So ... you haven''tpletely abandoned that n of your own?" He asked softly, "What you said to Newt''s grandson wasn''t really a joke, was it? Why bother using yourself as a pawn just to eliminate a Voldemort?"


    "There''s always a backup n." Dumbledore smiled gently instead, "I trust your skills, Professor Drac, but I want to keep this on the safe side."


    He smiled gently and looked at Drac''s burgundy eyed boy.


    There was one more thing he didn''t say:


    ''I trust your skills, Professor Drac, but I can''t fully trust your disposition.''


    What if halfway through the n, Drac left on his own, as he had been doing all this time, because he was bored? What if something goes wrong with the n and Drac gets his attention drawn to something else interesting and doesn''t want to return to the scene?


    Drac could care less about anything Voldemort did, but Dumbledore couldn''t care less.


    He''s been thrust into the position of being the top man in the wizarding world for a long time now, and he''s responsible for that wizarding world no matter what!


    ...


    The semester, which didn''t have a few days left, was quicklying to an end, followed by the Christmas break that the young wizards had been waiting for.


    Most of the students chose to go home for Christmas, and it was as if the castle fell silent all of a sudden, like the snow on the ground was thick with serenity.


    Drac leaned against the window and watched the young wizardsughing and ying in the snow below.


    During the Christmas vacation when there weren''t many people in the castle, the young wizards who had stayed in school seemed to have let themselves go, having snowball fights, ying with fireworks, and practicing dueling in private in various open spaces ...


    Drac could easily see a group of little red-haired wizards on a clean white ground, the Weasley children at first nce, with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger mixed in.


    The twins, Fred and George, had made a trip to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office a few days ago, and the two had told Drac that their parents had gone to Romaniast year to visit their second brother, Charlie, and this year they would be going to Egypt to visit their oldest brother, Bill.


    That''s the trouble with having a lot of siblings, you have to go in batches if you want to visit several children ...


    The reason the Wesley twins told Drac about this was to ask him if he had anything he wanted the Wesleys to take to Egypt.


    The previous Christmas vacation, Drac had asked the Weasleys to help bring a crystal ball that sent messages with the vampiremunity to Castle Brown.


    It was sort of because of that favor that Drac had traded in a brand new limousine for the old modified Ford.


    Obviously, Fred and George already had a deep impression of Drac''s wealth, and this time they asked if they needed to bring something with them with the intention of wool-gathering.


    However, this year Drac really did not have anything that needed to be piggybacked on, and he did not have any special familiarity with that area of Egypt, so he directly blew the twins who had fallen into the eye of the money out of the office ...


    "Dong Dong Dong."


    There was a sudden knock at the office door.


    Drac lightly snapped his fingers, the door automatically opened, and outside walked in a handsome young man with ck hair, the youth''s arm was still wrapped in a ring of bandages.


    "Almost healed?" Drac asked casually as he nced back at him.


    "Yes, normal work is no longer a problem." Riddle nodded, his face seemed to still be a bit embarrassed, "I failed your trust, Professor Drac, and in a moment of carelessness some time ago, I was attacked by a small wizard."


    "Are you sure that you were really only injured by a small wizard sneaking up on you, and not for any other reason?" Dracughed lightly.


    Riddle was silent for a moment.


    "Indeed, I should still be affected by the curse my main soul has ced on the position of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts." He sighed, "It was as if all luck had left me when that little wizard Scamander made a sneak attack on me ..."


    "Searching the bushes where Scamander was hiding, having to search until thest one was his hideout; the stupefy spell cast on him just hitting the curled-winged demon he had with him; the casual use of the magic spell hitting the unicorn horn with pinpoint uracy ..."


    "Everything that happened then was too evil!" Riddle gritted his teeth.


    "So this curse actually saps the luck of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" Drac said with interest, "Imposing a minus-type status of everything going wrong, increasing the likelihood of something going wrong in general, right?"


    "That should be the case." Riddle nodded gently.


    "What a creative curse." Drac eximed, then felt a little sorry for himself, "Is this Hogwarts'' best student of the century? How is it that they''ve gotten themselves into such a ssless state as they are now ..."


    Riddle stood by the side without saying anything, his expression slightly embarrassed.


    He and Voldemort shared the same memories from before the age of sixteen, and of course he was able to roughly understand that Voldemort had discarded his image and the integrity of his soul, and chose this option of strength and immortality.


    But it was the case that Drac, an Eldritch species, was extremely offended by this choice!


    "Tell me something, why did you go to the Forbidden Forest?"


    Drac wasn''t interested in hearing about Voldemort anymore and moved away from the window to sit back in his chair behind his desk.


    He set his long straight legs on the desk and looked back at Riddle.


    "I remember talking to Headmaster Dumbledore about this, I need some magical animals for my Defense Against the Dark Arts ss." Riddle looked back and spoke, "Didn''t you teach a ss with captured magical animals at the beginning of the semester?"


    "There''s no need to make things up in front of me, is there?" Drac raised an eyebrow and stared straight into Riddle''s eyes, "Since when has instructional material required the use of dozens of so many Pok¨¦mon?"


    "Mr. Scamander Jr. said he remembers clearly that some species of magical animals were knocked out several at once. That''s simply not a situation you need to face when capturing teaching material! Isn''t it enough to collect one or two of a type of magical animal?"


    "Or is there another secret inside the Forbidden Forest?"


    Drac hooked up the corner of his mouth and kindly looked at Riddle''s slightly changing face.

 Chapter 170 - 170 Dracula thought Harry and Ron could be dogged.

    <h4>Chapter 170: Drac thought Harry and Ron could be dogged.</h4>


    "The Forbidden Forest might really have some secrets, but it has nothing to do with me."


    Riddle''s face quickly returned to normal and said calmly, "I''ve only been here for less than half a year since I obtained this body, so I can be considered ignorant of this vast forest."


    "Is that so?" Drac was nomittal, "Then tell me, why did you make so many low-level mistakes that you shouldn''t have made when capturing magical animals? It doesn''t look to me like you were there to collect lecture material in the slightest, but rather like you were there to mutte the animals."


    Drac and Riddle locked eyes and fixed him with scrutinizing gazes, the heavy pressure slowly pressing down.


    "Okay, I admit that I didn''t go to the Forbidden Forest just to capture magical animals to use as teaching material ..." After a moment, Riddle finally couldn''t resist the pressure given by Drac and changed his words, "I actually wanted to exercise to improve my spell casting ability."


    "Exercise spell casting ability?" Drac furrowed his eyebrows.


    "That''s right, there are many,plicated spell casting techniques in my memories, as well as many strong magic spells, but this body is still too new after all, it''s hard to integrate the spell casting techniques in my memories." Riddle said.


    "That''s why I need to find some hostile creatures to help me practice spell casting, only then can I gradually bring my strength up."


    Drac nced at him tantalizingly and took out a blood-vored lollipop from his desk drawer, peeling off the candy''s outer wrapping.


    "In order to improve your spell-casting abilities, so you went inside the Forbidden Forest to mutte magical creatures?" He stuffed the lollipop into his mouth and said absently, "Why don''t you find a wizard at Hogwarts to be your chaperone?"


    "There are so many professors here, there will always be one willing to help you. Even if there are absolutely no professors willing to help you, you could always run over to Slytherin and get a few curses out of Professor Snape, I''m sure he''d be willing to go through a few moves with you."


    Drac had a lollipop in his mouth and a yful expression.


    "Well ... I hadn''t thought of that one," Riddle smiled insinuatingly, "A neer like me who hasn''t been at Hogwarts for very long always feels it''s not quite right to bother another professor over something like that. "


    "What''s inappropriate about it? They''re all colleagues, and you don''t look a few years older than the students, they''re just as patient with you as they are with the younger wizards." Drac let out a lightugh, "I see that you don''t think it''s inappropriate, but clearly have other ns!"


    Riddle''s improvised reason was too fake, so fake that there was no need to doubt the truth of this matter, and it did not stand up to scrutiny at all.


    It was also unknown why this assistant coach, who should theoretically be very intelligent, would make up such an unrealistic excuse.


    Was it because he hadn''t even thought that his behavior in the Forbidden Forest would be discovered before? Or was it because he thought the matter was frank enough to be leftpletely undisguised?


    "Riddle, don''t hide anything or you should know the consequences." Drac changed to an icy expression.


    Only paired with the lollipop in his mouth, the icy expression instead looked a bit incongruous ...


    "Professor Drac, I really can''t say this secret." Riddle shook his head helplessly, "If I just tell it out like this, it might in turn make you unhappy."


    "But you hiding it like this now precisely makes me even more unhappy." Drac said in a cold voice.


    A light suddenly flowed in Drac''s eyes, staring straight into Riddle''s eyes.


    Vaguely, some images of moldkes emerged from Riddle''s eyes, yet these not-so-distinct images quickly disappeared again.


    "Compared to the level of spell casting, your brain closure technique is well practiced." Drac snorted.


    "After all, that was the most important thing that that main soul of mine took to heart during the school year to watch out for Dumbledore''s prying eyes at the time." Riddle grinned, "Along with his regal fetching of thoughts he grew proficient at it."


    Drac looked at Riddle once more and waved his hand, whisking him out of the office.


    He rose from his seat, savoring the blood-vored lollipop in his mouth, feeling the salty taste on his tongue as he pondered the secrets of the Forbidden Forest.


    Even though Riddle''s Brain Closure was already considered to be in that top tier of the magical world, there were no wizards who could manage to make their mental protection seamless in the face of Drac''s mental snooping.


    From the images of a few moldkes just now, Drac saw an ancient building with roaming snakes all over the building.


    This ce was once very familiar to Drac, but never had the heart to recall it.


    If Riddle''s erratic behavior in the Forbidden Forest had been to seek out this location, then Drac would have indeed been displeased by the incident, and indeed would not have bothered to hitch a ride with him for it.


    It was a ce he didn''t want to mention for a long time.


    ...


    Christmas Day dawned.


    It was cold and white in every direction.


    Looking out the windows of the Gryffindor Tower, one could barely see the spires of the towers across the street, nor could one see the Quidditch pitch or the frozen ck Lake.


    The wind and snow roared around Hogwarts Castle, raising a dusting of snow in the air. The snow seemed to be a white tapestry, swirling down from the sky one after the other, sending chills down the spines of the young wizards who stayed in school.


    Only Harry and Ron were left in the Gryffindor second year dormitory, which had been hot and bustling from time to time.


    It wasn''t until almost noon that Ron sat up from his bed with his pet mouse, Spotty, in his arms and stretchedzily.


    "Harry, how are you doing on your Christmas presents this year?" He asked as he saw Harry, who was sitting next to the window opening his presents, yawning as he molded.


    "Everyone else is pretty much ready for Christmas, but I''m still missing one that I don''t know what to get." Harry responded.


    Harry unwrapped a small package as his owl, Hedwig, stood on the table next to him, looking at him curiously.


    The small package was from Mr. and Mrs. Dursley - they had given Harry a toothpick just for Christmas, along with a short letter asking him to inquire if he could stay and spend the summer at Hogwarts as well.


    In fact, Harry wanted to stay at Hogwarts for the summer as well, but unfortunately Hogwarts had never granted such a request from the young wizard.


    "Is there another gift that isn''t ready?" Ron nced out the window at the inclement weather, "You might have to hurry then, or the owls certainly won''t be able to deliver the gift the same day on a snowy day like this."


    "I know." Harry said, "The gifts that need to be delivered to ces a little further away were sent outst night, the rest of this gift is at Hogwarts and will definitely be delivered that day."


    "A gift within Hogwarts?" Ron asked in surprise, "What''s the hesitation about that, the students are all pretty much rted anyway, so why not just pick a few and send them off?"


    He came over to Harry and looked at the signature on the envelope, "Huh, you don''t have Professor Drac''s gift ready yet?"


    "Yeah, I don''t know what to get Professor Drac." Harry said.


    "It''s not that simple?" Ron pped his thigh and said decisively, "Didn''t we analyze itst Christmas? Professor Drac''s favorite things are alcohol and lollipops, my choice of vodka and sunny sweet orange vored lollipops are absolutely fine!"


    With that, he also pulled out a bottle of vodka from inside his own pile of gifts and ced it in front of Harry, "I got an extra bottle of vodka that I can lend you!"


    "Eh ... Ron, I was actually wondering if Professor Drac would not like vodka?" Harry nced at the bottle of the legendary water of life and fell into hesitation.


    "I remember afterst Christmas, we both got our Defense Against the Dark Arts ss assignments called back and rewritten ... Do you think it could be because Professor Drac wasn''t happy with our gifts?"


    "No way?" Ron froze for a moment, "My analysis should be fine, and is Professor Drac so careful?"


    ''Professor Drac is that careful!''


    Harry spat secretly, but didn''t dare to say it out loud for fear that the walls would have ears and the careful Professor Drac would overhear.


    "Ron, the general direction of your analysis should not be a problem ...," Harry said reasonably, "but when Professor Drac usually drinks alcohol, he is very elegantly drinking red wine in a tall ss, with the vodka kind of ''tons and tons and tons'' vibe doesn''t seem quite the same."


    "Seems to make sense." Ron was deep in thought.


    "So I think we should get some high quality red wine!" Harry looked up confidently.


    "But where are we going to buy high quality red wine in this weather?" Ron mumbled in a small voice, "And I''m sure Professor Drac won''t be able to look at regr red wine, and we don''t have that kind of money for that kind of luxury."


    Hearing what Ron said, Harry''s head dropped as well.


    "So what are we going to do?" Harry said with his head drooping, "I don''t want to be penalized for rewriting my homework again because of the gift."


    Ron cupped his chin, thinking, with a wise look on his face.


    "I know!" He pped his hand hard, "We can''t afford to buy the most expensive wine, but we can make the most original one!"


    "How?" Harry asked.


    "You see Harry, the main thing between vodka and red wine is actually the difference in color, drinking vodka from a tall ss would look weird." Ron said confidently, "But what if we colored clear vodka red?"


    "Huh?" Harry''s mouth dropped open.


    He always felt that there was something wrong with Ron''s idea, and he couldn''t tell what it was, but it just felt a little off.


    "Don''t worry, Professor Drac must have wanted to taste a good high-count drink like vodka as well, but he just didn''t think it was elegant or degrading enough, which is why he didn''t think our gift was good enough." Ron said.


    "But what if the vodka turns red? As long as it is disguised as red wine in a high-grade red wine bottle, Professor Drac can serve the vodka in a tall ss in a dignified manner, and even more so, he can drink it elegantly."


    Ron''s eyes grew brighter and his expression became more confident.


    "Come on, Harry, let''s go to Greenhouse One together and pick a few cockbs back." He threw on his own thick coat and rushed out of the dormitory, pulling Harry along with him, "It''s Christmas, there''s surely not much going on over at the greenhouses, and my n is perfectly feasible!"


    Harry was dragged by Ron as he stumbled all the way to the greenhouse shed in the northeast corner of the castle.


    His heart was a bit beat up about Ron''s whimsical idea, but couldn''t resist this deadbeat''s overconfidence, and didn''t hear any of Harry''s questioning words at all ...


    ...


    In the evening, the snow and wind hadn''t stopped outside, and the gale was blowing so hard that people outside wrapped their robes tightly around them.


    But in contrast, the Hogwarts auditorium was warm with magic.


    At Christmas dinner, all the people ate with gusto.


    The auditorium looked grand and imposing, with thousands of candles in the sky giving off a bright and gentle glow.


    There were a dozen Christmas trees covered in silver frost staggered around the auditorium, and the ceiling was decorated with many criss-crossed, beautiful ornaments of mistletoe and holly.


    There was enchanted snow falling gently from the ceiling, warm and dry, not cold like the snowkes outside in the cold wind.


    Dumbledore led the young wizards in a few of his favorite Christmas carols.


    These carols although sung by the young wizards out of tune out of tune, outrageous outrageous, broken tone broken tone ... butpared to the Hogwarts school song, at least it is still a standard tune, not so much as to let the song ispletely out of tune, only blind nonsense singing.


    In the middle of the song, Hagrid poured down cup after cup of eggnog, and his voice became louder and louder, and in the end, the auditorium could almost only hear his ghostly singing voice alone ...


    Percy Weasley had likewise failed to go with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley to visit the oldest son in the family, Bill. But his exnation to the other young wizards was that he had stayed for Christmas only because it was his duty, as a straight-A student, to support his professors during the expensively staffed holidays.


    So Fred, who couldn''t stand it, quietly enchanted his older brother so that the "P" on his Head Boy badge, which stood for Head Boy, had a few small letters added to it, turning it into "Pinhead".


    Percy doesn''t even realize it and asks what everyone isughing at.


    As the festive Christmas dinner progressed, Drac sat bored in his professor''s chair, watching the young wizardsugh and jostle, and even some of the professors joined in.


    He casually took out a bottle of red wine that he had gotten from somewhere and casually poured it into the goblet in front of him.


    The red wine in the goblet was crystal clear, and the ss was glowing with a slightly purplish color, which made it look extraordinarily attractive.


    Drac nodded his head in satisfaction, elegantly raising the ss to his mouth and taking a light sip ...


    "Pfft--"


    The "red wine" in Drac''s mouth instantly sprayed Snape, who was sitting across from him, in the face.


    "Drac!" Snape stood up fiercely, gritting his teeth and pulling out his wand, the wine still dripping from his face onto the tabletop, "If you were trying to provoke me, then I admit you did!"


    "Excuse me, Professor Snape." Drac knew he was a little out of line and did a cleansing spell on Snape''s hawkish nose, cleaning his greasy hair in the process, "It''s really just that the drink was a little out of the ordinary ..."


    "Vodka?" The corner of his mouth twitched a little as he looked over at the bottle of premium red wine in front of him.


    Drac instantly thought of this bottle of red wine he''d picked up from a pile of Christmas presents, and thought that Potter and Wesley, who''d been thinking of giving it as a gift, had finally learned the hard way about their preferences ...


    This was now a new grudge, and with the bottle of vodka and the Sunny Sugar Orange lollipop fromst Christmas, the two of them could basically be dered leashed!


    "How about this, Professor Snape ..." Drac looked to Snape, who inexplicably looked a bit cleaner after his hair stopped being oily, "Aspensation, I''ll type Potter and Wesley''s homework back and rewrite it once, no. Three times!"


    Hearing Drac''spensation, Snape thought for a moment, his angry face gradually calming down.


    "Deal!"


    He nodded heavily and sat back in his seat.


    Offstage, Harry and Ron, who were fighting with Draco Malfoy, suddenly felt a chill on their crests ...

 Chapter 171 - 171 All black magic comes from the same source?

    <h4>Chapter 171: All ck magices from the same source?</h4>


    A new semester had begun, and with it came news of Nicole LeMay.


    "Are you saying ... that the ck aura left behind by Helbo is almost identical inposition to that of Murmur?" Drac looked at the copper mirror in front of him that was witheringly engraved with the phoenix floating withering, and said in surprise.


    Le Mei''s pale and thin face appeared in the copper mirror, and at this time, his original perennial amiable and smiling expression looked extremely grave.


    "Indeed." He said, "Whether we look at the amount of magic power stored in it or observe the characteristics of the two energies, we can find that these two energies have extremely simr qualities in them."


    "I don''t know if anyone else has ever had the idea ofparing these two energies before, but it is true that in at least these six hundred years, I have never seen the energy produced by a ck magic item such as a Horcrux, it is far too rare."


    "Mimeographs may be a little more widely known than Horcruxes, but they are likewise not consideredmon, and wizards who have had the opportunity to observe the energetic properties of mimeographs are even rarer ..."


    LeMay''s gaze looked through the bronze mirror and into Drac''s eyes, "So I''m guessing that Newt may have been the first sorcerer to discover the simrities between the two energies!"


    Drac frowned slightly.


    Holding this Phoenix Floating Mirror in one hand, he pushed open the front door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom with the other and looked over to the small group of wizards who were sitting upright amidst the mellifluous sound of the ss bell.


    "This ss will be a self-study period, so you will read your own books to review what you have learned before, and next ss will be a ss test." He said to the young wizards.


    Drac then mmed the ssroom door shut with a snap and headed back down the stairs connected to the ssroom to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office, leaving the young wizards in the ssroom staring at each other in disbelief.


    "Hey Potter, Wese on, does Professor Drac make us study on a regr basis?"


    Rolf Scamander, who had been moved back from first year to second year by Dumbledore, asked a pair of Gryffindor desks next door as he sat in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom.


    "Just be d you did, Scamander." Ron quietly probed the front of the ssroom to make sure that the door waspletely closed, before reassuring Rolf, "Professor Drac rarely lets us study on our own, so if we''re having a study session it must be something else that''s tickled his fancy enough to make him toozy to go to ss."


    "You''re new here, you probably haven''t realized how brutal Professor Drac''s ssroom is, and having a study hall on the first period of a new semester is a real stroke of luck!"


    "Is Professor Drac''s ssroom that cruel?" Looking at Ron''s careful expression, Rolf was a bit bewildered, "Isn''t it possible that you guys are overreacting, I heard my grandpa say that Professor Drac is very powerful ah?"


    Rolf had only taken the Defense Against ck Magic ss taught by Riddle at Hogwarts so far, and had yet to listen to Drac''s ss.


    Not only the ssroom, after Drac gave himself a vacation, even the dueling club that he hosted was in a state of shutdown, Rolf also had not seen the club''s "grandeur", so he didn''t quite understand Ron''s prudence.


    "That''s because you haven''t been involved in Professor Drac''s physical training!" Harry also turned his head to Rolf and whispered to him, "Now that Professor Drac is back, the Dueling Club should reopen, so you cane and see for yourself."


    "Trust me, once you''ve participated in one of the Duel Club''s devilish training sessions, you won''t be able to forget the awesomeness of Professor Drac!" He assured Rolf with a pat on the back.


    "Harry, Ron, it''s ss time!" Just then, Hermione, who was sitting in the front row with her hair in disarray, turned around and whispered a serious rebuke.


    Harry hurriedly picked up his quill and pretended to study.


    Ron, on the other hand, was a little more exasperated, drawing out his tone and responding in a drawn-out manner:


    "Got it, herm-min-!"


    Once Hermione had turned her body away, Harry and Ron came back together and whispered again in lower voices ...


    ...


    After returning to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office, Drac thought about it and decided that he couldn''t speak clearly through a mirror, so he teleported directly to Paris.


    51 rue Montmorency, Maison Lemay.


    As a dark moon quietly emerged, Drac''s figure appeared in the living room of this house that had experienced the vicissitudes of more than five hundred years.


    As soon as Drac stepped out from the dark moon, he walked towards the left wall of the living room in a familiar manner, and pushed open an old and rustic doorway.


    Inside this door was a studio, which was full of things and looked a bit cluttered, yet a closer look revealed a particr order of cement.


    There was a cupboard in the workshop, inside which were stored small andrge ss vials and tubes, and an open padlocked book with a phoenix engraved on it stood close to the edge of the cupboard.


    The pages of the open book were connected to a bronze mirror of the Phoenix Floating Apotheosis in Drac''s hand, and an elegant frame on the page was connected to the mirror, disying Drac''s figure and the interior of the studio.


    "Nicole, how did youe to that conclusion?"


    Drac casually put the bronze mirror away and walked quickly over to Nicole LeMay.


    At this moment, LeMay was sitting on a chair next to a workbench, looking at the countertop filled withplex alchemy items with a grave expression.


    "Brad,e see here." He nced at Drac and pointed at an alchemy bnce emitting a metallic luster ced on the workbench, "You should know the use of this bnce, it is able to analyze the difference between two different kinds of substances."


    "Uh-huh." Drac nodded, "As long as the prerequisite of ensuring that the volume of the two substances is the same, this bnce will be able to recognize the difference in their magical power, quality, and ingredient content."


    "It seems that you haven''t forgotten all the alchemy even after sleeping for these hundred years." LeMay''s expression, even though it was still a bit grave, still didn''t hold back from snickering with his old friend.


    "Don''t bother, I have a good memory." Drac shrugged, "Hurry up and show me what you''ve aplished, by all rights I should be in ss right now!"


    "Still in ss and you''reing over?" LeMay gave Drac a surprised look, but nodded knowingly in the next second, "Oh, that''s normal if it''s you?"


    He picked up a ss vial from beside the scales and used his wand to pick a wisp of ck mist from the vial, cing it on the left end of the scales.


    Once the ck mist entered the confines of the bnce, it seemed to be immediately enveloped by a magical power, unable to escape the bnce''s tray, which was only one t surface.


    At the same time, the left tray of the bnce slowly sank.


    "This is what you sent over, the ck gas produced during Helbo''s resurrection collected from Mount Olympus there." LeMay said.


    He then capped the ss bottle and picked up another test tube, which also contained a ck misty object.


    "This is a sample of the Merman I asked Newt for." LeMay introduced it to Drac, "However, despite losing its host, the Silent Ran still retains a shallow consciousness of its own, and still has the potential to riot."


    "In order to prevent a riot from urring in Silmeran, I could only have Newt calm it down, and then very carefully collected a very small sample. The sample here is all there is."


    He very carefully picked up a wisp of the misty object he had sampled from the Silmarillion with his wand to prevent waste, and immediately had Drac help to cork the test tube, before cing the sample on the right-hand tray of the bnce.


    LeMay then gave one of the topmost knobs of the bnce a slight turn.


    Several different letters were engraved on the knob, and he turned one letter "W", for "weight", to face him.


    The tray on the right side of the bnce, which was high up, gradually fell, while the tray on the left side, in contrast, slowly rose.


    Eventually, the two trays stop at nearly the same height.


    "The masses of the two samples are essentially indistinguishable." LeMay said.


    Drac nodded and reached out his hand to change the direction of the knob above the bnce for LeMay.


    The "M" for "mana" now faced the front.


    The left and right side trays floated up and down slightly for a few moments, but in the end they remained at nearly the same height.


    "Among these two samples of the same volume, the magic content is basically the same, right?" Drac asked in a deep voice.


    "That''s right, and more than that." LeMay nodded gently and switched the knob to the other direction ...


    Eventually, Drac saw on this alchemy bnce that the samples on both sides wereparable in every aspect such as mass, density, toughness, and magic content.


    Thispletely proved that the ck gas produced by Helbo and the foggy object inside Murmuran''s body were exactly the same energyponent.


    "Did you find out what this is all about?" Drac asked a bit puzzled, "Other than the fact that they both fall under the category of ck magic, I can''t see any simrities between the two."


    "It''s unclear at the moment." LeMay shook his head, "It''s a pity that there aren''t more samples of other energies, or else they might even be able to analyze the connection between them."


    Drac propped his jaw with two fingers and looked at the samples on both sides of the scale with a slight frown.


    These two different energies were both ck, and although they were both gaseous or foggy objects floating in the middle of the air, the difference in shape and mold was still quiterge -


    The ck gas produced during Helbo''s repeated resurrections was a gas that, if it had to be described as anything else, could only be described as roughly simr to the ck smoke emitted from the chimneys of a Muggle factory.


    The ck mist in Murmuran''s body was different.


    The ck mist in Mimiran''s body is often wrapped in a transparent oily substance, and when this shell is cut open, it can be found that the ck mist inside is not just a mist, but the ck particles in it will sometimes condense together to form a flulent object.


    Therefore, the difference between these two substances was quite easy to recognize when judged by the naked eye alone.


    However, under Newt''s keen observation, its deeper forms of energy were unearthed. After LeMay''s Alchemical Bnce weighed them, it was found that the two substances that were originally unrted were actually different from each other!


    Seeing that Drac was deep in thought and didn''t say a word for a long time, LeMay went ahead and prepared to receive the two hard-earned energy samples into the corresponding ss bottles and test tubes.


    "Wait, don''t receive them yet."


    Drac suddenly spoke up.


    The wand that had already picked the ck energy up stalled in the air, and LeMay''s movements paused for a moment as she turned her head to look at Drac.


    "Anything new?" He asked.


    "I''d like to do another set ofparisons." Drac said softly as he looked at the alchemical scales in front of him.


    He removed his left hand, which was supported on his jaw, and extended his long, white index finger to the left tray, which had been emptied by LeMay.


    A cloud of blood-red energy coalesced at Drac''s fingertip and poured out as much as it could onto the left tray.


    Originally, without the support of the samples, the left tray that had been raised high slowly dropped with the expansion and growth of the blood red energy, until it remained at the same level as the right tray.


    Drac withdrew his index finger that was pointing at the edge of the left tray, his expression was rarely a bit stunned.


    LeMay looked at the alchemy bnce in shock, only to find that the volume of energy on both side trays was exactly the same!


    "This is ..."


    "This is the purest dark energy in my body." Drac said softly.


    He stared nkly at the two ends of the scales, then raised his hand to look at his fingertips, and slowly stated his conclusion.


    "Is it actually the case that ... all the energy attributed to darkness is the same substance?" Drac murmured.


    LeMay hesitated, probing the wand in her hand into the right tray of the scale.


    "We haven''t done all theparative eucalyptus examples yet, we can''t just jump to conclusions." He said, "Try recing the Silence with Hellebore''s ck Breath."


    The ck gas that was floating around the tip of his wand and hadn''t had a chance to be put into a ss vial was ced on the right tray, and with that, the ck mist extracted from Mer Merjan''s body was picked up off the tray by LeMay''s wand.


    The scales swayed slightly for a moment due to the shifting energy on both sides.


    As time passed, the wobble became smaller and smaller.


    Eventually, both ends of the scale stopped at the same level.


    "Indeed, Brad, the dark energy in your body is also nearly identical to Helbo''s ck aura." LeMay took a deep breath and said slowly.


    "So ... all the different kinds of dark energy are actually the same substance, is that what you mean?" Drac asked with a frown.


    "Probably." LeMayughed softly, "If that''s really the reason, then there doesn''t seem to be any other practical significance to this experiment we''ve made other than adding a paper definition to the theory of ck magic."


    "Perhaps." Drac bristled nomittally, "I''m now more interested in knowing what is the reason for the dark energiesing from the same source?"


    "That''s an overly broad question that''s not easy to answer, Brad." LeMaymented, "But that doesn''t seem to be much of a problem for you. You have a near infinite amount of time to figure this out someday."


    "All the same, if you really want to figure this out, then it would seem that life, which has been boring you, would have to add some other meaning to it." LeMayughed softly.


    Drac shook his head gently.


    His eyes were extraordinarily deep, and he didn''t know exactly what he was thinking.


    ...


    The night in the Scottish Hignds was as if it had been inked by a brush, a single stroke painting the sky and the earth.


    A cold winter moon slowly sketched floating shadows from the sky.


    On the east side of Hogwarts Castle, a battering willow that had been knocked down by two naughty little wizardsst semester had already recovered under Professor Sprout''s careful care, swaying its branches in the cold wind as if it were doing some kind of trendy dance.


    The cold wind hammered against the castle''s windows, causing the panes to rattle and bang.


    Two small, fiery red-haired, identical-looking wizards passed by the swaying window, yfully chatting with their darker-skinned roommate about various interesting events of the day.


    "Lee, did you hear that Professor Drac made students take study hall all day today!" George put his arm around Lee Jordan''s shoulder with an air of superiority.


    "Really?" Lee Jordan had a ck question mark on his face, a look of disbelief on his face, "Professor Drac disappeared for so long and just came back to give the students a study hall?"


    "Of course it''s true." Seeing Lee Jordan''s skeptical expression, Fred said with some displeasure, "You still don''t believe in both of our sources?"


    "That''s not what I meant ...," Lee Jordan hurriedly waved his hand and exined, "I just simply couldn''t imagine that Professor Drac would do this, is he getting impatient with the lectures and starting to swing for the fences? "


    Even though he hadn''t dealt with Drac in a deadpan manner like the Weasley twins, Lee Jordan still had his own perception of his ck Magic Defense Arts professor.


    In fact, after more than a year together, almost every student at Hogwarts had gotten to know their Professor Drac in some way, and they had all learned a few things about Drac -


    Firstly, Professor Drac was strong, very strong, very strong, and at the weakest, he was no weaker than Headmaster Dumbledore, as the old principal didn''t seem to be able to do much at all about all of the professor''s capricious behavior;


    Secondly, Professor Drac waszy, never standing when he could lean against a wall, and always making himself a bed when he could lie down;


    Third, and most importantly, Professor Drac was boring and never interested in anything but interesting things.


    Based on what the young wizards had discovered over the course of a year or so, they realized that Professor Drac''sing to Hogwarts to give lectures was most likely just a yful act, and by the time the day came when the job of a professor didn''t give him enough attraction, he would most likely abandon his own students and leave Hogwarts in a very capricious manner ...


    This was also the reason why Lee Jordan thought that Drac had begun to feel impatient with the lectures.


    "Say, do you guys guess that the dueling club will be on time tonight?" Lee Jordan asked, "It''s been two months since I''ve participated in Professor Drac''s devilish training, which is supposedly a good thing, but why do I feel like I''m inexplicably missing it a bit?"


    "I''m guessing you probably just have itchy skin and would be fine with getting your ass kicked." Fred said with a wicked grin, "I can be of service."


    Lee Jordan''s already dark face became even darker as he kicked Fred in the ass, his expression looking a little depressed after Fred easily dodged it.


    "Let''s think, Professor Drac shouldn''t have walked away so easily." George was slightly more reliable than Fred and answered Lee Jordan''s other question, "We made a bet with Professor Drac when thest school year just started!"


    "Professor Drac bet that he could teach until we graduated. If he just left, wouldn''t those Garlons bepletely ours?"


    Speaking of this, George raised his eyebrows.


    "Never mind, I knew I couldn''t ask you two anything." Lee Jordan gave the twins the middle finger and continued on, "Come on, we''ll see if the dueling club is still open when we get to the auditorium."


    The three walked together into the tall doors of the auditorium.


    Only to see the dueling stage in the middle of the auditorium standing up for the first time in a long time, and Drac''s upright figure was standing in the very center of the stage.

 Chapter 172 - 172 Black Magic Public Lecture

    <h4>Chapter 172: ck Magic Public Lecture</h4>


    "Professor Drac is really here?" Lee Jordan was a little incredulous, "I thought he was ready to abandon us."


    "I knew it!" George jumped up excitedly and gave Fred a silent high-five, "I knew it, Professor Drac has already made a bet with us that he would be able to teach us until we graduate, he must not be able to let go of those dozens of Golden Galleons!"


    "Sure enough, we''re the ones who deserve the most credit for making Professor Drac stay!" Fred said with simr glee.


    Lee Jordan gave the Weasley twins a look of contempt and moved a few steps to the side, making a show of not recognizing these two shameless people ...


    Being the first Dueling Club gathering since the start of the new semester, the auditorium was packed with people and shoulders.


    Whether it was the junior wizards or the senior prospective graduates, it had been two months since they had practiced dueling in the dueling club, and now they were all a bit nostalgic.


    They spontaneously gathered around the dueling table in the center of the auditorium, looking up at Professor Drac, who hadn''t listened to his lecture for a long time, with eagerness in their eyes.


    On the Hogwarts bell tower, the melodious bell slowly rang.


    Apanied by the bell of the club opening, Drac raised his hands and gently pressed down.


    The cacophony of murmurs,ughter, and talking gradually stopped, and after a few moments, the auditorium became surprisingly silent.


    "It is a pleasure to see you, dear students."


    Drac''s mellow voice resounded in the center of the auditorium, yet it seemed to echo in every part of the auditorium, so that no matter how far away the young wizards standing were able to hear it clearly.


    "As you all should know, I was away for over a month before the Christmas break began." He said softly, "Perhaps some of you will be surprised as to what I went to do."


    "I also know that some of you will probably specte if I got bored and was ready to abandon you guys?"


    Drac smiled, looking at the young wizards under the dueling stage with a gentle expression.


    Looking at Drac''s gentle gaze, Lee Jordan and many other small wizards lowered their heads.


    They fell into deep self-me, feeling that they shouldn''t have doubted their professor like this, and should have had faith in Professor Drac.


    However, Drac''s next sentence directly caught them off guard.


    "That''s right, I''m just bored, and I just want to abandon you all!" He said cheerfully.


    Lee Jordan and a bunch of other young wizards, "???"


    Did Professor Drac really have to be so direct?


    "Professor, why are you leaving?"


    "Professor, what should we do with Hogwarts'' ck Magic Defense after you leave?"


    "Professor ..."


    The quiet auditorium once again became noisy, the small wizards were in a frenzy, one by one, they opened their mouths to ask Professor Drac why he had to leave Hogwarts, and there were also some small wizards who loved Drac very much who cried and pleaded with the professor not to abandon them.


    Drac in Hogwarts teaching this more than a year''s time, although he will sometimes deviate from the textbook, lecture content let students caught off guard; sometimes not willing to correct homework, not willing to test papers, so that many schoolboys feel dissatisfied; sometimes he will take the students for the devil''s training, so that a person is painful ...


    But no one could deny that Drac was indeed a professor of considerable caliber, as well as a good professor who would not be biased in favor of any of the colleges because he had not been divided.


    Moreover, Drac was also the first Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts who was able to get re-elected.


    If he did leave Hogwarts out of boredom, who knows what kind of a luddite Headmaster Dumbledore''s next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would be? What if he got the next Chilo?


    So no matter what year it was, no one wanted Drac to leave Hogwarts, except for the petnt little wizards who abhorred the devil''s training.


    Drac stood on the dueling stage, looking at the shocked, incredulous, and resistant expressions of the young wizards below, listening to a voice of retention and persuasion, the corner of his mouth slowly sketched out a soft smile.


    "Let''s all be quiet for a moment." Heughed softly, "I have something else to say that I haven''t finished."


    Drac''s voice rang in the ears of every student present, interrupting the din in the auditorium.


    The young wizards looked up at Drac''s smiling face and slowly quieted, wanting to hear what Professor Drac had left to say.


    "I actually did feel a little boredst semester, a month or so before the end of the semester." Only when the auditorium waspletely quiet did Drac speak slowly, "So I gave myself a vacation, went to see an old friend, and met some new ones in between."


    "The vacation was actually quite rewarding for me, and I found out quite a few interesting things, and it sure was a lot more interesting than the boring life of lecturing at Hogwarts every day." He said frankly.


    When the young wizards on the stage heard this, they all revealed worried expressions, fearing that Drac would say something like he wouldn''t continue lecturing in the future.


    "But, those funny things don''te across every day." Drac''s words changed, "It might only be two or three days when you really encounter interesting things."


    "The rest of the time is still the same boring life that has been going on for decades, and it''s not even remotely as interesting as watching you guys fight at Hogwarts."


    The young wizards in the auditorium were at first a bit bewildered, then they understood the subtext of Drac''s words, and all of them revealed surprised, delighted expressions.


    "Yes, in a school as vibrant as Hogwarts, there are at least new faces every year, new surprises every day, and there are always some little wizards who can make my eyes light up ...," Dracughed, "Of course, the ones who make my eyes Of course, it''s not as if there aren''t any that make me go ck."


    The little wizardsughed knowingly.


    Lee Jordan poked his two twin roommates next to him in the arm and whispered to them if it was the two of them that made Professor Drac go ck.


    Fred and George rebutted his "ridiculous"ment with a resounding.


    "And besides that, I discovered something new today." Drac shook his head out ofughter, looking at the reactions of the young wizards on the stage, and then said, "In fact, no matter how long one has lived, there are always some things that we don''t understand."


    "That''s why, teaching your homework while engaging in self-learning is the most suitable life for myself that I can think of."


    Drac''s speech wasn''t long, but every word was true to him.


    It was rare for him to talk genuinely to someone like he did today, let alone speak genuinely to such arge group of young wizards.


    This time''s experience had indeed given Drac some new ideas.


    First was the meeting with Andros. Andros had preferred to spend his entire life, even wasting his time after death, in the secret realm at the top of Mount Olympus, just to block off the opportunity for the vile Helbo to do his evil deeds and seal it firmly.


    This touches Drac in a slight way.


    Later, Newt tells him at Drac''s castle about what happened decades ago during the Global Wizarding War, and also manifests his passion for magical creatures in Drac''s presence.


    Newt was approaching a hundred years old, but he was still devoted to all magical creatures, and when he carefully recorded the characteristics of magical creatures in his cowhide book, his expression was really like that of a child carefully observing the movement of ants.


    This also brought Drac a slight touch.


    At the end of the day, LeMay analyzed the simrity of the ck aura of Mimeran and Helbo, and the two of them came to the conclusion that all ck magic came from the same source.


    This incident was to let Drac know that even though he had lived for more than a thousand years, there were still some things that he had never understood.


    So when he was bored, couldn''t he find something more meaningful to do? Couldn''t one take advantage of the boredom to find the source of all the dark energy?


    And the conclusion Drac and LeMay hade to together made him unsure if there was anything else wrong with ck magic, dark energy or not.


    In the event that someday something went wrong with the same source of ck magic, and yet the students of Hogwarts knew nothing about this form of magic, then they would probably be at a disadvantage in such a matter.


    Drac couldn''t ept that his students had no understanding of ck magic at all.


    "We are not learning how to duel today." A smile spread in his eyes and he looked at the young wizards on the stage who always gave clear gazes, "I want to give you an impromptu public lesson on ck magic defense techniques, would you like to hear it?"


    The little wizards under the stage were first a little surprised, then slightly relieved.


    It''s been quite a long time since Professor Drac''s devilish training, I''m afraid that today''s direct resumption of training intensity will end up with soreness all over their bodies, switching to an open ss on ck magic defense technique is indeed a bit morefortable.


    So, the little wizards said in unison -


    "Want to listen!"


    "Good." The corner of Drac''s mouth hooked up a wilting smile, "In that case, today I''m going to tell you ... what ck magic is!"


    "Who can tell me what ck magic is?"


    At this time, the little wizards under the stage had not yet realized the seriousness of the matter, one by one, they probed their heads and looked at Drac on the dueling stage, and the schoolboys even raised their hands high.


    "Ms. Granger, you tell us."


    Drac pointed to the little witch on the stage with her hand raised and her hair tousled.


    "Dark Arts, also known as Dark Magic, refers primarily to any type of magic used to harm, control, or even kill people and creatures. Most people who practice Dark Magic are evil, and wizards who practice it are called Dark Wizards."


    Hermione recited the textbook definition of ck magic very fluently.


    "Well said." Drac appreciated, "The definition of ck magic is indeed as simple as that, broadly speaking it refers to any magic that could be detrimental to other wizards."


    "If we were to delineate ck magic ording to that definition, then all the magic wemonly see with controlling abilities would be categorized as ck magic - such as stupor spells, petrification spells, binding spells, and so on."


    "But we likewise know that these spells with some control are precisely the ones you must learn during your school years, so are you going to be called ck wizards just because you''ve mastered a stupor spell, or a petrification spell for that matter?"


    Drac looked over to Cedric of Hufflepuff and teased, "Diggory, I know you''re pretty good with the stupor spell, so do you admit to being a dark wizard?"


    A joyousugh came from the Hufflepuff side of the crowd.


    Cedricughed and pushed aside his roommate, who was snickering at him, and said in a loud voice to Drac, "Professor, I adamantly do not admit to being a dark wizard!"


    He often came to the office to ask Drac about all kinds of topics, and nowadays he had gotten very familiar with the mix, so Drac''s sudden flirtation didn''t make him feel the slightest bit embarrassed.


    "As a matter of fact, it''s not just you who won''t admit that you''re ck wizards, but all the other wizards in the magic world are also reluctant to admit it." Dracughed and continued his narration, "Soter on, wizards had a stricter division of ck magic-"


    "As I have told you in the Dueling Club, ck magic is divided into Evil Spells (Jinx), Poison Spells (Hex), and the most vicious Curses (Curse)."


    "The spells among these categories are all ones that can actually cause damage to a wizard, so there''s usually no objection to being ssified as ck magic."


    "As for the control-type magic spells such as Stupor Curse, Disarming Curse, Petrification Curse, and so on, they were called defense magic byter wizards, and these magic spells would not cause harm to other people while at the same time being able to eliminate the opponent''sbat power."


    "And so, most of the control type of magic, in general, was removed from the category of ck magic." Drac said.


    The young wizards revealed thoughtful expressions.


    In fact, this knowledge had been subliminally recounted by Drac as early as the previous dueling club gathering, and most of it could be quickly absorbed and understood by the students present.


    So all of this knowledge was just an appetizer, the main event was still toe.


    "The dueling club has been held so many times, you may have alreadyprehended how to conduct a duel and how to defend against your opponent''s spells." Dracughed softly.


    "But with the limitations of the professors, you can only use the defense spells I just introduced to you in a duel, and you haven''t learned enough to really deal with the knowledge of ck magic - very little!" Drac continued, "Therefore, I''m going to let you all appreciate today - how a ck wizard would use magic."


    The young wizards on the stage were instantly interested.


    "What? Professor Drac is going to show us ck magic?" Ron spected gleefully, "Hermione, how would you guess Professor Drac''s use of ck magic?"


    "Uh ... shouldn''t be any better than a dark wizard using it?" Hermione whispered, "After all, Professor Drac is usually not very decent, but he''s still a decent wizard after all."


    "Ahem ...," Harry coughed menacingly.


    "What''s wrong with you, Harry?" Ron turned his head to look at his nemesis next to him, "Do you disagree with what Hermione said?"


    "No, I just choked myself by gagging." Harry said hurriedly.


    Because Harry and Riddle had always maintained a pretty good rtionship, and often sought out Assistant Riddle for tutoring in Defense Against the Dark Arts, he had also heard part of what there was about Drac from Riddle.


    Harry remembered what Riddle had once said to him -


    Drac''s level of ck magic, if he said he was second in the magical world, then even Voldemort wouldn''t dare to say he was first ...


    He nced at Hermione and Ron, who were still in the dark, and gave a helpless smile.


    "Alright, back to business." Drac pressed both of his hands together in a vain attempt to gradually quiet the chaotic auditorium, "Before I demonstrate how a dark wizard casts a spell, I will give you a rundown of why I do what I do-"


    "Spells, theye in many forms, with different magical powers, and ways of casting them. Theoretically, I need only teach you the variousmon magic spells to break the spells, that''s all."


    Instead of saying what really made him determined to exin ck magic, Drac exined it to the young wizards from another angle.


    "As a rule, there are a lot of students here who are less than sixth years, and you''re still too early in your adulthood for me to have told you what illegal ck magic looks like, because you''re too young now to deal with this ck wizarding way of casting spells."


    "But it seems to me that it is always good to know more about something, no matter what grade you are in, and the sooner you learn about the ck magic you have to deal with the better off you will be. If something is something you''ve never seen before, how can you defend yourself against it?"


    "Remember, if a dark wizard is going to cast a ck magic spell on you, he will not tell you what he intends to do beforehand. A ck wizard will never pronounce a spell on you frankly, fairly, or politely."


    "Therefore, you must be prepared to deal with ck magic!"


    Drac''s gaze swept a full circle around the auditorium, looking deeply into the expression of each young wizard, hoping to see the importance in their eyes.


    "Next, to the part you are most concerned about ... I will show you the most evil ck magic, I hope you watch carefully." He said in a deep voice.


    "These magic may make you feel ufortable, but also please do not feel afraid, I will not hurt you."


    Drac snapped his fingers.


    A handsome young man with ck hair suddenly appeared on the dueling stage, standing right in front of Drac.


    "Hm? What''s going on here?"


    Riddle, who had just been in the assistant professor''s office, had a moment of panic at the sudden change of scene in front of him, so he quickly drew his wand and pointed it around with a pale face.


    In the next moment, he realized that this was his familiar auditorium, surrounded by many small wizards who wereughing and enjoying his antics.


    Riddle then realized that this was the scene of the dueling club, and Drac was looking at him with a pleasant smile on his face next to him.


    "Professor Drac?" Riddle looked at Drac in disbelief and silently put away his wand, "Is it something that you''ve called me over all of a sudden? Is it that you need my cooperation in your dueling demonstration?"


    "It does require your cooperation." Drac smiled evilly, "But it''s not to perform a dueling demonstration, rather, I need you to be a model."


    Looking at Drac''s evil smile, Riddle instantly felt bad and turned around wanting to escape.


    However, the next moment, Drac''s voice rang in his ears-


    "Soul out of body (Imperio)."

 Chapter 173 - 173 Experience the Soul Snatching Curse

    <h4>Chapter 173: Experience the Soul Snatching Curse</h4>


    Riddle''s expression instantly changed.


    The look that was originally tinged with some panic immediately became calm andposed, and the movement of turning around to run away also stopped, turning to stand on the dueling stage with a gaze, assuming a sprightly andmitted front pose.


    "Ping!"


    Drac snapped his fingers.


    "Music! Lights!"


    The thousands of candles floating over the auditorium dimmed at the same time, a converging beam of light enveloping Riddle.


    At the same time, the sound of Conjugal Excitement''s music resounded in the auditorium.


    It was the full set of instruments from one of the bands at the Christmas dinner, which had reappeared at the front of the auditorium at an unknown time, and yed on its own without being plucked.


    Riddle danced himself to the rousing music.


    Swinging his head, arms, waist and hips, and legs; flinging the scarf around his neck, the wizard''s robe draped behind him; dancing with his light and swift steps, his four-fold passion, apanied by a strong rhythm!


    Riddle danced in the street in full view of the crowd! He showed revelry and freedom all over his body, which was the soul of street dance!


    "Cool!"


    Fred and George stared enviously as they watched Assistant Coach Riddle''s passionate dance steps, and believable moves on the dueling stage.


    There were also a number of guttural squeals from the little witches -


    Assistant Coach Riddle''s handsome face, matched with the handsome and dashing dance moves, as well as the expression of deep love and devotion on his face, all of them pulled the young schoolgirls'' excited emotions.


    There were also some young wizards who watched the fun and yelled for Professor Drac to join Assistant Professor Riddle''s street dance, and two men who were so handsome that they had no friends dancing together would make this dancepletely perfect!


    Drac stood at the edge of the dueling stage away from the spotlight, paying no attention to those little wizards.


    Joke, how can a noble and cold professor perform a dance for you guys? Do I still want to lose face?


    "You guys don''t just enjoy Assistant Professor Riddle''s dance." Drac nced at the young wizards'' engaged expressions and opened his mouth to interrupt amidst the music, "Remember, this isn''t a dance ss, this is an open ss on ck magic defense!"


    "Now all use your brains to think about what you would do if someone cast a soul snatching spell on you."


    Drac''s voice did not seem the least bit abrupt over the music, nor was it masked by the congenial and stirring music, and it was very clearly delivered to the ears of each and every young wizard.


    A portion of the little wizards present showed thoughtful expressions.


    Of course, arger portion of them were still mesmerized by Riddle''s dance, and most of them were young female witches.


    Riddle, who was illuminated by the spotlight, was still dancing obliviously.


    His movements were like a rising sun on the sea, like a deer in the deep forest, wantonly using flexible limbs and even the five senses, skillfully and freely dancing himself, waving his youth in flight!


    Suddenly, the whole body trembles, like an electric shock; suddenly, it squirms, like a dragon and snake; suddenly, it rotates upside down, like a gyroscope; suddenly, it stands upright, like a cedar!


    After a long time, the music came to an end.


    As a heavy drum beat finally fell, the music and dance steps came to an abrupt end at the same time, and Riddle used a sharp kick to make a perfect ending for his street dance.


    The converging beams of light slowly dissipated, and the thousands of candles over the auditorium once again glowed brightly, illuminating the entire auditorium.


    Thunderous apuse erupted from the stage!


    The little wizards pped their hands excitedly, jumping up and down to cheer for this wonderful performance, even if their hands were red.


    Drac stopped the effects of the soul-stealing spell and walked towards the center of the dueling stage with a smirk.


    "How does it feel?" He asked smilingly.


    Riddle''s body finally returned to his control, and in that instant, the aches and pains all over his body came like a tidal wave.


    He had never learned a dance like street dance, nor did he have the physical quality to make these kinds of difficult movements for a long period of time, and under the maniption of the Soul Snatching Curse, dancing a perfect street dance like this was simply killing half of his old life.


    "Professor Drac, it''s true that it''s my problem that I didn''t tell you about the secret of the Forbidden Forest after hiding it from you some time ago, but it''s not that much of a blow to retaliate against me, is it?" Riddle was drenched in sweat and panting as heughed bitterly at to Drac.


    "I don''t mean to retaliate." Drac''s face was unchanged, looking like he had no idea what he was talking about, "It''s just that I want you to cooperate with me in teaching an open ss on ck magic defense techniques."


    Riddle looked at Drac''s innocent expression with a somewhat numb expression, and secretly suppressed a whole bunch of expletives that almost came out of his mouth.


    ''Fine, I can''t beat you, whatever you say!'' He thought through gritted teeth.


    Drac ignored whatever resentment Riddle had and took two steps forward, turning to look around at the young wizards.


    "Did Professor Riddle dance well?" He asked cheerfully.


    "Yes!"


    "Assistant Professor Riddle danced fantastic!"


    The young wizards on stageughed and let out a burst of apuse.


    "You guys think he danced well, don''t you?" Drac turned his words around and gave a contemptuousugh, "But I have a different opinion."


    "Beforeing to my open ss on ck Magic Defense, Assistant Professor Riddle had never learned any moves that had anything to do with street dancing."


    "These wonderful dance steps, the frequency of arm swings, and even the expressions on his face are all just products of my maniption. It would be extremely taxing on his body."


    Drac''s eyes swept idly over all the young wizards around him and asked softly, "Would you like it if I cast this soul-stealing spell on you?"


    Theughter and cheers from the stage died down almost immediately, leaving only certain mischief-makers who were watching to see what was going on to maintain their joyful expressions.


    "Oh? I see there are others who don''t seem to care too much." Drac''s eyes went to the two little fiery red-haired wizards and smiled with interest.


    "In that case, would any of you like toe up and experience it?" He asked.


    Fred and George immediately raised their hands high in the air.


    They thought it was a very interesting thing to be able to dance a dance they hadn''t learned.


    This experience of being controlled by the Soul Snatching Curse was probably just a novelty for these two heartless mischievous people.


    Looking down at the twins on stage, Drac slowly quirked the corners of his mouth.


    "Okay, then, let''s have Fred Weisse up here and volunteer for everyone for once." He rted.


    One of the young red-haired wizards jumped up in surprise and was ready to run towards the dueling stage.


    Before he could reach the dueling tform, however, he realized that his twin brother had scurried up to the stage ahead of him.


    "George, what are you doing? It was my name that Professor Drac was shouting!" Fred became enraged and shouted at George.


    "I was going to ask you, George, why are you impersonating me?" George had the cheek to turn Fred back on him, "I''m the one who''s Fred, Professor Drac clearly called out for me!"


    Fred was exasperated andughed, crossing his arms at George on the stage, "So let me ask you, how are you going to prove you''re Fred?"


    "You leave me alone, how are you going to prove you''re Fred?" George, not in the least bit flustered, threw the question back.


    "Oh, I''m afraid you''ve missed the mark this time, George." Fred gave a winning smile.


    He unbuttoned his wizard''s robe, revealing a thick sweater inside, hand-sewn by Mrs. Weasley, with arge letter "F" stitched on it.


    This is Mrs. Weasley''s Christmas gift to all the Weasley children, every year, each of them will receive a piece of brightly colored wool sewn on the top of the initials of each child''s name.


    It is worth noting that this year Harry had one, too, with arge letter "H" sewn into the sweater.


    Seeing the letter on Fred''s chest, George silently tightened the front of his wizarding robe to block the letter "G" on his own chest.


    "George, you despicable bastard, stealing my sweater!" With a twinkle in his eye, he immediately came up with another idea and eximed, "I''ll be sure to write and tell mom when I get back!"


    Drac couldn''t help but look just as dark as he looked at the twins who were condemning each other.


    "So eager to experience what it''s like to be controlled by a soul snatching spell?" He sneered, silently marking these two Weasleys in his heart, "Fine, I promise you,e up here both together."


    Fred and George, not having the slightest idea of what raging storm they were about to face, cheerfully stopped their bickering and walked up to the dueling stage in high spirits.


    "Professor, do we need to do anything?" Standing on the dueling stage, Fred looked at Drac with expectant eyes.


    "Assistant Professor Riddle, what does it feel like to be controlled by the Soul Snatching Curse, can you reveal a little bit first?" George, on the other hand, looked at Riddle with an expectant face.


    These two living treasures simply didn''t look like they wereing to experience the Unforgivable Spell, instead they looked like they were traveling to the dueling stage.


    "Cut the crap, you guys will know in a moment." Drac interrupted them unceremoniously, then lightly snapped his fingers.


    "Soul Out of Body (Imperio)."


    As the incantation for the Soul Snatching Spell came out of Drac''s mouth, the candlelight in the auditorium quietly became soft.


    The unmanned band at the front of the auditorium also strummed on its own, ying soft, spring-like music.


    At the same time, the expressions of Fred and George changed, and the exuberant look of excitement was put away and turned somewhat ... flirtatious?


    The two of them tiptoed lightly to the soft music, their bodies leaping up and kicking their toes behind them, their necks tilting up to close to their calves underneath their red hair, and their soft waists taking on a reverse bow, full of tension.


    The long sleeves of the Hogwarts school robes flew like snow haunting the wind, swinging gently at the low echoes of the music and flinging them swiftly at the high points!


    Scarves swayed,pels fluttered, and Fred and George seemed to be riding the wind the next second. The lightness and the grace of the dance are so perfected that they are in a state of perfection!


    This beautiful dance, if it was performed by a gentle dancer, might have brought the audience an experience of extreme beauty.


    However, this dance was favorably performed by the two men, Fred and George, and the flirtatious and touching expressions on their faces and the soft and delicate dance moves on their bodies made the little wizards under the stage call out for hot eyes.


    Percy, Ron and Ginny covered their eyes at the same time.


    If it wasn''t for the overly obvious color of their hair, they would have inevitably lost their tongues and denied that these two goods on stage were their brothers.


    "Don''t just dance, have you forgotten what I''m trying to teach you guys to do in this ss?"


    Drac''s voice rang out from the edge of the stage.


    "Use your will to resist my control, to break free of the spirit!" He shouted, "Do you want to be humiliated in front of your ssmates until the music ends?"


    He stared at Fred and George''s movements, reducing the magic applied to the soul-stealing spell to only about a tenth of what Riddle had just endured, feeling the resistanceing from the twins'' spirits.


    After a few moments, Drac''s facepletely darkened.


    These two shameless guys actually had absolutely no shame about this behavior of dancing the female folk dance in front of their ssmates!


    Drac could not feel any hint of resistance at all from the control of the soul snatching spell, and could even vaguely feel that these two people seemed to ... enjoy themselves in it?


    He inexorably stopped controlling the twins'' Soul Snatching Spell, and then somewhat grumpily kicked the two off the dueling stage.


    "You two, double all your homework for the semester!" Drac shouted viciously at Fred and George.


    After the pair of living treasures were kicked off the dueling stage, they were oblivious to the disgusted gazes of the surrounding crowd, patted their asses and stood up, and started discussing to themselves how they felt about the dance they had just done under the control of the Soul Snatching Curse.


    "Wow, I never thought I''d be able to dance like that one day." Fred said excitedly.


    "Wow, it''s so soothing, it feels like all the ligaments in my body have been stretched." George moved his knees, every now and then sucking in a cool breath, "Hiss - I didn''t feel it just now, but it really hurts to feel it now!"


    "..."


    Drac''s mouth twitched at the corners of his mouth as he watched these two living treasures act with apleteck of shame, in a very upset mood.


    "Leave those two alone, upes one with a face!" He gritted his teeth and said, "I let you guyse up here to exercise your ability to resist the Soul Snatching Curse, not toe up here to enjoy yourselves!"


    However, the little wizards under the stage were all resistant to the matter ofing up to the stage to demonstrate after seeing Fred and George''s shameful fame scene.


    No one was willing to dance in full view of the public like the people before them.


    "No one?" Drac said with a smirk, "Then I may take a roll call."


    "Harry Potter!"


    This savior was a young wizard that Dumbledore had focused on, so having him learn how to resist the soul snatching spell should make the old principal quite happy.


    Once the old principal was happy, he might not go after himself for using the Unforgivable Spell.


    Drac secretly made a calction.


    Harry on the stage waspletely surprised that he would be called, and his eyes widened incredulously.


    "That''s you Potter,e on up." Drac repeated, "Don''t keep the others waiting."


    Ron patted Harry on the shoulder to cheer him up, but the corners of his mouth that couldn''t stop rising clearly reflected his delight at the fact that Harry was about to dance on stage.


    Hermione red at Ron and looked concerned as sheforted Harry.


    Filled with sadness, Harry said goodbye to his two youngest friends, took a step or three onto the dueling stage, and then closed his eyes in resignation.


    "Rx, of the three Unforgivable Curses, only the Soul Snatching Curse ispletely defensible, I''ll show you how to do it." Drac exined, "It takes true courage and a strong spirit, not everyone can do it."


    "Therefore, if a dark wizard tries to control you with a soul snatching spell, it is best to avoid being hit by it."


    Drac raised his wand and recited the incantation for the Soul Snatching Spell once again.


    Harry felt nothing but lightness under the control of the Soul Snatching Spell, his mind swept away with thoughts and worries, leaving only a fuzzy, unseen and untouchable joy.


    He stood there, feeling particrly rxed and carefree, only modally aware of his ssmates watching him from the stage.


    Then he heard Professor Drac''s voice, echoing in some distant corner of his empty head:


    Run ... run on the dueling stage ... turn a heel ... turn a heel at the edge of the stage ...


    Harry ran around the perimeter of the dueling stage, asionally flipping a front flip over the edge of the stage.


    After the farce of the Weasley twins, Drac wasn''t in the mood to pick any dances for Harry to go to, but it still wasn''t an easy move to get him to do, and the flips were considerably more than he was physically capable of doing on his own.


    "Listen Potter, do your best to use your will to resist the grip of the soul snatching spell." Drac said softly as he stood in the center of the dueling tform, "Don''t worry about what you''re doing, don''t look at what''s around you, put all your energy into it, all you need to do is get rid of the soul snatching spell!"


    Harry heard Drac''s voice, but Professor Drac''s outward voice ovepped with the distant voice in his head, so dreamlike and vague that it was impossible to tell the difference.


    The words Drac uttered on the dueling tform soon faded, reced by a louder and louder urging:


    Go turn a heel ... turn a heel ...


    ''But why?''


    Another voice awoke in Harry''s head.


    ''It''s stupid to do it.'' The voice said.


    ... Turn over a heel.


    ''No, I don''t want to do a heel turn, thanks.'' The other voice said, in a somewhat firmer tone, ''No, I really don''t want to flip ...''


    Let you flip just flip! Quick flip!


    The next thing Harry knew, he felt a sharp pain in his butt.


    He flipped over, but flipped over while trying not to flip over-


    The result was that hended on his butt, the hard dueling tform making a ''winter'' sound, and a sharp pain in his tailbone, as if the bone had been shattered.


    "Huh?" Drac gave Harry a surprised look.


    He hadn''t even expected that just a little second year wizard would be so visibly resistant to the Soul Snatcher spell the first time he was manipted that it even affected his body''s ability to manipte his movements.


    Even if Drac had only used a tenth of the magic power he had used when controlling Riddle, that was still quite a rare thing.


    So, this savior really does have something special about him?


    Drac quirked the corner of his mouth with interest.

 Chapter 174 - 174 Dracula: Use the Sorcery spell on me!

    <h4>Chapter 174: Drac: Use the Sorcery spell on me!</h4>


    "Very good, I would suggest that the rest of the ss learn from Mr. Potter as well." Drac nodded gently andplimented, "Potter''s will is quite strong and notpletely taken over by my soul snatching spell."


    Harry looked up at Drac in confusion, and as Drac stopped the casting of the soul-stealing spell, he felt the hollow, valley-echoing emptiness in his head disappear.


    He remembered very clearly what had just happened, and the pain in his tailbone grew more and more excruciating.


    "Heal as before (Epliskey)." Drac''s voice sounded again.


    Harry felt his shattered bones healing rapidly under Professor Drac''s healing spell treatment, first creating a slight tingling sensation, then both the tingling and the pain faded away and his tailbone returned to its original state.


    He opened his eyes wide and stood up from the ground before hastily preparing to leave the dueling stage.


    "Don''t rush off just yet, Potter." Drac stopped Harry''s thoughts of walking off the dueling stage and smiled, "Remember how you just felt and we''ll do it again. Hopefully this time you''ll be able to get out of the Soul Snatching Spell''s grip quicker."


    Before Harry could respond, the hollow feeling of being under the control of the soul snatching spell resurfaced in his mind.


    Turn over a heel ...


    Drac''s voice resurfaced, as if echoing from a very distant ce.


    Harry had already had one experience and followed the feeling of thest time he had been controlled by the Soul Snatching Curse and resisted Drac''smand to turn his heel.


    "Winter!"


    He fell to the floor again.


    This time it was his nose thatnded on the floor, nosebleed rubbing off.


    "I don''t see any significant improvement in you." Drac said in a cold tone as he casually healed Harry''s nose.


    "Again!"


    ...


    Harry was tested seven times in a row, and basically each time there was some improvement over the previous one, with the amount of time he was under control being shortened one by one.


    It wasn''t until Harry was able topletely free himself from the control of the Soul Snatching Curse that Drac finally allowed him to leave the dueling stage.


    After leaving the dueling stage, Harry felt nothing but aches and pains all over his body.


    Even though every time he fell to the ground, Drac used a healing spell to heal the injuries Harry had sustained. But whether it was the strain on his muscles or the exhaustion in his heart, it was not something that a healing spell could directly heal.


    So as soon as Harry got off the dueling tform, he sat down on the ground next to Ron and Hermione, grimacing and rubbing his sore muscles, rxing his brain that had not been calmed for a long time.


    One by one, the young wizards around them came up to Harry, trying to ask for advice on how he had broken free of the hold of the soul-snatching spell.


    "Let''s not rush into that discussion just yet." Drac''s voice rang out from the dueling stage once more, "There are three Unforgivable Spells in total, and we''ve only exined one of them here."


    The young wizards under the stage raised their heads in surprise and looked at Drac.


    It was really because the performance of the Soul Snatching Spell just now was too wonderful. Whether it was Riddle''s handsome street dance, Fred and George''s spicy dance, or Harry''s excellent performance of breaking free from the control of the soul snatching spell, all of them attracted the focused attention of the little wizards that they had never had before.


    Now that the lecture on the Soul Snatching Spell was over, it almost made them think the ss was about to end!


    "Not too much time left, let''s pick up the pace next." Drac nced at the clocks hanging on the walls of the auditorium and then exined, "Does anyone else know what the other two Unforgivable Spells are, besides the Soul Snatching Spell?"


    The schoolboys on stage such as Percy, Cedric, and Hermione threw their hands up in the air.


    Drac was about to do what he always did and pick a schoolboy to get up and answer the question.


    However, just as he was about to call Percy from Gryffindor up, he suddenly saw a small, usually obsequious wizard from the Gryffindor team, weakly raise his hand.


    "Neville Longbottom?"


    Drac was a little surprised.


    Neville Longbottom, a small wizard with a very low presence, basically never raised his hand voluntarily in the Defense Against ck Magic ss.


    Not only that, but Drac had heard that Defense Against the Dark Arts was sort of one of the sses he did better in, as if in Snape''s Potions ss he always boiled the wrong potion, and basically had some odd mishap in every ss.


    Drac looked over at Neville and noticed that he had a slightly dumbfounded expression on his face, as if he too was surprised by his bold actions today.


    "Mr. Longbottom, tell us about it." Drac said, "Which other Unforgivable Spell do you know?"


    "I know of a ... drilling spell." Neville''s voice was soft, but clear.


    Drac gave Neville a deep look, then nodded softly.


    "That''s right, Gryffindor plus five." He said.


    "The Cruciatus Curse, also known as the Torture Curse, is highly iconic ck magic and one of the three Unforgivable Curses."


    Given theck of time, Drac didn''t look for another person to answer the question this time, "When a curse is sessfully cast on a human or creature, the curse causes intense, unbearable physical pain to the victim. If the victim is subjected to the curse for a prolonged period of time, it may lead to insanity."


    Drac frowned slightly as he said this.


    He vaguely saw Neville''s face be a little pale, and wondered what exactly was the reason.


    "The Drill Curse was invented in the early Middle Ages, and for a while this curse that wouldn''t harm anyone''s life was quite popr until the early 18th century when it waspletely recognized as ck magic, and was listed as one of the three Unforgivable Curses along with the Soul Snatching Curse and the Life-Stopping Curse."


    Drac went on to exin, "Using any of the three Unforgivable Curses on a fellow human being will result in a life sentence without parole in Azkaban!"


    Drac''s voice turned a little icy as he spoke of the penalties for using the Unforgivable Spells, causing the young wizards on stage to shiver.


    "Of course, I personally think that the Drill Curse is the most useless of the three Unforgivable Curses." Drac''s words suddenly changed, his tone bing lighter, "This curse''s effect is only one thing, torturing people, which basically onlyes in handy in the middle of torture work."


    "In my opinion, using the Drill Curse for interrogation is far less efficient than dropping three drops of spit truth agent in the prisoner''s mouth.... What? How can there be people who don''t even know what a spittin'' agent is? Ask Professor Snape yourself after ss, this aspect of magic potions is out of my hands."


    "The reason why I say that the Drill Spell is of little use is because under the effects of the Drill Spell, the person being interrogated is likely to make a false confession in order to alleviate the pain that they endured during the spell, regardless of whether or not they actually possessed the information that the interrogator was trying to seek and extract."


    "Also, under the torment of the Drill Spell, an interrogated person does not reveal information protected by secrecy magic such as the Unbreakable Spell or the Barefaced Loyalty Spell, as what wizards say under the effect of the Drill Spell is not considered voluntary."


    Drac shrugged, his disdain-filled expression fully reflecting how much he despised the spell.


    "Of course, dark wizards may choose to attack in a duel using the Drill Curse, thus inflicting great pain on their opponents. As long as they keep the curse in effect, their opponents will not be able to fight back."


    "A much moremon use of the heart-drilling curse than its application in dueling is when the ten evil ck wizard uses the heart-drilling curse to satisfy his or her desire to abuse and torment others."


    "To sessfully cast this curse, it is not enough to simply recite the incantation. The sorcerer using this curse must have a strong, burning desire for the victim''s pain and derive great pleasure from the victim''s suffering."


    "Thus, this curse is in a sense the most cruel and perverse of the three Unforgivable Curses."


    "Next, I will show you how a dark wizard would cast the Drill Curse."


    Saying that, Drac suddenly hooked up the corner of his mouth and looked wistfully at Riddle, who was still standing on the dueling stage.


    "Assistant Professor Riddle,e and cooperate with me?"


    Looking at Drac''s expression, Riddle''s face was instantly turned pale with fear.


    "Professor Drac, don''t be impulsive!" He panicked and dissuaded, "If it''s someone else''s drilling spell I might still be able to withstand it, but if it''s a drilling spell cast by you, then I won''t be able to withstand it even if I''m given a few more decades!"


    "Don''t be so presumptuous, Riddle." Dracughed derisively, "Besides, there are so many innocent students present, if I were to use the Heart Drilling Curse on an innocent person I''d still be a bit reluctant to do so! So it''s better to just take you to demonstrate it instead."


    "It''s not ... I''m innocent too!" Riddle cried out in defense, "It''s clearly not me who''s doing the evil, it''s that ... person, you can''t confuse us!"


    "What''s the difference?" Dracughed softly.


    Riddle''s next words choked in his throat.


    He could see that Drac was still a little bit bothered by the fact that the secret of the Forbidden Forest had been hidden from him, and controlling it with the Soul Snatching Spell to make Riddle dance wasn''t able topletely calm him down.


    The careful Professor Drac really lived up to his name!


    "That what, Professor Drac ... you can actually use other creatures to demonstrate the drill spell ah." Riddle wiped a handful of slightly damp sweat from his forehead and whispered, "I''ll get Dobby over here and have him find a critter that''s not dead enough to do it."


    He waved his wand and called out softly:


    "Dobby?"


    Dobby, a house elf who had been taken on as Drac''s assistant, appeared on the dueling stage with a snap.


    "It is an honor to serve you, Professor Drac, Assistant Professor Riddle." Dobby bowed to Drac and Riddle in her exquisite little dress.


    Back when there was still more than a month to go before the Christmas vacation, Drac was feeling a little bored with life at Hogwarts and instructed Dobby on one thing -


    Drac told Dobby to tell Riddle to teach the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss in his ce. During the period of substituting for the ss, Riddle could approach Dobby for appropriate help when he needed it.


    During the period of time when Drac did not return, Dobby still cleaned Drac''s office every day, and at the same time gradually became familiar with Riddle.


    This was also the reason why Riddle knew the way to summon Dobby.


    "Dobby, didn''t you used to help out in the kitchen a while back?" Riddle asked in a low voice, "Are those rats that hide in the sewers and asionally run up to steal ingredients still alive?"


    "All those bad rats are still alive," Dobby said with big eyes as big as tennis balls and great exasperation, "Those bad rats should have been punished immediately as they deserved for stealing the Lord Wizard''s food!"


    "But Hogwarts ran out of rat poison, and the head house elf chef just happened to be getting ready to go buy some more today, so it''s too soon to get rid of all those rats."


    "Great!" Riddle sighed in relief and looked over at Drac, "Professor Drac, those rats in the kitchen sewers are vermin that steal food from Hogwarts, I don''t suppose you''ll be able to let go of those animals?"


    Drac raised an eyebrow at Riddle, who was doing everything he could not to experience the Drill Curse, and finally shook his head with a lost smile.


    "In that case, catch a mouse and bring it here." Heughed softly, "It just so happens that using an animal for the demonstration might create less of a psychological shadow for the young wizards."


    Dobby, being a house elf with outstanding abilities, very quickly grabbed a mouse from inside the kitchen drain and brought it over.


    Because he knew Drac so well, he even cleaned the rat with a cleaning spell after catching it to prevent Drac from being disgusted by it.


    "Trouble you, Dobby." Drac nodded in satisfaction as he looked at the clean mouse that Dobby brought over, "It needs to be erged a bit or the little wizard in the back row might not be able to see it."


    Without waiting for Drac to cast the spell, Riddle very doggone well went ahead and used an expansion spell on the rat and used a floating spell to keep it suspended in the air so that all the little wizards could get a clear view of the rat.


    The mouse bulged up and was nowrger than a normal sized cat-beaver.


    As the small wizards looked on in either anticipation, puzzlement, or fear, Drac took two steps forward to the side of therge mouse.


    He raised his wand, pointed it at the mouse, and whispered:


    "Drill the heart and gouge out the bones (Crucio)."


    In an instant, the rat''s eyes snapped open and its limbs stomped frantically in all directions. It flipped over while its body convulsed violently, swaying from side to side.


    "Squeak squeak squeak-"


    The rat let out a mournful squeaking sound and desperately screamed. The grayish fur all over its body shook, and the muscles all over its body twitched more and more-


    "Professor, stop!" Hermione from the stage suddenly shouted.


    Drac turned his head to look at Hermione.


    She didn''t look at Drac on the stage, or at the mouse that was the demonstration object, but at Neville.


    Drac frowned and saw Neville''s hands clutching the corners of his coat, his bones white, his eyes wide with fear in them.


    "How are you doing, Mr. Longbottom?" He withdrew his wand and the drilling spell stopped.


    The rat dropped to the floor, no longer screaming, but its limbs and body still twitched every now and then.


    Neville looked at the rat on the stage with bleary eyes and a pale face.


    "Mr. Longbottom, if the Drill Curse has ever brought back some bad memories for you, then I would like you to face the spell head on." Drac crouched down at the edge of the dueling tform and looked gently at Neville.


    "One should not dwell on the tragic past, but face up to the pain one has experienced."


    "You are a Gryffindor, Mr. Longbottom. Thest thing a Gryffindor needs is courage, don''t let those setbacks on the path of life blind you and waste your temperament."


    "Think about that when you get back, I hope you''ll be different next lesson."


    Drac gave Neville a deep look and stood up, once again walking over to the rat that was still twitching every now and then.


    "There is no specific way to resist the Drill Curse, one can only rely on one''s superior endurance of pain, and fearlessness, to harden against the torment, and toplete the counterattack in the midst of the pain." He said softly.


    "Of course, if possible, I would advise you not to be struck by the Heart Drilling Curse, as there are very few people who can resist this kind of pain."


    After exining about the Heart Drilling Curse, Drac''s eyes suddenly became stern.


    "Next, I will tell you about thest and most powerful of the three Unforgivable Spells ..." He gently raised his wand and pointed it at the still trembling rat.


    As if sensing the impending doom, the mouse endured the still weak and painful muscles and desperately struggled to get up, trying to avoid the direction Drac''s wand was pointing.


    But the next moment, the evil spell came out of his mouth-


    "Avada Sorcery (Avada Kedavra)."


    A blinding green light pierced one''s eyes, while a jumble of sounds whistled as if unseen behemoths were flying through the air-


    At the same time, the rat copsed andy on its back on the dueling stage, its body no longer showing signs of twitching.


    It didn''t have half a scratch on its body, but it was undoubtedly dead ...


    Several of the young wizards watched the scene in horror, trying to hold back the shouts they wanted to make.


    Among these few wizards who were trying to hold back their screams was Harry, who had a vague image in his eyes-


    It was a blinding creepy green light, a beautiful woman in front of him, falling to the ground after being shot by the green light, and then an even more blinding green light ...


    "The spell of life-iming is also known as the spell of death, there is no antidote, no defense magic can block it, and no one can survive after being struck by the spell of life-iming ...," Drac said.


    He then paused and suddenly looked over at Harry, "So far, the Sojourn Curse has only happened to one person as an exception."


    The eyes of the room twisted around to look at Harry, who stared nkly at Professor Drac on the stage, feeling like he could rte to what Neville had just been feeling.


    "Focus on me!" Drac shouted out, relieving Harry of some of the stress, "You don''t need to care about how Harry Potter escaped under the Sorcery spell, and don''t even think about surviving it yourselves."


    "You will not be able to defend yourselves against the Sorcery spell!" Drac said coldly, "So I will teach you some tricky ways that might give you some means of survival in the face of the ck wizard''s life-saving spell."


    In the next moment, he suddenly turned to look at Riddle under the gaze of the small group of wizards.


    "Riddle, use the Sojourn Spell on me!"

 Chapter 175 - 175 Hogwarts is my place.

    <h4>Chapter 175: Hogwarts is my ce.</h4>


    "Huh?" Riddle froze in ce, "This ... this isn''t appropriate, is it?"


    As one of the most dangerous ck magic spells in the history of the entire magical world, the Sojourn Spell could have fatal consequences if one was a little careless during its demonstration.


    Because of this, even wizard families that had been immersed in ck magic for a long time seldom demonstrated it personally as a target when teaching their offspring to practice the Sojourn Spell.


    Most ck wizard families preferred to use some small animals to demonstrate this most dangerous unforgivable spell.


    The young wizards under the stage also heard Drac''s instructions for Riddle to use the Sobriety Spell on them, and could not help but be in an uproar.


    "Professor, stop it!" One of the minor wizards near the dueling stage shouted.


    "Don''t forget what happened to thest few professors of Defense Against the Dark Arts before you, Professor!" A somewhat smarter minor wizard chose to persuade from a different angle.


    Even the slowest little wizards in the auditorium gradually reacted, and immediately after, more little wizards joined the team to persuade Professor Drac not to risk his life.


    "Professor, it''s too dangerous!" Harry, who had not yet recovered from the exhaustion of constantly resisting the Soul Snatching Spell just now, forced himself to stand up with his sleepiness, "It''s just a lesson, there''s no need for you to put yourself in danger, right?"


    No more than many other young wizards who were learning about the Unforgivable Spell for the first time, or if they had known about it but were seeing it for the first time, Harry could be considered an expert on the Soulstice spell.


    During the previous school year, he had been lured into learning the Sorcery Spell for a long time by Riddle, who appeared to him only in the form of a diary, and had even nearly blown through the window grill of the Dursleys'' house where he had been confined with the Sorcery Spell in a fit of emotional insanity.


    Despite the fact that Harry and Riddle''s rtionship had been reunited through Riddle''s deliberate efforts, he still felt a pang of fear every time he remembered how he had felt when he hade so close to casting the Sojourn Spell.


    It was a spell that could take a person''s life if they weren''t careful!


    However, Drac on the dueling stage didn''t care at all about the environment that was almost considered to be boiling over.


    He raised his hand indifferently, interrupting the intense emotions of the young wizards.


    "All be quiet!" His voice reached every little wizard''s ears, "As your professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, I still have this bit of discretion."


    "Don''t worry, if I can''t even block this guy Riddle''s Soothsayer spell, I don''t have the face to continue to be your professor, the professor will be directly reced by him!"


    Drac''s tone seemed extremely conceited, even egotistical.


    Of course, he also had the capital for this conceit. After all, not everyone possessed a physique that made it almost impossible to perish like him, and not everyone had survived for more than a thousand years, during which he didn''t know how many times he had lived impatiently.


    In the face of a spell cast by a wizard like Riddle, who was nowhere near Voldemort''s peak strength, Drac could even take the spell with his empty hand!


    If he wasn''t worried that catching the spell would be too shocking and expose his vampire identity in front of a group of students, plus he still had to teach the young wizards tips on how to deal with the spell, Drac wouldn''t have bothered to defend himself against this spell!


    "Hurry up, you were called here so that you could cooperate with my lectures, if I tell you to let go you will let go, don''t worry about taking the me." Drac looked to Riddle and said in an impatient tone.


    "But ..." Riddle was still a little hesitant.


    "Am I the professor or are you the professor?" Drac said coldly, "Do it, don''t hesitate there!"


    Under Drac''s repeated urging, Riddle finally made up his mind, took a deep breath and slowly raised his wand.


    "Avada Sce (Avada Kedavra)." He whispered.


    An extremely thin and dim green light was cast from the tip of Riddle''s wand, looking as if some green light bulb had leaked out some faint electric sparks, trudging through the air in Drac''s direction.


    Drac: "..."


    He casually flicked his wand, picking the green spell, which was not yet as bright as the electrical sparks, to the ground.


    The infinitely weakened version of the Sojourn spell immediately went out in the blink of an eye like a line of soot that fell to the ground, leaving not a trace behind.


    Riddle''s eyes widened as he watched Drac''s maneuver of picking off the Life Saving Curse, and the expression on his face was a good interpretation of the word dumbfounded.


    In his knowledge, no matter how weak the magic power applied by the spell caster in the Life Saving Curse, the characteristics of this most dangerous Unforgivable Curse would not change at all, and there was still no magic that could resist it.


    However, Drac simply moved his wand and sent this weak but genuine Sojourn Spell flying to the side, obliterating it on the dueling tform.


    This was simply unconscionable!


    Picking off a spell with a wand was originally the exclusive skill of a powerful sorcerer, and usually, this kind ofbat skill was only used when facing a sorcerer many times weaker than oneself.


    This is because opponents whose magic power is close to the same level, the magic spells they cast are also at the same level.


    Facing the same level of magic spells, it is difficult for a sorcerer to be able to easily defuse their attacks, and usually choosing to avoid, or use defensive magic to fight is a better choice.


    Thebat technique of picking off magic spells is actually divided into two kinds:


    One is to wrap the variant form of the Iron Armor spell around one''s own wand, thus preventing the opponent''s spell froming into contact with one''s own body range and ensuring optimal safety;


    The other is to use superior magical understanding, as well as quick-eyed reflexes, to find the attack path of the opponent''s magic spell the moment it strikes, and promptly use the spell-casting material at the tip of the wand to control it and instantly pick the spell off.


    Thetter method was much harder to achieve and more dangerous than the former, so most wizards would use the former method in battle.


    However, the method Drac used was undoubtedly thetter.


    Riddle stared dazedly at the location where the Sorcery Spell he had cast had disappeared, and did not return to his senses for half a day.


    Just then, Drac became impatient first.


    "Assistant Professor Riddle, do you dare to tell me that what you just cast was a Sojourn spell?" He looked at the handsome face across from him with a smirk, his tone cold, "If you''re here to be an assistant teacher, take it seriously or you won''t be able to get your hands on your paycheck."


    Riddle, who was merely a Soul Vessel origin and did not have any family assets, had absolutely no other source of ie, and he still really, really needed this sry for being an assistant teacher.


    So Riddle finally made up his mind, gritted his teeth fiercely, and raised his wand once again-


    "Avada Sorcery (Avada Kedavra)!"


    Unlike the weak sound that came out when he recited the spellst time, this time, Riddle''s voice was full of vigor, and a hint of the murderous intent necessary to cast the Sojourn spell permeated his eyes.


    A blinding green light cut across the dueling stage and shot in front of Drac in an instant.


    The crowd of young wizards on the stage closed their eyes in fear, unable to bear the sight of Drac being struck by the life-saving spell.


    "Open your eyes and watch my movements well!"


    Nor did he see Drac open his mouth, but his voice appeared very abruptly in the ears of every little wizard who had closed their eyes, as if it was a little faster than the green beam of light cast by Riddle.


    "Watch carefully, I won''t demonstrate the same response a second time!"


    At the same time, Drac raised his eerie wooden wand-


    "Flock of Birds (Avis)."


    One bird after another flew out from the front of Drac''s wand, meeting the iing green beams of light like moths to a me.


    Each time a bird was struck by the Sorcery spell and dissipated into a point of light, the green glow that represented the Sorcery spell faded a few more points until it disappearedpletely.


    The little wizards under the stage watched this magical scene with wide eyes, and the auditorium, which was still somewhat noisy, unconsciously fell into silence.


    "Did you see everything?" Drac withdrew his wand and said to the small wizards present, "This is one of the more advanced applications of Transfiguration - the Summoning Spell, and the one I just used was the Bird Summoning Spell."


    "Although the creatures changed with the Summoning Spell are somewhat different from real beings, these summons still have certain qualities in their bodies that only real beings possess, and the odds are that they will be able to deceive the not powerful enough Sorcery Spell, thus weakening, or evenpletely dissolving, the spell." Drac exined.


    Hearing Drac''sment, Riddle''s face stiffened for a moment.


    It wouldn''t make anyone happy to think that the Life Saving Spell that he was originally very satisfied with was described as "not strong enough".


    "It''s not just the bird summoning spell I just cast, other kinds of summoning spells can be used as well." Drac continued.


    His gaze went to Draco Malfoy of the Slytherin Academy, "Mr. Malfoy should have dabbled in this, the Snake Summoning Spell that you once cast at the Dueling Club can be used to ward off the Sojourn Spell as well."


    With that said, Drac waved his wand and casually demonstrated the Snake Summoning spell to the young wizards.


    "The incantation for the Serpent Summoning Spell is, Ouroboros Out of the Hole (Serpensortia)."


    Arge snakended on the ground, and before it could respond, Drac undid the spell with another vanishing spell.


    "This is the first method of response." He said to the young wizards.


    "Riddle, go ahead and cast the Sorcery spell on me." Drac then waved his hand at Riddle once again, "Don''t show any mercy, you can cast a few more, the kind that chases me around, so that the ss can watch a little more vividly."


    Riddle''s face immediately just fell.


    Oveing the heavy psychological pressure to use the life-saving spell on Drac is already difficult, how can you let a few more be released to chase after him?... He is afraid that he can''t be hit ah!


    "What are you waiting for, why don''t you do it?" Drac once again urged, "Do you still want the paycheck?"


    Riddle''s face changed once again.


    ''Alright, for the paycheck!''


    He was silently ruthless and waved his wand menacingly-


    A blinding green beam of light suddenly shot out, and this beam was followed closely by two other beams that were deflected to the left and right directions, vaguely blocking Drac''s route to dodge.


    Riddle had already given full y to his strength, the casting of the magic spell seemed to have a bit of the vor of Voldemort at his peak.


    Looking at the three Sorcery spells in almost no particr order, Drac nodded in satisfaction.


    "Keep your eyes open and watch." He exined while pointing his wand at the ground in a nonchnt manner.


    "Room copse (Deprimo)."


    As the spell fell, arge hole was sted in the hard dueling table.


    Drded in the middle of therge hole in one smooth motion, dodging three of the Sojourn Spells. Riddle''s next spell followed, but it hit the solid dueling tform, and had no chance to touch Drac''s body.


    "It''s a spell designed to change the terrain, quite useful some times."


    Riddle withdrew his wand, and Drac then leapt lightly through therge hole andnded on the dueling tform once more.


    "Simr to that are other terrain altering magics, such as lifting up a piece of ground to form a wall to block the attack of a sorcery spell."


    Drac waved his wand casually and a portion of the dueling tform rose up to form a wall.


    "It''s true that there''s no way to intercept a Sorcery spell with protective magic, but the terrain factor doesn''t cover it." He said, "But only if you haven''t encountered a powerful enough dark wizard of that sort-"


    Drac raised his hand and cast a Sojourn spell, a bright, blinding green lightning bolt that, like a sting spell, broke through the wall that had formed on the dueling tform in an instant, and continued to st far into the wall of the auditorium before finally losing all of its power.


    "Professor, what should we do when we encounter such a powerful dark wizard?" Fred suddenly raised his hand and asked in a loud voice.


    "There shouldn''t be many ck wizards in the magic world that have this much power." Drac nced at Fred and snorted, "If you''re really unlucky to run into one, I suggest you guys don''t resist and just surrender."


    Hearing Drac''s words, Hermione, who was standing next to Harry, revealed an incredulous expression.


    "Ipletely guessed wrong." She muttered.


    "What?" Ron asked curiously, "There''s actually something you''d say wrong?"


    "Not only wrong, but dead wrong." Hermione stretched out her hands over her face, "I thought before that Professor Drac was a decent wizard who couldn''t use his ck magic any better than a dark wizard, now that I think about it it''s a bit ridiculous ..."


    "He''s clearly the best dark wizard ever!" Hermione eximed.


    ...


    On the devastated dueling stage, Drac was still emphasizing the do''s and don''ts about fending off the sorcery spell.


    "Although these few tips can improve your chances of survival against the Sojourn Spell, don''t think that if you learn these things, you''ll be able to face dark wizards straight on." Drac swept his eyes over all the small wizards present and said coldly.


    "All that is required to be able to use these techniques is that you have sharp enough reflexes, as well as swift enough spell casting speed."


    "If you can''t remain calm in the face of a dark wizard, think of the most appropriate spell casting technique as quickly as possible, and sessfully cast it in the nick of time, then all the knowledge you''ve learned today will be meaningless!"


    "To be honest, underneath the peaceful environment of the magic world right now, there has always been a great danger lurking, and I don''t know which day arge number of ck wizards will sweep through the entire magic world ... This is also the true purpose of my wanting to teach you all today''s methods of responding to ck magic."


    "Compared to sessfully using the response methods I taught you today in front of ck wizards, I actually prefer that all of you never have the chance to use these methods."


    "You are my first and so far only batch of students, and I sincerely hope that you can encounter fewer dangers and live well in the magic world ..."


    Drac sighed softly and turned his head to the clock hanging on the wall of the auditorium.


    "It''s gettingte, and in light of the fact that this section of the Dueling Club was dyed by a few minutes and took away from your rest time, all written assignments on Defense Against the Dark Arts for this week are cancelled."


    "ss dismissed!"


    Drac didn''t care what the students had to say about this open ss on ck Magic Defense Art, nor did he pay attention to the students who wanted to ask questions they didn''t understand, and he didn''t even bother to care about the dueling dais that had been tossed around in disarray ...


    The moment he finished announcing the dismissal of the ss, he transformed into several fluttering bat shadows and disappeared into the very center of the auditorium.


    ...


    It was night, and the candlelight in the Hogwarts Headmaster''s office was quite bright.


    Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk as usual, and from his movements it seemed that he was dealing with some documents concerning the operation of the school, yet his eyes were always wandering.


    At a certain moment, Dumbledore''s vision suddenly came into focus.


    He raised his finger, and the window of the Headmaster''s office quietly opened a crack.


    In the next moment, a silver-haired figure suddenly appeared by the window of the office, leaning against the bookcase by the window and looking at Dumbledore behind the desk.


    "You seem to be enjoying your lecture today, Professor Drac." Dumbledore looked up at the silver haired figure with a few teasing smirks, "How''s it going, how does it feel to be teaching ck magic to students?"


    "You don''t want to putbels on people, Dumbledore." Dracughed softly, "I didn''t teach the students to use ck magic, I just taught them some ways to deal with it."


    "I don''t mean to me you," Dumbledore smiled and shook his head, "I''m just a little surprised at thest part of your speech, Professor Drac, and feel ... that it''s not quite like your style. "


    "Is that so? Then tell me what my style is?" Drac hooked the corner of his mouth.


    "After that incidentst semester where you took an unauthorized leave of absence for yourself, I almost thought I was going to have to recruit a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." Dumbledore spread his hands, "I thought Hogwarts couldn''t keep you Lord Earl anymore ..."


    "Who would have thought that our Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts would not only return to the school, but even seem to belong a little more than before he left. What you just said seems to really stand up as a dedicated professor and no longer see yourself as an outsider."


    Listening to Dumbledore''sment, Drac fell silent.


    "But I wasn''t an outsider in the first ce ah ...," after a moment, he suddenlyughed, "Hogwarts was originally my ce ah."

 Chapter 176 - 176 Teenage angst

    <h4>Chapter 176: Teenage angst</h4>


    When the willows fluttered in March at Hogwarts, spring was undeniably here.


    New shoots sprouted from the thick or tender branches of the Beater Willow, as if some new life was brewing.


    The ice on the ck Lake first cracked a few cracks, then melted in the gradually warm spring breeze, turning into a piece of ice g, drifting on the surface of theke that was still a little chilly.


    Thewn around the castle was once again flooded with the color of emerald green, and the young wizards who had changed into their thin wizard robes were frolicking and ying on thewn.


    After the Christmas vacation, and just another two months or so of sses at Hogwarts, the Easter vacation came.


    Unlike the Christmas holiday where families reunite, very few young wizards would choose to go home during the Easter holiday.


    This was because the holiday wasn''t that long in the first ce, and it wasn''t worth it for most of the young wizards to cross the distance from Scond to Ennd to make a special trip home.


    Plus, Easter was so close to finals week in June that professors tended to assign a lot of homework over Easter break in order to prevent these youngsters with little self-control from going crazy for the entire break and forgetting to study.


    Whenever they encountered this kind of homework, the young wizards who had beenining about Prof. Drac because of his devilish training began to read his praises, wishing that every professor was like Prof. Drac ...


    Well ... also can not, if every professor like Professor Drac arranged the devil training, then they will not be exhausted in the school?


    So the young wizards made a decision that it would be best for the professors at Hogwarts to have the spontaneous Professor Drac assigning homework, the strict and serious Professor McGonagall delineating the scope of the exams, the kindly Professor Sprout conducting the lectures, and the tireless Professor Flivvy apanying the practice ...


    As for Professor Snape ... well, don''t bother!


    During the Easter holidays, Harry and the other second years had new things to think about -


    It was time for them to choose their third year courses!


    This was something that, at least in Hermione''s opinion, needed to be taken with a grain of salt.


    "This could affect our entire future." Hermione said very seriously to Harry and Ron in the Gryffindormon room.


    At the moment, they were both sitting on the couches in themon room, scrutinizing the list of new sses and making notes on them.


    "I just want to drop Potions ss." Harry said bitterly.


    Ever since he and Snape had eased up at the end of thest school year, only to fall out again, Harry was at aplete loss as to how to deal with the Potions professor who had saved his life and was always working against him.


    After entering his second year, Snape had even begun to target Harry more aggressively, and if the Gryffindor didn''t get more than twenty points deducted from any Potions ss that Harry attended, it could be counted as a sign of Snape''s conscience!


    "Impossible," Ron said moodily, "all the original subjects have to be taken or Neville would have thrown Potions out long ago I''m afraid ..."


    He nced at Neville, who was sitting not far away.


    Neville was also one of the Gryffindor''s big demerits in Potions ss.


    Snape had realized that he was just awkward as hell about Potions, so he had been dividing every ss against Harry to watch Neville, ready to find a reason from him to give the Gryffindor a demerit.


    "But Potions ss is important!" Hermione said in surprise, "Whether you guys want to be an Aurorter in life, or you want to go down the path of being a Potions Master, a healer, or something like that, Potions is an essential ss."


    "At this rate, I''m sure Neville isn''t going to choose any of those careers," Ron shrugged and spoke, "I''m guessing Neville will choose a job rted to Herbology, he was most active in Professor Sprout''s Herbology ss."


    Navi Longbottom''s personality seemed to have undergone some subtle and imperceptible transformation ever since he experienced that open ss on ck Magic Defense that Drac had unfolded in the auditorium.


    Originally, even in the herbal medicine ss, which was Neville''s best skill, he seldom took the initiative to raise his hand to speak up because of his introversion.


    But after that ck Magic Defense open ss, Neville became enthusiastic, whenever Professor Sprout asked a question he knew well, he would raise his hand at the first time, and even stole a lot of points that originally belonged to Hermione as a result.


    Not only that, but he had be active in other sses as well, at least willing to raise his hand to answer the questions he could.


    Of course, Snape''s Potions ss was still Neville''s hardest hit, and his fear of the Potions professor could never be dissolved by a few words of enlightenment from Drac!


    At the moment, Neville was sitting in the Gryffindormon room like Harry, Ron, and Hermione, picking out the elective courses he would choose for his third year.


    The wizards and witches of the house had written to him with many different suggestions for him on the subject of course selection.


    Neville was having a selection phobia and felt a little overwhelmed and extremely nervous. He sat looking at the list of courses with a torn face, asking the others if they thought that Arithmetic and Divination sounded more difficult to learn than Ancient Magic Scripts.


    The young wizard sitting next to Neville was Dean Thomas, who, like Harry, had grown up around muggles.


    The young wizard didn''t know how to choose a ss, so he closed his eyes and tapped his wand on the list, mumbling "I''ll choose whoever the little cockerel taps," and finally chose whichever ss he tapped on.


    Of all the wizards in the Gryffindormon room, Hermione was probably the most calm.


    She didn''t take anyone''s advice and signed up for all the subjects.


    By the time almost everyone had chosen their courses, the quill in Harry''s hand was still slow to move.


    Harry had always felt that he had nothing really good to offer other than Defense Against the Dark Arts - he simply couldn''t decide between the five electives of Divination, Protection of Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies, Arithmetic and Divination and Ancient Runic Texts.


    Percy Wesley had noticed his hesitation and came over to him urgently to preach to him.


    "It depends on where you want to go, Harry." He said, "It''s important to n for the future early on, so I''d rmend Divination as a ss that will give you some insight into your future."


    "Aside from that what about the fact that my ssmates say that choosing a Muggle Studies ss is foolish, but I personally believe that wizards should have a thorough andplete understanding of non-magical society, especially if they want to work in a job that has close Muggle connections - look at my father, who has to be in every moment of his life with Muggle affairs."


    "My brother Charlie has always loved being in the outdoors, so he chose the Conservation of Magical Creatures ss, and heter went on to work at the Fire Dragon Sanctuary in Romania as well. So y to your strengths, Harry!"


    Percy encouraged as he patted Harry on the shoulder.


    After Percy left, Harry was left alone for half a day to think about it, figuring that the only thing he was really good at, besides Defense Against the Dark Arts, was Quidditch.


    "Howe there just isn''t a Quidditch elective?" He sighed bitterly as he slumped over his desk.


    Finally, he took Ron''s list of electives and filled out the same few electives as him.


    Harry figured that even if the choices weren''t good enough and he picked a few sses that were a pain in the ass to learn, at least there was someone else willing to help him in a friendly way, and the two of them could copy each other''s ... incorrectly and split the work!


    Speaking of Quidditch, Harry remembered that the Gryffindor team''s next Quidditch game was against the Hufflepuff team.


    Wood, who was the captain of the Gryffindor team, insisted that the team train every day.


    Since there were pre-dinner dueling club meetings every night Monday through Friday, Wood scheduled the daily practice after dinner, allowing the team to top off their exhaustion after the devilish practice of dueling, eat and then proceed to the devilish practice of Quidditch.


    Wood''s beautiful name was to enhance the yers'' physique and endurance, and to improve their ability to cope with longsting battles.


    As a result, Harry and the other members of the Gryffindor team had little time to do anything other than attend dueling clubs, Quidditch training andplete homework every day.


    This intense training wasn''t without its benefits, though.


    The team members were getting more and morefortable and in tune with each other during Quidditch practice, and Harry''s originally thin physique, which had not been eating well at the Dursleys'' house, was gradually bing a bit more angr.


    As he walked to his dormitory to put down his flying broom the night before Saturday''s game, he felt that the Gryffindor team had never been more assured of winning the Quidditch Cup!


    ...


    The next morning was bright and sunny.


    A pleasant breeze blew gently across theke where the ice hadpletely melted, causing slight ripples in the water.


    "The perfect weather for a Quidditch match!" Wood enthused at the Gryffindor table, adding a number of scrambled eggs to each yer''s te as he did so. "Harry, cheer up, you need a good breakfast."


    Harry, who was the Gryffindor Quidditch team''s biggest contributor to winning the Quidditch Cupst school year, was favored by Wood to arge extent, and it was very evident in the fact that while he added only two pieces of scrambled eggs to most of the other team members, he added four pieces to Harry.


    "That''s not fair, Wood!" Fred and George protested, "You''re being outright biased!"


    They both added just one more piece of scrambled egg to their tes each.


    "You could have added your own eggs." Wood nced at the twins and plunged back into a heated discussion with Harry about today''s Quidditch tactics.


    After the meal, Harry walked briskly to the Gryffindor building, grabbed his Lightwheel 2000, and joined the throngs of people bustling to the Quidditch pitch.


    "Hufflepuff''s Quidditch team is a little less powerful than ours overall, but their ball finder, Cedric Diggory, isn''t weak." Wood pushed his way through the crowd and continued to pontificate in Harry''s ear, "Harry, all you have to do is keep an eye on Cedric and catch the golden flyer before he does ..."


    Harry nodded copiously as he nced around, trying to find a figure that was also a ball finder for the Quidditch team.


    Just as he was gradually approaching the tall stands of the Quidditch pitch, Harry''s footsteps stopped.


    He saw a very pretty Asian girl with long, cascading ck hair and a broomstick in her hand, and that gentle bookish air that had lingered around him looked heroic against the flying broomstick.


    To Harry''s ears, Wood''s voice seemed to disappear as his eyes focused entirely on the pretty girl.


    Autumn Chang.


    Harry had met the pretty girl at the end of thest school year when Professor Drac had awarded the Patronus Charms to the top grades in Defense Against the Dark Arts ss for the first three grades.


    Later, when he went to inquire about the ss content of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, he deliberately pretended to have a chance encounter and chatted with Autumn Chang once.


    However, before the two of them could say a few words, Professor Drac appeared out of nowhere and interrupted him with interest.


    Since then, he never dared to say a word to Autumn-Chang again.


    But Harry would subconsciously look for Autumn Chang on any asion and in any ce at Hogwarts. After determining that she was present, he would hide far away from her, even pulling Ron beside him to block his line of sight so as not to be discovered by her.


    If Autumn-Chang didn''t catch his sight, Harry would stare at her for a long time, he himself didn''t know what there was to see, in short, he just couldn''t get enough of her. If he was caught, he would immediately turn his head again and turn red in the face.


    On top of that, Harry had memorized where Autumn Chang often appeared, and he would make a point of focusing on that particr spot until Autumn Chang''s figure appeared.


    Harry hadplete confidence in this Quidditch match, and he felt that the Gryffindor team had never been more certain of winning the Quidditch Cup.


    So once again, Harry''s insides were stirring.


    He wanted to walk over to Autumn Chang and say something to her, to make her cheer for the Gryffindor team, to make her pay attention to the moment when she saw him catching the Golden Snitch and looking heroic!


    But Harry couldn''t take a step.


    "Harry? Harry!" Wood''srge rough hands waved back and forth in front of his face, full of anxiety, "You''ve been standing here for half a day, is something wrong?"


    It was only after a long while that Harry''s vision came into focus and he turned his head dully to look at Wood beside him.


    "Uh ... what''s wrong, Oliver?" He asked.


    "Why are you even asking about me?" Wood said heartily, "You''re the one who suddenly stopped moving here, I had no idea what was wrong with you!"


    "Oh, I''m fine, Oliver." Harry hurriedly exined, "It''s just something that suddenly came to mind."


    "That''s good then." Wood breathed a sigh of relief, "Come on, let''s go to the arena together, you don''t dare suddenly think of things like that during a match."


    "Just a minute." Harry shook his head, refusing to head to the Quidditch pitch with Wood, "I''ve got a few things to do, you go ahead, I''ll be there before the match for sure."


    Wood looked at Harry with suspicion, afraid that he would suddenly run off alone before the match.


    "Make sure you get here on time!" He told Harry a thousand times.


    "Don''t worry!" Harry assured with a pat on the back.


    Once he had whisked Wood away, Harry let out a long breath of relief and then immediately looked anxiously to where Autumn Chang had just been.


    Luckily, the Ravenw girl hadn''t left yet, still standing yfully in ce with the broom in her hand.


    Harry looked at her, and an odd spasm suddenly came over him, as if he had stepped off a step while descending a staircase, beating extremely fast.


    Seeing that the Quidditch match was about to begin, he gritted his teeth and, holding his breath as if he were dying, walked over to Autumn Chang.


    ...


    "Harry Potter?" Autumn-Chang looked at Harry, whose face was full of tangles and moved to his side, and surveyed him curiously, "Is there something you want to see me about?"


    "Um ...," Harry stammered.


    He desperately wanted to say something to get Autumn Chang to cheer for him and the Gryffindor team, but he could never open his mouth.


    ''Or maybe it would be okay to say something about how the two could discuss having something about Quidditch looking for a yer or something like that, we''d have something inmon.'' Harry cheered himself up.


    Autumn Chang stood there, looking at him with a confused expression.


    Finally, Harry gritted his teeth heavily once more and uttered an incoherent sentence, not quite getting the words right:


    "Today ... ball game ... cheering for me?"


    "I''m sorry, what did you say?" Autumn-Chang didn''t catch what he said.


    "I mean, it''s our Quidditch match with Hufflepuff today, can you ..." Harry finally got his words organized and opened his mouth.


    Just then, however, a tall, straight and handsome figure walked over from the edge of the field.


    "Harry, what a coincidence?" That figure simrly walked over to Autumn Chang''s side and greeted Harry, "Today is a match between our two academies, how are the preparations going?"


    "Cedric, why are you here ...," Harry asked in surprise.


    But before the words could be asked, he suddenly saw Autumn-Zhang''s cheeks blush slightly as she fluttered and handed the broom in her hand to Cedric''s.


    This broom was Cedric''s? Why did Autumn-Chang keep this broom for Cedric? What is the rtionship between the two of them? ...


    Harry''s words caught in his throat as several strange questions shed through his mind in quick session.


    It was an odd sensation: a minute ago, he felt like his insides were writhing like snakes, and now all of a sudden, he felt as if he had no insides at all ...


    "What''s wrong with you, Harry?" Cedric asked concerned, "Are you alright, do you need to postpone the match?"


    "Even though you Gryffindors were the defending championsst school year, we Hufflepuffs wouldn''t want to y you while you''re out of shape, that would be a win even if we won."


    Harry felt empty inside and shook his head with a fuzzy head.


    "I''m fine, thanks." He said softly, turning away from the scene.


    Harry had absolutely no idea how he got to the Gryffindor team''s locker room. As he changed into his bright red robes in the locker room, the only thing he chatted about was the fact that everyone was now outside watching the game. Autumn Chang was there.


    The team made their way to the field to earth-shattering cheers.


    Harry rose into the sky on his broomstick and caught a very sharp glimpse of Autumn Chang in the audience.


    In her hand was the yellow g of Hufflepuff.


    Harry''s innards were back. He felt like they had just been taken and filled with lead.

 Chapter 177 - 177 Harry: Ron you’re not afraid of spiders anymore?

    <h4>Chapter 177: Harry: Ron you''re not afraid of spiders anymore?</h4>


    "All-"


    Ms. Hokey''s whistle blew.


    Harry hadn''t pulled his consciousness back yet, but instinctively took off, flying all the way to the very top of the Quidditch pitch, searching for any sign of the golden flyer.


    It was then that he saw Cedric''s upright figure quickly fly high into the air as well and give him a friendly nod.


    Looking at Cedric''s handsome face, Harry had a rare distraction during the Quidditch match ...


    He had actually liked Cedric quite a bit-


    Cedric was the ball finder for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, the same position as Harry, but Harry wasn''t as hostile to the theoretical rival as he was to Draco Malfoy.


    This was because Cedric was very friendly, and his Hufflepuff team took sportsmanship very seriously, ying every match squarely, where a loss was a loss, and a win was a win, an extremely sharp contrast to the foul-loving, trickster Slytherin team.


    This has also earned the Hufflepuff team a pretty good reputation.


    Cedric, on the other hand, as the ball finder and soul of the Hufflepuff team, is the perfect choice to captain next year''s team, and is very much in the sights of others, both on and off the field of y.


    Not only that, but he''s also always gotten very good grades, no worse than Hermione and Percy in any way, and has better people skills than they do.


    Handsome, friendly, sunny, cheerful, excellent grades and humble, low-profile big boy, who can hate it?


    But after seeing the two events of Autumn Chang keeping Cedric''s broom outside the Quidditch pitch and cheering for Hufflepuff on the pitch, now Harry suddenly changed his mind -


    He forced himself to recognize Cedric as a useless white boy who only relied on his looks to impress girls ...


    "Harry, what are you gawking at?!" Wood''s voice suddenly came from below, annoyanceced in his voice.


    "Have you forgotten all about the tactics we rehearsed? What did you do just now when it was your turn to get off the field and cooperate?!"


    Harry woke up fiercely and looked to the center of the field.


    Only to see Fred, George, Angelina, and five others arranged in a trapezoidal formation lengthwise, looking at him with not-so-good looks on their faces.


    Startled, Harry looked back to the scoreboard in thementary box to see that the Hufflepuff team had, surprisingly, already scored their first ten points since the start of the game in a very short time!


    Focused on striking up a conversation with Autumn Chang before the start of the match, Harry hadn''t had time to participate in the Gryffindor team''s routine pre-match tactics review, forgetting about the tactics that had been discussed earlier.


    He hadn''t just remembered until now that the Gryffindor team had carefully rehearsed a formation for this match, with the ball finder included, in order to quickly pick up points in the early part of the match and establish an early advantage ...


    But now the advantage was instead taken first by Hufflepuff.


    The formation wasn''t actually a trapezoid made up of the current five, but a full triangle of six - all seven yers, with the exception of Wood, the goalkeeper, who needed to defend the goal.


    The three ball-chasing girls were on three sides of the triangle, working in tandem to pass the ball to each other. The two batsmen, one ball finder, and the three boys were positioned at the three corners of the triangle, looking out for each other and protecting the ghostly fly balls in the hands of the three ball chasers.


    However, because Harry didn''t keep up with the team''s rhythm, the remaining five yers could only form a trapezoid, which was equivalent to a triangle with one corner exempted, exposing the two ball chasers on the corners of the trapezoid.


    As a result, Hufflepuff''s yers quickly found an opportunity to intercept the ghostly fly ball in the hands of the Gryffindor team and broke through the back of the unguarded Gryffindor field without a hitch,pleting the first goal of the match!


    "Sorry guys ... I wasn''t paying attention just now ..." Harry didn''t know how to exin but silently flew over to his teammates and apologized in a low voice.


    Next, Harry joined the Gryffindor''s special formation.


    However, the first failed match had shown the Hufflepuff yers the usefulness of this triangle formation, and Cedric immediately flew back from the sky to match with his teammates.


    The original surprise effect of this formation was easily eliminated.


    What followed was a lopsided match.


    Harry was distracted the entire time, and whenever he tried to focus on finding the Golden Flyers, the image of Autumn Chang waving a g for Cedric surfaced in front of his eyes.


    In contrast, Cedric''s mental state was getting better and better.


    A short hourter, Cedric fooled Harry with a Lansky fake before he could react, then instantly rose high into the air and caught the golden flying thief in his hands!


    "Duuuuuuuuuuuuu-"


    Ms. Hockey''s whistle blew, and it sentenced the Gryffindor team to death.


    Hufflepuff won the match by a huge margin of 230:40!


    Commentator Lee Jordan announced Hufflepuff''s victory in a lost tone, then flung down his microphone and left thementator''s booth.


    Professor McGonagall, who had originally looked expectant, also shook his head and walked down the steps on the side of the spectator stand.


    It was no wonder that they were disappointed, as the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. It was really because the Gryffindor team was too confident before the match, and couldn''t wait to tell anyone about their team''s recent training results.


    Fred and George even secretly opened a betting game and paid arge sum of money to press for Gryffindor''s victory. This time, these two self-proimed Hogwarts gambling saints are afraid to lose all their money ...


    In addition to that, in fact, everyone could see that in this match, Harry, who was the ball finder and the biggest contributor of thest tournament year, was obviously out of shape, and he couldn''t find what he was supposed to do throughout the match.


    This made all the Gryffindor supporters feel that this match was lost somewhat unjustly.


    ...


    On the green of the Quidditch pitch, Harry stood in the middle of the Gryffindor Quidditch team members with a guilty look on his face.


    Fred and George were hugging and "wailing" in pain, mourning their loss of the Golden Galleon.


    Angelina Johnson and the other three ball chaser girls were looking at the youngest yer on the team either with concern or with puzzled faces, wondering what had happened to him to make him drop such a big one.


    "I''m sorry, losing this game was all on me." Harry said in a lost tone as he looked down at his toes emotionally.


    "Harry, what''s wrong with you today?" Wood crossed his arms and counted him out somewhat exasperatedly, "You weren''t in the right state before the match, and you were even more groggy after you came onto the pitch. This isn''t like your level, Harry!"


    It was obvious that losing the match, which had been a sure thing, had made Wood feel very angry.


    But given that Harry was in a somewhat strange mood, he forced himself not tosh out and instead could only hold back his concern for his condition.


    "I''m fine, Wood." Harry shook his head and prevaricated, "I probably didn''t sleep wellst night ... Let me go back and get some sleep, okay?"


    Wood held his breath in his throat, wanting to say something to lecture and admonish Harry.


    But looking at his heavy expression, Wood finally shook his head helplessly and said nothing, leading Harry in the direction of the Gryffindor team''s locker room.


    Just then, members of the Hufflepuff team walked over wearing a ck and yellow uniform.


    Cedric greeted the Gryffindor yers from a distance.


    "Hey, how''s Harry doing?" He asked with concern, "We can all see he''s not quite right today ... Is he sick?"


    The captain of the Hufflepuff team nodded in return, stepping out from the group and saying, "If it''s due to uncontroble factors, then we''ve clearly won this match."


    "Otherwise, let''s jointly propose a rematch to Ms. Hodge, what do you guys think?"


    "A loss is a loss, we''re not yet the kind of team that can''t afford to lose like Slytherin." Wood walked up and hugged the captain of the Hufflepuff team, "Your kind words are appreciated."


    He and the captain of the Hufflepuff team were good friends in their own right, and weren''t going to fall out over winning or losing a game.


    "But next time you guys should be careful, we won''t lose again!" Wood mmed his fist on the Hufflepuff captain''s shoulder.


    "Well, we''ll be waiting for you guys!" Captain Hedgepatchughed.


    As the two team captains talked, Cedric in the crowd looked over at Harry and frowned slightly when he noticed his downcast face.


    "Are you sure you''re okay with this, Harry?" He asked with concern as he walked over to Harry, "Your y today was nothing like your previous few games, if you''re sick just let us know, it''s fine."


    Harry opened his mouth, and was going to make a casual remark about Cedric like he had tried to put off Wood and the others.


    When he looked up, however, he realized that Autumn-Chang was holding the Hufflepuff yellow g in her hand and was darting towards where the Hufflepuff Quidditch team members were, her long silky ck hair bouncing behind her like a lively swallow.


    It was obvious that the person Autumn Chang was looking for was Cedric, not Harry Potter, the savior of the crowd.


    Harry''s face turned red.


    It urred to him that this time, it was because of himself that Gryffindor had lost the match, that he had lost this match to the handsome, excellent Cedric, and that he was most likely just a dispensable passerby in Autumn Chang''s eyes ...


    "I''m fine! I don''t need your hypocritical concern!" He shouted in a sudden emotional outburst.


    Harry then carried his Light Wheel 2000, and without even having the time to change out of his ballgown, he flew towards Hogwarts Castle before Autumn-Chang arrived.


    The crowd present watched Harry''s performance with dumbfounded astonishment, and a very unreal feeling surfaced in their hearts.


    Wasn''t Harry''s character modest, docile, and easy-going? How could he be so impulsive and rude as he was today?


    Fred and George, who had finally stopped crying, saw this and walked over to Cedric and put their familiar arms around his shoulders.


    "Cedric, Harry''s a little out of control today, don''t take it to heart." Fred said, "He''s not usually like that."


    "I''m fine." Cedric shook his head, "Harry''s still young for his grade, it''s only natural for him to lose control of his emotions sometimes."


    "But Harry''s behavior today reminded me of something," at that moment, George, who was standing next to the two men, gave a thoughtful expression, "It seems like Harry used to lose his temper like that at the end ofst school year ... Does that mean he''s starting again?"


    Of course, George wouldn''t even think about the fact that Harry''sst tantrum was due to Riddle''s subtle change, belonging to being influenced by external forces.


    It was this one that belonged to his own manifestation of emotional outbursts, which stemmed mainly from the restlessness of adolescence.


    Harry''s sadness was not so much due to the fact that the object of his admiration was happy with someone else, but rather to his own sympathy and pity for his own situation.


    This is a characteristic teenage angst.


    ...


    Summer crept into Hogwarts Castle, bringing with it bright sunshine and warm weather.


    The sky, like theke, turned a light blue with a violet glow.


    The curtains of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom were drawn tightly, and not a single ray of sunlight seeped in from the outside world.


    In the ssroom, the little wizards were sitting upright, their eyes staring straight at the front of the ssroom, looking at the ck magic defense professor standing on the podium and the ckboard full of content, not daring to have the slightest bit of rxation or cking off, fearing that one of their professors was in a bad mood and would drag them off to actualbat training.


    However, there was one young wizard who looked a little distracted, in stark contrast to the eager learning atmosphere of the students around him.


    "Mr. Potter-" Drac suddenly put down the wand in his hand and looked at the absent-minded little wizard with an impish expression, "Would you please answer what I just taught everyone? "


    Harry''s eyes widened in bewilderment as he looked into Drac''s leathery face.


    His thoughts had long since drifted off to nowhere, his mind was filled with thoughts of Autumn Chang''s figure - the


    Guessing what ss the little Ravenw witch was taking right now? Was the third year busy with schoolwork? Had she gone out on another date with Cedric?


    And it was because of thinking about all this nonsense that Harrypletely missed what Professor Drac had been talking about in ss.


    "Uh ... just talked about ..." he staggered to his feet and looked at Ron beside him with a flustered expression.


    Ron spread his hands helplessly at Harry. He hadpletely failed to keep up with the lesson behind him just because he had thought about what he was going to have for lunch.


    At this point, seemingly aware of Harry''s dilemma, Hermione in the front row blocked her mouth with her notebook and quietly delivered a message to Harry.


    "Spider ... spell ..." she said in a faintly audible breathy voice.


    Harry hadn''t heard what Hermione was saying at all and stretched his tone to dy answering the question, hoping Hermione would understand him:


    "Emmm, let''s see-"


    True to her word, the smartest little witch in her second year had figured out Harry''s intentions and knew that she was afraid that she wouldn''t be able to hear much of the message with her air voice, so she picked up her quill and wrote a fewrge letters in her notebook.


    However, just as Hermione was about to stand her notebook up so that Harry could see the letters on it, Drac on the podium suddenly beckoned.


    Hermione''s notebook instantly flew off the desk andnded straight into Drac''s hand.


    "Ms. Granger, it''s fine if you''re usually so active in answering questions, but today I''m not able to give another student a chance, and you''re thinking of answering for him isn''t that inappropriate?"


    Drac looked at therge letters on his notebook andughed lightly.


    Hermione was so ashamed that she covered her face and slumped down on her desk, never wanting to help Harry once more.


    Harry saw this and realized instantly that there was no one else to help him. And he also knew that even if someone was willing to help him, he would be instantly poked and prodded by the seemingly omnipotent Professor Drac, so there was really no point in dragging anyone else into it.


    So he took a deep breath and resigned himself to the fact that he had just spelled the two words he had heard from Hermione, "spider" and "spell", and added a random word in the middle to make it fit, hoping that he would get it right.


    "You just talked about the Spider Cleaning Curse, Professor!" He said as if he were dying.


    Drac stared at him and suddenly snorted.


    "Have you be so good at Defense Against the Dark Arts that you''ve created a spell of your own, Mr. Potter?" He teased nonchntly, "Or did you not listen to the lesson at all, and this is simply a mangled spell name you heard from Ms. Granger?"


    "Professor, I really did listen to the lesson, I just got nervous and forgot what the word in the middle was!" Harry was still trying to weasel his way out of the situation.


    However Drac suddenly pped the lectern heavily, instantly interrupting Harry''s words.


    "Take a good look at the ckboard, Potter." He picked up his wand and tapped it at a certain spot on the board, "But if you''d listened even a little bit in this lesson, you wouldn''t have uttered such an outrageous spell name as ''Spider Cleaning Spell''!"


    "Look carefully at what''s written here! How can you tell me I''m going to be so nervous that I''ll forget the word in the middle of a question that I can answer just by reading it?"


    Drac squinted out of the corner of his eye as he looked down at the stage with a strong look of disgust in his eyes.


    Harry looked nkly to where Professor Drac''s wand was pointing, and in the next moment, his eyes widened.


    "Spider Repelling Spell?" He chanted at the spell on the board.


    "Well, now do you realize how much fun you just had?" Drac had been a little angry, but at that moment, he smiled back with interest at the look of confusion on Harry''s face.


    He then looked over to Hermione, who still had her face buried in her hands, "Miss Granger, Mr. Potter didn''t hear what was said in ss just now, so you can repeat what I just recounted."


    Hermione had to lift her face from both hands when she was called by name and turned her head to re at Harry in exasperation.


    "The Spider Expulsion Spell is a spell that specializes in spiders, and can be used to repel dangerous magical creatures of the spider variety when they are encountered in the wild ..."


    Even though she still had some grudges against Harry, Hermione professionally repeated what Drac had told her earlier.


    Listening to what Hermione recounted, Harry frowned and looked at Ron.


    The meaning on his face showed:


    ''''Is it hard for this Ron guy not to be afraid of spiders? I can''t believe he can even miss this kind of spell!''''

 Chapter 178 - 178 Consecutive defeats

    <h4>Chapter 178: Consecutive defeats</h4>


    "Did you understand what Ms. Granger repeated to you, Potter?"


    Drac asked after Hermione finished repeating the spider banishing spell.


    "Professor, I understand." Harry said with a quick nod, "Sorry for the dy in your lecture, you may continue on."


    He urged Drac to continue his lecture without a trace, thinking in his heart that maybe Professor Drac would forget his punishment for walking out of ss after lecturing for a little while?


    However, he failed to realize that the admittedly careful Professor Drac obviously wouldn''t just forget his punishment for not paying attention in ss.


    "Potter, you don''t seem to be in a very good state of listening to ss these past two months." Drac suddenly thought of some interesting punishments and said to Harry with a smirk, "I''m curious what interesting things have been happeningtely, want to share them?"


    Harry immediately shook his head no.


    His secret had always been hidden in the deepest recesses of his heart, he hadn''t even told his best friends Ron and Hermione, so how could he possibly be willing to tell his ssmates from both houses about it?


    "Don''t want to talk about it do you, I won''t force you." Drac nodded casually.


    ''When did Professor Drac be so nice?''


    Harry froze for a moment.


    Drac''s next paragraph, however, brought Harry''s perception of him back again.


    "The punishment for walking out of ss still needs to be there, if each and every one of you don''t pay attention because you''re walking out of ss, then where will I put my face?" Drac said carelessly, "I''m going to give you two options below, you can choose either one as your punishment."


    "The first: your written assignments for the semester, as well as practical assignments outside of the course, are quadrupled through and through!"


    Harry gulped.


    Normally Professor Drac didn''t assign much written work, so doubling written assignments wasn''t much of a challenge, and this doubling was the least of the punishments, even if it was quadrupling.


    It wasn''t this that gave Harry a headache, it was that one practical assignment-


    Practical assignments, as the name suggests, were assignments that had to be practiced in order to bepleted, and used in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, they were assignments that required fighting.


    Now that Hogwarts had a dueling club hosted by Drac, many of the practical assignments were hooked up with the arrangements of the dueling club.


    There were times when Drac would have studentsplete practical assignments in the dueling club for their ck Magic Defense ss, for example:


    Using only a specific spell during a duel, or sessfully defending against an opponent''s attack during a duel, or dodging a certain number of attacks with flexible positioning ...


    Practical assignments such as these were usually not too difficult toplete every day at the dueling club as long as you paid more attention, so few people wouldin about them.


    However, when quadrupled, things would look very different ... That is to say, Harry would have to fight four duels in the dueling club every time he wanted toplete his homework, and each of them also had special restrictions!


    "What about the second option?" He was still holding out for a chance.


    "The second option well ... would be to share in front of your ssmates the reason why you''ve been in such a poor state of listeningtely." Drac slowly hooked up the corner of his mouth, "Remember not to make up blind stories out toke us, I know very well whether you are telling the truth or not."


    "I''ll take the first option!" Harry said decisively.


    If he had to say something so embarrassing in front of his ssmates, it would be a social death, right?


    It would be embarrassing ...


    "Are you sure?" Drac''s smile ttened a bit.


    "I''m sure!" Harry didn''t hesitate.


    "Alright then." Drac smacked his lips a little regretfully, "I''ll arrange the dueling matches for you tonight, you''re not allowed to leave until you''ve finished all four duels!"


    ...


    By the time he got back to his dormitory in the evening, Harry waspletely exhausted.


    In the dueling club high intensity with others after four duels, just after dinner did not rest for two minutes, was pulled by Wood to go to the Quidditch pitch and another wave of Quidditch training, training after the end of the Harry feel that his whole person can not ...


    "Harry, are you okay?" Ron asked heartily as he looked at his nemesis who had copsed heavily onto the bed, "Wood is really something too, you''re exhausted like this and he''s still asking you to attend Quidditch practice!"


    Harry didn''t want to move a single finger and grunted as hey on the bed and responded, "I''m feeling pretty good ... I can''t die at least for now."


    "Well give it a rest then, hopefully you''ll still be as optimistic as you are today when you''re all sore tomorrow." Ron looked at him with a face full of sympathy, "Say, how many days did Professor Drac say that quadrupling your practical work wouldst?"


    "How many days?" Harry wailed in pain as he covered his face with a pillow, "Didn''t you hear that in ss? Professor Drac said a semester!"


    "A whole semester?!" Ron jumped up from the bed, "Professor Drac really dares to say that too ah ... Does he want Hogwarts to have the first student who died of exhaustion because of doing the practical work on Defense Against the Dark Arts?"


    "And what does Professor Drac care if I die of exhaustion?" Harry bemoaned, "He just wants to have his fun and I''m not giving him a chance to have mine ..."


    "Well ... that''s true when you think about it." Compassion surfaced in Ron''s eyes, "I''m sorry for your loss then ..."


    Just then, a weak knock came from outside the dormitory door.


    "Who is it?" Ron shouted to the door, "No need to knock, juste right in!"


    After shouting he spat at Harry, "I''ve told everyone else so many times, just push the door in when youe to our dormitory, there''s no need to knock, and I don''t know who hasn''t remembered."


    Harry didn''t have the strength to reply and could only casually lift his finger.


    It was then that Ron''s yell tickled Harry''s attention.


    "Ginny?!" Ron''s voice was thick with surprise, "You''re not supposed to be here, this is the boys'' dormitory!"


    Harry struggled to lift his head from the bed to see a little witch with a basket standing yfully next to the dormitory door that had been pushed open.


    The little witch, like her older brother, had fire-like red hair and cute little freckles on her face. She was petite and had the same bright brown eyes as Mrs. Molly Weasley.


    Ginny was the youngest child in the Weasley household, and likewise the most favored one, getting far more affection than Ron, the youngest boy in the family who was bullied by his older siblings and neglected by his parents ...


    Well, maybe even Harry, the outsider, was more favored than Ron in the Weasley household.


    "Hermione told me that Gryffindor girls are allowed in the boys'' dormitories." Ginny seemed a little nervous abouting to the boys'' dormitory for the first time, but forced herself to show a calm expression, "So I had the nerve toe over and try it out."


    "Speaking of which, I''ve been pretty pissed off!" Ron said sullenly, "I don''t know who made the rule that girls can enter the boys'' dormitory, but boys can''t enter the girls'' dormitory. It''s not fair!"


    "It''s because the founders of Gryffindor thought that boys were less trustworthy than girls, so they made that rule." Ginny said, modeling Hermione''s tone of voice as she carried her basket into the dormitory.


    "The founder of Gryffindor, Mr. Godric Gryffindor, is a man himself, and the fact that even he thinks this way is proof of how untrustworthy you boys are!"


    With that said, Harry felt he couldn''t y dead any longer and sat up and leaned against the head of the bed so that he looked somewhat decently seated so that he wouldn''t lose face in front of the girls.


    "Ginny, did Gryffindor really say that?" Harry asked, "I always thought it was a bit unreasonable to make rules like that, after all, you know ... I''m a boy too."


    "Ah, Harry, I didn''t mean to say you weren''t trustworthy." Ginny''s face turned red as if she had just seen Harry, "Even if the other guys suck, you''re the most trustworthy one!"


    "Ginny, why don''t youment on your older brother as well?" Ron eyed Ginny''s over-evaluation of Harry and was very confident in trying to get an equal evaluation from his sister as well.


    "You?" Ginny nted a nce at Ron, "Why don''t you have any self-awareness, Ron?"


    "Huh?" Ron''s eyes widened, "What do you mean by that, Ginny? Why is Harry trustworthy but I''m the one with no self-awareness, who''s your brother anyway?"


    Ginny didn''t pay any more attention and turned her back directly to him, blushing as she looked at Harry.


    "Harry, I heard that you had four duels with other people and went back to Quidditch training at the end of them, right?" She asked in a small voice.


    "Uh, yeah." Harry was a little confused as to what Ginny meant by all of this, "What did you want to see me about, Ginny?"


    "Nothing important really ..." Ginny''s face turned even redder, almost catching the color of her own hair, "It''s just that ... I''m guessing that you''ve gone through such a heavy workout, you must be pretty drained right now and probably need some food for energy."


    "I just happened to run into Luna at the stairway to the basement level, she was with Rolf Scamander from Hufflepuff, and stopped by to pay Toskamander a favor to go to the kitchen and whip up an extra portion of food."


    Harry then realized what was in the basket Ginny had been carrying when she came in and subconsciously looked towards it.


    He saw that the top of the basket was covered by a thickyer of cotton cloth that was supposed to be used to preserve the heat of the food. The cotton cloth was raised outwards, and one could tell that it should be filled with food, making the basket look heavy and upside down.


    "I brought milk, eggs, cheese, and fresh fruit, which are perfect for replenishment after a strenuous workout."


    Ginny reached down and unwrapped the cotton cloth covering the basket, gripping the basket''s carrying handles with both hands and handing it to Harry, "Harry, can you see if it''s your favorite food? If you don''t like it I can go back bye Toskamand to the kitchen and get some others."


    Ginny looked into Harry''s turquoise eyes with a slightly afflicted expression on her face.


    "Oh..! That''s too much trouble, Ginny!" Harry couldn''t care less about how tired he was, he stood up in a hurry and said, "Thank you so much really, it''s all my favorite ..."


    He took the basket full of food from Ginny''s hand and was slightly surprised that all of this food in the basket just happened to be his favorites.


    Harry looked over at Ginny, but realized that her face didn''t seem quite right, "Huh, why is your face so red, do you have a fever?"


    "I ... I''m fine." Ginny retracted her hand from the basket''s carrying handle with an electric shock, her face was now redder than her ming red hair.


    Harry then noticed that in order to take the basket, he had likewise held his hand on the basket''s carrier and inadvertently touched it with Ginny''s.


    "Ah, sorry, I didn''t mean to." He apologized in a hurry.


    Ginny''s cheeks burned as if she had blushed so much that she couldn''t speak, and she just shook her head vigorously.


    Her long fiery red hair whipped up behind her like a clump of brightly colored spring flowers.


    "Hey Ginny, why are you just bringing Harry food." Ron came over and gave Ginny a somewhat suspicious look, holding out his hand and asking, "Where''s mine?"


    "You didn''t y four duels in one day or train for Quidditch, so why would I bring you food?" Ginny nced at Ron, "And don''t you usually eat enough, I don''t want an obese brother."


    The undercurrent of her being the Weasley family''s group pet instantly returned when she spoke to her older brother.


    "Walter F..." Ron''s expletive almost came out of his mouth, but finally swallowed it back at Ginny''s ''I''m going to tell mommy'' look. "After I can beat Fred and George, I''m going to make them look good!"


    "It''s all because those two make fun of me all day long, and I can''t believe they''ve brought you down!" He cursed.


    "Don''t worry, you''ll never be able to beat Fred and George in your life," Ginny''s words were like a knife in Ron''s shoulder, "We don''t have any wizards in our family who are more gifted in fighting than these two."


    Ron: "..."


    After Ginny left, Harry, Ron, and the other three roommates sat down for ate night snack.


    There was so much and hearty food in the basket that it was impossible for one person to eat it all, so even though Ginny wasn''t going to bring the food to her brother, Ron dabbled in the meal along with the other roommates.


    "Ginny has been a particr admirer of yours since she was a little girl, Harry ... Well, actually there are very few young wizards in the wizarding world who don''t admire you." Ron, who had a mouth full of cheese, mumbled to Harry, "We all grew up on stories of boys in great distress."


    "But Ginny''s a bit different, the rest of us gradually turn our childhood admiration into friendship after meeting you, you know what I mean?" He managed to swallow the contents of his mouth and continued.


    Harry nodded.


    "But unlike us, instead of seeing you as a friend like we did when Ginny grew up and met you, she began to worship you more and more." Ron said, "My mom told us that Ginny has been talking about you all year since she met you at King''s Cross Stationst year."


    "But ... but I don''t deserve to be worshipped like that." Harry put down the fork he was poking at the chunks of banana in his hand and said, somewhat bewildered, "I don''t even know how Voldemort was defeated by me at the time ..."


    Ignoring the horrified expressions of his four roommates when they heard Voldemort''s name, he continued, "I''m just a perfectly ordinary little wizard who couldn''t even win a simple Quidditch match, how do I deserve to be worshipped by Ginny like that?"


    "Don''t say that Harry, you''re number one in Defense Against the Dark Arts!" Neville didn''t quite feel like eating what Ginny had brought for Harry, taking a small piece of apple and nibbling halfway through it, "That alone is way beyond me, I''ve always been envious."


    Harry didn''t respond, just cried and shook his head.


    No one else knew about the whole Riddle''s journal thing, but that didn''t mean Harry himself couldn''t recognize himself.


    He''d always thought that he''d gotten first ce in his Defense Against the Dark Arts final examst year all because of Riddle''s tutoring, or else Professor Drac had made the Patronus how it should have been Hermione''s.


    "Harry, you''ll be fine, you''re the soul of the Gryffindor Quidditch team!" Ron said as his mouth filled up again, patting Harry on the shoulder as he chewed, "You were just in bad shapest game, just win the next one back!"


    All the young wizards were confident in Harry, after all he was the youngest ball finder in the history of Hogwarts!


    ...


    But things didn''t go as well as the other young wizards expected.


    Even as Harry gradually adjusted over the rest of the semester, he lost his next Quidditch match.


    Harry had actually anticipated this event himself, and that was because, the match was between Gryffindor and Ravenw.


    Autumn Chang, as the ball finder for the Ravenw Quidditch team, had held all of Harry''s thoughts from the very beginning of the match.


    Because of this, the youngest ball finder in the history of Hogwarts on the Gryffindor team, every now and then during the course of the match, he would look over to where the opposite ball finder was located-


    Not to observe the opponent''s movements, nor to prevent the Golden Flyer from appearing in the vicinity of the opposite ball finder and being caught, but simply to be able to take a look at Autumn Chang''s beautiful face.


    Throughout the match, instead of Harry as the ball finder looking for the Golden Flying Thief, it was more like he was looking for Autumn Chang''s figure ...


    With such ack of focus, Harry actually still had a chance to help Gryffindor win the match.


    Because he was overly concerned about Ravenw''s ball finder, even though he never seriously searched for the Golden Flying Thief, he still reacted in an instant and drove his broom to chase after him the moment Autumn-Zhang spotted the Golden Flying Thief.


    Autumn-Chang wasn''t a fast flyer, and with Harry chasing after her, she soon caught up and flew to a shoulder-to-shoulder position with her.


    Harry, however, hesitated.

 Chapter 179 - 179 Consider the adventure of knitting

    <h4>Chapter 179: Consider the adventure of knitting</h4>


    Ravenw''s Dean, Professor Freeway, was not an avid Quidditch fan like Gryffindor''s Dean, Professor McGonagall, and wouldn''t make the move of buying the ball finder a new broom as a gift.


    As a result, the flying broom that Autumn Chang used was still the Comet 260, which was the mostmon on the team and was not known to be many years old, while Harry''s broom was the Lightwheel 2000, which was only just one generation behind the newest model, the Lightwheel 2001.


    The speed difference between these two brooms was as huge as a sports car and a tractor!


    On top of that, Autumn Chang''s flying talent was obviously not as good as Harry''s, who had inherited excellent genes, so even though she had gone to school one year earlier than Harry, her flying skills were still a bit inferior to his.


    With thebination of the two conditions, Harry could even surpass Autumn Changter and catch the golden flying thief that represented victory first!


    But Harry hesitated.


    He saw the hope for victory in the eyes of Autumn Chang beside him, and knew that Autumn Chang also wanted to catch the golden thief.


    Most of the young wizards of Ravenw Academy, because of the academy''s qualities, only emphasized on their studies and thus neglected to cultivate other aspects of their lives, so they didn''t pay much attention to the Quidditch team.


    Because of this, the Ravenw Quidditch team was basically recognized as the weakest of the four houses.


    It was not often that Autumn Chang, as Ravenw''s ball finder, woulde across a moment where she was so close to victory.


    Harry was caught in a moment of indecision, as if there were two little men in his mind dueling with their wands raised -


    One viin thought that Harry should leave no stone unturned and fly forward to catch the golden flyer and win the match for Gryffindor.


    Gryffindor, the reigning champions, couldn''t afford to lose again.


    They were already struggling to get the title after the huge gap of one hundred and ny points that had been opened up against Hufflepuff.


    If they lose this match with Ravenw again, Gryffindor is afraid that they can announce in advance that they have no chance with this year''s championship. ...


    But another viin had a different opinion:


    It thought that Harry should give up the Golden Snitch to Autumn Chang and use it to please her.


    While his mind was torn, Harry was in reality still flying shoulder to shoulder with Autumn Chang, and the distance between him and the Golden Pegasus was also getting closer and closer.


    The former viin seemed to gradually gain the upper hand in the duel, using all sorts of magic spells to beat thetter viin into submission.


    Harry''s flying speed gradually elerated, slowly leaving the Autumn-Chang beside him behind.


    The wind whistled in his ears, and the excited voice of thementator, Lee Jordan, reached him faintly-


    "We can see that Harry, Gryffindor''s ball finder, has begun to pick up speed, his broom is fast and his flying skills are much more ... beautiful! Harry has left Autumn Chang behind and is getting closer and closer to the Golden Flyer!"


    "Sure enough, the youngest ball finder in history was just out of form on thest match, and he''s finally ying to his true strength in the final moments of this one!"


    "Great, he''s close to the Golden Flyer, he''s reaching, he''s ..."


    Lee Jordan''s shouts came to a screeching halt.


    The duel between the two viins in Harry''s mind continued, the former viin who was trying to get Harry to grab the Golden Flyer had gotten the upper hand and cornered thetter viin in the dueling arena ...


    "Swish!"


    The viin who had no way back suddenly raised his wand and a blinding green light struck the previous viin!


    The duel was over.


    Harry''s outstretched hand staggered against the golden flyer, catching a handful of cold air high in the air.


    In the next moment, Autumn Chang''s showy figure swept past Harry and grabbed the golden flying thief he had missed.


    "Duuuuuuuuuuuuu-"


    The whistle blew!


    On thementator''s stand, Lee Jordan stared at Harry in the sky in a daze, not even able to think of announcing the result of this match.


    "Jordan!" Professor McGonagall''s face was equally not looking too good, but she dutifully reminded, "It''s time to announce the result of the match!"


    "The final winner is ... Ravenw!"


    Lee Jordan forced himself to hold back the puzzlement in his heart and woodenly announced the final winner of the match.


    In front of Gryffindor''s ring goal, Wood looked at Harry high in the air in shock and muttered:


    "What the hell is going on here ..."


    No one wanted to believe that an extremely talented Quidditch yer such as Harry, the youngest ball finder at Hogwarts, would make a mistake that almost only a beginner Quidditch yer would make -


    Nearly a footte, but letting go of the Running Golden Flyer!


    High in the air, only as high as the two people were standing, Autumn Chang flew up to Harry on her Comet 260.


    "Harry, did you just let the Golden Flyer get away on purpose?" She still had a puzzled expression on her face, "At your level, you shouldn''t have failed to catch the Golden Flyer this time."


    "Our Ravenw team isn''t a strong team, but we won''t need a victory won by another team letting go!" Autumn-Chang said with a serious expression.


    She had just subconsciously grabbed the Golden Flying Thief that Harry had missed, but after reacting, she immediately realized something was wrong and hurriedly flew over to inquire about the truth of the matter.


    "I didn''t let go, I was careless in this match." Harry''s face changed for a moment and gently shook his head at Autumn Chang, "You''re thinking too much, Autumn."


    "Is that so?" Autumn-Chang was still a little skeptical.


    But Harry didn''t dare pay her any more attention for fear of identally spilling the beans on the matter, so he hurriedly turned and flew off the pitch.


    He didn''t know what face he should use to face his teammates again, so he just flew off the Quidditch pitch on his broomstick.


    Since then, Harry''s mental state, which had been pretty much adjusted, had gone back to the way it was, even worse than before ...


    ...


    "That savior you chose is not in the best of academic shape these days."


    In the Headmaster''s office, Drac fiddled with his clean and dry detachment hat and said casually to Dumbledore.


    "Yeah, I heard about that, and he''s not just in bad academic shape for his Defense Against the Dark Arts ss." Dumbledore spread his hands at Drac, "A lot of professors have reacted to me about it, especially Professor McGonagall."


    "Professor McGonagall seems to be very unhappy with Harry''s recent performance, he lost two Quidditch matches in a row, costing Gryffindor the chance to win this year''s Quidditch Cup ... not to mention that Harry''s performance in Transfiguration ss wasn''t too good either."


    "Professor Drac, since you''re here in my office, I''m sure you''ve learned the reason for Harry''s poor form this time around?" He asked with a smile as he poured Drac a ss of red wine.


    "What else could it be because of, of course it''s all that boring adolescent angst amongst the young wizards." Drac smiled tantalizingly, "Apparently Potter has recently taken a liking to another young witch, but that one doesn''t like him, so he''s feeling sad."


    Drac had noticed Harry''s abnormality as early asst semester, when this school year had just begun, Harry had struck up a conversation with Autumn Chang still using the excuse of asking about what was taught in Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.


    For this reason, De Gort had deliberately gone to surprise Harry.


    He came out of nowhere to ask Harry why he didn''t juste to the office to see his professor if he wanted to know what the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss was about.


    It just didn''t ur to Drac that Harry, who had been at peace with himself all semester, had turned into an adolescent mood that he couldn''t get out of after Christmas, and that it was even affecting his sses and Quidditch matches because of it.


    "I didn''t realize it was because of that." Dumbledore sipped his tea and sighed deeply, "It''s good to be young, at least you can still be hurt by your feelings."


    It was as if a bygone summer had surfaced in his blue eyes, only to dissipate in a sh.


    "So what are you going to do, at this rate this savior you''ve chosen is going to dy your education for a long time." Drac gave Dumbledore a surprised look and asked casually, "Just let him adjust and recover on his own?"


    "Professor Drac, as the children''s elders, we are not just teachers who tutor them in their studies, but we should be the parents of all the young wizards at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said with a smile, "It is our duty to guide the children who are in a lost path to the right path."


    "That sounds reasonable, but don''t I know you yet?" Drac bristled, instantly recognizing the calctions Dumbledore was making, "I see that you simply value Potter as a person and want me to step in and help him."


    "Wouldn''t you have said something else just as sensible if another young wizard had emotional problems?"


    "I''ve already thought about it for you, you''d probably say something like this - young wizards will have to be independent one day, they can''t rely on their parents, teachers, or elders for everything, and when they meet this kind of emotional problem they need to be allowed toe out of it with their own perseverance."


    Drac squinted at Dumbledore.


    "Ahem ...," Dumbledore''s expression was a little embarrassed and he coughed dryly, "Professor Drac, you don''t really need to specte on me with such great malice. Although I do pay a little more attention to Harry, I''m not so much as to leave the other young wizards alone ..."


    "Who knows?" Drac shrugged, "Anyway, you always have your own reasoning anyway, a set of words to fool people."


    "Better not talk about that, why don''t we discuss how to guide Harry out of this adolescent angst." Dumbledore silently changed the topic.


    "You don''t need to ask me that kind of question, I''ve never understood the boring emotional problems you wizards have." Drac said, "Of course, if you want me to help cast a soul snatching spell on the object of Harry''s affections I can do it for you."


    After a brief thought, he added, "Getting Professor Snape to concoct a few vials of LSD should be quite effective as well."


    "Ahem ..."


    Dumbledore just drank a mouthful of tea, and when he heard Drac''s solution he suddenly choked on the tea and coughed violently.


    "Professor Drac, cough ... this kind of method that goes against thew is something we refuse to use." He coughed while persuading Drac, "What we have to do is to guide Harry to the right path, not have to let him get what he wants ...cough."


    Dumbledore picked up his wand and used a coughing spell on his own throat, the session of coughs then stopped.


    "Never use these unnatural methods, it will lead Harry astray." He exined repeatedly, fearing that Drac would take it upon himself to help Harry with a soul-stealing spell or a mesmerizer.


    "Remember? Tom Riddle''s mother was the one who seduced a muggle with an ecstasy, which gave birth to Voldemort, who couldn''t allow any emotion in his heart."


    "So what do you mean?" Drac frowned.


    He always had the feeling that whatever he was going to do was a bit of a pain in the ass, nowhere near as simple and dry as the mesmerizer and the Soul Snatcher spell, which would have been a quick fix to the problem that was guing Harry.


    Of course, it was impossible to say whether or not this would cause anyone else to be bothered by it ...


    "Professor Drac, what I actually meant was to shift Harry''s focus away from the emotional aspect." Dumbledore seemed to have already had his mind made up, and immediately told Drac a detailed set of ns-


    "Harry is a standard Gryffindor, and all young Gryffindor wizards have one trait inmon: a thirst for adventure."


    "During the adventure, the countless new things and the crisis that maye at any time will inspire the adventurer to concentrate one hundred percent, and he or she must pay full attention in order to cope with all the difficulties."


    "That being the case, why don''t we address this characteristic by making an adventure program for Harry that has no danger beyond his ability, but is nevertheless very exciting? Would having such an adventure take his focus away from his feelings for a while?"


    Dumbledore spoke from the character of the young wizard in Gryffindor, exining his n in a logical manner.


    Listening to the old principal''s narration, Drac gently sipped the red wine in his goblet and looked at him with a wry smile.


    "If I''m not mistaken, this idea of yours has been going on for quite a while, hasn''t it?" He asked, "Maybe even without this whole Harry for love thing, you would have asked me to help you implement the idea."


    "Why do you say that?" Dumbledore was stunned for a moment and turned to Drac curiously, "I don''t think I''ve mentioned the idea before, have I?"


    "It''s true that you haven''t mentioned it in front of me, if that''s the only idea." Dracughed softly, "But I do know at least one thing, and that is that you''ve been trying to bring Potter up."


    "When he was a first year, you arranged for various professors to design many levels in the restricted area that protects the magic stone. These levels were as good as a joke, and I remember them quite well."


    "The second level set up a Devil''s Web designed to prevent young wizards from falling, and the Devil''s Web was something you learned in first year Herbology; the third level was designed specifically for Potter, the ball finder, to catch the key with a flying broom; andter on, there was Wizard''s Chess, which Wesley excelled at, and Brainstorming, which Granger excelled at... . it''s clearlyid out for them to work on their individual skills."


    Speaking of this, Drac nced at Dumbledore, "Even when I wanted to set up some interesting levels, you wouldn''t let me set up ones that were too difficult ... By the end of the day it was specifically set up so that Potter and the remnants of Voldemort woulde face to face in a confrontation."


    "You really went to a lot of trouble to designst school year, Headmaster Dumbledore?"


    Dumbledore couldn''t help but smile at what Drac had said.


    "So I made it so obvious?" He said cheerfully, "Fortunately, several other professors arranged the levels from back to front, unlike you who appreciated all the levels ... otherwise with their intelligence, how could they not see it?"


    "So tell me, what kind of workout are you going to put Potter through in second year?" Drac drained his ss of red wine and pushed the empty ss in front of Dumbledore.


    "I''m not going to lie, I really haven''t gotten around to setting up any other adventure grounds this year." Dumbledore refilled Drac''s ss while saying, helplessly.


    "Compared to the thrill ofst school year, this school year has been a bit tame inside the castle, and I wasn''t able to find the right entry point for Harry to join in an adventure quite naturally."


    Drac reached over and took his goblet back, giving Dumbledore a somewhat odd look.


    "Are you surest school year was thrilling?" The corner of his mouth twitched, "Any way I look at it, I think you were ying with the remnants of Voldemort''s soul and the whole school year followed your script."


    "You can''t say that, Professor Drac you never follow my script." Dumbledore shook his head with emotion.


    "That''s why I want to inquire today, this Professor Drac who is not in the script, can you arrange some suitable adventures for Harry, so that he can get rid of his emotional problems and at the same time exercise to improve his abilities?"


    "Heh, what suitable adventure could I find for him?" Drac shook his head.


    He lifted the once again filled ss up and shook it gently.


    Looking at his reflection in the ss, Drac suddenly thought of those rewarding experiences he had before Christmas and thought of an interesting wizard.


    "Wait, this school year doesn''t seem to be uneventful all year long ..."


    ...


    Time crept into June, and exam week at Hogwarts was just around the corner.


    In the various ssrooms of the teaching area, the young wizards quietly flipped through their books, reviewing what they had learned during the school year.


    None of the professors were present today, and every ss was turned into a self-study session for the young wizards to do a final review before their exams.


    Harry still wasn''t in too good of shape, he hadn''tpletely gotten over the blowback of Autumn Chang and Cedric starting a rtionship.


    Plus there was a Quidditch match in a couple of days, thest one before exams, which would decide the team that would end up in the final.


    But Gryffindor had lost their chance of making the finals early-


    Unless they could open a three-hundred-point gap with Slytherin in thest game before the exams, it would be impossible for Gryffindor, who was temporarily in fourth ce, to overtake both the third-ranked Ravenw and the second-ranked Slytherin and gain a ticket to the final.


    At the mention of Quidditch, Harry wasn''t as excited as he once was, but instead was filled with despondency.


    He was equally unmotivated to review, and just looked out the window aimlessly.

 Chapter 180 - 180 The familiar Harry is back.

    <h4>Chapter 180: The familiar Harry is back.</h4>


    The sunlight outside the window is so bright that it is blinding, through the transparent ss to see the branches outside the window, has been poisonous sun sagging, bright green branches and leaves are about to be wilted by the sun.


    The ckke in the distance is calm, without a ripple, as if entering a dream world, exceptionally silent.


    In the ssroom, apart from the rustling sound of quill and parchment, there was almost no extra sound, the young wizards were preparing for their final exams in the near future, even Ron, who was next to him, started to do a set of test questions under Hermione''s supervision.


    Harry, however, was unmotivated to study.


    He held the quill in his hand, both hands resting on the parchment, which was soaked with hand sweat in the same spot, yet still not a single word had fallen from the paper.


    His thoughts roamed out the window, rambling aimlessly about a jumble of things, and before he knew it, the lilting bell for the end of ss was ringing.


    Hermione gathered her books and prepared to go for another trip to the library to go over the history of magic. She also wanted to drag Harry and Ron over to prepare for their exams as well, but Harry excused himself from that, citing that he had a Quidditch practice in the evening.


    Of course, he actually knew himself that this training had be optional, since Gryffindor had lost its chance to make the final round.


    And Harry also knew that he really should seriously review ... well, or prep for the sses that he hadn''t been listening to much this semester, or else he would definitely not get a desirable grade on his final exams, and it was possible that he wouldn''t even be able to pass.


    But the thought that Cedric was probably in the library right now helping Autumn Chang review for her third year exams didn''t give him any desire to go to the library and study together.


    Harry climbed the stairs aimlessly until he reached the Gryffindormon room on the eighth floor and came to a portrait of the fatdy who watched the door for themon room.


    "Fennel muesli."


    He uttered the password to the Fat Lady.


    The Fat Lady looked at Harry and smiled at him.


    "Oh, there''s a little first year witch looking for you just now,e on in." She said cheerfully.


    The portrait then swung open to reveal the hole into themon room.


    "Oh, thanks." Harry responded with some surprise.


    As the one responsible for causing the Gryffindor team to lose in several Quidditch matches, Harry had actually received quite a bit of criticism within Gryffindor this semester.


    Coupled with the fact that his mind was tied to Autumn Chang and he hadn''t been much of a fan of any of the other loyal admirers, he wasn''t as popr as he had been before.


    As a result, Harry didn''t know what other first years woulde over to him when it was this close to final exams.


    In fact, Harry was sort of in authority.


    The only first year wizards who were willing to seek him out at such a crucial time before the exams were basically the two who still maintained a loyal admiration mentality towards Harry, both of whom were Gryffindor wizards -


    One was Colin Creevey who spent his days with a camera, always wanting to take pictures of Harry. Originally from a Muggle family, he had heard about Harry from the newspapers and books on the subject before he went to school, and had instantly transformed into a die-hard Harry fan.


    Another admirer is Ginny. Unlike Colin Creevey, who didn''t be a die-hard Harry fan until after school, she grew up hearing about Harry and has been Harry''s little fan since the beginning.


    Harry had always felt guilty about Ginny and Colin because he felt that he was just a perfectly ordinary little wizard who didn''t deserve their admiration ...


    Walking into themon room, Harry looked around and sure enough, he found a small redheaded witch anxiously circling the firece.


    "Ginny?" He hesitated and opened his mouth to call out to Ginny, "The Fat Lady just said that a little first year witch was looking for me, and the person she was talking about was you, right?"


    Ginny''s anxious steps were interrupted by Harry''s voice and she looked up fiercely, a look of relief in her eyes.


    "Harry, you''re finally back!" She said anxiously, "We need your help!"


    "What happened?" Harry asked, a little surprised at Ginny''s anxious look.


    "Luna''s missing, she hasn''t been back all day!" Ginny''s brow was filled with worry, "Last night was thest time I saw her, she told me that she was going to the Forbidden Forest to feed the Night Ti."


    "Luna? Is that your new Ravenw friend?" Harry asked.


    "Yes, the girl with the light blonde hair who looks mysterious." Ginny said, "I thought at the time that her wanting to go to the Forbidden Forest was just a joke because I''d never heard of such an animal as a Night Ti ..."


    "It wasn''t until I met Rolf Scamander just now that I realized that there really are animals like the Night Ti in the Forbidden Forest, and Luna is obviously familiar with them!"


    "So what you''re saying is that Luna is in danger in the Forbidden Forest?" Harry frowned.


    "I think that would be the case." Ginny nodded, "I didn''t see Luna all day today, and she didn''t show up for the study session Gryffindor and Ravenw had together."


    "Later, I specifically ran to the door of the Ravenwmon room to find a few of her roommates and asked them if they had seen Luna, but they told me that Luna hadn''t been back to her dormitory all night yesterday!"


    "But isn''t that the sort of thing ... that you should go to a professor for help with?" Harry hesitated for a moment, then said, "Are you not sure where Professor McGonagall''s office is? I can take you there."


    "I know where Professor McGonagall''s office is, Harry!" Ginny eximed, "But none of the professors are inside the school today, not even a single adult faculty member!"


    "How is this ... possible?" Harry''s mouth dropped open in shock, "Would Professor McGonagall allow such a state of affairs inside the castle?"


    "But it is what it is, and Professor McGonagall isn''t in the castle." Ginny said.


    "I just stumbled upon Nick, who was nearly headless, and he told me that Professor Drac felt that he hadn''t invited any of his colleagues here to his house in over a year since he''d been at Hogwarts, so on a sudden whim he''s going to invite all the faculty and staff to his castle for dinner."


    "And Professor Drac said that anyone who didn''t go was not giving him face, and in the end, even Professor McGonagall was forcibly taken inside his own home by him."


    "That does seem like Professor Drac''s style ...," Harry cried, "Professor Drac is so rich, his house must be so big that it wouldn''t be much of a problem to fit all the professors at Hogwarts. "


    "Harry, now is not the time to ponder just how big Professor Drac''s house is!" Ginny interrupted Harry and continued, "The problem right now is that Luna is in danger in the Forbidden Forest and we need your help!"


    "But even if the Professor isn''t here, we should get help from the Head of the ss." Harry said nkly, "Percy should be in the library, right? He''d surely be more than willing to manifest his Head Boy duties of protecting the underssmen."


    "No Harry, we don''t need Percy, the person we need is you!" Ginny shook her head, "Actually I wasn''t the first to realize Luna was missing, Scamander was the first ..."


    "Scaramander has been close to Luna since he first transferred to Hogwarts, and after he found out that Luna was missing, he skipped his study sessions during the day and took a trip to the Forbidden Forest by himself first."


    "Just now, Scamander told me that he had found where Luna was trapped, but it required specific magic to open it, so he asked me toe to you for help!"


    Ginny pronounced the word ''we'' emphatically.


    She hadn''t realized that Harry could be this slow, that he had spoken for so long and yet he hadn''t been able to distinguish between the words "we" and "I" in his own mouth, not even a little bit of confusion.


    "But I''m just a normal second year, Ginny, I''m not any more special than anyone else, and I don''t know any specific magic." Harry said softly.


    He''d been kind of self-conscious this whole time and didn''t think for a second that anything Percy couldn''t do could be done by him.


    "Look, Ginny, I know you have a ... well, blind adoration for me, but it''s true that I''m not the savior you all make me out to be, and I really didn''t do anything the day Voldemort left ... "


    Ginny looked at Harry who was obviously a bit self-absorbed, her heart was both angry at this object of her own adoration, and at the same time worried about Luna''s current situation, coupled with the admiration for Harry that had long been suppressed in her heart ...


    All the emotions condensed to a single point, and finally burst outpletely-


    "Don''t you see what I mean, Harry?" She eximed as her gaze locked onto Harry''s eyes, "You''ve been that most special of wizards, not because you''re a savior, but because of who you are as a person!"


    "I adore you not in any way just because of your aplishments in chasing off Voldemort as a child, or your fame in the wizarding world, but because of your courageous character, yourmitment!"


    "Have you forgotten? In thest school year, even though you knew that Assistant Professor Chilo was a dangerous dark wizard, you still rushed into that dangerous forbidden area in order to protect the magic stone. You even dared to face the Mystic head-on and duel with that dark wizard that everyone feared!"


    "Where did the fearless, courageous Harry go?" Ginny said somewhat hysterically, her face red and her eyes closed.


    Harry stared nkly at the youngest Weasley girl in front of him, suddenly feeling like he had never really known her.


    In Harry''s impression, Ginny''s cheeks would be red every time she saw herself, and she even became clumsy, often dropping things in her hands on the ground ... so he always felt that this was just a naive little girl.


    But he had actually heard about Ginny''s original character from Ron, Fred and George''s mouths: she hadn''t been that kind of naive, shy girl since she was a little girl, but rather, she had a lively, energetic personality and had her own opinions on everything she did.


    Ginny only became such a submissive, shy, and naive character in front of Harry because she admired him.


    Now, the emotional outburst of the young witch made Harry realize another side of her, and at the same time, reminded him of the side of himself he once had.


    Harry''s mind wandered and the emotions in his eyes gradually withdrew into his heart.


    "I ..." he said softly, "I have Quidditch practice in a little while, and I came back this time to get my broom."


    A look of extreme disappointment and extreme sadness came into Ginny''s eyes at Harry''s words.


    "I know, Scamander and I will get Luna back." She said coldly, walking towards the door of themon room without looking back.


    "Wait!" Harry suddenly called out to her.


    "Anything else?" Ginny stopped in her tracks, but had absolutely no intention of turning back, "My time is precious right now, and Luna''s situation gets a little more dangerous with every extra second of dy."


    "I know." Harry said, "That''s why I was going to say that I''m just about to grab my broom, it should be a little quicker to fly to the Forbidden Forest on a flying broom, right?"


    He smiled easily, the confidence he had felt when he had simultaneously won the Quidditch Trophy, achieved first ce in the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, and harvested the College Cup before the end of his first year returning to his turquoise-eyed boy once again.


    Ginny covered her mouth incredulously and turned to look at the smiling Harry.


    She knew that the Harry Potter she adored the most was back!


    ...


    And so that afternoon, a tufted flying broom carried a clean youthful scent that beckoned as it sped across the bright sunlit blue sky.


    "Ginny, where''s Scamander waiting for us?" Harry asked aloud to Ginny, who was in front of him, as his hand gripped the front of his broom against the howling wind.


    At this point, the two young wizards were flying through the sky at the same time in Harry''s Wheel of Light 2000 at a rapid pace, inplete defiance of the rules of using a flying broom.


    Harry sat on the back of the broom and reached his hand forward to hold the grip on the front of the broom, a position that nearly hugged the waist of Ginny, who was sitting in front of the broom.


    Ginny was red in the face, her head almost hanging down inside her cor,pletely oblivious to what questions Harry was asking.


    "Ginny, you need to tell me where Scamander is waiting for us?" Harry just had to repeat it again, "I need to get my bearings or I''ll fly to the wrong ce and dy the rescue!"


    Ginny finally heard Harry this time and looked up with her mind clouded.


    "Ah, Scamander said he''d meet us at Hagrid''s cottage." She said in a slightly shaky voice.


    Harry nodded and adjusted the direction of his broom and flew in the direction of Hagrid''s hut next to the Forbidden Forest.


    After a burst of wind, Harry and Ginnynded in front of Hagrid''s hut.


    Hagrid, as the Hogwarts'' hunting ground caretaker and key keeper, and apparently a part of the Hogwarts faculty, had likewise been brought by Drac to attend arge gathering inside his own home, Drac''s Castle.


    Yet at this very moment, there was another person standing inside Hagrid''s hut rummaging through it.


    "Oh no, someone actually came to Hagrid''s ce to steal something while he was away!" Harry angrily helped Ginny off of her broom before darting inside Hagrid''s shack himself.


    "Stop! What''s in here belongs to Hagrid!" He kicked the door open with a bang and yelled at the inside of the shack.


    However, when he saw the figure inside Hagrid''s shanty, he froze on the spot.


    "Scamander, why are you inside Hagrid''s house?" Harry asked suspiciously as he looked at the young wizard inside the house, "And how did you get the key to Hagrid''s shed?"


    "Oh, there you are Harry." Rolf nced up at Harry in the doorway and proceeded to rummage back and forth inside the house, "My grandfather was pretty close to Hagrid, so I got to know Hagrid when I was still a kid."


    He didn''t exin to Harry the reason why Newt and Hagrid were on okay terms.


    In fact, Newt Scamander and Rupert Hagrid were both students who were expelled from Hogwarts, while at the same time both loved magical creatures, and both lived through that era of the Global Wizarding War, so the two had a lot inmon, and easily became good friends.


    "When I came to Hogwarts this time, I immediately came and applied for Hagrid''s assistant." Rolf puffed out his chest proudly, "I''m a wizard who must be the best Magical Zoologist in the future, and being a Magical Zoologist''s assistant has to start at a young age!"


    "So Hagrid gave you the keys to the house?" Harry nodded in understanding, "Also, there''s nothing too precious in Hagrid''s house, it doesn''t really matter if you leave the door unlocked."


    However, after hearing Harry''sment about Hagrid''s hut, Rolf suddenly looked up at him with a strange expression on his face.


    "What''s wrong, did I say something wrong?" Harry asked in surprise. He looked around and really didn''t find anything valuable here.


    "Well ... then do you know what this is?" Rolf asked as he picked up arge, dirty fur cushion from one of the chairs and spoke up.


    "Isn''t this the chair cushion that Hagrid usually sits on, what''s so unusual about that?" Harry asked.


    "That''s true." Rolf nodded, "And do you know what material was used to weave this mat?"


    "Uh ... isn''t it wool?" Harry said.


    "No, it''s actually unicorn tail hair." Rolf uttered the answer, followed by a wicked grin.


    Harry''s eyes widened in shock.


    He vaguely remembered seeing the price of unicorn tail hairs in one of the magical material stores when he had been shopping for potion materials in Diagon Alley -


    Ten Galleons per bag!


    If this is calcted like this, then wouldn''t such arge cushion woven with unicorn tail hair that could fit Hagrid''s butt cost ... many, many, many galleons?


    Harry''s eyes widened as he scrutinized the dirty cushion in Rolf''s hand,pletely unwilling to admit that it was made of unicorn tail hair.


    "See what I mean now?" Rolf shrugged, "Hagrid is the Hunting Ground Warden of Hogwarts and manages such a great treasure trove as the Forbidden Forest. That''s why a lot of insignificant things he has here possess extremely high value when taken out!"


    "And what are you rummaging for?" After Harry''s shock, he turned to give Rolf a suspicious look, "Sneaking away Hagrid''s goodies while he''s away?"


    "I wouldn''t be interested in this little bit of Hagrid''s family fortune!" Rolf nced at Harry with great pride, "I have a lot more magical creatures in my house than Hagrid could ever see!"


    Rolf wasn''t exaggerating at all.


    Newt didn''t just have a suitcase living with all those precious magical creatures, the Scamander''s basement was likewise vastly expanded by the Uncanny Stretching Spell, with a huge number of magical creatures living in the expansive basement.


    Byparison, the Forbidden Forest next to Hogwarts, even asrge as it was, was little more than a monoclimate on the Scottish side.


    However, Newt''s basement and box were set up with weather spells for nearly every kind of climate, and also had most of the world''s natural environments.


    So Rolf was right, they had much stronger assets about magical animals at home than Hagrid had here!


    "Since you''re not interested, what are you rummaging around here for?" Harry asked in disbelief.


    "Looking for a useful gadget that we''ll need when we go to rescue Lunater." Rolf said to Harry, as he rummaged around.


    "Found it, so Hagrid put it here!"


    He fished out a long stick from arge box with a pincer-like metal device on one end.


    "What''s this thing? A weapon?" Harry looked at the strange looking stick, his eyes froze a bit, "Hmm ... I wonder if it''s a matter of me not seeing enough to see what kills me with this thing."


    "This thing is called snake fork pliers." Rolf exined, "A tool specifically used to deal with snakes, it maye in handy in a while."


    Saying that, he gave Harry a curious look, "But that''s not the main countermeasure, our mainbatant is you!"


    "Me?" Harry froze, "I''m just a second year wizard, you''re not going to let Ginny trick you into believing I''m good, are you?"


    "Ahem, I think it''s important to note before we act, Scamander, that my first year''s first ce in Defense Against the Dark Arts is just ..."


    "Who said you were called here because of your first ce finish in Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Ginny interrupted Harry out of the blue as she walked in carrying Harry''s Light Wheel 2000.


    She was still blushing a little, but after the experience of sharing a broom, she was finally not as shy when facing Harry as she had been before.


    "Not for my Defense Against the Dark Arts grade?" Harry turned to Ginny, "Is it because of the specific magic you told me about earlier? But I don''t know any extracurricr magic at all. ... Otherwise we''ll call Hermione over, she might know."


    "Harry, have you really forgotten what you''re all capable of?" Ginny pouted helplessly, "Think again, what abilities have you shown at the dueling club?"


    Harry''s expression became even more nk.


    Because of the punishment Drac had given for walking out of ss, he had often had to fight four duels in a row at dueling club meetings this semester.


    While it was true that his practical skills had improved significantly, so many duels had also made him unable to tell what magic he had used.


    "Harry, have you forgotten, that duel you had with Malfoy at the first dueling club!" Ginny finally couldn''t help but remind Harry as she saw that he couldn''t remember any more, "That was when Malfoy turned into arge snake and then you spoke a strangenguage that controlled the snake away from yourself."


    Rolf added from the sidelines:


    "Potter, from what Ginny has told me about this experience of yours, I can tentatively tell that you are a Snake Old Cave! We need your help."

 Chapter 181 - 181 Search for relics

    <h4>Chapter 181: Search for relics</h4>


    Harry would have almost forgotten about the fact that he was a Serpent''s Old Cavity if Rolf hadn''t brought it up out of the blue.


    At that time, Professor Drac carried him to his office and drew a tube of his blood, saying that he wanted to test whether he was rted to Szar Slytherin, the founder of Slytherin Academy.


    Although it was ultimately proven that Harry was indeed not rted to Slytherin, it still left asting impression on him.


    All this time, the little alchemical bat that had been used to draw his blood was still sitting in his luggage pile!


    "So ... is there any necessary connection between the old snake cavity and this whole rescuing Luna thing?" Harry asked, "Could it be that Luna fell into the snakes?"


    He winced.


    If she had fallen into the snakes, after a long day, Luna would have had a hard time keeping herself alive, I''m afraid.


    "It''s actually a bit easier if you do fall into the snakes, I can find some of the andrographis powder from inside Hagrid''s things, it''s still quite handy for expelling a few snakes." Rolf said, "But that''s not what happened, I searched along the footprints left by Luna and found a relic!"


    "A relic?!"


    Harry and Ginny eximed at the same time.


    Even Ginny, who had already learned part of the situation from Rolf, only knew that Luna was trapped inside some trap, or animal colony in the Forbidden Forest, and didn''t know that her disappearance was also connected to a certain relic that had disappeared from the magical world for a long time.


    Harry was even more shocked.


    He had never known that there were ancient ruins in the Forbidden Forest, and he didn''t know if it was Luna''s good or bad luck that she had stepped into one that had never been known.


    "It''s still uncertain exactly how Luna''s situation is, so let''s just walk and talk." Rolf grabbed his snake-fork pliers and led the way out of the Hagrid Shack.


    Harry and Ginny naturally approved of his decision and followed out of the room.


    "Won''t you help Hagrid lock the door?" Harry asked in a hurry as he watched Rolf walk straight towards the Forbidden Forest.


    He now knew that Hagrid''s shed was full of precious goodies, andpletely retracted his earlier judgment that Hagrid''s hut didn''t need to lock the door.


    Rolf stopped in his tracks and shot a snickering nce at Harry, with a look in his eyes that clearly said:


    ''I thought you were just saying that Hagrid''s Hut didn''t have to lock its doors, why did you change your mind so quickly?''


    Harry lowered his head, practically wanting to find a crack in the ground to burrow into.


    After locking the door, the three of them walked into the deep forbidden forest together.


    ...


    As time passed, the sky gradually darkened, and a bright evening sunset lit up the sky.


    The trees of the Forbidden Forest were towering and dense, blocking the sunlight that was already dimming, casting dense shadows and appearing iparably eerie.


    The entirerge forest was shrouded in a mist, and the huge and dense trees were linked together like a giant beast that wanted to choose people to devour, swallowing the three little wizards in one gulp.


    "Rolf, have you seen how that relic looks like?" Walking in the deep forbidden forest, Harry couldn''t help but ask Rolf.


    After this short period of time together, the three had be quite close, no longer calling each other by their surnames, but affectionately calling the others by their first names.


    "I didn''t see the full extent of the ruins even when I was there this morning." Rolf said with a soft shake of his head, "There seemed to be some magical creatures in charge of protection around there, and even after bypassing the gatekeepers, there seemed to be other animals in charge of patrolling."


    "I had wanted to do some good poking around the neighborhood to find a way into the ruins, but before I could circle around the ruins enough for a third of a circle, I was driven out by arge python."


    Saying that, Rolf also gnashed his teeth indignantly.


    "Those snakes were obviously enchanted, or else where would they have been willing to chase me away with the animal affinity of a future Pok¨¦monologist like me?"


    Harry and Ginny both twitched at the corners of their mouths, automatically ignoring Rolf''sstment.


    "But how can you be sure there aren''t any guardian animals other than snakes, Rolf?" Ginny asked with a somewhat worried look at Harry, "Harry''s old snake cavity can only manipte snake-like animals, wouldn''t we be dangerous if we encountered any other kind of animal?"


    "If my judgment is not wrong, we shouldn''t encounter other kinds of animals." Rolf pondered slightly and said to the two of them, "The building of that relic has a lot of apocryphal images of snakes withered on it, the owner of the relic should have a paranoid fondness for animals like snakes, and it''s unlikely that he would fill such a space of snakes with other animals."


    "A love of snakes?" Harry couldn''t help butugh out loud, "Who else would want to use a not-so-nice animal like a snake as an apothecary image except for that group of people at Slytherin Academy?"


    Ginny covered her mouth andughed quite cooperatively as well.


    "Wait, Harry, did you just say ... that only Slytherin would be willing to use a snake as a withering image?" Rolf suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.


    "Yeah, that''s kind of a consensus at Hogwarts, isn''t it? Very few students other than Slytherin like snakes." Harry said to Rolf, a budding student who hadn''t been at Hogwarts for very long, "After all, snakes have cold, hard bodies that don''t feel good in the owner''s hands."


    "Also, venomous snakes have fangs that can harm human lives, plus many of them can grow sorge that the average snake keeper often ends up not being able to find the right space to keep them because they''ve grown too big."


    "No, I''m not talking about the disadvantages of snakes." Rolf shook his head, "I just suddenly thought of a question, who exactly did you guys say ... built this relic?"


    "If ording to you guys, only a Slytherin sorcerer would like an animal like a snake, then the probability is that this relic was built by a Slytherin, and his talent and family fortune should be very powerful, which would give him the opportunity to build a relic of that size."


    "That''s true ...," Harry nodded, lost in thought.


    He suddenly remembered what Professor Drac had said to him when he had approached him for a blood test:


    The founder of the Slytherin Academy, Szar Slytherin was a Serpent''s Old Cavity, he was able to use it to control untold numbers of snakes to fight for him, and the Serpent''s Old Cavity was like a soul-stealing spell for snakes.


    Harry''s eyes suddenly widened, "You guys, could this relic have been built by the founder of the Slytherin Academy?"


    "No way ...," Ginny opened her mouth wide, "If Slytherin built the relic, why would a Ravenw witch like Luna be able to get in?"


    "I''m not sure, but the more I think about it, the more likely it seems." Harry said excitedly, "Ginny, Rolf, can you remember anything else that''s told in Hogwarts: A School History? Hermione has a copy there and I''ve borrowed it to read."


    "Saracha Slytherin ended up leaving Hogwartster in life after breaking with the other three founders over enrollment rules. There have been legends that believe that in order to maintain the purity of Hogwarts, Slytherin left behind a secret chamber at Hogwarts from which monsters would emerge every certain amount of time, tasked with removing Muggle-born students."


    "Could that relic be the Chamber of Secrets that Slytherin left behind?" Harry asked excitedly.


    "Harry, legends are legends after all, and there wasn''t much we could have borrowed from this in the first ce." Rolf shook his head gently, "And I don''t see how arge relic could be described as a Chamber of Secrets."


    "But there''s no smoke without fire, and the fact that there have been such legends at least proves that there''s a high probability that Slytherin actually left something behind." Ginny said optimistically, "And instead of discussing it aimlessly here, we should just go to the site and take a look."


    Harry and Rolf nodded in approval of Ginny''s statement, and Rolf led the two onward into the depths of the Forbidden Forest.


    Gradually, as the sky darkened, ayer of mist shrouded the Forbidden Forest everywhere, obstructing the vision of those in its midst.


    As Harry''s trio continued to walk deeper and deeper, the surrounding area became darker and darker, and not a single ray of sunlight could seep down from the cracks of the trees, providing enough light to illuminate the path ahead.


    "Luminescent Flicker (Lumos)."


    Harry and Rolf raised their wands at the same time and lit the tips of their wands with the Wand Lighting spell, dispersing some of the darkness around them.


    The three were then able to see what was around them -


    Trees so thick that it would take two people to hug them stood all around, the tops of which could not be seen at all from the ground upwards, with only a cascade of branches and leaves obscuring the sky.


    In addition to those dense bushes, there were also some dark-colored tree trunks in the distance, even in the middle of summer, but there were not many leaves, and many bare, oddly shaped branches ovepped together, giving people a slightly eerie feeling.


    The soil on the ground was an overall grayish color, and these soils did not appear to be wet, but strangely stayed dry in the diffuse fog. You could feel the firm, hard texture as you stepped on it, and your shoes wouldn''t get dirt on them as a result.


    Rolf stopped in front of a bare tree trunk


    "Why have you stopped?" Harry looked over at Rolf, who had stopped halfway across the road and not continued, "Is something wrong?"


    "Well ... nothing''s wrong." Rolf turned back with an embarrassed expression, "Only that the fog is getting a little thicker now, and I can''t discern the exact path to that ruin."


    "What did you say?!" Harry instantly widened his eyes, "Right now, among the three of us, only you have been to that relic where Luna is ... If even you can''t find the path, then how are we supposed to free Luna?"


    Ginny also revealed a very worried expression beside her, "Rolf, think of something!"


    "It''s fine, the problem isn''t too big." Rolf''s eyes circled around a few times and said with a confident expression, "If I can find that relic once, I can find it a second time!"


    After saying that, he told Harry and Ginny to stay where they were, and took a few steps by himself towards a small open area nearby.


    He then pulled his wand out of his pocket and recited the incantation-


    "Trace Manifestation (Appare Vestigium)."


    Rolf bent down to bring his body close to the ground and spun around in the middle of the forbidden forest, his wand spraying a golden spot of light that illuminated all traces of magical activity in the vicinity.


    "Whew, I have to say this magic does work." After the magic casting was over, he looked at the area in front of him enveloped in golden light with satisfaction and said, "You guys might have heard of it, this magic spell is called a tracking spell."


    "My grandfather was quite good at this magic spell, and often used it to find the traces of magical animals and rescue the little ones that were hidden in ces that were hard for people to find.... Not only that, but during the time of the Global Wizarding War, it was by virtue of this magic that he was able to find my grandmother in Paris. "


    Rolf stood in the very center of this golden glow, looking at the various golden lines and shapes that gradually appeared around him, and introduced himself very pleasantly.


    "It''s quite fortunate to say that I thought this spell looked very cool when I was working as a young assistant under my grandfather, so I pestered him and asked him to teach me to learn this spell."


    "And it sure came in handy today!"


    Harry and Ginny stood beyond the golden glow at a certain distance from Rolf, eyeing the trajectories of the various animals illuminated by the golden light and unconsciously frowning.


    "Rolf, how is this magic spell going to work?" Ginny curiously reached out her hand to touch towards a golden line, but her hand passed right through it and touched nothing.


    "It''s actually quite simple to use," Rolf said, "Each golden shape represents a creature''s trail of activity, and ording to the amount of magic output and the proficiency in using the spell, it''s able to see a timeframe ranging from an hour all the way up to several years."


    "But there are so many lines and shapes here, how are we going to find the trail that belongs to Luna?" Harry felt a little guilty as he looked at the dizzying array of golden lines.


    "Not to mention that you found Luna''s trail in the morning, and now that an afternoon has passed, the animals that have passed through this area should be more numerous and make a greater interference in our judgment."


    In the face of Harry and Ginny''s less than optimistic moods, Rolf instead held his head up with a confident expression.


    "If we were looking for other magical creatures it might indeed be a bit of a challenge, but since we''re looking for wizards, and Luna at that, the task bes a lot easier." He said, pointing to the patch of golden trails in front of him.


    "This is already the depths of the Forbidden Forest, it''s supposed to be a ce where very few sorcerers will arrive, usually even if someonees here it''s those more powerful professors who might enter the Forbidden Forest to collect some materials."


    "But don''t you guys forget!" Rolf suddenly focused and emphasized.


    "Today, Professor Drac brought all the faculty members to his house, even Professor McGonagall didn''t stay at the castle, so it''s conceivable that none of the other professors must have stayed here, so it''s only necessary to look for the trajectories of the little wizards."


    "On top of that, even if there really is another little wizard who has to vite the school rules to appear in the depths of this forest at a time like this before the exams, we don''t have to worry too much."


    "I''ve already found out during the morning, and if you guys see Luna''s footprints, you''ll most likely be surprised ... Anyway, her footprints are very unique."


    Rolf led both Harry and Ginny into the area covered by the golden glow, eliminating one by one the tracks and movement trails that were obviously left by animals, eliminating the golden shapes that represented those things.


    Soon the area covered by the golden glow became empty, leaving only a pair of very specific tracks still lingering in it.


    "This is ..."


    "Huh?"


    Looking at the trail, both Harry and Ginny''s eyes widened in dismay.


    Only to see that the footprints representing Luna stretched out along a path forward, with varying spacing of her feet, as if she had traveled the distance with a bounce in her step, and appeared to be in a good mood.


    And the more startling point was by no means Luna''s cheerful mood, but the picture left by the footprints of her two feet--


    The two footprints left by Luna were different from each other, the one representing the left foot was a round, shoe print with a cute rabbit''s head, while the one representing the right foot was a bare foot print, the direct of the toes very clearly illuminated by the golden light, left on the ground in front of the trio.


    "I didn''t lie to you guys, did I?" Rolf gave Harry and Ginny a smug look, "I told you that Luna''s footprints were definitely easy to find, and you guys just didn''t believe me!"


    Harry and Ginny nced at each other, both thinking that walking barefoot on the dirt paths of the Forbidden Forest was a strange thing to do; and it was even stranger to have one foot in a shoe while the other was bare!


    The two of them then thought that since the person who did such a thing was Luna, it was quite normal to think of it this way ...


    "This shoe print is indeed Luna''s." Ginny pointed at the round shoe print with a cute rabbit head on it and said, "I''ve seen her wearing those slippers, which have a pair of fluffy rabbit heads of the same style on them, super cute ..."


    Ginny then sighed a little regretfully, "If it wasn''t for theck of pocket money, I''d actually want to buy a pair for myself."


    "But why is she only wearing one shoe?" Harry was still a little puzzled, "Was she wearing just one shoe when she was at Hogwarts Castle and then came straight inside the Forbidden Forest to feed Night Ti?"


    "I don''t think so?" Ginny shook her head, "When I met up with herst night, she had both slippers on her feet in perfect condition."


    "I guess ording to Luna''s character, she should have identally dumped the slipper on her right foot after entering the forbidden forest." Rolf pondered for a moment and quickly analyzed what happened.


    "It was like this when the two of us came together to explore the Forbidden Forest before, walking along the road, her attention was easily hooked by other small animals or something interesting, so it''s not too unusual for her to have thrown off her slippers while chasing after those small things!"


    He covered his forehead with some heartburn, feeling that Luna''s fluttering personality was really not something that ordinary people could handle.


    "Then let''s hurry over there, now that Luna is even missing a shoe, I really don''t know what kind of danger she''s enduring!" Ginny interrupted Rolf''s thoughts and grabbed Harry''s arm and headed in the direction of the footprints.


    "Hey Rolf, can you extend this tracking spell of yours a bit?" She walked over to where the edge of the golden glow was and noticed that Luna''s footprints disappeared along with it, "Does that mean you need to use this spell again every few steps?"


    "The tracking spell isn''t that low end, or my grandfather wouldn''t have loved it so much." Rolf smiled and propped his own wand in the palm of his hand, "This spell often has to be used in conjunction with a directional spell for maximum effect."


    "Point Me." He recited the spell.


    The golden glow slowly disappeared, while at the same time, Rolf''s wand spun in the palm of his hand, pointing straight in the direction where Luna''s footprints had disappeared.

 Chapter 182 - 182 The Snake’s accent comes in handy.

    <h4>Chapter 182: The Snake''s entes in handy.</h4>


    As the three walked together into a dense thicket of trees, Rolf''s wand, which he was resting vaguely in the middle of his hand and was pointing them in the right direction, suddenly shook violently.


    "Is your wand malfunctioning, Rolf?" Ginny asked worriedly.


    "It''s fine, there''s nothing wrong with the wand, there''s nothing wrong with the locator spell, and this manifestation of the wand is on the contrary a good thing!" Instead of worrying, Rolf smiled happily, "It means we''re in the ce!"


    He gripped his wand and disarmed the locator spell on it.


    "In the ce?" Harry craned his head around for a few moments, seeing only trees so thick that there was almost no way tond on them, as well as haystacks that inexplicably looked a little eerie as countless shadows were reflected in the light of his wand''s illumination spell.


    There was no sign of any buildings around at all, making him think that the neighborhood was simply a pristine jungle with nothing in it byparison.


    "Indeed, we have arrived at the ce." Rolf nodded and said, "There is only one possibility as to why the locator spell is having problems - and that is that it has been affected by other magic."


    "Our magic isn''t like a mugglepass, it can also be interfered with by maic fields or something like that, that would seem too strange ... Only something on the same side of the magic can affect this spell!"


    "Rolf, what do you mean ..." Ginny asked as she stood on her tiptoes to survey her surroundings and opened her mouth to ask, "There''s some other magic around here obscuring the ruins, and in fact, all these trees are magic that''s giving us an hallucinations?"


    She touched a tree trunk beside her, "But this is indeed a real tree."


    "Just because this one is real doesn''t mean all the trees in front of it are real." Rolf raised his head and gave a confident smile, "Then watch me operate!"


    He picked up his wand again and released another tracking spell.


    This time, however, instead of spraying the golden powder produced by the tracking spell into arge circr area around him, he concentrated these golden powders in one direction and blew them far away to a faraway ce.


    These golden powders flew through the air very skillfully, silently circling around one thick tree trunk after another andnding on a patch of ground that was either t or in a sizable area.


    Luna''s golden footprints, wearing only one shoe, were once again visible, but the sight of them gave both Harry and Ginny a strange look.


    "Luna''s footprints have changed the direction of her walk here and the alignment has be ... well, isn''t that a little weird?" Harry asked dryly as he looked at the image in front of him.


    Ginny nodded back, agreeing with Harry''s judgment, "What is Luna doing here? It can''t be dancing in the Forbidden Forest, can it?"


    They saw, within the area shrouded in golden powder, pairs of footprints fluttering from side to side etched between the bushes, and every now and then a long interval cut off from the front and back pairs, as if they had suddenly jumped forward a few steps.


    "I have no idea what she''s doing." Rolf shrugged, "But all I know is that we don''t have enough power to disarm the protective and illusionary magic around here, so it''s never wrong to follow in Luna''s footsteps."


    With that, he took the lead and stepped into Luna''s golden footprints, marching forward with precision and uracy in the direction Luna was traveling, following the long intervals of bouncing every now and then.


    Harry and Ginny looked at each other helplessly for a moment, and had no choice but to follow Rolf''s movements and step on Luna''s footprints as well.


    "You''re usually more knowledgeable, can you recognize what kind of protective magic this is, Rolf?" Harry asked curiously to Rolf as he staggered and hopped.


    His pace was nowhere near as agile or skillful as Rolf''s, even slow enough for Ginny behind him to bump into his back.


    "It should be a hiddenyer ofbyrinth magic formation." Rolf said, "Only by stepping out of a specific track can we walk into the middle of the destination protected by the maze."


    "And the magic spell used to deceive our sight would be a variation of the Illusionary Body spell, after all, there is no Illusionary Body spell I know of thatsts this long, nor can it disguise an area as any other sight without a trace."


    "I''m a little curious, how did Luna know the particr trajectory into the maze?" Ginny inquired with some boredom as she once again stopped behind a stiffly moving Harry and crossed her arms.


    "That''s what I''d like to know," Rolf''s voice came from the distance, having advanced a good distance ahead of him along the footprints, "Luna''s a pretty amazing little witch in her own right, and I don''t think you can judge her as a person bymon sense... ..."


    Slowly, Rolf''s figure grew further and further away until it disappearedpletely.


    And Harry was still moving stiffly as he stepped on Luna''s footprints one by one, wobbling forward.


    If it weren''t for the fact that there was only one column of footprints, and if it weren''t for the fear of triggering the rest of the maze magic, Ginny would probably have overtaken Harry from the side and gone ahead of him to the ruins where Luna was.


    It waspletely dark, not a single ray of starlight shone down from the dense jungle canopy, and only a faint glow from the column of golden footprints, and the illumination spells on the front of the two wands, added a tiny bit of light to the pitch ck Forbidden Forest.


    After who knows how long, Harry and Ginny finally came to the end of Luna''s golden footprints.


    "This is the end?" Harry looked at a huge tree trunk in front of him that was impossible for two people to hold together, and a confused look appeared in his eyes, "How is it that I can''t see anything at all that looks like there are any ruins present."


    "And ... where did Rolf go?"


    His voice echoed in the silent Forbidden Forest, which in turn appeared to have an eerie atmosphere flowing amongst it.


    It was as if there were pitch-ck eyes growing in the many surrounding haystacks and bushes, and at any moment a monster could poke its head out from the dense jungle, dragging the two little wizards into the bottomless abyss.


    Ginny was still a little girl in the end, and her face clearly showed fear as she shivered.


    "Don''t be afraid, we''ll be fine, Ginny." Harry said softly as he turned around and patted Ginny on the back.


    In truth, he felt a little scared of this unknown darkness as well.


    But when there was a girl by his side, a boy would always develop an inexplicable courage out of nowhere, a courage that was enough to make an extremely timid person suddenly be courageous.


    What''s more, Harry had grown up living inside dark cupboards with spiders and bugs, and already had a high tolerance for this kind of darkness.


    He took a deep breath and raised his wand high -


    "Lumos Maxima (Luminescent Shine)!"


    Harry shouted.


    The lighting spell on the tip of his wand zed forth,pletely illuminating the dark and deep surroundings and dispelling some of the fear in the hearts of the two men.


    Just then, as if hearing Harry''s recitation of the spell, another voice rang out from behind a thick tree trunk.


    "Harry, you''ve finally arrived!" Harry and Ginny heard that it was Rolf''s voice and breathed a quiet sigh of relief, "Get in here and help me, there''s a really big snake in here, I can''t manage it with my snake fork pliers!"


    "But how do we get in?" Harry asked.


    He scrutinized the trunk of therge tree in front of him once again, and didn''t find anything in it that resembled a hole, or a crevice, or anything like that, not leaving the slightest bit of room to cross over.


    "Just jump right over, hurry up, that snake found me again!" Rolf''s voice was a little urgent.


    "Jump over? Jump over this tree?" Harry nced upwards and saw nothing but a tall canopy of trees as far as the eye could see, "Are you serious, Rolf? Or can I just go right around the side without caring about Luna''s footprints?"


    "No, you don''t think the ce where the maze exits is a real tree, do you?" Rolf''s tone was rather helpless, "Didn''t we just discuss this? Some of the trees here are real and some are fake."


    "This one is the biggest fake tree, you don''t need to worry about it, just crash through it!"


    Harry nodded in realization.


    But just to be on the safe side, he reached out and touched the side of the big tree first, stroking up its rough bark.


    The rough texture traveled through the skin on Harry''s fingers to Harry''s mind, and he also felt a number of lumpy grains on the bark, which felt exactly the same to the touch as a real tree, no different.


    "Rolf, this isn''t right, is it?" Harry asked, "I touched it, this tree is indeed a real tree, you don''t suppose it''s a different exit from the maze than the one we took to get here?"


    "It''s all along Luna''s footprints, how could it be different?" Rolf was about to spit blood at Harry''s tardiness and said in an impatient tone, "Do you know about King''s Cross Station? It''s the same principle, you have to achieve a certain level of speed and strength to break through the confines of the station walls and get to tform nine and three quarters."


    "Otherwise, with so many muggle passengers, there''s always someone who loves to lean against the wall, so the probability of the magicalmunity being detected is too high ... Don''t say so much, I''m going to go hide next to the station, and you be careful when youe in!"


    Rolf''s voice was getting farther and farther away, supposedly going to hide from the snake that was chasing him.


    A rustling sound of serpentine rubbing against the ground then came from behind the trunk of a tree, presumably therge snake that had gone after Rolf.


    Harry''s expression tightened as he realized Rolf''s critical state.


    He closed his eyes and mentally recalled each time he mmed into the dividing wall between tforms 9 and 10 at King''s Cross Station, and jumped forward menacingly.


    The next moment he felt himselfnd on a hard patch of ground.


    Harry opened his eyes and saw aplex of buildings that was spectacr to the extreme. He couldn''t help but open his mouth wide-


    It was a huge pce, standing high above seven stories of tall stone steps.


    Basically, the entireplex was constructed out of marble, without any excess shy stone, instead using red tiles and white walls to create a simple texture that was one with nature.


    The paint on the exterior of the building has been appliedyer byyer, over and over again, and the color has been deeply deposited on the wall. After a long period of time, it is still extremely white and has a profound meaning.


    Pce dome style roof by a number of thick round stone pirs support, stone pirs are all entwined with the snake''s floating wither, has been from the foot of the pir eyes to the bottom of the dome, only to put the triangr head of the snake poked out, the snake in the child exudes a cold and venomous look that is not like the statue of the wither can have.


    Behind the pce there are many other buildings, most of them in the form of courtyards, these are used by the former owner of the pce to keep all kinds of magical creatures, ck magic experiments.


    Every courtyard was embellished with snakes.


    However, even though it was shocking to the eyes, the long period of time had eventually had a considerable impact on the magically protected buildings.


    No matter how new and splendid the buildings were in the past, they were now somewhat broken and decayed.


    Surveying the courtyard of thepound was in disrepair, the walls copsed, wild vines coiled along the crumbling doorways and stone pirs, and the ground was overgrown with weeds and rubble.


    At that moment, Ginny also jumped through the trunk of a tree at the back and stood on ground that was more solidpared to thend in the Forbidden Forest, looking at the building with wide eyes.


    Harry looked back and saw that there was indeed a huge tree here, standing tall on this solid ground, though the tree was also constructed of marble and had an overall grayish-white color, not unlike thepletely anthropomorphic giant tree in the Forbidden Forest.


    Behind the trees was a vast forest, but it looked somewhat molded, as if it had been stopped by a piece of hairy ss across the border between theplex and the forest, forming a distinct boundary.


    "Wow, unbelievable ... Hogwarts'' forbidden forest actually has such a piece of ruins inside!" Ginny eximed.


    Harry also nodded with emotion, still notpletely recovered from the shock of entering this ce.


    "You two, don''t just focus on sighing,e over and help me!"


    Just then, Rolf''s obviously somewhat exasperated voice came over.


    Harry and Ginny turned their heads to see Rolf with the long snake forked pliers in his hand, scurrying around the various dpidated courtyards, with a giant python, almost a dozen feet long, snaking after him, showing its teeth and slobbering as if it wanted to swallow it in one gulp.


    The python, however, was not the usual green color, but a very in grayish-white color, as if it were a rock.


    Every now and then, Rolf turned back and poked at the snake''s seven inches a few times with the snake fork pliers in his hand.


    However, because of the snake''s overly thick body and overly tough outer skin, his attacks had no effect at all and even slowed down his own escape.


    "Come on Harry, it''s up to you!" Rolf shouted.


    Harry took a deep breath and gave Ginny a small nod before stepping forward.


    "First things first, Rolf, I''m not really sure I can control it." He walked up next to apound ahead of Rolf''s line of travel and took the lead in exining before the snake came over, "Other than that unintentional one at the dueling club, it''s the first time I''ve used the snake''s old ent in a fight today."


    "It''s fine, try it first ... first." Rolf panted and ran to Harry''s side,ing up for air, "You try to see if you can get rid of the snake first, or we''ll have to find another way."


    Harry nodded and looked over at the python, which was covered in a grayish-white color.


    "Stop." He said aloud as he stared into the python''s eyes.


    However the python ignored him for a moment, crawling one way or another towards the side of thepound where the two were, its eyes ring menacingly.


    "I can''t really seem to control it." Harry said with an apologetic nce at Rolf.


    "Nonsense, of course you can''t control it!" Rolf shouted as he jumped to his feet, "What you just said out loud was clearly English, it''s a wonder this python understands it!"


    "Uhm ..." Harry blushed and scratched his head in embarrassment, then once again looked into the python''s eyes, "It''s my fault, give me a second ... "


    "Stop!" This time off the top of his head a version that no one could understand.


    He turned his head to Rolf.


    "Indeed it is anguage I don''t understand anymore." Rolf looked at the scene and nodded softly.


    Looking again at the grayish-white python, it too had literally stopped where it was, its huge mouth wide open, almosting up to Harry''s face.


    The entire snake was motionless, even its breathing had stopped, as if it was a boulder that hadn''t changed in ten thousand years.


    "Why isn''t this snake moving?" Harry asked in a whisper as he came up next to Rolf.


    "Is that even a question to ask ... weren''t you the one who just told it to ''stop''?" Rolf rolled his eyes helplessly.


    He really didn''t understand the Old Snake Cavity, but Rolf did hear Harry''s "stop" in the previous sentence, so he then also knew what the Old Snake Cavity meant in thetter sentence.


    "The Old Snake Cave can be considered a magic that is specific to snakes, and can make nearly all of them do whatever you say." Rolf exined, then said with some excitement, "Now that we can be sure that you actually know how to use the Serpent''s Old Cavity, it''s a good idea to move on to the next step!"


    He pulled Harry over to the seven tall stone steps of thergest pce.


    "Don''t go up all seven stone steps at once just yet, be ready to go one at a time." Rolf admonished, "I tried it this morning, every time you go up a step arger group of snakes wille and attack you, and I don''t want to see you get bitten by a mess of snakes before you have a chance to use your snake old cavity."


    Harry nodded with a cautious expression and stepped onto the first stone step first under the gaze of Rolf and Ginny.


    "Rumble-"


    As Harry stepped onto the first stone step, a heavy scuffling sound suddenly rang out.


    On the ornate railings around the stone steps, each of the parapet''s stanchions was entangled with a not-so-small stone serpent.


    Now these stone snakes were crawling down the parapets in a tangled mass, slithering towards Harry''s position.


    Having had the experience of the first time, Harry acted very quickly this time, and was ready to pronounce the old serpent''s cadence as soon as he had walked up the first stone step -


    "All of you back up where you belong!" He said in the old snake ent.


    Each of the stone snakes that had been so aggressive and spread out on the ground instantly dropped back to their respective parapet stanchions as if they had heard their master''smand.


    Harry looked back at Rolf and Ginny and gave a thumbs up.


    "That was so cool, Harry!" Rolf waved his fist excitedly.

 Chapter 183 - 183 Dracula and Dumbledore’s Big Production

    <h4>Chapter 183: Drac and Dumbledore''s Big Production</h4>


    After making it through the first stone step without incident, Harry once again stepped onto the second.


    With the help of the old snake''s cavity, he was nearly unhindered and easily ascended the seventh stone step to the small square in front of the magnificent pce.


    "Come on up, you two!" Harry turned to Rolf and Ginny who were standing at the bottom of the stone steps watching him perform alone, "This row of steps should be cleared of all danger!"


    Once both Rolf and Ginny hade up, Harry walked with them to the door of the pce.


    "Actually, if we go bymon sense, I have a feeling that all those little snakes from before were just little minions, and the real big danger would have to be the guards at the gates." Rolf said to Harry with some concern as he tilted his head and looked at the tall lintel of the pce.


    Harry lifted his head simrly, his eyes having already turned empirically to the thick stone pirs on either side of the gates, to the two giant snakes that were tens of feet long and wrapped around them.


    "If the greatest danger is these two snakes, then we can basically dere victory already." He said with a confident smile, "The old snake ent is still useful!"


    Ginny nced at Harry, her expression still a little uneasy.


    "I always feel like I shouldn''t jump to conclusions so early, what if something goes wrong?" She asked in a small voice.


    "Just as well," Harry thought about it, but nodded, "You two stay here, I''ll take a few steps forward alone and see what''s going on."


    With that, he walked alone towards the interior of this pce.


    "Rumble--"


    Unsurprisingly, just as he was about to step into the pce door with one foot, the stone pirs on both sides suddenly moved.


    The giant snakes wrapped around the stone pirs suddenly emitted dazzling green light from their eyes, and four beams of light shone on Harry at the same time.


    Harry felt as if he had been struck by a powerful fixation spell, and his half-stepped footsteps could no longernd on the ground, and he was unable to take a single step beyond the pce doors!


    At this moment, one of the giant snakes had extremely decisively and fiercely fallen from the stone pir, heavily hitting the ground with a heavy muffled sound.


    It was also because of this unimpeded action of its decay from the air that almost the next second Harry was immobilized, this giant snake had already arrived in front of him, opening its bloody mouth and attempting to tear him into pieces with its sharp teeth.


    "Don''t move!" Harry shouted in the urgency of his situation.


    His voice came out in a hissing sound that changed from human speech to a strangenguage that no other human in the area could understand.


    But the snake understood.


    There was a moment of hesitation in its green eyes, but in the end, it gently nodded its huge head and returned to the stone pir where it was originally located, winding itself up and resuming its silence.


    Fortunately, the fixation magic that had just been unleashed by the two giant snakes hadn''t sealed Harry''s mouth off all together, so he still had a chance to control the giant snake''s movements with the snake''s Old Cavity.


    But now was far from the time to let down his guard!


    Just in the few moments that the one giant snake hesitated just now, the other giant snake had already coiled and crawled from the stone pir to the ground, snaking its way towards Harry.


    Its bloody mouth was already open, and Harry could vaguely see the same grayish-white stone interior through the snake''s mouth.


    "Get back to your pir!" Harry shouted again.


    In time, after shouting in the snake''s old ent, his demeanor had subconsciously rxed.


    Because Harry had thought that this giant snake would be just like the one just now, and would immediately return to the stone pir he had just been on, so that the barrier in front of the pce door would bepletely cracked by him alone.


    "Harry, look out!" Ginny''s terrified cry rang out from behind her.


    Harry turned his head menacingly, only to find that this time the snake was not as well behaved under the intimidation of the snake''s old cavity as it had been with so many obstacles before.


    Just as a trace of the same hesitant color as the giant snake just now shed in its eyes, fiercely, the figure of this one snake changed -


    The grayish-white scales on its body suddenly stood up and widened, changing into another shape, the snake''s mouth gradually lengthened and widened, the snake''s body became slightly shorter and fatter, and several different-looking synapses stretched out from under the abdomen and on the back.


    The synapses grew rapidly, and in the next moment, the two synapses on the back stretched out and transformed into a pair of wings with a huge area; while the four synapses on the lower part of the abdomen stretched downward and transformed into four sharp ws full of scales.


    "Roar--"


    With a deafening dragon roar, a grayish-white fire dragon that was dozens of feet tallnded in front of Harry withplete shock.


    As soon as it appeared, the fire dragon opened its bloody mouth and lunged at Harry, even more lurid and chilling than the snake''s mouth just now!


    "Get out of the way, Harry!" Ginny''s shout came from behind once again. This time her voice was closer and seemed to be speeding towards him.


    Harry looked at the approaching bloodbath with a bitter smile.


    He would like to dodge, but the fixation magic that was hit on his body has not yetpletely faded ... Now Harry''s whole body is unable to move, and he can only watch as the gray-white dragon''s teeth almost get next to his body!


    "You guys run, leave me alone." He said with determination.


    Just in the nick of time, however, an oddly shaped root reached behind Harry.


    The front end of the stick had a pincer-like grip that hooked the hood behind his back with pinpoint uracy, and yanked back menacingly-


    Harry fell over backwards, while also avoiding the bloody maw that nearly wrapped around his body.


    Ginny followed closely behind Harry, catching him in her arms as he fell backwards.


    "Phew ... I told you, the snake fork pliers I got specifically from Hagrid should alwayse in handy somehow." Rolf wiped the cold sweat from his head and a small smile appeared on his face.


    He then extended his wand and pointed it at Harry and recited, "Spell Standing Stop (Finite)."


    Under the effect of the Universal Cracking Spell, the fixation magic on Harry''s body slowly faded, and his stiff limbs gradually softened.


    "Thanks to you this time, Rolf." Harry gasped in shock and afterthought, "I thought I was dead ..."


    "Don''t say anything demoralizing, Harry." At this moment, Ginny was still hugging the limp Harry, and said with a slightly reddened face, "Rolf and I can''t just watch you go about your business and do nothing at all ... At least we''ll save you from danger no matter what!"


    "Yeah, we''re a team, aren''t we?" Rolf said with a smile, "Of course, if we want to test whether our team is qualified or not, then this crisis in front of us must be dealt with properly!"


    He tilted his head and looked at the huge fire dragon in front of him, his face slowly bing grave.


    ...


    At the same time, Drac Castle, inside the most luxurious hall.


    A huge and luxurious round table was ced in the center of the hall, on it were countless delicacies and delicacies, mountain treasures and seafood, and tes of delicacies of all colors and tastes were ced all over the round table.


    Many different kinds of expensive wines were ced on the table, and several well mannered and handsome young men in tuxedos poured the wine for all the VIPs present, and stood by the table at all times to provide impable service.


    The Hogwarts staff were seated around the round tables, their faces all flushed from drinking, with Hagrid alone upying two of the chairs put together, tapping the table excitedly from time to time and singing along with Professor Kettleburne.


    Professors Freeway and Sprout savored the sumptuous food with happy looks on their faces.


    Snape''s expression seemed to carry some disdain, but the cutlery in his hands moved faster than the stirring he did when he was making magic potions, and he didn''t know how much food went inside his stomach.


    Professor McGonagall looked a little worried, but then a few happy-go-lucky faculty members came to the side to persuade her.


    Professor Sinista, the Astronomy professor, told her that the young wizards would not have any problems simply staying at the castle for a day on their own, and that even some of them would most likely not even know that the professors were not at Hogwarts!


    It wasn''t just the professors Drac spent more time with that received invitations, but other Hogwarts faculty members were invited over to Drac''s party, and those who didn''t want toe were forcibly taken captive-


    Divination professor Silsbee Trwney, needless to mention, was still talking nonsense like crazy because he was drunk; the ever-unpleasant Filch was sitting in the corner with his cat, Mrs. Loris, and eating furiously; Arithmetic and Divination professor Setima Victor was studying the construction of this gilded hall ...


    Even Professor Binns, who was a ghost, did not miss this faculty gathering.


    Originally, with the special nature of ghosts, they were unable to go to ces they hadn''t been to in life.


    But under Drac''s magical influence, this hall of Drac''s Castle was hardwired by him to simte a parlor that Professor Binns had been to before, sessfully deceiving Professor Binns'' perception as a ghost and allowing him to also teleport with the light of the dark moon to this location that he had never reached in his life.


    In addition, this party was approved by Headmaster Dumbledore with a nod of his head, and for the professors there were absolutely no worries about payroll deductions or anything like that, so most of them treated it as a rare vacation before final exams and began to indulge in drinking and drinking.


    But more than the atmospheric hall, Drac, who had thrown the party, and Dumbledore, who had nodded his head in agreement with the vacation, were sitting in another quiet room, eating snacks and enjoying a good show -


    "It''s still you, Dumbledore, that shapeshifting trick is out of this world!" Drac stuffed a mouthful of blood-vored pudding into his mouth and reached out to pat Dumbledore on the shoulder-


    "That dragon you casually transformed haspletely taken on the characteristics of a dragon, hasn''t it? How else could it have broken free of Szar''s magic andpletely stopped obeying the control of the snake''s old cavity?"


    "After all, I was also a professor of Transfiguration back in the day, so I can''t mislead people, right?" Dumbledore said with a grin as he chewed on a Zippy Honey candy.


    The two men were seen sitting on a couch with their backs against the wall, while a yellowed parchment was taped to the wall across from them, which revealed a clear, colorful image of three young wizards battling a fiery dragon in a fierce battle.


    "This is the first time I''ve used this feature of the Hogwarts deeds, and I didn''t expect it to work." Drac looked at the picture on the wall with interest and gave a rather goodment, "Zooming the deeds onto the wall and disying the picture of the corresponding area, isn''t this much better than Nicole''s old projector?"


    "Except there''s no way to show Nicole''s favorite ys," Dumbledore smiled, "so if it''s a choice between the deeds and the old projector, I think he''d still choose the projector."


    "But this is a much better way to watch a y than a theater." Drac shrugged, "I''ve never realized what''s so good about theater so far anyway, I''ve seen too many of those clich¨¦s in my life."


    "Never mind that," Dumbledore shook his head with a lost smile, "I''m curious now, how did this pceplex that Slytherin himself built in the Forbidden Forest end up on the Hogwarts deeds?"


    "Because it''s connected to the Hogwarts magicwork as well." Drac said, "In the beginning this pceplex was actually shielded, the same as Slytherin''s chamber ..."


    "But then I went to go through what he left behind and identally found this pceplex, so I took the liberty of including it in the deed''s shroud. In hindsight, that decision was quite wise at the time!"


    "A really good decision, Professor Drac." Dumbledore smiled pleasantly, "And incidentally it also provided an excellent venue for adventures, which now makes Harry''s resolution of his emotional problems and improvement of his personal abilities this school year predictable."


    Dumbledore was now very satisfied.


    If it hadn''t been for the remains of Slytherin, how to find Harry suitable adventures in such a windy school year would surely have been a bit of a dilemma.


    And he would have been even less satisfied if Harry had been allowed to just breeze through the school year.


    After all, a savior who isn''t always prepared to face difficulties and setbacks isn''t a good savior!


    How can you see a rainbow if you don''t go through the storm? Well ... provided that one doesn''t use the weather spell to cheat.


    Dumbledore knew that the time left for Harry was not sufficient, and he had to let him grow up as soon as possible ...


    Not only was Dumbledore satisfied with this, but Drac was equally satisfied.


    Being able to stay out of the house and enjoy such a wonderful scene while eating snacks, Drac said that he was veryfortable.


    But there were drawbacks to this y, such as the fact that Harry''s old snake ent was simply like a fish out of water in Slytherin''s territory -


    After entering thisplex, the three young wizards barely fought with the snakes that were used to guard the pce, all of them casually saying a few unintelligible words in the Old Snake ent, and a battle ended easily and uninterestingly.


    In fact, this is not difficult to understand, because this relic was originally Slytherin wanted to leave his offspring''s inheritance ce, which contains his lifelong research, even moreprehensive than left in the secret room.


    These snakes guarding the pce were waiting for someone who was originally Slytherin''s descendant, and would naturally make concessions when they encountered the snake''s old cavity.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that Harry was not rted to Slytherin, I''m afraid that these snakes wouldn''t even make a move and would have just put the three little wizards inside the pce.


    It was also because Harry was not a descendant of Slytherin that the two snakes at the entrance of the pce showed expressions of doubt and hesitation when they heard the old snake''s voice, but in the end, obedience to the old snake''s voice prevailed, and one of the snakes eventually gave way ...


    However, Dumbledore and Drac naturally could not let this drama end so easily.


    When Drac saw that only thest snake was left at the entrance of the pce, he made a snap decision to cast a Dark Moon, which was connected to the remains of the Slytherin, and used the Phantasmagoria spell on the opposite side of the room to hide the Dark Moon''s trail, preventing it from being discovered by Harry, Ginny, and Rolf.


    Dumbledore also used the dark moon''s passage to cast his best Transfiguration spell, directly changing the characteristics of thest snake into a fiery dragon, and from then on it would bepletely unaffected by the snake''s old cavity.


    Regardless of howfortable this side of the theater is watching, the fierce battle continues in the picture -


    Rolf had followed his grandfather Newt to spend some time in the Fire Dragon Reserve in Romania, so he had some experience in capturing Fire Dragons, and was able to use various props to stall them for a while.


    It was also because of the existence of Rolf, a semi-expert, that Harry and Ginny, the two guys who knew nothing about taming fire dragons, were able to barely survive until now.


    Of course, the biggest reason was that Dumbledore, who was controlling the fire dragon, was deliberately letting the water out, only that none of the three little wizards knew about it.


    "This can''t go on like this, our physical strength can''t possiblypare to the fire dragon!"


    Rolf said a little uptight after he once again attacked the Fire Dragon''s eyes with an eye spell, only to have his stony eyelids bounce off.


    "Is there anything else we can do, Rolf?" Harry didn''t have any experience with fire dragons and could only look to the future Pok¨¦monologist for help, "You arrange it, Ginny and I can work with you."


    "But there''s nothing else I can do ...," Rolf said helplessly.


    The time he spent stalling the fire dragon before he had already used all his strength, using almost everything he had learned in Romania, and now he couldn''t think of any other way, he was at his wits'' end.


    "It''s such a shame that the Romanian side only taught how to capture a fire dragon in the safest way possible, but never how to kill one." Rolf sighed, "Now we''re stuck with capturing a fire dragon when we know it''s not really a creature, and that''s the hardest part."


    "I think I should be taught some killing magic that ignores defenses so my spells don''t bounce off its skin."


    At that, he sighed helplessly.


    Harry nodded rather approvingly as he thought about the picture he had described.


    Just then, the fire dragon that had been tangled up with Rolf seemed to be getting tired of being harassed by Ginny''s little vile spells from time to time next to him, and suddenly switched directions, letting out a high-pitched dragon roar at Ginny.


    Ginny was stunned in ce, while the fire dragon pped its wings and came next to her in an instant, opening its bloody mouth to devour Ginny''s neck.


    In Rolf''s stunned expression, Harry reflexively stepped in front of Ginny and stood face to face with the fire dragon.


    "Harry, get away!" Ginny reacted then, panicking and pushing at Harry''s back, trying to see what the difference was between him and the others.


    However, Harry was still standing in the middle of the fire dragon and Ginny, and the child''s hole erged menacingly -


    Mass Destruction Attack Magic that could ignore magical defenses, he really seemed to know one!

 Chapter 184 - 184 Stories Drowned in History

    <h4>Chapter 184: Stories Drowned in History</h4>


    With that forbidden spell on his mind, Harry slowly reached out and raised his wand.


    He thought of Professor Drac''s demonstration in the open ss on Defense Against the Dark Arts, and the image of therge rat that had lost all breath of life in an instant came to his eyes.


    He also thought of the time he had spent with Tom Riddle when he was still writing in the form of a journal, and how the words on the pages of the journal had tantalized him, trying to get him to let go of the shackles in his heart and take up the path of dark magic.


    Harry''s lip trembled as he watched the grayish-white fire dragon that raced before him, the spell almost welling up to his lips but swallowed.


    He remembered what Professor Drac had told him once when he first found Riddle''s journals--


    Riddle had always wanted Harry to learn the Dark Arts, especially the worst of the Unforgivable Spells, because they would affect Harry''s emotions to a great extent, and would also change his mental state and psyche in no small way.


    Once Harry actually uses the Unforgivable Spell for the first time, he slowly realizes the goodness of this ck magic that vites the rules of the Ministry of Magic.


    Gradually, he would be dependent on it, and slowly be forbidden to do anything, never able to get out of the vortex of ck magic ...


    Finally, Harry gritted his teeth, and the incantation on his lips changed the moment it came out of his mouth-


    "Except your weapon (Expelliarmus)!"


    He shouted.


    Attacking a stony fire dragon covered in scales with a disarming spell that didn''t have any lethality or much aggressiveness certainly seemed a bitical and ridiculous.


    But it was as if a voice in Harry''s mind was telling him to do so, as if he knew that he would be able to repel this fire dragon just as well without a dangerous Sobriety spell.


    And so he did, without a care in the world, and recited the incantation for the Surrender Spell.


    The next moment, a blinding red light erupted from the tip of Harry''s wand, striking the dragon''s grayish-white scales just before its fangs touched him.


    "With a loud bang, the dragon seemed to be hit hard, and its brutal eyes became stunned and unbelievable before it flew backwards like an arrow off a string andnded heavily on the ground in front of the pce.


    Seeing this, Rolf flew to the fire dragon''s front and pressed his wand against its most vulnerable eye, and a spell to undo the transfiguration was quickly recited from his mouth.


    And the fire dragon was knocked out by Harry''s disarming spell and didn''t slow down for a long time, so the spell made by Rolf, who grabbed the opportunity, struck a vulnerable eye hard, and was no longer blocked out by its hard skin.


    Under the effect of the spell that undid the deformation, the huge fire dragon immediately changed its appearance - the


    The pair of wings on its back retracted, and the four sharp ws on the lower part of its abdomen retracted into its body; at the same time, its entire abdomen thinned and elongated, gradually taking on the same thickness as its tail behind it.


    The fire dragon once again changed back into the appearance of a giant snake.


    "Sure enough, it''s a fusion of morphing magic, fortunately the bet was right ... " Seeing the change in the fire dragon''s body, Rolf heaved a sigh of relief.


    He then urgently turned his head to look at Harry, "Hurry up, Harry! I don''t know if it''s going to change into another form again, get it back while it''s still in snake form!"


    Harry nodded, switching hisnguage to the old snake ent and opening his mouth to make a ''hissing'' sound:


    "Go back to where you were and don''te back down!"


    The serpent''s green glowing eyes twitched for a moment, as if it had thought for a moment.


    Then, its long body swung up and slithered on the ground, climbing up another stone pir in front of the pce gate and wrapping itself tightly around it.


    Eventually, it returned to its original position, and the green light in the snake''s child quietly went out.


    The entire stone pir was transformed into the most in appearance, and the huge snake entwined around it seemed to be merely a floating wither, without any danger ...


    "We ... seeded?" Harry looked incredulously at the wand in his hand, still somewhat dreamlike.


    "Yes, we did it!" Rolf jumped up, eximed excitedly, and threw an arm around Harry''s shoulders, "By the way Harry, I didn''t hear the spell just now, what was that spell where you repelled the fire dragon? Teach me, that was awesome too!"


    "Eh ... I don''t know how to exin it," Harry nced at Rolf''s excited expression, somewhat unable to disturb his enthusiasm, "Anyway, ahem . . it''s actually purely just a disarming spell."


    He smiled awkwardly at Rolf with an innocent expression.


    Rolf''s excited expression immediately froze on his face.


    "So that really was a Disarming Spell incantation?" He stared incredulously, "I just thought I heard it wrong, I really didn''t expect that it was actually a Disarming Spell ..."


    "Harry, you''re probably the first wizard who can think of a Disarming Spell as a highly lethal ck magic spell." Rolf patted Harry''s shoulder and said meaningfully.


    At that moment, Ginny also came over and examined Harry''s whole body up and down, fearing that he would be harmed by the risky move he had just made to save himself from the mouth of the fire dragon.


    "What you just did was so dangerous Harry, you didn''t have to do it." She sobbed with red eyes, "You''re the savior of the wizarding world, if anything were to happen to you to save me, then I wouldn''t be able to afford to do that for the rest of my life ..."


    "Ginny, the reason why you worship me is not because I''m a savior, but because of my kind of character. Isn''t that what you told me?" He smiled, "Don''t worry, I''ll be fine, don''t worry about me."


    Ginny then averted her gaze from Harry, but her eyes were still red and a fleck of color was on her face.


    "Alright, you two don''t get all mushy here ...," Rolf said, a bit unable to watch the two''s mushy behavior, and voiced a reminder from the side, "Let''s just go in first and find out where Luna is. "


    "She''s been stuck here all day by herself and I don''t know how she''s doing now."


    Harry and Ginny blushed slightly and nodded, and the three of them walked through the pce''s doors together.


    After the fierce battle just now, the three young wizards were all disheveled and dirty, but their eyes were bright, striding confidently with high fighting spirit high on their faces.


    ...


    "Aren''t you letting off a little too much steam, Dumbledore?"


    In a room in Drac''s castle, Drac looked at the Hogwarts deed parchment taped to the wall from across the room, and looked at Dumbledore with a slightly irritated expression.


    He felt that this good show should have gone on for a while longer, and now it was over a little too soon to be enjoyable to watch.


    "That''s not the way to put it, Professor Drac?" Dumbledore said with a smirk, "Don''t you nder me, I''ve been doing my best to contribute to this good show!"


    "Is it hard for you to tell me that a great wizard, a former professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts, and the top of the wizarding world, that your Transfiguration is capable of being this bad?" Drac gritted his teeth.


    "First, it was sent flying by a second year wizard with a disarming spell, and then another second year wizard disarmed the Transfiguration spell on it! If this is the level you''re at, then the future of the magical world is afraid to have a gray future."


    Drac stared into Dumbledore''s eyes wistfully.


    "You have truly misunderstood me this time, Professor Drac." Dumbledore said innocently, "I would have thought that facing two second year and one first year wizards, a Transfiguration of this intensity would have been quite a challenge for them."


    "But I didn''t expect that either, and these two little guys really gave me quite a surprise."


    He smiled and stroked his waist-length white beard, unable to hide the smile in his eyes, clearly very satisfied with the little wizards'' performance.


    "Was it really a surprise?" Drac bristled and snickered, "Seeing as how you were the most nervous when Potter stepped in front of Weasley just now, I can see you wanting to stop that snake-turned-fire-dragon at any moment."


    "And you should have seen it too, right? Potter was going to use the Sorcery spell ... He has a fragment of Voldemort''s soul inside of him, so I''m guessing he wouldn''t have been able to use the Sorcery spell any worse than he did, and probably would have been able to take care of that fire dragon you turned without you having to put a stop to it."


    Drac gave Dumbledore an interested look, teasingly flirting with the idea that


    "Can''t wait to see what kind of behavior you''re going to put on if he does use the Unforgivable Spell because of the pressure you put on him, and therefore bes obsessed with ck magic and ends up going down Voldemort''s old path of learning ck magic?"


    "I won''t let that happen." Dumbledore''s expression also became serious, "At that time, when Tom embarked on the path of studying ck magic, there was actually my responsibility for not guiding him well in it."


    "So I have also learned some lessons and will pay good attention to Harry''s mental health development. If he really has the tendency to study ck magic, I will personally pull him back!" He said.


    "Now it seems like Potter shouldn''t have much use for getting all that dark magic either." Drac quirked the corners of his mouth slightly, "Although the Disarming Spell he temporarily casts does have a somewhat unorthodox look to it, the attack power really isn''t inferior to normal ck magic anymore."


    "That''s really interesting, I''m considering training him in this area in the next school year''s ck magic defense ss, maybe we can create a brand new school of disarming!"


    "I''ll leave it to you then, Professor Drac." Dumbledore smiled gently.


    Both of their eyes simultaneously went to the image shown on the deed parchment, the three young wizards had managed to walk inside the pce of the relic that was Slytherin ...


    Harry was the first to step onto the tiles of the interior of the pce.


    He raised his wand in his hand and looked around warily under the light of the wand lighting spell, only to be slightly relieved to see nothing but emptiness and no danger around him.


    Rolf and Ginny also stepped into the middle of the pce and curiously looked around.


    Unlike the luxury, atmosphere, and grandeur they had imagined, the former golden and magnificent pce had actually long since be dpidated under the erosion of a thousand years of time.


    The dome was pierced through and the moonlight leaked down, the illumination spell and the dark glow of the moonlight clearly reflected the fine dust floating in the air. Looking around, I saw dense spider silks covering the corners, and patches of peeling wall paint remained on the interior walls.


    When the cold wind blew, the cobwebs between the tattered walls fluttered with the wind, and asionally you could see broken stones and rubble scattered on the ground, a deste and miserable scene.


    Time is the most merciless, nothing in this world can defeat time.


    All the glory, splendor, humiliation, and sadness ... are all integrated into the vicissitudes. Time will erase everything, even as powerful as the four giants of the great sorcerer can not escape the wash of time and baptism, and ultimately dissipated in the long river of history.


    Drac is ustomed to seeing the passage of time and the demise of friends, this is a very deep feeling, soter he has no interest in life, can only look around for interesting things to pass the endless time.


    At this time, however, the three young wizards inside the pce of the Slytherin ruins were still too young to feel anything about this tragic scene.


    They first felt that the situation inside was too different from what they had imagined, and then they quickly lost interest and devoted themselves to finding Luna.


    In fact, Luna''s hiding wasn''t that deep, Harry, Rolf and Ginny bypassed the main hall and found Luna''s figure after just two or three rooms inside the side hall -


    Next to a side wall, an oilmp was ced on a small stone tform, a small witch sitting on a small stone next to the tform, holding a copy of "Singing Counterpoints" upside down, through the light of the oilmp excitedly "reading".


    The little witch had disheveled, waist-length, dirty blonde hair, her eyebrows were tantalizingly pale, and she had a pair of darting, bulging gray eyes hidden under a pair of strange sses made of two colored pentagrams.


    She wore a fuzzy bunny slipper on one foot, while the other foot was bare and dangled over the side of the stone tform with a flop.


    Upon seeing the figures of Harry, Rolf and Ginny enter from the main hall, she looked up happily and greeted them warmly:


    "Rolf, Harry, and Ginny, you''re here?"


    "Ah, er ... right, we''re here." The words Rolf had been brewing for half a day, wanting to be the first to appease Luna''s emotions once he found her, choked in his throat, and in the end, he only managed to hold back such a sentence.


    Harry and Ginny also looked at Luna with strange expressions.


    Luna felt too settled andid back and rxed, it felt like the kind of feeling she got when she stayed home nicely and the three of them came over to visit and hadn''t brought any presents yet.


    "Luna, have you been staying here sincest night?" Ginny hesitated, but decided to ask.


    "I sneakily butchered out after curfewst night, and it took me quite a while to find this ce." Luna cocked her head and thought for a moment, "Notst night, I think I''ve been here since almost this morning."


    "You really weren''t mistreated in any way, or taken captive here by anyone, Luna?" Harry asked from beside him, "And don''t you feel hungry after being here all day without eating?"


    "There''s no one else oh I came here by myself!" Luna said with a flutter, "And I''ve stocked up on snacks ahead of time that I haven''t fed the animals, there''s enough of those tost me for days."


    She patted a small satchel she was carrying on her side.


    "But ... how did you find such a hidden relic?" At this point, Rolf couldn''t help but ask, "How did you find a relic so hastily that Hogwarts hadn''t found in so many generations?"


    He really didn''t want to believe that such a normally out-of-tune little witch like Luna had just taken a few random steps in the Forbidden Forest, and had urately discovered the way to enter the Labyrinth Magical Formation, and hade unharmed to the interior of this pce that they had fought desperately for half a day to get into.


    "Because someone taught me toe here!" Luna said rightfully, "Ever since I entered the Forbidden Forest, there''s been a voice in my ears guiding me to a direction, and making me jump and enter this ce ording to his method!"


    "That''s because an unknown voice told you to go that way, and you went that way?" Rolf red at her with a heartfelt season, "If we run into some unsuspecting dark wizard, he''ll sell you out and we won''t even know it."


    "It won''t happen, I can tell he''s not malicious." Luna tossed her hair, still smiling, "And I always thought the voice sounded a bit like Professor Drac''s."


    "I''m guessing you might be hallucinating, Luna." Harry shook his head, "How could Professor Drac be in the Forbidden Forest when he''s taken all the professors to a potluck?"


    "But I really think it sounded like Professor Drac." Luna''s eyes darted around, "Even though the timbre, tone, and inflection are nothing like it, I just feel like Professor Drac''s voice."


    Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny tugged on his sleeve behind his back, interrupting his thoughts of continuing the argument.


    "Come on Harry, there''s no point in arguing with Luna, you can''t be stubborn with her." Ginny said, "It''s good that we were able to find Luna, we should get back now, we''ll be fighting Mr. Filch againter."


    "Ginny, you seem to be forgetting that Mr. Filch is going to Professor Drac''s potluck tonight as well, we don''t need to avoid him tonight." Rolf chuckled, "But it does seem to be getting a littlete, so it''s time to head back."


    "Come with us, Luna?"


    Luna nodded pleasantly and put away the sing-song anthem in her hand.


    Together, the four young wizards walked out of the pce''s gates and left the ruins of what Slytherin had once built from the location of the massive tree trunk.


    But what a few of them didn''t know was that two others had seamlessly arrived in the midst of the pce after they had gone-


    "Miss Lovegood is quite clever." Dumbledoreughed softly.


    He took out a silver lighter and pressed the button on it with a click.


    A bright ball of light rose from the lighter high into the sky above the pce, illuminating the entire pce with a bright light that was countless times more effective than a wand lighting spell.


    "Yes, Miss Lovegood is indeed a magical little witch." Drac nced at the light extinguisher in Dumbledore''s hand and nodded approvingly, "I thought I had disguised myself well enough, but I didn''t realize that she could still associate me with it on a gut level."


    "Speaking of which, it''s the first time I''ve ever known that Slytherin actually built such a spectacr pce around Hogwarts after his split from the other three founders." Dumbledore tsked and surveyed the surroundings, "That''s a lot of work, and I''m surprised the other three founders didn''t notice?"


    "Yes, at that time, Saracha''s magical attainments were actually already vaguely above the other three founders by a thread." Drac sighed deeply and his tone became silent.


    "Oh? Is there some more to this story that I don''t know?" Dumbledore asked.


    "Yes, if you want to hear it."

 Chapter 185 - 185 Slytherin’s Dusty Past

    <h4>Chapter 185: Slytherin''s Dusty Past</h4>


    "I''d like to hear it." Dumbledore smiled.


    "The story begins with an ancient wizard''s relic that Saracha stumbled upon during her travels outside ..."


    Drac''s mellow voice rang out slowly, as if pulling back a heavy curtain on a stage - the


    Saracha Slytherin had always enjoyed traveling around, and there was a reason for that.


    When he was very young, as one of the few most talented wizards of his time, he easily surpassed the teacher who had taught him magic in not too long. As his strength grew, so did his ambition.


    Unwilling to stay in a corner of the world, Slytherin found a way to get rid of his magic teacher and began to travel around the magic world, trying to find some like-minded friends and learning more advanced and powerful magic.


    It was in this way that he met the other three founders of Hogwarts, Godric Gryffindor, Roinna Ravenw, and Helga Hufflepuff.


    In addition to these three, he also met a confused young nobleman from thatnd, Drac, who had only just discovered that his physique had changed, during his travels to Romania.


    Later, together with the other three founders, Slytherin established the oldest wizarding school in all of Europe, the


    Hogwarts.


    These four founders, together with Drac at that time, these five existences who possessed almost the best magical talent in the world established a very good friendship, and it was also the most rxing and cozy time in Slytherin''s life.


    However, he is still a Slytherin, and possesses all the qualities that Slytherin Academy looks for when selecting talents - shrewdness, selfishness, profit-oriented, ambition, and moo strong ...


    Unlike the Ravenw who stayed in the library all day and was keen on researching knowledge, or the Hufflepuff who was contented with the status quo and liked to make food and save all kinds of magical creatures, he and the Gryffindor were both characterizations that could not endure loneliness.


    But even though they are also both idle masters, Gryffindor, who loves to go on adventures everywhere, still keeps his heart bolted to Hogwarts in the end, and whenever an adventure is over, he will return to Hogwarts and teach his students for a period of time without worrying about them.


    Slytherin, on the other hand, was different. He didn''t want to waste his life in Hogwarts magic school, teaching students all day long and seeing no room to further improve his strength.


    So he said goodbye to the other three founders and embarked on the path of seeking to improve his strength.


    Until one day, Slytherin found an ancient wizard''s ruins during his travels.


    Inside the relic, there was a lot of knowledge left behind by the owner of the relic, and there were all kinds of insights about ck magic, which gave him a new perspective on learning magic, and allowed him to find a possible way to further improve his strength. ...


    Later, Slytherin learned that it was a relic left behind by the vile Helbo.


    Slytherin learned a lot of magical knowledge from the magical insights left behind by Helbo, most of which were about ck magic.


    He even incorporated some of the magical artifacts left behind by Helpo into his bloodline, giving himself the ability to speak with snakes and hatching a snake monster out of a toad and an egg.


    After returning to Hogwarts, Slytherin no longer paid attention to the students'' academics, but instead devoted nearly all of his mind and body to the process of researching the ck magic left behind by Helpo.


    Because of the influence of long time researching ck magic, Slytherin''s character became more and more paranoid, more and more irritable, and with the other three founders gradually produced a suspicion, and the contradiction between them is also more and more ...


    The final outbreak of the conflict was because of the enrollment problem at Hogwarts.


    Gryffindor, Ravenw and Hufflepuff all thought that it was possible to enroll muggle-born young wizards into Hogwarts for study, because these children were magically gifted, and the magical power in their bodies would continue to grow as their grades increased.


    If they were not taught to utilize their magic wisely, it was very likely that phenomena such as magic riots would ur, which would have a bad effect on their bodies, and even more serious cases could lead to the emergence of the Mime.


    But Slytherin did not share their philosophy.


    He believed that the small wizards of Muggle origin were still fundamentally in the Muggle world, they had Muggle families, Muggle friends, Muggle perceptions, and if they were hastily recruited into the wizarding world, it was likely that the existence of Hogwarts would be exposed, and that Muggle organizations dedicated to opposing wizards would be a threat to Hogwarts Castle.


    At that time, an unprecedented conflict erupted between several of the founders.


    Gryffindor thought that Slytherin was mad with ck magic, making him not think about the future of Hogwarts at all; Hufflepuffined that he had lost hispassion and let the lesser wizards, who could have been a part of the wizarding world, fend for themselves in the Muggle world.


    After the big fight with Gryffindor, Slytherin also lost all patience and packed up his things to leave the Hogwarts castle with their countless memories.


    He didn''t even take away his then most popr student, but entrusted it to Ravenw to take care of it for him ... That studenttermitted a very serious wrongdoing and became the current apparition, Bloodborne Barrow.


    However, Slytherin''s feelings for Hogwarts remained even after he was gone.


    So he left the serpent monster inside the chamber he secretly used for his experiments in the castle, hoping that his offspring would be able to save the day with the help of the great serpent in the event of a muggle invasion.


    He himself, on the other hand, entered the Forbidden Forest and built a hugeplex, leaving all the magical inheritance left behind by Helpo in the middle of thisplex, and set up many snake guards that relied on the operation of magic to protect this space where countless magical knowledge was kept from being vited.


    And these snakes were also specially prepared for his offspring.


    When one day, if there is really a snake old cavity found this extremely hidden area, then he will be able to inherit all the magical knowledge inside thisplex, which contains all the magic learned by the despicable Helbo as well as Slytherin in their lifetime!


    However, what Slytherin didn''t expect was that none of his descendants were able to find this area, so much so that itpletely fell into ruins a thousand yearster, bing a relic in the mouths of Harry, Rolf, and a few other minor wizards, just like when he discovered Helpo''s relics at that time.


    In fact, Drac hadn''t been much involved in any of those stories of the four Hogwarts founders.


    He had graduallye to terms with his transformation from a human to a Blood at that time, and had returned to Romania from Scond to collect the other Bloods that had appeared under the influence of the gue-like disaster at that time.


    Unlike the mostmon vampires, most of those transformed by the gue were still aware of being human, but were not tolerated by the old-fashioned human society at that time.


    In addition, most of these bloods had just been transformed, most of them could not make full use of their own natural ability, and no other bloods could have Drac''s pure bloodline and the same high level of magical talent, so most of them lived in poverty and fled.


    For this reason, Drac returned to Romania and returned to the castle left by his family, gathering all the Bloods in the middle of Drac''s castle.


    He referenced the Hogwarts model and ced arge number of protective spells around the castle, which also made that castle a clean te for vampires and bloods.


    After Drac had pretty much taken care of everything in Romania, he returned to Hogwarts to see a shattered scene - the


    Slytherin broke with the other three founders and left Hogwarts; Ravenw was devastated by the death of his daughter Helena and eventually fell ill; Gryffindor was a bit disheartened and secluded in Godric''s Hollow ...


    By the time Drac returned to Hogwarts, only the Hufflepuffs were still taking in house elves into Hogwarts and trying to get the wizarding school in order.


    At that point in time, however, Drac was still his youthful self, just as handsome, dapper, and graceful as he was when the four of them first met, yet Hufflepuff had turned into an old woman of advanced age.


    Since then, Hogwarts created the position of Headmaster and began to choose the best graduates from among the Hogwarts graduates to be Headmasters.


    Until now, an apocryphal statue of the first principal is kept in the Hogwarts castle in his honor.


    And Drac also deeply felt the meanness and coldness of time from this, and left Hogwarts with aplicated heart, and was the first to discover theplex left by Slytherin in the Forbidden Forest, from which he found arge amount of knowledge of ck magic left by Helpo.


    In a sense, the relics left behind by Helpo were the introduction and trigger for all this fragmentation.


    And so for the next hundred years or so, Drac searched the world for signs of the vile Helpo.


    He had already learned from the records left behind by Slytherin that Vile Helpo had created a Horcrux, so there was a good chance that he hadn''t yet perished as several Hogwarts founders had.


    It was also because of the move to find Helpo that Dracter met the rather famous great wizard of ancient Greece, the invincible Andros.


    ...


    "Despite being addicted to ck magic, Szar is still more principled than Helpo and Voldemort in the end." Drac sighed and said softly, "He didn''t choose to split his soul until his lifespan ran out to create Horcruxes that could make people so-called ''live forever''."


    Compared to Voldemort and Helpo, Slytherin was simply more than noble.


    Most of all his ck magic experiments were really just to enhance himself, and never interfered with other people, let alone using wizards to help him with his dangerous experiments.


    If he had any other purpose, it was for the stability of Hogwarts Castle.


    Whether it was the serpent monster left in the Chamber of Secrets or theplex of buildingsid out in the Forbidden Forest that relied on the magic system of Hogwarts Castle, a significant portion of the reason was to better guard the castle from intrusion.


    Even the ck magic experiments, which the other three founders regarded as cruelty, Slytherin''s experimental materials were used on animals that were not very intelligent, and rarely did any harm.


    In contrast, Voldemort and Helpo''s use of murder to make Horcruxes, just to get their own "immortality", is too cruel.


    Not only that, but even Voldemort''s Horcruxes are interested in the remains of the Slytherin.


    Riddle was actually trying to discover where Slytherin left off when he was caught by Rolf using trapping magic in the Forbidden Forest during thest half term.


    He had nearly all of Voldemort''s memories from his time at school, when young Tom Riddle had found quite a few secrets about their ancestors in the Gunter family''s old mansion, so naturally he knew that Slytherin had left behind aplex in the Forbidden Forest, which contained arge amount of knowledge about ck magic, and it was simply a treasure that could not be more precious to dark wizards.


    Therefore, Riddle wanted to learn where Slytherin''s relics were located by luring the snakes in the forbidden forest andmunicating with them using the old snake ent.


    But what he didn''t expect was that the guardian beasts inside Slytherin''s ruins were all made of stone and weren''t real creatures that would be affected by the trapping magic.


    And because of that, it seemed like Riddle was doomed to be a basket case ...


    "The four founders are truly all admirable wizards ah ..." Dumbledore nodded slightly and sighed, "Today I really had an eye-opening experience, from the mouths of those who experienced it, I learned about the four founders of Hogwarts a thousand years ago''s past events."


    "Any thoughts on going in and taking a look around? It''s roughly where Saracha left everything." Drac asked softly.


    "With pleasure." Dumbledore said.


    ...


    The next morning, the fog fromst night had lifted and the weather was bright and fresh.


    The light blue, clear sky was filled with tiny wisps of clouds in white waves, and the water of the ck Lake shimmered in the breeze, sparkling like silver.


    The sky where theke meets the hills seems to still have the remnants of the rose-colored morning sun, and the morning sun fades away like a tide across the sky, leaving only a clear and empty firmament.


    Sunlight poured in through the slits in the windows on the Gryffindor tower, shining on the scar on Harry''s forehead and on his slightly closed eyes.


    Harry awoke from a deep sleep and subconsciously shielded his eyes with one hand, unable to stop his mind from recallingst night''s adventure.


    Now that he thought about it,st night had been like madness; there wasn''t even a single professor in the entire castle, no one he could turn to for help.


    And he actually had a brainwave, so easily agreeing to Rolf and Ginny''s request for help, following them to a forbidden ce that no one had ever discovered before, and fighting arge group of snakes and a fire dragon.


    Fortunately, the end result was good, and they managed to find Luna, who had been lost for a whole day, and bring her back to Hogwarts.


    Thinking about this, Harry couldn''t help but think of Ginny''s panicked yet calm expression when she was attacked by the fire dragon, and of the panicked look that filled her eyes when she was worried about her behavior.


    "Ginny seems pretty good looking when you think about it like that ..." Harry muttered as hey back on his bed.


    "What ... happened to Ginny?" Just then, Ron, who was on the opposite side of the bed, said in a confusedke.


    He didn''t seem to bepletely awake yet, and only vaguely heard Harry''s dripping gurgle, so he casually asked.


    But Harry didn''t want him to know what he thought of Ginny. This youngest son of the Weasleys was precious to his sister, and it would be hard to exin if the best friend got the wrong idea.


    "It''s nothing, you go back to sleep Ron." Harry said, "It''s Saturday, there''s no sses to attend and exams don''t officially start until two dayster."


    "What, it''s Saturday?" Ron suddenly jumped out of bed, "Then why are you still lying here Harry, there''s a Gryffindor v. Slytherin Quidditch match today!"


    "What?!"


    Following Ron, Harry jumped out of bed in a sh.


    ...


    By the time Harry arrived at the Quidditch pitch carrying his broom, the game was about to start.


    It was thest Quidditch game before the final exams, and as usual in previous years, everyone tended toe over to rx and thus deal with next week''s exams in a more positive frame of mind.


    But today, the young wizards had little high spirits instead, and the Quidditch pitch''s stands looked empty on rare asions.


    It was really the fact that Gryffindor, the defending champion team, had had such an underwhelming record this tournament year, and Harry,st year''s best seeker, was in such poor form, that everyone had basically been able to predict a victory for Slytherin.


    Upon walking to the locker room, Harry saw that the yers here all looked a little listless, and most of them squinted a little when they saw Harrye in and stopped paying too much attention.


    Even Wood, the captain of the team, who had always been the most enthusiastic, even fanatical, about winning the game, was the same.


    He didn''t evene to remind Harry to get up in time this morning, which was undoubtedly something extremely counterintuitive!


    Harry could understand their feelings; after all, he himself hadn''t even been at thest Quidditch practice before the matchst night, and his own performance had been so poor that there was no way to be harsh on these teammates.


    The Gryffindor had lost his chances of making the finals this season, and he was supposed to be just as listless as his own teammates, dealing with this game and then going off to prepare for his final exams next week.


    But afterst night''s adventure, a sudden surge of defiance rose in him.


    "I''m going out." Harry said to the rest of his teammates as he changed into his red Gryffindor uniform.


    Aside from Fred and George nodding slightly, none of his other teammates paid any attention at all to what he was going out to do before the match.


    Harry sighed and didn''t say much as he mounted his Lightwheel 2000 and flew straight to one of the Hufflepuff stands.


    This was where the Hufflepuff Quidditch team used to watch and analyze other teams'' games.


    "Good morning, Cedric." Harrynded and walked over to the tall, handsome fourth year boy.


    He froze slightly at the sight of a pretty little brte witch with a blue cor sitting in the middle of a crowd of yellow-cored Hufflepuff badgers.


    It was Autumn Chang, who Harry had once daydreamed about.


    But instead of feeling sour at the sight of Autumn-Chang sitting next to Cedric today, he rarely felt a sense of relief and a kind of emotional rxation, and was even in the mood to nod his head in greeting to Autumn-Chang.


    Autumn-Chang froze for a moment as well, then smiled and narrowed her eyes, nodding simrly to Harry.


    "Harry?" Cedric asked curiously when he saw the Gryffindor ball-seeker in front of him, "Shouldn''t you be warming up before a match right now? Howe you''re free toe to us?"


    "There isn''t much time, Cedric, and I need to make sure of one thing." Harry didn''t answer his question and spoke bluntly, "How much higher is your team''s current point total than Slytherin''s?"


    "A total of two hundred and ten points higher." Cedric said, "What''s the point of asking?"


    He felt a little embarrassed when he said this point difference, as they were basically all obtained from the Gryffindor team.


    "I know." Harry said with a thoughtful nod.


    "In that case, if we don''t let Slytherin get any points this game, doesn''t that basically mean that you guys will be able to lock up the victory?"


    Across the room, Cedric and Autumn Chang''s eyes widened at once.

 Chapter 186 - 186 The game that was finally won

    <h4>Chapter 186: The game that was finally won</h4>


    "Are you kidding me, Potter?"


    A Hufflepuff Quidditch yer behind Cedric said with a questioning look on his face, "You Gryffindors haven''t won basically any games this tournament year, so what makes you think you can do anything to keep Slytherin from scoring?"


    "Exactly! Now I just hope you guys can keep from losing too much to Slytherin." Another Hufflepuff wizard said in a mocking tone, "All you guys have to do is manage to lose by less than two percent and we can thank Merlin out loud!"


    Harry frowned and looked over at the young wizard.


    Harry recognized him as a second year as well, by the name of Ernie McMin, who seemed to be a pureblood nobleman, and who had been quite high-strung when the two colleges had been in sses together.


    "Come on, Ernie." Cedric spoke up to interrupt McMin''s taunting and turned his head to Harry, "Harry, thank you for your kind words, but I''m sure we can beat Slytherin on our own merits."


    He politely dismissed Harry''s idea of surprise.


    "But Slytherin''s brooms are Lightwheel 2001," Harry said.


    The Hufflepuff crew fell silent.


    They actually knew that the Hufflepuff team was supposed to have a gap in strength with Slytherin, and had mostly lost against Slytherin on weekdays.


    The entire group of small badgers, most of whom are upright and modest in character, arepletely unable to let go under the "foul flow" style of y of the Slytherin team, and are often struck by their use of so-called "Transylvanian fakes" and other methods.


    "The Transylvanian Fake-Out is a Quidditch trick that involves pretending to hit an opponent in the nose in order to confuse them.


    However, the fake hit on the opponent''s nose with a wandering bat by a Slytherin yer is never real, and when the bat does hit the opponent''s face, they often argue that they didn''t hold it back and missed. ...


    So basically, after every game, the poor little badgers have a swollen nose.


    So if at all possible, they didn''t really want to face the Slytherin yers who were ironically going to be desperately chasing points.


    If there had been a difference of more than two hundred points between them before the game, then Hufflepuff''s yers would have just had to y good defense and not have to worry about Slytherin''s yersying down the gauntlet ...


    "Dudu-"


    Just then, the whistle blew for the match reserve.


    Harry nodded to Cedric and then mounted his broomstick and flew straight out of the stands and into the mid-air of the Quidditch pitch.


    The Gryffindor yers didn''t have much of a reaction to his tardiness, or to what he had just gone and done, and just gave the ball finder a casual nce, as if he was merely an unrted person used to fill in the empty seats so that the game could start.


    Only Wood added a slightment when he saw him.


    "Harry, I don''t expect you to be able to catch the Golden Flyer either, and even if you might, we don''t have the energy to go on battling Slytherin for a hundred and fifty point goal."


    If it had been one of those usual weekend matches, with a defiant mind like Wood''s, he would have had to fight for that slim chance of victory even if his hopes were slim.


    If Harry had any hope of catching the Golden Snitch, then it was absolutely possible that he, the training fiend, would have ordered the members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team to fight against Slytherin for three days and three nights in an effort to make up the difference of one hundred and fifty points, and then wait until they had surpassed Slytherin by one hundred and fifty points before letting Harry go and catch the Golden Snitch, which represented the end of the match.


    Because only when they exceeded Slytherin by three hundred points would they be able to get a ticket to the final.


    But at the end of the day, this match was ultimately held shortly before the final exams.


    They would be taking the more important final exams in a few days, so there was absolutely no need to waste these two days of rest, exhaust all their energy, andpete in a match with no end in sight just for a hope so small that it was almost impossible to see.


    Wood, as the captain, of course knew this well, so he sighed and said despondently:


    "You try to pester Malfoy and stop him from catching the Golden Flyer that early ... We can''t lose that badly at least."


    Harry gave his captain a deep look and nodded slowly.


    The whistle for the start of the match blew and all the ghostly flying balls and wandering balls immediately rose into the sky and the golden flyer was long gone.


    Upon hearing the whistle, Harry flew to an extreme height in a sh, taking a distant view of the entire Quidditch field.


    "Dammit, didn''t I tell Harry to go pester the ball-getter across the field?" Wood cursed when he saw Harry''s move, "Never mind, leave him alone, we''ll do the rest. Fred, George, cover Angelina!"


    "Roger that, Captain!"


    "No problem, Captain!"


    Fred and George, even in the face of this match with no chance of winning and no future, still maintained their yful expressions and quirkily answered.


    The game was on the line like a battle, and the yers from both teams quickly became entangled!


    High in the air, Harry didn''t care about his captain''s questionable emotions, he narrowed his eyes and carefully scanned the entire field of y for various scenarios with a seriousness he hadn''t had all semester, like an eagle flying through the air in search of prey ...


    He saw Fred and George testing each other with "Transylvanian Fakes" against Marcus Flint of Slytherin; Angelina carrying a ghostly ball through defense after defense and being stopped by a burly Slytherin yer; Wood nervously standing in front of the three Gryffindor Globetrotters, watching from afar! The ghostly fly balls that passed back and forth ...


    He also saw two delicate chairs alone on a spectator stand dedicated to professors, outside the arena, and two professors he rarely met in this arena were in the seats at the same time.


    Dumbledore was sittingfortably in one of the chairs, enjoying the intense match, while Drac was leaning on the railing around the spectator stand with a ck parasol, surveying the rapidly changing Quidditch situation on the field with interest.


    All the sights were received in Harry''s eyes.


    In the bright sunlight, hepletely dismissed distractions and squinted, his eyes looking through the sses perched on the bridge of his nose at every suspicious spot.


    Out of nowhere, an anomalous golden reflection suddenly crept out of the corner of his eye in the middle of an afterglow.


    Harry turned his head fiercely and turned his broom to fly towards the golden reflection.


    Malfoy, Slytherin''s ball finder, saw Harry''s move and elerated madly towards his position.


    The speed of Lightwheel 2001 was obviously a considerable increasepared to the old version of Lightwheel 2000, and whether it was the boosting efficiency of straight-line eleration or the terminal velocity, Malfoy was considerably faster than Harry.


    But Harry naturally had his own methods.


    Harry threw a few light turns in the air in session, easily throwing Malfoy, who was only good at forcing his way through the air by speed, behind him, and almost making him crash into one of the goal posts.


    By the time Malfoy was fooled, Harry elerated fiercely and dove towards the spot where the golden glow had appeared!


    "Oh my god, I saw it, Harry actually spotted the golden flyer!" On the Quidditchmentary table,mentator Lee Jordan looked on incredulously at the scene and eximed excitedly, "Is the best ball finder, who has been silent for a tournament year, finally going to regain his original level?!"


    The entire Quidditch pitch seemed to go quiet for a split second as all eyes were focused on Harry.


    And there was no obstruction in front of Harry, only a small golden ball lingering in the air.


    "Duuuuuuuuuuuuuu-"


    Ms. Hokey blew the whistle that signaled the end of the match.


    Harry raised the golden flyer in his hand high in the air, revealing a happy smile that he hadn''t seen in a long time.


    In the end, the scoreboard was set at a score of 160:10, pulling straight through a huge gap of 150 points from Slytherin.


    In this way, the whimsical idea he had proposed to the Hufflepuff yers before the game had actuallye true!


    The entire Quidditch pitch was abuzz!


    The young Gryffindor wizards, who hadn''t had much passion for watching the match for quite some time, were desperately waving the red g representing the house and chanting Harry''s name at this moment.


    Professor McGonagall, instead of his usual serious look, was wiping the corners of his eyes with emotion; Dumbledore showed an easy smile and nodded to Drac, moodily stuffing another Zippy Honey Candy into his mouth.


    Drac also ticked the corners of his mouth, seemingly satisfied with Harry''s performance, not failing to live up to his gesture ofing over with Dumbledore to watch the match even on such a sunny day.


    Thementator sitting in thementary seat, Lee Jordan, was hesitant to leave the seat, still analyzing the significance of this match with great interest-


    "Let''s start by congratting Gryffindor in advance, foring in third ce in the Quidditch Cup this tournament year!"


    "As I''m sure you all know, as the defending champions of the previous tournament year, the Gryffindor team had a poor year, and as the youngest and most promising ball finder ever, Harry Potter has to take the main responsibility."


    "But today Harry gave me a different feeling, it was as if the confident best yer fromst year hade back from the moment he got the Quidditch Cup!"


    "It''s a bit of a shame that if he could have found this form of today''s earlier and won a few more matches, maybe Gryffindor could have gotten their ticket back to the finals ... unlike now, where they have to settle for a tournament year third ce finish."


    Lee Jordan, at times Convincingly impassioned, at times feeling regretful, said, hogging the microphone and not wanting to leave, until Ms. Hockey was about to clean up the field of y and only then readily gave up her seat as amentator.


    And at this point Harry had just as little time and energy to care about Lee Jordan''smentary, as he was surrounded by his own teammates, all of whom were inquiring as to what he had figured out that was surprisingly as powerful as a knockout drug all of a sudden.


    Harryughed and responded to the jabs and inquiries from his teammates, finally feeling the atmosphere that he hadn''t felt in this team in thest six months ...


    They joked andughed as they flew down from high in the air, passing in between the stands where the yers of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team were.


    Harry took the time to give a thumbs up in the direction of where Cedric was.


    Cedric smiled knowingly and gave Harry a thumbs up back.


    Next, they could finally face their final exams with confidence!

 Chapter 187 - 187 Summer Vacation Arrives

    <h4>Chapter 187: Summer Vacation Arrives</h4>


    Soon thest day of the entire semester arrived.


    In the Gryffindormon room, the young wizards looked blearily at the window in the Gryffindor tower that was dedicated to owls, and waited moodily for the announcement of the final exam results.


    At Hogwarts, each year''s final exam grades were announced on thest day of the semester.


    The day after the grades were announced was the day the young wizards traveled home on the Hogwarts Express.


    Obviously, after getting their report cards, some young wizards would have a rather happy summer vacation, while others would cry bitterly and wee a beating from their parents.


    Each house had a different way of handing out report cards.


    Professor McGonagall, the headmaster of Gryffindor College, in order to let the young wizards experience the nervousness of the ordinary wizarding level exams in advance, would usually give the report card to an owl to deliver it to every young wizard afterpiling their grades.


    Although Harry was also a little worried about his own grades, he was actually considered to be very open-minded among the young wizards.


    After all, he hadn''t really listened to the required exams for the entire semester, and had mostly coped with his homework, so he wouldn''t be the least bit surprised if he failed several subjects.


    Plus, the Dursleys, as so-called parents, obviously didn''t care about Harry''s grades at wizarding school, so unlike other young wizards who needed to worry about parental punishment for failing exams, he had no other worries at all.


    Compared to Harry, Ron was obviously much more nervous.


    Not only because he had to face Mrs. Weasley''s stern eyes when he got home, but he was also worried that his younger sister Ginny, who had juste to Hogwarts to attend school, would mock him because of his grades.


    In order to ease Ron''s stress, Harry decided to distract him by talking to him for a while.


    "Ron, how do you think you did on this test?" He asked in a whisper.


    "Don''t mention it, I think I''m definitely going to fail History of Magic." Ron covered his face and said with a pained expression, "Other than a pervert like Hermione, who would remember exactly what was written inside the International Wizarding Convention of 1289 ..."


    Saying this, Harry nodded empathetically.


    He also didn''t know this part at all, so he hadpletely nked out this question on the paper.


    Now seeing that Ron hadn''t answered the question either, Harry felt bad for him while at the same time there was a sense of relief.


    "Don''t stress too much Ron, at least you must have done well in your other subjects?" Feeling that his gloating mood was a little inappropriate, Harry hurriedly went on to reassure, "I remember you going to the library all day before your exams to revise with Hermione!"


    "It was all average too." Ron had a lifeless look on his face, "You must have no idea what I screwed up with the Expansion and Contraction spells on the Spells exam ..."


    "My wand sucks, when I get home I''m going to make sure my mom buys me another one ... Of course, that''s if I don''t do too poorly on my final exams, otherwise a beating would be nice."


    Harry nced at the wand in Ron''s hand that had been taped in a circle with magical tape and was almost broken in two, and sympathy couldn''t help but appear in his eyes.


    "Aren''t you used to this wand?" Harry asked, "When you were training at the dueling club earlier, I remember you were already proficient with this broken wand eh?"


    "Let''s see what you told me ... Oh yeah, you told me that as long as I can control the amount of magic power, then I will be able to sessfully duel with this broken wand as well!"


    Speaking of which, Harry couldn''t help but admire Ron''s perseverance a little.


    Not knowing whether it was randomly grouped, or purposely assigned for fun, Harry thought it was thetter anyway, Professor Drac often grouped Ron and Seamus Finnigan, the two problematic elements, inside a team.


    Seamus belonged to the category of being a Demolition Ghost, in his hands, any kind of spell could be turned into an incredibly powerful Demolition Spell; Ron, on the other hand, was a self-murderer, and when he used the broken wand, with a little bit of inattention, he would hit the spell on himself.


    But under the high pressure given by Professor Drac in the dueling club, these two had actually worked out a method of dueling that suited them.


    Seymour took advantage of the fact that whatever magic spell he used was likely to explode, and in the dueling matches where opponents were randomly assigned, people who were unfamiliar with him often belittled his spells that didn''t have the power to kill, only to often end up being extremely messed up by a wand that was thrown in front of his face abruptly as if it was carrying a high-powered sting spell.


    Ron, on the other hand, had learned the method of controlling the amount of magic power that Prof. Drac had said, and the magic spells he normally used deliberately limited his magic power output, but during the duel, he would often unexpectedly increase the amount of magic power, and then reverse his wand, so that arge amount of gathered magic power would fiercely explode out from the end of the wand, and instantly defeat the opposite contestant!


    These two people formed a style of dueling that was hard for anyone to duplicate, and could be called the two oddballs of the dueling club.


    However, it was such an oddball of the dueling club that flopped again on the final exam of the magic spell ss.


    "During the exam, I was just too nervous." Ron said sadly, "I ended up identally not controlling the amount of magic used and let a contraction spell hit myself from the end of my wand ..."


    "Harry, you don''t know how embarrassed I was, the wizarding robes on my body shrank right down to a level smaller than what a child would wear, almost suffocating me with strangtion!"


    "Luckily, Professor Freeway saw the situation was not right and helped me defuse the spell in time. Otherwise I''m afraid I would have be the first wizard to be strangled to death by his own magic spell during the exam ..."


    "Then you really are ... ill-fated." Harry covered his mouth, forcing himself not tough out loud, and had to make a sympathetic expression on the surface.


    "By the way, Harry, do you think you''ll still get first ce in Defense Against the Dark Arts this time?"


    Ron didn''t care if Harry was stifling hisughter, he suddenly thought of something and asked with high excitement, "I don''t know where you went by yourself before, you probably don''t know too well, the homework that Hermione worked on the most during that time was Defense Against the Dark Arts!"


    "Look at Hermione''s resigned look, she was afraid that you would take the first ce in Defense Against the Dark Arts once again, and once again break her monopoly on the top spot in all her homework!"


    "I''m not going to get first ce this time any way." Harryughed bitterly and shook his head, "I haven''t been paying much attention this semester."


    "Have you forgotten what Professor Drac punished me for this semester? I had to fight four duels every dueling club before I could leave ... It''s all because I was distracted in ss."


    "That''s true, you really haven''t been in the right frame of mind this semester, whether it''s in ss or at Quidditch matches." Ron said, cupping his chin, "But didn''t you adjustpletely in the end?"


    "I remember that game before exams when you caught the golden flyer in five minutes! You weren''t seeing the look on Malfoy''s face then, it was like he''d eaten a fly!"


    Ron held his stomach andughed out loud.


    Thinking about Malfoy''s funny expression at the time, Ron waspletely unnerved, instead Harry became a little despondent.


    "But I still figured it out toote ...," Harry sighed, "Gryffindor had a great chance to get a second title this year, but didn''t even make it to the final because of my performance. "


    "Don''t beat yourself up too much Harry, everyone is out of form at times." Ron was now starting to turn the tables andfort Harry, "And it''s not uneptable for us that the Quidditch Cup ended up with Hufflepuff. As long as it''s not Slytherin!"


    "I was genuinely surprised that even Hufflepuffs, who are usually only interested in food, could try so hard topete for the House Cup."


    "After getting the Quidditch Cup, Hufflepuff''s score surpassed that of Slytherin''s House by a little bit for a short time, and then those little badgers were like crazy, topping Snape''s targeted deduction of points, and going as hard as they could to earn them ..."


    "Really, it felt like Snape didn''t even deduct points from Gryffindor those days, just picked on Hufflepuff, but in the end it wasn''t as fast as they were earning it ... Haha, hard on Prof. Sprout for getting the Academy Cup she hasn''t touched in a while!"


    "Indeed." Harry nodded approvingly, "Never realized before that the Hufflepuffs were so good too."


    The truth was that Hufflepuff was supposed to be a severely underrated house.


    Normally, it seemed that the young wizards of Hufflepuff were rtively Buddhist, not cing much value on honors like the College Cup, and notpeting for it.


    Coupled with the fact that the Hufflepuffmon room was very close to the Hogwarts kitchens, and the little badgers would go to the kitchens from time to time to refill their meals, so those condescending purebloods in Slytherin often looked down on the people of this academy, thinking that all of them were rice bowls.


    But it was really on this day that the young wizards of Hufflepuff saw a chance to win the College Cup, and it was only then that the most numerous of the four colleges finally showed their fangs.


    The outnumbered Hufflepuff little wizards worked hard to add points to the college in every way possible, and even though the semester was over, they still didn''t miss any opportunity to add points, even going so far as to go knocking on the doors of various professors'' offices and volunteering for the professors.


    Of course, this was also credited to our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.


    Drac was happy to see Snape suffer, so he called together arge group of small Hufflepuff wizards who had rushed to do volunteer work, and asked them topile the grades of Riddle''s corrected papers for him, and then fill them out on a piece of parchment and send it to Prof. McGonagall, who would then create the final version of the transcripts.


    Afterpleting this uplicated task, Drac generously added ten points to each of the young wizards who came to work, instantly making up for the points Snape had deducted from his hard work of picking holes throughout the day.


    In the end, with Drac''s happy-go-lucky attitude and a few other Deans'' tacitly agreeable behavior, Sprout led Hufflepuff to the rather rare College Cup after many years!


    "Harry, do you remember that awkward look on Snape''s face when he shook Professor Sprout''s hand in celebration just cracked me up!" Ronughed excitedly.


    Harry thought back to Snape''s expression at the end of term dinner andughed joyfully as well.


    Just then, a fluttering of wings came from a window location high up in the Gryffindor tower.


    Harry and Ron''s yful expressions instantly calmed down as if cold water had been poured on them, and they looked up menacingly.


    Several Hogwarts Castlemunal owls, each carrying a thick stack of parchment, flew inside the Gryffindormon room through a window high above and threw the report cards, which the young wizards hade to expect and hate, on the side of themon room''s firece.


    "Why couldn''t we have lit the firece in the summer? That might give us a chance to get rid of these damn report cards in one fire." Ron grumbled secretly.


    At this point, however, no one cared what Ron said anymore; all the young wizards'' eyes were focused on the piles of parchment, with a mixture of anticipation, longing, hatred, cowering, and avoidance in their eyes.


    Percy, as Gryffindor''s Head of Grade, volunteered to step forward and unwrap the string tying the parchments for the young wizards, handing out the report cards to each corresponding young wizard individually.


    Hermione swooped in early and grabbed her report card as quickly as she could.


    She unfolded the delicate piece of parchment and nervously scanned her grades, seeing the whole row of ''O''s (Outstanding)'' and giving a satisfied look.


    But the satisfied expression on her face immediately copsed when she proudly shifted her eyes to the notes that followed her grades in one subject.


    "What''s wrong with you, Hermione?" Ron asked curiously as he came up next to Hermione at some point, "I see you''re on the verge of tears, what''s going on?"


    He nced at the long row of ''O''s'' on Hermione''s report card and raised an eyebrow, "Isn''t it fine? They''re all excellent!"


    Hermione, however, didn''t appreciate it at all, and gave him a stern look, putting her report card away before huffing and puffing her way back to her dormitory.


    "What''s wrong Hermione?" Harry walked over at that point and asked Ron, a little puzzled, "Did she fail the test? That''s not like her."


    "But I see that she did quite well on the exams ah, every subject is followed by an ''O''." Ron scratched his head, "It can''t be that the exams are too good to be fresh ..."


    At that, he suddenly froze, then took a breath of cold air.


    "Wait, I might know why Hermione''s upset!" Ron eximed, while tapping Harry heavily on the shoulder, "Come on, Harry, get your report card!"


    Harry was stunned, and then also understood what possibility Ron had thought of.


    "It can''t be, can it?" His mouth dropped open a little incredulously.


    It so happened that just as the two thought of this overly whimsical possibility, Percy came over with two sheets of parchment.


    "Harry, Ron, your report cards." He handed over the two pieces of parchment.


    Without even bothering to look over his own grades, Ron snatched Harry''s report card and pointed his finger all the way down the row of grades, finally stopping behind the subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts -


    Defense Against the Dark Arts: O (Remarks: First in year)


    Although there was no grading system, the top grades at Hogwarts were often purposelybeled with the rank, which was what gave the young wizards the incentive topete for the top spots.


    "Harry, you really did get first ce again!" Ron jumped up fiercely, "I knew you could do it!"


    Even though he had partially guessed it from Hermione''s performance, Harry still red his eyes round when he was actually told of his result.


    "I ... I''m not dreaming, am I, Ron?" He asked incredulously.


    Ron instantly pped Harry hard on the shoulder, "Still think it''s a dream now?"


    "Hiss ... It really wasn''t a dream, but you hit him too hard." Harry grimaced and rubbed his sore shoulder, grumbling under his breath.


    Aside from the unexpected pleasure of Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry and Ron had likewise passed all the other exams, only most of them were just above the passing line of "A (eptable pass)".


    The two young wizards, who had thought they would fail, were quite pleased with this.


    Harry was also relieved to know that the few days he spent with Asst. Prof. Riddle at the end of the day had been of great use.


    What was most unexpected for Harry was that he had passed Snape''s Potions ss exam.


    Potions ss this kind of long-term umtion of experience in the course is not a day or two days of surprise preparation for the examination can be sessfully learned, if Harry in this ss is also like other subjects do not pay attention in ss, coupled with Snape''s hatred, I''m afraid that is not failing the subject can not say.


    Fortunately, it was also because Snape had to pick on Harry every ss that he wasn''t able to wander off in Potions like he did in other sses as well.


    Even so, Harry was suspicious that Dumbledore had intervened and not allowed Snape to purposely cross him.


    Snape''s attitude towards Harry over the course of the semester had been quite frightening -


    Every time Snape saw Harry, one of the muscles next to his thin lips twisted unpleasantly, and he kept flexing his fingers as if he hated to choke Harry.


    Unbeknownst to him, Snape knew all about Harry''s absenteeism this semester, so to speak.


    More than a decade ago, Harry''s father, James Potter looked at Lily Yinvans in the same way that Harry had been looking at this time of year, and Harry''s behavior reminded Snape of his own lost youth as well as the love of his life ...


    So he was even more ufortable with Harry who looked exactly like James Potter in every way except his eyes.


    ...


    In a sh, it was time to go home on the Hogwarts Express.


    Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny had taken a separatepartment and had made the most of thest few hours of magic allowed before the holidays, ying Crackling st Wizarding Cards, setting off Fred and George''sst few Flibbertigibbet fireworks and practicing disarming each other with magic.


    By now, none of the young wizards in the room were more skillful with the Disarming Spell than Harry.


    "Sometimes I really don''t understand how you practiced your disarming spell." George took his wand from Harry in a depressed manner, feeling like the two years he had outlived him had been for nothing.


    "George, Harry has just been letting you off the hook!" Ginny said with a smile on her face as she watched Harry''s every move and expression, "You don''t know, but Harry''s Disarming Spell has an attack power that isparable to ck Magic!"


    "This ... is a lie, right?" George turned his head to look at Ginny, "Ginny, I know you''ve been worshipping Harry since you were a child, but you can''t worship blindly."


    Ginny didn''t say another word, just looked at Harry and smiled knowingly.


    The two young wizards, both subconsciously recalled the situation when they faced that huge fire dragon in the middle of the relics left behind by Slytherin.


    At that time, Harry had righteously stood in front of Ginny and repelled the fire dragon''s attack with a Disarming Spell whose power wasparable to ck magic.... The power of that Disarming Spell was far greater than the magic spell that had been used on George this time when practicing in the carriage!


    In the midst ofughter, the Hogwarts Express train gradually slowed down and finally stopped in King''s Cross Station.


    Before he was about to get off, Harry seemed to suddenly remember something and pulled his quill and a piece of parchment from his trunk.


    "Here''s the phone number." He said to the crowd present, while scribbling the number down twice in a cursory manner, before tearing the parchment in two and handing it to Hermione and Ginny respectively.


    "Ginny, I told your father how to use the phonest summer, he''ll understand. Call me at Desiree''s house, okay? I can''t stand talking only to Derek for two whole months ..."


    "Your aunt and uncle would be proud of you if they heard about the brave act at the end of the semester," Ginny said, as they disembarked from the train at that moment, joining the throngs of people slowly making their way toward the enchanted dividing wall, "wouldn''t they?"


    "Proud?" Harry bristled, "Did youke it? They''d be furious if they heard that I almost died in the mouth of a fire dragon but actually came back from the dead ..."


    "What are those two talking about?" Ron looked at Hermione beside him with a conditioned look on his face, "Why don''t I seem to understand, something about bravery, something about fire dragons, something abouting back from the dead ..."


    "I didn''t get it either." Hermione frowned, then turned to Ginny, "Ginny, what were you two just discussing?"


    "Nothing really!" Ginny made a face at Hermione, "Just pretend we were talking about some fairy tale plot!"


    Then, together, they passed through the entrance to the Nine and Three-Quarters station and returned to the Muggle world.

 Chapter 188 - 188 Prisoner of Azkaban

    <h4>Chapter 188: Prisoner of Azkaban</h4>


    ke is still atrge!


    The Ministry of Magic confirmed today that Sirius ck, considered the most notorious of the prisoners of Azkaban Castle, has still not been apprehended and returned.


    "We are working to recapture ke," said Minister of Magic Connelly Fudge this morning, "and we ask the magicalmunity to remain calm." Certain members of the International Confederation of Wizards had criticized Fudge for not informing the Muggle Prime Minister that ke was atrge.


    ...


    The newspaper bearing the bold, capitalized English headline was gently blown by the breeze at one corner, revealing a strand of flowing silver hair and a handsome, sinister face.


    "Huh, someone escaped from prison in Azkaban?" Drac took a sip of his bright red liquor and read the newspaper in front of him with interest.


    At this moment, Drac was staying in the residence of the Breck family, which he had visited once before, reclining on a soft sofa, gently shaking a tall wine ss filled with red wine with one hand, and holding a copy of the Daily Prophet in the other.


    Nearly a year had passed since Drac had resurrected Regulus ke, who had long ago been crafted into a shadowy corpse by Voldemort.


    After nearly a year of organizing and tidying up, Regulus ke and the house elf Kreacher, who had gradually adapted to the body of a cadaver, had gradually taken care of the residence, which had been abandoned for more than ten years, in a decent manner.


    Kreacher, as an old house elf who had lived in this house since Regulus'' mother, Walburga ke, was a child, even though his mind had be rigid, as a house elf born in the ke family, one of the so-called "28 Pureblood Sacred ns", he was still very good at his personal business skills. The return of Regulus has made it possible for the Pokemon to be a part of the family.


    The return of Regulus had revitalized the aging house elf, and Kreacher, who had always been resentful and full of grievances, had actually be full of energy and motivation.


    Drac then leaned backfortably on the soft sofa, sipping a sip of red wine from his goblet every now and then. Kreacher stood next to him respectfully, and whenever there was not enough liquid in his ss, he would promptly refill it.


    Now, where they were was a House ke magical training room.


    Regulus was practicing casting spells at a mark with a custom-made wand suitable for dark creatures, hoping that the Lord Vampire Count, who was very specialized in dark creatures, could instruct him on how to better utilize the magic within the shadowy corpses.


    However, Drac''s attention waspletely caught by the newspaper in his hand, and he did not bother to watch Regulus'' spell-casting movements at all.


    "Sirius ck ... Is this prison escapee your brother?"


    Drac asked to Regulus, who was still practicing his magic not far away, as he tapped his thumb on therge photo on the front page of the newspaper.


    Therge photo on the front page showed a man with a sunken face and long hair tangled together, he was slowly blinking at the man who was reading the paper and looked to be in a worrying mental state.


    "Sirius?" Regulus was stunned for a moment and slowly withdrew his wand, his expression bing a little cold, "I thought he was dead."


    "If the information in the papers is correct, then he should be dead yet." Drac nced at the picture with interest, then turned his head to Regulus, "Didn''t you subscribe to this newspaper, and you didn''t even know about it?"


    Regulus, because of the fear that his physique would be revealed, had barely left the door of the Bleeker mansion for a year, and could only rely on Kreacher to buy the newspaper in order to have a channel to learn about the magical world.


    "I haven''t even had a chance to read this newspaper today before you came over." Regulus said, "And the Daily Prophet is going back more and more, all day long it only publishes meaningless content, I sometimes have no interest in reading it ..."


    "I remember one paper the other day that actually had arge listing of a Ministry of Magic staff member winning the lottery on a fairly front page, boring as hell."


    Regulus pursed his lips indifferently and moved his eyes to the side.


    "Oh?" Drac became interested again and looked to Kreacher, "Kreacher, get me all the newspapers you subscribed to a few days ago, I''d like to see how the Daily Prophet depicts something as simple as winning the lottery."


    Kreacher bowed and disappeared with a thud.


    When he returned again, he was holding a thick stack of Daily Prophet in his hands.


    "Let me look for it... ... Hmm, is this it?" Drac casually flipped through a few papers before finding what Regulus described as something about a raffle.


    When he saw this page, his expression suddenly became a bit yful-


    HEADLINE: Ministry of Magic staff win big prize


    CONTENT: Arthur Wei, Director of the Ministry of Magic''s Division for the Prohibition of the Misuse of Muggle Items, has been awarded the Daily Prophet''s annual Galleon Award. An ted Mr. Weasley told a reporter from the Daily Prophet, "We''re going to spend the money on a summer trip to Egypt, where our oldest son, Bill, is doing spell-breaking work for the Ancient Spirit Court Wizarding Bank." The Weasleys will be in Egypt for a month, returning before Hogwarts school starts. The Weasleys currently have five children attending school there.


    The content is followed by a corresponding photo of the nine members of the Weasley family standing in front of the pyramids.


    Everyone in the Wesley family looks very excited, waving vigorously at the camera with happy smiles on their faces.


    In the picture, Mrs. Weasley is small and chubby, while the balding Mr. Weasley is tall, and all six of their sons and one daughter have fiery red hair. Ron was standing in the center of this picture, tall and thin, with his pet rat, Bamm-Bamm, standing on his shoulder and his arm around his sister, Ginny.


    "The Wesleys really can''t stay idle, they''re obviously so poor already, it''s amazing that they still want to get out and about no matter what vacation they''re on." Dracughed softly, "All the little wizards in their family are so unforgiving, maybe they just inherited it from their parents ..."


    He smiled yfully and shoved the paper with the information about Mr. Weasley''s win back into Kreacher''s hands before picking up the one with the big news of Sirius ck''s prison break on the front page once more and looking up at Regulus.


    "Mr. Drac, I''m going to go back to the storeroom to find some more information on spell casting and Kreacher will take care of you." Without waiting for Drac to say anything else out loud, Regulus greeted him stiffly, then walked straight to the door of the magic training room.


    "What''s the rush?" Drac raised one hand and the door to the training room closed abruptly, "What are you running away from, Regulus?"


    "... I''m not running away." Seeing the door to the room in front of him close up, Regulus'' footsteps stopped for a moment, forcing himself to keep an indifferent expression on his face as he said.


    "Didn''t escape?" Drac slowly hooked up the corner of his mouth, "If there really was no escape, then why did you just change the topic to this news of winning the lottery?"


    "Sirius ck is your brother you haven''t seen in years anyways, even if the rtionship is bad, it''s not so bad that you hear about him after many years and don''t even have a trace of extra interest, right?"


    "I guess ... this newspaper you''ve actually read it, right?" He asked with a smirk.


    Regulus stood still and exhaled deeply.


    "I really can''t hide it from you after all, Mr. Drac." He turned and smiled helplessly at Drac, "I have indeed read this newspaper ... I didn''t realize that the first encounter with Sirius after a decade of resurrection would be in a newspaper."


    "How are you two brothers getting on?" Drac asked with interest as he gently shook his ss, "I see that you care quite a bit about your older brother as well, or you wouldn''t have avoided the topic of having him so much."


    "No, you did guess wrong this time." Regulus shook his head, "The two of us have a poor rtionship ... Let''s put it this way, it''s no longer the extent of a bad rtionship between the two of us, perhaps it would be more appropriate to describe us as being like water and fire."


    "We ke''s were never students of Slytherin until Sirius came along as a deviant. He grew up disliking the ways of the purebloods and often fought for the poor hemp wizards and half-bloods. Then he did get sorted into Gryffindor."


    Regulus slowed his tone and leisurely recounted the past of the two.


    "Mother was so enraged that she was about to kick Sirius out of the house on the spot. Sheter decided to give Sirius a chance, though, and was going to use Professor Slughorn''s connections to transfer him back to Slytherin."


    "But Sirius seemed to be so happy with Gryffindor as a house that he didn''t want to transfer at all. And after returning home from every holiday, he angered our parents by covering the walls of his room with the honors he earned in Gryffindor, even using a permanent pasting spell to put Gryffindor banners, pictures of muggle girls in bikinis, pictures of motorcycles, and pictures of himself with his friends on the walls ... "


    "My mother and father werepletely disappointed in him and pinned their hopes on their second son, me."


    "I never knew what they expected of me and couldn''t bear to disappoint their wishes, so I grew up doing what they told me to do, the exact opposite of Sirius."


    "Then I became the only pride of my mother and father, and Sirius became the one theypletely ignored, as if they had never had such a son."


    Regulus sat down on the other couch, took a sip of the water Kreacher handed him, and went on to narrate.


    "By the time he graduated, he joined the Order of the Phoenix and I joined the Death Eaters. In the midst of these two opposing camps, as you can imagine, our rtionship became even more strained."


    "But both of my parents endorsed the Dark Lord''s philosophy and dismissed Sirius'' actions as pureblood traitors. So they struck him off the family listpletely, and you may remember some of the burnt holes amongst the genealogical tapestry ..."


    "One of which is where Sirius was originally located."


    Drac gently set down the cup and newspaper in his hands and looked thoughtfully at Regulus.


    "The Order of the Phoenix?" He asked, "Are you talking about that Order of the Phoenix that Dumbledore founded to fight the Death Eaters?"


    "Of course, there is no other Order of the Phoenix besides that." Regulus said.


    "Which means Sirius ck is a member of the Order of the Phoenix, under Dumbledore." Drac rubbed his brow, feeling that this was getting a little strange, "But the paper said that Sirius was a Death Eater who did his best to support Voldemort."


    "Let''s see, the reason he was taken to Azkaban back in the day ... Well, he blew up thirteen lives with just one spell. And did that in broad daylight in front of witnesses. It probably caused a lot of trouble at the time, so Sirius'' level of danger was judged very high by the Ministry of Magic."


    "So he was the one whoter betrayed Dumbledore and turned to the arms of the Death Eaters?" Drac asked, "If that''s the case, the biggest divide between the two of you actually disappeared naturally."


    "No," Regulus hesitated, shaking his head slightly, "No matter how much I usually dislike Sirius as a person, hating his arrogance, recklessness, rashness, love of the limelight, and various other habits, I''d still like to say... ..."


    "Anyone could have joined the Death Eaters'' camp, but it''s Sirius who is out of the question!" Regulus said, "And with his empathic attitude with those hemp-breed wizards, I don''t really think he''d go and blow up a dozen muggles with a spell!"


    "I''ve always known that Sirius was quite close to a few of his friends, and he used to dine out at James Potter''s house after he was evicted, and old Potter practically treated him like a godson."


    "Hehe, the Potter family was killed by the Dark Lord, so how could Sirius turn to the camp of the Death Eaters instead after the Dark Lord lost his power to do those hurtful things?"


    "There is indeed something wrong." Drac raised one eyebrow, "Also, did you just say ... Potter? What''s with thest name Potter again, is it in the same family as Harry Potter?"


    "James Potter is indeed Harry Potter''s father." Regulus said with a nod.


    Drac frowned slightly, quietlybining the various clues here in his mind, trying to deduce the mostplete story line.


    The events known to him were that Voldemort had traveled to Godric''s Hollow twelve years ago to try and kill the Potters, but had suffered in the midst of the blood magic that Harry''s mother, Lily Potter, had invested her intense feelings in, and had been rebounded by his own sorcery spell to such an extent that he had be a humble remnant of a soul.


    It was only after this incident that Sirius ck snapped, killing twelve Muggles and a wizard, and ended up being imprisoned for life in Azkaban by the Ministry of Magic.


    Under the dissection of Sirius'' own brother, many illogicalities in this naturally surfaced.


    ''Looks like it''s time to find another opportunity to make a trip to the Headmaster''s office to torture Dumbledore.'' A giddy look of interest surfaced in Drac''s eyes.

 Chapter 189 - 189 Prison in Azkaban

    <h4>Chapter 189: Prison in Azkaban</h4>


    Before going to Dumbledore to interrogate Sirius about the prison break, Drac decided to go around Azkaban first.


    Drac had already been to the ind where Azkaban was located in order to snipe at Voldemort, and this time, he walked into the dark moon and arrived outside the fortress, which stood alone between the high walls.


    Azkaban''s fortress was made of marble covered with the vicissitudes of history, because the ind was always in the storm, the continuous marble had long been eroded by the rain water with countless patterns, imprinted with a wide and narrow white line drawn from the high to the low.


    There was not a single window on the outside of this fortress, only an entrance designed for dementors, narrow and slender, even the skinniest of wizards would have trouble passing through the entrance.


    Only a disembodied species such as the dementors were able to enter and exit freely to feast on the few remaining pleasures left in the hearts of the inmates.


    Seeing Drac''s arrival, a few sparse dementors that were patrolling around flew over excitedly.


    This ind rarely had a few outsiders throughout the year, and there were few opportunities for them to acquire new pleasures, while the prisoners had long since been nearly drained, and the asional positive emotions were simply not enough to stuff their teeth with.


    So, these evil creatures had been in a state akin to starvation.


    Excited by Drac''s arrival, the first dementors to spot him scrambled over, opening their ck-hole lips and letting out an excited, grotesque "cackle".


    "Oh? It''s only been a short time, and there are so many Dementors again?"


    Drac nted his eyes over to the few Dementors that were swooping down in the air, and the corner of his mouth curled into a cold smile.


    After the first Dementor drew near, as if it had sensed the overly familiar and terrifying dark aura of Drac''s body, the momentum of its dive was halted fiercely.


    Immediately afterward, this dementor withdrew with a speed even faster than the one it came with, and almost instantly flew to the edge of the ind, trembling with fear.


    Although the other nearby dementors didn''t have eyes to witness the antics of their own kind, they had their own unique senses, and could sense that the first one to rush up to the ind had quickly withdrawn.


    The dementors were confused.


    They were puzzled, it was so hard for a fresh food to appear here, so why didn''t they go to dine, instead they just left so hastily?


    The other few dementors could not resist the temptation of food after all, and ignored the perverse behavior of their kind, but proceeded to fly towards Drac.


    Just then, the figure suddenly took out a wand, and a silver-white bat flew out from the tip of the wand, circling around him and illuminating a darknd under a cloud.


    Several of the Dementors were suddenly seasoned, sensing a great threat from within the not-sorge silver-white bat.


    More importantly, even though they were newborn Dementors and had not seen the spectacle of the bat daemon swatting away the entire ind on Halloweenst year, it was as if they had been born with a deep fear of the daemon in their heads.


    It was a shadow etched into the hearts of all dementors!


    Thus, these few Dementors retreated back with a speed even faster than the first one, and flew to the outskirts of the ind as if they were fleeing, fearing that this daemon would suddenly be bigger and more numerous, and that there would be another horrifying incident of cleansing Azkaban''s ind.


    "Count on you guys having a good memory." Drac snorted and withdrew the wand in his hand.


    Although species like Dementors really disgusted him, he had no intention of cleansing the Azkaban inds once more.


    In the secret realm at the top of Mount Olympus, Helpo had somehow managed to absorb some of the dissipated Dementor energy into the secret realm to add power to himself.


    Drac didn''t want to cause any more trouble for Andros, who was already having a hard time, and could only helplessly give up the idea of destroying the Dementors.


    What''s more, Dementors are a species whose vitality is even more difficult to eliminate than cockroaches, after eliminating one of them, their energy will not disappear, but will continue to be condensed by the next seeding Dementor.


    Therefore, a popr saying in the magic world was that Dementors could not be eliminated, but could only be dispersed.


    Even if Drac''s high-intensity daemon spell could really eliminate them, it wouldn''t take long for new dementors to coalesce again, which is why after only half a year, the Azkaban inds that were nearly cleansed of all dementors had enough dementors for daily patrols and guard houses.


    Ignoring these annoying Dementors, Drac walked straight towards the narrow and slender passageway of the Azkaban fortress.


    This passageway was not only restricted to wizards by the terrain, that would be too hasty, many wizards who were proficient in shapeshifting were able to change their body form through high-end human shapeshifting, and there was always a way to enter the passageway.


    The Ministry of Magic naturally would not allow such a thing to happen, in the interior of the passageway sealing many ancient Ruyuni script symbols, but also arranged a lot of protective magic spells, able topletely iste the effect of all magic spells, to prevent anyone from using magic for trickery.


    As for the normal entrance into Azkaban, it is located in the gathering area of Azkaban''s resident Ministry of Magic employees, which is protected byyers of protection, covered with numerous magical organs, as well as an rm device that leads directly to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, so it is difficult for anyone to enter from there without disturbing the Ministry of Magic.


    Of course, neither of these two points were actually difficult for Drac.


    The reason why he chose the narrow and slender Dementor entrance was simply because it was closer to the location he was familiar with, and rtively less troublesome ...


    Drac gently leapt, instantly transforming into a tiny bat in the air, and easily flew into this narrow and slender passage.


    His metamorphosis was different from a simple human metamorphosis, the bat''s form was not so much the product of a metamorphosis technique as it was Drac''s other form,pletely a real-to-true animal.


    Facing a harmless-looking bat, the protective magic in the passageway naturally didn''t make any unnecessary movement, easily allowing Drac to fly through it.


    ...


    The tiny bat flew through the narrow passageway and appeared inside the fortress.


    Drac''s form appeared silently andnded lightly on the damp ground, looking around curiously.


    Azkaban''s prison was very dark and filled with a cold, ghostly atmosphere, and every now and then a few Dementors drifted by, either to "feed" or to "get their fill".


    When these dementors saw Drac who suddenly appeared inside the prison, most of them behaved in the same way - first, they made an extremely excited and greedy gesture.


    First, they made an extremely excited and greedy expression, thinking that some new prisoners had been sent in, hoping to taste some fresh and happy emotions on the new prisoners.


    Immediately after that, the fear in the hearts of the dementors would make them realize that the figure that suddenly appeared was not a new prisoner, but an extremely dangerous person who was capable of cleansing an ind of dementors.


    And so the dementors immediately scattered and fled after they reacted, fearing that they wouldn''t escape fast enough to be casually annihted ...


    "Don''t rush off yet." Drac smoothly grabbed one of the slowest reacting dementors into his hands, then he furrowed his brows and revealed a disgusted expression, "Put away the function of absorbing emotions on your body, don''t disgust me."


    The Dementor winced for half a second, but really understood Drac''s words, and put back the ability to never turn off and try to absorb other people''s happy emotions whenever and wherever he could, which made Drac''s frowning brow soothed.


    "Very well, now show me the way. Which is Sirius ck''s cell?" Drac asked.


    "Didn''t you just understand me?" Drac frowned once again, "As the guard of Azkaban, you can''t even know where that escaped fugitive lived before, can you?"


    Hearing Drac talk about the prison break, the Dementor understood this time and nodded its weird-looking head menacingly.


    It seemed it wasn''t so much that it didn''t know where Sirius lived as it was that it didn''t know the names of the prisoners.


    Dementor looked at Drac somewhat hesitantly, slightly thought for a moment with its extremely barren brain, and thought of the daemon spell ... that had enveloped the entire Azkaban ind half a year ago and then decisively chose to be a Dementor''s spy!


    It flicked the tattered ck cloak on its body and pointed one of the corners of the cloak in one direction of the prison, signaling Drac to follow it, and then took the lead in drifting in that direction.


    Drac watched the Dementor''s odd movements with interest and followed.


    Along the way, he walked past cell after gloomy cell, seeing many, many prisoners with haggard, pale faces.


    It was as if this was a corner forgotten and spurned by the world, and the cell was filled with the smell of rotting and mold, and a deste and painful emotion was trapped in the putrid air, which was particrly disturbing.


    Azkaban''s prison does not have a window, but asionally there is a slight cold wind from the wall cracked silk gap blowing in, friction out of the "woo ... woo ..." sound of sadness, blowing up on the ground Thick dust, floating in mid-air, filling the entire dungeon, but also blowing those sour, rotten, rotten smell spread, prating into the psyche of every prisoner, making them fear inexplicable.


    In this silent prison, a sudden burst of nging or a prisoner''s unwilling hiss, as if waking up the sleeping ghosts of years of injustice, piercing the eardrums of all people, only seeped into the heart of the darkness is their eternalpanion!


    But these prisoners under the torture of the dementors have long been numb to the heavy darkness and the miserable environment, their greatest fear is that every day the dementorse to the prison to feed, which will take away from them after hours of time from the bottom of the heart to force up a glimmer of hope ...


    That''s why more prisoners choose to paralyze themselves, to lose their spirit and fall into madness in this never-ending prison!


    Drac followed the Dementor as he walked, seeing this miserable scene around him, with no fluctuations visible on his expression, looking extraordinarily tantalizingly indifferent.


    Azkaban Prison was divided into seven floors, divided from low to high into incarceration areas with different levels of crime.


    Most of the inmates in the first two floors were serving sentences of less than a month, the mental state of the inmates in this floor was fairly normal, and most of them still had expectations for the return to freedom that woulde soon.


    The Ministry of Magic does not allow the dementors to over-patronize the wizards on this floor, and only allows them to "feed" on this floor once every three days.


    Most of these people only showed a hint of curiosity about Drac''s arrival, but did not pay too much attention to it, they all thought that such a person with a dementor in front of him was another high official of the Ministry of Magicing over to make a pretense of inspecting the field.


    The people on the third and fourth floors were prisoners with sentences of more than one month and less than three years; their mental state was depressed, but there was still a glimmer of hope in their eyes to regain their self-talk.


    From the third floor onwards, few people would have noticed Drac''s arrival.


    They only hoped to be able to hold on to that glimmer of rity in their hearts, preventing themselves from goingpletely insane under the torment of the dementors before the end of their sentence, and letting their long struggle go down the drain.


    The fifth and sixth floors were all prisoners with sentences of three years or more.


    In these two floors, it''s hard to see a few people who haven''t gone crazy, only the strongest willed wizards are able to keep their consciousness awake.


    These two floors are also the most frequented by dementors, neither the first four floors of the "food" restrictions, but also still have a trace of positive emotions can be squeezed out, it is the suffering of the wizards imprisoned here ...


    Without realizing it, Drac followed the captured dementor to the seventh floor of Azkaban Prison - the seventh floor of Azkaban Prison.


    This level was basically full of ten evil ck wizards, mostly Death Eaters arrested during thest Wizarding War started by Voldemort.


    Rather than the fifth and sixth floors, the Dementors are not very fond ofing to thispletely unrestricted floor ...


    This is because every ck wizard imprisoned here is originally crazy, they either torture people for fun, or have a penchant for certain unscrupulous ck magic, the dementors can''t feed on any positive emotions from their hearts, so naturally, they gradually lost interest in this floor.


    Sirius ck was imprisoned on this floor before he escaped from prison.


    "Hahahahaha ... Let me see who''s visiting us this time? Let me guess, it''s not that ipetent fool Fudge."


    Drac had just walked up thest step of the seventh floor when the voice of a crazy witch came over.


    Although her voice was also slightly weak, it was conversely neutralpared to the prisoners on the previous floors.


    "Hehe ... I haven''t seen you before, that stupid bastard Fudge really stepped down, right?" The witchughed insanely and scoffed at Drac, "That stupid cousin of mine actually escaped from Azkaban, that incident took a lot out of him, didn''t it?"


    Drac turned his gaze over to see a witch with long thick ck hair, probably in her thirties.


    She had a thick jaw, thin lips, thick eyelids and thick long eyshes, and although her face was a bit withered and haggard, it was still possible to tell that what she should have looked like once should have been very beautiful.


    Seeing this face that was extremely simr to Regulus, Drac raised his eyebrows in surprise:


    "Huh, another ke?"

 Chapter 190 - 190 Bellatrix Lestrange.

    <h4>Chapter 190: Betrix Lestrange.</h4>


    "You don''t know who I am?"


    The deranged witch showed her teeth in a psychotic grin, looking through the tousled, crumpled hair that covered half of her eyes to Drac, who was walking slowly down the cramped stairway.


    "Why would I know who you are?" Drac looked over at her with interest, quirking the corners of his mouth, "Do you think you''re famous?"


    "How boring, so you''re not from the Ministry of Magic." The witch''s nervous smile withdrew very abruptly, and then she cried out, grumbling, "It''s so boring, I thought that idiot Fudge had been made to step down by that cousin of mine."


    "Oh? Is Sirius ck your cousin?"


    Drac stepped forward, and was about to lean smoothly against the grate where the witch was being held, but silently dismissed the idea when he saw the patches of rust on the grate.


    "If so, then I might actually know who you are." He continued.


    Drac had once seen the tapestry that recorded the family tree within the Breck family home, and with a memory as good as his, recalling the specifics of the tapestry wouldn''t be much of a problem.


    If this witch was Sirius ck''s cousin, and Regulus was Sirius'' biological brother, then she was likewise Regulus'' cousin.


    Regulus had once introduced Drac to that family tree, and he had a biological brother, and three cousins-


    Andromeda ke, who had married a Muggle-born wizard, so much so that she had been removed from the family tree by the kes; Narcissa ke, who had married Lucius Malfoy; and Betrix ke, who had married into the Lestrange family.


    Andromeda ke didn''t care about the idea of pureblood, which Voldemort valued above all else, and obviously couldn''t be a ten-eyed Death Eater imprisoned inside Azkaban;


    Drac knew Lucius fairly well enough to know that he and his wife were fine, and Draco Malfoy didn''t have a mother imprisoned in Azkaban, so this crazy witch obviously couldn''t be Narcissa ke either;


    The result then was obvious, the witch was Betrix ke, or Betrix Lestrange, who had married into the Lestrange family.


    "Betrix Lysistrangi, am I right?" Drac said softly.


    The mad witch leaned against a pile of dirty haystacks and looked at Drac with eyes full of newfound interest, a maniacal grin on her lips.


    "It seems you really aren''t one of those boring officials from the Ministry of Magic." She said with a smirk, "So, does this handsome gentleman have anything interesting for us boring people?"


    "Or do you want to save us as a credit for defecting to the Dark Lord-sama?"


    Speaking of this, an expression of extreme fervor suddenly appeared on Betrix''s face, "I can feel it, my master has never been far away from us! You - it''s you! As long as you save us people and send us to our master''s side, you will be reused!"


    "Since you were able to bypass the Ministry of Magic''s surveince and enter Azkaban, you must be a wizard of some skill as well." Be''s expression abruptly calmed again, gazing deeply into Drac''s eyes.


    "Come on, this gentleman, it''s time for you to make your choice ..."


    As if the seventh floor of Azkaban was awakened by the sound of Be''s words, the Death Eaters in the other cells also turned their gazes to Drac''s position, and some of them who were in a slightly better state even started to cajole.


    "Kid, hurry up and let us out, Lord Dark Lord won''t treat you badly!" An ugly-faced male witch yelled.


    "Carlo, be quiet!" Another somewhat aged male wizard shouted in a hoarse voice, "In case you make this gentleman angry because of your uneducated fellow, from so much so that it buries our chances to leave the prison, see how I''m going to punish you!"


    "Mulciber, how do you know that this boy will be able to get us out?" Another witch shouted, "What if he''s just a pretender, specting and blending in?"


    "I''m looking out for our freedom! You ..."


    The prisoners inside the seventh level of the prison quickly bickered.


    It was obvious that they really hadn''t been overly affected by the dementors much, and most of them still had the strength to speak, and argued quite vigorously.


    But neither Drac nor Betrix had those raucous quarrels, instead sizing each other up with interest.


    "Made a decision?" Be grimaced.


    Dracughed softly at the disy of the mad witch before him.


    "Before I say my choice, there is one piece of news I kinda want to tell you guys." A teasing glint shed in his eyes.


    Be seemed a little upset when she didn''t hear the answer she was looking for, and the upturned corners of her mouth dropped back down, her demeanor bing listless.


    "Tell me about it." She said airily.


    "The news I have to say has to do with your Lord Dark Lord." Drac said slowly.


    Be''s eyes widened menacingly and she looked up menacingly at Drac.


    It was as if a regal light was radiating from her eyes, and her eyes were so bright that it was as if she was going to cry out nervously the next moment.


    "Quickly! Quickly--" screamed Be.


    "Heh heh heh ... Well, you''ll have to listen up." Drac''s mouth curled up in an intriguing smile, and he said word for word, "Your Lord Dark Lord ... is indeed not dead!"


    The air on the seventh floor of Azkaban suddenly quieted down, and the entire space seemed to freeze.


    Those Death Eaters who were originally still viciously quarreling and wantonly venting their depressed emotions suddenly stopped, a hundred expressions were frozen on their faces, and then, incredulously, they turned their heads to look at Drac.


    Be''s performance was the most frightening.


    It was as if the ten years of prison life hadn''t had any effect on her physical fitness, as she jumped up from the haystack in one go and rushed over to the cell''s grille, gripping the rust-covered metal grille with a frenzied light in her eyes.


    "Are you sure this news is true?" Be gritted her teeth, ring dead at Drac, who seemed to be roaming outside the grate.


    "Of course." Drac said with a smirk, "And I don''t have to lie to you guys, do I?"


    "Hahahahahahaha ... I knew it!" Betrix threw back her head andughed madly, "I knew the Dark Lord wouldn''t leave us so easily! Hahahahahahahahaha ..."


    The other Death Eaters were first somewhat incredulous, then also revealed ecstatic looks one after another, and some Death Eaters also had a longing for freedom that hadn''t appeared in their eyes for a long time.


    These Death Eaters who were locked up in Azkaban were Voldemort''s most die-hard loyal followers, all of them were convinced by Voldemort''s personal powerful strength and tough attitude, and were willing to sacrifice their lives for him.


    When they heard the news that Voldemort was still alive, they all felt a kind of heartfelt joy. At the same time, they firmly believed that their master would not abandon them and would one day free them from this dark prison!


    "We are saved!" Hardcore Death Eater, Amicus Carlo clenched his fists fast, "Lord Dark Lord will not forget us, his most loyal servants, when he regains his power, he will definitelye to rescue us!"


    Drac watched their performance and hooked up the corners of his mouth in a somewhat more exaggerated arc.


    "That''s right, your master has indeed not abandoned you." He said pleasantly, "The Dark Lord had just regained some of his power, and the first thing he thought of was to fish you out of Azkaban."


    Hearing Drac''s words, Be suddenly loosened her grip on the grill and fell to her knees at once.


    "Oooooo... master, how can I repay your favor?" She covered her face with her hands and whimpered with hot tears, "Master really hasn''t forgotten me ..."


    With that, she suddenly raised her head again and lifted her face from among her hands.


    "Could you be the one that master sent to save us?"


    With tears streaming down her face, Be looked at Drac. Her face was stained with rust from the hands that had just gripped the rusty grill, and it became a bit grim as the two lines of tears were wiped away.


    "Well ... allow me to sell it." Dracughed softly, changing the subject without a trace "I have one more question I''d like to ask you guys-"


    "I want to know, did any of you see how Sirius ck escaped from Azkaban?"


    By this time, the Death Eaters, who had been locked up in the prison of Azkaban for years and had long lost their hope for freedom, had already regarded Drac, who had brought the good news, as a beam of light in the middle of their dark lives, and had almost obeyed him and believed everything he said.


    The first time Drac asked a question, some Death Eaters began to rush to answer.


    "Sir, I live right across the street from Sirius ck, and I''m definitely the one who has the best view." Two steps inside the jail cell there was a male wizard who blurted out to Drac, "I saw Sirius ck lying in bed one night, and the next day he was gone."


    "It''s almost as if he disappeared out of thin air, I didn''t notice anything out of ce over there at all."


    "You mean you didn''t see what method he used to leave Azkaban, right?" Drac asked, frowning.


    "Not at all." The boy wizard said, "By the way, sir, why are you concerned about Sirius ck, is something wrong with this?"


    "No, nothing is wrong." Drac slowly shook his head and turned his head to look at the others, "This is still a bit strange ... Have the others seen the way that Bleeker disappeared?"


    The other Death Eaters also shook their heads, none of them had discovered the method Sirius ck used to leave Azkaban.


    "Could he have disappeared into thin air?" Drac stood inside the cell where Sirius ck had originally been and frowned as he surveyed the various furnishings inside.


    A ragged wooden bed, a haystack made of hay, and a dinner te used to pass food that was rotted with arge seam.


    The furnishings inside were no different from the other cells, and the grills and walls of the cell showed no signs of damage, as if Sirius ck had really just disappeared out of thin air from inside this cell.


    If it was a wizard with a wand, it would have been fine: use the Phantom Shift to leave; use the Unlock spell to unlock the door and then lock it again when youe out; use the Cut spell to slice through the grill, and then use the Repair spell to restore it when youe out.... It''s not a problem if you have magic in your hand.


    But it''s different in Azkaban, where there is not only the Anti-Phantom Shift spell that spreads over the entire ind, but also the Ancient Runic Formation that eliminates magic.


    Also, none of the prisoners here had wands, plus their spirits would be stirred up by the Dementors and they would be dizzy.


    Obviously, there was not a single shred of possibility of magic being cast by these prisoners!


    So, how did Sirius ck leave from inside the cell?


    Drac was caught in the middle of his thoughts.


    "This gentleman, what do you care so much about an outsider like Sirius?" Just then, a Death Eater suddenly spoke up and asked.


    "An outsider?" Drac froze for a moment.


    "Yeah, if he hadn''t been imprisoned, I never would have known that the Death Eaters had such a character in their ranks." Death Eaters all but muttered, "And he was pretty bad with us before he was locked in, after all, he was still a member of the Order of the Phoenix back in the day."


    "He was a member of the Order of the Phoenix too?" Drac felt more and more that something wasn''t quite right.


    A wizard who was recognized by Dumbledore and thus joined the Order of the Phoenix would throw himself into the camp of the Death Eaters after Voldemort''s fall, and also killed thirteen innocent people with a big change in personality ...


    At that moment, Be''s voice rang out abruptly.


    "Why are you still obsessing about Sirius?" She looked at Drac and asked with some impatience, "He''s an irrelevant outsider, get it? Hurry up and tell us, are you or are you not the one the Dark Lord Lord sent to rescue us?"


    Be couldn''t wait to hear the good news about Voldemort from Drac.


    "So anxious?" Drac snorted tantalizingly, "Well, in that case, I''ll tell you all about it-"


    "To your dismay, I am not the rescuer he sent to free you." He said.


    A look of disappointment crossed the Death Eaters'' faces.


    "But ..." Drac said with a twist of words, "the Dark Lord himself, he came and wanted to free you all himself."


    Hearing this, Be cried out menacingly once more, both hands wiping spots of mud and rust from her face.


    "Speaking of which, you may be a little curious." Dracughed softly, "Since he has personally rushed to the rescue, why is it that a sorcerer as powerful as the Dark Lord has not yet seeded in storming Azkaban to get you all out?"


    The Death Eaters present also froze.


    Could it be that the Dark Lord''s strength was still far from restored, and he couldn''t even attack an Azkaban that didn''t have many Aurors stationed in it? Or had the Ministry of Magic strengthened Azkaban''s security force?


    They looked to Drac for an answer.


    "Because ... I don''t want him to get his way!"


    Dracughed pleasantly.

 Chapter 192 - 192 Sirius’ past

    <h4>Chapter 192: Sirius'' past</h4>


    Harry''s lips trembled a little as he looked at the letter the pink haired witch handed him.


    "Am I ... I being expelled from Hogwarts?" He asked with his eyes closed and an extraordinarily pained expression.


    "Expelled? What are you thinking?" The pink-haired witch seemed to be holding back a bit, "The Ministry of Magic can''t wait to baby you, why would they think about expelling you?"


    "Huh?" Harry''s eyes widened as a wave of ecstasy washed over him, "So ... I don''t have to be expelled?"


    "Of course." The pink haired witch nodded, "Let me introduce myself, I''m an official Auror in the Ministry of Magic''s Auror Office, you can call me Tonks."


    She pronounced the words "official Auror" very heavily, and had a proud expression on her face, as if she was afraid that people wouldn''t know that she had passed the official Auror test just this summer.


    "Uh, hello Tonks." Harry finally breathed a sigh of relief and took the letter Tonks handed over, "Since it''s not about firing me, what''s the meaning of this letter forbidding abuse of the Division of Magic? You know ... I did break the rules after all."


    "You''re right, you did break the rules of the Department of Magic." Tonks nodded, "So there''s always a process to go through, a warning for the first vition and no other punishment."


    With that, she took a distant look in the direction of Maiden Road, "A memory canceler has already gone over to make it right for you, don''t worry, your aunt and uncle''s family won''t remember anything that happened today!"


    Harry then let his heart droppletely and looked down as he opened the letter in his hand and read what was written on it-


    Mr. Potter:


    We have received a report that you used an Expansion Spell at your residence tonight at 9:12pm. You are reasonably aware that underage wizards are not permitted to use magic outside of school, and that any further such behavior on your part will result in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Decree on Reasonable Restraints on Underage Wizards, Eighteen Seventy-Five, Paragraph Three).


    Also remember that any magical activity that might attract the attention of non-members of the wizardingmunity (Muggles) is a serious offense under the International Confederation of Wizards Secrecy Act, Section XIII.


    Have a great summer!


    Mafalda Hopkirk.


    Ministry of Magic Division Against Magical Abuse


    ...


    Harry looked at the letter in his hand with some sadness and some rxation at the same time.


    Rxed because he knew that this vition of magic use was behind him and he wouldn''t be expelled from Hogwarts, and sad because Harry had just learned that there would be a reminder for the first vition.


    If he had known about this earlier, then he would have found a better opportunity to use magic on the Dursleys as much as he could and teach them a lesson!


    "Oh yeah, I almost forgot about business!" Tonks suddenly eximed, interrupting Harry''s musings, "Harry, is there anything else you haven''t taken care of?"


    "If there''s something else to do or something to get, then I think you need to hurry up, because in case you didn''t know, you''re in a lot of danger right now!"


    Tonks'' originally very perky expression suddenly turned serious as she pulled Harry over to a much shadier area next to the street and searched around very professionally, clearing away anything suspicious in the vicinity as required during Auror''s test.


    "Huh, why is there a big ck dog here?" She saw a big ck dog next to her and didn''t pay much attention to it, just casually shooing it to the other side of the street.


    "I don''t have anything else to get, I can get out of here anytime I want." Harry shook his head and grabbed his trunk and Hedwig''s cage, "But ... Tonks, why am I in danger?"


    "I''ll tell you more about this when we''re somewhere safe, I need to get you to the Ministry of Magic now ..." Tonks said with some urgency, "Are you able to do an attendant manifestation?"


    "Follower manifestation? What''s that?" Harry asked nkly.


    "Oh, I forgot, you''re still just a student who hasn''t reached third year yet." Tonks covered her forehead helplessly, "Well ... follower manifestation is the ability to follow another wizard in phantom transfiguration, and you''ve grown up in a muggle household, surely there are no adult wizards to teach you that."


    "But the distance to the Ministry of Magic from here is so far that I wouldn''t dare just take a young wizard who can''t follow a follower to manifest Phantom Shift. This is going to be a pain in the ass ..."


    "We could take a cab and the subway." Harry suggested, "Muggle transportation is actually quite convenient."


    "That won''t work." Tonks dismissed his idea, "Muggle transportation is unprotected, and I''m afraid that if Sirius ck finds out that you''re on Muggle transportation, it''s not just you who will be in danger, but even the Muggles around you."


    She tugged at her hair in a tangled mess, her pink hair color turning surprisingly colorful and messy, and then turning a shade of grey.


    "Sirius ck?" Harry''s eyes widened in surprise before he could wonder at Tonks'' changing hair color, "I think I know that name, he''s a wanted man with a bounty on his head from the Muggle government! What does this man have to do with the wizarding world?"


    He had only seen the name Sirius ck in the newspaper that Aunt Desiree subscribed to this morning, and on the front page of the Muggle newspaper, it was published that he was an extremely dangerous murderer.


    "Ah, it slipped out identally ..." Tonks blushed stiffly and covered her mouth with two fingers, "Never mind, it''s not impossible to tell you now, we''ll just take the opportunity to wait for my colleague and ask him to send over the key to the door leading to the Ministry of Magic."


    "Listen, Harry, Sirius ck is an extremely dangerous criminal who has just escaped from Azkaban! The Ministry of Magic has determined that he''s probably after you!"


    Tonks said with a straight face as she stared intently into Harry''s eyes.


    What the two didn''t notice was that just a short distance down the street, the ears of arge ck dog that had just been chased away quietly perked up.


    "So, the wanted man named Sirius ck is actually a wizard?" Harry asked in shock, "Then why is he in a Muggle newspaper?"


    "Because the Ministry of Magic contacted the Muggle Prime Minister." Tonks said in a surprised voice, "Just take a look at this newspaper and you''ll see."


    She pulled a newspaper out of the small bag she carried and handed it to Harry, and pointed him to one of the paragraphs on the first page -


    Certain members of the International Confederation of Wizards had criticized Fudge for not informing the Muggle Prime Minister that ke was atrge.


    Fudge had responded angrily to this saying, "Oh, I had to, don''t you know? ke is insane. Anyone who encounters him is in danger, whether you''re wizarding or Muggle!"


    "I was assured by the Muggle Prime Minister that he said not a word would be spilled to anyone when it came to ke''s true identity. We can''t deny a reality - if the Muggle Prime Minister had spilled the beans on ke''s true identity, what other Muggle who has never seen magic would believe him?"


    Muggles are told that ke carries a gun (a metal wand, a weapon used by Muggles to kill each other), and there is a constant fear in the magicalmunity that there will be a repeat of the massacre of twelve years ago, when ke once killed thirteen people with a single magical spell.


    ...


    In contrast to the seriousness and formality of the official newspaper of the Muggle world, the official newspaper of the wizarding world, the Daily Prophet, tends to be as casual on top as this story, and even puts Fudge, the Minister of Magic''sical quotes, in their original form.


    Inparison, the Daily Prophet was like the Times of the British Muggle world in the wizarding world, yet the content was like the Sun of the Muggle world.


    Harry stared at ke''s molded eyes in the newspaper, the only eyes that seemed to have some remnants of life in that sunken face.


    Harry thought of the pictures of vampires he had seen in his Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook, and ke, with his wax-like white skin, thought he looked just like a vampire.


    Of course, if Drac were to learn of such dangerous thoughts as his, it might be time for him to duel four times a day at the dueling club again this semester ...


    "I really didn''t expect Sirius to look so scary now ..." Tonks also nced towards the picture printed on the newspaper with a slightly saddened expression, "I saw him several times when I was a kid when he was literally the of the most handsome male wizard I''ve ever seen."


    "You saw him as a child?" Harry asked in surprise.


    "Not only did I see him, I saw him many times!" Tonks said, "Oh, I forgot to introduce you, Sirius ck is my mom''s cousin."


    Harry looked at Tonks'' pretty cheeks and then at Sirius ck''s gaunt, withered, sunken face in the newspaper, and couldn''t really connect the two, much less believe that he was the most handsome boy wizard Tonks had ever said he was.


    "And don''t you believe it, Sirius was always the schoolboy of Hogwarts before he was in Azkaban!" Tonks could see Harry''s disbelief and added, "Let''s see how I can describe how handsome he is ... By the way, you do know Professor Drac, don''t you?"


    She suddenly thought of the silver-haired man she had met twice in the Cairngorm Mountains, on Azkaban''s ind.


    "And what does this have to do with Professor Drac?" Harry looked at Tonks suspiciously.


    "Sirius was just a little bit worse than Professor Drac when he was younger!" Tonks said in a very sure tone.


    The two of them did not notice that the big ck dog next to the street first raised its head proudly after hearing Tonks''ment about Sirius, and a hint of curiosity surfaced in its eyes after Tonks mentioned Professor Drac.


    "Wow, so exaggerated?" At the thought that this Sirius could be nearly as handsome as Professor Drac, Harry almost felt a few good feelings for the wanted man.


    What he didn''t realize was that the bigger reason for this inexplicably born favor was not because of Sirius'' former handsomeness, but because of a strange familiarity he felt with the face.


    "No, no, no, he''s a murderer who''s killed thirteen people!" Harry shook his head menacingly, shaking off the distractions in his mind, "He killed thirteen people with one spell!"


    "Yeah, one spell," Tonks said, "in front of witnesses, in broad daylight, and caused a good deal of trouble for the Ministry of Magic."


    Speaking of which, Tonks scratched her hair a little suspiciously and changed her hair color back to her favorite pink, "It''s rather strange, from the way Sirius acted afterward, it''s surprising that he was most definitely in support of the Mysterons."


    "What? Voldemort?" Harry asked subconsciously.


    "Hiss-" Tonks drew in a fierce breath before looking over at Harry andining, "Don''t say that name outright for nothing, you scared me, Harry!"


    "Sorry," Harry apologized instantly, "I''m sorry, I ... I forgot ..."


    "Well, now I really believe you''re not afraid of Mystique." Tonks rubbed her eyebrows helplessly.


    "So ... so that means that ke is a supporter of the Mysterons?" Harry asked a little anxiously.


    "From the evidence avable, it does." Tonks said, her face still looking a little puzzled, "My mom has never been too convinced about this, but there''s nothing she can do about it with the evidence."


    "ording to the information given by the Ministry of Magic, Sirius and the Mysterons are very close ... Anyway, back when you were almost killed by the Mysterons-"


    She subconsciously nced at Harry''s lightning shaped scar that was hidden by the hair on his forehead, "All of the Mystic''s supporters were hunted down, and most of those Death Eaters knew that since the Mystic had fled, they had lost their power along with him, so most of the Death Eaters were honest."


    "But those led by Betrix Lestrange thought otherwise, they were die-hard followers of the Mystic, and Sirius would have been among those people."


    "A fellow Auror told me that the Aurors once cornered Sirius in the middle of the street, which was still full of muggles ... But he took out his wand and blew up half the street with a spell, and a boy wizard and twelve muggles were killed by him... ..."


    Tonks'' voice trailed off, as if she was grieving for those who had died.


    "The boy wizard was called Peter Pediru," she continued, "and he was posthumously awarded the Order of Sir Merlin, First ss, after his death."


    "Sirius, on the other hand, waspletely unrepentant for the evil he had caused andughed the whole time ... Then he followed the Aurors without the slightest bit of resistance,ughing the whole way. The colleagues in the Ministry of Magic all thought he had gonepletely insane."


    "At that time, the impact of this incident was so great that the Muggle government went to great lengths to keep it hidden." Tonks continued, "The whole street was bombed, all the muggles died, and the exnation they gave was ..."


    "I know this one, a gas explosion." Harry took over, "I finally realize now why so many gas explosions are in the news in the muggle world."

 Chapter 193 - 193 The third school year, it begins!

    <h4>Chapter 193: The third school year, it begins!</h4>


    An airburst suddenly sounded, breaking the silence of the neighborhood.


    There was an extremely odd, frightening face that suddenly appeared in front of Harry and Tonks. Every inch of the face seemed to be scarred, the mouth looked like arge, crooked gash, and the nose was missing where it should have been bulging.


    Most horrifying of all were the eyes on the face -


    One eye was small and ck, while the other was huge, a stark bright blue, and moved without blinking, up and down,pletely out of ce in that normal eye.


    Harry was taken aback and jumped backward menacingly, almost falling again.


    Luckily Tonks reacted quickly to pull him again, which kept his head from making a close contact with the ground.


    "Instructor Moody, didn''t Director Scrimgeour say that you should go home and retire?" Tonks looked at the visitor and asked with some surprise, "Why did you evene over again in person this time?"


    She always felt that sending a door key was just a matter of casually arranging a small clerk to send it over, there was no need to let the Ministry of Magic''s soon to be retired Legendary Auror personally make a trip.


    "It''s not that coward Fudge, afraid that something will happen to Harry Potter under Breck''s hand to dy his political future." Moody cursed, his wooden leg pounding on the ground with a winter thud.


    "Besides I never intended to retire myself, it was purely Scrimgeour and the rest of them idiots who were always without brains and thought I couldn''t tell the difference between an ordinary handshake and an intentional murder by now, and had to be told to go back to my old age!"


    Scrimgeour and a bunch of wizards from the Auror''s office weren''t actually wrong; after experiencing a great deal of danger in his career, Moody had long ago be a bit paranoid, even overly delusional.


    He always prepared all the food and drinks himself, and only drank from the curved sk he carried with him in case someone tried to poison him.


    On April Fool''s Day one year, a witch drank in Moody''s wake, only for Moody, alerted by a sudden noise, to overreact and attack her; on another asion, Moody, believing that a birthday present he had received contained a cleverly-disguised snake-monster''s egg, smashed it to smithereens no matter what before realizing that it had been a travel rm clock... ...


    Moody himself, however, was not the least bit self-conscious about his own paranoia, and thought it was Scrimgeour and the others who had been toox.


    "How many times have I lectured them, they just don''t know what it means to ''stay alert at all times''!" He eximed.


    Moody aggressively handed Tonks an old teapot before turning his head to Harry, "You''re Harry Potter, aren''t you? Boy, go back and get your professors to teach your entourage to manifest, if you still can''t do anything like you did today, you''re going to lose a lot of chances to escape."


    "Remember, always be on your guard!" His expression was quite stern, and with the scarred grimace, it scared Harry to death.


    Tonks didn''t dare to say another word even after receiving the old teapot that had been made into a door key, for fear of drawing the legendary Auror''s wrath on himself.


    Harry and Tonks didn''t even notice that the big dog on the side of the street, after seeing Moody, became nervous in a rather anthropomorphic way, and moved to the side with very gentle movements without making a single sound.


    But Moody''s magical eyes, which were constantly turning, spotted the big ck dog from behind.


    He fiercely drew out his wand and cast a dazzling red light in a lightning fast speed.


    The big ck dog was startled, "Woof woof", and rolled on the ground very appropriately, quite fortunately escaping Moody''s magic spell.


    "Instructor Moody, stop it, it''s just a dog!" Tonks looked at Moody, who was starting to overreact again, and rushed forward to pull one of his arms.


    "What''s wrong with a dog? A sorcerer who is proficient in shapeshifting is perfectly capable of using human shapeshifting to temporarily turn himself into a dog!" Moody red at Tonks, "What if that dog is Sirius ck in disguise?"


    Tonks had no way of convincing her instructor, and could only hold onto his arm for dear life, while sweating a little inside.


    Director Scrimgeour hadn''t misjudged the situation; Instructor Moody was just mentally deranged to be able to mistake a dog for Sirius! She said secretly.


    It wasn''t until the big ck dog finally escaped the street that Tonks finally released Moody''s arm, fearing that he might identally hurt an innocent animal.


    Harry''s forehead was also sweating as he watched this scene. He was a little heartbroken.


    This thunderous old Auror and a young Auror like Tonks seemed to bepletely different styles, if he was really arrested by order of the Ministry of Magic for casting spells outside the school, then not to mention that he had sneaked out and wandered, I''m afraid that he would have been apprehended by this old Auror without even having the chance to run out of a single street. ...


    "Since you''re not willing to clean up the neighborhood, then go straight back to the Ministry of Magic." Moody was a bit unhappy and turned his head to educate Tonks, "Tonks, you''ve also learned from Scrimgeour and the others and let your guard down!"


    "Have you forgotten what I taught you? Anything suspicious around you must be destroyed at the first opportunity!" He said.


    "Okay ... I know, Instructor Moody." Tonks responded breathlessly.


    She lifted the old teapot that Moody had brought over to her and ced Harry''s hand on the lid, and Moody reached out and grasped the old teapot where the spout had been.


    After a moment''s spin, the three of them appeared together in a gilded hall.


    The floor of the hall was polished dark wood. The peacock-blue ceiling was iid with glittering golden symbols, constantly moving and changing, like a giant overhead bulletin board.


    Numerous gilded fireces were embedded in the walls on either side of the main hall: those on the left for arriving at the Ministry of Magic, and those on the right for leaving the Ministry.


    asionally, a bright green me will light up in the left firece, and a Ministry member will emerge from the firece.


    Every Ministry of Magic member who passed by curiously surveyed the famous Harry, surprised and trying toe over to strike up a conversation. But when they saw Moody beside Harry, they immediately changed their faces and walked towards the end of the foyer in fear of avoiding him.


    "Huh, is this door key able to teleport directly inside the Ministry of Magic?" Tonks looked around at this gilded hall and asked with some surprise, "Doesn''t the Ministry of Magic not allow door keys to enter directly?"


    "Fudge authorized it specifically." Moody exined gruffly, "That coward was afraid that Potter would have an ident on the way in and had the door key office made new on purpose."


    Tonks nodded in realization.


    Just then, in the distance, a chubby male wizard with an affable looking smile greeted him from the end of the foyer.


    He wore a pinstriped suit with a bright red tie and a long ck cloak, and he let out a very enthusiasticugh while still far away.


    "Fudge is here. You two can bullshit with him here yourselves, I''ll just go ahead." Moody''s face seemed a little unhappy when he saw the visitor, "Every time I see his fat face I get upset."


    He stomped his wooden foot and turned around and went into the middle of one of the fireces to his right.


    "There you are, Harry." Fudge, oblivious to Moody''s actions, ignored him and turned his gaze directly to Harry, "How does it feel to be at the Ministry for the first time?"


    "Erm ... it feels pretty good, it''s the door key that makes you a bit dizzy." Harry said truthfully.


    He looked up at the current Minister of Magic, still feeling a little surreal and feeling a little ttered.


    "Haha, there''s always a process of getting used to a vehicle like a door key." Fudge''sughed twice and reached out to pat Harry''s shoulder affectionately, "But for long-distance teleportation, a door key is always morefortable than a Phantom Shift."


    Getting closer, Harry realized that the Minister of Magic, despite his smile, had something in his eyes that was hard to hide as he was tired and anxious.


    The matter of Sirius'' prison break did seem to have caused him quite a bit of trouble.


    "Tonks, hard work bringing Harry here." Fudge hadn''t realized until then that there was an Auror next to him, and only then did he remember to tell her grudgingly, "You can go ahead and mind your own business, I still have some things to say to Harry alone."


    Tonks nodded nomittally, greeted Harry, and walked briskly toward the row of straight magical stairs at the end of the foyer.


    "Well, Harry," Fudge said to Harry when Tonks had left, "I''m not afraid to let you know that you''ve got us in a panic. Running away from your aunt and uncle''s house like that! I had thought ... but thankfully nothing happened to you, and ke doesn''t seem to be moving that fast."


    He squeezed Harry''s shoulder and pulled him inside a special magical straight staircase and pressed a button, "Now ... you''ll be pleased to hear how we resolved the matter of Miss Maggie''s unfortunate blow-up- "


    "A couple of bells ago, two members of the Department of asional Incident Reversal were instructed to arrive at Maiden Road. Miss Maggie recovered, and her memory was adjusted. She will not remember this incident today at all. That''s all that happened, and no harm was done." Fudge smiled amiably.


    Even though he already knew that he wouldn''t be expelled from Hogwarts anymore, Harry still couldn''t believe his ears a little when he heard the Minister of Magic tell him about it personally.


    He opened his mouth to say something thankful and couldn''t think of what to say, so he closed it.


    "Ah, you''re worried about your aunt and uncle''s reaction, aren''t you?" Fudge said, "Well, I won''t deny that they''re extremely angry, Harry, but as long as you stay at Hogwarts for Christmas and Easter, they are prepared to let you go back next summer."


    Harry''s throat finally stopped clogging up.


    "I''ll always be at Hogwarts for Christmas and Easter," he said, "I don''t want to go back to Maiden''s Road."


    "Naw, naw, I''m sure you won''t feel that way once you''ve calmed down." Fudge said, with a worried tone of voice. "They are your family after all, and I''m sure you ... well, deep down you love each other."


    Harry didn''t bother correcting Fudge, just obediently followed him out the straight staircase door towards a tastefully decorated office.


    "So now all that remains is," Fudge pushed open the office door and gestured for Harry to sit on one of the sofas against the wall, "where you''re going to spend the rest of your two weeks vacation. I suggest you just stay at the Ministry of Magic, it''s the safest ce to stay at the moment."


    "There''s no way Sirius ck, even if he was morewless, would be able to sneak into the middle of the most heavily defended Ministry."


    "Stay at the Ministry of Magic for the next two weeks and not go anywhere?" Harry asked.


    "Of course, my boy." Fudge took off his pinstripe suit jacket and ck cloak and tossed them aside before taking a seat sharply across from Harry, "You need to be aware of the situation, you''re in danger and I have to make sure you stay somewhere safe enough."


    "But isn''t the safest ce in the world Hogwarts?" Harry hesitated, it always felt a little scary to spend two weeks in such a strange ce without any familiar faces.


    So he spoke up and asked, "I suppose I could go back to Hogwarts early."


    "Oh Harry, Hogwarts is known as the safest ce to be just because of someone like Dumbledore." Harry''s trust in Hogwarts made Fudge a little impatient and he couldn''t help but furrow his brow, "Now that Dumbledore isn''t at Hogwarts, naturally I can''t let you go back to this castle."


    "Or I could go and ask Mr. Weasley to take me in." Harry hastily changed his mind.


    "Don''t be naive, Harry." Fudge shook his head, "Sirius ck is an extremely dangerous Death Eater, and you wouldn''t want to put the Weasley family in danger, would you?"


    Of course, Harry didn''t know that the underlying reason for Fudge''s refusal was still because he didn''t want to leave too much credit to Dumbledore''s beloved, Arthur Weasley, and prevent him from continuing to rise in the Ministry of Magic.


    Harry fell silent and said no more.


    "Well, it seems you don''t want to stay at the Ministry of Magic." Seeing that Harry''s mood was a bit down, Fudge once again squeezed out a kind smile, "In that case, I can find you a room at the Broken Kettle Pub, as long as you don''t leave Diagon Alley for the next two weeks ..."


    "With all the entrances to Diagon Alley being tightly controlled by the Ministry of Magic and guarded by some elite Aurors, I''m sure you''ll be able to get plenty of security at the Broken Cauldron Bar!"


    ...


    And so, for the remaining two weeks of the summer vacation, Harry was given more freedom than he had ever had in the Broken Cauldron Pub and Diagon Alley.


    Before he had never been able to sleep and eat whenever he wanted. Now he could even go wherever he wanted, as long as that ce was inside Diagon Alley, a long, little stone-paved street lined with some of the most mesmerizing magical stores in the world.


    It was a freedom that even as he boarded the Hogwarts Express at tform Nine and Three-Quarters, he still felt a little unfulfilled.


    Finally, the train''s whistle blew.


    The third year was about to begin!

 Chapter 194 - 194 Dementors invade Hogwarts.

    <h4>Chapter 194: Dementors invade Hogwarts.</h4>


    The sky was tantalizingly white and tantalizingly purple in the distance, with a few clouds drifting in and out, gradually rising into a few thin shades of twilight.


    The imposing castle stood against the tantalizing purple sky, with a row of smaller towers stretching out from the middle of the spires of the main tower''s upper floors at its highest point; the Headmaster''s office at Hogwarts.


    The windows of the Headmaster''s office were open, and a fresh breeze blew into the room, causing the candles on several candlesticks to sway slightly.


    At some point, a figure suddenly surfaced by the window, a head of silver hair fluttering with the breeze precisely like the mes on the candles.


    "It''s like you knew I wasing and actually left the window open?" Drac looked over to Dumbledore, who was sitting behind his desk looking through his papers, andughed softly.


    It sounded odd, after all, everyone else who wanted to receive guests also left a door open for them, but for Drac, receiving him was leaving a window open was enough.


    Of course, Dumbledore was quite used to this rather odd conversation.


    "That''s not true, it''s just that it''s a nice day to open a window and get some air." He put the paper in his hand down and looked up to Drac and snickered, "Speaking of which, I did leave the window open for you all day two weeks ago, and I didn''t see youe over as a guest, Professor Drac, until I caught a cold from the cool night air."


    Dumbledore shook his head, "So then I didn''t bother to leave a window open for you. That is, today just happened to see the sky color is good only on a whim to open the window for a while, I did not expect you toe at the right time."


    It urred to Drac that his visit to Azkaban had been two weeks ago.


    After he left Azkaban, he had wandered along the path from the Azkaban inds to the maind of Ennd, wanting to see if he could find some traces of Sirius ck by chance, and maybe if he was lucky, he could capture him back to the ck family and give him to Regulus, and then he could watch a big emotional scene between brothers in the meantime.


    Unfortunately, Sirius didn''t seem to use much magic at all along the way, as if he simply swam back to the maind of Ennd by using his physical body to swim, and he didn''t find any traces of magic.


    Drac was so depressed that he went back to Azkaban and abused the Dementors for a while, and didn''t return to Hogwarts until the day the opening dinner was to begin.


    "Professor Drac, tell me honestly, did you make a trip to Azkaban two weeks ago?" Dumbledore asked as he crossed his arms and stared hard into Drac''s eyes.


    "Huh, you know all this?" Drac raised an eyebrow absently, "Newses pretty fast."


    While saying that, he casually pulled open one of Dumbledore''s drawers and pulled out a handful of blood-vored lollipops and blood pudding from it.


    His movements were extremely skillful, and there was absolutely no embarrassment about taking other people''s things, just like returning to his own home.


    "It''s been two weeks since this happened, Professor Drac ... " Dumbledore''s eyes twitched a little at the corner of his eye as he watched his treasured sweets being hocked by Drac, "Also, you don''t seem to be hiding yourself at all. "


    "Two weeks ago, there was a mass protest on the seventh floor of Azkaban Prison, using the Ministry of Magic ofx supervision and allowing strangers into the cages to torture prisoners. The Death Eaters there all seem to have been tossed around by the Dementors."


    "Not only that, but they also gave an urate description of the person who came - long silver hair, handsome features, burgundy eyes ... If I can''t deduce that it''s you based on that information, then I''m done as a principal. "


    Dumbledore rubbed his brow and gave Drac a somewhat helpless look.


    "I thought they were all hardcore people who would rather die than give in, but I didn''t realize that they couldn''t even carry a few Dementors, thanks to which I was thinking about finding something else for them to do." Drac bristled, obviously very dissatisfied with the performance of those Death Eaters.


    "That wasn''t ''a few'' Dementors, Professor Drac." The corner of Dumbledore''s mouth twitched, "While other floors have up to three or four dementors entering at once to feed, the seventh floor has twenty-seven going in at once! Who can top that?"


    Drac shrugged, notmenting.


    In fact, he didn''t expect that his casualmand to have the dementors take extra care of the seventh floor would be so conscientiouslyplied with and exceeded!


    "What does the Ministry of Magic think?" Drac asked casually, "Can they guess that I did this?"


    Actually, Drac didn''t care much about what the Ministry of Magic thought right now. Because he hadn''t appeared much inside the Ministry of Magic''s field of vision, very few officials knew a ck magic defense arts professor like him.


    Plus, the oral testimonies of Azkaban''s inmates were supposed to be of little use, so even if they were really suspected, very few people would really have nothing to do bute over to find trouble with him.


    "Fudge refuses to admit that Azkaban was secretly infiltrated." Dumbledore presented it sinctly, "He thinks it was the prisoners who were under the influence of the Dementors and developed mental problems at the same time."


    "True enough," Drac snorted, "quite the style for the current Minister of Magic."


    Dumbledore smiled without saying a word.


    After Fudge''s "efforts" to get rid of Dumbledore''s influence in the past two years, even the old principal, as wise as he was, could not find any reasons to whitewash the Minister of Magic at this moment. ...


    "Let''s not mention those uninteresting ones, the main thing I came here this time is to ask you something." Drac stuffed a piece of blood pudding into his mouth and smoothly sat down on the soft sofa of the principal''s office.


    "What do you think ... Sirius ck is doing with this prison break?" He asked softly.


    "How would I know such a thing?" Dumbledore shook his head slightly, "There is spection out there that he went to attack Harry in order to bring Voldemort back."


    "But there''s a big mystery here," Drac said, "He''s spent thest ten years or so in Azkaban, so why did he break out of prison during this time? He had to have a definite motive for this breakout, didn''t he?"


    "Maybe Sirius simply just finally couldn''t take the Dementors anymore after all the days and months?" Dumbledore shrugged, a tantalizing smile on his face.


    "Headmaster Dumbledore!" Drac aggravated, "I''m seriously discussing a problem with you and you''re actuallykeing me here? Do you take me for a fool like Fudge?"


    The smile on Dumbledore''s face tantalized, and his face gradually became a bit sullen.


    "Professor Drac, I don''t know where you got the information that you have about Sirius ck, or where you got your suspicions about his deeds ..." he sighed and said softly, "but in the information that I information that I have learned, he is indeed a sinner who betrayed his friends and defected to the Death Eaters."


    "Tell me about it?" Drac''s expression also became calmer as he said softly.


    "It started with a prophecy," Dumbledore took his half-moon spectacles off the bridge of his nose and slowly wiped them, "Because of that prophecy, Voldemort selected Harry as his fated enemy and hit upon the idea of killing Harry''s family ahead of time ..."


    Dumbledore''s voice was soft,ced with a tantalizingly mournful emotion as he told the story.


    "... In the end, the Potters chose to have Sirius act as their keeper of secrets and set up home in Godric''s Hollow, hoping to escape Voldemort''s trail."


    "As you should already know from the events that followed, the day they established their secret keeper, even without any preparation, the address of the safe house was revealed and Voldemort came to the door that night."


    "The story ends with James and Lily being killed, Voldemort turned into a wandering spirit, and Harry surviving ... After that, Sirius went on to kill one of his best friends, Peter Pediru, and twelve Muggles, and then was imprisoned in Azkaban for twelve years until just over two weeks ago, when he escaped from Azkaban to break out of prison."


    The story was told and Dumbledore had finally cleaned his sses, putting them back on the bridge of his nose and looking at Drac in front of him with deep blue eyes.


    "Is Sirius ck such a ssless one? It shouldn''t be ..." Drac frowned.


    He couldn''t help but think of Sirius'' own brother, Regulus ke.


    Even though Regulus went astray under the influence of his parents and joined the ranks of the Death Eaters, he was able toe to his sensester on and parted ways with Voldemort.


    He stole Voldemort''s Horcruxes with extreme perseverance and action. He was willing to risk his life just so that Voldemort would be nothing more than a flesh and blood mortal when he met his hit opponent.


    Drac, though he kept his mouth shut, actually appreciated Regulus'' actions inwardly.


    If Regulus, who was his younger brother, could be so brave and so sentimental towards the house elf, then Sirius ck, who had been raised to not want to be part of a corrupt family, should have been a little more sentimental, right?


    Why would such a person suddenly betray his friends and turn to Voldemort''s camp?


    "Actually, you''re not the only one who doesn''t believe it, many of us don''t believe that Sirius would betray James." Dumbledore sighed softly, somewhat forlornly.


    "At that time, the precious friendship of the four of them, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter, could be called a unique scenery of Gryffindor. The few of them were inseparable, attending sses together, eating together, having fun together, teasing Severus together, breaking school rules together, and being locked up together ..."


    ''Is there a strange thing mixed in here?'' Drac''s mouth twitched.


    Dumbledore continued, "None of us wanted to believe that these four would ever be separated, let alone go so far as to believe that one of them would betray their best friend."


    "But the truth was not for us to disbelieve, for under the spell of abject loyalty, the only way to disable the spell was for the secreter to voluntarily reveal the location of the safe house!"


    Drac nodded softly, his curiosity about that Sirius ck even stronger in his mind.


    And this time, the curiosity was not only for the novelty of him being the first wizard to escape Azkaban, but also for the desire to know the truth of that incident back then.


    "Speaking of which, there''s always a name inside those four little friends that feels familiar." Drac supported his chin with two fingers and murmured thoughtfully, "Lemus Lupin, why does it feel like I''ve seen that name somewhere?"


    "Lames?" Dumbledore gave Drac a curious look, "I think it''s a rename? Lemus is usually too low key because of his status."


    "I was going to set him up with a post at Hogwarts this year to keep an eye on Harry a little more in the time since Sirius'' prison break, but couldn''t get in touch with him."


    Drac frowned and was about to rummage through his memories when he suddenly felt the sky darken menacingly.


    He turned around and frowned at the high sky in the distance.


    The tantalizing purple sky had already disappeared, and it was raining outside at some point.


    The sky outside the window took on the gray color of a dense, stickyke, and it gradually deepened, and the distant sky at the end of the ckke had nearly thickened into a piece of pure ck like ink dye.


    "It''s not supposed to be dark yet, is it?" Drac asked, "And even if it waspletely dark, how could such thick clouds suddenly form that there isn''t even a single star left?"


    Dumbledore also looked into the distance and opened his mouth to speak.


    "Professor Drac, actually over there is ... well, there are some employees sent by the Ministry of Magic to check if any of the trains the students are in have been infiltrated by Sirius." He exined.


    "Employees?" Drac raised a slight hint of interest, "What kind of employees are so powerful that they can cause changes in the sky?"


    Saying that, he looked towards the distant sky, light flowing from his burgundy-eyed child.


    In the next moment, Drac''s rakish expression clouded over.


    "Headmaster Dumbledore, is this what you call an employee?" He asked coldly, the word ''Headmaster'' pronounced heavily.


    "The Ministry of Magic''s directive an issued, I have little reason to refute it even as Headmaster." Dumbledore spread his hands helplessly, "Don''t worry Professor Drac, Fudge promised me those Dementors wouldn''t bother the students."


    "But this is my territory!" Drac said heavily, "I''m not one of those great and good people like you who would subject themselves to the Ministry of Magic to allow that disgusting species to invade the vicinity of Hogwarts!"


    With that, and without waiting for Dumbledore''s reaction, Drac stepped fiercely on the window frame of the Headmaster''s office and leapt lightly into the air spreading his wings and flying straight to the end of the ck Lake where the darkness was at its thickest.


    There a train was trudging along, going slower and slower.


    With a sudden jolt, the Hogwarts Express came to a halt, all the lights suddenly went out and everything on the train was plunged intoplete darkness.


    Countless monsters in tattered cloaks circled around and flew towards the train, carrying with them an extremely frightening aura!

 Chapter 195 - 195 Professor Dracula, no less.

    <h4>Chapter 195: Professor Drac, no less.</h4>


    The carriages of the Hogwarts Express had been plunged into darkness, even all the lights had gone out, and there was nothing but ckness all over the sight.


    The young wizards became disorganized all of a sudden, an emotion called panic rising up in everyone''s mind.


    "What happened?" Ron''s voice with some tension came from behind Harry in one of the cubicles.


    "Ouch!" Hermione screamed in pain, "Ron, you stepped on my foot!"


    Harry held onto the wall next to him and fumbled his way back to his seat, "What do you guys say ... is the train broken?"


    "I don''t know ..."


    There was a cackling, short, piercing sound in his ears, and Harry vaguely saw the unmistakable ck outline of Ron''s moldedke in the darkness.


    Ron''s whole face was on the windowpane, doing his best to blot out a clean spot, trying to find some light from the window.


    "There seems to be something moving there," Ron said, "Is someone getting off the train? They''re probably heading out ..."


    The door to thepartment burst open and someone fell painfully into Harry''sp.


    "Ah, sorry!" A familiar voice rang out, "Do you know what happened? Ouch! I''m so sorry-"


    He bumped into the corner of the table again.


    "Slow down, Neville, just sit down." Harry said as he touched Neville''s coat in the darkness and pulled him up so he could sit in the empty seat next to himself.


    "Harry? Is that you? Do you know what happened?" Neville managed to find a seat and sat down on his butt.


    "I don''t know ...," Harry hadn''t finished his sentence when he was interrupted by another piercing bark.


    "Meow-"


    A loud catcall and a yelp from negative pain sounded at the same time, it turned out that Neville had mistakenly sat on a cat and then been bitten by it.


    "Crookshanks, how are you doing? Come to me!" Hermione''s voice came through the darkness as well.


    The cat was a ginger hybrid cat-beaver named Crookshanks that she had bought with the money she had originally used to buy an owl.


    Ron was very upset that Hermione had bought a cat that he felt was a danger to his pet mouse, Spotty. Spotty had been scared and shivering all daytely, and it seemed that even his health was deteriorating.


    "Crookshanks,e up here." Hermione touched the fluffy cat in the darkness and picked him up, "I was just about to ask the driver what was going on, but it''s so dark in here ..."


    "Unfortunately my wand is in my trunk and I can''t find it right now or I could still use my wand lighting spell. Doesn''t anyone have their wand around?" She asked.


    The truth was that most young wizards probably didn''t have their wands with them, but were caught off guard by a split second of unexpected circumstances and forgot that they had magic to fall back on.


    Harry reached into his pocket and his face sank slightly. He had just casually left his wand on the table while he was snacking, and it would be hard to find it again now in the darkness.


    Hermione walked past Harry with her cat in her arms and he heard thepartment door open again. Hermione must have gone to the cab to ask the driver for specifics, as she had said.


    After the noise, thepartment gradually became quiet again.


    In the midst of this eerie atmosphere, there was no one willing to be the first to open their mouths to break the silence.


    A few momentster, there was suddenly a dull ringing sound, followed by two more cackling and creaking eerie sounds.


    "What is that sound?" Ron asked in a whisper as he turned his face away from the window.


    But it was still dark around him and he saw nothing.


    "Is that Ginnying over?" Harry asked.


    "Is it Hermione back again?" Ron asked as well.


    No one answered, only a puff of cold wind blew in slowly, carrying with it some of the smell of rotting and festering.


    A sense of foreboding grew in Harry''s mind.


    He turned his head menacingly to Ron and asked, "Ron, where''s your wand?"


    He remembered that the only reason Ron had used his old wand for a year before at the Dueling Club was because his family didn''t have the extra money to rece it, but after Mr. Weasley won the Grand Prize of the Daily Prophet, that problem had been solved.


    Ron''s original wand had been reced and was now in the Ollivander''s Wand Shop for a brand new one, which he babied to death and carried with him at all times.


    "Oh yeah, almost forgot about that." Ron said with chagrin.


    He pulled his wand out of his coat pocket and whispered the incantation for the wand lighting spell:


    "Luminescent Flicker (Lumos)."


    A faint bright light surfaced at the end of Ron''s wand, bringing some light into the darkness.


    Ron raised his wand and looked to the open door of thepartment, where something seemed to be standing in the doorway.


    "Ah... what the hell!" Ron suddenly screamed out.


    Harry turned his head to look at the doorway and looked over his shoulder to see a cloaked, ceiling-high monster. Its face waspletely hidden under the hood, making it impossible to see.


    Harry''s eyes traveled downward and what he saw made his stomach clench:


    A hand was sticking out of the cloak, a shimmering hand, gray, thin and scabby, as if something had died and rotted in the water. ...


    The hand had been exposed for less than a second when, as if sensing Harry''s gaze, the creature under the cloak suddenly retreated into the folds of the ck cloak.


    Then the weird thing underneath the hood, and I don t know if it was a mouth or not, drew a long breath ... It was long and slow, and trembling, as if endeavoring to suck something other than air out of its surroundings.


    The young wizards present felt a chill sweep through their bodies. Harry, in particr, felt his breath condense in the middle of his chest.


    The chill prated his skin and went all the way down to his lungs, to his heart ... Harry''s eyes then rolled upwards and he could see nothing,pletely drowning in the cold.


    Gradually, Harry''s ears seemed to have the sound of a surging tide in his ears, like a current pounding. He was tugged toward the water, and the sound in his ears became louder ...


    It seemed as if the world was changing, and the scene was drawn from the Scottish Hignds to a deep valley where there was a double-story house from which screams seemed to being ... terrible, frightened, pleading screams.


    Subconsciously he wanted to help whoever was screaming, whoever that really was, but he couldn''t ... A thick white fog surrounded him, inside his body ... Then a blinding green light came on... ...


    ...


    Drac flew in mid-air, and from afar, he saw that the group of dementors were surrounding the Hogwarts Express train, and even burrowed into the middle of the carriages to carry out searches, with every trainpartment not being spared.


    His face became extremely cold, and with a flick of his wings, he shot at one of the carriages like a stray arrow.


    With a "boom", the top of the carriage suddenly crumbled.


    Drded in the middle of the unconscious Harry and the many young wizards in front of the dementor.


    "It''s only been a few days since I''ve been on your case, and now you''re getting cocky?" He looked at the dementor in front of him and coldly hooked the corner of his mouth, "Is your disgusting species that unforgiving?"


    It was really the happy emotions of the little wizards that were too tantalizing, the dementor originally didn''t care about this suddenly descending figure, and was about to continue forward to suck the emotions in the hearts of the little wizards despite the obstruction.


    But when Drac''s icy voice rang out in the silence, its movements were halted.


    Wasn''t this ruthless man on Azkaban''s side? How is it that crossing such a long distance still meets him ah?


    Whether it was Drac''s action of destroying the Dementors on Halloweenst year, or his continuous torturing of the Dementors for fun in thest two weeks, all of them had brought an extremely serious shadow to the Dementor group.


    By now, even the dementors who have never seen Drac have heard about this dementor nemesis from their own kind, and know that when it''s time to concede, it''s time to concede.


    Didn''t you see that the Dementor''s Shame that led the way for Drac is still living a good life now?


    If you don''t know how to give in, it''s not a big deal to be wiped out, but if you''re being chased by a daemon, and you can''t eat for a long time, and you can''t find the right mood, then it''s too sad for a dementor.


    This dementor in the middle of the carriage saw Drac, and was immediately scared and trembling, wanting to leave this dangerous ce.


    "Did I let you go?" Drac sneered.


    The dementor''s movements froze.


    It stiffened and turned back to Drac, learning to bow humbly and show respect to Drac, at the same time putting back all the escaping breath around its body that might have an effect on positive emotions, hoping to gain Drac''s mercy.


    Next to them, Ron and Neville looked dumbfounded.


    Where have they ever seen this kind of scene ... out of the scene is simply evil to no end, covered in darkness, but also able to devour people''s happy emotions of the monster, how to see Professor Drac has be a dog''s leg, and also engaged in groveling this set?


    "Don''t expect this to make me spare you." Drac''s tone was still icy cold, "Since you came to my territory to spread your wildness, you have to be prepared to pay the price."


    He raised his hand and waved his wand.


    A silver-white light flew out from the wand, drilling through therge hole in the ceiling smashed by Drac, like throwing a bright meteor against the current into the dark night.


    When the meteor reached its highest point, it burst into mes like a brilliant silver-white firework, dispersing the thick darkness.


    Every inch of the firework''s sparks never went out, but instead fell towards each car of the train,nding on a different Dementor.


    If one looked closely, one could see that each tiny spark was a bat, staring down each dementor, forcing the little wizards'' joy back from the dementors with an extremely assertive stance.


    The effect of the dementors on the little wizards faded as the ck, sticky sky showed a slight aura.


    A starlight pierced through the deep ckness and hung over the deep curtain that was the night sky.


    The lights in the carriage also lit up, and gradually, innocent, happy smiles appeared on the faces of the little wizards once again.


    ...


    "Harry! Harry! Are you okay?" Harryy on the ground, disoriented, feeling someone punching him in the face.


    "How ... what''s wrong?" Harry struggled to open his eyes.


    There were lights on above him and the floor was vibrating rhythmically - it looked like the Hogwarts Express was traveling again and the lights were back on.


    He seemed to slide out of his seat and onto the floor. Ron and Hermione were half-kneeling beside him, and he could see Neville and Ginny leaning down and looking at him with great concern.


    Feeling hard, Harry reached up and pushed his sses upwards, feeling the thin, cold sweat on his face.


    Ron and Hermione joined him in both arms and helped him back to his seat.


    "Are you okay?" Ron asked nervously.


    "Fine," Harry said, while subconsciously looking over toward the door, but not noticing the scary monster from earlier, "What just happened? Where did that ... monster go? Who was screaming just now?"


    "No one was screaming." Ron said nkly, touching Harry''s forehead in passing to see if he had a fever.


    Harry looked around the brightly litpartment and saw Ginny and Neville looking at him as well, both pale.


    "But I did hear screams ..."


    "You could be hallucinating Harry." Hermione said, "Dementors are said to suck the joy out of people''s hearts, and in more serious cases can cause mental problems."


    "That was a Dementor just now?" He asked in surprise.


    "Yes, Dementors, the monsters that watch over Azkaban." Hermione said, handing him a piece of chocte on one side, "Have some chocte, your spirits might be better."


    Harry took the chocte and stuffed it in his mouth, rubbing the back of his head in bewilderment, always feeling as if he had just had a hallucination somewhere.


    "Are you sure you''re okay, Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously once again, seeing Harry''s distracted expression.


    "I''m fine ... What just happened?" Harry wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and tugged at his soaked clothes to wring them out again, "Well ... what was that Dementor doing just now in ourpartment? And why am I on the ground?"


    "I think you were scared or something," Ron said, still looking a little aftershocked, "You just got really scary, your whole body froze up, you fell out of your seat, and you started convulsing ... "


    "Luckily Professor Drac swooped in and got in front of the dementor." Hermione picked up on that, "Look above our heads, well, it''s rather obvious ..."


    Harry looked up in disbelief and then saw arge hole in the ceiling, the darkening sky and a few stars dotting the sky were clearly visible through it.


    "Eh ... Professor Drac came in by smashing right through the ceiling?" Harry couldn''t stop the corner of his eye from twitching, "That''s really ... very much his style."


    "And that''s not all!" Ginny added from the sidelines, "Harry, you''ll never guess where all those Dementors that stopped the train went ..."


    "Professor Drac used a spell that strung up all the dementors in the area with arge piece of silver fment, wrapped them into a good-sized ball, and then cast an unmarked stretching spell on one of the trash cans in ourpartment."


    "By now those dementors should still be in the trash can in good shape!"


    Harry: "..."


    True to form, Professor Drac.

 Chapter 196 - 196 Dumbledore owes a favor

    <h4>Chapter 196: Dumbledore owes a favor</h4>


    The Hogwarts auditorium was lit up with thousands of candles floating in mid-air.


    The ceiling was enchanted to reflect the twilight sky. Half of it was faintly lit with a few stars, and half of it was rain clouds that had yet to dissipate.


    asionally, raindrops fell on the seemingly transparent roof, creating a crystalline ripple that slid down the tilted roof of the auditorium to the ends, and eventually dripped to the ground with a ticking sound.


    The d¨¦cor and furnishings for the opening dinner had already been set up, and four long tables were arranged in parallel in the middle of the auditorium, stretching from the dais of the faculty and staff seats at the front all the way to the side of the main door at the back.


    Countless exquisite tableware, either gold or silver, were neatly disyed on the long tables, and the tes were empty, waiting until the principal announced the official start of the dinner before the kitchen house elves used their magic to deliver all the meals to the auditorium.


    None of the young wizards had arrived yet, and the seniors who hade in the Night Tiffin wagons were making their way from the main gates on the north side of the castle to the auditorium at the far south end.


    And the first years had only just gotten into their boats, led by Hagrid to get a feel for the path the Big Four must have taken to get to the Hignds where Hogwarts was located.


    However, two abrupt voices suddenly came from the empty auditorium.


    "Dementors are attempting to attack students, what''s wrong with leading the resistance as a professor?" A few bat shadows drifted away, and Drac''s figure then appeared at the front of the auditorium, sitting right in his seat.


    Almost indistinguishable from the bat silhouettes, a golden-red me burned out of thin air.


    "There really isn''t much of a problem in theory." Dumbledore stepped out from amongst the mes and pulled out Professor Flivvy''s chair next to Drac''s and sat down, "Professor Drac, it''s true that those Dementors made a mistake, but they''re still employees of the Ministry of Magic in the end ..."


    "Indeed, I should ask the Ministry of Magic for some of the hard-earned money for teaching rebellious employees a lesson on their behalf." Drac cupped his chin and hooked the corner of his mouth wistfully, "Let me think about how much is appropriate to charge ..."


    "Professor Drac, that''s not what I''m talking about." Dumbledore said helplessly, "It''s true that the wanton capture of Ministry of Magic employees isn''t very appropriate, and Fudge wrote to me that these dementors also have the task of manning Hogwarts."


    "Do you see, whether to release these dementors first, at least let them cope with the Ministry of Magic''s inspection of Sirius first."


    In fact, Dumbledore was also quite helpless, Fudge was actually this outrageous to the point of wanting to arrange for dementors to set up barricades at Hogwarts to look for Sirius ...


    I don''t know how much he was worried about such a wanted criminal affecting his professional future, so much so that he didn''t even want his poprity among the students.


    "Put out? Why can''t I understand what you''re saying, Headmaster Dumbledore?" Drac looked bored, his hands folded and propped behind his head, leaning tantalizingly against the back of his chair, "Dementors attacked the students, and after I fought and resisted, I inadvertently killed as many of those Dementors as I could, so what''s the problem?"


    ording to Drac''s distaste for dementors, he was certainly reluctant to put such a dark and evil species in Hogwarts.


    "Ahem ... Professor Drac, it''s not as if I can only learn about what''s on the train by witnessing it." Dumbledore seemed to be choking and coughed dryly, "I''ve already asked the students, and they said that you skewered the dementors and threw them ... into the trash?"


    "Which little wizard was so mouthy that he leaked this so quickly and quickly?" Drac narrowed his eyes.


    He didn''t really expect this matter to be hidden from the "all-knowing" Dumbledore, but he just didn''t expect it to be exposed so quickly, and the time interval in between might not even be half an hour!


    "Is it so easy for you toply with the Ministry''s demands, Dumbledore? Even with such unreasonable decisions?" Drac asked, "It''s not too stifling to live like this, is it?"


    "It''s not that bad, except that I sort of owe Fudge two favors this year." Dumbledore shook his head gently, "So his im still needs more consideration."


    "Oh?" Drac raised his eyes, "You''ll still have things you need his help with?"


    "In case you didn''t know, Harry broke the rules on using magic outside of school a while back and ran away from home." Dumbledore exined, "Fudge reacted quickly and immediately arranged for the Aurors to get him to safety."


    "He''s only protecting Potter to put himself in his ce, isn''t he?" Drac squinted at Dumbledore, "If the so-called ''savior'' of the magical world was really killed by Sirius ck, then the group''s excitement would have put Fudge''s seat as Minister of Magic at an end."


    "That''s true in theory, but judging by the results, we''ll still have to take his lumps." Dumbledore sighed.


    "And the other thing?" Drac bristled and then asked.


    He couldn''t quite understand Dumbledore''s concept of this kind of favor. Let''s just say that people of this sort of quality who were considered noble had drawn their own code of conduct in their minds, something that was difficult for others to do.


    "The other matter is less important, except that Hogwarts has requested a magical item for a young witch." Dumbledore said, "Whilemon sense would have had a high probability of it going through, the process also had to be signed by Fudge."


    "So actually, both of your favors were clearly Fudge''s share of the work, right?" The corner of Drac''s mouth twitched, "I really don''t understand why you remember these things so clearly ..."


    "It''s important to set a standard for yourself after all, especially for someone like me who has never been able to resist temptation." Dumbledore smiled and shook his head, a strong look of remembrance appearing in his eyes and a tantalizingly sad aura lingering around him.


    He always remembered the mistakes he had made in his youth, and as a result, he realized that he was not a man who could withstand temptation towards power and desire.


    Dumbledore used this as his lifelong warning, and whenever he was about to be overwhelmed by his own great strength, great image, high prestige, and power at his fingertips, he would use that most painful memory in his life to jab himself awake and keep all his desires away from him ...


    Drac looked at Dumbledore''s suddenly sullen mood and shrugged hopelessly, lifting his hand and tossing a trash can into his arms.


    "Here, this is it, take it and return the favor." He said to Dumbledore with a disgusted look on his face.


    Dumbledore was stunned for a moment before he realized that he wasn''t quite in the right mood, and very quickly tucked his sentimentality away and smiled at Drac.


    "I''m sorry, Professor Drac, I was out of line just now." He apologized to Drac with a smile.


    Dumbledore then looked inside the garbage can, which had been cast with a no-stretching spell.


    He saw a group of ugly, rotting dementors strung together by a silver silk thread, kneaded into arge fall, huddled one next to the other, their bodies squeezed out of shape.


    "Is there enough?" Dumbledore asked subconsciously as he looked at the dementors in the bucket.


    "Ahem ... it should be." Drac said somewhat sheepishly.


    Dumbledore looked up at him suspiciously.


    "If Fudge asks, just say that the resistance was too fierce and you identally exterminated a few." Drac immediately adjusted his tone, "Surely there are enough of those Dementors for you to return the favor anyway."


    Dumbledore smiled nomittally and reached out and nodded at the trash can, transforming it into a small, pencil-sized cylinder and putting it away.


    ...


    As the hours passed, the young wizards arrived in the auditorium one by one.


    A sea of pointy ck hats gradually formed in the brightly lit auditorium. Each of the long tables was filled with students with thousands of candles illuminating their faces.


    Just before the House Dividing Ceremony began Professor McGonagall took Harry and Hermione to the Vice Chancellor''s office, not knowing what to do.


    Drac guessed that she was concerned about Harry being terrorized by a dementor on the way there to the point of fainting, oh yeah, Madam Pomfrey wasn''t in the faculty seat either, and Professor McGonagall supposedly called on the matron to help check on Harry as well.


    Because the Vice Chancellor wasn''t present, this academic year''s house division ceremony was conducted by Professor Flivvy.


    Professor Freeway, a short male wizard, walked into the auditorium with his brand new sorting hat and a three-legged stool.


    He was no taller than the stool and looked a bitical, and most of the young wizards attending the sorting ceremony stifled theirughter.


    "Romilda Vine!"


    "Gryffindor!"


    "Astoria Greengrass!"


    "..."


    By the time Professor McGonagall led both Harry and Hermione out of the vice-principal''s office, the still-organized House Dividing Ceremony was over.


    "Oh," Hermione said to Harry with some regret as they walked along, "What a shame we missed the House Dividing Ceremony."


    "Don''t be silly, Hermione." Harry said sensibly, "Do you mean to say that you still want to hear the Hat of the House of the Dividing Hat sing its annual Hat of the House of the Dividing Hat song at the top of its ugly voice?"


    "... That''s better."


    Professor McGonagall slowly made her way to her empty seat in the professor''s chair, while Harry and Hermione walked as quietly as they could in the opposite direction, to the Gryffindor House table.


    As they walked along the back of the auditorium, people looked back at them and a few pointed at Harry.


    It looked like the story of Harry fainting in front of the dementors had spread with great speed. Harry guessed that it was Draco Malfoy, who was not far from theirpartment, that nuisance loved to make up bad things about him.


    He and Hermione finally made their way over to the long Gryffindor table and sat on either side of Ron. Ron had saved them seats.


    "What did Professor McGonagall just call you guys in for?" He asked Harry in a low voice, "It''s the first time I''ve ever seen a House Dividing Ceremony conducted by Professor Freeway."


    Harry began to exin to him in a low voice the actions of Professor McGonagall after she and Madam Pomfrey had examined himself, but he wasn''t sure what Professor McGonagall had meant by calling Hermione into his office aler.


    Ron had wanted to ask, but didn''t have the courage to do so after being red at by Hermione.


    At that moment, the Headmaster stood up and began to speak, just in time to diffuse Ron and Harry''s embarrassment.


    Professor Dumbledore''s beard seemed to be longer, and he was older, but still managed to give the impression of being full of energy.


    As the greatest boy wizard of his time and the pinnacle of the wizarding world, Harry couldn''t help but put his heart down and leave his trustpletely with Professor Dumbledore. For the first time since the dementor had entered the train car, he was trulyposed.


    "Wee!" Professor Dumbledore said, the light from the candles shining through his beard.


    "Wee to Hogwarts in the new school year! I have a few things to say to all of you, one of which is very serious, and I thought I might as well get it out of the way before you get all misty-eyed over this fine meal ..."


    Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "As you are all no doubt aware after the Dementors raided the Hogwarts Express. Currently our school is hosting a number of Dementors from Azkaban who are here on official Ministry of Magic business."


    He paused for a moment, and it was obvious that Dumbledore, even though he had to return the favor, was still very unhappy about the matter of the dementors guarding the school.


    "They are stationed at all entrances to this part of the school grounds," Dumbledore continued, "and during their stay here, I must make it clear that no one is allowed to leave the school without permission!"


    "Also, Dementors, by virtue of their unique characteristics, are never fooled by little tricks or disguises - not even invisibility cloaks." He added this with a grimace.


    Harry and Ron looked at each other, knowing that Mr. Headmaster was afraid he was talking about Harry''s invisibility cloak.


    "Dementors by nature do not know what a request or an excuse is. Therefore I warn each and every one of you: do not give them any excuse to harm you. I expect the Heads of Year, and our newly appointed Boys'' Student Council President and Girls'' Student Council President, that you will ensure that no student has a run-in with a dementor."


    Percy sat only a few seats away from Harry, at which point he puffed out his chest again and gave an impressive nce around.


    He''d managed to get elected President of the Hogwarts Boys'' Student Council this year, and it made him proud.


    Dumbledore paused again and nced around the auditorium with a rather serious expression; no one moved or made a sound.


    "On a happier note," he continued with a sudden smile, "I am pleased to wee a new teacher to our ranks this year!"


    "As a matter of fact, you may all be familiar with the professor we''ve appointed," Dumbledore said to the young wizards with a small smile, "Before I introduce the professor, I''d like to make an announcement first- "


    "I regret to inform you that the professor of our Protecting Magical Creatures ss, Professor Kettleburn, officially retired at the end ofst year in order to spend more time with his remaining magical creature, Rogue."


    "Now allow me to introduce you to the new professor of the Protecting Magical Creatures ss, none other than Rube Hagrid to fill his shoes. Hagrid has agreed to take on the position of professor on top of his duties as a hunting grounds keeper."


    Harry, Ron, and Hermione looked at each other wide-eyed and dumbfounded before they joined in the apuse, which was extraordinarily loud at the long Gryffindor table.


    Hagrid was flushed and staring at hisrge hands, his proud, nervous, reserved, coy smile hidden in his disheveled ck beard.

 Chapter 197 - 197

    <h4>Chapter 197:</h4>


    On the first day of school, something big happened at Hogwarts.


    That afternoon, in the third year young wizards'' ss on the protection of magical animals, which was also Hagrid''s first ss for the young wizards in his capacity as a professor, there was an ident that happened ...


    The rain that had fallenst night had long since stopped, and at one o''clock in the afternoon the sky was clear.


    The grass was soft and damp beneath their feet, and the young wizards chattered as they stepped onto it and headed in the direction of the northeast side of the castle, ready for their first lesson in the protection of magical creatures.


    Harry, Ron and Hermione were quite excited for the lesson, as they were all friends with Hagrid and heartily happy for Hagrid to be a professor at Hogwarts.


    However, walking down the road, they soon saw three very familiar backs walking in front of them, the skinny one in the center and the burly ones on either side, officially Malfoy and his two followers.


    The three of them then realized that this magical animal protection ss was taught by Gryffindor and Slytherin Academy students together, and they couldn''t help but add a few points of gloom to their psyche.


    At that moment, Malfoy was talking to Crabbe and Goyle with a derisive grin on his face, the two were giggling and looking silly.


    Harry didn''t have to think to know what they wereughing at.


    Ever since he had learned of Harry''s fainting spellst night at the hands of a Dementor, Malfoy had been obsessed with it, telling Crabbe and Goyle about it every few minutes, and asionally looking ridiculous as if he was about to faint.


    As for himself, he had instinctively forgotten the way he had shivered in fear when he had seen the dementors yesterday. ...


    Not far from the Forbidden Forest, Hagrid was standing by the door of his hut waiting for his students.


    He was dressed in a moleskin coat, stomping his feet twice now and then, textbook in hand, and the hound Tooth and Nail wagging his tail at his feet.


    "Come on, little ones, hurry hurry hurry!" When the pupils drew near, he eximed in a loud voice, "There is a good treat for you to-day! A very exciting lesson ising soon! Is everyone here? Good, follow me!"


    This was Hagrid''s first ss as a professor, and he was eager to show himself and prove his ability in front of the students, and at the same time, he could also validate Dumbledore''s vision and reduce the grievances of individual parents.


    In fact, with Hagrid''s qualifications originally was not enough to be a professor of the Protection of Magical Animals ss.


    He was expelled from Hogwarts back in his third year for a crime that was not originally his, and has been out of school ever since. This incident was the very same charge that the young Voldemort, Tom Riddle, nted on Hagrid.


    The suspect of the charge on his body was not allowed to be a professor at Hogwarts.


    At the time more than fifty years ago, Riddle was leading the snake monster to stir up trouble at Hogwarts, and he misunderstood Saracha Slytherin''s wish to teach those hemp wizards some lessons.


    To his own surprise, the snake monster did identally kill a young witch named Myrtle.


    In order to prevent the castle from closing down due to the failure to catch the real culprit, Riddle, who didn''t want to go back to living in an orphanage, framed Hagrid, who secretly kept an eight-eyed giant spider, for the incident.


    Principal Dippet expelled Hagrid at the time, and if it wasn''t for the strong protection of Dumbledore, who was still the vice-headmaster at the time, Hagrid would have had to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban.


    Since then, Hagrid became Dumbledore''s loyal supporter.


    In fact, even without the incident that caused the death, the fact that Hagrid was privately bred at Hogwarts Castle was enough to get him expelled, as was the case with Newt that year.


    But after the serpent monster was captured by Drac, the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets that year was solved.


    Dumbledore joined forces with Newt, the world''s best magical zoologist, and bribed Myrtle, the victim of the spectral form, with a surreptitiously crafted handsome portrait of Drac, and the three of them together stepped in and vouched for Hagrid, freeing himpletely from the charges of that year.


    After clearing the charges, Dumbledore also used Hagrid''s years of dealing with magical animals and his rich knowledge of magical animals as the reason to formally hire him as a professor of the Hogwarts ss on the protection of magical animals.


    From now on, Hagrid is considered aplete turnaround, as long as his next teaching does not appear too big problems, keep this professor''s identity will not be a big problem!


    ...


    Hagrid led the young third year wizards along the edge of the forest, and five minutester they were outside a paddock-like area, the young wizards looking around curiously.


    "Everyone get over here by this fence!" He shouted suddenly, "Yes, stand ... like this as far as you can see. Now, the first thing you''re going to do is open the book ..."


    "How do I open it?" Prick Draco Malfoy said in his cold, drawn out voice.


    "Huh?" Hagrid froze.


    "How are we going to open the books?" Malfoy repeated again coldly.


    He pulled out his Protection of Magical Creatures ss textbook, The Book of Demons for Demons.


    At this point, the book had been tied up with a piece of string. Other people took out their books as well, some like Malfoy were tying theirs up with string, others had the book in a strong bag or in arge binder.


    Since the professor of this year''s Protecting Magical Creatures ss had changed to Hagrid, he wanted to change the textbook for this ss as well, to give the students something special to experience.


    Thus, the original Where the Fantastic Beasts Are written by Newt, which had been used for many years, was honorably retired, and The Monsters'' Book of Monsters became the textbook for a new generation.


    This book is in some ways arguably the best in the history of textbooks - the least student-friendly textbook.


    It''s a beautiful book with a green cover and a gold title printed on it. But its ferocity ispletely different from its pretty appearance.


    This book is capable of running back and forth on its own, and likes to bite with the sharp teeth thate with the book, and is more than likely to tear another book apart with thebined efforts of both books.


    Hogwarts with many years of cooperation Li scar bookstore owner can not stand, swore that the next school year, if the book is still this book, then directly not to buy goods, otherwise both to bear the risk of being bitten, but also have to bear the loss of two books torn one ...


    This is really not something that the average bookstore can afford!


    "No ... no one can open this book?" Hagrid said as he looked at a piece of the book that was tied up solidly in front of him, looking a little downcast.


    Both the Gryffindor and Slytherin students shook their heads.


    "Just run through these books actually." Hagrid said matter of factly, as if it was the most understandable thing in the world, "Look at ..."


    He took Hermione''s book and tore off the adhesive paper binding it. The book was trying to bite, but one slip of Hagrid''s index finger on the crest from top to bottom and the book instantly went from menacing to shivering before silently turning itself over.


    "Oh, how stupid we are!" Malfoy said, still sneering, "We should have run through these books! Why didn''t we think of that!"


    "I ... think these books are interesting." Hagrid said hesitantly.


    "Oh, interesting as hell!" Malfoy said, "How clever, giving us books we want to rip out of our hands!"


    "Shut up, Malfoy." Harry said quietly.


    He hoped that Hagrid''s first lesson would be a sess, or at least that it would go smoothly and not be messed up by Malfoy.


    "So ... then you all have your books ... oh ... now all you need is magical creatures." Hagrid said. He seemed to have his thoughts scrambled and stumbled over his words. "Right, I''m going to go find the magical creatures I''m going to show you guys, hold on a second."


    He walked straight away from the students to walk inside the forbidden forest, and a momentter someone was out of sight.


    "Merlin, this ce is going down." Malfoy said aloud, trying to pompously get someone''s attention, "This stupid people teaching, if I tell my dad, it''s a wonder he doesn''t have a big outburst-"


    "Shut up, Malfoy." Harry interrupted again.


    "Careful, Potter, that''s a Dementor behind you!" Malfoy shot back defiantly.


    ...


    It wasn''t long before Hagrid walked back with twelve strange looking magical creatures.


    These magical creatures had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but their front legs, wings and heads seemed to be like those on an eagle, as well as sharp beaks the color of steel andrge bright orange eyes.


    The ws on their front legs were half a foot long, extraordinarily sharp, and looked like they would kill a man. Each beast''s neck was covered with a thickyer of feathers, to which was attached a long chain, the ends of which were held in Hagrid''srge hand.


    Hagrid followed these animals at a slow pace out into the paddock.


    "Get up there!" He shook the chains and yelled at the animals toe up to the front of the fence where the ss was standing and had tethered the guys to the fence.


    "Hawk-headed, horse-bodied winged beasts!" Hagrid waved one hand excitedly as he introduced them to the young wizards, "They''re beautiful, aren''t they?"


    Indeed, it was a shock to see the half-horse, half-bird animal at first nce, but after the shock had passed, it was easy to admire its glowing fur, which smoothly transitioned from feathers to fur, each in a different color: dark grey, bronze, sandy-haired with a pinkish tinge, shimmering chestnut, and finally, inky-ck, beautiful.


    Immediately afterward, Hagrid began teaching the students how to show respect to the eagle-headed, horse-bodied winged beasts and gain their trust.


    Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were not supposed to be listening to the lesson; they were quite upset that Dumbledore had made Hagrid, arge man who was extremely close to Harry''s trio, the professor, and were always trying to find ways to sabotage the lesson.


    But by the time Harry managed to gain the trust of riding a hawk-headed, winged beast and being carried by it for a week''s flight around Hogwarts Castle, Malfoy''s mood finally pressed on.


    In fact, he wasn''t the only one who couldn''t hold back his excitement, as the other young wizards took their cue from Harry and cautiously entered the paddock one by one.


    One by one, Hagrid undid the chains, and soon there were nervous bows all over the paddock.


    Neville fled back several times from his chosen eagle-headed, horse-bodied winged beast, the animal seemingly not wanting to bend its knees; Ron and Hermione each bowed to a chestnut-colored eagle-headed, horse-bodied, winged beast, as Harry, who had already experienced a round, looked on.


    Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had chosen Buckbeak, which Harry had ridden, as their practice subject.


    Buckbeak was considered a hawk-headed, horse-bodied winged beast with a fairly good personality, and he took the lead and bowed to Malfoy, trying to gain his respect.


    However Malfoy only saw the result of Harry riding Buckbeak and not the process of him gaining respect.


    The three young wizards, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, were not listening at all, and Malfoy was arrogantly patting Buckbeak''s beak with a look of disgust,pletely breaking the taboo of hawk-headed, winged beasts.


    "It''s easy," said Malfoy, still unaware of the danger, dragging out his voice, which was loud enough for Harry to hear, "If Potter can do it, I know it must be especially easy ... I bet you''re not at all dangerous. Isn''t it?"


    He scoffed and looked over at Buckbeak, saying, "You''re not dangerous, are you, you big ugly beast?"


    A dangerous gleam shed in Buckbeak''s eyes, and his steel gray ws swung out menacingly.


    Malfoy let out a wailing scream, and Hagrid, seeing this, immediately worked Buckbeak, still struggling to pounce on Malfoy, back into its cor.


    Malfoy, who had escaped with his life, curled up in a ball on the grass with chunks of blood on his robes.


    "I''m going to die!" Malfoy yelled in panic, which caused all the little wizards to panic. "I''m going to die, and lo and behold ... it''s killing me!"


    His words were actually ratherical, but with the blood on the floor, it looked rather scary in turn.


    "You''re not going to die!" Hagrid said, his face extremely pale. "Someone help me ... have to carry him from here to the school infirmary!"


    Hermione ran to open the gate while Hagrid easily lifted Malfoy''s thin body.


    As they walked by, Harry saw a deep, long gash on Malfoy''s arm, bleeding onto the grass.


    Hagrid supported him with one arm and ran quickly up the slope towards the castle.


    The students in the Protecting Magical Creatures ss were so shocked that they all followed. Together, the students of Slytherin House yelled something bad about Hagrid.


    "They should expel him immediately!" Pansy Parkinson eximed, her face full of tears.


    She had always prided herself on being Draco Malfoy''s little pureblood girlfriend, and it was starting to hurt to see Malfoy get hurt.


    "But this is clearly Malfoy''s fault!" Dean Thomas of Gryffindor retorted sternly.


    The tworge men, Crabbe and Goyle, bulged their muscles threateningly and confronted the small Gryffindor wizards.


    Harry, Ron, and Hermione had no time to pay attention to the nonsense of the Slytherin House students, getting rid of them and returning to the Gryffindor tower. They were extremely worried about Hagrid, but didn''t know what they should do to help him.


    "Do you guys think he''s going to be okay?" Hermione asked nervously.


    "Of course he''s going to be fine, Madam Pomfrey was able to sew up the wound in about a second." Harry said.


    As a regr visitor to the school infirmary, Harry had seen the Head Nurse magically heal wounds much worse than this before.


    "It sucks that something like this happened in Hagrid''s first lesson though, doesn''t it?" Ron said, with a worried look on his face, "Malfoy sure made a mess of things ..."


    ...


    As they had expected, Malfoy was not happy to be injured like that and wrote a letter to send back home the same day he was in the school infirmary.


    At the weekend''s school board meeting, Lucius Malfoy killed his way into the Hogwarts school board room with a vengeance ...

 Chapter 198 - 198 A strange figure

    <h4>Chapter 198: A strange figure</h4>


    "Dumbledore, I have officially filed awsuit against the Ministry of Magic for that ugly, abominable, dangerous beast that attacked my son!"


    Lucius pushed his way menacingly into the conference room, pulling back his own chair with a face full of rage, the solid wooden legs of his chair hitting the floor with a dull thud.


    "Not only that, but I''m going to question the quality of the professors the president has hired for this academic year in the name of the school board." He sat in the pull-out chair and crossed his legs, one hand propped up on his cane in an airy manner.


    "I''ve already checked the records, Rube Hagrid was expelled from Hogwarts in his third year for privately keeping dangerous magical animals, is a wizard with such a bad record really fit to be a professor? I doubt it."


    Lucius smugly stroked his gorgeouspel and continued, "Not only that, there''s another problem with dropping out of third year ... that is to say that Rube Hagrid himself simply doesn''t even have an ordinary wizard rank exam certificate for protecting magical animals."


    "Can such a person really be chosen to be a professor at Hogwarts?"


    He leaned forward and gazedcently at Dumbledore, his tone full of pleasure.


    "Mr. Malfoy, I have already exined at the Ministry of Magic about Hagrid having been expelled from Hogwarts. He is innocent and someone nted evidence against him." Dumbledore''s face did not change at all, and he began to defend Hagrid in a serious manner.


    This kind of fooling around could be considered very skillful by the Lord Headmaster, who easily brushed off Hagrid''s behavior of raising dangerous magical animals, and lightly attributed all the reasons for the expulsion to the framer.


    Lucius, as a "young man" in his thirties, obviously didn''t know the truth of what happened fifty years ago, and surprisingly didn''t doubt Dumbledore''s im.


    "Even if we ignore this point, then there is always no problem with the fact that Rupert Hagrid did not pass the ordinary wizard rank exam, right?" Lucius'' face darkened as he coldly said, "There is also no problem with the matter of a teaching ident in his ssroom, right?"


    "Dumbledore, I''d like to see how else you''ll defend him!"


    Dumbledore held his sses nonchntly, and instead of being flustered by Lucius'' questioning, heughed softly.


    "Mr. Malfoy, Hogwarts has never made it a rule that recruited professors must pass the Common Wizarding Rank Examination." Heughed softly.


    "Hagrid has been the hunting ground caretaker at Hogwarts for fifty-two years, and during that time, he has managed the magical animals within the school''s boundaries in a well-organized manner, with few idents urring; at the same time, he maintains a friendly rtionship with the various magical animalmunities such as the Horsemen within the Forbidden Forest, making an indelible contribution to the harmony of the neighborhood."


    "On top of that, Hagrid discovered and hand-reared a pair of Night Tiaras, whichter developed into a rather thriving colony. As a result, every Hogwarts carriage has been reced with a Night Tiara from a white horse that was originally purchased specifically for the purpose, saving the school''s governors a tremendous amount of money."


    "What''s more, I''ve already learned that none of the other students in Hagrid''s ssroom had any idents, and only your son had a teaching ident because he didn''t listen to the professor''s instructions and rashly touched the hawk-headed, horse-bodied winged beasts. In reason, Hagrid should not shoulder all the responsibility for this teaching ident."


    "Mr. Malfoy, do you still think that Hagrid is not qualified to be a Hogwarts professor now?" Dumbledore gave Lucius a deep look and asked in a single word.


    Lucius'' face was a little hard to see.


    For the first time, he knew that this usually unimpressive hunting ground caretaker had made so many genuine contributions to Hogwarts, and this was something he could hardly refute.


    Still, Lucius wasn''t willing to just let go of therge man who had let the hawk-headed, horse-bodied winged beast harm his son.


    "These contributions only show that he is a qualified hunting ground caretaker, they do not show that he is qualified enough to take on the role of Hogwarts professor!" He said forcefully, "I can''t believe in the overall quality of a wizard who hasn''t passed the wizard ranking exam."


    "Are you sure you want to talk like that, Mr. Malfoy?" Dumbledore suddenlyughed merrily, looking at Lucius with a puzzled look on his face.


    "Of course, I stand by my point." Lucius frowned and gave Dumbledore a puzzled look.


    He didn''t know, or care, what Dumbledore wasughing at, he just wanted to take it out on his son right now.


    Lucius thought he had the capital to do so.


    This was because, after Drac had reorganized the Hogwarts Council and ousted a few prickly pureblood councilors, the Malfoys had be the only two gold masters amongst the councils who shelled out money for the day-to-day operations of Hogwarts, and the other one who did was the Ministry of Magic''s finance department.


    Lucius felt the advantage was in his favor; after all, Hogwarts couldn''t do without its gold masters, just as the wizarding world couldn''t do without JK Rowling!


    "Well then," Dumbledore finally stoppedughing, some derision in his eyes, "Mr. Malfoy, may I take ... it that you are questioning Professor Drac''s overall quality and teaching ability? "


    Lucius'' face stiffened, and cold sweat immediately trickled down his forehead.


    He subconsciously nced at the empty main seat at the very front of the conference room, which was the seat left by the council for Drac as the nominal council chairman.


    Drac had basically nevere to this conference room after that burst of freshness because he was toozy to hold meetings.


    But the school board members here couldn''t just pretend that he didn''t exist.


    What if one day this unpredictable professor suddenly came to the meeting on a whim? Let the chairman of the board of directors have no ce to sit, standing with the managers of the meeting?


    What if the temperamental professor gets angry and beats up the trustees?


    So the trustees still saved their seats for Drac.


    Slightly relieved to see the empty main seat, Lucius couldn''t wipe away the cold sweat that trickled into the corners of his eyes and stung them raw, and immediately said righteously:


    "Nonsense, how could I possibly question Professor Drac! Professor Drac is the strongest ck magic defense arts professor I''ve ever seen in terms of teaching ability as well as overall personal qualities, no one would question him!"


    Even though he knew that Drac was not present, Lucius still adhered to the principle of being careful with his words on topics concerning Drac, and immediately made a statement, showing his identity as a Drac''s hardcore fan to the fullest.


    He was now ready to abandon Voldemort andpletely turn to Drac. If it is because of this kind of small matter and be disgusted by Drac can be too much of a loss ...


    "So why is it that Professor Drac, who hasn''t taken the Wizard Rank Exam, is the professor with the strongest teaching ability and overall quality, while Hagrid, who also hasn''t taken the Wizard Rank Exam, can only be questioned?" Dumbledore asked with sharp eyes as he stepped forward.


    "How can Professor Drac and Rube Hagrid be the same ...," Lucius still wanted to retort, but his words were interrupted by Dumbledore before he could say anything.


    "Is it because Professor Drac is the Chairman of the Council?" Dumbledore stared into Lucius'' eyes and said in a deep tone, "Is it possible that a member of the School Council can have privileges that others don''t?"


    Dumbledore''s words pierced hard into Lucius'' heart.


    It was clear that his words were not about Drac, but rather he was using this incident to question Lucius.


    Lucius'' face changed and he fell into a long hesitation.


    Dumbledore just stared at him without any extra movements or words. The other school councilors didn''t say much either; none of them wanted to get involved in the dispute between the pureblood family patriarch and the Headmaster of Hogwarts.


    After a long time, Lucius let out a deep breath.


    "Fine, then I will give Mr. Headmaster face today." He said through gritted teeth, each word as if it was spat out from between his teeth, "I can not appeal against Rube Hagrid ..."


    With those words, Lucius raised his head to meet Dumbledore''s deep eyes, "Is that satisfactory to you, Dumbledore?"


    "Then thank you for your consideration, Mr. Malfoy." Dumbledore nodded in satisfaction and stood up from his seat, "Then this matter shall pass happily ..."


    He turned his head to the rest of the school board, "Is there anything else that the school board would like to do? If not, I have some official business to attend to, so I''ll leave you to it for now ..."


    "Wait a minute." Lucius also stood up and grimly called out to Dumbledore who made a move to leave.


    Dumbledore whipped his head around in confusion, "Anything else, Mr. Malfoy?"


    "Although I spared the big man, the beast that hurt Draco must pay." Lucius said, "I''ve contacted the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures and they''ll be sending over the resolution in a few days."


    "Are you sure you want to do this?" Dumbledore sank back.


    "Of course, an ount must be given for the damage Draco has suffered." Lucius leaned his cane on the ground, his expression once again resuming that untouchable look.


    "s, since you are so impervious to persuasion, I will have to bring in a savior." Dumbledore sighed.


    He suddenly extended his wand and waved a silver-white phoenix that flew through the wall to the third floor of the castle.


    It was Dumbledore''s daemon, modified by him to carry messages.


    Lucius didn''t look too good.


    He recognized that the direction the silver phoenix flew to was the office of the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts on the third floor of the castle, and Dumbledore feared that he was trying to get Professor Drac toe over and stand up for that eagle-headed, horse-bodied, winged beast.


    Lucius was ready to be able to bend the rules-


    If Professor Drac was really called over to side with Dumbledore and Hagrid, then he would immediately write a letter withdrawing the charges against that animal and smilingly state that it was just a misunderstanding ...


    But just then, Dumbledore froze for a moment, his expression first a little surprised, then turned into helplessness.


    "It seems that Professor Drac isn''t at Hogwarts Castle, right?" Lucius sighed in relief at the sight.


    "Quite unluckily." Dumbledore shook his head.


    "Then let''s wait until Professor Drac returns." Lucius quirked his mouth, "If Professor Drac has no objections, the resolution from the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures will be sent over in a few days as usual, so you can tell the big guy to wait."


    After saying that, Lucius flicked his cane and left the school board meeting room with an air of vigor.


    After all the school board members had left, a few doubts quietly surfaced in Dumbledore''s eyes before he once again summoned a phoenix daemon.


    He closed his eyes and controlled the silver-colored phoenix as it flew all over the castle, probing every inch of the unusual ces in the castle.


    A few momentster, Dumbledore opened his eyes fiercely, and aplex look of dismay as well as astonishment surged in his eyes.


    ...


    It was a few hours before the council meeting.


    It had just dawned, and a golden light at the end of the ck Lake had cut through the curtain of starlight that had been pieced together to quietly illuminate the darkest hour of the day.


    It was still dark, and that was exactly the moment of the day that Drac appreciated the most.


    There was no blinding sunlight, nor was it an eternal darkness, a perfect bnce between light and dark.


    He stood on the shore of the ck Lake, a burgundy glow running through his eyes, his eyes peering through the slightly rippled water, watching with interest as therge squid in theke teased the small snakes that had been ying all night in the Slytherinmon room.


    Just as Drac was watching, a red aura suddenly shed past him.


    An alertness and seasonal movement that hadn''t been seen in I don''t know how many years mmed into Drac''s withered heart.


    He subconsciously angled his neck and dodged a crimson de of light.


    The end of the de of light narrowly grazed the position of the throat and flew into the water without the slightest stagnation, surprisingly splitting theke water into two halves in an instant, and the split line drawn by the air on theke surface did not disperse for a long time.


    On the dividing line, many swimming fish were cut into two, and the cut surface was as smooth as a mirror.


    Drac felt something strange on his neck, so he raised his hand and gently brushed it over the ce where the end of the crimson de of light had just swept by.


    Out of nowhere, he touched a ssh of cold liquid.


    "How many years has it been ...," Drac turned his hand over to look at his slender, elongated fingertips, his gaze slightly dazed.


    His pale fingertips were stained with a drop of bright red blood, which seemed to emit a strange luster.


    "How many years has it been since I''ve experienced what it''s like to be injured." Drac licked his fingertips without a trace, savoring the fishy taste of the blood, and unconsciously hooked up the corner of his mouth.


    "Then I would like to know who you really are?"


    The four sharp fangs on his lips had long been on disy, his nails elongated, his wings stretched out behind him, and the evil amongst his gaze no longer hidden in the slightest.


    Drac''s evil eyes looked towards another person who had appeared at some point on the shore of the ckke-


    It was a strange figure.


    A gorgeous red cloak with a long hood covered his face, leaving no trace of skin exposed to the air.


    But in his hand he held a wand that was so ordinary that it couldn''t be any more ordinary, as if it was a branch that he had casually picked up from the ground.


    No trace of the figure''s expression could be seen under the hood, yet Drac could keenly sense the underlying emotions in the man''s heart-


    There was not a hint of malice, and yet it was full of killing intent!

 Chapter 199 - 199 Two Grangers?

    <h4>Chapter 199: Two Grangers?</h4>


    In the face of Drac''s question, the hooded figure did not respond, only slowly raising the wand in his hand that looked like an ordinary tree branch.


    The corners of Drac''s mouth curled into a smile as he simrly raised his own wand.


    In the next instant, two magic spells of different colors, one ck and one red, were cast at the same time and fiercely collided together.


    A violent wind took the ce where the magic spells collided as the center and spread outward rapidly, blowing the robe behind Drac and the cloak of the Hooded Man to the point of hunting.


    The two magical spells stalemated for a few moments, and the pitch-ck beam cast by Drac gradually gained a slight upper hand, pushing the crimson pir of light on the opposite side slowly in the direction of the Hooded Man''s wand.


    "Are you no better than that?" Dracughed softly, raising his left hand in preparation to cast another spell without his wand, destroying his opposite foe in one fell swoop.


    However the Hooded Man''s next action waspletely unexpected!


    As if he expected Drac to use his left hand to make up a spell, the Hooded Man took a step ahead before Drac raised his hand and fiercely flung his wand, deviating the two stalled spells from their original direction and flinging them to the side of his body.


    As if beforehand, the spell that was flung to the side just coincided with the magic cast by Drac''s left hand, interfering with the operation of the spell, thus enabling him to narrowly avoid the attack that was as fast as thunder.


    However, in Drac''s opinion, the Hood''s dodge might not be called a close and narrow escape, but rather should be said to be without a single superfluous action ... An attack that can be dodged by taking a half-step, there is no need to take a full step at all!


    The hooded man''s next action confirmed Drac''s suspicion.


    After dodging the magic spell, without the slightest pause, the Hooded Man keenly took advantage of the almost unnoticeable gap between Drac''s two attacks to instantly change shape and appear behind Drac.


    Although Drac was a bit surprised, he also reacted quickly and put up a barrier behind his back that could interfere with the transmission of magic power for a short period of time.


    No matter what kind of magic will be affected by this barrier,pletely deviating from the original route.


    However, the hooded man was once again unpredictable and did not use any magic, instead he raised his left hand and swung his fist towards Drac.


    A sh of surprise appeared in Drac''s eyes, then he snorted and lightly raised one palm to meet the opposite fist.


    It was really rare that there was actually someone in the magic world who would choose topete with Lord Vampire Count in terms of physical strength!


    So is this a werewolf?


    Drac curiously looked at the size of the figure that was fully wrapped up in a cloak, and felt that although he wasn''t exactly skinny, there was still a big gap between him and the exaggerated physique of a werewolf.


    What''s more, it wasn''t a full moon right now, so the werewolf''s physical abilities couldn''t be utilized at all.


    Without further distraction, he prepared to grab his opponent''s fist and tackle him right into the ground. Once his hood was removed, everything would fall into ce.


    The slender white palm of his hand collided with the fist wearing a thick glove, the slender fingers slightly curved and snapped at the fist wrapped amongst the glove.


    However, in the next moment, an unbelievable look surfaced in Drac''s eyes.


    A powerful force that was not inferior to his came from his opponent''s fist, and with an overwhelming momentum pushed Drac, who hadpletely belittled his enemy, backward several steps beforeing to a stop.


    "What the hell are you?"


    The curiosity in Drac''s eyes waspletely piqued, his gaze burning to the opposite side of the Hooded Man, as if a burning me was burning in his burgundy-eyed child.


    The Hooded Man remained silent, and with a whish kick, he forced his way forward with unforgiving force.


    "Don''t want to talk do you?" Drac snorted and casually said, "That''s fine, I''ll reveal your true colors myself!"


    While speaking, he simrly raised a whip kick, which fiercely collided with the hooded man''s shin, making a dull sound.


    The powerful impact shook out from the ce where the two legs met, shaking the damp and muddy shore of the ck Lake out of arge hemispherical pit.


    Theke water reacted for a long time, not pouring in until after the two had left where they had just been, filling the crater into a chic pond.


    Drac and the Hood were still fighting.


    The two of them tacitly did not use any magic, punching to the flesh, turning a magical duel into a free-for-all, but the damage caused by them was not inferior to the magical duel of those top wizards, and even more so!


    After a long time, the two of them tacitly separated from the scorching closebat, and both of them stood on the spot with some gasps.


    After Dracpletely put down the heart of the enemy, he and the hooded man, whether it is the power gap, or fighting skills are surprisingly simr, the two people in a short period of time is very difficult to distinguish between victory and defeat from the fists and feet.


    But the most puzzling thing for Drac was not the simrity of their strength and skills, but the fact that the Hooded Man always had a prescient method during the fighting process, and used it to build up a lot of weak advantages for himself.


    If this went on for a long time, constantly exchanging punches and kicks, Drac had to admit that after just a few days of this, the odds of the Hooded Man winning were much greater than his!


    "You''re really out of my league, my friend." Drac calmed the inexplicable emotions in his heart andughed softly, "I haven''t had this much fun in a long time ..."


    Even at this point, the Hooded Man still had no thoughts of speaking, simply looking at Drac quietly while calming his slightly scattered breath.


    "Still don''t want to reveal your identity?" Drac wrapped his hands around his body and said with a light smile, "Well, no matter who you really are and what kind of unseemly problems you really have ... next, I will find out your true identity."


    Then, the wings behind Drac''s back suddenly stretched out and pped gently.


    The wings drove Drac to fly in mid-air - his ck wings swinging from time to time, his ck and red robes fluttering with the breeze in the air, Drac sped his hands to his chest, looking down disdainfully at the hooded man below, even as if he were a god descending from the heavens.


    He lightly snapped his fingers.


    The color of blood coalesced behind him, as if a satin-like blood flowed behind his wings, and then turned into a bright red river, circling around a beautiful arc behind his ck wings.


    Drac''s silver hair fluttered in the wind, his arms stretched forward. And behind him was the golden light of dawn at the end of the ckke, adding a bit more mystery to Drac''s face.


    The blood-colored silk snaked along the direction Drac''s slender fingers crossed, gradually converging into a blood-colored water prison, encroaching towards the Hooded Man''s shore.


    Hooded man watched this scene, gently shook his head, seemed to have a lightughter from under the hood, but could not hear clearly, could not distinguish his voice.


    In the next moment, the Hooded Man also waved his wand.


    The water of the ck Lake seemed to be held up by a magical power, lifting up a huge curtain of water, pointing remotely at the blood-colored water prison cast by Drac, mixing and mingling with it.


    Scarlet satin gradually appeared in the transparent clean water flow, the water ball in the air is getting bigger and bigger, more and more vast, blood color and colorless alternately shing, until this water prison upies half of the sky, only gradually stop expanding tendency, turn to start contracting.


    Shrinkage didn''t mean that the energy of this water dungeon became smaller, instead it represented a concentrated magic power, in which the intimidating energy constantly fluctuated, even affecting the creatures under the surface of the ck Lake.


    Several vicious-looking mermaids floated up from the ck Lake, carrying steel forks and showing fierce faces.


    They had iron-gray skin, disheveled hair, and broken teeth, and those mermaids in the muggle stories were like two different creatures.


    These mermaids had been angry since the first de of crimson light that had cut into Drac''s throat and flew into the ck Lake.


    They felt that their peaceful lives below the ck Lake had been disturbed by those wizards on the surface of theke, and each one of them was furious.


    "Who is casting spells on the ck Lake indiscriminately?" One of the toughest looking mermaids shouted out just as soon as he rushed out of the water, "Several of the Grindylows that we keep have been cut in half, and one of the underwater houses has been destroyed by that magic."


    "Step forward those who cast the spell indiscriminately! The wrath of our mermaid n is not something you sorcerers can afford!"


    At this moment, the toughest-looking mermaid suddenly felt hispanion beside him tugging on his sleeve.


    "Don''t you guys tug on me, I''m going to let these despicable sorcerers feel the wrath of the mermaid n!" The brawny mermaid didn''t notice the problem at all and shouted, "Hogwarts signed a treaty with us a long time ago to divide the belongings of the ck Lake, and we''re defending our rights normally!"


    Saying that, he finally raised his head to look at the sky.


    He saw a water dungeon that upied half of the sky, alternately flickering between two hues, blood and colorless, and the powerful aura it contained was chilling.


    On either side of the water dungeon, a silver-haired man in ck and red robes and a man covered in a red cloak and hood hovered in mid-air, both of them maneuvering the water dungeon while sizing up the mermaids on the surface of the ck Lake with interest and disinterest.


    The brawny mermaids winced, as if it was not September, when the summer season was still very much in full swing, but December and January, the coldest months of the year ...


    "That ... I suddenly don''t feel like there''s that much to be angry about." The pugnacious mermaid instantly changed her tune, "I''d like to know which wizard cast the spell ah added some new life and power to the silent ck Lake! I want to thank him!"


    Other mermaids: "..."


    ...


    Both Drac and the Hooded Man ignored the jokers that came out of nowhere and quickly withdrew their gaze and proceeded topress and snatch that watery cell between the two.


    For the next few moments, the two men went back and forth by the ckke, countless types of magic spells flying through the air.


    Drac didn''t know exactly what the Hood was thinking, but he was certainly enjoying himself.


    This could basically be said to be the heartiest duel Drac had ever had in a thousand years.


    Overall, the Hooded Man''s strength seemed to be a shade worse than Drac''s.


    It wasn''t because he wasn''t strong enough, but his wand seemed to be toomon, and most of the magic he cast were those verymon and universal ones that performed moderately well, with very few of those powerful magics that had strong personal characteristics.


    However, the Hooded Man seemed to have an ability to foresee the future, often being able to judge Drac''s next move beforehand and give very skillful responses based on that.


    On top of that, hisbat experience and reaction sensitivity were not inferior to Drac, who had lived for more than a thousand years, and it was unknown how he actually did it.


    Several hourster, the sun in the skypletely rose from behind the distant mountains, hanging high in the air and casting a fiery red reflection on the surface of the ck Lake.


    The sky was exceptionally clear and azure blue, making it difficult to see a single cloud.


    The bright sunlight made Drac frown, unconsciously raising his hand to cover the top of his forehead.


    He was just about to open his mouth to suggest a different ce for the duel when the Hood spoke for the first time since arriving at the shore of the ck Lake.


    "My time is almost up." He said.


    The Hooded Man''s voice was obscure and his voice was distorted by some unknown magic, making his true timbrepletely inaudible.


    It took Drac a bit of effort to barely recognize what he meant, and raised his eyes to him in some confusion.


    "What does about time mean?" He asked softly.


    Without uttering a second word, the hooded man shook his head softly.


    Then, with a twist of his body, he phantom shifted and left the ce.


    "Don''t rush off yet, I haven''t finished my questions." Drac''s face turned cold.


    He raised his hand andunched an illusory hand seal, fiercely grabbing at the location where the Hooded Man''s Phantom Shift had disappeared, trying to drag him back from the other end of space.


    Yet the Hooded Man remained as unpredictable as he had been in the battle, spotting Drac''s means of interception.


    In thest moment before his Phantom Shift left, a strong Iron Armor spell blocked the location where the space had fluctuated, and also blocked Drac''s illusory handprint.


    Drac was not willing to let him go just like that, so with a sh he appeared at the location where the Hooded Man disappeared, summoning a dark moon that stretched past the direction where the fluctuation in space urred, leading directly to where the Hooded Man''s Phantom Manifestation was located.


    However, just as his Dark Moon''s passage was about to be established, the corresponding spatial coordinates shifted, followed by a powerful disturbance.


    Soon, Dracpletely lost the direction in which the Hooded Man had left ...


    "... Disturbing space, what kind of person is this?" Drac''s brows knit tightly, full of doubts, "And why is the Anti-Phantom Shift spell useless to him?"


    He pondered for a moment, then suddenly his eyes zed over and he took out an old and ancient parchment from his coat pocket.


    As long as a wizard used Phantom Shift within the boundaries of Hogwarts, even if he was able to bypass the limitations of the Anti-Phantom Shift spell, it would still be recorded on the magical residual traces of the Hogwarts deeds.


    Drac scrutinized the magical trails on the deeds and surveyed every part of the castle, trying to find even a trace of what the Hood had left behind.


    However before the Hood''s trail could be found, he realized something else very interesting.


    "Huh? Why are there two Grangers inside the castle?"

 Chapter 200 - 200 The grandfather paradox (logic)

    <h4>Chapter 200: The grandfather paradox (logic)</h4>


    The image that appeared on thend deed aroused Drac''s curiosity.


    He immediately forgot what he had just been up to and put the hooded man''s trail behind him, and instead, with great interest, he channeled his magic towards the deed in his hand to look at the detailed picture of the interior of the Hogwarts castle on the deed.


    Drac saw that one Hermione Granger was walking towards the library on the fourth floor of the castle with a face full of exhaustion, clutching a thick stack of books;


    While the other Hermione was hiding behind arge pir, avoiding the sight of the previous Hermione. Waiting until after the previous Hermione had left the corner of the corridor, she left her current position with hurried feet and ran in the direction of the auditorium.


    "This is ... Granger from two different points in time?" Drac raised his hand in the air, letting the deed hover in front of him, watching the scene before him with interest.


    He had actually begun to pay some attention to Hermione not long after the start of this semester:


    Hermione Granger, an honor student at Hogwarts, had spent the first two school years in every ss in high spirits and fighting spirit, as if she was on the field of y!


    The professor''s questions were the re gun in her eyes, and she was the first one to put her hand up in the air whenever the professor asked a question.


    With the exception of Snape''s ss, a Potions professor who was tantly biased in favor of his house, it was a surprise to professors and young wizards alike if she didn''t get house points for Gryffindor in any ss.


    After the start of this semester, however, Hermione was more than a little worse in sspared to before.


    She would still raise her hand reflexively to answer questions, but when she did, she would asionally react half a second slower, suddenly forgetting the topic that the professor was asking about; there were times when she stood up but couldn''t answer the question she had snatched up;


    Not only that, Drac found that he had been distracted in ss on more than one asion.


    The phenomenon of wandering off was quite normal when it appeared in young wizards like Harry and Ron, but when it appeared in Hermione, it was rather surprising.


    "I see." Drac hooked up the corner of his mouth, and an extremely rare color of excitement appeared in his eyes, "I said how Granger''s mental state has been a bit offtely, so it''s like this ..."


    A special word quietly surfaced in the middle of his mind-


    Time Shifter!


    Drac had long heard of the concept of time converter, when it was still mentioned by Nicole LeMay when she was chatting with him.


    ording to LeMay, the British Ministry of Magic had an ancient department called the Department of Mysterious Affairs, which appeared even earlier than the British Ministry of Magic.


    Among the Department of Mysterious Affairs, there were many reticent people who researched the secret secrets of the magic world, which included some magic energies that were rarely known to the world.


    Other than the top management of the Ministry of Magic and the mutes in charge of the research, these things were usually not made known to any other people.


    But LeMay was different, his alchemy techniques had long been recognized by the entire magic world, and even such an ancient and proud department as the Department of Mysterious Affairs had once invited LeMay toe and work with them on research.


    Lemay mentioned that there is a kind of energy called "time" stored in the Department of Mysterious Affairs, and the silent people have always wanted to utilize it.


    The way they utilized it was to create an alchemy product that could freely store and use time energy.


    In LeMay''s conception, the name of this alchemical product was called a time converter.


    "It''s also true, after all, more than a hundred years have passed, it''s time to research something."


    Watching the two Hermione''s one in the library diligently prepping for tomorrow''s homework, and the other in the auditorium hurriedly apanying Harry and Ron to eat, Dracughed softly and raised his hand to snap his fingers.


    A dark moon slowly appeared at Drac''s side.


    He reached for the deed to Hogwarts, which was suspended in the air, and stepped into the midst of the dark moon, arriving at LeMay''s home on the Rue Montmorency in Paris, France.


    "Are you home, old man?"


    Drac walked familiarly through the living room and knocked on the studio''s aged doorway.


    With a "creak", the studio door opened, and the white-haired LeMay appeared in the doorway with a surprised expression, looking at the Drac in front of him with some suspicion in his eyes.


    "Old thing, why did you suddenlye over?" LeMay asked without any politeness at all.


    "Hm? You don''t seem to wee me too much?" Drac walked into the studiopletely unseen, and sat straight on LeMei''s workbench piled with experimental equipment, arms wrapped around him, looking at LeMei with a smirk.


    "Slow down, don''t touch my crystal ball!" Although Le Mei''s mouth was such a reminder, he did not have the intention of stopping Drac''s movements, but instead, he closed the door without being surprised, and then sat down on a chair to the side.


    It was evident that he had long been ustomed to this kind of behavior from Drac.


    "Don''t you ever reflect on yourself why you are not wee here?" LeMay said leisurely while organizing the somewhat disorganized countertop.


    "Why should I reflect?" Drac asked back with a light smile, "As the owner of this house, shouldn''t you you reflect on why you don''t wee your rare guest?"


    LeMay nted a nce at Drac and tugged at the corners of his wrinkled mouth, "I''ve never really seen a guest like you, who doesn''t even say a word and shows up directly in the living room of someone else''s house."


    Drac smiled, not taking the unwee on his lips seriously.


    If he was truly unwee, LeMay wouldn''t have left him ess to the safe house where the Abject Loyalty spell had been imposed to this day.


    As the owner of the only magic stone, there were always some desperate ck wizards who wanted to obtain immortality from Le Mei. As a result, he was always in a state of danger.


    Every wizard who was allowed to enter Lemay''s house was a good man ... who had been confirmed to be of good character, integrity and nobility Of course, Drac might have to be excluded.


    Such as Dumbledore and Newt, LeMay''s good friends, in addition to a Phoenix Floating Bronze Mirror connected to the Phoenix Floating Apocalypse book, all have another gold card, only the card holder can see the house at 51 Montmorency Street.


    Drac didn''t need the card for ess.


    He was the only person other than Mr. and Mrs. LeMay who kept this safe house secret.


    The mouthful of unwee words was just a different form of jest between two lonely people with long lives.


    "Tell me, what is it you want from me again this time, or what questions do you have for me?"


    LeMay quickly tidied up the countertop of her workbench and looked up at Drac.


    "Can''t I simply be visiting you?" Drac smiled at him.


    "Come on, we''ve both known each other for centuries, and I''ve never seen a time when you came over just to bond with me!" LeMay said sarcastically, "Let''s just say that after you woke up this time, which time have youe to me that you didn''t have something to ask for my help?"


    "First, you came to me to ask about the world situation in these hundred years; then you contacted me to chat with a few young wizards and talk about magic stones; some time ago, you came over to ask me to help you determine the simrity of the two types of dark energy ..."


    "I''m a big old man, but I''m treated like a tool man by you, don''t you feel guilty?" As Le Mei spoke, her tone unconsciously mixed in some gnashing of teeth.


    "Okay, okay, my bad." Drac held up his hands in surrender, "I really do have something to ask you this time."


    LeMay drew her eyes back and shook her head in disbelief.


    "I''m kind of unlucky to meet an old thing like you." He sighed, "Tell me what question you want to ask me this time."


    Drac nodded and jumped down from the workbench, addressing LeMay:


    "I want to know everything there is to know about the time-turner during the hundred years I''ve been asleep."


    Hearing Drac''s question, LeMay turned his head to him in surprise.


    "How do you know ..." He was just halfway through his words when he once again remembered something, "Oh, that''s right, since you''re teaching at Hogwarts, it''s only a matter of time before you find out about the time-transfer device ..."


    While speaking, LeMay''s expression gradually became serious.


    "Brad, I hope it''s best if you don''t hit the time converter." He said with a solemn expression, "If it''s someone else who gets the experiments of this current time converter maybe they won''t be able to mess anything up, but if that person who gets the time converter is you ... I don''t feelfortable."


    "Oh?" Drac came to be interested, "So ... the time converter is still really able topletely convert time?"


    "It''s not as exaggerated as converting time, but it''s able to let a person go back in time." LeMay said softly.


    "I know it''s capable of sending someone back in time." Drac nodded, "I saw two Hermione Grangers on the Hogwarts deeds, one of my students, who used a time converter to go back in time to study for her homework."


    "So my question isn''t whether or not the Time Changer can send people back in time, but how far it can go ..."


    "Does being able to go back to the past mean that it can change past history, or even change the course of the future?" Drac stared into LeMay''s eyes and asked softly, "If the Time Transformer is so powerful, howe it was distributed to those little wizards and simply let them use it for learning?"


    Drac didn''t think it made much sense.


    The power of time was hard to explicitly say how powerful it was, but if it could really bring people back from the dead and make things change theirws of operation, then it was bound to be a very foul energy ...


    And if the Time Converter could be mass-produced, the possibility of it falling into the hands of ck wizards with evil intentions would be very high, and wouldn''t that cause the entire magic world to go haywire?


    "Actually, the time converter isn''t as insurmountable as you think." LeMay looked deeply at Drac and exined to him, "Time shifting also has its corresponding rules, a person can go back in time but cannot change the course of history because of it."


    "Even if someone has time traveled using a Time Shifter, the history that he has changed is only the established history that has already happened, everything that this person has achieved forms a closed loop, and our world is the final destination that has already been altered."


    "How so?" Drac asked, "Is there a clearer way to put it?"


    "That is, this world has only one timeline!" LeMay emphasized the word "timeline".


    "Not really." Drac shook his head, but an expression of interest suddenly appeared in his eyes, "But I have an idea, listen and see if it holds true-"


    "Since it can change the past, then I can make an assumption: if I get the time converter to go back to the past to kill myself, since I''m dead, then I won''t get the time converter, and then I won''t go back to the past.... Pushing it this way to the end, who actually killed me? "


    Drac''s question actually had a simr meaning to the Grandfather Paradox, which was popr in the Muggle world -


    If a person goes back in time and kills their young grandfather, and since the grandfather is dead, the time traveler''s father would not have been born, and without a father there would be no time traveler ... In that case, who actually killed the grandfather?


    In the middle of the same timeline, this paradox is of course impossible to realize. It was only after the emergence of the parallel universe theory that everything that happened in this paradox had a slight possibility of being realized.


    However, ording to LeMay''s exnation, in this world, there was an item like the Time Changer, but there was only one timeline.


    That didn''t seem to make sense.


    Hearing Drac''s question, LeMay couldn''t help but draw a corner of his mouth.


    Just what kind of person would think of going back in time to kill himself ah ... Oh, if this person is Drac, that''s kinda normal.


    "Very deep question." LeMay forcibly controlled his expression and nodded in a contemtive manner, "In fact, this kind of thing you''re talking about sort of has a simr situation."


    "The Mystic Affairs Division had a mute person at the end of thest century, who used a time converter to return to the past in an experiment, but passed away because she stayed in the past for too long. During the experiment to return to the past, Eloise was trapped in the year 1402 for up to five days."


    "Her travels caused the trajectory of the lives of all the people she met in the past to change, with at least 25 descendants disappearing from the modern era into beings that were never born!" LeMay said in a deep voice. "That''s why the Ministry of Magic has established hundreds ofws regarding the use of time-turners."


    "But doesn''t this matter conflict with the time shifting rules you mentioned before?" Drac asked.


    "That''s right, the two do create a big conflict." LeMay sighed and said to Drac, "So the self-repairing ability of the time conversion rules is involved here."


    "If an act that urs during a time shift doesn''t have a great impact, then the rules of time can repair it, pulling the world line back to the final ending that has already been altered, allowing the logic of the time shift to be self-referential."


    "However if a person causes too great of an impact during time travel, then a portion of the rules of time willpletely break down and will not be able to pull time back to the main line, resulting in catastrophic consequences!"

 Chapter 201 - 201 The time-turner tricked us.

    <h4>Chapter 201: The time-turner tricked us.</h4>


    After bidding farewell to Nicole LeMay, Drac couldn''t wait to return to Hogwarts Castle.


    Ever since he had the idea of going back in time to kill himself, the idea of getting a time-turner himself and trying to see if it would really work had been hovering in Drac''s mind for a long time, and it hadn''t receded.


    So, he turned his thoughts to the little wizard who held the time converter.


    ...


    Drac thought for a little while, and then determined how to trick ... nay, outsmart the time converter.


    He first returned to his office, and while taking out a pack of blood-vored lollipops from a drawer that he had stopped off at Dumbledore''s, and removing one and stuffing it into his mouth, he stood the parchment of the Hogwarts deeds on his desk and stared at the image that unfolded on the deeds.


    At that moment, there were still two Hermione figures that appeared on the deed''s screen at the same time.


    One Hermione was in still studying her homework in the library, while the other had quietly made her way to thewn outside the castle to practice her magic spells.


    "Is this the little wizard who is willing to study seriously? What a lot of effort."


    Looking at Hermione''s appearance of using her homework on the deed, Drac couldn''t help but sigh, "It''s just that the method of using her homework isn''t too right, making herself mentally depressed instead will be counterproductive to the learning state."


    Drac first found two Hermione on the deed at around nine o''clock in the morning, when he had just finished the fight and was about to use the deed to look for the trace of that Hooded Man, but thus he discovered the secret of the time converter.


    Now that he thought about it, that Hooded Man should be the one who used the Time Changer to go back to the past.


    Thinking about this, Drac''s mind jumped to something else.


    "If I control myself from going back to the past to fight with my past self, then wouldn''t I have run into the Hooded Man from before, and wouldn''t I have discovered the secret of the Time Trantor?" He thought with interest.


    Wouldn''t it be considered an alternative way to change the past if you did that?


    Drac pondered whether to go back to the past or not while staring at the image shown on the deed.


    In the middle of this Dumbledore also used the daemon to send over a message asking him to go to the principal''s office to deliberate, which Drac decisively refused.


    Shortly afterward, the Hermione in the deed''s image suddenly did something else.


    Hermione, who was studying her homework in the library, looked up at the hanging clock hanging on the wall and froze for a moment, then jumped up from her seat, gathered up the books in her hands in a hurry and returned them to the librarian, Mrs. Pince.


    Then Hermione hurriedly ran out of the library and went to the entrance courtyard in front of the auditorium, and found a small isted corner near the cliff.


    At that moment, there was another Hermione standing in the remote corner of the entrance courtyard.


    This Hermione had already finished practicing her spells for the day on the unupiedwn and had gone to the auditorium to have lunch with Harry and Ron beforeing to this remote corner and pulling out a ne from her arms.


    The former Hermione carefully hid behind a stone pir in the entrance courtyard and watched as thetter Hermione rattled her ne before disappearing into dappled points of light.


    Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and step out from behind the stone pir.


    "Hermione, what are you doing out of the blue when you were just having a good meal?" A small wizard''s voice suddenly rang out from within the entrance courtyard, startling Hermione.


    Only to see two people, Harry and Ron, butchered over from the direction of the auditorium, with Ron still holding a chicken leg in his hand, gnawing on a chicken bone as he walked.


    Hermione hurriedly stepped out of the corner and looked at her two friends with a slightly unnatural expression.


    "Oh, just got tired of eating and wanted toe out and blow off some steam." She said with little gusto.


    "Blow off steam?" Harry froze for a moment, "Do you need toe all the way out to the cliff face to blow off steam?"


    "Harry, you don''t understand!" Hermione, after a short period of sluggishness, also gradually found her form and immediately retorted, "The cliffs on the Hogwarts side are close to the ck Lake, and the wind from theke will blow close to the cliffs, and it will be a bit cooler than the wind from other ces."


    "So that''s it?" Harry nodded with seeming understanding.


    "Since we''re already here, we can just about get down here, there shouldn''t be muchwn to be found by the ck Lake." Ron had finally finished his chicken leg, and after taking his greasy hands and rubbing them on his shirt, he was ready to lead both Harry and Hermione down the side steps.


    These steps were what first years had to go through to get to Hogwarts Castle for the first time, connecting the boathouse on the shores of the ck Lake to the oak gates of the Entrance Courtyard.


    Hagrid took the new students up these steps every year and handed them over to Professor McGonagall.


    "Wait, Ron, what are we doing looking for thewn?" Hermione asked a little puzzled as she watched Ron''s movements.


    "Hmm?" Ron stopped in his tracks and turned his head to Hermione suspiciously, "Didn''t you just bring that up? You said just five minutes ago that you were going to take us both to find an openwn to practice magic spells after dinner."


    "It was ... was it?" Hermioneughed awkwardly and immediately changed her tune, "Oh yes, there was such a thing, I almost forgot ..."


    ...


    Drac watched the exchange between the three young wizards and thoughtfully chewed the blood-vored lollipop in his mouth, tossing the candy stick aside.


    He then phantom-shifted to the stone steps connecting the boathouse to the entrance courtyard and absently walked up the steps.


    Within a few moments, Drac came face to face with the three young wizards.


    "Ah, what a coincidence, Professor Drac." At the sight of the silver-haired figure that was sauntering down the stone steps, Harry thought of the horror of being dominated by the Dueling Clubst semester and nched as he busied himself with greeting Drac.


    "Quite a coincidence indeed," a rakish smile appeared on Drac''s face, "I just happened to make a trip to the boathouse."


    "Strange, why would Professor Drac be out in this weather." Ron nced up at the sunny sky and cooed in a somewhat puzzled titter.


    With Drac''s hearing, it was easy to hear what Ron was dripping about, and his face couldn''t help but stiffen.


    He don''t want to be directly poked and prodded by Ron before he even aplished his goal ...


    "Ahem ..." Drac changed a topic without a trace, "What are you three doing out of the castle at noon on a weekend when you''re not resting in themon room?"


    Of course he knew what the three young wizards were going to do, but in order to pretend to be a chance encounter, Drac still asked this question that he already knew the answer to.


    Hearing Drac''s question, Ron no longer wondered about Professor Drac going out in this kind of weather, only to see him proudly raise his head.


    "We''re going to find awn by the ck Lake to practice our magic spells." Ron eximed.


    It was so hard for him to have the willingness to follow Hermione''s serious studies, so of course he had to try to show off in front of the professors to give them the impression that he was a good student.


    "You guys are quite studious." Drac nodded with a light smile and turned his attention to Hermione, who was looking a little tired, "It just so happens that I have some business for Ms. Granger, and now I don''t have to ask anyone else to deliver it for me."


    "Potter, Wese on, you two go ahead and practice your spells. Miss Grangere to my office." He said.


    ...


    Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office.


    Drac sat behind his desk, his eyes burning at Hermione who stood somewhat flustered in front of it.


    "Ms. Granger, there seems to be something wrong with your listening statustely." He gently shook a tall ss of wine and said lightly, "Being distracted in ss ... something like this shouldn''t have happened to you."


    "I''m sorry, Professor Drac." Hermione guiltily grabbed the corner of her own coat, face aggrieved and admitted her mistake to Drac, "I will definitely not make such a mistake in the future."


    "This kind of mistake is not something you can easily refrain from if you don''t want to." Drac shook his head andughed softly, "If you don''t even sleep properly during the day, how can you be sure that you won''t get sleepy in ss?"


    Hermione lowered her head and stopped talking.


    Drac, on the other hand, had no intention of letting her off the hook and pressed relentlessly.


    "I heard that you signed up for all five electives?" He asked, "With the seven normal required sses, you''ll bepleting a total of twelve courses this semester, correct?"


    Hermione nodded and spoke, "Professor, I think I''m capable ofpleting twelve subjects!"


    "In fact, I''d like to believe that you''re capable of it." Drac waved his hand and continued, "But your current mental condition clearly doesn''t look like you''re capable ofpleting all the subjects, you''re putting too much pressure on yourself."


    "But I ..."


    "Don''t rush to retort yet." Drac raised his hand to interrupt Hermione''s words, then revealed an intriguing smile and said softly, "The time converter has already worn you out, Miss Granger."


    Hermione''s eyes widened abruptly.


    "Professor, how did you know I had a time-turner?" She was shocked and hurriedly asked, "Professor McGonagall told me before that only she and Headmaster Dumbledore would know about it, and that they wouldn''t even tell the average professor ..."


    "But I''m not some ordinary professor either," Dracughed lightly, "I naturally have my unique source channels."


    "Of course, the point now isn''t how I knew you had a time converter, it''s to address the issue of your mental state!"


    Drac''s face grew serious as he said to Hermione, "You don''t even know how to rest on the weekends, and you have to use the time converter to study your homework and practice magic spells at the same time, under this kind of high pressure, how can your spirit not have problems?"


    "But the more I learn, the more I feel like I''m still missing a lot, and I usually can''t find any other time to do my homework at all ..." Hermione said sadly, "So besides saving up a few more hours with the time converter, what else can I What can I do?"


    "You''ve learned enough, Ms. Granger." Drac said soothingly, "What youck now is aplete and utter rxing break to build up your spirit sufficiently to be able to learn your new knowledge better."


    "If I don''t stop you, are you still going to use the time converter to continue your studies this afternoon and tomorrow?"


    Hermione deted and hesitated, but finally nodded.


    "For the sake of your mental state, Ms. Granger, you must listen to the professor this time." Drac said in a persuasive manner, "In order to prevent you from continuing to use the Time Changer, I have decided to confiscate it."


    With that, he held out his hand to Hermione, "Hand it over, Granger, and I''ll hold it for you for two days. In these two days you go back and rest once, don''t strain your spirit too much. You should be able to understand the reasoning that too much is not enough and too much steel is easy to break, right?"


    "But ... Professor McGonagall won''t let me give the time converter to anyone else." Hermione hesitated.


    "What, do I count as someone else?" Drac dropped his face and said with an unpleasant expression.


    "But, but ..." Hermione was still hesitating.


    "Don''t but, it''s all for your mental state." Drac continued to snub, "Think about it this way, if I didn''t hold the Time Changer for you, would you be able to control yourself from using it?"


    Hermione lowered her head and thought carefully before finally shaking her head after a long time.


    As a young wizard who loved to learn, she certainly wasn''t satisfied with the basics taught at school and wanted to learn something new every chance she got.


    However, this semester''s twelve major ssespletely filled up all of Hermione''s time, and every time she did the twelve assignments, she was basically able to take up all of her rare weekend time, and she didn''t have the slightest chance to read any other books that she liked.


    As such, the time converter was apletely huge temptation for Hermione, and there was no way she was going to let the treasure lie around and not use it, even if she was sleepy and weak!


    "I see you know your own self-control as well?" Drac smiled, "In that case, hand over the time converter."


    A struggling, hesitant look appeared on Hermione''s face for a long time before she finally let out a long breath and nodded towards Drac.


    She then untied the string hanging around her neck and handed the golden ne to Drac.


    "You must keep it safe, Professor." Hermione bit her lip, apprehensively.


    After wearing the time converter for so long it suddenly left her side, it made her feel a little ufortable.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll return it to you before your ss on Monday." Drac said.


    Immediately afterward, all of his attention was focused on the ne in front of him.


    ...


    After whisking Hermione off to rest, Drac began to rummage through the item in his hands.


    "Is this the Time Changer?"


    He looked at the delicate hourss, which was light gold in color overall and looked like it was hanging from a golden ne, with a pleasant expression.


    It was not in vain that he had painstakingly enlightened Hermione and tricked ... nay, held the time converter in her hands for her, this little thing did look quite interesting.


    A light vaguely flowed in Drac''s eyes, his gaze fixed on the ancient Ruyani script symbols and the state of magical operation engraved on the surface of the time converter.


    "Rewind time by up to five hours?" He rubbed the intricate diagrams on the time converter and smiled pleasantly.


    Five hours ago was about the same time he had met the Hooded Man on the shores of the ck Lake early this morning!


    In that case, it was time to go back in time and fight with himself again!


    It was too early in the day for sunrise, and he was far from enjoying himself!

 Chapter 202 - 202 Dracula’s playing with himself

    <h4>Chapter 202: Drac''s ying with himself</h4>


    ording to Nicole LeMay, even though a hundred years had passed, the time converter that the Division of Mysteries was now introducing still could not be considered a full version.


    The energy of time was too mysterious and unpredictable, and it had been difficult for wizards topletely master it from ancient times to the present day.


    If one abused the energy of time without fully understanding it, the most likely thing that would happen would be aplete copse of the timeline like what happened to the mute man of thete neenth century, Eloise Minturnbull, who herself perished in the river of time.


    For this reason, the Ministry of Magic has had to ce various restrictions on the use of time converters, thus ensuring that the timeline does not suffer an ident as great as the one that urred back then.


    However, the Department of Mystical Affairs was not willing to abandon the great treasure of time energy just like that, and wanted to continue to advance their research on time energy.


    Therefore, they needed more time travel samples to deduce.


    It was also because of this need that the mutes of the Division of Mysterious Things thought of a way to increase the research samples through the little wizards.


    Those little wizards with good character had been vouched for by the Hogwarts professors and the principal, and determined to be three good students who were willing to follow the rules and obey the school''s arrangements, and were able to maximize their ability to ensure that they would use the time-turner within the strict regtions.


    Of course, just relying on the young wizards'' self-awareness and the professors'' guarantees was still not enough.


    The Ministry of Magic made a secondyer of insurance for this: an hour reversal spell was applied to the time converter to increase the stability when using it. The number of times the hourss was turned corresponded to the number of hours the young wizard had traveled back in time, and each turn of the hourss allowed him to go back one hour.


    The time converter could be turned a maximum of five times, which meant going back a maximum of five hours.


    Five hours was the maximum amount of time that the Mystic Affairs Division''s Time Room could go back in time to ensure that the state of the timeline was stable.


    It was measured that within a five-hour period, the timeline''s selfpensating ability could restore the vast majority of altered events and make those events logically self-consistent.


    On top of that, because the young wizards were not yet fully developed, the magic in their bodies usually did not grow naturally to its peak, driving these wizards back in time could save a lot of time energy.


    So giving the little wizards permission to use the time converter was simply a good idea!


    But muted peoplepletely unexpected that Hogwarts would appear a professor so unreasonable that he actually cheated the time converter from his own students ...


    Drac leaned against the bookshelf in his office and smiled softly as he yed with the time converter in his hand before extending his long, slender index finger and casually flicking the hourss ced in the metal circle of the time converter pendant five times.


    The next moment, although he was still leaning silently against the bookshelf without the slightest movement, it physically felt like he was flying backwards extremely fast.


    All sorts of moldke cloud-like shapes swept before Drac''s eyes; at the same time, it was as if something was pounding fiercely in his ears, even to the point that it was a little too much for him.


    So he blocked out some of his senses, and then turned his head to look out the window.


    Drac vaguely saw that the azure sky outside the window was changing like a movie with fast-forward pressed, with countless rippling clouds drifting rapidly.


    Gradually, the sun high in the sky receded noiselessly backward, gradually setting at the end of the ck Loch in the distance, obscured by the short hills of the Scottish Hignds, eventually leaving only a ring of golden glitter.


    The bright sky gradually darkened, and the stars quietly pushed away the white clouds, upying the dome of the sky that should have been under the sun.


    A long timeter, the clouds of the moldedke in front of them disappeared and the pounding in his ears stopped.


    Grasping the time-turner in his left hand, Drac pushed open the office door with his right hand and went out into the corridor to look out over the far reaches of Hogwarts.


    It had just dawned, and a sliver of golden light at the end of the ck Lake cut through the curtain of stars and buckets pieced together to quietly illuminate the darkest hour of the day.


    It was still dark, and this was the time of day that Drac appreciated the most.


    There was no blinding sunlight, nor was it an eternal darkness, the best bnce was struck between light and darkness.


    Drac, who belonged to this time of day, should be standing on the shore of the ck Lake right now, enjoying the games of the big squid in theke and the little wizards ying all night in the Slytherinmon room ...


    Drac gleefully slipped the time converter into his pocket, then jumped straight over the railing of the corridor, ready to fly to the ck Lake and surprise his past self.


    However, just in the process of jumping down, Drac suddenly saw the ck and red cloak that was tumbling behind him, and couldn''t help but fall into a deep thought ...


    Wouldn''t he be instantly recognized if he met up with his past self just wearing his representative clothes?


    Going against the image of the Hooded Man that he had seen before was a small matter, Drac didn''t care about such aplicated and difficult thing as thews of time; but if he let his past self realize ahead of time that it was his future self who had shuttled back to fight with him, then the matter would be a big deal.


    Drac understands that with his own sharpness, as long as he lets his past self discover a little bit of clues, then he will immediately understand the truth of the matter "with the heart".


    In this way, he would be able to guess all kinds of magic that he would use, and take precautions against it.


    Even if he wanted to fight with himself, if his past self knew that the attacker was himself, then the fun of the sneak attack would immediately be reduced.


    Not only that, but Drac had already fought once, and had the advantage of foreknowledge of his past self''s movements.


    If his past self was allowed to find out what was going on, then he would definitely change his strategy for dealing with the enemy. The whole body would be affected by a single blow, and in this way, the advantage of foresight that would have existed would most likely not exist.


    Without the advantage of foresight, coupled with the inability to use those iconic magic spells that exposed himself, as well as the inky wood wand that he had already used smoothly, in such a disadvantageous situation, there was a real possibility that Drac would lose to his past self.


    This was one thing he could not ept at all.


    Losing to his past self could be too humiliating!


    Drac looked up at the sky and saw that the golden light at the end of the ckke in the distance was slowly moving upwards, knowing that there was not much time left for dawn, and some sense of urgency could not help but rise in his heart.


    He casually summoned a round of dark moon and teleported inside Mrs. Mogin''s Clothing Store in Diagon Alley, ready to pick a set of clothes that could hide his identity first.


    The chubby Mrs. Mogin was as dedicated as ever, and she had already gotten up early in the morning and came to the store, humming a song as she sorted out the various kinds of wizard costumes in the store, with a very rxed look on her face.


    The next moment, the ck and red robed Drac suddenly appeared in the store, startling her.


    "What are you ... you? Fighting ... a robbery?" Mrs. Moggin shivered and raised her wand, pointing it at Drac.


    She then saw Drac''s long silver hair and handsome demonic face.


    Her face immediately rxed and even became a little flushed, "Ah, this gentleman, I guess you must not be a bad person."


    She set her wand down and quietly surveyed Drac out of the corner of her eye.


    "Well, hurry up and get me a cloak with a hood that I can wear now." With time running out, Drac scrambled for time.


    "Ah, are you in a hurry?" Mrs. Moggin asked with some surprise, "If you ask me, a handsome, upright clothes rack like you, of course you need to wear customized wizard robes to be the most handsome ... although you certainly look good in anything you wear is all."


    "Cut the crap and hurry up and get a set of clothes that fit me, it''s urgent now." Drac annoyingly interrupted Mrs. Mojin''s ttery and quicklymanded, "It''s best to be the kind that can cover up the whole body, so that others can''t recognize me at all."


    "Eh ... ah?" Mrs. Mojin''s eyes widened.


    She was now getting a little scared again.


    What kind of person actually wanted to hide their image? Could this be a dark wizard who was getting ready to go out andmit murder? Would he kill himself for secrecy after he got his clothes?


    This is not to me Mrs. Mogin timid, a ck man appeared in her store before dawn, as soon as he came in, he aggressively demanded a full body cover, but also let others not recognize the clothes, can not wait for a moment, this is who would not be afraid of it?


    Of course, if that person is very handsome, it may make the fear lessen a little bit ...


    "What are you still standing here for, hurry up and find it." Drac impatiently pulled out arge bag of gold galleons from the pocket where he had applied the No Trace Stretching Spell, and threw it into the counter of Mrs. Moggin''s Clothing Store, "Is this enough money?"


    "Enough is enough!" Mrs. Mojin immediately smiled with a big smile on her face when she saw the weight of the bag of gold galleons, "This money is almost enough to even buy all of our family''s clothes!"


    "Then hurry up and go, remember my request!" Drac said in a cold voice.


    "Okay!" Mrs. Mojin nodded and went to find clothes for Drac in a beautiful way.


    As for whether this was a ck wizard who was about to go on a murderous rampage?


    Don''t joke about it! Such a handsome man, he is also so rich, what not good, why must go to do bad things?


    Driven by the ability of money, Mrs. Mogin acted very quickly.


    In less than two minutes, she used her magic to take out a gorgeous red wizard''s cloak from the warehouse, which was embroidered with intricate floral patterns, and had arge hood on the back, which waspletely able to cover her face.


    In addition to this cloak, Mrs. Moggin also thoughtfully prepared matching gloves, shoes, mask and liner for Drac, able to make Drac''s whole body without exposing a bit of skin on the outside.


    Drac satisfactorily changed into the gorgeous red cloak in the fitting room, put on the mask and gloves, and stood in front of the fitting mirror to take a look.


    Sure enough, it was the hooded man he had seen before who had reappeared in front of him.


    "Esteemed guest, with your temperament matched with this outfit, you are simply the bearer of the magic world!" The fitting mirror said curtly.


    The mirrors in the magic world were all like this, always talking to the person looking in the mirror and pointing out their image problems.


    The ones in clothing stores were different, the mirrors preferred to praise people and urge them to pay their bills.


    Drac nted a nce at the fitting mirror, and wondered what on earth this mirror could tell about his temperament and face value when he was wrapped up so tightly ...


    Ignoring the fitting mirror, which was looking for words, and Mrs. Morgan, who was waiting outside and wanted to chat with him some more, Drac walked straight out of Mrs. Morgan''s Clothing Store and left Diagon Alley with a dark moon.


    He then picked up a random branch from a pine tree on the high ground where Hogwarts was located and stuffed a piece of his own hair into it to make an abbreviated version of a wand.


    Drac originally did not want to use a wand, and made this abbreviated version of the wand instead of using it smoothly.


    But the wizards in the entire magic world are more used to using wands to fight, like Drac this kind of wandless spell casting level can be higher than the level of fighting with a wand, there may not be many wizards at all.


    If he put down his wand and did not use it, and wandless spell casting alone reached the top level of the great wizard level, then Drac in the past did not need to think about it to realize where the problem was.


    Fortunately, because of his previous study of Ron''s ash wood wand that fired spells backwards, Drac had added a lot of wand making experience, so this improvised wand wasn''tpletely unusable ...


    The starlight slowly faded as the golden light at the end of the ckke gradually filled the horizon.


    Before the dawn ended, Drac, dressed in a magnificent red cloak, finally managed to catch up with this duel between his future and past selves.


    With a thick gloved hand, he waved the ordinary-to-ordinary wand in his hand-


    A crimson de of light shot towards the silver-haired figure who was watching the scenery by theke.


    He had to admit that a hint of murderous intent had actually appeared in his mind.


    Drac wanted to try to see how his present self would be affected if he really killed his past self ...


    However, the figure by theke rose to alertness the moment the killing intent emerged, and suddenly sidestepped to avoid the attack.


    The end of the light de narrowly skimmed his throat and flew into the water without the slightest pause, surprisingly splitting theke into two halves in an instant, and the dividing line drawn by the air on the surface of theke did not disperse for a long time.


    On the dividing line, many swimming fish were cut into two, and the cut surface was as smooth as a mirror.


    "How many years has it been ..." The figure on theke turned over his palm and looked at his slender and slender fingertips, his gaze somewhat dazed.


    His pale fingertips were stained with a drop of bright red blood, which seemed to emit a strange luster.


    "For how many years, I haven''t experienced what it''s like to be injured." He gently licked the blood off his fingertips, revealing the two side teeth on the side of his mouth.


    "I do wonder then, who exactly are you?"


    Drac didn''t speak, just stood still.


    He feared that if he opened his mouth, even if he changed his voice, his experiences from ancient times had created a unique way of using words and speech habits that could easily be detected by his past self.


    And so, Drac proved his intentions with his actions -


    He slowly raised the wand in his hand that was so ordinary that it couldn''t be ordinary anymore.

 Chapter 203 - 203 Dracula having fun with himself.

    <h4>Chapter 203: Drac having fun with himself.</h4>


    Drac said that he was having fun with this duel.


    Compared to the previous duel with his future self when he didn''t know who his enemy was, this time, hiding his identity and dueling with his past self was apletely different kind of excitement.


    Although there were some hardware shorings, Drac was using a randomly picked up pine wand, and couldn''t use his best magic yet, so he might be a little bit different from his past self when it came to hard fighting.


    But he could still remember most of his response process and methods from hisst duel.


    Therefore, if he deliberately reduced some magic spell sparring and focused on increasing the skill and sensitivity exchanges, then Drac''s gamey experience in this duel would be very good.


    In particr, looking at his past self, although he was still bracing himself to maintain his high style and strong aura, but from his micro-expressions you could see his inner shock and bewilderment, which greatly satisfied Drac''s bad taste!


    In fact, the two differently dressed Drac were enjoying themselves, and continued to fight until the dawn before finally stopping.


    At this time, the sun hadpletely risen from behind the distant mountains, hanging high in the sky and casting a fiery red reflection on the surface of the ck Lake.


    The sky was exceptionally clear and azure blue, making it difficult to see a single cloud.


    The Drac of the past hadn''t bought a set ofrge hoods from Mrs. Moggin to wear, and couldn''t help but frown in the sunlight, unconsciously raising his hand to cover the top of his forehead.


    Drac, who had nevere back to the past, was wearing a gorgeous big red cloak, without an inch of skin exposed, the sunlight couldn''t shine on his body at all. It was slightly morefortable than the Drac of the past anyways.


    But after all, it is still under the sun, even if there is no problem physically, but psychologically it is always very unpleasant.


    And so Drac spoke for the first time aftering to the shore of the ck Lake.


    "My time is almost up." He temporarily shaped his voice with a shapeshifting spell and said in a voice that was very different from his usual voice.


    The fight was already over, so naturally there was no big problem with speaking a little, even if his past self did find out his true identity it wouldn''t affect the battle because of it.


    What''s more, with such a short sentence, and with apletely changed voice, Drac didn''t think that his past self would really be able to recognize him.


    Sure enough, it took a bit of effort for the past Drac to even barely recognize what the Drac who had regressed back to the past was saying, not guessing him at all.


    "What does about time mean?" Drac from the past asked.


    Drac, however, hadn''t bothered tomunicate with himself anymore, he wasn''t about to spend any of his rare time back in the past on his past self, so with a casual shake of his head, he phantom shifted out of the way.


    Of course, he had fully guessed, or remembered, that his past self would make a move to intercept him.


    And so, in thest moment before Phantom Shift left, Drac used a strong Iron Armor spell to block the Illusory Hand Seal cast by the past Drac at the location where the space was fluctuating.


    Not only that, in order to prevent the Drac of the past from finding himself by following the direction of the spatial fluctuation, so he smoothly changed arge group of rabbits with directional magic to perform phantom shifting constantly in the vicinity of Hogwarts,pletely messing up the surrounding space.


    As a result, Drac in the past had nowhere to look for the Hood.


    ...


    The Drac of the past did not realize at all that the strange Hooded Man in his eyes was none other than himself who had never traveled back to the past.


    What''s more, he didn''t expect that this Hooded Man who attacked Professor Hogwarts on Hogwarts'' turf didn''t choose to run away, but rather very arrogantly directly phantom shifted to the interior of Hogwarts Castle.


    ...


    Drac stood in an unupied corridor of the Hogwarts Castle and took out an old parchment from his pocket, which had an ancient Hogwarts school emblem branded on it.


    Drac knew, of course, that in less than two minutes, his past self should have pulled out the deed and searched the entire castle, using it to find any sign of the hooded figure in his eyes.


    So backtracking, Drac took out the deed first, quietly used it to apply an anti-scrying permission to himself, and cast an unmarkable spell and a tend to avoid spell on himself.


    With the addition of several such spells, the other deed would be somewhat interfered with and would not be able to show Drac''s true figure on the deed.


    When he was done with these few things, Drac exhaled thoroughly and stretchedzily.


    He then took off a red cloak and appeared bright and early in the faculty''s special lounge.


    "Good morning, Hagrid." Drac pushed open the door to the faculty lounge and greeted arge man sitting on a couch that was nearly as tall as the ceiling.


    "Oh!" Hagrid was startled by Drac who suddenly came in and hurriedly wiped hisrge bearded face with a dirty handkerchief and stammered back a greeting to Drac, "Good ... morning, Professor Drac."


    Hagrid, even though he had been a member of the Hogwarts faculty many years ago, hade to this facultymon room only a handful of times.


    This was really because apart from halls like the Hogwarts Great Hall, ordinary rooms simply couldn''t amodate a person of his size.


    He was currently sitting on therge soft sofa in themon room, upying the entire sofa for three people, causing the cushions of the sofa to sink in deeply, and the legs of the sofa to make a creaking sound of being overburdened from time to time.


    Because the height of the sofa was not really high, coupled with the cushions were sunken, so Hagrid could only curl up his legs, stuck in the gap between the sofa and the coffee table.


    Even so, his head still exceeded the bookshelf next to him and was only an arm''s length away from the ceiling.


    Drac looked at Hagrid''s body and then at the doorframe where he could have hit his forehead if he had jumped, not quite understanding how the big man had gotten in ...


    Hagrid saw Drac close the door to the faculty lounge, pursed his lips, and hesitantly asked, "Professor Drac, you ... you didn''t go to today''s school board meeting?"


    He had previously heard a rumor that Professor Drac had thrashed the school board''s school board members and was now speaking his mind inside the school board, so he held the mindset of trying to seek Drac''s help.


    "School board meeting? Dogs don''t even go there!" Drac sat down inside another single sofa and said with a disgusted face, "A group of people are breaking up those messy crap around a table, what can be the point?"


    Hagrid opened his mouth and his expression became a little strange.


    On the one hand, the person Drac unintentionally scolded included Lucius Malfoy, the bad guy who wanted to sue him, and Hagrid felt relieved; however, on the other hand, Dumbledore, whom Hagrid admired the most, was also meeting with the school councilors right now ...


    "Uh ... isn''t that, well, inappropriate." He blinked his sses and deliberated.


    "What''s inappropriate about it." Drac didn''t care about that anyway, "Why, Hagrid, why are you suddenly asking about the school board? The school board never seemed to have anything to do with you, did it, Hagrid?"


    "I''m just ..." Hagrid mumbled, trying to beg Drac for something that kept catching in his throat and he couldn''t open his mouth.


    Just then, the door to the faculty lounge was suddenly pushed open.


    Dumbledore, who had a full head of white hair and a white beard that grew until it could be coiled around his waist, walked in quickly, his face serious.


    "Ah, Headmaster Dumbledore, has the school board meeting finished?" Hagrid immediately stood up from the sofa after seeing Dumbledore, lowered his head and took two steps forward to greet Dumbledore.


    The reason why he lowered his head was because if he straightened his neck, he would easily hit his big head on the ceiling.


    "Well, the school board is over, Hagrid." Dumbledore nodded, yet there was a somewhat distracted undertone to Hagrid''s query, his eyes going straight to Drac.


    "What was the final ... result like?" Hagrid asked apprehensively without noticing Dumbledore''s line of sight, still immersed in his own world.


    "You''ll be fine, Hagrid." Dumbledore looked at Drac a couple more times before he moved his attention back to Hagrid, "There''s nothing Malfoy can do to you, you''re still a professor in the Protection of Magical Creatures course."


    "Oh, that''s good." Hagrid heaved a sigh of relief.


    His lung capacity was a little toorge, so much so that he exhaled like a gust of wind, blowing Dumbledore''s white beard and white hair like a pping g.


    Drac watched with interest as the expression on Dumbledore''s face dissolved into helplessness and then silently smoothed his own beard and hair down, unable to stifle hisughter.


    Drac''sughter once again drew Dumbledore''s eyes to him.


    "Professor Drac, I happen to be looking for you for something." Dumbledore looked over at him, the helpless expression on his face returning to seriousness once more, "Come along to my office."


    "What''s so important to say that you can''t say it here?" Drac asked.


    He had just fought with his past self in vition of the Ministry of Magic, and was now a little weak, not quite wanting to follow Dumbledore inside the Headmaster''s office.


    "This matter is important, Professor Drac, and I must discuss it with you immediately." Dumbledore was not the least bit impressed.


    "With pleasure." The door to the faculty lounge was still open, and Dumbledore looked at Drac and gestured toward it.


    Drac shook his head helplessly at his determination and walked out the door ahead of him.


    Dumbledore was relieved to see this and followed in Drac''s footsteps out of the faculty lounge.


    Before Dumbledore closed the door to the ce, Hagrid suddenly caught up with him again.


    "Headmaster, that, that ... Buckbeak, is Buckbeak alright?" He seemed to have thought of something and asked aloud, "Those cowards might take it out on magical creatures if they can''t do anything with other wizards, Professor Kettleburne often encounters this kind of thing!"


    Hagrid, though he seemed naive on the surface, was dedicated, responsible, and serious when the issue involved an animal he loved or someone he cared about.


    Dumbledore''s face changed and he sighed softly.


    "Hagrid, I have other important things on my mind right now. Can we talk about Buckbeakter?" He said softly.


    Hagrid''s eyes widened and his expression very suddenly became dazed.


    Dumbledore shook his head and slowly closed the door to the faculty lounge, then followed in Drac''s footsteps.


    "Did something happen with Hagrid?" Drac asked thoughtfully as he nced at the doorway that had just closed, "I''ll say, I thought I saw him sniveling when I first walked in."


    "Actually, word has gotten around about Hagrid." Dumbledore cast a nce at Drac and said tantalizingly, "It''s only professors of ... umm, forthrightness like yourself who haven''t known about it until now."


    "Tell me about it?" Drac asked.


    "There was a teaching ident in Hagrid''s first period ss: a hawk-headed, horse-bodied winged beast named Buckbeak attacked a student who was in the middle of a lesson, and now the student''s parents have approached Hogwarts and want to expel Hagrid." Dumbledore introduced.


    "Actually you don''t have to say it so politely, it''s just Lucius and Draco Malfoy, father and son." Dracughed softly, "They''re the only two that have a lot going on, I don''t see anyone else with so much going on."


    With that, Drac added, "Oh no, except for those Weasleys."


    Dumbledore smiled helplessly and said, "It was indeed the Malfoys, father and son. Draco Malfoy failed to follow ssroom discipline and offended Buckbeak, so he was attacked; now Lucius Malfoy is trying to get justice for his son."


    "It seems you haven''t solved the problempletely yet, Dumbledore." Drac teased, "Well, do you need my help?"


    "Let''s put this aside for now, I can still handle it at least." Dumbledore said, "But the other matter is not so manageable ..."


    "Wouldn''t you say, Professor Drac?" He looked at Drac with a stern and deep gaze, his tone heavy.


    "Oh? Is there anything else you can''t handle?" Drac''s face didn''t change, as if he didn''t even notice the warning intent within the principal''s words, "Or does this matter also need my help?"


    "This matter does require your help, Professor Drac." Dumbledore took a deep breath and said in a hushed voice, "It doesn''t require anything elseplicated from you either, it would be nice to cooperate."


    Drac shrugged.


    ording to Dumbledore''s tone and expression, I''m afraid that he has already discovered the fact that there are two Drac''s in the Hogwarts castle at this time ... He is now thinking about how he should weasel out of it to have a more sessful rate of fooling the principal.


    Although want to deceive this old fox as clever as the old principal, seems to be not very likely ...


    Unconsciously, the two walked to the eighth floor of Hogwarts'' main tower, in front of the principal''s office door.


    "Creamy fudge flies." Dumbledore uttered the password for the office.


    The oddly ugly stone beast that was watching the door suddenly came to life and jumped aside, the wall behind it cracking in half.


    Drac and Dumbledore walked together up the rotating staircase behind the stone head.

 Chapter 204 - 204 Sirius Black has a terrible temper.

    <h4>Chapter 204: Sirius ck has a terrible temper.</h4>


    Dumbledore was the first to walk up the spiral staircase to his office.


    As soon as Drac wandered up, he waved his wand and closed the door with a bang.


    Drac looked back at the closed office door and the closed windows around it with a strange expression.


    Dumbledore this is not good ah ...


    "Professor Drac, I would like to ask you a question-"


    As expected, after Dumbledore had done all the protection to prevent the conversation between the two from being overheard by others, he immediately questioned bluntly:


    "How could you take away a student''s time converter and use it privately for time regression?"


    "What are you talking about, Dumbledore?" Drac paused briefly, then said with a bewildered look on his face, "A time converter? Is there such a foul thing in the magic world?"


    Dumbledore couldn''t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth when he looked at the ''confused'' expression on Drac''s face.


    "Professor Drac, it''s only the two of us talking here now, you could have been more honest." He took a deep breath, forcing down the urge to fight Drac, and said slowly, "And I don''t know if anyone has ever told you that you''re not very good at acting."


    "I''m not acting." Drac still looked confused.


    "Professor Drac, normally when you hear about something like a time-turner, the most you should show is an expression of interest." Dumbledore tapped the table with his finger, pointing out the problem with Drac''s acting, "Bewilderment is a somewhat disproportionate emotion to appear on the face of an Earl-sama."


    "Is it?" Drac thought for a moment, then nodded, "You''re right, Dumbledore."


    The expression on his face then seamlessly segued into the often exuberant scowl.


    "It seems I was wrong about you, Professor Drac." Dumbledore''s forehead was bruised and his tone had unconsciously beenced with some gnashing of teeth, "You''re a very good actor!"


    "Thanks for thepliment." Drac smiled with satisfaction, "But I really don''t know what a time converter is."


    "Well ... since you won''t admit it, I''ll have to produce a substantial piece of evidence." Dumbledore exhaled slowly and then waved his wand.


    A silver-white phoenix daemon flew through the wall and out of the Headmaster''s office in front of Drac.


    Seeing Dumbledore''s action, Drac gave a cry of dismay.


    Within moments, the Phoenix Daemon flew back, and as its beak opened and closed, clear human voices came out of it.


    First was Dumbledore''s voice: ''''Professor Drac, I wonder if you are free toe to the principal''s office now? I have some matters I would like to discuss with you."


    The following was Drac''s voice: "No time, not going."


    Dumbledore''s voice: "But this matter is kinda important."


    Drac''s voice: "No time then either."


    "..."


    The Phoenix daemon closed its beak.


    Dumbledore put away the daemon and looked at Drac derisively.


    Drac raised his hand to his forehead and fell heavily inside the couch in the Headmaster''s office.


    It had only just urred to him that before he had regressed back in time, just as he had been staring at Hermione''s movements on the deeds, Dumbledore had also sent a message with his daemon, asking him to go to the Headmaster''s office to discuss important matters.


    But Drac was so engrossed in stalking the young wizard who loved to learn that he turned him down without even thinking.


    "Well, Professor Drac, nothing to say now?" Dumbledore watched Drac''s actions cheerfully, feeling that all the anger he had taken on Drac before was now returned.


    "Well, I did get a time-turner." Drac said breathlessly as hey down on the couch, "But I didn''t want to do anything to disrupt line time, so don''t you dare pester me about it."


    "It''s not a matter of pestering about it, Professor Drac." Dumbledore cried andughed, "Do you know that items like time converters are extremely dangerous, especially when teleporting a powerful being like you with magic power saturating your body back to the past."


    "Is it any different than teleporting a minor wizard?" Drac asked.


    "Quite a difference." Dumbledore said, "You are perfectly capable of taking the time converter out right now and taking a look at it to feel if the time energy in it is still as plentiful as it was before."


    Drac pulled the golden ne out of his coat pocket and looked at the hourss housed in the pendant ring.


    I don''t know when it started, but the hourss seemed to have a lot less golden gravel in it, with only a small amount still flowing singrly through the hourss.


    "This is ..."


    "That''s right, the gravel in the middle of the hourss is the solidified form of time energy." Dumbledore nodded gently, "Originally, the energy that the Department of Mysteries poured into this time converter was enough for a young wizard to use for an entire school year ..."


    "However, your use this time has consumed most of its stock. Next, Miss Granger is afraid that she won''t be able to finish all the coursework for the second half of the year no matter what."


    "Ahem ... I''m also doing it for her good." Drac couldn''t hold his face a bit and retorted with a cold face, "Can''t you see? Miss Granger''s mental state has been quite poortely in order to listen to the lessons. Is it bad for me to confiscate a time converter in order to protect her health and improve her efficiency in listening to lectures?"


    "Then why don''t I go and tell her that Professor Drac used up her time energy and now she can go and thank Professor Drac for his kindness?" Dumbledore said with a smirk.


    "Or forget it, can''t afford to lose that person ..." Drac''s face stiffened for a moment, then changed his words and said, "How about this, you tell me where the Department of Mysterious Affairs of the Ministry of Magic is located, and I''ll go and get some time energy over here myself. "


    "Never!" Dumbledore was startled and hurriedly dissuaded him.


    He was afraid that Drac would run to the Division of Mysterious Affairs and make a scene,pletely messing up the entire Ministry of Magic.


    He knew that Drac waspletely capable of that.


    If it is really just a mess with the Department of Mysterious Affairs, it is okay to snatch back part of the time energy in a hard way ... but Dumbledore is worried about another bigger possibility, that is, Dracpletely destroys the time chamber, letting all the time energy dissipate into thin air.


    The time energy in the time chamber was already small, and it was already tight to allocate a part of it to a small wizard to use every year. If it was destroyed one more time, I''m afraid that in the future, the magic world''s application in the field of time would be stagnant for a few hundred years.


    "Professor Drac, it''s better for you to stay out of this matter." Dumbledore rubbed his brow and said to Drac in resignation, "I will find a way to solve the problem of Miss Granger''s time converter ..."


    "... I''ll write a letter to the Ministry of Magic telling them that something went wrong with the time-trantor this time, and won''t mention your role in it Professor Drac." He said, "Let''s hope there''s still some face avable on my old face."


    "Is that really good?" Drac was a little overjoyed at the idea of having Dumbledore give himself a good time, "Otherwise it''s better if I go to the Department of Mysteries and have a few words with them, don''t worry, I''ll be friendly."


    "... Don''t be like that, Professor Drac, you mustn''t be friendly with me." Dumbledore said with a bit of a headache, "I''m the Headmaster of Hogwarts, this is what I''m supposed to do, you really don''t have to worry about this."


    "Well ... then I''ll trouble you, Mr. Headmaster." Drac nodded with some regret and handed Dumbledore the time converter he had tricked from Hermione.


    As for whether or not he had given up on the idea of going to the Department of Mysteries to have "friendly exchanges" with the mute people, the old principal was not at all sure ...


    Just as the two men were having their own thoughts, there was a sharp knock on the door outside the Headmaster''s office.


    "Albus! Albus!" Professor McGonagall''s voice came from outside the office door, "Open the door quickly, something''s wrong!"


    Dumbledore''s face gaped and he waved his wand menacingly, opening the door to his office and also disarming the one-way soundproofing magic that he had just set up.


    "What happened, Minerva?" He asked in a gruff voice, looking toward the old woman in the doorway wearing a tall bowler hat.


    Professor McGonagall came into the principal''s office in a ming haste, showing a hint of surprise after seeing Drac on the couch.


    "Professor Drac is also here? That''s even better, this matter just happens to be for you to know as well." She said hurriedly, "The Gryffindormon room hase under attack!"


    ...


    The Headmaster''s Office and the Gryffindor Common Room were both on the eighth floor of Hogwarts Castle, so Professors Dumbledore, Drac, and McGonagall quickly arrived in front of the Gryffindor Common Room.


    When they arrived, they found the corridor crowded with people.


    "Is anyone hurt?" Dumbledore asked this crowd with concern.


    Drac looked past the many heads of small wizards towards the entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room and found the portrait that used to guard the doorway, the Fat Lady didn''t seem to be in the portrait.


    "Let me through, please," came a boy''s voice from the crowd.


    The red-haired Percy pushed his way through the crowd and came over, looking a little flustered but with a face that hid none of the pride and divinity of his status.


    "Excuse me, please move over, I''m the president of the boys'' student council." He said with his head held high, "Let me through, I need to report to the principal and professors."


    "Oh?" Drac looked at Percy, who walked over with his head held high, and said with a smirk, "I just found out, so you''re this year''s Boys'' Student Council President, Wes Lai."


    When Percy heard Drac''s voice, he reflexively cringed, and the godly look on his face immediately copsed.


    "Ah ... it''s no big deal, it''s still Professor Drac who cultivated him." He said with apensatory smile.


    Professor McGonagall gave him a reproachful look, as ifining that he hadn''t thanked his own dean for his cultivation.


    "Well Percy, let''s put other things aside for a moment, why don''t you tell us what''s going on here." She said with pursed lips.


    "The thing is, we just finished eating and wanted to go back to themon room to rest, then we saw this sight ..." Percy pointed to the original entrance of the Gryffindormon room.


    There was supposed to be a chubbydy in a portrait there guarding the doorway.


    "Oh dear-" Professor McGonagall eximed, clutching the book she was holding.


    The fatdy had disappeared from the portrait, which had been maliciously vandalized, with small pieces of canvas scattered all over the floor, andrge pieces of canvas torn away entirely from the frame.


    "Did anyone witness the murderer whomitted the act of vandalism?" Drac asked.


    He then shrugged, "Never mind, by the way you all acted no one should have seen it or you wouldn''t all look so bewildered, the word should have gotten out long ago."


    Dumbledore gave the damaged painting a quick nce.


    "Professor McGonagall, please go to Filch immediately and tell him to look for the fatdy on every painting in the castle." He rationalized, "We must learn who it was that carried out the damage as soon as possible!"


    Professor McGonagall nodded and jogged quickly down the stairs.


    The crowd in front of themon room door hadn''t dispersed yet, and there was a bit of a cacophony of small wizards.


    They were all specting as to who was so deranged as toy hands on the portrait of the fatdy who had worked so diligently to open the door for them.


    Some spected that it was the Rogue''s, who liked to go out at night, and who resented the Fat Lady''s control over them. Fred and George protested strongly against this spection;


    There was spection that it was the work of young wizards from other houses, most likely the bad guys from Slytherin who didn''t want the Gryffindors to go back to their dormitories to rest and thus gain a status advantage at the Quidditch match the following weekend;


    There were even more outrageous ones, specting that some Azkaban prisoners had snuck into the castle and destroyed the Fat Lady''s portrait. This spection was met with the most opposition, as Hogwarts was covered in protective magic, and no dark wizard would be able to get through here unimpeded!


    "Ah, lucky you guys!"


    A hoarse voice rang out just as the young wizards were divided.


    Drac looked up to see a short-looking apparition wearing brightly colored clothes, a tie, a top hat, a broad face with a big mouth and round eyes.


    The mischievous elf was floating in mid-air, his slippers cracked at long seams, revealing dirty toes.


    It was the trickster Peppy Ghost, and he was jumping over the heads of the crowd as if he were happy - as he always did when he saw destruction and depressing situations.


    "You seem happy, Peeps?" Drac asked wistfully, hooking up the corners of his mouth.


    Pippi Ghost''s grin faded a little as he thought about how the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts had a reputation for being able to scare off even Barrow the Blood in the Spectre. Barrow the Blood was the only specter Pippi Ghost was afraid of.


    So he turned to an oily ent that sounded rather better than the hoarse voice.


    "Excuse me, Mr. Drac." The Peppy Ghost said, "She got her turf all messed up and didn''t want to be seen, so she ran off to another portrait."


    "I happened to see her run past thatndscape on the fifth floor, sir, and hide among the trees, crying something terrible."


    "What a poor thing." He added, but with all the pity in the world for someone else.


    "Did she say who did it?" Dumbledore asked quietly.


    "Oh, said the Head Professor." Pippi said, a bitchy grin on his face, "She wouldn''t let him in and he was very annoyed, you know what I mean?"


    Pippi flipped in the air and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs.


    "He''s got a temper, this Sirius ck."

 Chapter 205 - 205 Dumbledore’s Way

    <h4>Chapter 205: Dumbledore''s Way</h4>


    Peppermint''s words set off a furor amongst the crowd.


    Dumbledore''s expression steeply became grave and rushed all the students of Gryffindor House to the auditorium.


    Under the professors'' very forceful and urgent arrangements, the young wizards who had never seen this kind of battle before acted very quickly and were very cooperative with the professors.


    After only ten minutes, the students of Hufflepuff, Ravenw, and Slytherin colleges also arrived in the auditorium along with the Gryffindor students.


    The auditorium immediately became noisy, even more so than during the opening dinner, and many of the young wizards looked puzzled.


    "The professors and myself will be conducting a thorough search of the castle," Dumbledore said to the students as he stood on the raised tform at the front of the auditorium.


    At that moment, Professors McGonagall and Flivvy closed all the doors to the auditorium, even the magic that reflected the sky from the auditorium ceiling was turned off, and a depressing atmosphere lingered throughout the auditorium.


    "For the safety of all students, tomorrow''s sses are temporarily suspended." Professor McGonagall informed, "I''ve requested that the rank and file stand guard at the various entrances to the auditorium, and that the boys'' and girls'' student council presidents stay in the auditorium to take charge."


    "Report anything that goes wrong to me immediately," she added this as she looked to Percy, who had long since followed her, who in turn looked proud of being an important person, "and can get a ghost to bring me a message."


    The other young wizards had nothing better to do and began eagerly discussing the means by which Sirius ck had gotten to Hogwarts Castle.


    "Who was it that guessed earlier that a wanted man had run inside the castle?" Ron said to Harry and Hermione, "We thought that guess was the furthest thing from the truth before, but it turned out to be true!"


    "Do you guys think ke is still in the castle?" Hermione asked anxiously and quietly, unable to think about such questions.


    "Dumbledore obviously thinks so." Ron said.


    "It''s really lucky for Harry that he picked today toe over, you know?" Hermione said in an afterthought, "Today just so happens to be the day we were getting ready to go out and practice magic, all away from the tower ..."


    She wasn''t just rear-ended at Harry, she was equally d that her time converter had been taken away by Professor Drac.


    If not, there would have been a good chance that there would have been two Hermione''s present inside the castle by the time the professors ordered the young wizards to the auditorium.


    Hermione was terrified just thinking about it.


    What would happen if both Hermione''s were dragged into the auditorium by the Heads and Professors; what would happen if she wasn''t discovered by the Professors and Heads, but instead still chose to stay where she was, and then was discovered by Sirius ck ...


    Luckily, Professor Drac had taken away her Time-Turner and avoided this one worst-case scenario.


    Harry, Ron, and Hermione finished listening to the professors and went straight to the corner of the long Gryffindor table, pulling up a couple chairs and sitting down, propping their upper bodies up on the table for a little heart-to-heart talk.


    Harry''s face looked a little unnatural.


    He knew that Sirius ck had sneaked inside Hogwarts Castle in order to kill himself to please Voldemort.


    In a sense, he was the one who had dragged the Hogwarts students back to themon room, even causing tomorrow''s sses to be stopped.


    Harry had vaguely heard some trivial talk from next door at the Ravenw''s long table, and it seemed that some of the younger Ravenw wizards were alreadyining about the fact that he had caused Hogwarts to stop sses.


    Even Ravenw, a house that usually got along quite well, had people thinking that way, so the kind of house like Slytherin, which was already at great odds with him, must have already uttered more than a few snide remarks about him ...


    "Don''t worry about what they say, Harry." Hermione saw how upset Harry was and spoke up tofort him, "It''s not your fault, it''s all that Sirius ck''s fault!"


    "Yeah, Harry, ke must have been mad from being tortured by dementors in Azkaban to have the nerve to sneak into Hogwarts." Ron nodded approvingly, "It''s a good thing I was on top of things today and dragged Harry out to practice his spells, or I don''t know what would have happened!"


    Speaking of which, Ron''s expression became a little proud again, as if he had done something great to save the world.


    Of course, after discussing other issues, the topic of the three young wizards still couldn''t help but return to the same question by tacit agreement - how on earth did Sirius ck get in?


    "Maybe he knows how to submerge," said a Ravenw House student a few feet away, "just manifest from thin air, if you know what I mean."


    "Most likely came in wearing makeup." A student in Hufflepuff house robes said from the side.


    Harry whipped his head around, only to realize that it was Rolf and Luna who had somehowe along to join the conversation while looking at Harry with a concerned expression.


    They all knew that Sirius ck hade to Hogwarts for one purpose, and that was to find Harry!


    Therefore, Harry''s friends were worried about him.


    Harry snorted at them, indicating that there was nothing wrong with him and that there was no need to worry about him.


    "Otherwise ... maybe he flew in." Dean Thomas, who was seated not far from the long Gryffindor table, chimed in and gave his guess.


    "Honestly, am I the only one who isn''t afraid to go through the trouble of reading Hogwarts, A School History?" Hermione said to the small group of wizards around her in a no-nonsense manner.


    "Quite possibly." Ron nodded in a serious manner, "Why did you mention that all of a sudden though? We all know you''re good, Hermione, there''s really no need to show it again."


    "It''s not about that!" Hermione shot Ron an evil re, "There''s a reference to Hogwarts'' protective magic in Hogwarts, A History of the School, and if you''d read it properly you wouldn''t havee up with so many unsupported guesses!"


    "The castle isn''t just protected by hardware like walls," she went on to exin, "it''s also enchanted with all sorts of magic to prevent outsiders from sneaking in. You can''t get in just by sneaking in."


    "And I''d like to see what kind of make-up could fool those dementors outside the door. Those guys guard every entrance ... Even if he flew in on a broom, the dementors would easily see it."


    "Not only that, Filch knows all the secret passages in the castle, which the dementors would have blocked up ..."


    Under Hermione''s exnation, the young wizards quickly lost interest in discussing further.


    After all, the various defenses of Hogwarts had already targeted and defended every possible method of infiltration that could be thought of, and with the small wizards'' shallow understanding of magic, it was hard to guess any more reliable solutions.


    "Never mind." Harry plopped down on the table somewhat bored, "Instead of discussing this, let''s talk about what we can do while we''re cooped up in the auditorium ... If we don''t have sses for the entirety of tomorrow, we''re going to get bored pretty quickly."


    "Look on the bright side, at least we got to the auditorium without anything," Ron recoiled with a bit of cheer, "We don''t even have any parchment, and any homework that hasn''t been turned in yet is an excuse not to write!"


    However things were clearly not going to go the way he thought they would.


    Dumbledore stayed in the auditorium for a while, seeing that there were no problems here, and was about to leave the auditorium when he suddenly remembered something.


    "Oh yes, you might need these ..." With a casual wave of his wand, countless sheets of parchment flew in from nowhere and were stacked one by one on the table in front of each of the young wizards.


    With another wave, corresponding quills and ink also appeared next to the parchments.


    "Study hard!" Dumbledore said with a grin, "The more stressful times like this the more you can''t forget to study ah! Having these papers and pens will also help you kill some of your boredom."


    Looking at the parchment and quill neatly ced in front of him, Ron''s eyes widened and his expression fell intoplete numbness.


    ...


    Under Dumbledore''smand, all the faculty members moved.


    They carefully searched the entire Hogwarts Castle, not sparing a single corner, yet Sirius ckpletely disappeared as if he had vanished into thin air.


    "Actually, you didn''t need to make the professors run around."


    After Dumbledore personally searched the entire eighth floor, Drac''s figure suddenly appeared behind him.


    Dumbledore turned to him with a searching gaze.


    "Why do you want the professors to patrol back and forth when you know I can view the entire castle through the Hogwarts deeds?" Drac asked with a frown.


    "There are times when the work that needs to be done has to be done, even if you know that Sirius ck cannot be found." Dumbledore turned and smiled softly.


    "The staff of the Ministry of Magic and those Dementors, but they''re just waiting for us to slip up in our work so they cane in and take over Hogwarts!"


    "If we don''t do anything, not to mention that the Ministry of Magic will think that I''m not doing a good job as Headmaster, there''s a good chance that there''ll even be murmurs from the staffmunity. So with that said, Professor Drac, this round of searches is quite necessary, whether or not theye to fruition." Dumbledore said.


    "Tch, that''s why I told you, people like you are a real pain in the ass, always getting hamstrung by a department like the Ministry of Magic that doesn''t have much power at all." Drac snorted, "So much bending and twisting, it''s annoying to hear!"


    "Sometimes it''s not such a bad thing for a person to suffer from having some constraints." Dumbledore looked a little wistful and smiled, "Better leave it at that and tell us what you found on the deeds, Professor Drac."


    "If I had found something, would I still be idly flirting with you here?" Drac bristled, "It''s not just that I didn''t find any useful information this time that I just looked up, I also checked thend deed once before using the time converter, and I didn''t find any suspicious figure at all either ..."


    "I roughly estimated that that time should almost coincide with the time when Sirius ck destroyed that portrait!"


    "In that case, this ke is really an interesting person, able to escape the heavily guarded Azkaban and sneak into the heavily protected Hogwarts Castle without being detected."


    Drac quirked a corner of his mouth with interest, not sure what he was thinking.


    "Sirius did used to be quite a good wizard." Dumbledore nodded, "But I never thought he was capable of infiltrating Hogwarts and escaping Azkaban ... Perhaps I still know too little about him."


    He sighed, holding his hands on the marble railing next to him, deep in thought.


    "Actually, it''s not as if we don''t have a way to capture Sirius ck ..." Drac said softly as he gave Dumbledore a thoughtful look in his eyes, "You do understand what I mean, don''t you, Dumbledore? "


    Dumbledore looked back in consternation and saw Drac''s thoughtful look.


    "No!" He refused decisively, "That''s not how the time converter is meant for us to use it!"


    "But the time converter will allow us to find Sirius ck easily-" Drac said tantalizingly, "just by hiding in front of the Gryffindormon room and waiting for the rabbit. "


    "Don''t you want to catch him and ask questions about what happened back then? Or ... don''t you want the little wizards to return to themon room to sleep peacefully?"


    Drac''s two questions hammered at Dumbledore''s heart in session.


    There was no doubt that both questions were things that the old principal desperately needed to address right now.


    His pale hand rested in his coat pocket, gently rubbing the time converter that Drac had handed him only a short while ago, his mind hesitating.


    "Don''t hesitate, Dumbledore, do you want to wait until the five hours of maximum rewind time has passed and you have no chance to use it at all before you catch up with yourself?" Drac urged.


    Dumbledore unconsciously clutched the ne of metal on the Time-Turner.


    The cold temperature of the ne gradually caused his eyes to drift a little, as if he had gone back to decades ago, clutching the cold Blood League tightly.


    Dumbledore sobered abruptly at the thought of the Blood League.


    "It''s still not necessary, Professor Drac." He smiled forlornly, "The rules are like a perilous wall holding me back from my fall, once broken, there''s no way to put them back up."


    He looked into Drac''s eyes and said softly, "Actually, there is no need to feel sorry. After all, the energy remaining amongst this time converter is also simply not enough for a great sorcerer to perform another time regression."


    "Never mind, I should have thought of that." Drac walked over to Dumbledore and simrly leaned on the railing next to the corridor, "You''re a guy who seems casual, but is actually stubborn to the bone."


    "Tell me, what are you going to do about the threat that is Sirius ck?" He asked, "Don''t tell me something irresponsible like ''take one step at a time'', I can''t believe you don''t have a backup n."


    "There''s really no hiding it from you, Professor Drac." Dumbledore said with a smirk, "I''m going to get James and Sirius'' best friend from back in the day to help out, he''s the one person who knows Sirius the best nowadays."


    "I finally got in touch with him a while ago, he should be in Romania right now. It''s quite a coincidence, it still seems to be your home turf there Professor Drac!"

 Chapter 206 - 206 Remus Lupin

    <h4>Chapter 206: Remus Lupin</h4>


    After returning to the office, the more Drac thought about it, the more he felt that Sirius ck''s friend was a little familiar--


    The man is in Romania, his name is Lai whats-her-face, he has been living a very downtrodden life, and Dumbledore called him to Hogwarts to help catch Sirius in fact, he also had the intention to give him some help in the meantime ...


    "I don''t think I''ve seen this person before, have I?" Drac was a bit skeptical and kept rummaging through his memories in the middle of his mind.


    Lord Earl''s memory was undoubtedly excellent, otherwise there was no way he could organize the thousand years he had experienced in his mind clearly without any confusion.


    But the problem was that there were many things in this world that were not very important in his eyes, and it was likely that even if he saw them, he would still turn a blind eye to them, and would not give them a chance to stay in his memory at all.


    So many trivial and uninteresting chores over the course of a thousand years would drive Drac crazy if he really had to remember everything!


    Then again, that friend of Sirius ck''s did strike Drac as somewhat familiar.


    He thought about it carefully; he had been back to Romania only a handful of times since he had awakened from his slumber, and he had seen a total of few strangers over there in their roughly early thirties, and even fewer that made some sort of impression on him.


    "That friend of ke''s wouldn''t be a werewolf by any chance, would it?" Drac''s eyes twitched.


    It suddenly urred to him that during that vacation after the end of the first school year, after he had driven away arge number of shady corpses and werewolves, a werewolf who had thrown himself into the came to Drac''s castle to meet with him.


    "That werewolf''s name seems to be just called Lemus Lupin, and he also seems to have said that he is a member of the Order of the Phoenix ..." Drac''s expression became a bit strange, "In that case, Dumbledore had been unable to contact Lupin wouldn''t it be my problem?"


    At that time, Drac held the idea of watching the fun and snubbed Lupin to be the Romanian werewolf king.


    These two years he had been mixing among those savage werewolf packs, so he must have had a very hard time, and there was not much opportunity to contact the outside world, so it was normal that he could not be contacted with the owl.


    However, since he was now connected, it seemed to indicate that Lupin had really made a name for himself in the werewolf pack.


    Thinking of this, Drac hesitated for a moment and lifted his pen to write a short line to his cheap daughter Serena who was far away in Romania:


    "Give me a copy of the recent situation on the werewolf side, in a slightly more detailed way."


    After a little thought, he felt that this kind of text that does not look like a letter at all is really a bit hasty, and Serena is afraid that after seeing it, not only will she not send over the information about the werewolf pack, but she might even send over a howler letter to scold him ...


    So Drac skimmed his lips and begrudgingly added a few more lines to the letterhead:


    "To Serena: How have you been? Don''t be too surprised, I really sent the letter out of concern for you, nothing else.


    Also, I''m very relieved to leave Castle Drac in your hands; under your management, the Bloods will surely prosper and get closer and closer to your goals!


    By the way, what is the situation of the werewolf pack near the castle? Give me a copy of the recent situation on the werewolf side, in a little more detail.


    --B.D."


    Looking at the parchment, which finally barely fit the format of a letter, Drac nodded in satisfaction and casually grabbed a passing Hogwarts public owl and tied the parchment to its leg.


    The owl pped its wings and flew out of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office, making the long trek towards Romania.


    Drac pondered for a moment that the owl might copse in the middle of its journey across the channel and the continent, and silently opened a dark moon that sent it directly to the vicinity of Drac''s castle.


    Then he immediately retracted this dark moon, fearing that Serena would discover his trail and then yank him back to deal with the backlog of matters at the castle. That would be horrible ...


    ...


    While Drac waited for Serena''s reply, martialw was lifted at Hogwarts.


    The young wizards couldn''t stay in the auditorium for the rest of their lives, nor could they stay out of ss for the rest of their lives for fear of a criminal who had surely left the castle.


    The vandalized portrait of the Fat Lady had been taken down from the wall, and in its ce was another portrait.


    The new portrait featured a heavily armed knight who stood beside an obese gray dwarf stallion, asionally nervously pointing the longsword in his hand at the students outside of the portrait, making some middle-of-the-road deration of unknown significance.


    The knight''s name was Cadogan, and he preferred to be called Sir Cadogan.


    Sir Cadogan stayed on the seventh floor of the castle before he came here to be the doorman of the Gryffindormon room, and the younger Gryffindor wizards saw him from time to time when they came back to themon room from the lower floors, so they were all fairly familiar with him.


    But no one was happy that Sir Cadogan had taken on the role ofmon room keeper.


    Sir Cadogan spent almost half his time challenging people to duel him. The rest of his time was spent figuring out ridiculouslyplicated passwords - he changed them at least twice a day.


    ording to Sir Cadogan it was so that Sirius ck wouldn''t have a chance to break their passwords.


    "He''s just mad," the young Gryffindor wizardined angrily to Percy, the Student Council President, "Can''t we just get someone else?"


    "None of the other drawings wanted to do the job," Percy sighed, also a little helpless, "All the other drawings were horrified by what happened to the Fat Lady, and Sir Cadogan was the only one who stepped up to the te ... "


    "How can I put it, although he is usually a braggart and immoderate, he does possess bravery as a knight."


    However, Harry, who was the savior of the wizarding world, hadn''t just been bothered by Sir Cadogantely.


    Ever since Sirius had destroyed the portrait of the Fat Lady, he had been under the close scrutiny of the professors and the various Heads of Grade.


    Professors would always find various excuses to walk with him in the corridors; Percy was always following him everywhere under the guise of tutoring homework and looking after his schoolmates, the problem was that Percy had learned tracking magic so well that Harry couldn''t shake him off if he tried.


    To top it all off, Professor McGonagall called Harry into her office with a look on her face so heavy that Harry thought the Minister of Magic had been stabbed by Sirius!


    "Potter, I think you have a guess as to who Sirius ck is here for." Professor McGonagall said seriously.


    "Yes, I know he''s looking for me," Harry said wearily, "I''ve heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley''s conversation before school started, and Tonks, one of the Aurors from the Ministry of Magic, she briefly told me about the man."


    "In that case, then you must understand why I don''t think it''s a good idea for you to practice Quidditch in the evening." Professor McGonagall said, "On the pitch, with only your teammates around you, it''s safe to say that you''repletely exposed to other people''s attacks ..."


    "But we''re going to have our first Quidditch match soon!" Harry said, his mind reeling. "I must train, Professor!"


    It was because of his personal reasons that the Gryffindor Quidditch team hadn''t retained their titlest year, and Harry had always cared deeply in his heart, even though he didn''t say it out loud.


    This school year, Wood, the captain of the Gryffindor team, was in his seventh year, it was hisst year staying at Hogwarts, and all the team members wanted to leave a perfect ending for their captain.


    Harry, too, wanted to prove his true strength and win back the respect the others had for him through this school year.


    Professor McGonagall watched him intently.


    Harry knew that she was actually extremely concerned about the future of the Gryffindor team as well.


    After all, Professor McGonagall was a Quidditch fanatic, and she was the one who first suggested that Harry make an exception as Gryffindor''s ball finder two years ago.


    Harry looked at Professor McGonagall as well and waited, holding his breath nervously.


    "Well ..." Professor McGonagall stood up and looked out the window with wide eyes at the Quidditch pitch, which was faintly visible in the rain.


    "Well ... I won''t lie, I''d love to see our team finally bring home another trophy." She said, "But anyway, Potter ... I think you''d be a little safer, and I''d be a little more at ease, if you had a professor present to oversee your training ..."


    ...


    Time flew by in the spires of Hogwarts Castle, and before you knew it, it waste fall.


    During this period of time, Lemus Lupin came to Hogwarts as a visiting professor, not actually taking on any lecturing duties, but simplying to solve Sirius ck''s problem.


    The information collected from Serena''s side about the werewolf pack had also been sent to Drac.


    As it turned out, ever since Drac captured the then newly appointed werewolf leader Fenrir Greyburgh, the Romanian werewolf pack had been in a long period of civil unrest.


    Lupin, under Drac''s great trickery, had a dream in his heart, wanting the werewolves to live in a magic world without any discrimination.


    Therefore, he traveled to the turbulent werewolf territory with a full-blooded passion to gather like-minded werewolves and use his excellent magical ability to expel those werewolves who were brutal and unkind, and who still wanted to kill.


    Because of Drac''s exnation, the vampire pack would also help Lupin''s actions from time to time.


    More than a year passed, and Lupin unknowingly already had a very high prestige among the Romanian werewolf pack, leading arge group of conservative werewolves to create a brand new power.


    During this period, the author of the best-selling book "Hairy Nose, Human Heart" was inspired by Lupin''s behavior, and personally came to this brand-new werewolf power in Romania, using his influence to build up Lupin''s momentum in the werewolfmunity, attracting more werewolves with bright hearts to join him.


    Hairy Noses, Human Hearts was so influential that it once ranked alongside Giedroyd Lohart''s Wandering with Werewolves as the most critically acimed werewolf-rted book, telling the harrowing tale of a werewolf-infected sorcerer''s struggle with lycanthropy.


    After Giedroy Lohart''s deletion of other people''s memories became public, Hairy Nose, Human Heart became the best werewolf book, bar none!


    As a result, Lupin''s reputation gradually spread throughout the wizarding world through the book''s author, managing to be known by almost all werewolves.


    It was when Dumbledore learned about this matter at that time that he contacted Lupin, who was busy all day long, through the means of that author.


    ording to reason, Lupin was now at the right time to properly consolidate his strength and enhance the cohesion of the werewolves in his newly established power, but for the sake of his close friends from back then, as well as the students of Hogwarts, he resolutely put down the power in his hands and returned to Hogwarts Castle.


    "Professor Drac, it is an honor to see you again." The first time Lupin arrived at Hogwarts he knocked on the door of the office of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and came to visit Drac.


    "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Lupin." Drac surveyed with interest the werewolf in front of him whose clothes were still tattered, but whose aura waspletely different from back then, and opened his mouth, "But after not seeing you for less than two years, you''re really impressing me now."


    "This is actually all thanks to your help." Lupin shook his head, "Back then, if it wasn''t for the words you inspired me with, I''m afraid that I would still be just a werewolf running around for a living and doing nothing, and I simply wouldn''t have the dreams that I do today, much less the achievements that I have now."


    "This is all your own effort, it has nothing to do with me." Drac took a light sip of red wine and said tantalizingly.


    He was tantalizing on the surface, but he actually felt a little weird inside.


    Back then, in order to have fun, he casually snubbed a werewolf to be their wolf king, but he didn''t expect that he actually snubbed it? Whether this situation should feel proud or embarrassed ...


    "I know your weight in this, Professor Drac." After a moment of silence, Lupin still firmly shook his head, "There were several times when some of my fellow conservative werewolves and I were besieged by those brutalists, and almost fell into a desperate situation-"


    "At that time, we were all able to get out of danger only with the help of the vampires under yourmand, and I have all of this help firmly in my heart, I just don''t know how to repay them for a while ..."


    "Stop, stop, stop, why are you still being fleshy." Drac put down his tall ss of wine and gave him a somewhat disgusted look, "I won''t hide it from you, I helped you a few times purely for the sake of having fun, I really didn''t expect you to be able to make it to this level now."


    "One size does not fit all, no matter what you think Professor Drac, it''s a great help to me." Lupin said with a straight face, "This is something I can still distinguish."


    "Really can''t help you." Drac raised his hand to his forehead and said helplessly, "How about this, how about youe up with this year''s ck Magic Defense ss paper for me?"


    "Well, the deal with Dumbledore expired, and Riddle''s ability toe up with questions now isn''t quite enough. You''vee at just the right time, this is considered your repayment!"

 Chapter 207 - 207 A shocking turn of events on the Quidditch pitch

    <h4>Chapter 207: A shocking turn of events on the Quidditch pitch</h4>


    For the first few days since sses resumed at Hogwarts, the young wizards were a little wary of Sirius ck making aeback and threatening their safety.


    Since that day, however, there had been no sign of Sirius in the castle.


    If Sir Cadogan''s portrait hadn''t still been hanging on the door of the Gryffindormon room in ce of the Fat Lady, the young and forgetful young wizards would probably have forgotten about the infamous and wanted criminal altogether.


    Visiting Professor Lemmus Lupin was dedicated, and upon his arrival at Hogwarts, he had been patrolling all parts of the castle every day, looking for signs of Sirius.


    Not only that, but he pointed out many secret passages that connected the castle to the outside world.


    These passages were discovered while he was attending school with the quartet of James Potter, Sirius ck, and Peter Pettigrew. Some of them were even unheard of by Filch.


    The professors agreed that Sirius had butchered his way into the castle through those secret passages that Filch didn''t know about.


    Because of this credit, Lupin quickly made good connections with the other professors, except for one - the


    The Dean of Slytherin, Severus Snape.


    "Regarding your recruitment of a new visiting professor, I do not feel it was a wise decision, Mr. Headmaster." Snape stopped Dumbledore one night not long after Lupin arrived and told him.


    "But I don''t think so, Severus, and I''m guessing you still have some prejudice against Lemmings." Dumbledore said tantalizingly.


    Snape furrowed his brow, his waxy face seeming to bear a distinct air of exasperation.


    "You do remember the two of them from before, don''t you, Headmaster?" Snape said. His lips were barely parted as he spoke, clenching the roots of his teeth as if he had some kind of bone-deep hatred for Lupin, "You do remember who he really is as well, I suppose ..."


    "Remember, Severus." Dumbledore said, his voice containing something akin to a warning, "Who Lemmings is doesn''t necessarily have anything to do with having hime to the castle to help, we talked about that, didn''t we?"


    "But I can see that there is a good chance that he will tip off Breck." Snape whispered, "He shows up in a few of the most prominent ces in the castle during his daily inspections, and that''s not just visible to us, it''s equally visible to ke outside the castle."


    "It is entirely possible that he is using this behavior to send a message to ke, telling him that he can''te ... now that we''re heavily inspected."


    "Like I said, I don''t believe that Lemus would help ke get into the castle." Dumbledore said, "He wants to capture Sirius ck more than we do, more than he wants to know the truth about what happened back then."


    "All you need to do is do your job and prepare the potion I gave you, I have the rest in mind."


    The tone of his voice made it clear that this matter was talked about as far as it went, so Snape did not reply.


    "I must go and deal with those dementors outside the castle," Dumbledore said, "I fear that if we do not deal with deal with them, the things will think we are hiding the culprits."


    "Do they intend to help, Headmaster?" Snape said softly, frowning in disgust.


    "Oh yes, and I don''t know whether they want to search for criminals or suck the joy out of the children ...," Dumbledore said coldly, "but I''m afraid that as long as I am Headmaster, they will never be allowed to cross the the threshold of the school."


    ...


    The young wizards were obviously much more rxed than the professors who were constantly on guard and on edge all the time.


    They had pretty much forgotten that another escaped criminal like Sirius ck hade to Hogwarts Castle, or that they were still in danger.


    All they knew was that the first Quidditch match was gradually approaching.


    I don''t know if it was the dementors outside the castle, but the weather was getting worse these days.


    But in this weather, the Gryffindor Quidditch team was practicing harder and harder.


    Originally, for Harry''s safety, Professor McGonagall did not want to expose him to the empty Quidditch pitch to prevent being drilled by Sirius ck.


    But because of Harry''s firm request, and because Professor McGonagall herself wanted the Gryffindor Quidditch team to get a good match result, she agreed to the team''s request to continue training.


    Of course, just to be on the safe side, she asked Ms. Hokey, who taught flying lessons, to apany the Gryffindor team to practice.


    "Listen, our opponent this time is not easy." Wood, the team captain, eximed as he stood on the pitch at thest practice before the match, "Our opponent this time is Hufflepuff, the defending champions from the previous school year."


    It had been a blustery day all day, and just as Wood was speaking, the team heard rumbling thunder in the distance.


    Upon hearing the name of the college, Harry subconsciously tightened his grip on the broom he was holding.


    It urred to him that the reason his match form had gotten so badst year was because of Autumn Chang and Hufflepuff''s ball finder, Cedric Diggory.


    Harry had not known how many times he had been indignant about Cedric dating Autumn Chang, thinking that Cedric was just a white boy who had nothing going for him other than his good looks, and he had not known how many times he had been distracted in ss and gone wrong in matches because of it.


    But now when he thought back to Autumn Chang''s face, it was like a lifetime ago, and even in his memory it seemed a little indistinguishable.


    Harry realized that he liked nothing more than the false Autumn-Chang in his own mind.


    In fact, he hadn''t even known much about her specifically before that point, other than the encounter where Professor Drac had given out awards to the first of three years, and the run-in where he had brazenly osted her in the Ravenw tower.


    Whether it was her personality, her family, her character, or her likes and dislikes were all his own guesses, and when that bull''s-eye fondness became tantalizing, all that was left in his mind was the real Autumn Chang, the one he didn''t know, and of course, that memory molded into ake.


    And his opinion of Cedric as a white boy was just a prejudice caused by jealousy.


    Cedric was actually courteous and friendly, and consistently promoted the principles of fair and friendly y on the Quidditch pitch, and his flying ability and ball skills were quite good, so it was no surprise at all that a girl had taken a liking to him.


    In thest game before the Quidditch finalst school year, Gryffindor versus Slytherin, Harry then made a reconciliation within himself with Cedric, sort of handing a Hufflepuff a chance to win over Slytherin, allowing them to achieve the final championship.


    Now, for the first Quidditch match of this school year, Gryffindor just happened to meet Hufflepuff, which brought Harry a feeling like it was meant to be.


    "Are you listening carefully, Harry?"


    Wood''s voice interrupted Harry''s thoughts. He looked up in a hurry and smiled at Wood.


    "Are you sure you''re okay with this?" Wood looked at Harry suspiciously and hesitantly, "It''s not going to be as off asst school year, is it?"


    "Don''t worry Oliver, it won''t be like that again!" Harry smiled confidently, "I''m already another Harry!"


    "That''s for the best," Wood nodded and continued, "We''re ying against a Hufflepuff team this tournament, but we don''t know anything about their style of y this school year. Because they have a new captain, Cedric Diggory-"


    The three ball chasers, Angelina, Aria and Katie, suddenly giggled.


    "What''s wrong?" Wood frowned at them, not too pleased with the carefree behavior.


    "Cedric Diggory is the tall, good-looking boy, right?" Angelina said.


    "The physically strong, soft-spoken one." Katie added.


    With that, they started giggling again.


    Harry sighed, feeling like it really wasn''t a surprise at all that Autumn Chang was looking at Cedric.


    "He''s soft spoken because he''s not fierce enough! Quidditch matches need true Mongers like us!" Fred, who grew up in the same vige as Cedric, instantly joked.


    "There''s no need to worry too much Oliver, Cedric is only a first time captain and definitely not as capable as a ''tyrant'' like you!" George chimed in.


    "How many times have I told you not to be gullible! Not to mention facing the defending champions fromst school year!" Wood shouted at the grinning twins so loudly that his eyes both looked slightly protruding. "Diggory has organized the squad with a strong lineup, nothing less than what thest captain organized!"


    "On top of that, he''s an excellent ball finder! I don''t know exactly what Harry''s form is at the moment, but I do know that even if he gets back to his best he won''t necessarily be able to overpower Diggory! That''s why we have to fight hard, we have to win!"


    "Oliver, don''t get your panties in a twist," Fred and George hurriedly patted their chests at the sight of Wood''s serious demeanor, "We''ll do our best against the Hufflepuffs, we promise!"


    ...


    The morning before the match was windy and rainy.


    The weather was even worse than the previous day''s training. The hallways and ssrooms were so dark that Filch had to light more torches and lights.


    The Gryffindormon room seemed louder than outside because it was in a towering tower and the storm pounded on the windowpanes.


    Harry woke early to the sound of the thunderstorm and looked to the rain-soaked, molded windows.


    He knew he couldn''t expect the match to be canceled - Quidditch matches in the wizarding world were never canceled for something as trivial as a thunderstorm.


    Even though he had known this for a long time, Harry still felt a little scared, as if there was an ominous premonition lingering in the back of his mind.


    He got out of bed and sat in front of the firece ruminating.


    It urred to him that seekers in Quidditch matches were usually lithe, agile sorts of people, and that Diggory was a little taller than the usual seeker, but his weight was a factor in his favor in this kind of weather, as he wouldn''t be blown off his feet by the gusty winds.


    Harry didn''t have time to keep rambling, though, because Crookshanks, the hybrid cat beaver that Hermione kept, had been pining for Ron''s mouse, Spotty, and had been secretly butting up the stairs of the boys'' dormitory from time to time.


    He had to get up every now and then during his ramblings and nuzzle Crookshanks'' soft stomach to put him back in themon room.


    Finally, when it was almost breakfast time, he walked alone toward the doorway of the portrait guard.


    "Stand still and make war, you shitty dog!" Sir Cadogan yelled, as always, to every little wizard who passed by.


    "Oh, shut up." Harry coped with a yawn.


    He had gotten used to the foul-mouthed knight, and the curses that came out of the knight''s mouth really indicated nothing more than contempt for his dueling opponent and no malice.


    After finishing arge bowl of porridge, Harry was slightly more refreshed, and by the time he started eating his toast, the rest of the team had arrived.


    "This match is going to be intense." Wood said. He was too nervous to eat anything.


    "Don''t worry Oliver," Angelina reassured him, "We don''t care if there''s a little bit of rain, we train in it all the time."


    But it wasn''t just a little bit of rain, they had never trained in this much rain.


    Yet even with this hellish weather, the entire school had poured out as usual to watch the first Quidditch game of the semester. It wasplete proof that Quidditch was indeed extremely popr in the wizarding world, where entertainment was expensive and scarce.


    Teachers and students trotted across thewn towards the Quidditch pitch, keeping their heads down against the gusting wind - this was because halfway across the field their umbres would be blown out of their hands by the wind.


    But one of the umbres, a solid ck one, showed no signs of damage, quietly propped open against the howling storm.


    Drac walked through the torrential rain with his umbre, and all the raindrops that were tilted by the wind would automatically reverse their direction when they were about to touch his robes and drip down to the ground instead.


    As a result, there was no ce on hispel that was wet from the rain, and he looked out of ce with the woeful little wizards.


    "Sure enough, as long as it''s not sunny, Professor Drac is still more than willing toe to the Quidditch pitch for a bit of fun." Harry thought to himself as he looked enviously at Drac''s unblemished wet-stained robes.


    Finally carrying the storm into the Gryffindor team''s locker room, the team members couldn''t wait to change out of their soggy clothes and into the college''s big red Quidditch uniforms, and instantly felt better.


    ... It wouldn''t be more than a few minutes though, and when the game started, their clothes would still be wet when they should be.


    After changing into their uniforms, the yers lined up and waited for the pre-match pep talk that Wood, as captain, had always given.


    But to no one''s surprise, Wood tried to open his mouth several times to speak, but only made the odd breathless sound, unable to speak any of his once grandiose words.


    Eventually, he shook his head hopelessly and beckoned everyone to join him on the pitch.


    He''d already led Gryffindor to a Quidditch Cup, and there was really no need to be demanding of anything in his final year at Hogwarts; as long as he did his best, the oue was rather no big deal ...


    The wind was blowing so hard that the yers walked onto the pitch one by one swaying.


    Over the rumbling thunder, even with the crowd cheering them on, they simply couldn''t hear them.


    The rain hit Harry''s sses hard and he was already worried about how he was going to see the golden flyer in the middle of a raging storm.


    By the time the Gryffindor team members had made their way to the center of the pitch, the Hufflepuff team, also dressed in canary-like yellow uniforms, approached them from across the pitch.


    The captains of both sides came forward to shake each other''s hands, Diggory smiled at Wood and Wood nodded towards him.


    The thunder was so loud that the yers on both sides couldn''t hear Mrs. Hockey.


    Fortunately, the yers were experienced enough to watch her mouth and wait until she seemed to call out "on the flying broom" before they all got on their brooms.


    Harry pulled his right foot out of the mud on the pitch before straddling the Light Wheel 2000.


    "All-"


    Mrs. Hokey put her whistle to her lips and blew hard, making a shrill whistle that barely prated the thunder and howling wind-


    The race was on!


    Harry rode as fast as he could, but his Lightwheel 2000 wobbled a little unsteadily in the wind. He gripped the sweeping handle as tightly as he could and turned to charge into the storm.


    ...


    Drac sat on a raised tform in the audience with his umbre, looking over the stadium in boredom.


    Of all the seats around him, the one he was in was the only one that was dry.


    "Say, can you guys really see the state of the game overhead when you''re watching so intently?" Drac asked as he casually grabbed a nearby small wizard who was intently watching the game.


    This little wizard was obviously an avid Quidditch fan, staring high into the sky with his eyes wide open even when it was raining heavily, afraid of missing any bit of the details of the match, unwilling to blink even when the rain was hitting the inside of his eyes.


    "Ah, Professor Drac." The little wizard seemed to have just realized that Drac was sitting right next to him, scratching his soaked hair in some embarrassment, "Actually, I couldn''t see much, I could only see a few small ck dots, and I don''t know if they are birds or yers ..."


    "That''s all you''re still looking so into it?" Drac looked at him speechlessly, "I am not feeling any pleasure from this game at all, isn''t this pure torture?"


    "You can''t say that!" The young wizard subconsciously amplified his voice and retorted, "Quidditch matches in inclement weather are the most testing situation for a yer''s willpower and skill there is, and a victory in such a match is far more admirable than a victory in regr weather ..."


    Before he could finish, he saw Drac''s less than pleased expression and his tone became a little weak again, "I ... I didn''t mean to say it so loud, I''m sorry Professor Drac ... "


    "Never mind, there''s really something iprehensible about a group like fans." Drac lost his smile and shook his head, gently snapping his fingers.


    All the young wizards in the audience were originally still trying to keep their eyes open, trying to avoid the rain from affecting their sight. However, out of nowhere, they realized that the raindrops in the sky had switched ces and descended, as if they had purposely bypassed their eyes.


    Drac watched the bewildered expressions of the young wizards gradually transform into excitement, tantalizingly evoking a smile.


    Dumbledore, who was also watching the match not far away, nced in surprise towards the audience where Drac was, and a trace of an amused smile appeared on his face as well.


    "Obviously very understanding of the others, what''s the usual pretense of indifference?" Heughed lightly and shook his head.


    ...


    High in the air, Harry was still trying to fly and had no idea how long the match had been going on.


    He was soaking wet and frozen stiff, and it was hard to see his teammates, let alone the tiny golden flyer.


    Zipping across the stadium, he swept past the red and yellow figures of a moldedke,pletely unable to see exactly how the game was going. He couldn''t even hear thements of the spectators either in the howling wind.


    Both times Harry came close to being touched off his flying broom by the wandering ball. The rain was so heavy that he couldn''t see theming from the opposite direction.


    Slowly his arms became sore and it seemed harder and harder to keep the broom flying in a straight line.


    The sky was getting darker and darker, as if the night had decided toe early.


    Harry came close to crashing into another yer a couple of times and wasn''t sure if it was one of his teammates or an opposing yer. Everyone was soaked now, and the rain was so dense that it was impossible for him to see the Golden Flyers ...


    "Dudu-"


    Mrs. Hodge''s whistle blew with the first sh of lightning.


    Harry could just make out the silhouette of Wood in the dense curtain of rain, and Wood was beckoning Harry toe down to the ground.


    The whole team then descended into the mud of the ground with rain sttered all over them.


    "I called time out!" Wood yelled to the team over the sound of rain and thunder, "Come on, get down there-"


    They huddled under arge umbre on the side of the field. Harry took off his sses and wiped them hastily on his soaked robes, which looked as if they were getting even dirtier.


    "What''s the score?" He asked hurriedly.


    "We''re up by fifty points," Wood said, "but the score can''t be too far apart, it''s still up to the finder."


    "I can hardly see my way around with my sses on, let alone catch the Golden Flyers." Harry said chagrined as he waved his sses around.


    Just then, Hermione came running from nowhere she was top of her cloak and squeezed under therge umbre at the side of the pitch, and with a smile on her face.


    "I have an idea Harry!" She said excitedly, "Give me your sses, quick!"


    Harry was puzzled but handed her his sses out of trust.


    Hermione tapped Harry''s sses with her wand as the entire team watched in amazement and read:


    "Waterproof and Wetproof (Imperuious)!"


    "There!" She said, handing the sses back to Harry, "It''s a water and fire spell, now the rain won''t get in the way of your sses!"


    After the pause was over, the yers on both sides flew back into the dense rain.


    Hermione''s spell had worked. Although the two things of being cold, numb and soaked still hadn''t been resolved, Harry could definitely see.


    With renewed vigor and determination, he urged his Lightwheel 2000 through the turbulent air currents, looking in every direction for the golden flyer.


    There was one burst of thunder after another, followed by different shapes of lightning. The situation high in the sky was bing more and more dangerous, and Harry knew he had to catch the golden thief as soon as possible.


    So he turned menacingly, trying to get back to the center of the pitch.


    But just then, another thick bolt of lightning lit up the stands-


    Harry saw something that distracted himpletely: the silhouette of a huge ck dog covered in coarse fur, a silhouette that was reflected clearly in the sky as it stayed in a row of empty seats in the highest tier of the stands.


    He thought of something the professor of the divination ss he had taken this semester, Sybil Trwney, had said-


    "''Ominous,'' my dear boy, ''ominous''!" Prof. Trwney saw his divination in ss and eximed in shock, "The big, spooky dog that roams the graveyard! My dear boy, this is the evil omen ... of the worst omen ... of death!"


    He thought again of the huge ck dog he had seen before he met Tonks when he ran away from home.


    How had this ck dog appeared again today in a ghostly manner?


    Harry''s numb hands slipped on his flying broom and his Lightwheel 2000 plummeted a few feet down.


    He brushed the soaking sea of streams away from his eyes and couldn''t help but get distracted again, squinting over to the stand, only to realize that the ck dog had disappeared at some point.


    "Harry!" Wood''s distressed yell came from the Gryffindor goal, "Harry, seriously, look behind you!"


    Harry looked back in rm to see Cedric hurtling continuously over the pitch, a small golden patch flickering in the rain-drenched air, between them ...


    It was the golden flyer!


    In a panic, Harry crouched full-body on his flying broomstick and spun around to sprint towards the golden sh.


    "Go for it!" He yelled into his Lightwheel 2000, letting the rain p his cheeks, "Faster! Faster!"


    However, something strange suddenly happened.


    In the midst of a scene that should have been filled with the sound of wind, crackling rain, and thunder, there was a precipitous silence.


    The wind, though still as strong as before, forgot to howl, as if it were an old television set and someone had turned the sound off abruptly; or as if Harry had suddenly gone deaf ...


    He had a premonition that something bad was about to happen!


    The next moment, a strange and familiar, terrifying chill came at him, fiercely racing inside his body, and only then did he just realize that something was moving over the pitch ...


    Harry couldn''t think fast enough to take his eyes off the golden flyer and look to the side.


    There were at least a hundred Dementors hovering in the air, their faces hidden beneath their hoods pointed at him. It was as if frozen water had risen from his chest, cutting into his insides.


    Then he heard the same sound he had heard once before on the train - someone moaning, moaning inside his head ... It was a woman ... The woman''s voice was eerily familiar ...


    "Don''t move Harry. Don''t move Harry ... Please don''t ever move Harry!"


    "Step aside you stupid woman ... step aside now ..."


    "Don''t move Harry, please don''t, not unless you kill me first ... kill me now ..."


    Harry''s brain seemed to go numb and fall into a white fog ...


    He subconsciously wanted to help the woman, she was about to die ... she was about to be murdered ...


    Meanwhile, Harry was still falling downward, falling through that icy mist.


    "Don''t move Harry! Please don''t move ... Have mercy ... Have mercy ..."


    A shrill voice wasughing, the woman was screaming, and Harry knew nothing more.


    Before he slipped into apletea, he saw a blinding silver light take over the entire Quidditch pitch and a voice of suppressed rage resonated through the sky as if the rain and thunder had stopped for the voice to move.


    "You disgusting things, who the hell gave you permission to enter Hogwarts?!"

 Chapter 208 - 208 Silver Tornado Cloud Pillar on the Quidditch Pitch

    <h4>Chapter 208: Silver Tornado Cloud Pir on the Quidditch Pitch</h4>


    The sky was still dark and scary, but the original pouring rain suddenly stagnated in mid-air.


    The whistling wind also stopped, the roaring thunder also disappeared, the whole heaven and earth was suppressed, and there was an unstoppable anger rising up.


    Harry''s thin body was senseless, falling fast from the high sky, and above him it seemed as if another figure was riding on a broomstick trying its best to catch up, but it could not catch up with the speed of his descent at all.


    But in this overcast sky, Harry was not noticed by the young wizards in the audience until he was close to crashing to the ground.


    "Look up in the sky! That''s ... Harry Potter!" Someone eximed.


    "Is that Cedric following Potter? Which one of them caught the Golden Flyers?"


    "They''re going too fast, isn''t this not right?"


    "..."


    The crowd, still unable to see exactly what was happening, murmured from their respective positions.


    "Howe we haven''t seen Harry move ... Wait, where''s his broom?" Ron heard the chatter around him and frowned as he looked high into the air, then his eyes widened in horror.


    "Harry''s not slowing down at all!" Hermione shouted anxiously, "Can''t you feel this all over cold, it must be the dementors again, Harry fainted after thest time he saw a dementor!"


    She stood up and raised her wand to the sky.


    However, it was too dark, and Harry''s figure was too small, Hermione, who was only a third year wizard, waspletely incapable of urately applying the spell to Harry, and could only watch as he flew down.


    Just then, an old, muffled voice came over from the highest of the stands-


    "Arresto Momentum (Shock Stop) -"


    This voice seemed to have a soothing power, and the panicked little wizards immediately quieted down andpletely let go of their hearts.


    They could hear that it was Dumbledore''s voice.


    Harry''s descent was immediately slowed, and a distraught Cedric finally caught up with him, releasing his tight grip on the broom to help Harry.


    Fred and George also finally reacted and hurriedly flew to Harry''s side, joining Cedric in holding him up as theynded on the still very muddy ground.


    "Cedric, what just happened?" Fred asked impatiently, "Why did Harry suddenly fall out of the sky, and where''s his broom?"


    "We just encountered dementors ... uncountable dementors, they were roaming the air in thickets." Cedric said heartily, "And then Harry fainted and fell off his broom."


    "How did the dementors get within range of the Quidditch pitch?" George waved his fist angrily and said indignantly, "They almost killed Harry!"


    At that moment, Wood flew over with the three ball chasers as well andnded on the ground.


    "How''s Harry?" Wood asked.


    "He''s fine, Captain Wood ... except that I''m afraid the game won''t go on today." Cedric said softly with a sigh.


    Wood eyed Harry worriedly and was about to go over and carry him on his back and take him to the school infirmary.


    Then, instead, Wood''s eyes caught a glint of gold in Cedric''s hand that was holding Harry''s back.


    "That''s ..." he froze for a moment, and suddenly his boy-hole contracted, "Diggory, you caught the golden flyer?!"


    "What?" Both of the Weasley twins were startled and looked at Cedric''s clenched right hand in shock.


    Seeing that he couldn''t hide it, Cedric could only spread his palm.


    In the center of his palmy a metallic ball the size of a walnut, with a pair of small, brightly colored wings that constantly pped on its bright golden body.


    "Actually, if it wasn''t for the Dementors, Harry would have had a good chance of getting the Golden Snitch." Cedric said, "I didn''t win this match, I suggest a rematch, let''s find a better day for a serious match."


    "No need." Wood said. His voice sounded as if it had been squeezed out of his throat, "A true Quidditch yer doesn''t make excuses because of outside factors, what''s yours is yours to win, no need for a rematch."


    After saying this, Wood heaved up a ragged breath, as if finishing the sentence had taken all his strength.


    "But ..."


    Cedric was about to retort, however the referee, Ms. Hokey, hade onto the Quidditch pitch with another witch, a little older than her age, and inserted herself between them.


    "Ms. Hockey, Cedric has caught the Golden Flyer and the match is over!" Wood suddenly shouted.


    Ms. Hockey gave Wood a surprised look and took the golden flyer from Cedric, acknowledging the result of the match.


    "Duuuuuuuuuuuu-"


    She blew her whistle, dering the Hufflepuff team the ultimate victor.


    At that moment, Professor McGonagall also came trotting onto the pitch in a hurry, an extremely anxious look on her face, not caring that the muddywn had sttered a number of muddy spots on the hem of her modest wizarding robes.


    "Madam Pomfrey, is there something wrong with Potter''s health?" She asked hurriedly to the witch who had followed Ms. Hockey here.


    "Nothing serious." Madam Pomfrey, the head nurse in a white wizard''s robe, quickly examined Harry''s body before turning to Professor McGonagall, "It should just be a convulsion under the influence of the Dementors, but there''s no way to tell the exact details right now, I''m going to take him back to the school infirmary right now to check him out more closely."


    With a wave of her wand, she maneuvered a stretcher that picked Harry up from several of Cedric''s hands and floated off in the direction of Hogwarts Castle.


    "Well then," Professor McGonagall breathed a sigh of relief, then nced high in the sky with a less-than-ster look on her face, "That''s a hell of a lot of Dementors to be out here. That definitely counts as a trespass and an offense!"


    "I think I saw Dumbledore looking angry when I passed that stand just now," Ms. Hodge sighed softly as she held onto her broom, "How will he deal with this?"


    "It has indeed been a long time since I''ve seen Albus so angry." Professor McGonagall nodded, then said somewhat hesitantly, "But this time, it seems as if someone went ahead and handled it for him ..."


    As if to corroborate Professor McGonagall''s words, in the high level of the gloomy sky, there was suddenly a piece of dazzling silver light upying the entire sky, as if a silver moon was lit up in the heavy dark clouds!


    The sky, which had originally seemed to have fallen into stasis, suddenly changed, and the thick clouds slowly rotated with the silver moon as the center.


    As time flies, the speed of rotation is getting faster and faster, and the height of the center of the clouds is getting lower and lower, gradually forming an hourss-like shape, as if a tornado was suddenly blown above the cumulus clouds through the sky and through the earth!


    All the little wizards present had their mouths wide open and were in an extremely shocked mood as they watched this scene in the sky.


    Not only the little wizards, even the knowledgeable professors were no less, each one of them staring at the fiercely rotating cloud column with eyes as wide open as a child who had never seen anything.


    Their eyesight was much better than that of the young wizards, and they were able to see that the sky was not only filled with rotting cloud pirs and silver moons, but also countless decaying, dark creatures desperately struggling at the edge of the cloud pirs in an attempt to escape from the hurricane''s sweeping winds.


    Those dark creatures, each and every one of them dressed in rotting cloaks, were attacked in the violent wind and hunted, as if they were going to bepletely ripped off ... Who would have thought that they were the very same Dementors that had been arrogant, domineering, and unbeatable just a few minutes ago?


    The cloud column rotated faster and faster, and the wind grew stronger and stronger, and one silver bat after another seemed to have been born out of thin air from the silver light flying around the wind swirl.


    Every time one of the bats came into contact with the body of a Dementor, the Dementor that was originally going to get out of the range of the tornado seemed to lose all its strength, instantly deprived of its mobility and no longer capable of struggling.


    Just like that, all the dementors high in the sky were sucked into the violent tornado.


    Subsequently, all the spinning cumulus clouds collected with the flow of the wind whirlwind, and all of them disappeared into that silver-colored moon.


    That moon also gradually contracted, and was finally gently grasped by a slender palm and collected in the center of it.


    The moonlight passed away, the dark clouds dissipated, the sky turned a long-lost azure color, and the ground was sprinkled with warm sunlight.


    The figure suspended high in the air frowned, took a false step forward, and disappeared into ce in an instant.


    The wizards present stared nkly at the brilliant golden light in the sky, feeling the temperature that had not been felt for many days.


    If it weren''t for the fact that thewn was still muddy, they were afraid that they would have thought that they were just having a dream.


    ...


    The next day, the people from the Ministry of Magic arrived at the Vice Chancellor''s office at Hogwarts in a hurry through the flywaywork.


    Professor McGonagall greeted them in her office, but of course, she didn''t give any good looks at all to the culprits who had caused Harry to nearly fall to his death, and who had also caused her house not to win the Quidditch match.


    Dumbledore and Drac were sitting in the Headmaster''s office on the eighth floor, chatting away, waiting for the Ministry of Magic officials to arrive.


    "How''s Potter?" Drac asked casually as he picked up his detached hat out of habit and twirled it around.


    "Thanks to you, Harry just woke up not long after Bobbi took him to the school infirmary." Dumbledore smiled, "His friends have been visiting him in the school infirmary."


    "There''s practically nothing wrong with Harry''s health anymore, it''s just that Bobbi made sure he stayed there until the weekend, so I''ll have to get him a leave of absence from you, Professor Drac." He said.


    "A week''s vacation? I know." Drac thought for a moment and nodded, "But I heard he wasn''t in the best of moods because of the loss? Their captain was rather sanguine when he refused a rematch."


    "There are reasons for that, but not all of them." Dumbledore said with a shake of his head, "Harry''s flying broom crashed into the Beating Willow and was demolished by an angry willow, so I guess it can''t be repaired."


    "Professor Drac, you understand, flying brooms are to Quidditch yers what wands are to wizards, their best friends. So Harry losing his broom is like losing a best friend, of course he''s going to be sad for a while ..."


    "Not really." Dracughed softly as he tossed the sorting hat back onto its stool and casually pulled out his own wand, "If you hadn''t insisted that I have this wand ready, I wouldn''t have bothered to use it."


    "Of course you''re special, Professor Drac, it''s good to be able to probably understand what I mean." Dumbledore said somewhat helplessly, "Anyway, nothing serious on Harry''s end, we should actually be thinking about how to deal with the Ministry of Magic''s outburst now."


    "Oh?" Drac looked over at Dumbledore and quirked the corner of his mouth gently, "Why is it a matter of dealing with their tantrums and not ours?"


    A sh of surprise appeared in his eyes, followed by a seemingly derisive look.


    "Could it be that ... you''re not going to let me hand over those Dementors this time?"


    "They entered Hogwarts'' territory without my consent, so of course they have to pay some price." Dumbledore''s voice chilled, "Hogwarts may only be a school of magic, but that doesn''t mean we''re just going to let anyone rub our noses in it."


    Just then, there was a knock on the door of the Headmaster''s office.


    Dumbledore and Drac looked at each other and nodded to each other.


    "Come in."


    Dumbledore raised his hand and the door opened automatically.


    Professor McGonagall walked in with several wizards dressed in a suit of formal attire.


    "Albus, the men are here." Professor McGonagall said.


    "Tough luck, Minerva." Dumbledore''s expression turned gentle again, "And I''d also like to trouble you to tell Lemus to take Professor Drac''s ce for two sses, this side shouldn''t be able to be fixed for a while."


    Professor McGonagall nodded, then coldly nced at the several officials of the Ministry of Magic, turned around and left the principal''s office, and casually brought the door with him.


    After Professor McGonagall left, a silence fell over the principal''s office for a short time.


    Drac watched Dumbledore, who was leisurely sipping his tea, and the several officials of the Ministry of Magic, who appeared to be a bit rushed in their movements, with interest, feeling very interesting.


    No matter what people on the status, no matter how pretentious those people were, when they really faced Dumbledore, the ceiling-like great wizard of the magic world, they could not help but show a few moments of timidity.


    "Ahem, Headmaster Dumbledore, the main reason we came here this time is to resolve the issue of the Ministry of Magic''s employees being arbitrarily captured by your school. This is out of order ..."


    The leading official of the Ministry of Magic wearing a pinstriped suit was the first to hold back and opened his mouth to break the quiet atmosphere in the office.


    "So that''s what you think, Minister Fudge?" Dumbledore put his teacup back on the table, nced at him, and said tantalizingly, "I must say that our opinion on the matter is somewhat different from yours."


    "If you please." Fudge wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.


    Then as if he felt that his performance was a bit of a drop, he forced himself to straighten up again, his bulging stomach almost holding up the buttons on the front of his shirt.


    "Good, then let me say what I think." Dumbledore said coldly.


    "All I know is that yesterday arge number of Dementors trespassed on the Quidditch pitch where a game was being yed, attacked a Quidditch yer, and nearly caused that yer to have a life-threatening condition!"

 Chapter 209 - 209 Powdered Toad Umbridge

    <h4>Chapter 209: Powdered Toad Umbridge</h4>


    "It''s ... true that this is the sort of thing we don''t want to see either." Fudge knew that he was in the wrong, and could only force his way to a defense, "But the Dementors also had a reason for having to be on the Quidditch pitch ..."


    "Just yesterday morning, the Dementors suddenly delivered a message to the staff of the Ministry of Magic - they had discovered Sirius ck''s trail during their patrols, near the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts!"


    As he spoke, Fudge''s tone grew confident, as if he had convinced himself that the Dementors'' intrusion into the school was justified.


    "Oh?" Dumbledore looked over with cold eyes and said indifferently, "Mr. Minister, can I take your meaning to mean that the Dementors found criminals around a group of professors including myself?"


    "In that case, may I ask if Mr. Minister is trying to say that the professors at Hogwarts are notpetent enough to spot Sirius ck, who is close by, or are you trying to say that the professors are in cahoots with criminals and are harboring criminals toe and watch the Quidditch match?"


    Dumbledore''s sharp words caused a cold sweat to break out on Fudge''s face once again.


    Hogwarts served as the talent training base for the entire British magicalmunity, and there were too many wizards who harbored warm and deep feelings for the school; as the Minister of Magic, if he dared to disparage the professors of Hogwarts without reason, major public pressure would await him!


    Just when Fudge was in a dilemma, the other witch following him took a step forward, revealing an ugly and sweet to the point of being cloying smile.


    "Hasn''t Headmaster Dumbledore heard that different people have different skills?" She said in a whiny tone, "Apparently Dementors are a bit better at catching criminals than professors who spend all their time teaching in schools."


    "You are?" Looking at the interjecting witch, Dumbledore frowned.


    "Dolores Umbridge," the witch gave a pompous look of pride, "Assistant Minister of Magic and Senior Deputy Minister of Magic."


    "Okay, Ms. Assistant," Dumbledore repeated with a cold look, "Am I to understand that you believe that the professors at Hogwarts are notpetent, or are harboring criminals?"


    "Oh! I didn''t mean to deny the position, orpetence, of the Hogwarts professors," Umbridge fussed, while ncing meaningfully toward Drac on the couch, "Of course, we can''t rule out that there will be some assholes among them ... "


    Drac, not knowing how the finger of me had shifted to himself, turned his attention with interest away from the chapter house hat he was holding and looked towards the witch named Umbridge, the one next to Fudge.


    However, after only one look, the Earl Lord with a thousand years of experience and powerful strength almost vomited ...


    Umbridge''s age should not be too young, with a wide, bby, ugly face, but wearing a very "girly" pink suit, with a fluffy cardigan pink sweater draped over the suit, and a small ck velvet bow on her short curly hair... ...


    The look was like a toad with a pink bow, and one that none of Neville''s rifles would care to mate with.


    Even if it was easy to scare people with its ugly looks and overly contrasting attire, the key was that this female toad''s voice was still a very shrill clip-clop sound, as if it was pretending to be a teenage girl, but in reality it looked like an underdeveloped old hen.


    Drac sucked in a breath of cool air, and subconsciously just waved his hand, sending a powerful thrust instantly onto the pink toad''s body, pushing her through the door of the principal''s office and mming her heavily against the railing of the rotating staircase outside.


    As if doing that wasn''t enough, he beckoned and closed the door to his office, shutting out the image of Umbridge''s hot eyes, and opened all the windows.


    A gust of wind blew in through the windows, causing the books, candles, and even the tables and chairs in the principal''s office to shake in fear that the Umbridge might still have any odor left in the space.


    "Whew... this should be about right." The gale outside the window blew for a full minute before Drac let out a sigh of relief and let the gale stop.


    Fudge happened to be standing next to one of the windows in the Headmaster''s office, and the gale thatsted for a minute blew his hair and clothes as messy as a chicken coop, and blew the Minister''s mind.


    He had just been d that he had brought one of his assistants over to act as a bad-mouthing viin, or he would not have been able to deal with Dumbledore''s verbal onught.


    However, in the blink of an eye, this highly offensive assistant was thrown out the door, and nothing pre-determined could be brought into y ...


    We''re all civilized people, how can we just say we''re going to do something?


    "I need an exnation, Dumbledore!" Fudge fixed his clothes and hair while looking at Dumbledore angrily, "Attacking a senior official of the Ministry of Magic without cause, are you trying to violently defy the Ministry''s investigation?!"


    "Where is the unprovoked reason? I have a very clear reason here alright?" Drac snorted, "Just now that pink-skinned toad seriously polluted my eyes, tainted my ears, and even affected my mood for the whole day! Isn''t that reason clear enough?"


    "What kind of reason is that, you are defying the authority of the Ministry of Magic!" Fudge''s face turned red with anger.


    Of course, it wasn''t because of Drac''s practice of throwing Umbridge out of the door and the toadment, he actually thought that the name was quite graphic ... He was angry because of Drac''s attitude of disregarding the rules of the Ministry of Magic.


    "Insulting a Ministry of Magic official with insulting words is an act that can already be criminalized!" Fudge eximed, "Sure enough, only people like you would take Ministry of Magic employees captive against the Ministry of Magic''s rules!"


    Fudge had long known that it was Hogwarts'' Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who had shed with the Dementors, and he also knew that the only two people waiting for them in the Headmaster''s office today were the Headmaster and the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.


    So of course he also knew that Drac was the same professor who had taken the Dementors captive.


    "Minister Fudge, Professor Drac was only acting in self-defense against the Dementor''s intrusion, it was nowhere near as serious as you im." Dumbledore said in Drac''s defense, "Besides, if Professor Drac hadn''t stepped in just in time, there could have been an even bigger riot on the Quidditch pitch."


    "I''m more interested in knowing who actually authorized those dementors to enter Hogwarts?"


    He smoothly took the conversation in another direction, staring straight into Fudge''s eyes, a sharp gleam condensing from them.


    "It ... was for the safety of the Savior," Fudge stumbled over his words again without Umbridge at his side, forgetting even the fact that he had just tried to take the opportunity to turn on Drac.


    "The Dementors have made a rare discovery of Sirius, and the urgency of the matter is such that I have granted their request to enter Hogwarts on a temporary basis without further notice here." He said eagerly.


    "But it was because of the Dementors that the Savior almost lost his life by falling from a great height!" Dumbledore said coldly, "Harry Potter is still lying in the school infirmary to this day, all because of the effects of the Dementors."


    "This ..." Fudge froze in ce, a pang of fear running through his mind.


    If the boy who had survived the catastrophe did not die at the hands of the wanted criminal Sirius ck, but instead had problems because of the Dementors, then he was afraid that this Minister of Magic would really be at the end of his days.


    And it was not just a matter of the Minister being at the end of his days, if something really happened to Harry Potter because of his poor decision making, then he would probably be the sinner of the magic world and remain in the history of magic in such a way for future generations to spit on!


    Fudge winced and froze, not knowing what he should say to salvage some of his words.


    Just then, a tall, balding, dark-skinned male wizard behind Fudge stepped forward and tapped him on the shoulder.


    "Leave it to me, Mr. Minister." The male wizard said in a deep, slow voice.


    "Kings here? Wait, you''re only here to take care of security, it''s better for you to stay out of political matters ...," Fudge looked at the dark-skinned male witch beside him with a somewhat puzzled expression.


    In his opinion, the male wizard named Kingsley Shackle beside him was just an Aurora captain with little political level, following along anding here to take care of security was enough, as for the negotiations and the rest of the things should be left to the Minister of Magic and the assistant to deal with.


    However, without waiting for him to finish speaking, Kingsley Shackle took the first step to open his mouth in an unassuming manner.


    "Headmaster Dumbledore, we acknowledge that the Dementors may have made somepses in their work, and the Ministry of Magic can apologize to you for thosepses." He said calmly, in stark contrast to Fudge''s panicked look.


    Dumbledore smiled at him and made an inviting gesture forward, signaling Kingsley to continue.


    "It is true that the Ministry of Magic made a mistake in their work, but that does not mean that the professors at Hogwarts can dispose of Ministry employees on their own." Kingsley gave Drac a look and continued, "Of course, I can understand this Professor Drac''s behavior, after all, no professor would want anything to go wrong with their students."


    "So the idea on our side is that each side will take a step back - that is, Professor Drac will return the personally captured Dementors to the Ministry of Magic, and the Ministry of Magic will not appeal Professor Drac''s assault on a Ministry of Magic official."


    "Wait, that''s not appropriate, is it?" Fudge subconsciously nced at the door and whispered close to Kingsley''s ear, "Is it really true that we won''t prosecute such a person who doesn''t take the Ministry of Magic seriously? The prestige of the Ministry of Magic will be damaged."


    "Trust me, Mr. Minister, even if Professor Drac is prosecuted we won''t be able to do anything with him." Jin Si Lai also responded in a small voice, "I guess his strength is close to the level of a great wizard anyways, my personal opinion is that it''s not advisable to make too much of a conflict."


    Then also not waiting for Fudge''s response, Kingi continued:


    "In addition to this, we agree to further restrain the behavior of the Dementors, as far as possible to prevent the urrence of the situation like yesterday. Is that alright with you, Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor Drac?"


    "That would be a good solution." A smile appeared on Dumbledore''s face and he nodded lightly.


    Drac ran his eyes back and forth between the two Dumbledore and Kingsley a few times with deep meaning in his eyes before finally settling his eyes on Dumbledore''s face.


    Dumbledore also noticed Drac''s gaze and tilted his head imperceptibly, nodding slightly.


    Drac understood and turned his head to Kingsley, quirking his mouth gently.


    "Good, I agree."


    With that, he casually pulled a piece of parchment from Dumbledore''s desk and casually folded it several times into a small cardboard box.


    Drac then raised his hand and gently tapped it on the carton, an unmarked stretching spell instantly tapping down and immediately expanding the space inside the carton to the size of a cottage.


    He opened his palm again, and a round of silver moon coalesced in front of his palm, and slowly pushed towards the interior of the carton.


    After the silver lightpletely disappeared into the carton, Drac casually threw the carton to Kingsley.


    "All the Dementors you wanted are in here." He said, and waved his arm as if shooing a duck, "You two can leave now, I won''t be so nice next time!"


    Kingsley took the carton in a panic, and together with Fudge, they turned their eyes towards the interior of the carton, and saw that three or five groups of Dementors were floating shriveled in the carton, an unknown number of them, a lot of them anyway.


    "A random cardboard box used to inflict the Traceless Stretch spell ...?" Kingsley and Fudge''s faces were shocked, feeling their brains go down a bit.


    Shouldn''t a dangerous magic like the Traceless Stretching Spell use a sturdy enough item as a carrier? Wouldn''t a piece of parchment taken so casually really break?


    They also didn''t even bother to hold Drac responsible for illegally using the Traceless Stretching Spell, so they could only carefully hold the carton, say goodbye to Dumbledore and Drac at the first opportunity, and leave the principal''s office.


    Both Fudge and Kingsley were afraid that a break in the fragile paper would unleash the horde of Dementors inside and expose them to their eyes.


    "Kingsley, your performance today was very good." Walking on the road, Fudgeplimented Kingi, "Just letting you be an Auror Captain is condescending, Scrimgeour is short of a deputy, are you interested ining to be the Deputy Director of the Division of Magical Law Enforcement?"


    ...


    "That Auror Captain is one of yours?" After the officials of the Ministry of Magic had left as much as they could, Drac looked at Dumbledore and asked with a smirk.


    "Worthy of being Professor Drac, so easily discovered by you." Dumbledore nodded helplessly, "To be precise, Kingsley is part of the Order of the Phoenix. And I hope you can keep this secret for us."


    "I''m not interested in going around proiming such things either." Dracughed softly, "No wonder then, after pressing Fudge every step of the way, when it came time for that Auror captain to open his mouth, your tone suddenly eased up."

 Chapter 210 - 210 Bogart and the Dementors

    <h4>Chapter 210: Bogart and the Dementors</h4>


    Fudge and the other Ministry of Magic officials left with the dementors satisfied;


    Dumbledore was equally satisfied to have both the Ministry of Magic''s promise to corral the dementors froming near the castle and to have the Order of the Phoenix get a promotion at the Ministry;


    And Drac was satisfied.


    The collection of dementors in the garbage can he''d imposed the no-trace stretching spell had doubled in number, and Fudge hadn''t even noticed that he''d gotten a fraction of the dementors.


    The wizards in the Ministry of Magic all used the dementors as nothing more than tools to watch over their prisons, who would seriously count the number of these dark, decaying creatures?


    ...


    After another weekend had passed, Harry recovered and was discharged from the school infirmary.


    On Monday, he arrived on the second floor of the teaching block with mixed thoughts, ready toe to his first Defense Against the Dark Arts ss since being discharged from the hospital -


    "What did Professor Lupin teach everyone in the previous sses?" Drac asked as he stood on the podium after the ss bell rang.


    As a matter of fact, ever since Lupin reced Drac to teach the ck Magic Defense ssst Monday, Drac once again did not hold back hisziness and directly let Lupin substitute for the ss for a whole week.


    If it wasn''t close to the night of the full moon, Lupin had to drink the wolfsbane potion that Snape had boiled and his body would have a period of weakness, and at the same time Dumbledore persuaded Drac on the grounds that Lupin still had to inspect Sirius ck''s trail, I''m afraid that this substitution time would have to continue to be prolonged a little more.


    "Professor, Professor Lupin told us about the Cabal and the Boggart and took us through practice." Hermione was the first to raise her hand in reply.


    She had had to take a few days off after Drac confiscated her time converter and took a few sses off.


    It was only when Dumbledore got the fully charged time converter sent by the Ministry of Magic again that the schoolteacherdy finally resumed her continuous study life again.


    Luckily, after those few days of adjustment, her mental condition had improved a lot, and now she was back to studying as efficiently as before.


    "Cabba and Bogart, is it?"


    Drac thought for a moment, remembering that Lupin had even dutifullye to his office over the weekend to hand over his teaching duties, and seemed to have mentioned that he''d found a boggart in one of the castle''s outdated closets.


    "Let''s see ... Well, sure enough, here you are, found you." He quickly retrieved a boggart from a chest inside the lectern and took it out of the chest, "Alright, let''s go over what we''ve covered before this ss starts ..."


    Halfway through his words, Drac''s expression suddenly sank.


    Only the shape of the boggart was changing, as if it was thinking about what exactly the Drac in front of it would be afraid of.


    Finally, it shifted its body fiercely and turned into a very regr sphere, with a picture inside the sphere -


    A figure with an uncanny resemnce to Drac was sitting on a chair in a pensive state, with nothing around it, and a lifeless, bored expression on the figure''s face.


    Drac: "..."


    "What an unappealing species ..."


    In order for the ss to continue, he forcibly suppressed his inner desire to destroy the boggart, before stuffing it inside the box once more.


    "Line up one by one, I''ll see if there''s anyone else who hasn''t learned to cope with boggart, and I''ll take good ''care'' of him!"


    The young wizards on the stage lined up with interest and stood in front of the lectern in turn, eyeing Drac.


    Professor Lupin''s ss had been very clear, and they were all very confident that they would be able to deal with Bogart easily, with only Neville crying his eyes out -


    Neville had taken on the form of his worst fear, Professor Snape, when Bogart had confronted him alone inst week''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss.


    With Professor Lupin following his lead, he had managed to magically turn Snape into augh-inducing figure, walking around the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom in Neville''s grandmother''s clothes, female.


    The little Gryffindor wizards watching the fun quickly spread the story.


    When Snape learned of the incident, he unleashed an even meaner retaliation on Neville in Potions ss. Neville wondered what Professor Snape would do to him if he had to deal with Bogart again ...


    In addition to a crying Neville, Harry raised his hand at a loss for words.


    "Professor, I didn''te to ssst week and I don''t know the spell to deal with Boggart." He said.


    "That''s fine, you can best in line." Drac smiled indifferently, "Have a good look at what the students in front of you are doing, or have Miss Granger give you a refresher course, and when it''s time for you to practice, I want you to be able to sessfully cast the corresponding spell."


    Upon hearing this, Hermione nodded confidently to Drac and pulled Harry aside to whisper to him about the properties of Boggarts and defensive spells.


    The other young wizards then began to move up to deal with the poor Boggart in turn -


    Parvati Petyr saw a mummy-yin, which she skillfully undid its bandages with the corresponding spell, revealing the somewhatical skin of its air-dried interior; Seamus Finnigan saw a green-faced female ghost, which he magically transformed into a beautiful female apparition; Ron saw arge spider, which he put butchered skates on; and Hermione saw Professor McGonagall holding up an Hermione sees Professor McGonagall holding up a report card and telling her that she''s failing all her exams, and she magically turns the "P" on the report card into an "O" ...


    The spell against Bogart wasn''t too hard, and everyone did pretty well.


    When it came to Neville, however, he stood a little hand-wringingly at the back of the group, hesitant to step up to the front of the podium.


    "You''re the only one left besides Potter, Mr. Longbottom." Drac urged, "Come quickly, I''m still waiting to see what Professor Snape looks like in women''s clothing!"


    The ssroom erupted in heartfeltughter.


    Neville stifled a red face, and after all, not wanting to keep all his ssmates waiting for him alone, he took two steps forward.


    "St," and Bogart had indeed transformed into Snape - a


    Slim build, t greasy hair, waxy skin, cold, unfathomable eyes,rge hawkish nose ... Except that from Neville''s behavior, it could be seen that this time Snape seemed to be even more terrifying thanst time.


    He held the textbook of the Potions ss in his hand and took a step towards Neville, the corners of his mouth curling slightly upwards in a sneer, as if to say, "Having fun in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, aren''t you, Longbottom?"


    Neville was shaking with fear, trembling and cupping his wand for half a second before he had the courage to raise it.


    "Didn''t you finish quite well in Professor Lupin''s ss, Mr. Longbottom?" Drac''s voice appeared in Neville''s ear, "Imagine something funny, you just have to force it to be an image you find ridiculous."


    "Doesn''t Professor Snape''s women''s clothing make you happy?"


    "But ... but, Professor Snape would never leave me alone if he heard about what happened in this ss." Neville stammered.


    "Don''t worry, if hees after you for this, then I will definitely go after him for you." Dracughed softly, "Don''t doubt it, I''ll do what I say."


    Neville looked up at Drac''s eyes that seemed to calm his mood, and gradually a hint of courage grew in his heart as he slowly raised his wand.


    "Riddikulus (Riddling)!" He shouted as he mentally thought about the clothes his grandmother used to wear.


    The image of Snape, transformed by Boggart, immediately changed, the ck robe on his body turning into a long, embroideredce woman''s dress, a tall hat on his head with a worm-eaten specimen of the old apocrypha on the top, and a huge red handbag waving in his hand.


    "Snape seemed startled and staggered backward two steps to Drac''s side.


    Drac eyed the female Snape with interest and tsked.


    "I heard it was Professor Lupin who suggested that you think of your grandmother''s style of dress to change the image of the boggart?" He asked pleasantly.


    "Well ... if it wasn''t for Professor Lupin, I wouldn''t have thought of that method myself." Neville said weakly.


    Although his speech was still a bit unsteady, at least he wasn''t as scared as before ... Snape in his olddy''s attire just couldn''t get the fear up.


    "Tch, looks like Professor Lupin isn''t as decent as he seems." Dracughed softly, "So it seems as if Snape is familiar with Lupin and Sirius ck, why don''t we go and ask Snape what he thinks about that Azkaban fugitive?"


    "Professor! Is it my turn?"


    Harry''s voice interrupted Drac''s thoughts.


    Drac turned his head to see Harry ready to walk to the podium next to the Boggart in front of him.


    "Oh? I see you''ve learned the spell to ward off Boggarts." He nodded, "Come on over then, let''s see what kind of level you''ll be at the first time you use this spell."


    Drac looked at Harry expectantly, specting on what exactly this Dumbledore''s chosen savior would be afraid of.


    Would Boggart just turn Voldemort''s big bald head? That would be a lot of fun.


    Harry took a deep breath and walked over to Snape, who was dressed in women''s clothing.


    "Snape hesitated for a moment when he saw Harry, and his body suddenly swelled up. ...


    As Drac watched with interest, Bogart suddenly transformed into a tattered ck cloak.


    Just when he thought that the next thing on top of the ck cloak was Voldemort''srge bald head, a rotting, glowing hand slid shakily under the cloak. Followed by a long, shuddering breath from an unseen mouth ...


    Harry''s greatest fear was not surprisingly Voldemort, but Dementors!


    The Boggart-turned-dementor slid silently towards Harry, taking a deep breath on one side, so prating that it seemed to submerge Harry''s entire being in the icy water ...


    "Slippery ..., slippery ...," Harry, his sanity somewhat molded, spat out the incantation for the spell with slurred speech.


    Obviously, this method of reciting the spell did absolutely nothing.


    The methods of defense that he had previously conceived in his mind were all useless, and only when he actually faced the dementors did he realize how much this deepest fear could affect him.


    The entire Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom and the dementor seemed to melt in Harry''s eyes ...


    Once again he was falling downwards through the thick white mist, the woman''s voice was louder than ever, it echoed in his head-


    "Don''t move Harry! Don''t move Harry! Please ... I''ll promise anything ..."


    "Get out of the way! Get out of the way, woman in the way!"


    "..."


    "Harry!"


    Harry came back to reality and found himself lying on his back on the floor. The view of the ssroom returned, and Hermione and Ron gathered around him, looking at him with worried faces.


    "I''m sorry, Professor ...," he murmured feebly, sitting up from the floor, feeling cold sweat pouring down behind his sses, "I''m sorry I didn''t fulfill your assignment."


    "There seems to be something special about your situation." Drac said thoughtfully as he looked at Harry, who was covered in a cold sweat, "Dementors apparently arouse your deepest fears more than Boggart, so Boggart opportunistically took on the form of a dementor."


    He had by now grabbed Bogart and retrieved him in his original case, some curiosity in his gaze.


    "Would it be convenient to tell me exactly what kind of sight you saw before you passed out?" Drac asked.


    Harry opened his mouth, his lips quivering, hesitant to use the words that forced him to describe the image he had seen earlier.


    "It''s okay if you can''t say it, just take your time and get used to it." Drac waved his hand, "Looks like I''m going to have to teach you to defend yourself against two kinds of dark creatures at the same time, or else you won''t even be able to pass the Boggart''s exam."


    "Two creatures ...," Harry froze for a moment, and then a sh of joy appeared on his face.


    He suddenly realized that Professor Drac was going to teach him not only how to defend himself against Boggarts, but also how to defend himself against Dementors at the same time!


    "Alright, review time is over." Drac casually threw the box containing the boggart into the cab under the lectern, and then walked up to the podium, "Next, let''s start our content for today-"


    "How to fend off Dementors!"


    He thought of those annoying dementors that the Ministry of Magic had arranged around Hogwarts, and thought of the little wizards'' distaste and rejection of those dementors, and an extremely amusing image sprang up in his mind -


    A group of young wizards holding up their wands, each summoning a daemon, fighting off those dementors with a silvery glow, driving them far away from the castle.


    The image must have been spectacr and soothing.


    It''s just that the difficulty of reaching it is a bit high.


    "Professor, as far as I know, the Patronus spell isn''t a magic we can learn in our year." It was Hermione who raised her hand high in the air and retorted, "I''ve heard that even adult wizards are rare to be able to use this spell skillfully."


    "Of course, Miss Granger, there''s nothing wrong with the conclusion you''re talking about." Dracughed softly, "But isn''t that kind of thinking ... meant to be broken?"

 Chapter 211 - 211 Guardian Spells and Dementor Wastefulness

    <h4>Chapter 211: Guardian Spells and Dementor Wastefulness</h4>


    The young wizards sat on the stage in anticipation of the new lesson that was to follow, watching with bated breath as Drac pulled out a ... trash can?


    "Professor, aren''t we supposed to be in ss?" One of the small wizards on the stage opened his mouth and asked, "Are you taking out a trash can to be used for ss as well?"


    Looking at this trash can, the little wizards all felt a little bad.


    They always felt that ording to Professor Drac''s past style, no matter what he took out in the ssroom, the probability was that this thing would be the teaching equipment for this lesson.


    If they were allowed to use the trash can to practice the method of fending off the dementors ... does it mean that they have to fight fire with fire, using the rotten smell of the garbage inside the trash can to fight against the rotten scent of the dementors'' body?


    The young wizards who had been brainstorming a lot winced, feeling that this ck magic defense ss that they had been looking forward to was bing desperate ...


    "What are you guys thinking?" Drac ced the trash can on the lecture table and looked at the stifled faces of the little wizards with some amusement, "This trash can is purely just a container, I took it with me on the train at the time and it''s still clean, so I''m toozy to change it."


    He pointed to the trash can on the lecture table, lifting the lid up in his hand, "What''s inside is what''s going to be the teaching equipment for this ss."


    With that, Drac hooked the corner of his mouth and snapped his fingers lightly.


    The tables and chairs under the stage along with the young wizards sitting in their respective seats were pushed by an unseen force to form a circle around the ssroom.


    Afterwards, Drac reached into the trash can that had been under the No Trace Stretching Spell, pulled a dementor out of it, ced it in the very center of the ssroom, and tied it with a rope that emitted a silver glow to prevent it from wandering around and affecting the students.


    As soon as this dementor came out, it sensed the taste of joy overflowing in the hearts of so many youthful and lively young wizards around it, and subconsciously let go of its big hollow mouth under its hood, ready to suck away their joy.


    Where had the dementor that had spent most of its life on an ind of despair like Azkaban seen such an affluent environment, where a casual inhtion was equivalent to aplete wool-gathering of the emotions of all the inmates of Azkaban.


    However, just as it was about to absorb the emotion, a silver hand suddenly appeared on its head and pped it, the powerful daemon power covering the hand nearly breaking the Dementor''s head apart.


    "Be honest, it''s not time for you to feed yet." Drac reminded tantalizingly.


    The dementor was instantly honest.


    Even though it didn''t possess much intelligence, the experience of the past few days in the trash can simply made it worse than death ...


    That horrible man had to experiment with the dementor in the trash can from time to time, using his foul daemon spell to test the reaction of the dementor when facing the daemon, analyzing the feelings of the dementor in an environment surrounded by daemons, and experimenting on the effect of multiple dementors working together to fight against the daemon ...


    In order to test out specific data, Drac would sometimes amplify the energy of the daemon spell to a very powerful level, and as a result, he identally wiped out quite a few dementors.


    This was also one of the reasons why he expressed a soothing mood about getting quite a few more Dementors. These were all fodder for his experiments!


    In contrast, there were the Dementors.


    This group of "prisoners of war" since seeing the firstpanion was eliminated,pletely honest down, every day fearful of staying in the small space of the trash can, afraid that one day they will be selected to be used for experiments, then ashes to ashes. ...


    Today was pulled out to cooperate with the small wizards to learn the guardian spirit spell of the dementor was originally desperate, but it came out instead of being directly taken to do experiments, on the contrary, it came to a ce where the smell of joy is overflowing everywhere.


    At this moment, under Drac''s discipline, the lucky dementor then stayed honestly where it was, restraining its muzzle and fighting not to let out any bit of the gloomy scent that drew chills from within.


    "Here begins the instruction." Drac nodded in satisfaction as he watched the dementor quiet down and turned his attention to the young wizards in the ssroom.


    "Everyone look to the center of the ssroom, this ugly thing is what we''re going to talk about today. I''m sure you''ve all seen this monstrosity once on the train on your way to Hogwarts before school started."


    "Dementors are one of the darkest, most evil creatures in the entire wizarding world, they tend to hang out in groups in the darkest and dirtiest ces, living in corruption and despair, sucking as much peace, hope and joy out of the air around them as they can."


    "The Ministry of Magic employs such creatures as guards of Azkaban''s prisons in order to save costs, believing that no prisoner can escape from a Dementor''s siege."


    At that, Drac snorted.


    "Speaking of which, this record of no one escaping from Azkaban was broken just a short while ago, so it seems that dementors aren''t as omnipotent as wizards think."


    The young wizards subconsciously nced towards Harry.


    They more or less knew that the reason why the legendary one of the most evil Death Eaters had escaped from prison was because he was going to kill the boy who had survived the Great Crash on behalf of the Mystic.


    "While the Ministry of Magic treats such things as its own employees, and even the current Mr. Minister is willing toe to Hogwarts to die for these freeborers," Dracughed mockingly, "I don''t think they''re really as harmless as your average Ministry of Magic employee. "


    "As I''m sure most of you have already experienced, Dementors are capable of sucking the joy out of humans, affecting people''s minds, and in more serious cases, causing symptoms such as fainting and even insanity ..."


    "In fact, what you have experienced is at best a side effect when facing a Dementor, and does not evene close to the effects caused when a Dementorunches an attack."


    "Under the attack of a Dementor, a sorcerer will often feel the light around them being sucked out and gradually fall into darkness. Courage and hope then fade, and nothingness gradually takes over within. If they cannot be rescued in time, they will eventually have their souls sucked out--"


    "The way a Dementor sucks out a soul is called: ''Dementor''s Kiss''. Its power and effect can be referred to the Soul Sucking Spell I exined to youst semester at the Dueling Club."


    While exining about Dementors, Drac walked over to the Dementor that was honestly staying in the center of the ssroom.


    "This is a rare opportunity for me to show you how a Dementor performs the ''Dementor''s Kiss'' ... The usual rules apply, first we will find an experiment that is brave enough to dedicate itself to our teaching endeavors. "


    He snapped his fingers and summoned a rat from the depths of the castle dungeon, lifting it by the tail and cing it at the heel of the Dementor''s hood.


    Drac then removed the hood from the Dementor''s head with one hand.


    It was an ugly, ghastly face, with only thin, crusty gray skin where eyes should have been, monotonously masked over empty sockets.


    A swirl of what appeared to be gas and liquid was located on the lower half of the face, and that swirl was like a maw that wanted to devour a man, with a vaguely regal power.


    "Come on, got a treat for you, show everyone your ''Dementor''s Kiss''!"


    Drac said cheerfully as he waved the mouse around Dementor''s "mouth".


    Dementor: "?"


    He eats happy emotions, what joy can a rat have? Ugly Rejects!


    "Oh? Looks like he''s not starving yet, and he''s still picky about what he eats." Drac smiled gently and said softly, "Then forget it, I won''t force you."


    His "gentle" smile, however, seemed to have no temperature, causing the young wizards in the ssroom to shudder.


    "This Dementor is useless, let''s switch to another one who is willing to cooperate." Drac said mildly, "Anyway, there''s more stock in the garbage can!"


    The silver rope that was wrapped around the Dementor to restrict its movement suddenly changed its form, as if it had transformed into a burning silver me that scorched from its position close to the Dementor''s skin.


    The dementor instantly felt a pain that came from the depths of its soul, and the tattered and dirty cloak on its body gradually turned into ash, revealing thin, crusted gray skin.


    Soon, the skin also turned into powder, and its interior was surprisingly empty!


    The dementor struggled violently, and kept making strange sounds like "cackling" before death, constantly sending confessions to Drac.


    However, Drac did not intend to pay any attention to it, and with a wave of his hand, he elerated the death process of the dementor,pletely obliterating its body in the center of the ssroom.


    "Tch, sure enough, I didn''t hold back again." Drac looked at the center of the empty ssroom and shrugged helplessly, "Well ... if we exterminate a Dementor or two once in a while, there shouldn''t be too much of a problem on Andros'' side, right?"


    He then fished out another Dementor from the trash can.


    This Dementor had long since sensed the tragic situation of its kind before death, and almost in a hurry, it gathered its intimidating aura on its own, consciously flew to the central position of the ck Magic Defense ssroom, and lifted its hood by itself toe up to the rat that Drac was holding in his hand.


    Like the previous one, it had no eyes, only ayer of gray skin over the empty eye sockets, and its mouth was a big shapeless hole, sucking in the air in front of it with a creepy "cackle" sound.


    The mouse had no room to resist, its four feet stomped helplessly, and the new dementor sucked a gray spot of light out of its mouth and into the shapeless hole.


    Then the rat''s eyes lost their color and its entire body drooped.


    And although the dementor had no expression on its face that could be distinguished by the little wizards, it was clear from its movements that the rat''s soul was obviously not tasty.


    It covered its mouth with its dry palm and let out a gasp, as if it were a Muggle food connoisseur savoring arge bite of arge sausage. ...


    "An excellent demonstration, did you get a good look?" Drac smiled in satisfaction and addressed the young wizards.


    "Dementors are fully capable of killing wizards, don''t think that just because you don''t have much of a painful experience and won''t have a violent reaction like Potter, that dementors aren''t a threat to you!"


    Looking at Mouse Rat, who had been thrown to the ground by Drac without any sign of survival on his body, the young wizards who were still confident nodded their heads in a heartfelt season, hastily jotting this down in their notebooks.


    "Professor, so how are we going to deal with the Dementors?" Harry asked impatiently, raising his hand.


    As a young wizard deeply affected by Dementors, he was worried that a Dementor would suddenly appear at the next Quidditch match as well.


    If they could learn to deal with dementors, then the Gryffindor team might have a chance to win this Quidditch Cup!


    "Well, I''ll get to that next." Drac nodded gently, "Ms. Granger mentioned in her previous question that a magic spell is used to fend off Dementors - the Patronus Spell!"


    "There is a saying in the magical world that Dementors will not be killed or harmed by any magic, and that only a daemon spell can have a banishing effect on them."


    "But didn''t you just destroy a Dementor, Professor ...?" One of the young wizards asked curiously.


    "That''s right, that''s why I said it was just a saying in the magic world." Drac smiled and nodded, "But for the average wizard, being able to use a daemon spell is a difficult task in itself, let alone changing the form of a daemon spell and adding extra killing power to that magic spell."


    "So, in a sense, this statement can''t be considered wrong."


    "So how is the spell going to work?" Harry asked as he sat back in his seat, nervous.


    "When the Patronus spell is used correctly, it summons a Patronus." Drac said, "A Patronus is a defense against Dementors - a guard that acts as a shield between you and the Dementors."


    "A daemon is a positive force that promotes the very things that dementors feed on - hope, happiness, the desire to live - and it can''t feel despair the way a real person can, so there''s no way for a dementor to harm it."


    "Ms. Granger is right that this spell may be too advanced for you youngsters. After all, many senior wizards find difficulty in using such spells."


    "But I use the daemon spell a little differently than others, and it may help you learn the method more quickly." Drac continued, "Of course, it''s up to you to learn it, and I''m not going to let those who don''t learn it properly slow down the progress!"


    "What does a daemon look like?" A young wizard asked, "Will it summon a god to help us chase away the dementors? If I had to choose, I''d have to summon the beautiful Aphrodite out."


    Said the young male wizard as red love hearts began to rise in his eyes.


    "You''d better really want to chase away the dementors with a daemon ...," Drac gave him a disgusted look, "In fact, every daemon looks different in rtion to the wizard who summoned it --"


    "But! No humanoid daemons will be summoned; everyone''s daemon is an animal! So don''t daydream there if you''re harboring any bad thoughts."


    "Oh ...," it was obvious that many of the young wizards were looking less excited.


    "Well, don''t think about all that nonsense, we''re still in ss." Drac shook his head with a lost smile, "When using a daemon spell, you have to focus your mind and do your best to remember a particr happy event for it to work."


    "Like for example, did you all justugh when you saw Professor Snape in women''s clothing? Some of you who really can''t think of any happy times can summon a daemon while thinking of Professor Snape in women''s clothing."


    "The spell goes like this-" Drac lifted his wand.


    "Call on the God Guardian (Expe)."

 Chapter 212 - 212 Harry without Hogsmeade

    <h4>Chapter 212: Harry without Hogsmeade</h4>


    Drac realized that he had overestimated the magical talents of the young wizards.


    Weeks had gone by and surprisingly none of them had been able to learn the daemon spell, and most of the better students had only been able to spew some silver gas from their wands.


    Only Cedric and a handful of outstanding sixth and seventh year students had learned a little bit of it, and were able to conjure up silver daemon vapors, but still couldn''t tell from them exactly what kind of animal form their daemon was in.


    Not only that, but most of the students who were able to cast their daemon''s silver gas in a crude manner could only do so when they were fully mentally focused.


    When Dracmanded the dementor to slightly release the dark and cold aura from its body, the students would have a hard time concentratingpletely on recalling those happy memories from the past, and instead, the negative emotions of sadness and grief would constantly hit their minds.


    As a result, when actually facing a Dementor, students who could make cursory use of the Guardian Spirit Spell would have to take at least another couple of turns.


    ...


    "Professor, I''d like some more pointers on my Patronus spell!"


    Near Halloween, Harry seemed to be dissatisfied with his progress in learning the Patronus spell and came to Drac''s office alone.


    Drac was shaking the wine ss in his hand, and through the reflection of the bright red liquid in the ss, he saw the tangled and lustful look on Harry''s face.


    "Your academic progress is quite good for a third year, what''s not to like?" He asked tantalizingly as he took a light sip of his red wine.


    "I can only use this magic so long as I''m not under the pressure of a dementor ..." Harry lowered his head in frustration, "Whenever a dementor lets go of his body a little, I instantly be the bottom student in the entire year. "


    In fact, Harry was one of those young wizards who could cast the silver gas of the Patronus spell.


    Third year young wizards, whose magical power had not yet grown to its full potential, found it difficult to use many advanced spells sessfully, so there were very few young wizards within the entire grade who were able to cast the silver gas.


    The Guardian Spirit spell that Drac taught was an early version learned from the invincible Andros, and after Drac''s own improvements, it gave even these lower grade young wizards greater casting possibilities.


    Nheless, the speed of Harry''s progress was somewhat beyond Drac''s expectations when the dementors had not let go of their breath.


    However, Harry''s use of the Patronus Curse was also limited to situations where he was not under the influence of the dementors.


    Whenever the Dementors let go of the breath on his body for a little while, Harry would immediately experience a fainting sensation, and the sounds that had appeared to reach his ears so many times woulde to his mind - the


    The sound of evilughter, the sound of women pleading, the sound of babies crying ... to the point where these sounds slowly pieced together into a picture that made him gradually realize that these were the things that had actually happened to him when he was a child.


    It was what really happened when Voldemort killed his family!


    "How much one is affected by Dementors isrgely determined by one''s past memories." Drac set his ss down and looked over at Harry, the crisp clink of the ss against the tabletop interrupting Harry''s thoughts.


    "Most of your other ssmates haven''t experienced the misfortunes that have befallen you, so they can''t rte to the desperation you felt when you faced the Dementors." Drac said, "If you''re trying to prove yourself in front of Draco Malfoy because of his ridicule, then I would think it''s apletely unnecessary thing to do."


    The fact that Harry would be stunned by a dementor had been used as a punchline by his nemesis, Malfoy, and had been spreading it around Slytherin House, and anyone who had been there knew that it had caused Harry a great deal of distress.


    "No, it''s not about that, Professor." Harry said shaking his head, "It''s just that ... after Halloween, the Gryffindor Quidditch team opens up for their next game. I don''t want the team to lose another game because of me."


    "But I heard that your flying broom has broken." Drac nced at him and said casually.


    "I can use the sweeping series of brooms as well, and I''m sure I can win against Malfoy''s Light Wheel 2001 with the Sweeping Seven Stars as well!" eximed Harry.


    "Surely it''s still because the opponent is a Malfoy?" Dracughed softly, "If it''s because you''re worried about Dementorsing to the Quidditch pitch again, then you can go back now ..."


    "Dumbledore made a deal with the Ministry of Magic that in the future the dementors would be kept firmly outside the school. They won''t be entering the Quidditch pitch anymore."


    "Is that so?" ..." Harry looked at Drac nkly with double vision.


    "Why, shouldn''t you be happy to hear that?" Drac quirked up the corners of his mouth and watched with interest the expression on Harry''s face as he tried his hardest to tilt the corners of his mouth upwards, but couldn''t bring himself to smile.


    "But ...," Harry hesitated for a moment before changing his tone, "but I still want to learn the Patronus spells, I don''t want to be defenseless against them."


    "It''s a gradual process, there''s no need for you to be too eager." Drac said, "Honestly follow the grade''s learning progress, and with your talent, you''ll be able to at least be proficient in the simplified version of the daemon spell by the end of this school year."


    "But we''re going to Hogsmeade the day before Halloween, and if we run into a dementor ..."


    "I don''t think you can go to Hogsmeade." Harry''s words were interrupted by Drac before he could finish, "Professor McGonagall told me that you''re not allowed to visit Hogsmeade without getting a parent''s signature."


    The vige of Hogsmeade was the only vige in the whole of Ennd whose entire poption consisted of wizards, and was situated to the west of Hogwarts castle, where students of third year and above could go on excursions on weekends, but only if they had permission from their parents or other guardians.


    Harry hadn''t had much hope of getting Aunt Vernon''s signature, not to mention the fact that he''d blown up his aunt into a balloon over the summer and had gotten into a big fight with her family, and had ended up having to run away from home.


    So, he became the only young wizard in his third year who couldn''t go on a trip to Hogsmeade.


    At the mention of Hogsmeade, Harry''s face immediately became lost.


    Then, however, his eyes lit up and he looked up at Drac.


    "Professor, um ... I wanted to ask, would you be able to help me sign the Hogsmeade application?" Harry asked.


    "I can''t sign it for you." Drac turned him down without hesitation.


    Looking into Harry''s steeply darkened eyes, he exined, "Don''t you get it, Potter? The fact that you can''t go to Hogsmeade wasn''t the reason for theck of a signature in the first ce."


    "Hogsmeade is, after all, an open vige where anyone, including various dark wizards, are able toe and go as they please, and the Ministry of Magic and the professors are worried that Sirius ck will ambush you there."


    Harry''s eyes widened at Drac''s exnation.


    "Understand? Whether or not it would have worked if I had given you a signature is another story, and Professor McGonagall doesn''t know how much he''s going toin about me!" Drac said.


    "So yeah, you don''t have to worry at all about running into dementors off campus, the professors won''t even let you leave school."


    ...


    Harry left the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office lost in thought.


    He didn''t know why he wanted to learn the Patronus Spell so badly, and even made every excuse in the book to try and get Professor Drac to tutor him alone.


    After being rejected by Professor Drac, Harry even went to see Assistant Professor Riddle, with whom he had a good rtionship.


    But what Harry didn''t expect was that Assistant Professor Riddle, who was almost omnipotent in all aspects of ck Magic Defense, even told him that he didn''t know the Patronus Spell!


    Another few sessions of ck Magic Defense ss passed, Harry still didn''t make any progress, every time he just felt the negative aura from the Dementors, he would immediately fall into a fainting spell, even faster than the previous fainting spells.


    By the end of the day, Harry himself couldn''t tell if he was trying to learn the Patronus Spell to fight off the Dementors, or if he was just indulging in the voices that the Dementors were hooking out of the depths of his memories and couldn''t stop himself from doing so.


    Hearing his parents'' dying voices in his head was horrible, but it was still the only way Harry could hear them.


    Still, if he had to split his mind halfway between trying to hear his parents'' voices again, he''d never be able to summon a true Patronus ...


    "They''re dead," he told himself sternly, "They''re dead, and hearing their echoes won''t bring them back."


    Yet when the next lesson begins, Harry still subconsciously appeals to the Dementor''s shadowy aura and lets himself sink into the dark vortex.


    ...


    The day before Halloween, for the first time, the young third year wizards were allowed to go on a trip to Hogsmeade.


    Early in the morning, Harry woke up with everyone else to go downstairs for breakfast.


    He was in a terrible state of mind, but on the outside he tried to act as normal as possible.


    "We''ll bring you back lots of sweets from the Honeydukes." Hermione said.


    She was keenly aware of the sadness in Harry''s heart and tried her best tofort him.


    "Yeah, will bring lots." Ron said as well.


    But the two young wizards who wereforting Harry together didn''t have much of an understanding, and the two were arguing before breakfast -


    Hermione''s hybrid cat, Beaver, Crookshanks had been keeping a close eye on Ron''s pet mouse, Spotty,tely, and every now and then he tried to lurk inside the Gryffindor boys'' dormitory and sneak Spotty out of Ron''s bed.


    Ron thinks that Hermione''s cat is not caring about him, while Hermione thinks that owning a cat is a normal thing, and that it''s in a cat''s nature to eat mice.


    Every now and then the two would break out into a big argument over the matter.


    "Don''t worry about me." Sandwiched between the two, Harry said perfunctorily, "I''ll see you at the Halloween dinner, I hope you have a good time."


    He hoped he said it in a casual way, but he did suck at acting and the sadness was about to spill over on his face.


    Harry apanied his two best friends to the front room of the castle.


    Fairchild, the castle keeper, stood in front of the front door, checking off one student against another with a long list of names, looking suspiciously at each face, wary of anyone who shouldn''t be there butch out.


    "Staying, huh, Potter?" Malfoy eximed. He was standing with Crabbe and Goyle in the line to Hogsmeade.


    "I see, you were afraid of meeting a Dementor!" He giggled yfully, "It''s a bit of a shame we won''t get to see the famous Harry Potter pass out on the floor."


    Harry ignored him and walked up the marble staircase alone, through the un-traveled corridors and back to the Gryffindor tower.


    "Cub seed, say your password!" Sir Cadogan shouted, brandishing his knightly sword.


    "Chivalry." Harry said listlessly.


    "That was yesterday''s password." Sir Cadogan bitchily pointed his greatsword at Harry, "I see, you''re the Gryffindor traitor, look to the sword, cub seed!"


    "Oh, open your teeth." Harry replied with some impatience having just remembered that Sir Cadogan was a doorkeeper who could change his password several times a day.


    "Ah, congrattions on your correct answer!" Sir Cadogan opened the portrait and gave way to the doorway into the Gryffindormon room, "Would you like to have a duel with me before you leave?"


    "No thanks." Harry declined and climbed through the hole.


    Themon room was full of first and second years, all talking andughing, a few of the older students had obviously been to Hogsmeade many times and were no longer new to the ce.


    "Harry! Harry! Hello Harry!" Colin Creevey, a second year, was extremely in awe of Harry and never missed a chance to talk to him, "Didn''t you go to Hogsmeade, Harry? Why don''t you go? Hey--"


    Colin looked eagerly around him at his ssmates and finally saw an empty seat, "Come sit with us if you want, okay?"


    "Oh, no thanks, Colin." Harry said.


    He didn''t want a whole bunch of people eyeballing the scar on his forehead.


    "Well ... I have to go to the library, I have to go there to finish my homework." He said perfunctorily.


    After he said it he regretted it because he couldn''t lie in front of the underssmen and couldn''t bear the thought of Colin knowing he was being perfunctory.


    So Harry had no choice but to turn backwards and go through the doorway behind the portrait again.


    "Oh, have youe around to wanting a duel with me again?" Sir Cadogan called after his back.


    Harry ignored him and walked listlessly towards the library, but changed his mind halfway there:


    He didn''t want to do anything serious on a day like this.


    Harry turned to leave the castle and go around to Hagrid''s, but came face to face with Filch.


    The castle keeper had apparently just dropped off thest of the people going to Hogsmeade.


    "What are you sneaking around for?" Filch asked skeptically.


    "Nothing." Harry said honestly.


    "Not doing anything?" Filch gestured at him, his jaw twitching unpleasantly, "Spoken like the truth! You must be surveying the terrain as you sneak around here all by yourself!"


    "Those pesky friends of yours must be in Hogsmeade right now buying stink bombs and burp powder and flying tattletales! When they get back from buying them, you''ll bring them here and ruin the results of my hard work ..."


    Filch got angrier and angrier as he spoke, his whole body twitching along with his jaw.


    "Well, the way you put it does sound like a good idea." Harry shrugged.


    "Oh Merlin''s beard, I knew it!" Filch screamed.


    Harry ignored him, however, and walked straight out of the castle towards Hagrid''s shack at the edge of the Forbidden Forest.


    "Hagrid!" Standing in front of the door to the shack, Harry rapped hard on the door, "Hagrid, are you in the house?"


    There were heavy footsteps behind the door, then it opened with a creak.


    Harry was surprised to see Hagrid standing there, eyes red and swollen, tears falling down the front of his leather undershirt.

 Chapter 213 - 213 Tell me a joke

    <h4>Chapter 213: Tell me a joke</h4>


    "Harry, you''re here!" He eximed before pouncing on Harry in a sh, wrapping tworge, rough hands around Harry''s neck.


    Hagrid was at least twice the size of a normal human and well over four times the weight, and this kind of action was no joking matter.


    Harry almost copsed under Hagrid''s weight.


    Luckily, his struggling movements still caught Hagrid''s attention, leaving him fortunate not to be the savior who hadn''t been killed by Sirius ck, or by a Dementor, but instead had been crushed by hisrger friend.


    Hagrid allowed Harry to take him by the arm and get him back into the hut, taking a seat in a chair before flinging himself over the edge of the table and sobbing uncontrobly.


    His face was covered in tears from crying and teardrops fell onto his tangled beard.


    "Hagrid, what''s wrong with you?" Harry asked in surprise.


    He waspletely stunned; Hagrid had clearly been fine when he saw him a few days ago.


    Hagrid huffed and pushed an official looking letter that had been opened in front of Harry.


    "What''s that, Hagrid?"


    Harry froze, picked up the letter and read it:


    "Dear Mr. Hagrid: We have further investigated the incident in your ssroom where a hawk-headed, horse-bodied, winged beast attacked a student, and we have epted Professor Dumbledore''s assurances that you are not responsible for this regrettable incident."


    "Isn''t that great, Hagrid?" Harry asked, tapping Hagrid on the shoulder as he read.


    Hagrid was lying on the table, so Harry was able to take the opportunity to tap him on the shoulder.


    And Hagrid, who was lying on the table, continued to sob, shaking his huge hands as he did so, signaling Harry to continue reading.


    "However, we must show our concern for the hawk-headed, horse-bodied winged beast in question. We have decided to uphold Mr. Lucius Malfoy''s formalint, so the matter will be referred to the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures. A hearing will be held at the Commission''s London offices in January next year, and we would ask that you and your winged beast be present on that date. In the meantime, the hawk-headed horse-bodied winged beast shall be tethered and quarantined."


    "Hmm, like that wasn''t too bad?" Reading the letter, Harry muttered, "Hagrid, you said that all the Hawk-headed Equestrian Winged Beasts were noble and disdainful of evil, ah, and Buckbeak is even one of the gentler ones. It''s only a hearing, it''ll be fine ..."


    "You don''t know those weirdos on the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures!" Hagrid interrupted Harry with a choked sob, wiping tears from his eyes with a dirty sleeve as hard as he could, "They''re like enemies with these funny magical creatures, they can''t see the slightest bit of good in them!"


    A noise suddenly came from the corner of Hagrid''s hut, and Harry turned around quickly to see that Buckbeak, the hawk-headed, winged beast, was lying in the corner of the house, chewing on some animal raw, causing blood to run everywhere on the floor.


    "They told me to keep Buckbeak on a leash, but I can''t tie him outside with a rope!" Hagrid choked out, "Hawk-headed, horse-bodied winged beasts are free and high-minded and shouldn''t be tied down! I''ll just have to let him rest in my house for a while first."


    "But there''s still over two months to go until next January ...," Harry said worriedly, "surely Buckbeak wouldn''t want to stay indoors for two months."


    "Yes, I know ..." Hagrid reached over and pulled arge tub of wine out of a side cab and took a hard swig, "That''s why I''m looking for help from others, I''m hoping that someone out there can help the poor little guy out. "


    Harry twisted his head to look at the hawk-headed winged beast, who was also a head taller than himself on the ground, and didn''t quite recognize the adjective ''little guy'' in Hagrid''s mouth, but when he looked back at Hagrid''srger size, he could only nod silently.


    "You could ask Dumbledore for help, he''s so powerful, surely he can do something?" Harry asked.


    "No, I''ve bothered Dumbledore enough." Hagrid shook his head sadly, "If it wasn''t for Dumbledore''s face, I probably wouldn''t even be a professor, and I might even be imprisoned in Azkaban because of my previous eucalyptus bottom ..."


    "But those officials from the Ministry of Magic will spare me because of Dumbledore''s vouching, but they won''t spare an animal that they simply despise. The Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures loves to do this sort of thing to make their presence felt, or they don''t have much to do all year long!"


    Hagrid poured anotherrge gulp of wine into his mouth and continued, "I''ve also heard that Professor Drac is very prestigious within the school board, I met him once before in the faculty lounge but didn''t bother to open my mouth ..."


    Hearing Hagrid''s remark, Harry brightened up.


    "Yeah, Professor Drac is so powerful, he must have a solution!" He shouted, "I''ll go to Professor Drac''s office and ask him for you!"


    With that, he bid farewell to the weeping Hagrid with gusto and hurriedly ran towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office on the third floor of Hogwarts Castle.


    In fact, Harry had just been to Professor Drac''s office a few days ago, wanting him to teach him to tutor him in the Patronus spell.


    After being refused, he had been wanting to go back again to plead or side-step to learn something more, but hadn''te up with a usible excuse to go to Professor Drac''s ce one more time.


    In this case of Buckbeak''s indictment, Harry, on the one hand, genuinely wanted to help Hagrid save the hawk-headed, horse-bodied, winged beast that had once carried him around Hogwarts, and on the other hand, he had found a reason to make another run to Professor Drac''s office.


    So he felt a little exhrated.


    ...


    "Oh? Dumbledore hasn''t helped Hagrid with that one yet?" Drac looked over at Harry with a raised eyebrow in the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office.


    "You can''t say that, at least Hagrid he doesn''t have any problems per se." Harry said anxiously, "But Buckbeak ... Buckbeak has beenined about, and there''s a hearinging up after the Christmas break, and now thatmittee of whatever it is has to make Hagrid keep it on a leash."


    "Like that?" Drac frowned.


    He remembered that he had asked Dumbledore if he needed any help earlier, but the old Headmaster had declined his help by stating that he could handle it himself.


    Now it seemed that Dumbledore didn''t want to seek Drac''s help at that time because he wanted to be ountable for Drac''s sneaky use of the time converter.


    Dumbledore, as the most prestigious arch wizard in the magic world, could indeed easily deal with matters concerning Hagrid himself, yet there was precisely no suitable way topletely solve the problem of that hawk-headed, horse-bodied, winged beast.


    Drac fully understood how those in the Ministry of Magic and the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures felt:


    We give the strongest and most prestigious wizard a face, and just let the professor you vouched for go, even a beast you have to vouch for, then where do we put our face?


    So like Dumbledore this kind of reputation, in everyone''s attention in the middle of the great wizard, if you want to deal with this kind of thing is a little trouble. After all, he could only act within the rules and was unwilling to tear his face off with those on the official side.


    However this kind of thing was not troublesome for Drac, there were many ways he could easily get Buckbeak back.


    "Well, I see, this kind of small matter is indeed easy for me to solve." Drac said casually with a light smile.


    Then, his words suddenly changed, "But why should I help Hagrid unconditionally? I don''t seem to know him very well."


    "But aren''t you all professors at Hogwarts? Shouldn''t colleagues help each other?" Harry''s eyes widened in bewilderment.


    "You''re a bit naive, Potter." Drac ticked the corner of his mouth, "If we go by your method, do you think Professor Snape would be willing to help you and Hagrid if he could help in this matter?"


    Harry''s expression faltered at the thought of Snape''s ugly face.


    He could well imagine that if Snape heard about this, it would be a great kindness on his part not to fall on his sword and help the Malfoys against Hagrid and Buckbeak, let alone rescue Buckbeak.


    It was strange to say that Snape was willing to go to great lengths to save Harry from a life-threatening situation in his first year, but in fact had a look of disgust and cynicism on his face.


    Harry could sense that the disgust in Snape''s eyes for him was genuine, but so was the reluctance to put his life in danger.


    How iprehensible, Harry thought.


    "Figured out what the rtionship between coworkers is, didn''t you, Potter." Drac saw the look on Harry''s face and could see that he had figured it out, "Of course, it''s not a favor I can''t do ..."


    "I''ve always done things by preference, and if I''m still in a good mood, I''d have no problem helping you out with this along the way."


    A hopeful look came back to Harry''s face.


    "So ... Professor, what''s your mood right now?" He asked blearily.


    "Not too good." Drac gave a yful smile, then instantly put it back and scowled.


    Harry: "..."


    You''re clearly in an okay mood ...


    "Having a studente over to me all day and try to get me to work overtime without pay, you think that''s going to put me in a good mood?" Drac said with a stern face as if he had read Harry''s thoughts.


    "sses are boring enough day in and day out, if it wasn''t for the fact that interesting things happen in this castle from time to time, why would I stay here ..."


    "So Professor, what would put you in a better mood?" Harry asked again.


    Harry had figured out at this point that Professor Drac waspletely toozy to help Hagrid. Even though it was just a matter of moving his hands for him, he didn''t even want to move his hands ...


    Unless someone could give Professor Drac something to do that would give him the idea to move his hands.


    "I think I might be in a slightly better mood if you left my office right now and didn''t continue to harass me here." Drac said.


    Harry''s face was filled with helplessness.


    If he left now, not to mention that he wasn''t sure if it really made Professor Drac''s mood better ... Maybe ording to this professor''s nature, it was only normal that he would forget about this kind of small matter in his eyes within a few minutes.


    "Professor, Hagrid he''s really helpless ..."


    Harry was going to try to dawn on him, but seeing the smirking expression on Professor Drac''s face, he silently changed his tone and said, "So can you tell me a way to do that? I really want to make you feel better."


    Drac casually peeled off a blood-vored lollipop and stuffed it into his mouth, ncing casually at Harry.


    "Why don''t you tell me a joke to listen to?" He said casually, "If the joke''s funny enough, it wouldn''t be impossible for me to just straighten things out for you."


    Harry froze for a moment.


    "Uh ... Professor, are you sure you want to hear a joke?" He nced cautiously at Drac and asked weakly, "I heard that there used to be ck Magic Defense Arts professors at Hogwarts who listened to their students tell jokes and lived tough ..."


    Drac: "..."


    "Bang," Harry was mmed hard against the office door.


    "You bettere up with a funny joke or all your homework after Halloween will be doubled!"


    Drac''s voice came out of the office through the closed door.


    ...


    Before he knew it, the day had passed and it was time for the Halloween dinner.


    Harry arrived at the long Gryffindor table with his head hanging down, still mentally berating himself.


    He shouldn''t have spat thatst line, it had ended up upsetting Professor Drac, seeking the Professor''s help with Buckbeak was out of the question, and he even had to double his own homework ...


    Ron and Hermione approached him shortly after he first arrived in the auditorium as well.


    Their faces had been turned pink by the cold wind outside, and they looked as if they''d had a painful time, and the conflict the two had had over the two cat and mouse pets, Crookshanks and Spotty, seemed to have eased up a bit.


    "Harry, you don''t look very well." Hermione asked worriedly as she removed the scarf from around her neck and ced it on the table, "Are you upset because you didn''t go on the Hogsmeade tour? It''s okay, Ron and I brought you lots of snacks from over there ..."


    No sooner had her words left her mouth than arge handful of sweets fell into Harry''sp like a torrential downpour.


    "Look," Ron said cheerfully, "we brought you so much candy, we couldn''t bring any more."


    "Thanks," Harry whispered, picking up apact bag of peppery little urchins, "How was Hogsmeade? What ces did you all go?"


    As it turned out, they went everywhere.


    The Honeyduke, the Magical Supplies grocery store, the Zorko joke store, and to the Three Broomsticks, which served butterbeer, as well as many other ces.


    "That post office, Harry! There''s about two hundred owls, all sitting on shelves, all color-coded, depending on how fast your mail needs to go!"


    "Honeyduke''s got a new kind of milk fudge, and they''re handing out free samples, and here''s a bit of it, you see-"


    "Wish I''d brought you some butterbeer, it really warms you up-"


    The two seemed to have an endless supply of things to say to Harry at the mention of the day''s journey.


    Harry''s face became even more rigid as he listened to the heated words of the two.


    "Harry, you ... still don''t seem too happy?"


    Ron was still talking vigorously, but Hermione could see Harry''s disoriented look and gave Ron a strong pat to make him stop.


    Harry shook his head and then turned to the two.


    "Uh, have you two ... ever heard any good jokes?" He asked with a tangled expression.

 Chapter 214 - 214 Attack on public rest room

    <h4>Chapter 214: Attack on public rest room</h4>


    "Telling jokes?" Ron gave Harry a suspicious look and touched his forehead with his cake-cream drenched hand, "You''re not running a fever, are you, Harry, saying such inexplicable things all of a sudden ... It''s not like you have a fever, is it?"


    "It''s not me who wants a joke, it''s Professor Drac." Harry said breathlessly as he smacked away Ron''s dirty, still cream-stained hand on his forehead, "I had to find a funny joke to get Professor Drac in a good mood ..."


    Harry told Hermione and Ron about visiting Hagrid today, about the trouble with Buckbeak, and about his own experience of going to seek Professor Drac''s help, but not being able to stop his mouth from pissing the professor off.


    "Well ... it''s really, really bumpy." Ronmented with a mixed face.


    "How could anyone on the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures!" Hermione loudly chimed in for Hagrid, "Those people must have been trying to impress Malfoy and didn''t dare not give Dumbledore face, so they had to go after a poor animal!"


    "Yeah, that lesson was clearly Malfoy''s own fault for disobeying Hagrid''s instructions and having to pick on Buckbeak." Harry chimed in, "How else would Buckbeak, such a docile hawk-headed, horse-bodied, winged beast, have gone and attacked him for no reason?"


    "Ugh, that''s all that''s interesting about that first lesson on protecting magical creatures." Ron sighed as well, "Hagrid seems to have taken a hit back there, and every ss just dares us to feed those disgusting, slimykeke Flobber caterpirs, it''s just boring!"


    Saying so, Ron suddenly seemed to think of something, and his eyes lit up fiercely.


    "There, I''ve thought of a particrly funny joke!" He eximed as he heavily pped his thigh.


    Harry and Hermione both turned their expectant gazes to him.


    If Ron could reallye up with a good joke to impress Professor Drac, then Harry''s problem with doubling his homework after ss and Buckbeak''sint should be solved!


    "Ahem." Ron cleared his throat very solemnly and said in a serious voice:


    "The joke goes like this - there''s a Slytherin graduate who joins the Death Eaters, and Lucius Malfoy, Malfoy''s dad, is in charge of teaching him the rules and some of the knowledge of the Death Eaters.


    Lucius Malfoy asked, ''Young man, what is it you want toe to us to learn?''


    The Slytherin graduate said, ''I would like to learn about your heart and mouth, your masculinity and your head. On the one hand, you are so unbelievably obsequious and buttery to the Dark Lord that you can''t wait to get down on your knees and lick his toes; on the other hand, you keep donating money to the Ministry of Magic, lying to the officials of the Ministry of Magic by saying that you joined the Death Eaters because you were controlled by the Soul Snatching Curse, and are actually loyal to the Minister of Magic!"


    Lucius Malfoy raged, ''What are you babbling about? My Malfoys are all scrupulously honest and true to their word, willing to serve the Dark Lord, who has ced his trust in us, so how could we possibly be guilty of such a vice?''


    The Slytherin graduate rejoiced and said excitedly, ''Yes, yes, that''s what I''m going to learn!''"


    ...


    Ron finished the joke and turned to Harry and Hermione, asking confidently, "How about that, was that funny enough?"


    Harry and Hermione looked at each other, and then couldn''t hold it back any longer, and involuntarily fell on the table, letting out a loudugh.


    "Hahahahaha ... I can''t, Ron, you''re a genius!" Harryughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes, removing his sses and wiping the corners of his eyes, "Hahahaha ... This joke must be heard by Professor Drac, Buckbeak is saved!"


    Hermione was a little more reserved, but no better than Harry.


    "Pfft ... You''re too damaged, Ron!" She covered her mouth, the corners of her eyes curved, her messy hair bouncing withughter, "I''m sure Malfoy would kill you if he heard that."


    "It was a fluke, I just happened to think of that joke when I was about to scold Malfoy too." Ron''s mouth was modest, but his eyebrows were about to rise to the sky.


    The joke might not have been that funny to anyone else, but the fact that the joke was about their nemesis, Malfoy, made it quite funny.


    Harry, Ron, and Hermioneughed uncontrobly, causing the other young Gryffindor wizards around them toe up to them and ask them what had happened to make them so happy.


    Ron wasted no time in working his joke over again, telling it with a raised eyebrow to all the young wizards who came up to him.


    Soon enough, the joke about Malfoy had spread all over the Gryffindor table, and even some of the young wizards at the Ravenw table next door, and even at the Hufflepuff table, which was quite a distance away, had heard about it.


    Just as the three young wizards were getting overughing and slowly stopping, an unexpected visitor arrived at the Gryffindor long table.


    "Potter! Wese! I knew it was you two jerks again!" A familiar voice rang in the trio''s ears, "I''m going to kill you!"


    Harry and Ron stoppedughing and turned their heads to see three very tall Dementors wearing ck cloaks and hoods standing in front of them.


    The first Dementor, who was wearing shoes with high heels to show his height, was looking at them angrily and pulled his wand out of his cloak.


    "What the hell?" Ron looked at the three guys with a confused look on his face, "Have the dementors infiltrated into Hogwarts already?"


    "Ron, what Dementor have you ever seen with a wand!" Hermione gave Ron a nk look and pointed out the true nature of the three Dementors, "This must be Malfoy and his two henchmen, I''m afraid they''re dressed like this to scare Harry."


    Hearing Hermione''s exnation, Harry looked carefully at the three Dementors in front of him.


    To be honest, when he first saw them, he was actually a bit scared, because the psychological shadow that the Dementors had caused to him before was really a bit serious.


    However, the three "Dementors" yed by Malfoy and his two followers didn''t give him the unique dark feeling of Dementors, nor did they have the effect of causing him to fall into a fainting spell or hallucinate, so it was easy to tell that they weren''t really Dementors.


    Harry looked up and saw hundreds of pumpkin lights hanging in the auditorium, as well as a swarm of winged flying bats and a number of me-spewing orange streamers that floatedzily below the ceiling like brilliant water snakes.


    He then remembered that tonight was All Hallows'' Eve, and many of the young wizards at the dinner party would be dressed as elves and ghosts to scare people.


    It seemed that Malfoy was trying to scare Harry by dressing up as a dementor, but he didn''t realize that he had just heard a joke about his own family, so in his anger, he revealed his "identity" and immediately drew his wand and prepared to duel with Harry.


    "What''s wrong with the joke we told?" Harry looked askance at Malfoy, who was wearing a hood and a ck cloak, and said provocatively, "Isn''t that how your family behaves?"


    Malfoy was shaking with anger and a bad spell came out of his mouth:


    "Flipendo (full speed knockout)!"


    Harry drew his wand at the same time, ready to strike back.


    The next moment, however, another red-haired figure stepped in front of him.


    "Armor Protector (Protego)."


    A transparent barrier blocked Malfoy''s knockback spell, and behind the barrier was the serious face of Percy Weasley.


    "Use of magic in the auditorium during non-dueling club hours, disrupting the dinner, and sneaking up on a fellow student ... Draco Malfoy has vited several disciplinary rules, ten points deducted for Slytherin!" Percy said with a straight face.


    "They scolded me first!" Malfoy shouted defiantly, "Weasley, you''re showing favoritism to Gryffindors!"


    "If you''re not convinced you can have your Head of Gradee over to me." Percy held his head up proudly while rubbing his hand over the Student Council President''s badge on his chest, "Just tell them that the President of the Hogwarts Student Council wants to talk to them!"


    Malfoy, no more confident than he was, didn''t think he could beat the seventh year Student Council President with himself and his two followers, and left the scene with hatred.


    Before he left, he gave a stern message as per the old routine, "Just you wait, I''ll make sure my dad fix you guys!"


    They hadn''t gotten very far, however, when they saw two twins wearing pumpkin heads and dressed as pumpkin-headed knightsing up to them, mouthing another joke-


    "George, why do I feel a little tummy ache?" Fred, the pumpkin head, asked the other pumpkin head.


    "Sit down and eat something and you''ll be fine," George said, "Your tummy hurts because it''s empty, eat something and you''ll be fine."


    "So that''s what it is," Fred nodded in realization, "Then it looks to me like this Mr. Malfoy has a headache, why is that?"


    "A headache because his head is empty, of course," George said with a smirk, "Put something inside an empty head and you''ll be fine!"


    "Eh, don''t say that, George." Fred waved his hand groggily, "Wouldn''t it be brain-dead if what you put inside your head was water?"


    "Ah, I was thinking out of the box." George winked, "Thanks for the reminder, Fred."


    The two then turned their eyes to Malfoy together, grinning yfully and looking very beaten up.


    Malfoy was on the verge of tears of exasperation, but with the Student Council President next to him and the two troublemakers being family, all he could do was to give the two men another vicious re before fleeing and darting back to Slytherin''s seat.


    After solving Malfoy''s problem, the pumpkin-headed twins cheered and popped up to Percy, one of the two patting Percy on the shoulder.


    "Percy, well done! You definitely had the best looking day we''ve ever seen!" They eximed, "We didn''t realize before that you could actually have such a likable day."


    "I''m not favoring the Gryffindors, I''m just doing my duty as student body president." Percy blushed as if he had gone a little red.


    He squared his cor, which had been messed up by the twins'' patting, and changed the subject, "Are you two even going to fight to eat, or are you going to get rid of those two silly pumpkin heads!"


    ...


    The food at the Halloween dinner was as scrumptious as ever, and with the little interlude in the middle of it, Harry had a great time eating.


    Hermione and Ron, despite having already filled their bellies at Hogsmeade, couldn''t resist asking for two of every dish, and ended up holding out until they could barely walk before stopping to join Harry back in the Gryffindormon room.


    The three made ns to go together the next day to tell their jokes to Professor Drac and said goodbye to each other at the entrance to the steps on the side of themon room.


    "Goodnight, Hermione." Harry and Ron waved at Hermione.


    "Goodnight, Harry. Goodnight, Ron." Hermione yawned and wavedzily.


    At night, Harry had a rare good dream after his encounter with the Dementors.


    In his peaceful and wonderful dream, he seemed to see his parents smiling at him as he rode a tiny flying broomstick around a cradle.


    Then ...


    "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-! No no no no no no no no--!"


    The beautiful dream was interrupted when Harry was suddenly awakened by a scream. He rubbed his brow, his mind still on that wonderful dream from earlier.


    It was pitch ck all around him and he waspletely disoriented, only able to feel for the curtains around the bed.


    There seemed to be other movement around him as well, the voice of his other roommate, Seymour Finnegan, came from the other end of the room.


    "What''s wrong?" He asked.


    Harry heard the dormitory door m shut and wondered who had gone out.


    He then finally found the opening in the bed curtains and pulled it open as soon as he could, at the same time the other roommate, Dean Thomas, lit themp.


    Ron sat up in his bed, a look of extreme terror on his face.


    His bed curtains had been ripped aside, and his bed was tossed about as if there were a few ragged holes in the top of the mattress.


    "ke! Sirius ke! Take a knife!" Ron shouted incoherently.


    "What?" Harry''s mouth dropped open.


    "Right here! Just now!" Ron shouted, "He scratched the bed curtain! It woke me up!"


    "Are you sure you weren''t dreaming, Ron?" Dean Thomas asked.


    "Look at that bed curtain! I''m telling you, he was just here!" Ron''s expression was still very much in shock, "He flipped my bed while I was sleeping and stuck a couple holes in it!"


    They immediately sobered up and moved to climb out of bed.


    Harry was the first to the dormitory door and ran down the stairs at full speed in his pajamas. At the same time, the doors behind them opened one by one and many sleepy voices red at them.


    "Who was that yelling just now?"


    "Ouch, what are you doing?"


    The afterglow from the firece lit up themon room, which was empty, and there was no sign of Sirius ck.


    "Surely you weren''t dreaming, Ron?" Hermione poked her head out of the top of the stairs in her pajamas, confused, "Oh Crookshanks,e to me."


    She saw her hybrid cat, Beaver, catwalking over themon room doorway towards the inside, probably trying to go out and wander around at night.


    "I''m telling you, I saw him!" Ron eximed forcefully, "Absolutely right, a figure that big standing in front of me, definitely Sirius ck as printed in the paper!"


    "What''s with all the noise?"


    "What''s going on?"


    A few more girls came down the stairs, draped in their robes and yawning.


    The boys appeared one by one as well, all woken up by Ron.


    "Awesome, does little Rollo want to have another Halloween dinner?" Fred said cheerfully.


    "Everyone back upstairs!" Percy red at Fred.


    He was busy rushing to themon room, pinning his Boys'' Student Council President''s badge to his pajamas as he talked.


    "Percy! Sirius ck!" Ron''s voice was hoarse, "In our dormitory! With a knife! Wake me up!"


    Themon room was silent.


    "Bullshit!" Percy said, looking stunned as well. "You ate too much, Ron, and had a nightmare ..."


    "I''m telling you-"


    The two men argued, one adamant in his disbelief that Sirius ck had been in themon room, the other trying to prove in every way possible that he had actually seen the infamous and wanted criminal.


    A few minutester, Professor McGonagall was also startled and entered inside themon room through the doorway side.


    As soon as she entered themon room she mmed the doorway on the portrait behind her and looked around angrily.


    "I can hear your noise from the second floor, are you trying to revolt by staying up all night?" Professor McGonagall eximed and looked to the student body president, "Percy, I was counting on you to do better!"


    "I sure as hell didn''t tell them to do that, Professor!" Percy said with righteous indignation, "I''m telling them all to go back to bed! My brother Ron had a nightmare ..."


    "Not a nightmare!" Ron shouted forcefully, "Professor, I woke up and Sirius ck was standing in front of me with a knife!"


    Professor McGonagall looked at him with wide eyes, "Don''t make a fool of yourself, Weasley. How did he get past our portraits?"


    "Ask him!" Ron pointed a trembling finger toward Sir Cadogan''s portrait, "You can ask him if he saw it!"


    Professor McGonagall gave Ron a skeptical look and walked over to turn the portrait over so that Sir Cadogan was facing the inside of the Common Room.


    The entiremon room held its breath.


    "Sir Cadogan, did you just let a man walk into the Gryffindor tower?" Professor McGonagall asked.


    "Of course, ma''am!" Sir Cadogan said rightfully.


    The Gryffindor students were stunned speechless, their eyes on the verge of ring out of their sockets.


    They felt a pang of fear, with the young wizards in the same dormitory as Ron shivering up a storm.


    If Ron wasn''t having a nightmare, and the person standing at the head of his bed was really Sirius ck, that murderous and wanted criminal, did that mean that the several of them had a brush with death?


    "Did you ... you really open the door?" Professor McGonagall also broke out in a cold sweat and asked sternly, "But ... but what about the password for themon room? How can you let someone in and out without the passphrase!"


    "He has the gag!" Sir Cadogan said confidently as he brandished his knightly sword, "The man has had the gag all week, ma''am! It was read from a little slip of paper!"

 Chapter 215 - 215 Long-lived rats

    <h4>Chapter 215: Long-lived rats</h4>


    Professor McGonagall''s chest rose and fell violently as she turned to face the students who were so stunned that they didn''t say a word.


    Her face turned a little whiter than the end of the ashes in the firece.


    "Which," Professor McGonagall said in a shaky voice, "which throwaway fool wrote down all of this week''s passwords and left them lying around?"


    A silence fell upon themon room.


    After a few moments the silence was broken by a very weak, frightened voice in the heavy air.


    Neville Longbottom, his entire body, shaking from his head to his slipper-d feet, slowly raised his hands.


    "Lombardton, why did you write the password down on a slip of paper?" Professor McGonagall, exasperated, pursed her lips and questioned, "Don''t you realize that this could easily lead to an unsuspecting person finding a loophole in the Gryffindormon room?"


    "I-I know, but I can''t remember ..." Neville was so anxious that he was close to tears, "I''ve had a bad memory since I was a child ... Sir Cadogan has to change it several times a day several passwords, I can''t remember them at all."


    Professor McGonagall shifted her gaze to the portrait in the doorway again.


    "Don''t look at me like that, ma''am." Sir Cadogan tapped his chest with his knight''s sword and gave an odd salute, "As a knight, I of course have to do everything I can to keep the territory safe! I think changing the muzzle at any time will better guard this territory!"


    "But, but why would you let in someone who is clearly not a student?" Professor McGonagall puzzled.


    "Ah, as a knight, principles are important." Sir Cadogan said rightfully, "Since he was able to answer my password, it would be against the principles of being a knight not to let him in."


    "What''s more, how am I supposed to tell if he''s a new professor?"


    Hearing Sir Cadogan''s argument, Professor McGonagall and the young wizards fell silent.


    He said it as if it made sense, and they surprisingly had no way to refute it ...


    ...


    Soon, Dumbledore also arrived in the Gryffindormon room that had been attacked.


    Drac, who was not in the habit of sleeping at night, was also quick to hear themotion and came together to fly up.


    He startled the young wizards present by entering themon room through the window where the owls had been delivering mail.


    "There you are, Professor Drac." Seeing Drac''s arrival, Dumbledore, dressed in a purple cotton nightgown, walked over and asked with a grave expression on his face, "Any sign of Sirius ck?"


    Drac cooperatively took out the deeds from his pocket and searched the entire castle inside and out, but did not find any suspicious figure.


    "Not much to find." He shook his head.


    Dumbledore also patrolled around the castle with a daemon and a tracing spell, then shook his head as well.


    "I''ve searched all around the castle for miles, and there''s no sign of ke anywhere including the ck Lake and around the Quidditch pitch." He said.


    "Strange ...," Drac said with a slight frown of confusion, "It shouldn''t have been that long since ke left here, and with no way to use Phantom Transfiguration within the confines of Hogwarts there shouldn''t have been any way for him to get out of our sight in such a short time to get out of our sight."


    "Exactly, so I think he must have some way of being able to block our senses." Dumbledore nodded, "Or maybe he has a way to get out of Hogwarts range in a short amount of time."


    "How about asking Professor Lupin?" Drac asked tentatively, "He was friends with Sirius ck when he was at school, he might be able to tell something."


    Dumbledore paled slightly and before he could say anything, another greasy voice came through the doorway of themon room.


    "I''m afraid you won''t get to see him today!"


    The greasy voice appeared alongside the long, greasy hair at Drac''s side as Snape nonchntly stepped into the Gryffindormon room, grinning disdainfully.


    This Dean Slytherin''s entry made the young Gryffindor wizards very unhappy, but seeing that both professors, the Headmaster and the Deputy Headmaster, had noment, these students could only show some indignation on their faces and did not dare to express their direct opposition.


    Snape looked condescendingly at those indignant little wizards, snorted, and continued:


    "Headmaster, I remember telling you that this newly recruited colleague isn''t very trustworthy. That wanted man could still butchered his way inside the castle, and might have evene close to getting it!"


    "It was an oversight on my part to overlook the fact that ke knew about Professor Lupin''s weakness." Dumbledore said, then turned his head towards Professor McGonagall, "Minerva, it would be better if I trouble you to take the other professors and carefully inspect the entire castle."


    Professor McGonagall nodded, and breezed away from the few people.


    Drac looked at Dumbledore and Snape in wonder, not quite understanding what these two were ying dumb, why he couldn''t go to Professor Lupin today to ask about things, and what exactly Professor Lupin''s weaknesses were.


    Just then, he suddenly caught a glimpse of the sky outside the window.


    In the middle of the night, a full full moon was peeking out from a mass of piled up clouds, shedding an empty moonlight.


    Today is much more than Halloween ...


    Full Moon Night.


    Drac suddenly remembered what kind of person he had been when he first met Lupin.


    He was the werewolf who had been brought to Drac''s castle meeting room by several high-ranking vampires after that war with the werewolves and the shades in Romania.


    A werewolf on the night of a full moon would transform into a wolf and lose his mind, and only a wolfsbane potion could keep a werewolf in his senses through the brutal night.


    And Snape was afraid that he was the only wizard inside the whole castle who could refine the wolfsbane potion, plus he seemed to have some quarrels with Lupin back then, so there was nothing strange about this professor of magic potion knowing Lupin''s real identity.


    Sirius ck likewise knew that tonight was the night of the full moon, so he took this opportunity that Lupin would inevitably be unable to discover him to sneak into the Gryffindormon room.


    But the question now was, after Sirius ck had gone through the trouble of sneaking into the Gryffindormon room, why was it Ron Weasley who attacked instead of Harry Potter?


    Drac turned his attention to Ron.


    "Wait a minute, Weasley."


    He called out to Ron, who was in shock and had wanted to go back to his dormitory to get a good night''s sleep.


    "What is it, Professor?"


    "I''m here, Professor!"


    "What''s the matter, Professor?"


    "Professor ..."


    Fred, George, Percy, Ron and even Ginny Weiss came, all five fiery red-haired students turned back to Drac at the same time.


    Drac: "..."


    "It was Ronald Weasley I called, the other Weasleys can go back." The corners of his mouth twitch a little as he waves his hand at the other Weasleys except Ron, "Ron Weasley stay, I have some questions I need to ask you."


    Ron pointed a finger at himself in surprise, and only after receiving an affirmative reply from Drac did hee over the side of the stairs.


    "Professor, you wanted to see me?" He asked in a raspy voice, his face still a little pale.


    "Yes, Potter stay with us as well." Drac pointed again to Harry who was not far away.


    Ron came with Harry to Drac''s side, and seeing this, Hermione quietly followed suit and stood in front of the firece with her two best friends.


    "Wese on, think carefully about what happened." Looking at the three young wizards in their pajamas and looking dazed, Drac asked Ron, "Did you see what Sirius ck looked like or what he was doing when you woke up?"


    Upon hearing Drac''s question, the other young wizards, no longer sleepy, pricked up their ears and either sat on the couch in themon room pretending to study or stood on the steps in front of their dormitory doors eavesdropping.


    They all wanted to know the details of this shocking event.


    Ron also seemed to enjoy the feeling of being surrounded by people, his fearful face washed away quite a bit as he joyfully recounted:


    "I was still asleep, and then I vaguely heard the sound of something being torn up, and thinking I was dreaming, I ignored him. But then there was another gust of wind through me, and then I woke up and saw that one side of the curtain by the bed had been torn off ..."


    "Then I rolled over and saw him standing before me ... like a skeleton, with a great mass of dirty hair, and a great long knife in his hand, which must have been twelve inches long by my eyeballing ... He looked at me, and I looked at him. Then I screamed, and he got away."


    "Got away?" Drac raised an eyebrow, "He''s a dangerous Death Eater, why would he flee because you screamed?"


    "Yeah, ke went to the wrong bed, why didn''t he kill Ron to silence him and then move on to me?" Harry was confused about this as well, "What ke did twelve years ago shows that he doesn''t care about killing innocent people, and this time there were only five unarmed little wizards right in front of him, and four of them were still asleep!"


    "Yeah, he clearly could have killed all five of us, how would that have left Harry out?" Ron chimed in.


    Drac fell silent, thinking silently.


    Harry, on his end, was still racking his brain with reasoning.


    "ke must have known that if you called up and woke everyone up, he''d have a hard time getting out of the castle." He thought properly for a while, then said, "To get back through the hole in that portrait, he''d have to kill the whole house, and then he might also run into the professors ..."


    "Wait, did Wes say before he came that ... your bed was turned upside down and several holes were punctured in the mattress?" Drac asked, suddenly interrupting Harry and opening his mouth.


    "Yeah, what''s the problem?" Ron froze.


    "I was wondering if it could be that it wasn''t Potter that ke himself was after, but something on Weasley?" Drac guessed, "Wesley, do you have anything valuable or special?"


    "No ... no I don''t think so." Ron was filled with doubt, "My family never lets me carry anything valuable, I even have to wait until my dad hits the jackpot to change my wand."


    He then suddenly eximed, "Oh yeah, my Spotty is missing, he must be freaking out ... By the way, Hermione, keep an eye on your cat, don''t let it sneak butting into the men''s dormitory and taking Spotty happen again!"


    "Ron, it''s in a cat''s nature to catch mice, you can''t be so selfish as to stifle Crookshanks'' freedom!" Hermione disliked back defiantly.


    "You''re not the one who had to buy a cat over at the pet store!" Ron eximed, "I''ve had Bamm-Bamm for three years now, and it''s only the semester you got a cat that he seems so shriveled up!"


    "..."


    Drac subconsciously looked over at the ginger hybrid cat, Beaver, in Hermione''s arms, and suddenly noticed something incongruous in the conversation the two had just had-


    "Wese on, are you saying ... you''ve had your mouse for three years?" He asked with a frown.


    The lifespan of a rat was usually between one and three years, while most pet rats lived for two years.


    A pet rat that had lived for three years was already considered quite long-lived.


    "Yeah, before that Spotty was Percy''s pet, but then when I came to school at Hogwarts Percy became Head of Grade and mom bought him a new owl ..." Ron sounded a little jealous, "and then Percy then gave Bamm-Bamm to me."


    "Wait, you''re saying that mouse was Percy''s pet before?" Drac''s frown tightened.


    "Yeah, I''ve always only been able to use my brothers'' stuff, whether it''s clothes, wands, textbooks, or pets ...," Ron said without rancor.


    At this point, Dumbledore, who was also next to him, acutely realized the problem and came to Drac''s side.


    "Professor Drac, what do you mean ..." Dumbledore asked softly.


    "Whether or not I''m overreacting, in any case, it shouldn''t be too difficult to find a mouse." Drac shook his head gently.


    He lifted his own wand and nodded at Ron before reciting:


    "Trace to Source (Avensegium)."


    A tantalizingly yellow line appeared on the ground, connecting Ron''s body at one end and extending all the way to the doorway of themon room at the other.


    Ron looked at the tantalizingly yellow line uncertainly, thinking that Professor Drac, who had never been much of a talker, was willing to personally help him retrieve his pet, and had a rather excited look on his face.


    Unbeknownst to him, Drac did want to find his pet, but had no intention of returning it to him ...


    Burgundy light flowed through his eyes as Drac''s gaze traveled infinitely along the line, and then saw the end of its connection-


    It was the path to the northeast of Hogwarts Castle, and a gray mouse was trying its best to crawl quickly towards the Forbidden Forest.


    It wasn''t fleeing aimlessly like a normal pet rat, but rather, as if it had a clear goal in mind, it was crawling straight towards the thickest bushes and the most suitable location for hiding.


    "Interesting."


    Drac withdrew his gaze and slowly quirked the corner of his mouth.


    He and Dumbledore looked at each other and nodded.


    With that, both of them simultaneously disappeared from the Gryffindormon room and reappeared instantly on the path that the gray mouse had been advancing on.

 Chapter 216 - 216 Peter Pediru

    <h4>Chapter 216: Peter Pediru</h4>


    "Is this the pet rat that Wes Lai raised?"


    Drac opened his palm, and as if there was an irresistible suction force in his palm, therge gray-ck rat suddenly floated uncontrobly from the ground and flew towards Drac.


    Suddenly rising from the ground, a few moments of shock first appeared in Bamm-Bamm''s eyes, and then, it saw the two professors in front of it, and the emotion of extreme fear surfaced on that pointed rat face.


    It fluttered its four paws and twisted its head, struggling violently.


    Spotty''s struggles were obviously to no avail, and Drac easily crushed it in his hand, somewhat disgustedly pinching the obese rat''s neck with the tips of his thumb and forefinger.


    In a panic, it struggled and twisted its rat head around, biting Drac''s index finger with a mouthful of sharp teeth.


    Then ...


    the four long incisors above and below crumbled in unison, while Drac''s index finger didn''t even leave a tooth mark.


    "Yo, this rat is quite fierce." Drac nced at Bamm-Bamm in his hand in an unsavory manner and threw it towards Dumbledore, "You''re better at Transfiguration, let''s see if there''s anything wrong with it."


    "Does Professor Drac think that Bamm-Bamm is an Animagus that has not been legally registered?" Dumbledore asked with a frown as he picked up Bamm-Bamm.


    He wasn''t as big-hearted as Drac, wrapping an Iron Armor spell around his hand before taking Bamm-Bamm.


    "Who knows?" Drac shrugged, "Anyway, Sirius ck seems to have infiltrated themon room not for Potter, but to find this rat, which is supposed to have some problems."


    Dumbledore nodded approvingly, then looked down at Spot, who was struggling violently in his hands.


    Looking at the long-lived pet rat, his eyes first looked a little surprised, then changed to zed over.


    "Might actually have you right, Professor Drac." Dumbledore said softly.


    He took out his wand with his other hand and pointed it at the mouse in his hand, a circle of blue-white light slowly surfaced in front of the wand.


    As the glow lit up, Bamm-Bamm hung in mid-air, its small gray-ck body writhing and struggling madly ...


    A momentter, the mouse in the glow dropped andnded on the ground.


    There was another dazzling sh of light, and then ... before his eyes it was as if a fast-motion shot of observing the growth of a nt was taking ce -


    The rat''s body gradually expanded, and first a head appeared on the ground, then limbs came out of the body, and in a moment more a man stood where Bamm-Bamm had been a moment before, cowering and wringing his hands.


    The man was short, not much taller than a lowly young wizard. His thin, tantalizingly colored hair was unkempt and he had arge bald spot on the top of his head.


    His size didn''t fit his body very well, like that of an obese person who had lost a lot of weight in a short period of time, and his dirty skin had so many fat folds that it was almost like a rat''s fur.


    Not only that, but his pointy nose and small watery eyes had some of the characteristics of a rat.


    The man''s breath caught in his throat as he looked at the exuberant Drac and the surprised Dumbledore in front of him. His small eyes subconsciously nced towards the forbidden forest and quickly retracted.


    Looking at the man in front of him, Dumbledore silently collected the surprise in his eyes and his eyes became extraordinarily deep.


    "It''s been a long time, Peter." He said softly as he exhaled slowly.


    "Do you recognize this rat, Dumbledore?" Drac asked Dumbledore as he eyed the short man curiously, "Tch, this guy looks itsy-bitsy, what''s Sirius ck doinging over here all the way to catch him."


    "You, hello ... School Dumbledore ... Headmaster ...," the voice of the man called Peter was also shrill. His eyes looked at Drac with some trepidation, "Professor Drac ... I, too, know you ..."


    "Oh?" Drac put a yful smile on his face, "It seems that I am quite famous in Weasley and Potter''s dormitory, actually even a pet knows my name."


    "Professor Drac, this is no pet ...," Dumbledore''s voice rang out beside him.


    His voice was soft, but Drac was surprised to feel the anger lurking in it.


    "This is the recipient of the Order of Merlin, First ss, Peter Pediru." Dumbledore said softly. "A ''hero'' who should have died twelve years ago."


    "Peter Pediru?" Drac froze for a moment, then his eyes became more yful, "A friend of Professor Lupin and that Sirius ck, right?"


    "Precisely." Dumbledore nodded softly, "I''m actually curious, Peter, what on earth has sustained you for twelve years as a pet rat in the Weasley household."


    "Headmaster!" Peter did not answer Dumbledore''s question head on, but instead eximed under his breath,rge beads of sweat bursting from his pale face, "Headmaster Dumbledore, you should know that he ... tried to kill me then, he ... "


    "Yes, I know." Dumbledore''s voice became a little cold.


    "He''s here trying to kill me again!" Peter suddenly screamed, "Sirius ck, he killed Lily and Jaime and now he''s trying to kill me ... You must help me, Mr. Headmaster ... "


    "Don''t worry, I won''t let him get his hands on you until we figure out a few things." Dumbledore said.


    "Get things straightened out?" Peter screamed, looking around hastily once more, his eyes ncing around at all the ces suitable for hiding, "I know he''s after me! I know he''lle after me! I''ve been hiding, I''ve been hiding for twelve years!"


    "Did you know Sirius would escape Azkaban?" Dumbledore shook his head, "But no one has ever escaped before."


    "He must have an evil spell that the rest of us can''t even think of!" Peter screamed at the top of his lungs, "How else could he have escaped from there? I''m guessing the man who can''t even be mentioned by name taught him some tricks once!"


    "The conclusion you''re talking about doesn''t hold water." Drac suddenly let out a softugh, "There''s no reason why Voldemort would only teach the method of escaping Azkaban to a wizard who temporarily defected to the Death Eaters and not to those who have been with him for decades in his inner circle."


    Judging from the fact that Voldemort had to rescue his former subordinates from Azkaban even though he hadn''t fully regained his strength, it was obvious that he trusted those prisoners, and there was no reason for him to value Sirius ck alone.


    Hearing Drac say the name "Voldemort", Peter trembled a little, but under the strong desire to survive, he still gathered the courage to retort:


    "That''s because ..."


    "Enough, I''ll figure these things out." Dumbledore interrupted, looking up at the sky, "Now we just have to wait for the moon to set and the sun to rise ..."


    Drac simrly looked up at the full moon in the sky and slightly ticked the corners of his mouth.


    "Actually, we don''t have to wait until dawn ..."


    ...


    In the faculty lounge, Dumbledore and Drac sat on two separate couches.


    Peter Pettigrew didn''t seem to be embarrassed by Dumbledore, and was at that moment sitting hunched back in one of the chairs.


    But when he tried to leave the chair to steal butchers, he found that the chair had an inexplicable power sticking to his body, making it impossible for him to break free from it.


    This bad sign added to the panic in Peter''s mind, and the despair in his small eyes could scarcely be hidden.


    After a short while, Professor McGonagall came in.


    When she saw the figure of the author in that chair, she involuntarily covered her mouth with her hand and looked at Peter with open eyes.


    "Merlin''s beard! Peter, I can''t believe you''re still alive!" Professor McGonagall eximed, her eyes still filled with disbelief.


    "Good evening ... evening, no, no ... morning, Professor McGonagall." Peter stumbled over his words, the near-dawn sky outside the window making it almost impossible for him to tell what to say in greeting.


    "This is incredible!" Professor McGonagall covered her face with her hands and looked to Dumbledore, "Albus, did you and Professor Drac find Peter? Where did you find find him?"


    "Professor McGonagall, in case you don''t believe me, Mr. Pediru is the rat that Ron Weiss came to keep." Drac ticked the corner of his mouth, "It wasn''t Potter that Sirius ck infiltrated the Gryffindormon room to find either, it was this Mr. Pediru."


    "Wait a minute ... Professor Drac, I''m not quite sure I understand what you mean." Professor McGonagall didn''t respond for a moment.


    "I mean, Mr. Pediru turned into a mouse and lived in the Weasley household for twelve years." Drac exined.


    "You mean ... Peter was an Animagus?" Professor McGonagall asked in surprise.


    Drac smiled softly and nodded.


    Professor McGonagall turned her head to Peter and opened her mouth to speak.


    "Well ... Peter, first of all I''m d you''re aplished in Transfiguration, Animagus isn''t for everyone ..." After a moment of hesitation, she spoke.


    "But why are you in hiding? Do you have any idea how upset your mother really was when the news of your death got out? She received the remains of only one of your fingers ..."


    "I ... I just ..." Peter cringed and wrung his hands, tears streaming down his face, "I''m really sorry, Professor, but I waspelled to ..."


    "ke he ... he will do whatever he can to please the Mysterons, he will surelye to kill me as well, they always have a way to escape from the Ministry of Magic''s capture; not only that, but the other Death Eaters won''t let me go either, because I . . that I went and blocked the traitor."


    Professor McGonagall''s eyes grew softer, and sadness and hurt surfaced in her eyes.


    "Oh, Peter, don''t be sad." She said sentimentally, "I can guess how hard you''ve had it all these years ... but you should at least let your mother know that you''re still alive."


    "I ... don''t dare, I''m afraid of involving my mother." Peter stumbled through his tears.


    "What a poor child, it''s hard for you to be so dutiful and still take your friends so seriously, only to be betrayed by your best buddy." Professor McGonagall gently wiped the corners of her eyes, "But you forget you still have Hogwarts, and Dumbledore, and we''ll all protect you ..."


    "Pfft."


    While the two of them, Professor McGonagall and Peter, were touching each other, a less-than-harmoniousugh came from the side.


    Professor McGonagall looked at Drac with a dissatisfied gaze and questioned, "Professor Drac, Peter is already pitiful enough, why are youughing at him?"


    "It''s fine, just suddenly thought of something funny." Drac looked at Peter with a smirk and said pleasantly.


    He also didn''t expect that in a short period of time, this Mr. Pediru, who had been a rat for more than ten years, would be able to make up this kind of lie that had quite a few holes in it, but was still believable.


    A sentimental old witch like Professor McGonagall would easily be moved by his pitiful look.


    Only ...


    Drac looked over to Dumbledore, who was sitting on the couch next door, and couldn''t help but let out a softugh when he saw the still extremely calm look on his face.


    Must Dumbledore has also long been like Drac himself, with the Regent to take the idea of Peter''s memory to turn over ... The great wizard does have his own principles, but it does not mean that he will be so pedantic that he will not use extraordinary means in the face of this particr situation.


    The poor Mr. Mouse was still acting in self-hatred, wanting to use Professor McGonagall as a breakthrough, ying the emotional card, and winning a ray of hope for himself.


    "Professor Snape should be almost here, right?" Drac asked suddenly.


    "Severus, what''s he doing here?" Professor McGonagall, whoseplexion was already very soft, froze and frowned slightly.


    She was aware of this Dean Slytherin''s feud with Peter''s foursome when he was in school.


    Sure enough, as the words fell out of her mouth, a figure in a wide ck cloak menacingly pushed open the door and walked into the faculty lounge with a six-footed stride.


    Professor McGonagall was surprised to see that Snape''s face had an indescribableplexity and hatred on it that was far beyond anything that could have been caused by his grudge with the foursome back in the day.


    "Heh, who do I take this for?" He hissed, each word seeming toe out of his teeth, "The great hero who fought the brutal Death Eaters to the end and died heroically, huh?"


    "S ... Snape ..." At the sight of this former antagonist, Peter cringed and shrank back inside his chair. If he hadn''t been unable to get out of this chair, I''m sure he would have been hiding behind Professor McGonagall.


    "Professor, help me, he''s a Death Eater and he wants me dead too!"


    "Peter, Severus is now a professor at Hogwarts, he can be trusted." Professor McGonagall exined, but sidestepped between Peter and Snape.


    "Severus, what are you doing?" She asked seriously.


    "Not doing anything, justing to see why this great hero, who died so bravely, is still alive!" Snape''s tone was still peevish at first, yet by the end of his words, he had be somewhat hysterical.


    Without waiting for Professor McGonagall to react, he took a few steps forward menacingly and poured a bottle of clear potion, long hidden in his hand, into Peter''s mouth!

 Chapter 217 - 217 Real killer

    <h4>Chapter 217: Real killer</h4>


    "Severus, what are you doing?!" Snape''s sudden movement startled Professor McGonagall.


    She hurried to Peter''s side and saw that he hung his head feebly and had fallen into a stupor.


    "Severus, what did you feed Peter?" Professor McGonagall tightened her grip on Snape''s sleeve and pursed her lips sternly, "I know you had a lot of trouble with Jaime and the others at the time, but it''s been over ten years now!"


    "Severus, you really don''t have to hold a grudge to this extent ..."


    "There''s no need to worry about him, it''s just a little bit of Tranquilizer." Snape''s gaze was still dead set on the groggy Peter and his tone was hard, "I do hope that what was poured into his mouth wasn''t Tranquilizer, but a poison made from Mandrake juice."


    "What exactly do you suspect?" Professor McGonagall frowned tightly.


    Just then, Dumbledore, who hadn''t said anything, suddenly spoke up and interrupted Professor McGonagall.


    "Let Severus go first, Minerva, I instructed him to do it." He said.


    "Albus?" Professor McGonagall turned her head to the couch Dumbledore was on and asked in shock, "Why did you do that?"


    "I just wanted to confirm something." Dumbledore shook his head gently at her, "Don''t be so impulsive, Minerva, a lot of things you see are not always the truth."


    Professor McGonagall gave him a willful look, finally trusting Dumbledore more solidly than the touches brought on by her former student.


    So she loosened her tug on Snape''s sleeve and took two slight steps to the side.


    Snape never rxed his tight gaze on Peter from the beginning, his eyes growing bloodshot and red.


    "Tell me who really betrayed Lily twelve years ago ... and who betrayed that arrogant fool Potter!" He forced his tone to calm down, but his words were clearly trembling.


    Everyone in the room turned their eyes toward the short, stout figure with his head bowed and haggard look, wanting to see what kind of answer he would actually say.


    "It was I ... who betrayed Jaime it was I ... who betrayed Jaime," Peter said in a tone that held no emotion.


    His first words made Professor McGonagall''s eyes widen and he covered his mouth in disbelief.


    "But isn''t ... Jaime and Lily''s secret keeper Sirius ck?" Professor McGonagall stepped forward and asked urgently.


    "He was originally chosen in the n ... but Sirius felt that he was too conspicuous, and anyone could have thought that Jaime would have chosen the clever Sirius as the secrecy person, so he convinced Jaime and Lily to change the secrecy person to me at thest minute... ..."


    Professor McGonagall''s child hole tightened abruptly, and Snape clenched his fists and grabbed Peter by the cor with all his might.


    "Tell me, Pediru, why did you defect to the Dark Lord?!" In a trembling voice, he said viciously, "How could you defect to the Dark Lord? How can you stand up to Lily''s trust in you!"


    "The Dark Lord is too powerful, I can''t muster up the courage to go against him at all, I''m a coward, I don''t deserve to be in Gryffindor." Peter said, "It''s a coincidence really, that not long after I promised the Dark Lord, Sirius persuaded Jaime and Lily to change the Keeper of Secrets to me ..."


    "I thought I could get a lot of credit and not have to worry about my safety ever again. But the Dark Lord disappeared the night he left for Godric''s Hollow and no one could reach him ..."


    "I was terrified because I had to take on two camps at the same time - Sirius questioning me about why I betrayed Jaime; the Dark Lord''s supporters thinking that I was still working for the Order of the Phoenix and deliberately tricking the Dark Lord into making him slip up in Godric''s Hollow... ..."


    "So I had to think of a way, a way to survive."


    "By that time, Sirius had already found me, and he always knew where I would hide ... So I had a sh of insight in the face of a life or death crisis, and in obedience, I yelled down that street, ''You''re the one who betrayed Jaime and Lily,'' And then blew up the whole street before he could do anything, leaving dozens of feet of the neighborhood in ruins."


    "Sirius is so good, it''s only natural that he wouldn''t die easily from such an attack. But he didn''t actually realize that I wasn''t as weak as they thought I was, he thought that I had just lost control of my magic due to my emotions and blown myself into ash along with that street ..."


    "But I didn''t, I saved myself under that magic spell that enveloped me and cut off my index finger to make him think I was dead, then turned into a rat and escaped into the sewers, where I mixed with other real rats ... until I was adopted by the Weasleys. "


    "I waspletely turned into a pet rat after that, but I at least survived."


    Under the influence of the truth-transmitter, Peter''s tone remained unhurried and undting, which made the few people in the room sound even more exasperated.


    Professor McGonagall couldn''t believe that the student who was so obsequious and couldn''t speak clearly back then had turned himself into a demon step by step, leading to the deaths of dozens of people, including her own friends!


    She took a deep breath for a long time before she finally got her breath down.


    "But ... but if you''re afraid, why don''t you go tell Dumbledore? We didn''t necessarily ask you to join the Order of the Phoenix, you could have quit at any time!" Professor McGonagall said painfully, "What''s more, Dumbledore can clearly protect you ..."


    "Dumbledore can''t protect everyone." Peter continued with a grimace, "As a friend of three loyal members of the Order of the Phoenix, Jaime, Sirius and Lemmings, I''m naturally on the opposite side of the obvious Death Eaters, and they''re going toe after me anyway."


    "Bing a Death Eater and being captured by Dumbledore would at least allow me to spend the rest of my life in Azkaban; but if a member of the Order of the Phoenix is captured by the Death Eaters, then I will surely die at their hands ..."


    "I didn''t want to die, so I chose the Death Eaters."


    "Geez! I really find it hard to believe ..." Professor McGonagall turned her back to remove her sses and used a handkerchief to wipe the tears that flowed from the corners of her own eyes.


    Snape on the other side couldn''t stand it any longer, his face seemed to contort in expression.


    "Don''t want to die? Heh heh heh ...," Snape grabbed Peter''s cor with one hand and had raised his wand with the other at some point, "Then have you ever thought that there are just as many people in the Order of the Phoenix who don''t care about those ridiculous rules!"


    A blinding green light surged menacingly from the wand in Snape''s hand, illuminating Peter''s small, unfocused eyes green.


    Just as the soporific spell was about to hit Peter in the face, a sudden burst of red light struck Peter in the face, one step ahead of him, knocking it heavily out of Snape''s hands.


    Likewise, it sent him flying out of range of the Sojourn Curse.


    Stone froth flew as the green pir of light sted hard against the wall behind him, punching a hideous gaping hole in the solid stone wall.


    "Albus, do you wish to harbor this shameful traitor?" Snape turned his head and looked menacingly at Dumbledore, "You know it, he got Lily killed!"


    "Yes, I know, Severus." Dumbledore sighed softly, "But he had other uses, and I couldn''t allow you to kill him just like that."


    "What other use could he be?!" Snape bellowed, all but losing his usual icy gloom, "Do you still want to use this traitor to vindicate Sirius ck, the wanted man?"


    "Severus, now that the truth is out, we can confirm Sirius'' innocence." Dumbledore said softly, "He only infiltrated Hogwarts to capture Peter and avenge Jaime and Lily."


    "But then he''s not at fault?" Snape''s tone was icy, "If it weren''t for that egomaniac''s arrogance in thinking how powerful and conspicuous he is, how could he even think of handing over the Keeper of Secrets to such a traitor!"


    "Severus, your prejudice against Sirius is still too deep." Dumbledore shook his head helplessly.


    "I''m just telling the truth!" Snape said through gritted teeth.


    "I''ve seen them for what they are since twenty years ago ... arrogant, cocky, show-offs, never putting other people''s emotions or feelings into perspective, and they''re to me for where they are now!"


    Snape angrily stepped back and forth in the faculty lounge, one unpleasant adjective after another spewing out of his mouth, all of them being held over the heads of the original quartet, venting the emotions that had been pent up in his heart for over a decade.


    Dumbledore watched him quietly without interrupting.


    Drac also watched with interest and amusement at the exasperated demeanor of the never-gloomy Professor of Potions.


    The first to look away was Professor McGonagall.


    "Severus, Jaime and Sirius they did get a little willful and naughty when they were at school, and I will admit that they were some of the most troublesome students I''ve ever had, but they did put in a lot of effort to fight the Mysterons."


    Professor McGonagall had wiped away her tears and put her sses back on, resuming her dry, sharp image, with only her still slightly red eyes indicating that she was still not exactly at peace.


    Snape''s rant stalled.


    He was one of the Mystic party members who had been fought off by Jaime and Sirius and the others back then, and at this point he was a little out of breath in the face of Professor McGonagall''s rebuttal.


    "If you think so, so be it." He bristled and pushed the door of themon room open, "Do what you want, but I don''t think the Ministry of Magic willpromise for an original criminal so easily!"


    With that, he left this faculty lounge without looking back.


    Every time he took one more look at that culprit who had caused Lily''s death, his heart would twinge one more time ... After all, the one who had really induced the Dark Lord to get up the idea of going to kill Jaime''s family was actually himself ah.


    "Albus, what are we going to do next?"


    In the faculty lounge, Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore with some hesitation and asked.


    "No matter what, let''s release martialw in the castle first." Dumbledore looked at the sky outside the window and said softly, "It''s almost dawn, and it''s about time for another important person to wake up."


    ...


    A small bedroom with curtains closed around it and a full soundproofing spell applied to the walls.


    At that moment, Lemus Lupin, pale and haggard, woke painfully from his lethargic course.


    Even with the wolfsbane potion Snape had made for him at Dumbledore''s request, which enabled him to stay awake during the full moon, the transformation process was still not easy.


    It wasn''t so much the pain of the transformation as it was the mental strain.


    Lupin always thought of himself as a sorcerer, not a werewolf, so there was always an aversion to his own body when he transformed into his wolf form.


    This mentality had started to develop since he was in school, but fortunately, he had three good friends who were willing to turn into animal forms to apany him through every full moon night, which prevented him from breaking down in this kind of torture year after year.


    This psychological burden was only gradually eased after he chose to fight for the dissolution of the discrimination against werewolves in the wizard society after thoroughly integrating into the werewolf pack in the past two years.


    "Professor Lupin, awake?"


    Just then, a mellow voice passed through the heavy soundproofing magic spell and came in through the door.


    Lupin stood up with difficulty and slightly straightened his attire before walking over and opening the door.


    "Professor Drac, you''re awake really early." Seeing the silver-haired figure outside the door, he casually greeted.


    "You can''t say that." Dracughed softly, "To be precise, Dumbledore and I were up all night."


    "More than one big thing happenedst night, Professor Lupin!"


    Drac led Lupin towards the facultymon room, giving a general rundown of what had happened that night along the way-


    Including Sirius sneaking into the Gryffindormon room, him and Dumbledore catching a mouse that turned out to be Peter Pettigrew, and Snape using a truth spit on Peter to learn that he was the real traitor ...


    Lupin''s mood went from surprise to dismay, to shock, and then to yet another daze.


    "I should have thought of that," he muttered, "Sirius and I actually had some mutual scruples at the time ..."


    "Sirius thought I was a werewolf, when most werewolves had joined Voldemort''s camp; and I thought he was a member of the ke family, when his brother and cousin were the most loyal Death Eaters ..."


    "The two of us couldn''t give each other our full trust, and to our surprise, it was the least and most trustworthy Peter who betrayed Jaime."


    Lupin''s eyes were filled with shame, as if he was considering himself a sinner.


    "More than ten years have passed, there is no need to regret now, Professor Lupin." Drac twisted his head to look at Lupin, "Instead, why don''t you take this time to tell me what interesting stories you all had at that time, and think about where exactly Sirius ck would be hiding ..."


    Drac hooked up the corner of his mouth, "You''re the one who knows him the best in the entire magical world right now, your thoughts are very informative to us."

 Chapter 218 - 218 The Wolf, the Mouse and the Black Dog

    <h4>Chapter 218: The Wolf, the Mouse and the ck Dog</h4>


    Hearing Drac''s question, Lou calmed down and thought for a moment.


    "If I had to guess where Sirius would stay, I''d say he''d stay in the Shrieking Shack." He said slowly, "There''s a secret passageway there that connects to the Beating Willow, and that''s where it all started ..."


    "The Shrieking Shack?" Drac raised an eyebrow, "The house that is rumored to be haunted in Hogsmeade?"


    As a well-known attraction in Hogsmeade, the haunted Shrieking Shack had naturally piqued Drac''s interest.


    But after he stayed there for a few nights and realized that it was nothing more than an ordinary to ordinary shack, he lost interest in it.


    When he heard Lupin suddenly mention this shack, Drac''s curiosity was once again piqued.


    "As a matter of fact, this shrieking shack has never been haunted ...," Lupin said with a gentle shake of his head, "The screams and howls that the vigers often hear are actually from me when I transform into a werewolf on the nights of the full moon. "


    "So that''s it?" Drac nodded thoughtfully.


    No wonder the vigers of Hogsmeade said that no ghostly screams hade out of this shrieking shack for over ten years. Lupin had graduated from Hogwarts a long time ago, and naturally the Shrieking Shack wouldn''t be utilized anymore.


    "Professor Drac, you know that I am a werewolf, but I''m sure you don''t know how I became one." Lupin continued, "At that time, my father offended a werewolf at the court of the Ministry of Magic, and that werewolf, in order to take revenge on him, sneaked into my house on the night of the full moon and bit me who was still very young."


    "That werewolf was Fenrir Grayburk, who was captured by you at Castle Drac in Romania."


    "Such a coincidence?" Drac was a little surprised.


    If it wasn''t for Lupin suddenly mentioning it, he had almost forgotten that there was another werewolf locked in a dog cage, and he wondered if Serena had forgotten to arrange for her subordinates to bring him food.


    It would be a bit funny if he were to starve to death in the cage ...


    "At the time, my parents tried all sorts of things that prevented the transformation into a werewolf, but nothing ever worked." Lupin continued to narrate, "The Wolfsbane Potion, after all, only appeared recently, and only gradually became popr after Damocles Belby made improvements."


    "The potion does make werewolves safe, as long as they take it a week before the full moon, they will remain sane while shapeshifting. With the aid of this potion, I was able to curl up indoors and be a harmless wolf, waiting for the full moon to pass ..."


    "However, before the wolfsbane potion was invented, I would turn into an unapologetic wolf, brutal and bloodthirsty, one day a month. I would never have been able toe to Hogwarts, and there''s no way other parents would have wanted to expose their children to me."


    "But I was lucky enough to meet Headmaster Dumbledore, who was very sympathetic. He said that with certain precautions, there would be no reason to keep me froming to school." Lupin sighed and addressed Drac.


    "That Beating Willow was actually nted so that I coulde to Hogwarts without any problems. That shanty was also built for me. ..." he pointed in the direction of the Beating Willow on the northeast side of the castle, "There''s a passageway next to the roots of the Beating Willow that connects all the way from Hogwarts to the Shrieking Shack... ..."


    "That passageway was created for my use. Once a month, I was smuggled out of the castle and sent here to be transformed. The beating willows were nted at the entrance to the passageway to keep anyone from encountering me when I was a danger to people."


    Drac nodded softly.


    "That makes sense, otherwise it always seemed a bit out of character to nt a dangerous nt fairly close to the school''s teaching area." Heughed softly, "Of course, there''s no shortage of things that don''t make sense about this school in the first ce."


    Lupin smiled heartily in return, and proceeded to tell the story of his own year down the line:


    "In those days, my transformation was ... terrible. Turning into a werewolf was very painful, without any sanity, only the desire for bloodlust and destruction, wanting to bite people but staying away from the crowd, so I was left to gnaw and scratch myself."


    "The vigers of Hogsmeade heard all those noises and screams I was making from the Shrieking Shack and assumed that they were hearing the sounds of a particrly ferocious poltergeist. And instead of stopping it, Dumbledore encouraged people to spread these kinds of rumors, thinking that it would go even further in preventing others from going near the shanty ..."


    "Of course, I didn''t realize that even now, despite the fact that the house hasn''t had such noises in years, the vigers are still afraid to go near it."


    "When you think about it that way, werewolves do have it pretty rough." Drac nodded, "Inparison, vampires don''t have so much to do, and are in whatever state they should be, and don''t have the pain that werewolves have every month."


    "Nor was it painful to that extent ...," Lupin smiled and shook his head, "I was happier then than I''d ever been, except for the time I spent shapeshifting into a werewolf. I had friends for the first time, or three good ones. Jaime Potter, Sirius ck ... and, of course, Peter Pediru."


    "There''s no way my three best friends didn''t notice that I was missing once a month."


    "I made up all sorts of stories - telling them that my mom had gotten sick and I had to go home to see her ... I was especially worried that they would ignore me once they realized I was a werewolf. But they were smart, and soon realized the truth of the matter through their textbook on ck magic defenses ..."


    "But what I didn''t expect was that they didn''t ignore me at all, instead they did a lot of things for me, so that I could not only endure the pain of shape-shifting, but also made my time at Hogwarts the happiest time of my life - they learned Animagus, and spent time with me in my animal form on the nights of the full moon."


    "All three of them were Animagus?" Drac asked with some surprise.


    "Yes, indeed." Lupin said, "It took them almost three years to do it. Jaime and Sirius were the smartest students in the school, and they did all they could to help Peter with the Animagus Transformation after they reached it."


    "They were lucky in that the Animagus Transfiguration didn''t go off the rails or go terribly wrong - after sessfully learning the Animagus, they also didn''t choose to register with the Ministry of Magic ... so few people know that there are three more Animagus in the magic world."


    "What a touching friendship!" Drac eximed, "Unable to keeppany with their friends in human form, they turned into animal forms to keep each otherpany ... I can''t believe that even such abination had a day when a traitor appeared."


    Lupin''s face grew a little heavy once again.


    "Well, thanks for the story, Professor Lupin." Drac said with understanding, "I can probably see that the reason Sirius ck was able to avoid Dumbledore and I is actually quite simple, it''s just because he''s an Animagus."


    "Thinking about it that way ... the reason for escaping from Azkaban is probably the same, those brainless Dementors are never interested in an animal, and the Azkaban Dementor Import/Export has never been able to stop an animal."


    When Drac had sneaked off to Azkaban to find information on Sirius ck, it was as a bat that he had transformed into and entered the middle of the prison through the narrow Dementor entrance and exit.


    "So you knew all along where ke might be? Then why did you go so long without telling Dumbledore about it?" Thinking so, Drac squinted over at Lupin, "Are you still willing to believe that he was wrongly used, that he was actually a good man despite his escape?"


    "There are elements of that, I never could believe that Sirius would betray Jaime ..." Lupin said softly, "but on the other hand, there has always been some guilt in the back of my mind that I failed Dumbledore''s trust ..."


    "At the time, when none of the other Headmasters would ept me, he was the only one who did, and he waspletely unaware that I had broken the Code - a Code that he had created for my safety and that of others."


    "As a matter of fact, he never knew that I had connived with three friends to illegally learn to be Animagus. During the school year, whenever we sat down to n the next month''s adventures, I kept trying to find a way to forget this guilt, but I still haven''t changed anything about it ... I indulged in thepany of my friends who transformed into animals on the nights of the full moon."


    Lupin''s face was a little heavy, and his voice even took on a note of self-disgust, "All the time that Dumbledore has been hiring me toe to Hogwarts, I''ve been struggling with myself, unable to decide whether or not to tell Dumbledore: that Sirius is an Animagus ..."


    "But I didn''t say it. I think it was just because I was too cowardly. Telling him would have meant that I had failed him as a student, it would have meant admitting that I had also led others to join me in breaking the Code ... And for me, Dumbledore''s trust was extremely important."


    "That mentality hasn''t changed even after bing the current werewolf leader ... I also started out by showing my face every day in the most visible part of the castle, hoping that Sirius would realize that there were still people inside Hogwarts who would recognize his Animagus form. My behavior during that time did have some effect."


    "But in time, it was as if I had convinced myself that Sirius had blended into the school using the evil spells he had learned from Voldemort, and that his bing an Animagus had nothing to do with it ..."


    "Severus has always been cynical about me, in the sense that he''s always been right about me."


    Lupin shook his head mockingly, his eyes incrediblyplicated.


    "I''m actually puzzled as to what kind of conflict Snape had with a few of you during the school year." Drac asked curiously, "More than ten years have passed, and the hatred in his eyes doesn''t seem to have faded even a little."


    "Well ... this matter is a bitplicated to say the least, which includes the fight during the youthful and frivolous period, the dislike between the two arch-rival academies, the conflict caused by the different ideas, the confrontation in terms of feelings, the generation of the threat to life and the rescue... ..."


    Lupin''s series of adjectives made the corners of Drac''s mouth twitch hard.


    "Why do I get the feeling that the drama that old Nicole watched wasn''t asplicated as the story between you two ..."


    "Yes, it is indeedplicated, and there are some things I can''t talk about yet because it involves Snape''s privacy." Lupin smiled softly, "But there is something very close to me that I can still tell you about-"


    "When I was at school, Severus took a particr interest in where I went each month," he recounted felicitously, "We were in the same year, and neither of us liked each other very much yet."


    "He especially disliked Jaime, jealous of the way Jaime made a name for himself on the Quidditch pitch, of the closeness with which Jaime and Lily talked andughed ... Until one day Severus saw me walking across the grounds with Madam Pomfrey on the evening of a full moon one day, and she led me over to the Beater Willow to scream about the shanty Transfiguration."


    "Sirius had little sense of propriety at the time, and mischievously told Severus that he could follow me into the hole in the tree if he touched the knothole in the trunk with a long stick; Sirius thought it was ... well, funny. Snape, of course, tried just that ..."


    "If he had actually gone inside the Shrieking Shack, he would have encountered outright werewolves ... But luckily Jaime reacted in time after hearing what Sirius had done and pulled Snape back after him, otherwise I don''t really know what would have happened."


    "No wonder Snape said that you guys never put other people''s feelings or even their lives on the line, so that''s what else happened." Drac said thoughtfully, "But he was sort of saved by Jaime Potter after all, so howe he hates Harry so much now?"


    "By Severus'' own ount, he''d rather not be saved by Jaime than die in the Shrieking Shack ...," Lupin sighed forlornly, "What happened between Jaime and Severus is much moreplicated and can''t be made clear in a moment''s time clear."


    "It''s all right, time is thest thing I need." Drac got up to listen to the story and hooked the corners of his mouth slightly, "I''lle to your office when I can and listen to your story of the feud between you and Professor Snape."


    Lupin opened his mouth as if he subconsciously wanted to refuse, but then lost his smile and nodded.


    "Huh, the faculty lounge is here." Without realizing it, the two had already walked together to the door of the faculty lounge, and Drac pushed the door open, "Go in and see your old friend!"


    After sending Lupin inside the lounge, Drac closed the door again with his backhand and went alone to the tree under the beating willow as Lupin had said.


    The usually grumpy Beating Willow had always been quiet in front of Drac, swaying gently with the early morning breeze, purposely shifting a few branches to thoughtfully make way for the hole in the secret passage under the tree.


    Drac nodded with a tantalizing smile and stepped through the opening under the tree.


    He was going to go to the Shrieking Shack himself and grab Sirius ck, so that the three dear friends from over a decade ago could have a proper reunion!

 Chapter 219 - 219 Sirius Black

    <h4>Chapter 219: Sirius ck</h4>


    It was a house, a messy, dusty house.


    The wallpaper hade off the walls, there were stains all over the floor, one piece of furniture was broken, seemingly by human beings, and the windows were boarded up.


    Inside the roomy a man, a man who didn''t look alive.


    A mass of dirty, tangled hair hung down to his elbows; if the eyes hidden in deep, dark sockets wouldn''t have rolled, he could have been a corpse; and the waxy skin clung to the bones of his face in a way that made him look alive as a skeleton.


    He was Sirius ck.


    Sirius was depressed now. Just a short while ago, he had taken a big risk to sneak into Hogwarts Castle, trying to catch Peter Pettigrew, who had betrayed Jaime, in the dead of night.


    Last night was the night of the full moon, and Lupin, the only one inside the entire castle who could recognize his Animagus form, had to endure the process of shapeshifting into a werewolf alone, and couldn''t possibly go out and inspect the entire castle as usual.


    At the same time,st night also happened to be All Hallow''s Eve, and the professors and students had enjoyed the All Hallow''s Eve dinner in the auditorium, where everyone was well-fed and deeply asleep.


    As a result, he was able to sneak into the empty Gryffindor tower unnoticed, as well as enter the Gryffindormon room with a slip of paper recording a week''s worth of passwords that a clever half-blooded cat, Beaver, had brought over to him.


    Sirius thought thatst night was the best chance to catch Peter, and if he missed this opportunity, he might never be able to catch the dastardly rat again.


    But he had failed after all.


    Peter wasn''t stupid, and the rat, who only wanted to live, likewise knew thatst night was a full moon, and it was unlikely that Lupin would be patrolling the castle grounds as he usually did.


    What had happened in the meantime had allowed Peter to determine that Sirius had found out about the fact that he was hiding from Ron ying pet, and that it was no longer safe to remain in the Gryffindor tower.


    So he ran out of Ron''s bed ahead of time, and used his tiny mouse body to run hard toward the forbidden forest. Only by thoroughly integrating into the vast forest could he gain greater vitality ...


    In fact, it was no wonder that Sirius had pounced; Peter, whose sense of survival was drawn full, had actually tried to escape a long time ago.


    It was only that the hybrid cat beaver Crookshanks that Hermione had raised was too smart and had long ago realized that he was not a normal mouse, which was why he tried to go over to the boys'' dormitory several times to catch him.


    If it wasn''t for Peter''s naive little master, Ron Weiss,ing to shield him, I''m afraid he would have been exposed long ago.


    It was also because of Crookshanks'' suspicions that Peter had no way of escaping under the heavy guard of a cat.


    Fortunately,st night, Crookshanks went to look for Sirius with Neville''s note recording the password of themon room in his mouth, and Peter finally found a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to escape and simpered out of themon room.


    Only a mouse''s crawling speed is really limited, and Peter was captured by Drac and Dumbledore halfway there ...


    Of course, Sirius was unaware of the fact that Peter had been captured, and was chagrined, half lying on the dusty floor of the Shrieking Shack, wracking his brain to think of any other way to capture Peter.


    "That dead rat is too alert, no, this can''t go on!" Sirius thought with secret hatred as he scratched at his stray hair that he had pulled into a ball.


    "I''m afraid that rat is willing to even stay in the sewers with real rats in order to stay alive ... If it reallyes to that, I may never find him again."


    Thinking like this, he stood up from the ground and carefully used his magic to restore the dust on the ground to its original state ... He had to be careful at all times not to let others find any traces that someone had been here.


    At the same time, Sirius secretly made up his mind and decided to take the risk and make another trip back to Hogwarts.


    If he couldn''t catch the enemy who betrayed Jaime and Lily this time, it would be useless for him to live on for a long time, so he might as well let go!


    Sirius figured it all out and tiptoed over to the other side of the shack and lifted a broken nk.


    Underneath the nk was a deep passageway that he knew would lead to the northeast side of Hogwarts Castle next to the Beater''s Willow.


    Sirius picked up his wand, which he had seized from someone else, and lit the glow of an illumination spell on the tip.


    Then, instead, he saw an upright figure with silver hair walking silently down the tunnel.


    The originally low secret passageway that required bending down to pass through, surprisingly, every time he took a step, an area became spacious and t, and even automaticallyid ayer of neat tiles around the tunnel, thus leaving that silver-haired figure''s entire body unblemished.


    The figure didn''t light anymps, and the only bright light in the tunnel shone in from the tip of Sirius''s wand, which, after heavy reflections, shone on that handsome but pale face, adding a bit of eerie atmosphere.


    "Are you ... you a human or a ghost!" Sirius subconsciously eximed.


    As he said so, he suddenly realized that no matter whether that figure was a human or a ghost, he should immediately control that unexpected visitor to prevent his position from being leaked.


    So he immediately cast a powerful stupefy spell on that figure.


    However, the figure just casually raised his hand and cupped Sirius''s stupor spell in his hand, followed by a gentle grip ...


    As if the stupefy spell did not work on him, it was just crushed into a piece of trivial light points, and waved away with the figure''s open palm.


    Sirius'' eyes widened under the cover of his dirty hair.


    Even though it was just a stupefy spell that he had hastily cast, as an outstanding wizard who had once fought on the front line against Death Eaters, he didn''t think that the power of this magic spell was much different from the spells carefully prepared by those outstanding Aurors.


    Yet it was such a magic spell that was actually caught by a man with his bare hands ...


    This was too exaggerated!


    Realizing that he might not have the means to deal with this figure that gradually came before him, Sirius developed a sense of retreat in his heart and silently retreated two steps back.


    ...


    Changing back to Drac''s perspective, he had just walked inside the deep and dark tunnel for several minutes.


    Changing the terrain while walking with Transfiguration slightly slowed down the progress, but in order not to rub against the surrounding dust that hadn''t been cleaned up for I don''t know how many years, it didn''t hurt to slow down a little bit.


    As a vampire count who preferred to be active at night, he also didn''t need any lights and could easily see things in the dark tunnel.


    Just as he kept walking until he was about to get impatient and was ready to phantom shift directly to the Shrieking Shack, a bright light suddenly appeared in front of him.


    A figure as withered and frightening as a skeleton, with aplexion more green than Regulus ke''s shadowy corpse, and with a mass of long, dirty hair appeared behind that bright light.


    Then the skeleton spoke:


    "Are you ... you a human or a ghost?!"


    Drac: "..."


    To be honest, although Drac was technically neither a human nor a ghost, being asked such a question by such a long-haired skeleton was really a bit too much for him to take in.


    Then, the skeleton also picked up his wand and used a stupor spell on him.


    Drac wasn''t too happy in his heart anymore, so of course he didn''t show the slightest bit of mercy, and directly raised his hand and rubbed that stupor spell into points of light.


    Then, he took a step and instantly appeared in front of that skeleton.


    "Before asking someone if they are a human or a ghost, I suggest you take a look at what you look like first!" Drac said coldly, "Don''t you think so, Mr. Sirius ck?"


    Sirius'' eyes grew very intense as he heard Drac''s precision call out his name.


    Instead of responding, he simply took a half step back once more before instantly phantom shifting out of the Shrieking Shack.


    "Snort, how is it that wizards are so unoriginal one by one?" Looking at the disappearing Sirius, Drac snorted, "Do you really think you can run away with Phantom Shift?"


    The light in his eyes flowed, instantly capturing the previous spatial fluctuation, and then following the trail of Sirius'' Phantom Shift, he made the same Phantom Shift and disappeared in the same ce.


    In the next moment, Drac appeared in the middle of a remote deserted mountain, and in front of him was Sirius ck, who had a season of heart.


    "Hello again, Mr. ke." Drac hooked the corner of his mouth and yfully greeted Sirius.


    "What?!"


    Sirius hadn''t even gotten over the shock he had just felt when his fragile mind suffered another shock and his heart missed a beat.


    He subconsciously used Phantom Shift again, however, before his body could get into the vortex of spatial fluctuations, he was yanked out by arge, illusory hand, dragging him hard in front of Drac.


    "I haven''t even stated my intention, why are you running?" Drac frowned at Sirius in front of him and said in a cold voice, "Don''t you want to hear what I''m looking for you for first?"


    "Running into someone as creepy as you, do I have to stay there for Christmas if I don''t run?" Sirius seemed to know at this point that he couldn''t run away, and slumped to the ground in a bit of self-loathing.


    "Like I said, do you want to look at what you''ve grown into before you think about calling someone else creepy." Drac''s mouth twitched as he grabbed Sirius by the cor and dragged him over to a nearby pond.


    He pressed Sirius'' head down so that the skeleton''s withered cheeks were reflected in the water, "Take a good look at your own image! I thought the ke family was in pretty good condition before, but I didn''t expect to produce a skeleton like you."


    Sirius was abruptly quiet, staring silently at the water that was asionally rippling.


    "Hahahahaha ... So I''ve be like this?" After only a second of silence, he suddenlyughed madly, "You may not believe it, but I used to be the schoolboy of Hogwarts ... Professor Drac?"


    After Sirius rxed from his tight state, he finally recognized Drac from his trademark silver hair and great strength.


    "Really?" Drac nced at Sirius'' face, then averted his eyes with a face full of disgust, "So the ... so-called schoolboys all turn out to look like this in the end?"


    He thought of the originally very handsome schoolboy Tom Riddle, whoter turned into a nose-less Voldemort; and then he looked at the Sirius-ke in front of him, who had been tortured by a dementor into a skeleton ...


    Drac was silently worried about Cedric Diggory''s future in his mind.


    "Professor Drac ...," Sirius, still looking at the water, suddenly spoke out.


    "Hmm?"


    "Before you send me to Azkaban, could you help me catch someone?" Sirius said hatefully, the bitter hatred in his voice seeming to go up to the clouds, "That person deserves to be locked up in Azkaban more than me, and deserves to be taken by the Dementor''s Kiss more than me!"


    After saying this, he was afraid that Drac wouldn''t agree, and continued to add a few more chips:


    "After this is done, I will allow you to send me to the Ministry of Magic to collect the highest bounty, and I will even give you all the remaining wealth of the Breck family ... We can sign an unbreakable oath!"


    Sirius knew that he had no chance of resisting, but still wanted to try and see if he could trick this powerful professor into helping him get Peter arrested, otherwise he would not be willing to die!


    "Save your breath, you don''t even have a few people left in the Breck family, how many broken dors can you still have left?" Drac''s tone was dismissive.


    "Wait, Professor Drac, you probably don''t understand pureblood families ...," Sirius said eagerly, "Even if our family has fallen now, the wealth umted over the years is by no means a small number! I ..."


    "Don''t bother with that, I know how much wealth you still have." Drac interrupted, "It''s only a few hundred thousand Galleons, and most of it isn''t liquid, it''s not much fun."


    Sirius: "?"


    Hundreds of thousands of Galleons didn''t feel like enough, what kind of person was this Professor Drac? And how did he know how much wealth the Breck family had left?


    Sirius was very confused.


    Of course he couldn''t possibly know that his brother Regulus ke had been rescued by Drac and that the house elf Kreacher had already taken an inventory of the family''s remaining wealth, and that Regulus was currently nning to revive the ke family''s various hidden assets.


    "Well, if the man you''re talking about is Peter Pediru, then we''ve actually got him." After watching the fun, Drac finally put away teasing Sirius and told the truth.


    "Snape used the truth spit to ask that rat all the truth, and by now Dumbledore should be thinking about how to remove your wanted notice."


    Sirius'' eyes widened suddenly.


    "Is that true?!" He jumped instantly, his toneced with suppressed ecstasy.


    "Of course, there''s no need for me to lie to you." Dracughed lightly, "Just go back to Hogwarts in a while and take you to see for yourself."


    "... But before we go back, I think it''s time for you to have a good bath, so you don''t scare the timid little wizards."


    Drac had an impish grin on his face and kicked Sirius into the pond.

 Chapter 220 - 220 One thing after another

    <h4>Chapter 220: One thing after another</h4>


    Drac returned to Hogwarts with a refreshed Sirius ck.


    Sirius, who had taken a bath in the pond, trimmed his dirty beard and hair, and changed his clothes, was currently wearing a ck striped suit and a tie.


    Aside from the fact that his face was still too skinny and his demeanor still had a bit of the crazy aura from when he came out of Azkaban, Sirius really did have a bit of the schoolboy look from back then on him.


    He was tall, with a face that was too skinny but still looked handsome and elegant, with elegant and beautifully cleaned and trimmed ck hair and a pair of striking gray eyes, and a careless arrogance and spontaneity in his mannerisms.


    "I didn''t realize you were really the schoolboy of Hogwarts, huh?" Drac looked at Sirius, who hade out of the fitting room of Mrs. Morkin''s Clothing Store, and couldn''t help but raise an eyebrow.


    "Is it okay for me to be exposed to people like this?" Sirius nced at Mrs. Morgan, who was cutting clothes next to him, and leaned close to Drac to whisper.


    He had experienced a lot of time in hiding, and at this point, standing bright and early inside a clothing store, he always felt a little weak.


    "It''s okay, don''t feel too good about yourself." Drac said, "Did you see Mrs. Morkin even look at you?"


    Sirius then dared to look up and take a closer look at the clothing store owner before he realized that Mrs. Morgan''s adoring gaze never moved from Drac''s face.


    "It shouldn''t, should it?" Sirius touched his face, "I don''t feel like I''m any harder to look at than you are, so why is it that you''re the only one she''s looking at?"


    "You probably haven''tpletely recognized yourself. This skeleton face of yours now looks much stronger than before, but who gave you the courage topare yourself to me? Go back and eat something good to replenish yourself before you say anything!"


    Dracughed lightly and snapped his fingers, and a dark moon quietly enveloped the two.


    ...


    In the next moment, Drac and Sirius appeared together in the Hogwarts staffmon room.


    By now, Peter had awakened from the effects of the truth spit and was bound to a chair by Dumbledore''s binding spell, which was also firmly glued to the floor.


    Dumbledore and Lupin were both sitting at a table in themon room, seemingly discussing something.


    On a long couch, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat with puzzled expressions.


    Ron had even just thrown up, covering his mouth and looking a little pale.


    Seeing Sirius''s arrival, Peter squirmed restlessly, trying to break free of the chair and escape, but couldn''t move a single inch no matter what.


    "Little ... Sirius ..." Peter had no choice but to curtly force a smile and whisper in a shrill voice, "My friend, my old friends ... It''s been a long time ..."


    "And you know we''re your friends?!" After seeing Peter, Sirius'' originally suppressed madness surged back into his eyes, "So how did you treat your friends ... back then how did you treat Jaime and Lily?"


    "Yeah ... I''m sorry, but the Dark Lord is just too powerful, and there''s really no way I can resist him." Peter cowered in his chair, shivering.


    "Sirius, think about it ... If you were in my shoes and were forced by the Dark Lord and arge group of Death Eaters to defect to them or let you die, what would you do ..."


    "I would rather die than betray my friends!" Sirius roared without the slightest hesitation.


    Peter seemed to be in shock and cried out in sadness.


    He was crying so terribly that he looked like an oversized bald baby, shivering on the floor, making the few young wizards present look at him.


    "Sirius, Sirius ... what can I do?" Peter mumbled mumbled mumbled mumbled, "That Dark Lord ... you don''t know, he''s so powerful you can''t even imagine it ... I was terrified!"


    "Sirius, I''ve never been as brave as you, Lupin, or Jaime. I never did that on purpose ... The man who couldn''t even mention his name forced me to ..."


    "Don''t lie!" ke growled, "You''ve been passing information to him since before Lily and Jaime died, you''re his spy! We realized there was a mole a long time ago, but it never went to you. We were all deceived by you!"


    "He ... he''s sticking his nose in everywhere!" Peter gasped, "What''s ... to be gained by turning him down?"


    "What good would it do to fight the most evil fiend that ever lived?" At that moment, Lupin, who hadn''t said a word, stood up, "Isn''t fighting the Death Eaters about saving innocent lives, Peter?"


    "You don''t understand!" Petermented, "He''ll kill me, Lemus!"


    "Then you deserve to die!" ke yelled, "It''s better to die than to betray your friends, and if you''re trustworthy, we''ll do the same for you!"


    ke and Lupin stood side by side and together they raised their wands at Peter.


    "You should understand," Lupin''s tone backfired, "that if Voldemort hadn''t killed you, we would have. Farewell, Peter."


    "Just a moment." Dumbledore suddenly pped his hands, interrupting Sirius and Lupin''s movements, "Before you do anything, I think it would be best if we asked the two parties involved what they thought."


    He looked over to the three young wizards on the couch, who were already looking confused, and said, "Harry, Ron, what do you think about this?"


    "What can I think!" Ron red at Peter in disgust, then with a twitch in his throat, molded, "It''s just this ugly, disgusting man who used to sleep in my bed and I used to hold him in my arms ... Vomit!"


    He lowered his head and dry-heaved in agony.


    Dumbledore thoughtfully waved his wand and pushed a trash can in front of Ron''s face, protecting the floor from being clean and clear in the process.


    He then turned his attention back to Harry beside Ron.


    "I ..." Harry froze.


    He felt something surreal about the scene now.


    The wanted criminal that he had always thought would be a threat to him and felt he had a deep grudge against, Sirius ck, was now an innocent wizard who had spent over a decade in Azkaban for nothing.


    And the pet mouse, who had been with Ron every inch of the way, and whom he had held dear, had transformed into an ugly adult boy wizard, and he was the traitor who had truly betrayed Harry''s parents!


    For a moment, this drastic change left Harry a bit puzzled.


    "Well ... that, Mr. ke, I have a question for you." After a few moments of thought, he looked over at Sirius, who was still ring indignantly at Peter, and said carefully.


    "Harry, don''t call me Mr. ke, it''s not a title you should use. Just call me Sirius." Sirius looked over at Harry.


    The moment he turned his head, all the madness, resentment, and mania in his eyes all disappeared in an instant, and only the deepest gentleness and caring remained in them.


    "Harry, I don''t know if anyone has ever told you ... that I am your godfather." As he said the words, Sirius recoiled in a bit of distress, his voice ced very, very softly.


    "Yes, I know. Hagrid told me that once." Harry gave a small smile, the gentle look in Sirius'' eyes making him less nervous than before.


    "i ... Well, Sirius, I was wondering why you stayed in Azkaban for so long back then?" He asked, "You were innocent, Peter Pediru was the traitor!"


    "No Harry, I never thought I was innocent ... et I killed them." Sirius spoke in a heavy, hoarse tone, "I was the one who convinced Lily and Jaime to rece me with Peter to act as a keeper of secrets at thest minute ..."


    "It''s my fault, and I know what a mistake I made. At the time I thought Peter was dead and I couldn''t face facing my former friends again, so I thought ... Azkaban would be a good ce to go, at least good enough for me to confess ..."


    "No, that''s not true!" Harry eximed as his eyes reddened, "You weren''t wrong! The only thing that''s wrong is that rat, he''s the one who killed my parents, and it shouldn''t be up to you to atone for that!"


    "Thank you, Harry ...," Sirius said with a slight tremor in his voice, "I never actually knew how to face you, I didn''t know if you''d ever forgive me... ...It''s nice, it''s nice to know that you don''t me me."


    "Well, Sirius, it''s not time to be moved yet." Lupin patted Sirius on the back and said softly, "We haven''t dealt with that rat yet, he should pay for his betrayal."


    "That''s right, he has to pay!" Sirius wiped the corners of his eyes, and when he turned around, his expression once again became menacingly insane.


    "Wait!" Harry suddenly eximed.


    He got up from the couch and ran forward, blocking Peter.


    "You can''t kill him," he said, looking a little struggling, but moving with determination, "Yes, you can''t."


    Both ke and Lupin were shocked, wondering what Harry, who had just been so hateful to Peter, was thinking.


    "Harry, this is the same thug who caused you to lose both your parents!" ke snarled, "This groveling filth has no mercy for your family. You heard what he just said, his own stinking skin is more important than the lives of your entire family."


    "I understand," Harry gasped, "but we can give him to the Dementors, he should be locked up in Azkaban ... just don''t kill him."


    "Harry!" Peter''s eyes widened in joy, he had just about lost hope of living, he didn''t realize that the child of his enemy had spared his life, "Thank you, thank you for opening up to me ... thank you ... "


    "I never spared your life for you!" Harry nced at Peter in disgust and spat, "I did it because I didn''t think my father would want his best friend killing someone ... especially someone like you!"


    "And if you die like that, Sirius'' wrongs will be hard to wash away ..."


    ke and Lupin looked at each other. After a moment, their wands lowered.


    "You''re the only one who has the right to make the decision, Harry," said ke, his expression seeming reluctant, "You don''t have to worry about me, I don''t care about the wrongs ... but you have to think about what he''s done. "


    "He could have gone to Azkaban," Harry''s tone grew firm, "He was supposed to be tortured by dementors for the rest of his life ..."


    "Let me interject."


    Suddenly, a voice interrupted Harry.


    Everyone in the room turned their heads and moved their eyes to where the voice came from.


    Only to see Drac, who had been watching the y for half a day, leaning back on the couch with his legs crossed, shaking a tall ss of wine in one hand and holding a piece of pudding in the other, looking with interest at the direction where Peter and Harry and the others were.


    Harry: "..."


    Sirius: "... Do you really think you''re watching a y, Professor Drac?"


    "Of course I''m watching a show, what else would I be doing here?" Drac said rightfully, before cing his ss in the air and giving a thumbs up to a few people, "Wonderful, what a wonderful y!"


    "But, Potter, you seem to be missing the point - if Sirius ck could sneak out of Azkaban through the Animagus, why wouldn''t a smaller, less conspicuous mouse be able to escape?"


    Harry froze.


    He hadn''t really considered that.


    "So I have a suggestion, why don''t we turn this Mr. Pediru into a dud before we give him to the Dementors, so that he loses his ability to shapeshiftpletely!" Drac said with great interest.


    He had just thought of a way to turn a sorcerer into a dud some time ago, and hadn''t had time to implement it yet.


    "Wonderful!" Sirius pped his thigh and expressed his hands in favor of Drac''s proposal.


    Even Lupin showed a hint of interest.


    Looking at the eager Drac, Dumbledore finally couldn''t sit still.


    "Ahem, Professor Drac''s proposal is indeed a solution ...," he stood up from the sofa and discouraged, "However, next we need Peter as a proof to clear Sirius'' name. "


    "This proof will be much less strong if others know that we have tortured Peter."


    "Tell you what, I will arrange for Fawkes to supervise him at all times to eliminate the possibility of him escaping with his Animagus transformation."


    Dumbledore then looked to Peter, "If you do not listen to advice and are bent on escaping by transforming into a rat, Fawkes will immediately burn you to the ground! Peter, you should still know something about the mes of the Phoenix."


    Peter nodded repeatedly, as if he was afraid that Dumbledore would backtrack.


    Being able to retain some more magical ability would give him an extra chance of survival, and he felt that he still had a chance!


    "Tch, no fun." Drac shrugged and got up and walked towards themon room door, "Looks like the y is breaking up today, so it''s time for the audience to leave!"


    He pushed the door open and walked out of the faculty lounge in faith.


    "Wait, Professor!" Just then, Hermione suddenly called out to Drac from behind.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Professor, Hagrid and Buckbeak are still waiting for your help!"

 Chapter 221 - 221 Unexpected package

    <h4>Chapter 221: Unexpected package</h4>


    "Oh, almost forgot."


    Drac turned back to Harry and Ron with a smirk, "Now that Ms. Granger has mentioned it, have you twoe up with your jokes?"


    Ron hesitated, nced around at the professors and Sirius and Peter, and seeing that there were no Lords of Slytherin House around, he gritted his teeth and told the joke he had made up earlier to prank Malfoy.


    "There''s a Slytherin graduate who joined the Death Eaters ...


    ...


    The Slytherin graduate rejoiced and said excitedly, ''Yes, yes, that''s what I''m going to learn!''"


    ...


    After the joke was told, an eerie silence fell over the faculty lounge.


    Feeling a bit embarrassed about losing face, Ron asked awkwardly, "Isn''t it funny?"


    "Pfft..."


    Sirius was the first tough.


    "Hahahahaha ... That''s definitely the funniest joke I''ve heardtely!" Heughed excitedly, "I''ve been looking at that Lucius Malfoy for a long time now, but of course, if we could change the main character of the joke to Snape, the joke might be a little funnier."


    Sirius passed Ron an encouraging look, "Come on, think of a few more jokes out there featuring Snape as the main character, I''ve got my eye on you, boy!"


    Even with the praise, Ron wasn''t much happier and just forced a smile.


    But he knew that this Sirius ck had spent more than ten years in that joyless ce in Azkaban, hiding in the east after escaping from prison, and surely he had only heard this one joke.


    Then this joke of his must be the funniest one Sirius had heard recently, because there wouldn''t be a second one!


    Ron then reluctantly turned his attention to the others.


    Lupin, who was too preupied at the moment to have much of an idea of listening to jokes being told, just gave a facetious tantalizing smile.


    Peter, who was worrying about his future and was full of bitterness, was even less likely tough at any jokes.


    Fortunately, Dumbledore''s expression seemed to be a bit jovial.


    "It''s true that the young are still creative," Dumbledore said with a smirk, "but I suggest that you''d better not tell the joke to Mr. Malfoy, or you''ll be fighting again. Minerva''s been quite busytely, so it''s best not to give her more to do."


    Hearing Dumbledore''s advice, Ron was a little heartbroken. Because this joke had been heard by Draco Malfoy on the spot where it was thought up, they did almost fight ...


    Finally, Ron, Harry, and Hermione all turned their eyes to Drac.


    Only if Professor Drac approved of the joke would Harry''s homework be lightened, and Hagrid and Buckbeak would be helped ...


    At Ron''s hopeful gaze, Drac slowly hooked the corner of his mouth.


    "It didn''t feel that funny, but it was pretty creative." Dracughed softly, "I''ll count you guys through for now this time!"


    "Professor, what about Buckbeak ...," Hermione pressed.


    "Don''t worry, Buckbeak will be fine!"


    Drac waved his hand and walked out of the faculty lounge.


    ...


    Drac was still very efficient in acting on what he had promised.


    On the afternoon of the next day, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to visit Hagrid at the shed on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, they saw an old man with a mess of floppy, flowery white curls and a slightly freckled face sitting opposite Hagrid in the shed, chatting.


    On the tabletop in front of the two men was an old brown leather suitcase, which a blonde teenager was eyeing very covetously, drooling at the corners of his mouth.


    "Good afternoon, Hagrid ... Hey Rolf, what are you doing here?" Harry asked in surprise as he walked through the door to greet Hagrid, and then saw the two men, one old and one young, sitting next to Hagrid.


    "Good afternoon, Harry." Rolf surreptitiously wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth and greeted Harry as well, exining, "I''m here with my grandfather, who was invited by Professor Drac to see Professor Hagrid about the Buckbeak problem."


    Newt turned his head to the three young wizards and smiled, nodding at them.


    "Ah, there you three little ones are!" Hagrid waved his bushy palms and greeted the three as they took their seats in a crowded group at the table, "Let me introduce you, this is the world''s most prestigious and powerful magical zoologist, Newt Scamander!"


    "You are Mr. Newt Scamander?" Before Harry and Ron could react, Hermione took two fierce steps forward and squealed with excitement.


    "It''s me, how do you do, little girl." Newt smiled gently at her.


    "I finished reading Where the Fantastic Beasts Are written by you, and you are just amazing!" Hermione''s eyes seemed to sprout stars, "Ahhhhhh ... why didn''t I bring my copy of Fantastic Beasts, I want an autograph so bad ..."


    Harry and Ron looked at each other in disbelief and whispered drops to each other.


    "Ron you know what? What''s the book Where the Fantastic Beasts Are?" Harry asked in a whisper.


    "Seems to ring a bell." Ron thought hard, "I think ... I''ve heard Fred and George mention it, but it''s not like either of them read much, could it be their textbook?"


    "The name does sound like a textbook for a ss on protecting magical creatures." Harry nodded approvingly.


    Hagrid let out a somewhat embarrassedugh as he heard the two whispering because he was seated closer to them both.


    "Ah, Where Magical Creatures Are is indeed the textbook Professor Kettleburn chose for the Protection of Magical Creatures ss, and Hogwarts has used it for years." He said, "But I think The Book of Monsters for Monsters is a bit more interesting ..."


    Suddenly, Hagrid blushed, "Ah, Mr. Scamander, I didn''t mean to say your book wasn''t interesting!"


    "It''s okay, I know what you meant, Hagrid." Newtughed easily and handed Hermione an autograph written on a piece of paper, exciting the young witch enough, "I''d kind of encourage young wizards to read more of the other Fantastic Beasts books as well, a collection of a hundred books!"


    Hagrid then rxed and heaved a sigh of relief.


    He was in need of this magical zoologist''s help with Buckbeak''s problem, and it wouldn''t be good if he unintentionally offended Newt.


    "Mr. Scamander, how are you going to help Buckbeak?" Hagrid nced at the hawk-headed, horse-bodied winged beast in the corner that had gotten a little impatient with its stay in the shed, and wiped the corners of his eyes sentimentally.


    "Oh, I heard Professor Drac say that the Committee for the Disposal of Hazardous Creatures wants you to bolt Buckbeak, right?" Newt asked.


    "No ... that''s right, and they''re going to have a trial for Buckbeak after Christmas break, say ... maybe they''ll sentence Buckbeak to death." Hagrid huffed. "Those scumbags never treat those little guys like floods!"


    "I understand, those guys are really just like they used to be." Newt was thoughtful, "Tell you what, Buckbeak sure as hell can''t be bolted down, so why don''t we keep him in this box of mine for two months before the trial."


    "Really? That''s great!" Hagrid, being a Fantastic Beasts lover, certainly knew what Newt''s suitcase meant.


    If it wasn''t for the fear of hitting the roof, he was afraid he would have jumped for joy.


    Harry and Ron, on the other hand, didn''t understand why Hagrid was so excited, nor did they know how such a small suitcase was going to fit a Buckbeak the size of a stallion in it, and both of them had a look on their faces like they were out of their element.


    "Rolf ..." Harry asked quietly approaching Rolf, "Your grandfather''s suitcase looks like a rather ordinary one, why does Hagrid still look so happy?"


    "An ordinary suitcase?!" Rolf stared with wide eyes and a look of disbelief, as if he simply didn''t expect that there would be anyone who didn''t know about Newt''s famous suitcase, "That''s a suitcase that all magical zoologists dream of, I''ve wanted it for a long time!"


    As he said that, he eyed the suitcase again.


    "Of course I can''t give you the case, Rolf." Newt saw the expression on Rolf''s face and said with a lost smile, "You caused such a big mess at Hogwarts thest time you brought just one curled-winged demon. Not to mention taking a magical animal suitcase."


    Rolf''s face turned a little sad in the flesh and scrunched up unhappily.


    "And don''t be upset, it''s good that we''re able to allow you to remain at Hogwarts." Newtughed softly, "The professors at Yinfamoni are going to be pissed off at your choice, so they''re going to send out a couple of professors to Hogwarts for a visit next school year ..."


    "They want to find out what kind of magic this school that abducted their students has."


    "Huh?" Rolf was instantly a bit rmed, "Why would the professorse to Hogwarts for an inspection? Don''t they have sses every day?"


    "As far as I know, there''s also a group of exchange students who came here together, and those professors will being over to visit as lead teachers." Newtughed, "Maybe some of the students who are going to be exchanged to Hogwarts are also some of your former best friends!"


    Ignoring Rolf''s tangled performance, Newt focused his attention on Buckbeak.


    He first picked up a piece of meat and tossed it aside to get the hawk-headed, winged beast''s attention, then while it stood up and was about to go feed, he swiftly grabbed the suitcase on the table and pressed it against Buckbeak''s back.


    Under the dumbfounded gaze of Harry, Ron and Hermione, Buckbeak''s body transformed into a shadow and was swallowed by the open suitcase ...


    The opening of this suitcase was much narrower than Buckbeak''s entire body in any direction!


    "Just a little magic spell." Newt saw the expressions on the trio''s faces and told them with a smile, "There are quite a few animals still kept inside this suitcase, Buckbeak will find some good friends here!"


    ...


    Time passed quickly, and snowkes gradually drifted across the skies of the Scottish Hignds.


    In the two months leading up to the Christmas holidays, Harry felt as if his bad luck had been used up by the time before, and everything seemed to be going smoothly.


    Professor Drac had enlisted the help of a professional Fantastic Beasts for Hagrid and packed the Buckbeak, which needed to be bolted, into a suitcase that looked small but was actually the size of several Quidditch pitches.


    That Mr. Newt Scamander also promised that after the Christmas break, he would personally go ahead and dispose of the Magical Creatures Committee and help Buckbeak win that case.


    On top of that, Harry easily defeated the Slytherin team in the Quidditch match afterward, giving Gryffindor back its chance topete for the title.


    Because of the Dementors, Harry''s Lightwheel 2000 had long since fallen to pieces at that previous Quidditch match, and he had ridden the same sweeping series of brooms as the rest of his teammates.


    Even though there was a huge difference in hardware and equipment from the all Lightwheel 2001 Slytherin team, Harry was able to catch the Golden Snitch under Draco Malfoy''s watchful eye with his nimble maneuvering and even better flying skills, and the entire match took no more than ten minutes!


    The Dementors hadn''t left the castle yet.


    In his correspondence with Sirius, Harry had learned that the officials at the Ministry of Magic were not entirely satisfied with the evidence presented by Dumbledore that Peter Pettigrew was the culprit, and had decided to make an official announcement as to whether or not Sirius had been cleared of any wrongdoing after the Wizengamot magical council had held its trial.


    As a result, Dumbledore also withheld the news of finding Sirius'' whereabouts to prevent him from getting into any further trouble.


    Although the sight of dementors flying around not far from the castle was still depressing, Harry''s progress in learning the Patronus spell in his Defense Against the Dark Arts ss seemed to have sped up all of a sudden ...


    Harry believes that this is because he has learned who the real culprits of his parents'' deaths were, and also possesses some of the courage to face the memories of his early childhood head on, so the Dementors don''t affect him as much as they used to.


    Instead of passing out immediately after the Dementor Drac had captured released its breath, he was able to keep his wits about him through the difficult response and managed to raise his wand and recite the incantation of the Patronus Spell - the


    The silvery-white mist would dispel the gloom before him, giving him courage and spiritualfort.


    Before he knew it, the time hade for a weekend of Christmas vacation.


    It was time for Hogwarts to organize another trip for the young wizards to Hogsmeade.


    Harry was in a rare, somewhat gloomy mood as he watched the other students chattering away in themon room, discussing which store in Hogsmeade they should visit.


    "We can buy all the Christmas presents we want there!" Hermione said cheerfully, "My mom and dad may be muggles, but they love the furry tooth mints they get from the Honeydukes too!"


    At that moment, she saw the look on Harry''s face and couldn''t help but lower her voice.


    "Harry, we can bring you back some if you need anything." She said softly.


    "No, there''s nothing I want." Harry''s tone was a little hard.


    "Harry ..."


    Just as Hermione was still worried about Harry, an owl suddenly flew in through the window over the Gryffindormon room.


    A long package fell from the sky andnded heavily on the couch in front of Harry.

 Chapter 222 - 222 Hogsmeade is covered in silver light

    <h4>Chapter 222: Hogsmeade is covered in silver light</h4>


    "Harry, what is this?" Ron came from nowhere and looked curiously at the package in front of Harry, "Wait, this is shaped ... This looks like a flying broom!"


    He jumped up in excitement, "Open it and see! Harry, open it up and see what kind of broom it is!"


    Harry actually couldn''t wait inside, he tore open the long, strip-shaped package, and a beautiful, shiny flying broom appeared right in front of their eyes.


    "Wow..."


    A cry of awe went up.


    Harry gasped in surprise. Ron dropped the wizarding chess pieces in his hand and practically jumped from his seat to get a closer look.


    "It''s, it''s ..." Ron pointed at the broomstick, shivering and unable to speak.


    In response, he ran madly back to his dorm room and rummaged through his bunk to find a newspaper.


    The big headline on page two of that newspaper read, "The most expensive and luxurious flying broom ever officially hits the shelves of the Quidditch Boutique!"


    Below the headline, a picture of a Quidditch Boutique stood out, and on a pierced pedestal standing up by the store''s window was a broom that the young wizards recognized as the most beautiful, amazing, and state-of-the-art broom they had ever seen.


    Beside the broom hung a note - the


    Fire Crossbow Arrow:


    This flying broom represents the highest level of craftsmanship avable, with a high quality ash wood handle, diamond polished, and hand-engraved registration number. Each carefully selected birch twig at the end of the broom is ground into a streamlined shape, giving the broom unrivaled bnce and subtle uracy. The crossbow arrow is capable of elerating from a standstill to 150 miles per hour in ten seconds and has an unbreakable braking spell attached. Price negotiable.


    "A Fire Crossbow Arrow, this must be a Fire Crossbow Arrow!" Ron eximed, "Harry, it''s the fastest broom in the world!"


    Ron''s yell of rm drew the other students in themon room with him, and then they let out an even louder gasp than Ron had.


    "Merlin''s big pants!" Fred''s eyes widened in shock, "I heard from the owner of the Quidditch boutique that the Irish international team just ordered seven of these beautiful brooms. This product is a favorite at World Cup matches!"


    "I can''t believe it." Harry muttered dumbly.


    During his temporary stay in Diagon Alley before school started, he had made daily trips to the Quidditch boutique to view the coveted broom.


    And now he had the exact same one in front of him as the one he''d had back then!


    Harry picked up the gleaming fire crossbow arrow, he could feel it quivering, and let go of his hand - the


    The fire crossbow arrow hung obediently in mid-air, unsupported, and just the right height off the ground for him to ride on. His eyes traveled from the golden serial number at the very top of the flying broom all the way to thepletely smooth, streamlined end of the broom, his gaze transfixed.


    No Quidditch yer could resist the gift!


    "Harry, where on earth did you find a rich brother or woman to be friends with?" George said with no small amount of envy, "''Price is negotiable'', O Merlin, I bet this broom will never cost less than two thousand Galleons!"


    Ron was curious about this as well, and ripped open the wrapping paper of the fire crossbow arrow that had fallen to the side for Harry.


    "Come look, Harry, there''s a letter here addressed to you!" He yelled suddenly.


    Harry turned his head in surprise and took the letter from Ron.


    After a few moments, a big grin grew on his face.


    "Follow me, Ron!" Harry held the firebow arrow and the letter in the package in one hand, while with the other he tugged Hermione, who was still trying to read, along the way.


    He called his two best friends into the boys'' dormitory and then carefully locked the door.


    "What happened, Harry?" Hermione asked suspiciously.


    While it was true that Gryffindor girls had the right to enter the boys'' dormitory, being forced into the boys'' dormitory just like that still made Hermione blush a little, so she gave Harry an uncharacteristic re.


    "Listen to me, Ron, Hermione ...," Harry said to the two in a low voice, not caring about Hermione''s expression, and after ncing at the door again to make sure there was no one else there, "This broom was sent to me early by Sirius Christmas present!"


    "Sirius ck?!" Ron''s mouth dropped open in surprise, but then lowered his voice, "Oh yeah, he said he was your godfather ... only I didn''t realize he was that rich!"


    "A decade or so ago, the Brecks were definitely no less wealthy than the Malfoys." The knowledgeable Hermione exined from the side, "Even though it''s gone down, it should still be no problem for Mr. ke to find out a few thousand Galleons to buy a broom."


    Of course, none of them knew that although Sirius was nominally thest heir of the ke family, young master Regulus ke, whom the house elf Kreacher identified with, was rescued and quickly took control of the power of life and death of the ke family''s wealth.


    Sirius is stunned to see Regulus when he returns to 12 Grimmauld ce!


    Later, the two brothers had a deep conversation and thoroughly exined what they had done, which led to the realization that their final goal was all to fight Voldemort, and the two were able to unravel quite a bit as a result.


    However, the wealth of the Breck family had already been taken in hand by Regulus, and Sirius, in order to purchase a new broom for Harry, begged and begged Regulus to say a lot of good words, which led to enough Galleons to buy a fire crossbow and arrows ...


    In the Gryffindor boys'' dormitory, Harry pulled out the piece of parchment that had been clipped into the package and waved it at Ron and Hermione.


    "This is a letter from Sirius, he told me he bought me this broom." He said excitedly, "He also told me he''s safe now and not to worry about him!"


    Ron and Hermione came over in surprise and looked at the letter in Harry''s hand.


    On the parchment it read-


    "Dear Harry: I hope your life at Hogwarts is going well. I have returned to the ancestral home of the Brecks and am safe now.


    No Dementors will be able to find me, although the wanted notice has not been canceled. I''m sure Dumbledore and your Professor Drac will be able to help me with the wanted issue soon, but hopefully it won''t be too long before we''ll be able to meet up bright and early.


    This broom will be your Christmas present, I don''t know if you will stay at school during Christmas vacation, so I asked the owls to deliver the present to you in advance, so I wish you a merry Christmas in advance!


    By the way, that Dementor invasion of the Quidditch pitch earlier cost you your Lightwheel 2000, but they did pick up my trail. Because I wanted to see you so badly, I turned into a ck dog and went to the game.


    I was there for yourst match, great job! Those guys from Slytherin just owe it to themselves. The broom you used in yourst match was clearly not worthy of your level though, so hopefully this broom will make up for my previous transgression of causing you to lose your Light Wheel 2000.


    Also, I think I gave you a scare. It was the night you left your aunt''s house before school started, and I would like to apologize for that. I just wanted to visit my godson for a moment, but I think you were frightened to see me at the time.


    Enclosed in the letter is something for you that I think will make your time at Hogwarts more enjoyable. If you need me, write. Your owl will find me. I will write to you again soon.


    Your godfather, S.B. (Sirius ck)"


    Harry saw thest paragraph and, as if realizing something, searched eagerly in the envelope.


    There was another piece of parchment stuck in the envelope.


    He read it quickly, suddenly feeling warm and full in his heart, as if he had downed a bottle of warm butterbeer in one gulp.


    The sentence on the parchment was simple-


    "I, Sirius ck, Harry Potter''s godfather, hereby grant him permission to travel to Hogsmeade Vige for the weekend."


    A smile of joy bloomed on Harry''s face.


    "See, Ron, Hermione, I get to go to Hogsmeade with you guys this weekend too!" He hugged his two best friends hard.


    "Cool!" Ron eximed with equal excitement, "It''s so cool to have a godfather like that!"


    Hermione happily patted Harry on the back as well, when suddenly her expression became a little surprised as she looked over at the letter.


    "Wait, Harry ...," she poked Harry''s arm, "I think there''s an enclosure on the back of that letter, it seems to be addressed to Ron."


    "What? Harry''s rich godfather has something else to say to me?" Ron let go of Harry almost immediately and swooped down next to the letter, "Make a wish first, I wish I could have a fire crossbow arrow too!"


    "You''re afraid you''re not dreaming, Ron!" Hermione rolled her eyes at him.


    Ron didn''t take the hit from her and still picked up the letter with gusto, mumbling under his breath:


    "I''ve earned it when a rich man like that can just give me a galleon off the top of his head ..."


    The back of the letter''s parchment reads thus-


    "I thought your friend Ron Wesley might like to adopt the owl that sent you this letter and the flying broom. Because due to my problems, he lost his pet rat."


    Ron''s eyes widened.


    "What? I''m going to have an owl?!" He yelled in excitement, "Where''s the owl? Where is that owl?"


    "It seems to have stayed in themon room after delivering the mail." Hermione pointed to the door.


    "Ow! Nobody move that owl, it''s mine!


    "


    Ron wailed and stormed out of the dormitory, running towards the owl that had delivered the flying broom and the letter.


    ...


    Soon it was the end of the week and the three young wizards rushed outside the school gates with their hearts pounding.


    Of them all, Harry, being the one who hadn''t been to Hogsmeade yet, was the most emotional, looking around and feeling fresh everywhere.


    It was snowing heavily in the sky, but that didn''t dampen Harry''s trio''s enthusiasm in the slightest.


    It was nearing Christmas, and Hogsmeade vige looked like a Christmas card in the snow: the little cottages and stores were covered in ayer of crunchy snowkes, there were wreaths of holly tied to the doors of every house, and enchanted candles hung in strings from the trees.


    "It''s a little chilly, why don''t we go sit at the Three Broomsticks?"


    Ron suggested after visiting the shrieking shack that had once been used by Professor Lupin to transform into a werewolf.


    Harry and Hermione both nodded in agreement.


    All three, their faces red from the cold but in good spirits, bounced towards the tavern called the Three Broomsticks.


    There were obviously a lot of people who shared their thoughts, and the tavern was crowded and noisy, warm and smoky inside.


    A shapely, bespectacled woman was at the bar tending to a group of noisy male witches.


    "That''s Ms. Rosmerta." Ron introduced with a slight blush as Hermione rolled her eyes dismissively beside him.


    He then added, "What can I get you guys to drink? I''ll go order you all drinks."


    Before Ron could go forward to order a drink, however, Ms. Rosmerta thoughtfully volunteered toe over.


    "What would the three of you like to drink?" She asked with a delicate smile.


    "I ... would like a butterbeer." Ron couldn''t help but look up and down towards Ms. Rosmerta''s face.


    Hermione gave a small ''hum'' and then said, "I''ll have a hot cocoa juice."


    Ms. Rosmerta shot the two of them a sardonic look before she looked over at Harry and asked, "What about you, what would you like to drink,d?"


    "I ..."


    Before Harry could name the drink he wanted, there was a sudden gust of cloudy wind blowing in the street outside the tavern.


    A couple of grim-smelling dementors heaved through the door and squeezed in, recklessly sucking up inside the jolly atmosphere of the tavern, still nominally searching for wanted criminals who had escaped from Azkaban.


    The noisy atmosphere inside the tavern fell silent.


    Everyone looked scornfully and disgustedly at the dementors that came in through the door, but not a single person dared to do anything to resist for fear that they would be targeted by the dementors and receive the "Dementor''s Kiss" from them. ...


    "It''s these annoying guys again,ing to affect my business all day long." Ms. Rosmerta whispered, "You three can hide better, these dementors love to stare at you little wizards and absorb happy emotions ..."


    "Do these dementors ...e over often?" Harry asked in a small voice.


    "Yeah, basically they patrol the stores once a day, iming to be looking for criminals but actuallying to feed." Ms. Rosmerta said, "Business has gotten so much worse in all of our stores these days because of these monsters!"


    Harry''s eyes flickered for a moment, then he locked eyes with Hermione and Ron.


    Ron looked righteously indignant and asionally peeked at Ms. Rosmerta out of the corner of his eye, and Hermione was a little surprised at first, then nodded firmly at Harry.


    The next moment, to the stunned gazes of Ms. Rosmerta and all the wizards present, Harry suddenly stood up.


    Recalling in his mind the joy he had felt a few days before when he had received the letter from Sirius, seen the fire crossbow arrows, gotten his godfather''s signature, and known that he had a kindred spirit, he lifted his wand and shouted-


    "Hoo God Guard (Expe)!"


    A bright silver-white light surged from the tip of Harry''s wand and erupted towards the dementors, in which a lively fawn could be faintly seen leaping through the silver light.


    Ron and Hermione raised their wands in unison as well, reciting the incantation of the Patronus spell.


    Two slightly thinner shes of silver lightbined with Harry''s Patronus to drive the dementors out of the door of the Three Broomsticks.


    As if inspired by them, the other Hogwarts students in the other stores raised their wands as well.


    The cry of the spell "Hogwarts Guard" gradually resounded throughout Hogsmeade, as one after another light or dark silver light erupted from within each store, and one after another Dementor was driven out.


    Gradually, the silver light spread over the entire Hogsmeade vige, intertwining with the white snowkes flying in the air, illuminating the gloomy atmosphere brought about by the dementors through and through!

 Chapter 223 - 223 End of the school year

    <h4>Chapter 223: End of the school year</h4>


    "How could you ... you?!"


    Early in the morning, Fudge came from the Ministry of Magic to the Hogwarts Headmaster''s office to vent his anger and dissatisfaction on Dumbledore.


    "You guys are definitely doing this on purpose, otherwise how could there suddenly be so many more students who can use the Guardian Spirit spell!" Fudge spoke furiously, spittle nearly spraying Dumbledore''s face, only to have it skillfully go to the side.


    "Minister Fudge, the daemon spell is just a perfectly normal magic spell of a ck magic defense nature, it is normal for Hogwarts students to learn this kind of magic spell." Dumbledore said with a smirk.


    "You''re telling me it''s called normal?!" Fudge shouted loudly at Dumbledore, "I''ve never seen so many wizards in my life who can use the Patronus Spell, not to mention the fact that most of the students at Hogsmeade are no more than seventeen years old ..."


    "What''s most unbelievable to me is that the reports brought by my subordinates tell me that there are even thirteen year old wizards in here, casting daemon spells that many Aurors are not capable of doing!"


    He took a written report out of his pocket and pped it hard on Dumbledore''s desk, "Look at this, I thought they were joking at first, it wasn''t until those dementors came to me andined that I realized this was actually true!"


    "Dumbledore, don''t you realize that Dementors are here to help you find wanted criminals? Don''t you realize that they are also employees of the Ministry of Magic?!"


    Fudge was furious.


    He had never seen the dementors, who had always been fairly obedient, react so strongly in protest to the Ministry of Magic, where they told the Ministry that all the dementors were going to go on strike en masse if they didn''t solve the problem of the Patronus Curse at Hogwarts!


    This freebor force, if they went on strike, Fudge couldn''t even imagine where he was going to find that many employees to fill the mess they had vacated.


    Not to mention, if the Dementors got out of control, they would most likely cause major harm to the entire magic world.


    At that time, not to mention keeping the position of Minister of Magic, Fudge would be lucky if he could not be the sinner of the entire magic world!


    "Minister Fudge, I remember that I formally mentioned to you that Sirius ck''s eucalyptus case had another secret, and that Peter Pettigrew was the culprit who blew up the Muggle streets at that time." Dumbledore said tantalizingly without any change in his expression.


    "But we are far from getting to the bottom of this!" Fudge retorted without hesitation, "Until we get to the bottom of it, there''s no way we''re going to let such a potentially dangerous person as Sirius ck roam the streets, much less let you take it upon yourselves to exorcise the Dementors!"


    "What''s more, regardless of whether Sirius ck was innocent in that incident back then, but he was in Azkaban for twelve years unharmed! Who''s to say that such a madman wouldn''t be a danger to society?"


    Fudge said indignantly, "Even if he really doesn''t have any mental problems, he shouldn''t have made the move to break out of prison, this is trampling on the dignity of the Ministry of Magic and destroying the credibility of Azkaban''s prison security! I can never allow anyone to harbor such a criminal!"


    Dumbledore''s eyes finally wentpletely cold.


    "So that''s what you think, Fudge?" He said in a cold tone, "In that case, there is nothing more to say. I will help Sirius ck win that trial against him myself."


    "Good for you, Dumbledore." Fudge''s face reddened with anger, "Don''t forget there''s another trial associated with your Hogwarts, I''ll see you there!"


    He then strutted into the middle of a side firece and left the Headmaster''s office.


    Dumbledore looked tantalizingly at Fudge''s back engulfed in green mes, his eyes deep.


    "This Minister of Magic should have graduated from Hogwarts as well, right?"


    Just then, a voice rang out from the window.


    "Of course, the vast majority of wizards in the British wizarding world came from Hogwarts." Dumbledore turned back to the window of his office, "Professor Drac, those like you who have not studied at Hogwarts are a very small minority."


    Drac''s silhouette crept up on the edge of the high window of the Hogwarts Headmaster''s office at an unknown time.


    He waszily leaning against the window frame on one side, both hands hugging his chest, a pair of long legs casually folded, the long cloak behind him hanging below the window sill, swaying slightly with the breeze. The dawn light in the distance hit his body, reflecting ayer of fragmented micro-awning.


    "I studied at Hogwarts a thousand years ago, only no professor dared to teach me." Drac drifted off the edge of the window andughed softly, "That Fudge would actually say something like ''you Hogwarts'', does he really not consider himself a Hogwarts graduate?"


    "Theoretically speaking, it is true that after graduation students don''t have much to do with the school anymore." Dumbledore let out a soft sigh, "There are simply too many people who have graduated from Hogwarts, and among them, there are inevitably some who have learned badly, or whose hearts have changed ..."


    "... We professors who used to teach them would be heartbroken watching them, but there is nothing we can do about it."


    "Indeed, Azkaban alone has been stuffed for several rounds." Drac shrugged.


    "Let''s not talk about that, Christmas ising up, so why don''t we talk about something cheerful." Dumbledore shook his head and spoke, "Why did Professor Drac suddenly want to get up to an old man like me today?"


    "It''s not a big deal, I also just learned about what happened in Hogsmeade yesterday, so I came over to see what you think, and I just happened to bump into that Minister of Magicing toin to you." Drac said, "I''m actually quite surprised to say the least, I really didn''t think it was Potter who was leading this at the time."


    "Yeah, what a surprise." Mentioning Harry, Dumbledore''s mouth couldn''t help but reveal a hint of a smile, "Harry''s Patronus spell should already have a hint of a Patronus in its infancy. It only took three months before and after, this progress is indeed beyond the norm."


    "The other young wizards are doing well as well." Drac nodded approvingly, "Many third and fourth year young wizards are able to summon mist daemons, which is usually enough to deal with one or two dementors."


    "It is indeed a good thing that the students are making progress in learning the daemon spell, but I''m afraid it''s not going to be easy on Sirius'' end." Dumbledore sighed, "Fudge seems determined not to vindicate him."


    "Why? Clearing ke''s name wouldn''t do him any harm, would it?" Drac asked with a frown.


    "It could be that the whole Sirius prison break thing cost Fudge his credibility and he still holds a grudge." Dumbledore said, "Or it could be that he''s too squeamish to see any stigma that could affect his career."


    "If the students were to learn that Sirius is innocent, then Fudge''s sending of the Dementors to Hogwarts Castle would likely be heavily criticized on a social level. He certainly wouldn''t want to vindicate Sirius."


    "By the way you just sounded, it sounds like there''s another way?" Drac asked.


    "Not exactly another way." Dumbledore shook his head gently, his eyes gradually bing sharper, "But even though I''m old, I still have some of the contacts I left behind in Wizengamot."


    "I won''t let any more innocent people be convicted."


    "It''s good that you''re sure of that, I''m toozy to bother with such a nuisance." Drac casually shrugged his shoulders, and seemingly offhandedly turned his mouth to ask, "By the way, Hagrid''s hawk-headed, horse-bodied, winged beasts are going to be tried as well, do you want to use your connections as well?"


    He now kind of regretted agreeing to Harry and the three of them to help Hagrid.


    The joke Ron had made up clearly wasn''t that funny, but the thing he was trying to help with was getting an undeserved bad rap, attracting the attention of the Minister of Magic, and unknowingly bing troublesome.


    Drac didn''t think the price was quite right.


    Next time he''d make sure they told a better joke.


    "Oh, don''t worry about that Buckbeak thing." Dumbledore smiled rather confidently, "Newt naturally has his unique contacts in that area of Fantastic Beasts. You know, he''s the real deal number one in the world of protecting magical animals."


    "The question is, did Fudge just mention getting Buckbeak in trouble?" Drac frowned slightly, "I know Newt can handle protecting magical creatures, but he doesn''t deal well with trouble in the political world, does he?"


    "You underestimate Newt on that one, Professor Drac." Dumbledore smiled pleasantly instead, "In case you didn''t know, Newt''s brother, Theseus Scamander, used to be the head of the Ministry of Magic''s Legal Enforcement Division, and he helped Newt deal with a lot of troubles back then."


    "Today, the Ministry of Magic still has many disciples that Theseus once brought out or his disciples'' disciples. Newt''s connections in the Ministry of Magic are a lot stronger than you think, Professor Drac!"


    "Oh? That''s something I didn''t expect." Drac also hooked a smile, "It''s for the best."


    ...


    The Christmas vacation was quicklying to an end, and Buckbeak had his first court hearing before the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures.


    Unsurprisingly for Dumbledore, Newt still managed to set the matter right with no surprises, despite Fudge secretly passing a few words to the head of themittee to go after the hawk-headed, winged beast more often than not.


    When an old man over a hundred years of age, Theseus Scamander, took his seat on the jury, many of the wizards who had tried to pull a little stunt were frozen to the spot.


    This Theseus Scamander was a genuine patriarch of the Ministry of Magic, and at the beginning of the 20th century, he joined the Ministry of Magic as an Auror just after graduating from Hogwarts Hufflepuff Academy.


    Later, during the First World War, he secretly participated in that world-shaking war and saved many innocent people on the battlefield. He gained a reputation as a war hero in both the Muggle and magical worlds.


    On top of that, Theseus became the most decorated official of the Ministry of Magic in the war during the Global Wizarding War because of his stance against Grindelwald alongside Dumbledore as the then Head of the Auror''s Office, and he also became the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement without incident.


    For many years, the deeds of Theseus Scamander had been spread like a textbook inside the Auror training manual.


    When these "youngsters" of the Ministry of Magic saw such a textbook character appear, everyone subconsciously dismissed the idea of making small moves, fearing that they would be remembered by all the Aurors who worshipped Theseus.


    If it was only Theseus''s connections, the trial might not have gone so smoothly. After all, there were still many jurors not affiliated with the Ministry of Magic sitting in their respective seats.


    But the intiff, Lucius Malfoy, had been "kindly" alerted by an unnamed Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.


    The originally aggressive Malfoy family head instantly wilted like an eggnt in a frosty day, decisively dispersing all the connections he had made.


    If it wasn''t for the fact that the court date had already been set, maybe he would have even canceled his appeal!


    Fudge lost quite thoroughly ...


    When the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures Committee''s verdict came down and finally acquitted the hawk-headed, horse-bodied winged beast, Hagrid Buckbeak burst into tears. Newt, who was standing in themissioner''s seat, also revealed a knowing smile.


    After returning to Hogwarts, it was as if Hagrid had regained his confidence, and instead of letting the students feed the Flobber Caterpir in the Protection of Magical Animals ss, he had resumed showing the young wizards a number of rare and very distinctive magical animals.


    Onlyst semester''s experience with Malfoy''s injury had also given him a reminder of this, so he would always protect himself before bringing magical animals to the young wizards in every ss.


    Professor Lupin stayed at Hogwarts until Easter Eve and didn''t officially say goodbye to the professors and students of Hogwarts until he was sure Sirius'' life was on track.


    He still had his own unfinished business, countless werewolves were still waiting for him in Romania, and more werewolves in dire straits were waiting for this "werewolf hope" to save them.


    Dumbledore organized a simple farewell party for Lupin, and the other professors together for him to practice.


    It is worth noting that Snape, though reluctant, eventually attends the farewell party.


    Before saying goodbye, he also threw Lupin a piece of parchment, seemingly without caring, on which was the form for the Wolfsbane Potion that he had personally improved over the past few months.


    This form slightly reduced the potency based on Damocles Belby''s improved Wolfsbane Potion, but further reduced the price and difficulty of refining, making it more suitable for promotion among the majority of poor werewolves.


    ...


    The second half of the school year after Christmas, the Gryffindor Quidditch team was unbeatable, to say the least.


    Their talented ball finder, Harry, paired with the world''s fastest flying broomstick fire crossbow arrows, simply couldn''t find an opponent on the pitch.


    Basically by the time the semifinals came around, Gryffindor had a lock on the Quidditch Cup for the school year!


    The students'' progress in practicing their patronus spells was gradually elerating.


    Learning how to cast the patronus spell of "Invincible Andros", who was famous for his patronus spells, and practicing with real dementors captured by Drac, no other magic school had such a unique learning condition.


    By the end of the school year, basically all third year wizards and above were able to cast a silver-white mist of light.


    Among them, extraordinarily talented little wizards such as Harry even learned to release a real Patronus!


    All in all, the second half of the school year seemed to be going very smoothly, and even though the dementors were still lingering around the castle, it didn''t affect the young wizards'' happy mood at all.


    It was in this atmosphere that the second trial Fudge had mentioned arrived.

 Chapter 224 - 224 Wisengamo courtroom

    <h4>Chapter 224: Wisengamo courtroom</h4>


    Early in the morning on the day of the trial, Sirius changed into a decent outfit inside the ke ancestral house and walked slowly towards the door of the house.


    Near the doorway hung a portrait of an old woman, who grunted lightly when she saw Sirius, then turned around and disappeared into the frame, as if she didn''t want to see the de facto heir of the ke family.


    "Sirius, have you upset mom again?" Regulus'' voice came from far away from the stairway. "Why did she suddenly run upstairs from her portrait downstairs?"


    "She''s been muttering all day for me to find a wizard from a pureblood family to marry, wouldn''t you be annoyed if it were you?" Sirius shouted casually upstairs, "She''s got that look on her face like the Brecks are going extinct."


    "Is there a problem with what mom said? You can''t have me in this cunt body to carry on the Breck family''s legacy, can you?" Regulus shouted.


    He came around the corner of the stairway and his expression looked a little surprised to see Sirius, who was rarely no longer scruffy.


    "Huh, what''s gotten into you today?" Regulus looked Sirius up and down, "Howe you''re suddenly dressed like a man ... You''re not really nning on going on a date with a woman, are you?"


    After all, Sirius had stayed in Azkaban for more than ten years, and had long since paid no attention to things like image and decency, and stayed at home every day in a scruffy manner, causing Mrs. ke in the portrait to dislike him whenever she had the chance.


    However, today Sirius suddenly changed into a formal dress, and even trimmed his hair and beard on purpose, revealing his original handsome face.


    Regulus naturally found it very strange.


    "Of course it''s not because of this kind of thing." Sirius said impatiently, "I''ll be meeting my godson today, so at least I can''t make too bad an impression on him."


    With that, he walked over to Regulus and posed in front of him.


    "How do I look in this? Will Harry like it when he sees it?"


    "It''s pretty much like a person no matter what you''re wearing, in contrast to how you looked before anyway." Regulus chuckled softly, "I remember, it''s that what''s-her-name ... Peter Pediru who''s going on trial today isn''t it?"


    "Uh-huh." Sirius nodded, his eyes growing fierce, "If those Ministry of Magic scum dare to acquit that dead rat, then I will personally end his life in court."


    Regulus frowned slightly as he watched his clenched fists.


    "You didn''t have to do something like that." He said gravely, "Do you really want to extinguish the Breck family by killing someone in front of a judge and many members of the Wizengamot?"


    "But there''s no way I''m letting him get away like that!" Sirius amplified his voice, "I''ve already done enough to apologize to Jaime and Lily, I can''t not take their revenge!"


    "I didn''t say I wouldn''t let you get your revenge." Regulus'' frown tightened, "Only that you have to find the right way to do it as well ... There are only so many people left in the direct line of the Breck family, you can''t afford to have anything happen to you."


    "What can I do?" Sirius gave a self-deprecatingugh, "Even Dumbledore would go and follow the rules of those scum, what could I do?"


    Regulus suddenly froze.


    "I think I know someone who doesn''t care about rules." He said slowly, "Before court, why don''t you go to Hogwarts and plead for Mr. Drac''s help. That lord should be willing to go to court for a good show."


    ...


    The trial of Peter Pettigrew would officially begin at 9:30 am.


    Dumbledore brought his clients Harry and Ron to the Wizengamot courtroom, the courtroom where the eucalyptus case was heard, on the lowest floor of the Ministry of Magic in advance.


    Sirius, on the other hand, went straight to Drac''s office after he left the ke''s house, requesting him to testify as a witness.


    Drac had wanted to go to the Ministry of Magic to have fun for a long time, but Dumbledore''s attitude had not been very clear, plus there were always other things dyed, so he had not been able to go.


    This time, with the excuse Sirius found for him, he naturally agreed with pleasure, and walked into the firece leading to the main hall of the Ministry of Magic together with the masked Sirius.


    The green mes fell, and what met his eyes was a long, narrow, and gilded hall.


    This hall spanned so long that it was almost impossible to see the end from side to side. The floor was polished dark wood, and the peacock-blue ceiling was iid with glittering golden symbols that kept moving and changing like a giant overhead bulletin board.


    A number of gilded fireces were embedded in the walls on either side, and every now and then a wizard would step out from amongst the green mes of the fireces into the middle of the main hall.


    "Hey, move over a little in front, blocking the road." A voice sounded behind Drac and Sirius.


    It turned out that both of them didn''t know which way they should go, and were halfway out of the way, blocking the exit from the firece.


    Drac and Sirius moved out of the way and looked at each other.


    "I thought you were supposed to know where the Wizengamot courtroom was." Drac said with a grimace.


    "Ahem ... I forgot about that, I really should have asked Dumbledore to take us there." Sirius seemed a little embarrassed, but with his mask on he couldn''t tell exactly what kind of expression he was wearing.


    "A Ministry of Magic this big doesn''t even put up a signpost, I don''t understand how these employees manage not to get lost." Drac skimmed his lips and prepared to randomly pick a lucky passerby to show them the way with a soul snatching spell.


    Just then, he saw a pink-haired witch suddenly walk out of the firece across the room and got a twinkle in his eye.


    "Tonks, this way!" Drac waved her over.


    Tonks turned back to her, and when she saw Drac, she gave a surprised look.


    "Professor Drac, what made you think ofing to the Ministry of Magic?" She jogged over to Drac and asked cautiously.


    Her spirit was a little tight, as if she was afraid that Drac would suddenly blow up the Ministry of Magic.


    "Do you know where the Wizengamot courtroom is? We seem to be lost." Looking at Tonks'' tense expression, Drac shook his head with a lost smile, "Don''t worry, I''m properly here for a trial."


    "Oh, that''s so." Tonks let out a long sigh of relief, "That''s good, follow me! It just so happens that we have a few minutes before the start of the shift, enough to get you there."


    As she spoke, she nced at Sirius, feeling that the masked man looked a little familiar, and asked curiously, "Is this a professor at Hogwarts as well?"


    "No." Drac said, "This is Sirius ck."


    "Ohhhh ... huh?" Tonks jumped up menacingly, "He ... he''s ..."


    "Shhh-" Sirius startled, giving Drac a disgruntled re before rushing to Tonks and gesturing at her wanting her to be quiet, "Tonks, keep your voice down... ..."


    He was going to surprise those Wizengamot members in the courtroom, it would be kind of funny if he got caught by the Ministry of Magic before arriving in the courtroom ...


    "Don''t worry, Sirius isn''t really a bad guy, I''m here to clear his name this time." Drac chuckled lightly, "Don''t you trust me?"


    "I naturally believe you, Professor Drac. But ..."


    Tonks looked at Sirius with a mixture of fear and curiosity, holding her face in a pallor of green and white, not sure if it was the effect of the Transfigured Magus or her own expression.


    "Since you trust me, don''t but, just lead the way." Drac interrupted her.


    Tonks'' words got stuck in her throat.


    She now kind of regretted agreeing to Drac to lead the way for him ...


    With Tonks leading the way, Drac and Sirius walked with the flow of people towards the end of the main hall of the Ministry of Magic.


    At the end of the main hall, the long and narrow space opened up, forming a small spacious circr square. There was a fountain in the middle of it, and several huge golden statues stood in the middle of a circr pool.


    The tallest of the statues was a male wizard, his wand pointing straight up in the air.


    Gathered around the male wizard were a beautiful sorceress, a horseman, a leprechaun, and a house elf, thest three looking adoringly at the two wizards. And a fountain of sparkling water flowed from the end of the two witches'' wands.


    Drac frowned slightly at the sight of the fountain.


    "A magical brotherhood fountain? Heh ..." he snorted.


    Although he didn''t like the horsemen as a group very much, he knew that they and the goblins one and all were too high and mighty to bother with wizards -


    Goblins had rebelled several times in the previous centuries, and still had not submitted to the wizards; not to mention the Horsemen, who refused to even ept the status of "human". To make them look at the wizard with the same kind of worshipful eyes as those portrayed in the apocryphal statue, it would be impossible to describe it as a mirage.


    "Professor Drac, what''s wrong?" Tonks looked at Drac in puzzlement.


    "Nothing, let''s go." Drac waved his hand with a mocking face.


    The greatest folly of human beings was self-righteousness.


    Thinking about it this way, wizards such as Dumbledore, Sirius, and Regulus who were able to treat other groups such as werewolves and house elves as equals were indeed quite remarkable.


    Without paying any more attention to the fountain, Drac stepped into a magical lift with Tonks and Sirius.


    The metal folding doors of the elevator closed with a snap, and with a creaking sound and a cool breeze blowing in from time to time, the three of them arrived at the ninth basement level of the Ministry of Magic.


    The style of this ce is extremely different from the main hall, the entire floor of the building only has a simple corridor leading to a ck door, the floor and walls are stered with dark-colored tiles, and there is not a single window or doorway on either side of the corridor, which makes it a bit more silent.


    Two rows of torches were stuck in the dark-colored tiles of the walls, flickering with a bluish-white light, adding a bit of mystery to the whole space.


    "The judgment room is rather special, you have to walk through the ninth floor to the tenth underground floor to reach it, and you need to walk a little more." Tonks exined to Drac.


    She then led the two of them around a corner and prepared to walk towards the steps leading to the tenth floor.


    Just then, Drac suddenly stopped in his tracks.


    He turned his head suddenly and looked toward a lone, ck door at the end of the hallway. A power that he was extremely familiar with seemed to be sealed within that door, and then disappeared in an instant.


    "What is that door?" Drac asked softly.


    "There is the ... Division of Mysteries." Tonks froze for a moment, nced somewhat evasively at the lone ck portal, and whispered, "Professor Drac, that''s the Ministry of Magic''s top-secret organization, and I don''t have the authority to know what''s inside."


    "The Department of Mysteries?" Drac was deep in thought.


    Nicole LeMay had told him that Time Transformers were made in this division, and this division had also invited LeMay, a master alchemist, toe and help them with their time energy research.


    Could that aura just now be time energy?


    "Professor Drac, what are you thinking?" Tonks'' voice rang in Drac''s ears.


    Drac raised his head and saw that she was looking at him with a flustered expression.


    "Professor Drac, you mustn''t hit the Division of Mysteries!" Tonks said usingly, "This time, but I brought you here, I don''t want to be expelled from the Auror''s office yet ..."


    "Don''t worry, I didn''t hit the Division of Mysterious Affairs." Drac shook his head with some amusement, "What do you take me for?"


    Tonks'' concern was not unreasonable, after all, he did just generate the idea of going in for a spin ...


    But well, it was more important to help Sirius nail Peter for his crimes.


    Since he now knew the exact location of the Department of Mysteries, he could teleport over at any time, and it was obviously impossible for these crude Anti-Phantom Manifestation spells from the Ministry of Magic to stop him!


    ...


    Walking through the corridor outside the door of the Division of Mysterious Affairs, Tonks brought Drac and Sirius through the stairs to the tenth basement floor.


    There was no elevator to reach here directly.


    The tenth floor looked like a sketch of an unfinished buildingpared to the floors before it, with corridors made up of rough stone walls and an old-school torch stuck in a bracket on the wall.


    The doors leading to the courtrooms on either side of the corridor were heavy wooden doors with irontches and crude keyholes embedded in them.


    At Tonks'' introduction, Drac learned that there were ten courtrooms in total in Wisengamo, and that the doors to the courtrooms were numbered ording to the importance of the eucalyptus case.


    This time, the eucalyptus case included Peter Pediru, the first ss Merlin Medal winner who came back from the dead, and Sirius ck, the first person who escaped from Azkaban, so it was only natural to open the number one courtroom.


    "This is Judgement Room One, so I won''t send you in." Tonks whispered to the two as she walked Drac and Sirius to the door of Judgement Room One, "I wouldn''t dare let Minister Fudge see me."


    "Okay, thanks." Drac nodded gently and walked with Sirius into the middle of the open, heavy wooden door.


    An oppressive atmosphere hit the room.


    The walls around Judgement Room One were made of ink-ck stone, the light from the torches was dim and eerie, and on all sides were rows of densely packed benches, stepped up, so that the chair with the chains in the very center could be clearly seen from all the seats.


    At that moment Peter was cowering in that chair, whimpering and sobbing.

 Chapter 225 - 225 L can’t believe this is a defense?

    <h4>Chapter 225: L can''t believe this is a defense?</h4>


    Dumbledore had taken the intiff''s seat with Harry and Ron in the deep Wizengamot courtroom.


    There were about fifty people in the room, most of them dressed in fuchsia robes with an borate silver "W" embroidered on their left breast.


    Few of them cared about Peter, the defendant, but instead they all looked down at Harry in the intiff''s seat, some slightly more restrained, others not hiding their inner curiosity about the boy who had survived the ordeal.


    Harry and Ron, who had rarely seen such a scene, both looked a little apprehensive at the moment, moving as close as they could to Dumbledore at their side, their eyes asionally ncing back at the chained chair in the very center of the courtroom.


    Peter was sitting in the chair with his hands chained to it, a big, fat, rough face scrunched together, wincing and balking as he sobbed.


    To Sirius'' surprise, however, the Merlin Medalist of the First ss, who had risen from the dead, was not alone.


    There was an elderly woman standing nearby, quietly looking at Peter''s cowering form amongst the chairs with a look of some sadness, but more of a broken determination.


    "This is Peter''s mother ... Why is she here?" Sirius walked into the judgment room and frowned after seeing the old woman.


    "It''s normal for a mother toe and be with her son when he''s going to be put on trial, isn''t it?" Drac said with concern.


    "That''s not true." Sirius shook his head, "Out of the four of us who were robbers in the first ce, Peter''s mother was the hardest to deal with besides the old mom who kicked me out of my Brecker ancestry.... I''m afraid she''s going to pull some kind of stunt."


    "It doesn''t matter, since I promised to help you, I won''t let anyone else make any waves." Drac nced at the old woman and coldly quirked the corner of his mouth, "I''d like to see what she can get up to."


    Sirius nodded softly, straightened his cor slightly nervously, and walked slowly over to the intiff''s seat and stood next to Harry.


    He then gently removed the mask from his face.


    Harry, as the recognized savior of the wizarding world as well as the boy who banished Voldemort from the Great Disaster, had always been one of the people who received the most attention in the entire courtroom, and the seat beside him naturally gained more than its fair share of gazes.


    Sirius'' movements instantly attracted the attention of many of the Wizengamot members.


    "Wait, is that, Sirius ck?!" A witch sitting in her jury seat, who had been sizing up Harry, inadvertently caught a glimpse of Sirius'' face and eximed.


    "What? How did he get here?"


    "What''s he doing here?!"


    "..."


    The middle of the judgment room became chaotic in an instant.


    Some people began to talk to each other loudly; some were looking back and forth between Sirius and the door of the courtroom with scornful eyes, as if looking for the best escape route; some timid jurors were even so scared that they fell out of their seats ...


    "Sirius ...," Harry looked up at Sirius with some concern.


    "Don''t worry Harry, your parents'' revenge will soon be avenged."


    Sirius recoiled from the many questioning, scrutinizing, and fearful gazes and smiled softly at his godson, looking tantalizingly toward Connelly Fudge, who was located at the very front of the courtroom.


    During the important trial ceremony, the Minister of Magic would preside over the entire trial as the Chief Wizard of Wizengamot.


    Fudge was also taken aback at Sirius'' arrival.


    He subconsciously thought that Sirius was here to make trouble, and almost twisted his head to look for Auror to protect him.


    It wasn''t until he saw the calm eyes Sirius was looking over that Fudge realized he was standing in the intiff''s seat and clearly didn''t want to solve the problem with violence.


    "Ahem ... all quiet!" Fudge coughed somewhat facelessly, then shouted in exasperation, "This is the Wizengamot courtroom! What''s wrong with all of you making a lot of noise?"


    Only then did the courtroom gradually quiet down, but all kinds of worried, scornful and fearful gazes still swept over Sirius'' body from time to time.


    Sirius ignored these gazes and just chatted with Harry to himself, asking him how the semester was going, if he had gotten the Quidditch Cup for Gryffindor, and if he was having fun with his friends in Hogsmeade ...


    Drac also walked over to the intiff''s seat and casually used used Transfiguration to conjure up a luxurious chair for himself, sitting in it and crossing his legs as he curiously surveyed the sights of the courtroom.


    It was at this moment that he suddenly felt a malevolent, jealously guarded gaze insidiously shoot over from the front of the courtroom.


    Drac looked back to his position at the front of the courtroom and realized that there were two witches sitting on either side of Fudge.


    To Fudge''s left sat a wide-built, square-jawed witch with gray hair cut short and looking verypetent, a pair of monocles perched on the bridge of her nose, and an intimidatingly serious expression on her face.


    To Fudge''s right sat another witch, ced far back on the bench, her entire face shrouded in shadow - the scornful gaze emanating from among the shadows.


    Drac quirked a corner of his mouth with interest.


    The witch might have thought that she wouldn''t be seen for who she was if she hid in the shadows, but how could Drac''s visionpare to that of an ordinary wizard? He easily saw the ugly face hiding in the shadows.


    Dolores Umbridge, the extremely impressive pink toad.


    ''I don''t know what on earth Fudge sees in Umbridge that he would bring such a cargo around all day.'' Drac thought rather maliciously.


    Unconsciously, the minute hand of the huge wall clock on the wall quietly pointed to the "6" position, and the time for the court session quietly arrived.


    "Silence!" Fudge shouted, "Time''s up. Next, this trial will officially begin!"


    There was a rather noticeable tremor in Peter''s body, and Mrs. Pediru beside him finally took her eyes off her son and looked at Sirius in the intiff''s seat with an intimidating look.


    Fudge read in order, "This trial is jointly presided over by Connelly Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic, Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Division of Magical Law Enforcement, and Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary-"


    "The intiff, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, uses Peter Pettigrew of conspiring and colluding with Death Eaters during the time of the Wizarding War to kill Jaime Potter and several other wizards; and of blowing up the streets after the war, killing dozens of Muggles and faking his own death to get away with it."


    "If the charges are true, Peter Pediru''s actions constitute a serious vition of the Regtions for the Strict Restriction of the Use of ck Magic, the British Magical Community Criminal Code, and the International Code of Secrecy, among other statutes. Does the defense have any objections?"


    Fudge looked up from his own manuscript to Peter and Mrs. Pediru.


    "Mr. Minister, I have an objection." Mrs. Pediru gave Sirius a fierce look and said in a hoarse voice.


    "Go ahead." Fudge gave her an approving look.


    "Mr. Minister, I think everyone here knows that it was not my son whomitted those crimes, but Sirius ck, who is standing over there right now!" She eximed as she menacingly extended her index finger to point at Sirius.


    "I don''t understand what makes such a dark wizard and wanted criminal, who has defected to Voldemort, escaped from Azkaban, and has no respect for the Ministry of Magic, stand on the intiff''s side right now, on the basis of Albus Dumbledore''s harboring of him?!"


    As soon as she opened her mouth, Madame Perdiloux demonstrated her formidable skill at dissembling and sowing discord, and instead of steadily mounting a defense against Peter''s crimes, she instead went on the offensive andunched herself directly at Sirius.


    Sirius, whose acute nature could not withstand such a provocation, was about to jump up from his stool on the spot to have a shouting match with Mrs. Pettigrew.


    However, before he could act, a strong hand pressed ahead on his shoulder.


    Dumbledore shook his head gently at Sirius and stood up first.


    "I do not agree with Mrs. Perdrew''s testimony." He said in a deep voice, "Her testimony contains no evidence in defense of Mr. Peter Perdiloux, and only attacks our witnesses in an attempt to inme the conflict and divert attention."


    "This practice is a serious vition of the fairness and reasonableness of the trial, and I believe that Mrs. Pediru should be warned for her behavior. If she still can''te up with reasonable evidence that can prove Mr. Pediru''s innocence, then the conclusion will already be obvious."


    Obviously, the moreposed and wise Dumbledore''s words were more logical and in line with the trial''s procedures than the extremely aggressive Mrs. Perdiru.


    "Does the defense have any more evidence to add?" Fudge asked again.


    "Of course there is evidence!" Mrs. Pediru eximed, "Our Peter is a First ss Merlin Medalist, he is the recognized hero of the magical world who rebelled against Sirius ck, it''s impossible for him to do that kind of thing of defecting to the Mysterons!"


    "In addition, Peter has no motive to defect to the Mysterons at all! On the contrary, Sirius ck, their ck family has produced a lot of Death Eaters, his cousin and his own brother are the backbone of Death Eaters, his defection to the Mystic ispletely in line with the expectations ..."


    "Just a moment, Mrs. Pettigrew." Dumbledore interrupted with a raised hand, "With all due respect, there is absolutely no evidence in the words you are stating in defense of Peter Pediru-"


    "It has been proven that the Order of Merlin, First ss was simply a misunderstanding and that he had every motive for defecting to Voldemort, which was the fear of death! If you still can''te up with reasonable evidence to prove Mr. Pediru''s innocence, then why don''t we start by stating the eucalyptus case."


    Dumbledore gave Mrs. Pediru an icy look and continued calmly.


    "This is Mr. Ronald Weasley." He pointed to Ron, "Peter Pediru cut off one of his fingers after blowing up an entire street, turned into a rat with an illegal Animagus, and has been a pet in the Weasley household for over ten years."


    "I object!" Mrs. Pediroux''s eyes lit up and she eximed excitedly as if she had caught a loophole, "What proof do you have that Peter would use Animagus? How could he possibly learn to use the Animagus when he is so weak and not so gifted as his friends?"


    "I naturally have a way of transforming him into Animagus form." Dumbledore said calmly.


    "Who can tell if you''ll secretly do something to Peter with human morphing?" Lady Pediru retorted, "The entire wizarding world knows that you are a powerful arch wizard and the best at shapeshifting, you could totally fake Peter into an Animagus!"


    "So how would you like to do that, Mrs. Pettigrew?" Dumbledore said softly, "You haven''t produced any substantial evidence in Peter''s defense from start to finish, and such verbal statements are invalid."


    "But ... but Peter doesn''t have the ck Devil mark on his arm, whichpletely proves that he''s not a Death Eater!" Mrs. Pediroux argued forcefully.


    "That''s only because something happened before Voldemort had a chance to carve the Dark Mark on him." Dumbledore said as he had Sirius pull up his sleeve as well, "As you can see, Sirius does not have the Dark Mark on his arm either. Doesn''t this conflict with your previous testimony?"


    "You ... you ..."


    Just when Mrs. Pediru was almost rendered speechless, Fudge suddenly snapped.


    "Both intiffs and defendants, please don''t take care of an argument in the courtroom, and take care of the jury''s emotions."


    He emphasized the word ''emotions''.


    Dumbledore frowned slightly and gave Fudge a cold look.


    Mrs. Pettigrew took the hint and immediately realized that the final oue of the trial would be decided by a vote.


    She knew what she should do to save Peter''s life.


    "I ... understand that, ording to Dumbledore''s reputation in the wizarding world, the adults present are surely inclined to believe him over a bad old woman like me ..."


    Mrs. Pediru''s haphazard appearance suddenly changed as she pulled out a handkerchief from her coat pocket and wiped the corners of her eyes with extreme sadness.


    Mrs. Pediru''s sadness was indeed genuine, the tears could not be stopped from falling down, and it was so infectious that the entire atmosphere of the trial room quieted down with her.


    "I''m old, I don''t have much of an eloquent tongue, and I can''t find any tangible evidence ..." she choked out as she wept, "but I really can''t afford to lose Peter! "


    "You have no idea how sad I was when I received his bones with only one finger left, and how proud I was of him when I learned that the Ministry of Magic had posthumously awarded him the Order of Merlin, First ss ..."


    "A few days ago, I suddenly got a message telling me that Peter wasn''t dead! I was so excited that my body seemed to be energized, but immediately I learned that Peter might be sentenced to death ..."


    "This up and down mood is killing me as an old woman!"


    Mrs. Pediru wiped tears from her eyes and spoke in a touching tone, and the eyes of many of the emotional Wizengamot members gradually softened.


    Harry and Ron watched the scene dumbfounded, their heads filled with question marks.


    There was actually this kind of operation?

 Chapter 226 - 226 Dracula’s so-called "good deeds

    <h4>Chapter 226: Drac''s so-called "good deeds</h4>


    Lady Pediru''s unique defense caught even Dumbledore off guard.


    Unlike the highly developed social system of the Muggle world, the magical world, because of its sparse number of people and slower social development, the way of trial in Wizengamot actually still had a strong medieval character remaining.


    Therefore, the subjective emotions of the jury ounted for arge portion of most trials in the Magic Realm.


    Following Mrs. Pediru''s defense method to fan the emotions of the Wisengamo jury, it might really make many wizards who were inclined towards sentimentality emotionally tilt towards Peter''s side.


    After all, the image of Sirius as brutal, rude and dangerous had been deeply rooted in people''s hearts for a long time, and there was no way to change it for a while.


    In contrast, surely more people would still be willing to believe an old woman who cried in front of them with true feelings, even if she wasn''t able to give anyplete evidence ...


    "Professor Drac, isn''t this situation not too good for us now?" Ron asked in a low voice as he secretly tugged on Drac''s sleeve.


    Harry also gave Sirius a worried look and came over to Drac''s side.


    "Professor, do you have any ideas?" He asked as well.


    Drac nced at Mrs. Pettigrew with a bit of a headache and saw that she was still sobbing uncontrobly, giving full vent to her concerns about her son.


    One of the Wizengamot witches had wet her eyes and, despite the dissuasion, stepped down from her jury seat and put her arm around Mrs. Pediru''s shoulders tofort her.


    "Actually, if we''re going to talk about solutions, it''s not like there aren''t any." Drac suddenly turned his attention to Harry and asked without a word, "Potter, do you sell misery and fanny?"


    "Huh?" Harry''s mouth dropped open, "What does that have to do with me?"


    "It has a lot to do with it, it''s up to you to get your godfather off the hook." Drac said, "There are sure to be plenty of jurors who will be moved by you as well, as long as you are able to cry about the injustices you have suffered in your Muggle home."


    "But ... but I, I don''t know how to cry it out." Harry waspletely confused as to what exactly Professor Drac wanted him to do, "While it''s true that Aunt Penny and the others treated me badly, I''ll at least live ..."


    Harry had always been in a fairly good frame of mind when he was in Muggle society, even when he was being bullied by Dali and his friends, he was able to find some yfulness in the midst of all this chasing after you and running away.


    On weekdays, the game consoles, toys, TVs and other things that Dali didn''t want, he was very good at sneaking them in to relieve his boredom, and he was even able to use counting spiders as a recreational activity when he slept in the storage room under the stairs ...


    So really, it did make it a bit difficult for him to force some kind of tragic expression about his experiences at the Desiree''s house.


    "This is indeed a problem, it''s not easy to resonate if the expression is not right ..." Drac rubbed his chin and pondered.


    "Professor Drac, there''s no need to make it difficult for Harry, I can always do the job myself and end that traitor!" Sirius said viciously as he gazed coldly in Peter''s direction.


    "No way!" Harry didn''t hold back almost amplifying his voice, "Sirius, if you really did that, the Ministry of Magic would really be at war with you! It''s not worth it for a traitor like that!"


    "Harry, they won''t catch me, trust me." Sirius turned his head and smiled at Harry.


    "That won''t work either, do you want to stay in the shadows for the rest of your life?" Harry deadpanned.


    "Okay, knock it off, I''ve got an idea." Drac interrupted the two with an impatient look on his face, "Isn''t it just that you can''t find sadness? Wouldn''t it be nice to create a little for you."


    "Potter, when it''s time for you to open your mouth and sell your misery in a while, I''ll open the bag with the dementor in it in your direction and let the dementor suck a little bit of the joy out of you. When the timees, you''re guaranteed to be in the zone immediately!"


    "Is ... that really a good idea?" Ron nced a little uneasily at the bag Drac had pulled out of his hand at some point.


    Without waiting for Ron to say anything else, Harry agreed with determination.


    "Let''s do it, Professor Drac!" He said firmly and rose from his chair.


    Everyone in the room was caught up in the Savior''s behavior and looked at him curiously, wondering what Harry was going to say when he stood up at this time.


    "I ... I would like you all to listen to me for a few moments, I would like to tell you a little bit about my childhood." Standing abruptly under the gaze of so many eyes, Harry was momentarily ufortable and stumbled slightly.


    But the next thing he knew, a familiar shadowy aura came from Harry''s side.


    Unconsciously, the sight of Voldemort as he walked into his parents'' safe house in Godric''s Hollow came to his eyes, and his heart pumped fiercely.


    Fortunately, Drac had made the young wizards face the dementors first-hand countless times in ss throughout the school year in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Harry had long ago learned the basic Patronus Curse, and was no longer as afraid of them as he had been at the very beginning, which prevented him from passing out on the spot.


    "I spent my entire childhood in a locker under the stairs." Harry gritted his teeth and said with a sad expression and a shaky tone, "I didn''t have the entertainment that every other child should have, no good snacks, no new clothes or any of my birthday presents at any one time ..."


    The entire venue fell silent as the members of the Wizengamot looked at Harry incredulously, shocked to hear him tell the story of his time in Muggle society in a sad tone.


    "... That''s how it was, up until Hagrid found me in a ramshackle house on a reef out at sea and delivered my eptance letter, Aunt Vernon was doing everything he could to prevent me from returning to the wizarding world, wanting me to be a muggle who spent my whole life bumbling around and aplishing nothing. "


    "If it wasn''t for the betrayal of this Peter Pediru, I would have had a gentle and generous mother, a wonderful and brave father ..."


    As he spoke, Harry''s eyes gradually filled with tears as well, and it was not clear whether it was the Dementor''s influence or genuine sadness at his birth.


    The eyes of the jury members in the trial room all became a little sad, and a few sensual witches who were older, their gazes were even filled with a kind of maternal love, as if at any time they could rush down from their respective seats to wrap Harry in their arms.


    Until Harry had spoken of his childhood, no one had known that the boy who had survived the Great Disaster had such an eventful destiny.


    They had all assumed that Dumbledore had sent the savior to the Muggle world to protect him and allow him to enjoy his life where there was no danger, while still avoiding retaliation from the Death Eaters.


    As it turned out, however, they all thought wrong.


    Mrs. Pettigrew, who had also been crying in self-loathing, looked dazedly at Harry in the intiff''s seat after hearing hisint, and even forgot to continue crying.


    Shepletely did not expect that such a small child can also sell misery, and the mood switch so quickly, in no way lose to her a big olddy.


    Mrs. Pettigrew couldn''t help but feel a little anxious as she watched the emotional tendencies of the jury members gradually shift towards Harry.


    She knew she had to do something; she couldn''t let the opportunity she had just seized go to waste.


    So Mrs. Pediru stood up fiercely and shouted to Harry, "Harry, don''t let that Sirius ckpel you, he must have learned a lot ofpulsion from the Mystic, and is the best at tricking people into believing him!"


    "Son, Peter is your father''s most loyal friend, so think it over before you decide which side you''re going to take!"


    "How can you have the face to say such words in the face of a child?!" Sirius jumped up angrily, "If it wasn''t for that dead rat who betrayed Jaime, how could Harry have had that miserable childhood? And now you have the nerve to say that he''s the one who''s Jaime''s most loyal friend? I bah!"


    It was also the first time he knew that Harry''s life at his aunt''s house had been so convoluted and rough, and it made the feeling of remorse inside him almost overflow his heart.


    "Reminder, Sirius ck!" Fudge shouted as he took a hammer to the desktop, "If you engage in any more loud, disruptive behavior at the trial, I will have to order Auror to ask you to leave the courtroom."


    Sirius didn''t even give him a second nce, however, and instead, with a hint of impulsiveness, and a hint of hesitation, and a tangle, he turned his head to Harry.


    "Harry, I''m your godfather, your parents have appointed me to be your guardian." He said softly, "In the event that something unfortunate should happen to them ..."


    Harry froze for a moment, then suddenly something urred to him and a rush of anticipation surged in his eyes.


    His heart was beating faster than it ever had before, expecting beyond hope that Sirius meant what his heart guessed he meant.


    "For the first time I know you were treated that way at your aunt and uncle''s house, and I ..." Sirius said hesitantly, "Well ... Harry, I want you to think about it. Once I''ve regained my honor ... if you want a ... a different home ..."


    It was as if Harry had some sort of explosion in his heart, an irrepressible joy pulsed all the way up from his heart to his head, and finally rushed to his face, overflowing into a big, overjoyed smile.


    "What ... you mean, let me live with you?" He asked aloud, afraid that he had misunderstood Sirius, afraid that he was hallucinating something or in a dream world, "Can I leave the Dursleys''?"


    "Of course, if you want." Sirius said quickly, "They don''t deserve you living with them anymore after what they did to you, I think I can ..."


    "You''re not kidding?" Harry shouted, his voice even lifting until it was hoarse, "Of course I want to get out of the Dursleys'' house! Do you have a house yet? When can I move in?"


    ke looked at Harry in surprise as well. He could still feel the eyes of everyone in the room on the two of them, but he didn''t care.


    "You do?" He asked, "Are you serious? I can buy a big house anytime I want, it''ll never be worse than your aunt''s house!"


    "Yes, of course I''m serious!" Harryughed.


    For the first time, a real smile appeared on Sirius'' still thin face, and unlike the crazy smiles of the past, this one was instead warm.


    No one in the room had ever thought Sirius could smile such a warm, genial and soft smile.


    The effect the smile had was amazing, as if a handsome young man, ten years younger than his appearance, was beaming at Harry through that thin mask.


    In that moment, it was as if Dumbledore, Peter, and everyone who had ever known Sirius could recognize in his face again the man who had acted as best man andughed happily at Jaime and Lily''s wedding.


    Mrs. Pediru''s heart went cold.


    She felt the edge of this trial move further and further away from her after Sirius had shed that smile.


    "Sirius ck, second warning!" Fudge growled in exasperation, "Do not discuss anything unrted to the eucalyptus case during the trial, and if there is a second time, you will be ruled outright defeated!"


    Sirius was finally quiet.


    He wanted now as never before to restore his honor and then pick up his godson to live with him and get Harry out of the abyss that was the Dursleys.


    "Boy, he''s lying to you, you know that? Sirius ck is lying to you!" Mrs. Pettigrew yelled, still undeterred, "If you do live with him, you''ll end up getting what your parents got!"


    Harry, however, no longer cared about what the awful olddy was actually saying, he was filled with the joy of being able to get rid of the Dursleys and live with Sirius.


    "Professor, are we going to win?" Ron asked in a whisper to Drac as he watched the scene.


    "The other jurors have pretty much rendered their emotions, but the two disgusting guys, Fudge and Umbridge, are a bit of a problem." Drac said, "It''s going to have to be andslide for Sirius to get the votes he''s been given to be foolproof."


    With that, he got up from his seat, "Wait, I''ll add another dose of the menace."


    Before Ron could react, Drac shed and suddenly appeared beside a distraught Peter, breaking his mouth open and pouring a brainwave of the small half bottle of Tranquilizer he had asked for from Snape a few days ago into Peter''s mouth.


    "Cough cough cough ..." Peter realized something was wrong and struggled desperately to get up.


    However how could his strengthpare to Drac''s, and soon the effects of the emetic kicked in.


    "What are you doing?!" Mrs. Pediru screamed, desperately trying to grab Drac with her hands, only to be casually pped aside.


    Fudge also mmed the table eucalyptus heavily with his hammer in anger.


    "Drac, what do you think of the authority of the Wizengamot when you use illegal potions on the defense in public in the courtroom?" He gritted his teeth, "Where is Law Enforcement Auror, arrest him!"


    "Slowly." Drac, however, was not the least bit flustered and raised his hand to block a few Aurors who wanted to make a move, "I just saw that Mr. Pediru had been crying for too long and his throat must have dried up, so I fed him some water."


    "How is it that my kind act of upholding humanitarian care has be an offense in your eyes?"

 Chapter 227 - 227 Win a court case

    <h4>Chapter 227: Win a court case</h4>


    "This is what you call a good deed?" Fudge was exasperated andughed, "You don''t know how to make up a decent lie, we''ll be able to easily dismantle your lies just by examining what kind of liquid is left in that bottle of yours."


    He turned his attention to a male wizard on the jury who was probably in his thirties, "Damocles, over to you."


    The male wizard nodded and stepped down from his seat,ing first to Peter''s side.


    He carefully examined Peter''s child hole condition and mental state, then whispered a few questions to Peter, and after seeing Peter''s expressionless face and unfocused eyes, he came to a conclusion.


    "Mr. Minister, judging from Mr. Pediru''s performance, there is a high probability that he has taken an overdose of Tranquilizer." The male witch said.


    "Tough on you, Damocles." A smug smile appeared on Fudge''s face as he looked towards Drac, "Professor Drac, let me introduce to you, this is Damocles Belby, third level Merlin Medal recipient and inventor of the Wolfsbane Potion."


    "With the proof of this magic potion master, what else do you have to argue? Enforcers, put Drac under control!"


    The two Aurors stationed in the judgment room rushed up and pulled out their wands at the same time, one after the other, two stupefy spells shot towards Drac from their hands.


    Drac shrugged and casually raised his hand. The two stupor spells were then easily flicked aside.


    Then, he spread his palms out, and the wands in the hands of the two elite Aurors instantly flew out of their hands uncontrobly,nding in Drac''s hands at an extremely fast speed.


    The two Aurors were instantly confused.


    They were also considered old Aurors with rich experience inw enforcement, and they had encountered many tough and brutal ck wizards as opponents on weekdays, but they had never encountered such a feeling like today, where they could not mention the power to fight back in the slightest.


    Fugi was also startled, he had always known before that this ck magic defense art professor was very strong, but he did not know that it was so strong ... two elite Auror in his hands even a move could not go down!


    "Are you ... you going to rebel against the Ministry of Magic?" Fugi shouted in a colorful voice.


    Then, he turned his sight to Dumbledore, "Dumbledore, the professor under yourmand is openly confronting the Ministry of Magic''sw enforcement, shouldn''t you help us bring this dangerous man under control? I don''t think he''s any less of a threat than that Sirius ck!"


    People like Fudge were often like this, only when he felt danger would he think of Dumbledore''s power and kindness, when the magic world was calm, he only wanted to weaken Dumbledore''s influence and prestige.


    "Professor Drac?" Dumbledore gave Drac a searching look.


    "I have a point." Drac hooked the corner of his mouth, "Don''t worry, it won''t be difficult for you."


    There was no need for him to tear his face off with the Ministry of Magic just because of this small matter.


    After all, ever since sensing the power behind that mysterious doorway, Drac had also been thinking of sneaking a turn at the Department of Mysterious Affairs.


    If he created too much conflict with the Ministry of Magic in advance and caused them to be alerted, this kind of thing might be much more troublesome.


    "All rx, I was just acting in self-defense as an innocent man." Drac left his seat andughed lightly as he handed back the two wands he had just seized to the two Aurors.


    At the same time, he instructed in a serious tone, "In the future, grow a little bit and remember to hold your own weapons a little bit tighter ..."


    The two Aurors took back their wands and looked at each other.


    Even though they had regained their weapons, they simply couldn''t get up the mood to make an enemy of Drac again.


    The difference was too great, how could this be a fight? It would be better to believe that this professor is innocent, at least the Ministry of Magic can still look good on its face ...


    Fudge at the front of the judgment room was so angry that he clenched his teeth, even the roots of his teeth were sore, but he still didn''t have the courage to continue to make a confrontation with Drac.


    He didn''t know if this professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts would have a bottom line like Dumbledore.


    "Don''t be nervous, Minister Fudge." Drac saw the embarrassment on Fudge''s face at a nce and smiled pleasantly, "Since I said I''m innocent, I naturally have enough evidence to prove it."


    "I''m not going to waffle like Mrs. Pediroux." He spared a nce at the ring olddy.


    Mrs. Pediru tried to retort, but was then skipped right over by Drac and walked over to Damocles Belby, who was still standing on the grounds.


    "Mr. Belby, right?" Drac asked.


    "Greetings, Professor Drac." Damocles smiled politely at Drac, a hint of confusion on his face.


    He didn''t understand what else this Professor Drac could have flipped when Peter Pettigrew was so obviously showing signs of taking Tranquilizer.


    "Mr. Belby, I have great faith in the caliber of your magic potions." Dracughed softly, "With the residual liquid in this ss bottle, I''m sure you can easily distinguish whether it''s a spitting agent or the most ordinary water, right?"


    "That''s for sure." Damocles nodded confidently, "This is one of the most basic abilities of being a magic potion researcher, there''s no way I can misidentify at this point!"


    "Very well, then take a look at this bottle, what exactly is the residual liquid inside?" Drac had a hint if a smile at the corner of his mouth as he handed the ss bottle in his hand to Damocles.


    Damocles suspiciously took the bottle, opened the lid, and reached out his hand to gently fan the mouth of the bottle, sniffing the vor.


    "This ... actually doesn''t have any vor?" A momentter, his eyes widened in surprise.


    Unbelievingly, he reached out his hand and dipped it in the bottle, then stuck his finger into his own mouth and licked it.


    In the next second, Damocles frowned:


    "This really isn''t any magic potion, it''s just the most ordinary clear water."


    "That''s impossible!" Fudge stood up by pping the eucalyptus menacingly, "Damocles, could you have misread it?"


    "I''ve studied magic potions for so many years, the most basic things can still be guaranteed to be correct." Damocles who was questioned was not happy, "If you don''t believe me, you cane down and taste it yourself. These liquids have no medicinal power at all, and they aren''t even magic potions of any kind!"


    Seeing that this third level Merlin Medalist had assured him like this, Fudge couldn''t afford to question his professionalism, but he wasn''t willing to let go of the defiant Drac just like that, so he immediately changed his story.


    "But the symptoms on Peter Pediru are not fake, and Drac was the only one who just filled him with water." Fudge said, "I have reason to suspect that it was he who prepared a different bottle ahead of time and hid the one containing the spit truth."


    "That''s not an unreasonable suspicion." Drac nodded with interest, then simply spread his arms out in a loose manner, "In that case, let''s check and see if I have any other bottles on me or not."


    "You two, go search Professor Drac." Fudge said to the two Aurors.


    "Wait." Drac suddenly interrupted.


    "What, did Professor Drac back out?" Fudge asked quickly.


    "I was just wondering how Minister Fudge is going to make amends to an innocent man if it''s confirmed that I don''t have any other bottles on me?" Dracughed, "Does that mean that the Minister of Magic can bewless?"


    Fudge''s face suddenly became as angry as a purple eggnt.


    "If ... if this search can confirm your innocence, I will personally apologize to you and will no longer pursue all of your infractions in the courtroom." He said through gritted teeth.


    "Good." Drac nodded with concern and looked to the two sweating Aurors, "What are you waiting for? You twoe over and search yourselves."


    The two Aurors felt that they really had bad luck today, to be ced in the Judgment Room on duty today.


    It was obvious that neither the Minister of Magic nor this strong professor was something they could afford to offend.


    "I ... have an idea." An Auror hesitated for half a day and finally thought of an idea, saying shakily, "We can just use the Flying Spell to find the ss bottle, so we don''t have to search the body either ..."


    He nced at Drac''s expression which didn''t seem to have any displeasure, and carefully continued, "As long as Mr. Drac agrees, then we only need to open up all the spaces where the No Trace Stretching Spell has been cast."


    "You are quite clever." Dracughed softly, "Alright, then you guys can use the Flying Spell to find the ss bottle that supposedly contains the spitting truth."


    After the other Auror cast a small spell to confirm that Drac only had one unmarked stretch spell space on him, Drac opened his shirt pocket in the process.


    But what no one present saw was that as Drac''s fingers hooked the pocket open, a dark moon so small that it was only the size of a crystal ball flickered in the mouth of his shirt pocket ...


    In a way, Fudge hadn''t actually guessed wrong.


    Drac had indeed prepared two different ss bottles, one containing the emetic and the other containing the poured water. After pouring the emetic into Peter''s mouth, he quickly reced the other ss bottle in his hand.


    However, Fudge and the others could not have imagined in any way that Drac could still break through space and teleport that ss bottle somewhere else in a ce like the Ministry of Magic where the Anti-Phantom Shift spell was imposed.


    At this moment, Auror, who proposed to use the Fly Come spell to find the ss bottle, did not have the slightest idea that that bottle had already returned to Hogwarts Castle, and was still holding up his wand with a face full of nervousness-


    "io ss Jars (ss Bottle Flying)."


    The bottle in Drac''s hand with the fresh water left in it flew over, but after waiting half a day, no other bottle flew out of his coat pocket.


    Auror sighed in relief and turned his head to Fudge with a solicitous gaze.


    "Mr. Minister, Professor Drac doesn''t have another ss bottle of the same type on him." He said.


    "Yes, Mr. Minister, isn''t it time you kept your promise?" Drac said to Fudge with a smirk.


    Watching this scene, Fudge''s chest continued to rise and fall, and his lungs seemed to explode with anger.


    However, when he saw the increasingly dangerous look in Drac''s eyes, with the increasingly dense magical force field around him, he decisively still wimped out.


    "Right ... sorry, Professor Drac, it''s me who wronged you." In front of the entire audience''s gaze, Fudge felt that he, the chief magician, had already lost his face.


    "Well, then what?" Drac sped his hands to his chest and then asked.


    "All of your vitions on this trial will not be pursued by the Ministry of Magic ...," Fudge said through gritted teeth.


    "Good, then thank you for the con, Mr. Minister." Drac suddenly smiled, the dangerous look on his face dissipating for a moment as if it had never existed.


    But Fudge knew that Drac had just absolutely threatened him without showing any sign of it.


    He also knew that the bottle of truth spit just now was definitely poured into Peter''s mouth by Drac, only that there was no way for them to find out the exact evidence.


    Watching what was happening in front of his eyes, but not being able to find the key evidence no matter what, this made Fudge feel extremely stifled in his heart, and he even wanted to fling his sleeves and leave this judgment room.


    Just at this moment, another witch beside Fudge who had not spoken from beginning to end suddenly spoke.


    "Peter Pediru, who exactly betrayed Jaime Potter and Lily Potter twelve years ago?" Amelia Bones, head of the Division of Magical Law Enforcement, asked tantalizingly.


    Her sudden question caught Fudge and Mrs. Pediru off guard.


    In the next moment, Peter, who was under the effect of the truth-transmitter, answered expressionlessly:


    "It''s me."


    The entire courtroom suddenly became silent.


    "Was it you who killed a dozen Muggles and escaped by faking your own death after the fall of Voldemort?" Amelia Bones asked next.


    "Yes."


    "Good, it seems the truth of the matter is clear." A light smile appeared on the serious face of this Director.


    "No, you can''t!" Mrs. Pediru covered Peter''s mouth like a madwoman and cried out, "Shouldn''t the conclusions from the interrogation of an illegal agent such as Tranquilizer be nullified in their entirety?!"


    "Theoretically indeed ...," echoed Fudge after a moment''s hesitation.


    "Indeed, which is why we shouldn''t take Peter''s testimony as evidence." Amelia Bones nodded.


    Mrs. Pediroux heaved a sigh of relief.


    However the director''s next words brought yet her emotions to aplete breakdown.


    "All those in favor of sustaining the charges against Peter Pediru raise your hands." Director Bones said in a booming voice, and she was the first to raise her hand.


    In the courtroom, one hand went up, gradually creating a dense sea of raised arms.


    Damocles Belby and the two Aurors standing at the bottom of the field looked at each other and silently raised their hands as well.


    Even though the spit truth agent could not be used as evidence for a final judgment, it was enough for all the wavering jurors to make a final decision.


    After Peter confessed to his abominable crime, no one was willing to give him the slightest bit of sympathy ...


    At the end of the day, only Fudge and Dolores Umbridge did not raise their hands.


    And Fudge, looking around and knowing that he was no longer able to aplish his purpose, raised his hand feebly as well.


    Mrs. Pediru copsed to the floor in despair.


    Sirius and Harry embraced joyfully.

 Chapter 228 - 228 Mystery Services Division, Death Chamber

    <h4>Chapter 228: Mystery Services Division, Death Chamber</h4>


    "After a trial in the court of Wisengamo, Peter Pediru has vited thirteen statutes, including the Regtions for the Strict Restriction of the Use of ck Magic, the Criminal Code of the British Magical Community, and the International Law of Secrecy, and has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban!"


    The verdict of Amelia Bones, the head of the Division of Magical Law Enforcement, was actually quite fair, and theoretically no one should have any doubts about it.


    Yet Sirius was still uneasy.


    Because he knew that Animagus could easily escape from the many Dementors in Azkaban.


    The big ck dog he had transformed into at the time was not really a critter anymore without attracting anyone''s attention, and a much more stealthy rat would surely have made it easier to break out of the prison.


    After Sirius brought this up in court, Amelia Bones promised to use a tighter cell to hold Peter in order to prevent him from escaping Azkaban by using the Animagus transformation.


    Without waiting for Sirius to raise any further objections, she callously announced the end of the trial.


    "Bones doesn''t even realize that this isn''t going to be solved by a different cell!" Leaving the courtroom, Sirius said with a depressed look on his face, "Creatures like rats are the most annoying, and the slightest inattention will set it free."


    "Even if we keep Peter inside a fully enclosed cell, won''t we have to bring him food? That dead rat could have gotten out of the window while the food was being delivered, and there''s no way the person delivering the food would want to get up and keep an eye on that window every day!"


    Sirius clenched his fists, "If you ask me, a coward like that who betrays his friends should just be killed to prevent him from doing anything bad again."


    "It''s okay, he''s not in a position to shape-shift anymore." Drac waved his hand with care.


    "What?" Sirius looked at him in shock.


    "I snuffed out the source of magic power in his bloodline by hand before I left, in this life, he''ll be a good mute." Drac smiled tantalizingly, but his smile was extraordinarily cold.


    "That rat, if he does escape, will definitely go looking for Voldemort to be his backer, and then it will be a bit of a pain in the ass to deal with. Thinking about it that way, it might as well be settled once and for all."


    "Well done, Professor Drac!" Sirius waved his fist in ecstasy, "Hahahahaha, Peter the traitor, this is what he deserves!"


    "Professor, could a wizard who was able to cast spells ever turn back into a dud again?" Harry asked curiously, blinking.


    "Of course." Drac said, "There are actually magical pacts or ck magic that can aplish this, it''s just a bit brutal so very few people would go through with it."


    "So ... Professor are you using magical contracts or ck magic?" Ron asked as he probed over as well.


    "The time for a magic contract to take effect will be slow and the conditions are more demanding." Drac slowly hooked up the corner of his mouth.


    "What do you say?"


    ...


    Dumbledore led Harry and Ron back to Hogwarts through the firece in the main hall of the Ministry of Magic, while Sirius did the same back to 12 Grimmauld ce through the firece.


    Drac ostensibly stepped into the firece with Dumbledore and the others back and forth, but he had no thoughts of returning to Hogwarts so soon.


    He threw down a handful of Flyway Powder inside the firece but said nothing about his destination, allowing the green mes to consume him directly.


    Flyway powder trips that didn''t call out their location tended to connect to a random firece.


    For example, there was a witch named Violet Diliman who got into a firece without pronouncing any location after a fight with her husband in the middle of thest century, and then escaped her original husband by falling in love at first sight with the man who randomly teleported to the location ...


    Drac''s trip to this flyway powder was different, however.


    Before the firece could pick a random destination, Drac forcibly reversed the orientation of space so that the firece was instantly connected to an all-toomon torch.


    The next moment, apanied by a shower of green sparks, Drac''s figure leapt out of the mes of one of the torches beforending lightly on the ground.


    "Whew, this should be about the right spot." Drac patted the slight amount of hearth ash that had gotten on his body and surveyed his surroundings with interest.


    It was a deep corridor stered with dark tiles, and two rows of torches stuck in the dark tiles of the walls flickered with a blue-white light, adding a bit of mystery to the whole space.


    At the end of the corridor was a lone, ck door ...


    This was the corridor of the ninth underground level of the Ministry of Magic.


    The lone door of the Department of Mysteries had aroused Drac''s curiosity even before the start of today''s trial, and the familiar power inside the door had also raised Drac''s idea ofing to have a look.


    As for Fudge and other officials from the Ministry of Magic, they had only just finished Peter''s trial and had not long passed through this corridor. They simply would not have thought that Drac would go and return, tantly appearing in the important ce of the Ministry of Magic!


    Drac stood in the corridor and carefully surveyed the ck doorway in front of him.


    The door didn''t have any knob or keyhole, only apletely t panel, the probability was that it was powered by magic.


    Drac didn''t have a clue after looking at it for half a day, so he shrugged and took a step straight forward, appearing behind the door in an instant.


    Since he could phantom shift anyway, opening the door wasn''t that necessary for him.


    Behind the door was a circr enclosed room. The room was covered with dark marble floors, and the floors were scrubbed clean to the point of reflecting, making their color almost look like they were covered in ayer of empty bright standing water.


    There were a number of candles in the room emitting a cold blue light, reflecting the twelve knobless doors on the circr wall.


    From time to time the twelve doors would swap positions, and the walls would spin up so quickly with them that if it was without the correct magical key, nothing could determine exactly which door was the correct one they were looking for.


    Not only that, the Department of Mysterious Affairs has only five researchboratories, respectively, "brain", "prophecy", "time", "death" and "love". "Death" and "Love".


    Among the twelve portals, excluding the five researchboratories, the remaining seven doors are all extremely dangerous mechanisms.


    However Drac naturally would not be bothered by such means.


    None of the mechanisms behind the doors posed much of a threat to him, and he had absolutely no intention of looking for a specific door -


    What was behind every door he wanted to go in and have fun, finding that familiar power from before instead became a secondary matter ...


    Drac casually pushed one of the doors open.


    The door opened noiselessly, and behind it was a long, narrow rectangr room filled with constantly dancing lights, the entire room glowing like a gem.


    Watches of all kindspletely filled the room, with different pendulum clocks, quartz clocks, pocket watches, wristwatches, and other clocks on disy everywhere. "The sound of ticking hands resounded in all directions.


    There were several muted people wearing pure ck wizard robes who were standing in front of various experimental equipment, working in silence, expressionless and without uttering a word.


    When they saw Drac suddenly walk in, they also just shrunk their child holes for a moment, and with hardly any sign of surprise, they raised their wands and aimed them at Drac who was surveying the surrounding area with interest.


    These mutes had been working here for who knows how long, and now seemed to have fallenpletely into numbness, as if they had long since lost such luxuries as joy and sadness ... in the Division of Mystical Affairs, which had left them gradually devoid of their sanity, or even their humanity!


    "Strange." Drac frowned slightly, "What are you all working on every day? It''s surprising that you''ve gotten yourselves into this whole state."


    However, those muted people acted as if they hadn''t heard what Drac had said in the slightest, just casting attack magic spells with little lethality at him with expressionless faces.


    "What a hindrance."


    Drac snorted and raised his hand to clutch all the iing magic spells in his hand.


    Immediately afterward, he recited an incantation-


    "One forgets all (Obliviate)."


    The movements of all the mutes suddenly froze, and their eyes became nk.


    "Fainting (Supefy)." Followed by a second spell.


    The mutes all fell to the ground in a stupor.


    "No point, no fight at all." Drac bristled and looked up at the furnishings of this room.


    There was a huge, crystal jar shaped like a clock form, with bright light emanating from it from time to time.


    This clock-form jar was constantly producing a dancing, bright light, and within its crystalline running water floated a small, jewel-bright egg.


    And as this egg was held up by the bright stream of water inside the clock jar, it suddenly broke apart, and a tiny hummingbird then flew out from inside the egg shell.


    As soon as it appeared the hummingbird was lifted to the very top of the jar so that it could spread its wings and fly high up where it was not covered with liquid.


    But whenever it tries tond on the surface of the water to get a drink, its feathers get wet again, and then the whole bird is brought back to the bottom of the jar, enclosed in its egg once more, and the shell is made whole again.


    This process repeats and cycles over and over again.


    The hummingbird in the jar also keeps getting older and older until it falls into the water, then is reborn and gets older and goes on an endless cycle ...


    Drac had been looking around this room for half a day before he finally decided that this was the Time Chamber of the Division of Mysteries.


    Not only because of the many clocks around, as well as the countless objects here are associated with "time", but also the clock-shaped jar there is a strong atmosphere of time energy.


    Drac had sensed this kind of aura in the time converter that he had brought from Hermione.


    "That means ..." Drac''s eyes lit up.


    His eyes scanned around the Time Chamber, and sure enough, he saw a whole cab of pendants neatly arranged in a ss cab with a golden circle and an hourss that could be turned-


    A cab of time changers!


    Drac suddenly remembered that at the time, after Dumbledore had discovered that he had taken Hermione''s time-turner, he had told him that the Ministry of Magic didn''t have an abundance of time-energy and only had enough for in-house research as well as a handful of samples for students to use.


    "I really believed Dumbledore''s evil ...," Drac said through gritted teeth as he looked at the cab of time converters in front of him.


    He took one of the time converters from the cab as a matter of course and then woke up the mutes and added a confusion spell.


    Once that was done, Drac left the Time Chamber and walked towards the next room door.


    The time energy was not the familiar aura that Drac had sensed before; he could sense that it was much closer and more mysterious to him.


    ...


    In the next three rooms, Drac sessively saw a piece of brain soaked in green solution, rows of crystal balls filled with high shelves, and a fountain spraying a liquid simr to an ecstasy.


    These three rooms represented "Brain", "Prophecy", and "Love" respectively.


    Together with the first room Drac entered, "Time", then thest room is the research room that represents "Death".


    I don''t know if it''s because it''s too empty, but the Hall of Death is a bit bigger than the previous rooms.


    The room was dimly lit, square in shape, and recessed in the center, forming a huge stone pit, about twenty feet deep.


    Stone steps encircled the entire room, like stone benches, gradually descending one by one, each step steep, like a step ssroom, or a Wizengamot courtroom that had been visited only a short time before.


    In the center of the pit was a raised stone tform, on top of which stood an arch of indeterminate material, apanied by a sense of historical vicissitudes, but at the same time dpidated, giving the impression as if it were about to fall at any moment, but in fact immovable as a mountain.


    There was no wall support around the arch, a tattered ck curtain or drapery hung on it, even though the air was cold and there was not a single breeze, it was gently swaying, as if there was a kind of unknown power fanning it.


    Upon seeing this drapery, Drac''s heart, which hadn''t beat in a thousand years, suddenly pumped.


    "Is that the power of ... death?" Drac muttered, but then he shook his head, "But this is death, not darkness ... Then how could this power bring about such a familiar feeling?"


    He exhaled deeply and slowly raised one hand, crimson magic power pooled in his hand and gradually condensed into a blood-colored river.


    Drac then took one step at a time, following the stone steps around him, towards the archway in the very center of the room, towards the drapery that was constantly swaying without wind.


    With each step, the familiar feeling grew stronger, and the crimson magic power gathered in Drac''s palm also produced more and more distinctive fluctuations, as if it wanted to meet the curtain at any time.


    As if another thousand years had passed, finally, Drac walked to the side of the archway, only one step away from the curtain.


    He reached out his hand and slowly touched towards the curtain.


    However, the crimson magic power in his hand came out first, meeting the curtain like a river flowing into the sea.


    The curtain was ck, while Drac''s magic power was crimson, but after the two intertwined with each other, it was hard to tell them apart, as if they came from the same source!

 Chapter 229 - 229 The Hall of the Dead connects to hell.

    <h4>Chapter 229: The Hall of the Dead connects to hell.</h4>


    "But why is that?"


    Drac frowned slightly as he looked at the flow of magic in his palm that was fading into the dark gray drapery.


    There were no mutes in the Hall of Death, and nothing else but such an old and tattered archway, so the only thing that held enough energy to represent death was inside the archway.


    But if this was the power from death, then why was it the same as the magic power in himself that originated from darkness?


    With that, Drac suddenlyughed softly.


    "Whatever it is death or darkness, wouldn''t it be better to take it back and see?"


    Drac could feel that although the connection between the magic power that was fused with the drapery and him had be much tantalizing, it was still within control.


    Thus, he swirled his palm slightly, and as if a ck hole had appeared at the position of his palm, he drew in the crimson magic in front of him, along with the dark gray fluid on the drapery, forming a gray-red intertwined vortex.


    The drapery on the archway swayed without wind, and with the pull of the ck hole in Drac''s palm, a thin wisp of smoke drifted out, gradually haunting the entire hall with a misty fog.


    Dark gray smoke and crimson magic power parallel, did not enter Drac palm, and the body of magic power slowly intertwined together.


    In the next moment, Drac''s child hole suddenly contracted.


    He felt that the total amount of magic power that he thought had long since developed to its limit, the energy that hadn''t changed in the slightest for hundreds of years, actually had a slight tendency to grow out of nowhere!


    The energy representing death on the archway could actually really be absorbed by Drac and then turned into his own!


    And Drac could sense that there was another mysterious space behind the archway, in which there was an inexhaustible source of energy.


    Drac subconsciously took two steps forward, wanting to enter that space directly through the archway.


    Unlike Voldemort, he didn''t really think much about getting stronger or anything like that. But he would be interested in the changes he hadn''t seen in a long time, and wanted to make some changes to this unchanging body.


    So Drac took a step forward ...


    "You don''t want to get in there at this time."


    Just as Drac was about to take a step into that archway, a voice suddenly sounded behind him.


    With Drac''s perception ability, it was surprising that he hadn''t even noticed when there was another person here before.


    He stopped his steps and turned back in surprise.


    Only to see a figure standing in the mist, a gorgeous red cloak, a long hood covering his face, leaving no trace of skin exposed in the air.


    This disguise, it really looks extraordinarily familiar.


    Drac: "..."


    "I can hardly imagine being bored to this extent." Looking at the hooded figure in front of him, he had a strange expression, "Did you have to dress like that? It''s not like I don''t know who you are anyway."


    "... Formality always goes a long way." The Hooded Man was silent for a moment, and said in a voice of moldedkes.


    "... You''re happy." Drac sped both hands to his chest and tugged at the corner of his mouth at him, "So tell me, why do you say I wouldn''t want to get in over there at this point? In fact, you should know that I''d quite like to walk inside that archway."


    "Not yet." The Hood said inartictely.


    "But why can''t you make that clear?" The corners of Drac''s mouth twitched a little, "Can''t imagine that I could ever be a riddler like you."


    "There are many more things you can''t imagine!" The hooded figure suddenlyughed softly, and Drac could even imagine the corners of his mouth hooked up under that hood.


    For the first time, he realized if others were just as angry as he was right now when they saw that evil smirk tickling the corners of his mouth.


    "Idle nothing to sell what the secret it ..." Drac took out the time converter from his coat pocket that he had just shunned from the time hall, and skimmed his mouth disdainfully, "It''s not just a five hour period of time, can there still be what more than a thousand years have There can''t be any big change that hasn''t been seen in more than a thousand years?"


    "Who told you I came back from five hourster?" The hooded man said tantalizingly, "As I said, there are still many things you can''t imagine."


    Drac''s child hole shrunk fiercely, and he stared dead at the figure in a gorgeous red cloak.


    The outfit was a temporary purchase he had made at Mrs. Moggin''s Clothing Store in order to fight his past self, and had never been worn again except when traveling through time.


    It was obvious that the figure was again his future Drac self.


    But he couldn''t tell exactly how long ago his future self had returned to the present from.


    If it wasn''t five hours, was it a day? Or a month? Or even a year or even many years?


    If his future self had really returned to the present from many yearster, was he only here to stop his past self from walking through the archway?


    What is inside this archway?


    "Tell me, why won''t you let me in?" Drac asked bluntly.


    "Haven''t you ever thought about it? What the ''Hall of Death'' really means." The Hood said softly.


    "Doesn''t it mean that the power of death is stored in it?" Drac furrowed his brow, "I was wondering why it was like my magic and the power of death came from the same source."


    "But why didn''t you think of how, with the powers of those wizards, they would be able to store such arge amount of the energies of time, the universe, love and even death?" The Hooded Man asked rhetorically, "With their level of research that isn''t even trivial?"


    Drac fell silent.


    "Think about it, the Department of Mysteries has been around since long before the Ministry of Magic was founded." The Hood said, "Or rather, the reason why the Ministry of Magic was established here was for this Division of Mysterious Affairs."


    "So ... what exactly is in here?" Drac asked softly after a moment of silence.


    "The drapery keeps fluttering without the wind, and that''s because life is dying in the world every moment of every day." The Hooded Man said, "And the gradually descending stone steps that surround the perimeter of this space signify the gradual aging of life ..."


    "Haven''t you figured it out yet? What kind of ce is the world behind the archway?"


    Drac looked back at the old and dpidated archway, and a trace of dawning realization gradually shed in his eyes.


    "I didn''t realize that this archway was so important that it was worth trying to find a way to travel back across time to prevent myself from entering." He suddenlyughed, "But have you ever thought that the more people discourage me, I am inclined to want to go in and take a look even more!"


    Before the words were finished, without waiting for the Hooded Man to react, Drac suddenly turned around and iparably and decisively took a step into the dark gray curtains inside the archway.


    A single step changed the sky and the earth!


    The first thing that caught his eyes was arge sea of umbre-shaped, curled petals and leafless flowers.


    An endless number of manzanitas.


    Drac had a few nted by Dobby in his office, and Andros had dozens of them in his secret realm at the top of Mount Olympus, but it had never been as shocking as this kind of red petals that spread over the earth.


    The sky had also turnedpletely dark gray, in stark contrast to the brightly colored flowers on the ground.


    There was no sun in the sky, and a gloomy world floated in front of the eyes with a muffled, shallow light shining from nowhere.


    At the end of the sea of flowers, a tall mountain peak abruptly lifted up abruptly from the crimson ground, all of which looked like they were stained with scarlet blood and water, and stretched out in sheets.


    In the eerie purgatory, endless skeleton silhouettes floated in midair, struggling to move their mangled bodies from time to time.


    Seven or eight huge mountains of withered bones stood tall, and endless rivers of blood-colored water rolled between the corpses and bones ...


    In the center of this space, there was a figure sitting on a throne of corpses and bones, behind him there was a pitch-ck cloak hanging down, countless skeleton skull-like shadows piled up on the hem of the cloak, constantly struggling, wailing, all the time wanting to drag the owner of the cloak into the surrounding rivers of blood, but it was just like an ant shaking a tree, it was difficult to move the slightest bit.


    Even with Drac''s experience of more than a thousand years, he never thought that he would see such a scene one day.


    His eyes can not help but haunt some inclination, slowly raised his feet, in a sea of flowers that can not be seen at a nce strolling towards the distant throne of bones.


    Drac wondered what kind of person would live in such a hell.


    Could it be that there was really a Grim Reaper in this world, just like the legend of "The Collected Tales of Shion Pidou"?


    This kind of feeling that disturbed the inherent cognition constantly stimted Drac''s nerves, making his eyes only have an ounce of interest in the new environment, without the slightest bit of awe and fear of the unknown.


    As Drac continued to go deeper and deeper, the cloak on that throne of bones slowly swung up.


    The figure on the throne raised his head, revealing a pair of dark gray, unfocused eyes.


    There was barely a bit of flesh and blood on his face, only a face made up of dried skin and bones, practically indistinguishable from a normal skeleton, only much more ghastly and imposing.


    "What a dense darkness." The skeleton didn''t open its mouth, but an obscure and terrifying voice came out from amongst its body, "It''s really rare that such a dense darkness didn''t even seek my help in the current world, but instead came directly here."


    "Oh?" Drac raised his eyebrows, "So ... many people with darkness can still seek your help?"


    "That''s for sure, without my help, how would they have gotten that kind of power that is so strong that it shouldn''t belong to the world." The skeleton stood up proudly, raising his arm in a wave, his cloak flung far behind him.


    Surprisingly, instead of being as withered and bony as his face, his figure was extraordinarily robust, and coupled with his tall height, he was able to simply give people a sense of oppression that came right up to their faces.


    "You mean, your power does not belong to the world?" Drac asked with interest.


    "I was never meant to belong to what you call the world." The skeleton said, "Since you havee to this heaven and earth, don''t you still understand what I am?"


    "Is that so." Drac shrugged, "So there really is such a thing as a Shinigami, I always thought that Pidou guy made it up."


    "Since you know that I''m the God of Death, it''s just as well that you don''t submit to me, but you still don''t know how to respect me?" Drac''s indifferent attitude made the God of Death a little angry, "Aren''t you afraid of death, mortal?"


    "Afraid of death?" Drac snorted, "I''m rather tired of living a long time ago, if you can help me to die, that counts for you."


    Death: "..."


    He scrutinized Drac with dark grey eyes, his expression growing somber.


    "So it''s the damned race of Blood, you have the purest Blood blood flowing in you ..." Death''s voice was icy cold, "It''s really disgusting."


    "What''s wrong with the Bloods?" Drac frowned, "Isn''t the Blood race one of the ordinary races in the magic world?"


    "Amonce race?" Death sneered, "It would be fine if that were true, but unfortunately ..."


    Before the words were finished, he suddenly skipped over the previous topic, "Blood race brat, it''s true that I don''t have the means to kill you. But I canpletely imprison you here for eternity, so that you will never be able to escape this ce!"


    The God of Death probed his hand forward. As he moved, it was as if the entire space rotated with him, and an iparably strong pressure acted on Drac''s body.


    It was rare for Drac to feel such a strong pressure, and the corner of his mouth hooked up a smile instead.


    "Truly worthy of being a Shinigami, it''s really different from those earthlings in the present world." Heughed recklessly, "Hahahahaha ... is exciting enough!"


    The blood-red light in Drac''s eyes flowed rapidly, and countless dark energies erupted from his body, and even the power of death that permeated this space merged with Drac''s own magical power, blowing the cloak behind him to a hunting sound.


    His wings suddenly stretched out, Drac dashed into the air, driving a blood-colored river around his body constantly swirling, surprisingly short period of time to call on the surrounding power and the entire space of the oppression of the stalemate.


    "It''s useless, Blood, this is my home ground!" The God of Death hissed in a cold voice.


    In the next moment, an even more violent aura suppressed.


    Drac frowned and turned his head to look at the direction he came from. There should have been an outdated archway hanging with dark gray drapery standing in the middle of a sea of flowers, but it was empty at this moment.


    "Heh, I''m not interested in staying here with you for the rest of the day." Drac''s form drifted back quickly through the air, avoiding the area where the power was at its peak, before summoning a ghostly dark moon behind himself.


    "It''s no use, this isn''t the world you''re in, your space magic won''t work." Deathughed maniacally, rolling up an even more manic storm.


    However, right at this moment, a strand of magic power intertwined with gray and red suddenly surged out from the shadow of the dark moon. It was as if the Dark Moon, which had never been able to contact the outside world, had a coordinate in the endless mist, and instantly made an orientation!


    When this wisp of red and gray intertwined magical power appeared, the Death God''s skull-like face changed drastically.


    "This is ... this is ... this kind of ability is in no way something you can possess! This can''t be ..." he muttered, "Why ... the Blood ... "


    Without hearing exactly what Death was saying, Drac disappeared into the sea of bright red flowers along with the ghostly moonlight.

 Chapter 230 - 230 It’s summer again.

    <h4>Chapter 230: It''s summer again.</h4>


    When the dark moon dissipated, Drac had appeared in the death chamber of the Division of Mysteries.


    He raised his sight and saw a figure in a magnificent red cloak, leaning against the archway with his chest sped, seeminglypletely unsurprised.


    "So you knew I would disobey and enter within this archway?"


    Feeling slightly amused, Drac walked over to the other side of the archway and made the same motion of leaning against the door.


    "Of course, after all, that''s what I was doing." The hooded figureughed, hisughter seemingly pleasant.


    "Heh, so it really is true, as Niko said, that there is only one timeline in this world, and the forces of time automatically sew up the changes in between, right?" Drac asked, "I don''t quite understand how thisplete cycle of time is actually formed."


    "You should have figured it out, the past can be changed through time magic, otherwise there would be little point in the existence of time energy." The Hooded Man said, "As for this time loop, it is also naturally the result of time tinkering with-"


    He turned around from the other side of the archway and walked over to Drac''s side, "Since I can go back and forth to this point in time from the past, I naturally have the certainty that the timeline will mend itself, and there''s no need to dwell so much on the rest of it instead ..."


    "Good, then I won''t ask about that for now." Drac said, "But I would like to know, in the end, what power did you use to pull me back from the other side? That so-called ''god of death'' seemed surprised."


    "You''ll naturally know when it''s time to know, telling now will only deprive you of the surprise you''ll have when that day arrives in the future." The Hooded Manughed.


    "... Saying that halfway through the day is the same as not saying it at all." Drac''s mouth twitched.


    "As unhappy as you may sound, I find it amusing." The Hood said pleasantly, "I can kind of understand why Dumbledore always likes to cover up his words, it''s really fun to talk like this ..."


    "You can shut up now ..." Drac said through gritted teeth.


    Just then, both men turned their heads at the same time towards the doorway of the death chamber they were in.


    They both sensed that a couple of mutes were making their way here, and by now were standing inside the circr hall with its twelve constantly shifting portals.


    "Well, it''s about time for me to head back." The Hooded Manughed softly and spoke, "There''s no need for you to be upset ... might as well think about how depressing it is at this time, and how pleasant it will be on the day you return to the past in the future!"


    Saying that, he lightly snapped his fingers.


    "Right," before leaving, as if he suddenly remembered something, he suddenly said, "There''s no need to think much about what happened today, just enjoy your professor life normally for the next year."


    "There are quite a few interesting things inside Hogwarts Castle!"


    As soon as the words fell from his lips, the Hood''s figure abruptly disappeared into the Hall of Death as if he had never been there.


    Drac stared at the ce where he disappeared for a moment, then smiled back and snapped his fingers in the same way.


    The Dark Moon quietly floated behind him.


    Before the mutineers entered the Death Chamber for inspection, Drac''s figure apanied by the cool moonlight, returned to Hogwarts Castle, and once again sat on the couch in the office of the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts ...


    Although it was only a short day, Drac''s harvest was unexpectedlyrge.


    It goes without saying that qualifying Peter Pediru''s crime and restoring Sirius ck''s reputation, and most importantly, he realized that the world was not as small and uninteresting as he once thought it was.


    There were different worlds beyond his sight, and more delights waiting to be explored.


    Drac lowered his head and looked at the strand of dark gray among the crimson magic pulsing in the palm of his hand with amusement in his eyes.


    If the so-called "Grim Reaper" was right, then some of the questions that had been asked would be answered....


    Why do the many different types of dark energy, such as the dark energy of the Silence, the Soul Artifacts, and the magic power of the Blood n, have the same nature?


    Probably because ... the power of darkness originated from the world behind the archway, so it was able to seek the help of the god of death and borrow the purest power of death.


    In this way, some of the things that were originally not understood made just as much sense.


    The despicable Helpo had been sealed in the secret realm on the summit of Mount Olympus for thousands of years, and had been killed countless times by Andros, but his power had never faded, and he had gradually forced Andros to gamble on the beliefs and future of the Greek magic world in order to suppress him.


    Helpo must have borrowed the power of death.


    Then, without traveling to the Death Chamber of the Department of Mysteries, how could one connect to the world behind the archway and borrow the power of death?


    Drac thoughtfully rummaged around in his coat pocket for a while and took out a locket from it.


    It was the locket of Slytherin from over a thousand years ago, which Voldemort hadter crafted into a Horcrux, and which had been removed by Regulus at the cost of his life, and which had ended up in Drac''s hands.


    He gazed quietly at the locket in his hand, the corner of his mouth gradually evoking a tantalizing smile.


    To create a soul weapon, one needed to rely on killing to split the soul.


    And the process of killing and splitting souls would obviously also send a deceased soul to the world of the dead.


    This was the closest the current ck sorcerer could get to the world of the dead except before they passed awaypletely.


    And after their idental death, even if they can rely on their soul artifacts to turn into residual souls to live on, the world of the dead will still open its doors to them ... This is the best time to borrow the power of the dead.


    It can be imagined that Helbo has borrowed the power of the God of Death at the time of death several times and three times, so that he has not been weakened in countless deaths, but has gradually pushed back against Andros.


    Thinking of this, Drac frowned slightly.


    If this inference was valid ... then the time for Voldemort to recover his power would most likely be a little faster than he had imagined.


    ...


    On thest day of the semester, Hogwarts announced the exam results.


    Hermione got a distinction in all twelve of her sses, while Harry and Ron were lucky enough to pass every ss.


    Harry couldn''t believe that he had passed his Potions exams, he couldn''t believe that Snape would let him pass, and even suspected that Dumbledore had intervened and not allowed Snape to have his way with him.


    In thest few weeks, he had no idea what was going on and Snape''s attitude towards Harry was quite frightening.


    Harry, of course, could not have imagined that because of what happened with Sirius and Peter, the wounds that were buried deep among Snape''s heart were once again stung. Snape felt a pang of guilt and pain drilling through him every time he saw Harry, especially in his eyes.


    For this reason, every time Snape encountered Harry, one of the muscles next to his thin lips twisted unpleasantly, and he kept flexing his fingers as if he hated to choke Harry.


    It was to protect the boy that Lily had sacrificed herself at the hands of Voldemort.


    Snape thought this, but he didn''t tell anyone about it.


    Percy, as Student Council President, had lived up to his reputation by passing the Advanced Wizarding Level Exam(s); and fifth years Fred and George had each barely scraped together a handful of Ordinary Wizarding Level Exam(s) (0. W. Ls) certificates.


    This year, Hogwarts'' Defense Against the Dark Arts scores, driven by the Dueling Club, and facilitated by the Devil''s Training, managed to set an all-time high in thirty years, blowing the minds of the many other wizarding schools waiting to see the joke.


    Meanwhile, the Gryffindor Quidditch team rightfully won this year''s Quidditch tournament, thanks to Harry''s excellent form and the top-notch hardware of the Firebolt!


    Captain Wood, who was about to graduate, was overjoyed and treated all the team members to a big dinner at Hogsmeade.


    Because of the massive bonus points from the Quidditch Cup, Gryffindor House also won the House Cup as a matter of course. This meant that the end of term feast was decorated in red and gold, and it also meant that the Gryffindor House table was extra busy because everyone was celebrating.


    The next day, students who had partied the night away rose from their beds in a daze, carrying their bags from the castle''s north gates to the Night Tiffin Carriage, which in turn drove them to Hogsmeade Station.


    Harry and Ron were staring at Hermione with stunned faces as the Hogwarts Express left the station.


    "I went to see Professor McGonagall this morning, just before breakfast." Hermione said, "I''ve decided not to take the Muggle Studies and Divination sses."


    "Divination is fine, but you got a perfect score on your Muggle Studies exam!" Ron said in surprise.


    "I know," Hermione said with a sigh, "but I can''t take another year like this one. You guys have no idea what I''ve been through, and I''m probably going to go crazy if this keeps up."


    Of course, there was another reason why she hadn''t told her two little friends - the


    The Ministry of Magic had suddenly recalled all the time converters.


    Professor McGonagall''s exnation to her was that the Ministry of Magic had somehow lost a time converter, and the staff there couldn''t even figure out when they lost it.


    As a precautionary measure, they had decided to take back the time converters given to the students to prevent any unknown surprises.


    Hermione thought that was good, at least she would be able to have a regr schedule of sses.


    She looked back to Harry, who was gazing at the Hogwarts castle obscured from view by a mountain.


    He was a little sad that seeing Hogwarts again was going to be another two whole months of misery ...


    "Harry, why don''t you seem too happy?" Hermione asked, "Aren''t you going to live with your godfather?"


    "Don''t mention it," Harry said somberly, "Dumbledore said that although Sirius''s warrant at the Ministry of Magic was lifted, the Ministry had notified the Muggle side a long time ago. The warrant over there isn''t very well handled ..."


    "But Sirius can wear a mask, or just ask Fred and George for some random magic props." Ron said, "As long as you guys don''t actively expose yourselves out there won''t that be fine?"


    "That''s what I thought." Harry sighed, "But Dumbledore said nothing, and I don''t know what he was thinking."


    "Oh cheer up Harry!" Hermione said sympathetically.


    "I''m fine," Harry said dryly, "It''s been so many years anyway."


    "By the way, Sirius has a warrant, but we don''t have one at home!" Ron said happily, "Harry, you muste and stay with us on your vacation. I''ll talk to Mom and Dad and then I''ll call ''drop the word'' for you. Now I know how to call off the phone ..."


    "It''s phone calls, Ron," Hermione corrected, "Seriously, you should take Muggle Studies next year ..."


    Ron rolled his eyes and ignored her.


    "There''s the Quidditch World Cup this summer! How about it, Harry?" He asked cheerfully, "Come stay at my house and we''ll go to the games together! Dad always gets tickets from the t."


    The suggestion cheered Harry up again.


    "Right! I bet the Dursleys would be happy to let me go ... especially after what I did to Aunt Maggie!"


    As he said this, he pulled out a paper and pen, "I guess I could also ask Sirius if he wants toe along, there''s always no muggles showing up for the Quidditch World Cup, right?"


    After the train arrived, Harry saw Aunt Vernon and Aunt Peggy outside the station.


    Aunt Vernon and the others were standing quite a distance away from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, eyeing them suspiciously from time to time, feeling that the two were dressed a little incongruouslypared to the others.


    Aunt Vernon''s suspicions about them seemed to be confirmed when Mrs. Weasley embraced Harry in wee.


    "I''ll call about the World Cup!" Ron yelled from behind Harry.


    Harry nodded at Ron and turned to say goodbye to Hermione again before pushing his trunk and carrying Hedwig''s cage towards Aunt Vernon.


    Aunt Vernon greeted him in the usual way.


    "What was that?" He growled, ring at the letterhead Harry had crumpled in his hand and hadn''t gotten around to sending to Sirius, "If that''s another form for me to sign, don''t even think about it ..."


    "It''s not a form," Harry said with a smirk, "It''s a letter I''m going to send to my godfather!"


    "Godfather?" Aunt Vernon''s spittle flew, "You don''t have any godfather!"


    "No, I do," Harry suddenly had a brilliant idea, "He''s my mom and my dad''s best friend. Oh yeah, maybe you know ... him too you should have heard the name Sirius ck, there''s information about him in the papers and on TV, he''s a convicted and wanted criminal."


    "Actually, he''s not just a prisoner on the muggle side, he''s a criminal in the magical world who has now escaped the magical prison. The Ministry of Magic can''t even do anything about him, so they have to turn to the Muggle government for help."


    "Sirius is happy to keep in touch with me and see if I''m having a good time by ... keeping tabs on me all the time!"


    Harryughed heartily at the look of fear on Aunt Vernon''s face.


    He pushed his bags towards the exit of the station, Hedwig flying lightly ahead of him, and together they went off to what looked like it was going to be a much better summer thanst year.

 Chapter 231 - 231 Voldemort is at Riddle House

    <h4>Chapter 231: Voldemort is at Riddle House</h4>


    Ennd, the vige of Little Hangerton.


    On a hill stood arge, old, dpidated house, with several of its windows boarded up, the roof tiles in a state of disrepair, and the creepers wing their way up the whole wall.


    But the vigers here knew that the house was called Riddle House, and that what had been a very beautiful mansion, and the most spacious and imposing building for miles around, was now damp, deste, and uninhabited for years.


    The vigers of Little Hangleton agreed that the old house was "strangely frightful."


    Half a century ago, a strange and terrible thing happened here, and until now, when the vige elders have nothing else to talk about, they still like to pull this incident out to talk about it---.


    Fifty years ago, when the Riddle House was still gorgeous and bright and grand, at dawn on a clear summer day, a maid walked into the parlor and found all three members of the Riddle family dead of gas.


    The vigers suspected that Frank, the Riddle family''s gardener, had killed the family because of his entricity and his easy ess to the keys to the inner courtyard.


    However, when the autopsy reportes back, Frank is cleared of any wrongdoing:


    None of the Riddle family had been harmed by poison, sharp objects, guns, or suffocated or strangled. In fact, all three members of the Riddle family appeared to be in perfect health - except for one thing: they were all dead.


    The doctors who performed the autopsies did note that everyone in the Riddle family wore a look of horror on their faces ... But who ever heard of three people dying of shock at the same time?


    Later, the Riddle family was buried in the churchyard at Little Hangerton, and Frank Blythe returned to the Riddle House, living back in his cabin in the grounds.


    Frank, the gardener, did not leave and stayed at Riddle House and chose to continue tending the garden for the next owner who bought Riddle House and then worked for the family further back ...


    Later, the estate came to thest owner.


    He didn''t live here, but still employed Frank to continue as the manor''s gardener.


    Because of theck of people, the nts in the courtyard grew rapidly, even the experienced old gardener Frank could not stop them from growing, and could only watch the once luxurious mansion be dpidated.


    One night in the summer of 1994, Frank was awakened by the pain of his bad leg.


    He got out of bed and limped downstairs into the kitchen to fill a hot water bag to warm his stiff knee. He stood at the sink, filling the kettle as he looked up toward Riddle House.


    A shimmering light seemed to be glowing in the upstairs windows.


    Frank thought the vige boys had broken into the old mansion again; the shimmering light was flickering, bright and dark, and he could tell they had a fire going.


    Frank hurriedly put the kettle down, and dragging that bad leg, returned upstairs as quickly as he could, and, taking a rusty old key from the hook by the door, and picking up his walking stick, which was leaning against the wall, he stepped out into the night.


    Even though the current owner of the mansion didn''t care much for it, he himself was employed after all, and couldn''t just sit back and watch those mischievous kids tossing around the ce, and was even more worried about them setting fire to the old mansion he''d lived in for decades.


    Frank walked to the front door of the Riddle House and found no sign of forced entry, and the windows were intact.


    So he limped around to the back of the house again, stopped at a door that was almostpletely covered by creepers, pulled out the old key, inserted it into the lock hole, and opened the door noiselessly.


    Frank leaned on his crutches and stepped into the cavernous, dark,rge kitchen.


    He hadn''t been in here in years. Still, despite the darkness all around, he remembered where the door to the hallway was. He groped his way through and the smell of decay hit his nose.


    Frank pricked up his ears, catching every sound of footsteps or speech overhead. He made his way to the hallway, which let in more or less the light spilled by the moon because of the tall windows on either side of the front door.


    He started up the stairs, thinking to himself all the while that thanks to the thickyer of dust that had umted on the stone steps, his footsteps and the sound of his cane were muffled and unnoticeable.


    At the stairnding, Frank turned to his right and immediately saw where the intruder was.


    Just at the far end of the corridor, a door was open a crack, and a flickering shimmering light cast through it, illuminating an orange glow on the dark floor.


    Frank turned sideways and cautiously approached a little closer, clutching his cane tightly in his hand. A few paces from the doorway, he could see into a narrow slit in the room.


    He saw now that the fire was built in the firece. This surprised him, for the naughty boys usually liked to light fires everywhere but in the firece.


    He stopped in his tracks and perked up his ears, only to hear the voice of a younger man speaking from the room, which was respectful inparison to the mischievous boys.


    "Master, how is your strength restored now?" He asked.


    Frank froze for a moment.


    In this day and age, did people even use "master", a title that was only used in the olden days?


    "It''s okay, not too good, but not too bad either." Another voice said.


    It was also a man - but the voice was hoarse and strange, and as cold and harsh as the cold wind. I don''t know how, but the mere sound of it made the scant hair on the back of Frank''s neck stand up.


    "Speaking of which ... I have to thank that abominable fellow Drac." The icy voice was sneering, "If it wasn''t for him pushing me to the brink, I wouldn''t have had the chance to reach that other world so quickly."


    "The master of that world told me himself that this ring on my hand is an extraordinary thing. ..."


    The conversation inside raised a rare and intense curiosity in the aged Frank, and he pressed his right ear to the door to hear it more clearly.


    There was a sound of footsteps in the room, and then the sound of water being poured into a ss. Frank caught a glimpse through the doorway of a paleplexioned youth with tantalizingly yellow hair, who was carrying two sses of water and handing them across the room.


    He was wearing a long ck cloak, and there was something indescribably insane and unhinged about his demeanor and aura; in short,pletely at odds with sober and sane normal people.


    "How is the npleted?" That cold voice asked.


    "I''m in the clear, master." The first one said confidently, "But there''s one thing I don''t quite understand, aren''t you able to recover your body and strength now? Why do you still need to ..."


    "Because that obstructive Potter has a bloodline magic inside him that his mother cast specifically against me." The second icy voice said, "I had to use Potter''s blood to restore my body in order to prevent the inability to touch him from happening again!"


    Frank furrowed his brow and pressed that still-hearing ear towards the door again, concentrating hard on listening.


    He couldn''t figure out right now what kind of issues the two men in here were discussing, nor did he know what these two men were or where they came from, and likewise why they hade to Riddle House.


    The room was silent for a few moments, then the young voice spoke again.


    "Master, may I ask how long we are to stay here?"


    "A week," the chilling voice said, "maybe longer. This ce is fairly cozy, and that n can''t be implemented yet; it wouldn''t be wise to act hastily before the Quidditch World Cup is over."


    Frank reached into his ear with a rough finger and turned it a few times.


    There must have been too much earwax built up and he heard a strange word like ''Quidditch'', which didn''t sound like a proper word at all. ...


    "Quidditch World Cup, Master?" The young voice said, "Do you want to wait for the World Cup and cause chaos in the most crowded ces?"


    "Not really, I don''t have the idea of beating the bushes for a while." The icy voice said, "I just don''t want to run into those Aurors who have increased their patrols."


    "Every time ites to a time like this, when wizards pour into this country from all over the world, all those nosy guys from the Ministry of Magic are out in force, standing guard, watching for any unusual activity, and repeatedly checking everyone''s identity."


    "They had their minds set on safety and stability, afraid that the muggles would notice something. So we had to wait a little longer, and it didn''t matter if we did it after the World Cup was over."


    Outside the door, Frank stopped pulling out his ears.


    He heard the words ''Ministry of Magic'', ''wizard'' and ''muggle'' with perfect uracy.


    Apparently, these words had mystical connotations, and as far as Frank knew, there were only two kinds of people who spoke in code: secret agents, criminals, or psychopaths.


    Frank clutched his cane tightly and listened intently.


    "Master, I think you should look for another obedient servant to take care of you," the young voice said softly, "I will be going on my mission before long, and you will need someone else to take care of you in the meantime."


    "Or else find the Death Eaters that are lurking and have them serve you?" He asked.


    "That won''t be necessary, Barty." The icy voice finally called out the name of the young voice''s owner, "Who knows what those wallflowers are really thinking? Maybe some of them even wish I were dead, and then they would bepletely unburdened ..."


    A moment of silence followed - and then the young man named Barty spoke again.


    "Those who choose to betray will get what they deserve." He said, "When I finish this mission, I will personally help you clean up the traitors!"


    "Very well, your kindness is appreciated, Barty." The icy voice said softly, "But you don''t need to think about that much right now, you just need toplete the things I''ve exined to you, and we''ll talk about the restter ..."


    "Yes, Master." Barty said.


    "By the way, when you get to Hogwarts, besides keeping an eye on Dumbledore and Drac, you can help me focus on Severus." The icy voice said softly, "Severus Snape, Professor of Potions and Dean of Slytherin ... has quite a few titles, so go and find out what kind of an idea he is for me."


    "Yes, Master." Barty nodded, "If Snape shows any signs of betrayal, I will kill him myself!"


    "..."


    Outside in the hallway, Frank suddenly realized that his hand clutching his cane was soaked with sweat. These two men didn''t seem to have any qualms about killing, and talking about it didn''t bother them one bit.


    These two were dangerous - they were definitely two ouws.


    And they were nning to kill and capture more people - the boy, the student named Harry Potter, Frank didn''t know who he was, but knew he was in danger now ...


    Frank knew what he had to do now. The police had to be called at this time, and he would have to sneak butch out of the old house and run straight to the vige phone booth ...


    But the icy voice spoke again, and immediately afterward, Frank stayed where he was, as if frozen in ce, trying desperately to concentrate on what he was hearing.


    "Slow down, Buddy, don''t make a sound ... I think I hear someone else breathing outside the door ..." the icy voice suddenly spoke, "Just in time. I''m still missing a Horcrux, and was just about to look for a guy who came to my door to get killed!"


    Upon hearing these words, Frank''s entire body froze.


    Right now he longed for nothing more than to have never gotten out of bed and gone straight back to it with a hot water bag in his arms.


    He couldn''t seem to move his legs, his heart was beating fast, and he stood stiff and shivering. He struggled to control himself, but tried and failed.


    Frank didn''t have a chance to hide anymore when footsteps came from inside, followed by the door to the room opening all at once!


    The blonde-haired, pale, maniacal-looking youth stood in the doorway, and Frank looked behind him to see a strange man with no nose and no hair looking at him with a sneer.


    The strange man even appeared physically somewhat transparent!


    Buddy beckoned Frank toe inside the house.


    Frank clutched his cane and limped across the threshold, despite the fact that his whole body was trembling terribly.


    The fire was the only source of light in the room, and it cast long, cobwebby shadows on the walls.


    "You hear everything, Muggle?" The icy voice asked.


    "What did you call me?" Frank said aloud, bracing himself. He had been a soldier before and could still muster up some courage in a crisis.


    "I called you a muggle," the voice said coldly, "which means that you''re not a wizard."


    "I don''t know what you mean by wizard." Frank said, his voice getting steadier, "All I know is that I''ve heard enough to-night to attract the attention of the police-you''re plotting to kill!"


    "And I''ll tell you what else," he said, in a sudden sh of inspiration, "my oldpanion knows I''vee up here, and if I don''t go back--"


    "You have nopanion," said the icy voice slowly, "and no one knows you are here. You haven''t told anyone you came up here. Muggles, don''t lie to Lord Voldemort, he knows everything ... everything ..."


    "What did you say?" Frank said gruffly, "My Lord, is it? Hmph, I don''t think you look like a lord so much as a monster! I''ve never seen such an ugly, strange-looking fellow as you!"


    In the next moment, that strange-looking guy suddenly raised a stick.


    "Avada Sorcery (Avada Kedavra)!"


    A blinding green light shed, and Frank Bryce copsed to the ground. He was dead before he fell to the ground.


    Meanwhile, two hundred miles away, Harry Potter woke up menacingly from his dream.

 Chapter 232 - 232 When Auntie meets the Godfather

    <h4>Chapter 232: When Auntie meets the Godfather</h4>


    Harryy stiffly on his bed, puffing and panting.


    The dream he had just had was so realistic that he couldn''t tell if it was reality or not.


    He reached out and pressed one hand firmly to his forehead, and underneath his fingers the lightning shaped scar ached hotly, as if someone had just pressed a wire that had been roasted by fire into his skin.


    Harry sat up and put on his sses while trying his best to remember what had just happened in his dream - the


    Everything was so realistic ... There was a frightening figure familiar enough to be instantly recognizable, and two unrecognizable ones, one older and one younger ... He frowned and concentrated his thoughts, desperately trying to remember... ...


    A dimly lit room ... sat in front of the firece in front of his eyes, and there sat the grim-faced, hairless, nose-less Voldemort, the face Harry had seen countless times in the midst of Dementor-induced hallucinations.


    The younger one was deferential to Voldemort, presumably a Death Eater, and he and Voldemort were discussing some n. As for the old man who appeared outside the door at the end, he was brutally murdered by Voldemort with a life-saving spell. ...


    Thinking like this, Harry walked aimlessly to the window, pulled open the curtains and looked nkly at the street below.


    It looked as though Maiden Road was perfectly in keeping with what an ordinary suburban street should look like in the early hours of a Sunday morning; there were few lights, and the curtains on both sides of the street were drawn tightly.


    The sky as a whole was still dark in color, but the distant sky was gradually turning a shade of fish-belly white, so that the street was notpletely plunged into darkness.


    Harry''s mind was suddenly flooded with uncontroble trepidation.


    He subconsciously felt that the dream he was having was something that had really happened ... If this had really happened, it would only prove that Voldemort had returned and that an innocent old man had already been killed in reality.


    Not only that, there are Death Eaters have converged with Voldemort, the two together discuss a n, and this n is likely to be developed for Harry ...


    Harry''s face involuntarily went a little white.


    He turned on his deskmp and took out a piece of parchment and a quill from his trunk, wanting to write downst night''s dream and send it to Sirius.


    Luckily, whether it was because Aunt Vernon had a clear conscience or because the name Sirius, a wanted man, really scared him, Harry had had a fairly free summer.


    His luggage items weren''t locked in a locker as in previous years, and Hedwig was allowed to fly out of her cage, which allowed him to deliver letters to his godfather and friends.


    As Harry wrote "Dear Sirius" at the top of the parchment, a long missed face suddenly appeared in the window of his room.


    "Hey, Harry! Are you writing to me?"


    Harry looked up, and at first nce, he couldn''t help but look surprised to see a beautiful head of dark hair and a pair of striking gray eyes.


    "Sirius! What are you doing here, aren''t you afraid of being seen by muggles?" Harry asked excitedly.


    Sirius grabbed the parapet by the window with one hand, grabbed the flying broom underneath him with the other, and jumped in through the outside of the window.


    "I certainly won''t be seen by those muggles, Dumbledore is just too careful if you ask me." He said, "All it took was an illusion spell that couldn''t have been simpler and I was able to avoid the sight of all the muggles."


    As he said that, he set his flying broom against the wall before smiling and hugging Harry.


    "Why, what is it that you wanted to see me about?" Sirius asked gently.


    "It''s not much ... It''s just, my scar hurts a little." Harry''s lips twitched before he whispered.


    He hadn''t felt it before when he wrote the letter, but now that he was face-to-face with Sirius about his scar hurting, he felt like a small child who had been hurt looking to his parents forfort.


    "Scars hurt?" Sirius frowned, "Is that the scar Voldemort gave you?"


    "Uh-huh." Harry nodded softly, "I also had a nightmare that Voldemort came back and he murdered an innocent muggle ..."


    Sirius'' original yful expression grew serious.


    "Harry, Dumbledore mentioned to me that there might be a hidden connection between you and Voldemort." He said, "So I don''t think this matter is that simple, we need to find Dumbledore and ask him about it."


    "Uh... don''t really need to bother Headmaster Dumbledore, do you?" Harry hesitated a little.


    "No, this matter is very important, if Voldemort doese back, we have to prepare in advance!" Sirius said seriously, "And it''s easy enough to verify, just check to see if any Muggles died strangelyst night or not."


    Just then, the door to Harry''s room was suddenly thrown open heavily.


    "Boy, what are you doing talking to yourself here in the middle of the night when you''re not sleeping? We''re still sleeping if you''re not!" Aunt Vernon, who was so big that he could barely get in the door of his room, roared, "I think I''ve just been too indulgent with you this summer and spoiled you ..."


    Aunt Vernon finally squeezed through the door of the room, and when he saw Sirius for the first time, the words he had been about to say stuck in his throat.


    "You, you''re ... Boo, ke ..." he stammered, holding his face red, "that Sirius-Boo ... ke!"


    Aunt Vernon couldn''t have been more impressed with that face; for a while, every time he flipped through the newspaper, he would see a picture of the infamous wanted man on the first few pages.


    Not only that, but he had fantasized about finding this Sirius ck himself and collecting arge bounty!


    But Vernon could never have imagined that Harry would actually have a major wanted man for a godfather, and that this godfather would evene to his house!


    He had thought that Harry had made up some nonsense and had only restrained himself a little just in case, not going as far as he had done before ...


    ''Luckily things are left to chance.'' Vernon thought darkly.


    But now there was another problem, which was that he had just been woken up by Harry''s voice, got out of bed, yelled at Harry a few times, and ended up right in the middle of Sirius''s gun ...


    Aunt Vernon felt like his little life was going to be in danger.


    "You''re my godson''s aunt?" Sirius nced at Vernon with a look of sprightly arrogance, "From what you''ve told me, you''ve been far too indulgent with my godson this summer, so what did you do originally?"


    A cold sweat instantly broke out on Vernon''s forehead.


    "No ... no, I didn''t, absolutely not!" He said shakily, "I was just joking with Harry, after all, I''m his aunt and uncle, the rtionship is close!"


    "But howe I''ve heard Harry say that ... you''ve been mean to him since he was a kid?" Sirius said coldly, "Look at the clothes on Harry, the sleeves can fit his thighs, that''s clearly what''s left of that fat pig of a son of yours to wear!"


    "Bu ... Mr. ke, I''ll go right, right away and buy Harry a ... no! Buy ten new sets of clothes, won''t let him wear Dally''s old clothes anymore!" Vernon said, patting his chest.


    "Snort, you''ll have to hurry then, I need to see Harry in brand new clothes in ten minutes." Sirius snorted.


    "Fine, fine, I''ll be right there!" Vernon nodded as he stepped backward, "You two godfathers and sons talk first ..."


    His size was too wide, and he even bumped into the door frame when he retreated to the door position.


    Aunt Vernon''s expression twitched in pain before he hurriedly left the horrible room and scurried downstairs.


    But instead of buying Harry clothes, as he had verbally promised, he picked up the phone with trembling hands and dialed the police station.


    "Dudu-"


    As Vernon waited anxiously, the call was answered.


    "Hello, this is the Little Whinging District Police Station ..."


    Before the words on the other side were finished, Vernon quickly grabbed the phone and said, "Listen, this is No. 4 Maiden Road ... on that wanted criminal, Sirius ck, he''s at my house right now, you guys hurry up ande and arrest him, I''ll stall him as long as I can!"


    "Just a moment, sir, hold your horses." The calm voice on the other end of the line came through, "I''d like to confirm that Sirius ke is indeed at his residence at 4 Maiden Road in the Little Whinging district of Surrey, is that correct?"


    "That''s right, you guys get over here quickly! Move faster, understand?" Vernon growled in an urgent whisper.


    He hung up the phone and sheepishly looked back, fortunately Sirius ck hadn''t followed him down.


    He then meatily took some cash out of his wallet, ready to buy Harry some random clothes to deal with first.


    "Ding-ring-"


    The phone suddenly rang again, startling Aunt Vernon.


    "Hello? I told you, I''m not avable right now!" He picked up the phone and yelled down angrily.


    "Sir, this is the Little Whinging District Police Department."


    "What? You guys came over so quickly?" Vernon asked in surprise.


    "No, just calm down a little bit." The voice on the phone said, "I just confirmed it, and confirmed that Sirius ck has fallen into the, and the one who is in your home right now might just be someone who looks like him."


    "How is that possible!" Vernon yelled, "I''m sure he''s Sirius ck! There can be no mistake!"


    "Sir, I understand your fear, but Sirius ck has indeed been apprehended."


    "But ..."


    Just then, a thin, handsome figure appeared behind Vernon with an arrogant smile on his face.


    "Mr. Desiree, is this what you call going clothes shopping?" Sirius said yfully.


    Vernon hung up the phone menacingly.


    "I ... I just ..." he stammered for half a second, then suddenly remembered something and spoke up, "Wait a minute, you''re not supposed to be Sirius ck, just someone who looks very much like him, right? That wanted criminal has already fallen into the ..."


    "Hm? You came to that conclusion after talking to the police for half a day?" Sirius snorted.


    "Harry, that''s the other thing I wanted to tell you. Dumbledore has helped me with the wanted posters on the Muggle side."


    He turned his head to Harry, "The Ministry of Magic got in touch with the Muggle Prime Minister, and what it says is that Sirius ck has been apprehended and returned to the world, and that I''m just a person who bears an uncanny resemnce to his face."


    A look of surprise crossed Harry''s face.


    "Really?" He eximed excitedly, "Does this mean that I can live with you from now on?"


    "That shouldn''t be a problem, wait until I ask Dumbledore again." Sirius smiled gently.


    Aunt Vernon was getting rmed as he listened to the conversation between the two.


    ording to what the two of them were saying, that meant that the man standing in front of them, who imed to be Harry''s godfather, was really Sirius ck!


    The so-called "Ministry of Magic" had removed his charges, causing the Muggle Police Department to think that the man who was now at 4 Chastity Road was only a man who looked extremely simr to the wanted man!


    "Are you ... you really Sirius ck?" Aunt Vernon asked shakily.


    "Yes. Do I need to prove something to you?" Sirius took out his wand and conjured up a knife in his other hand, "Or do ... you want to try the viciousness of a murderer for yourself?"


    His expression became eerie and insane, as if he had just escaped from Azkaban.


    Aunt Vernon sat down on his butt in fear, every fat piece of his body trembling.


    "Please ... don''t kill me, don''t, I''ll be good to Harry from now on ..."


    His pleas for mercy finally woke up Aunt Peggy and Dally Dursley as well.


    They both came out of their rooms and their eyes widened in shock when they saw Aunt Vernon''s actions.


    "Vernon, what are you doing?!" Aunt Peggy reprimanded sternly, "Is that the kind of example you set in front of your son!"


    Vernon, on the verge of tears with anxiety, barely raised his hand and gave Peggy a sign of the morose figure standing in front of him.


    Peggy inexplicably looked in that direction, and immediately afterward, she let out a deafening scream.


    "Little ... Sirius ck!"


    At the same time, Dali screamed in horror along with her own mother.


    Watching the family''s ugliness, Sirius shed a smirk in his eyes and gave Harry a wink.


    Harry smiled knowingly.


    "Sirius, they are my rtives too after all, so you might as well not kill them." He said.


    In truth, Harry wasn''t acting well at all, and couldn''t hide the smirk in his eyes.


    But the Dursleys didn''t even bother to notice these details, they were just immersed in the horror of facing a wanted criminal.


    "Thank ... you, Harry, I swear we''ll treat you right from now on." Vernon hastily raised his hand and pointed to the sky, promising with conviction.


    Aunt Peggy nodded her head repeatedly as well.


    "Okay, for the sake of my godson, I''ll spare your lives today." Sirius also withdrew the morose look on his face, "I''lle over to visit my godson anytime in the future, so I hope you''ll keep your promise properly!"

 Chapter 233 - 233 Quidditch World Cup

    <h4>Chapter 233: Quidditch World Cup</h4>


    After leaving Desiree''s house, Sirius took Harry along on his flying broom to a suburban vi.


    "You bought a house in the Little Whinging District?!"


    Seeing such a big luxurious detached house in front of him, Harry looked at Sirius beside him in surprise.


    "Yeah, I was going to buy a house on Maiden Road, but I couldn''t find any tenants willing to sell." Sirius said casually as he jumped off his flying broom.


    "Come to think of it it''s actually kind of nice to be wanted, at least I''ll be able to use the confusion spell on those muggles without any mental barriers, that''ll be a lot easier."


    He rummaged through his pockets, then shrugged, "Can''t find the key, never mind ..."


    "Alohomora (Aloha Cave Open)."


    Harry watched Sirius''s movements dumbfounded and lowered his voice to ask, "Sirius ... Tell me the truth, did you really buy this cottage yourself?"


    "What are you thinking?" Sirius lost his smile, "I was just released from the warrant, so I''m not that thoughtful yet. What''s more, I don''t evenck this much money!"


    Saying that, he turned his head towards the inside of the house and shouted, "Kreacher, is this house packed up yet?"


    A house elf with a bald head and a mean-looking face walked out of the house.


    "It''s already packed, Young Master Sirius." Kreacher replied, and then muttered in a small voice, "Defeated young master Sirius, he has only just returned for a short while and he has to use the family property that young master Regulus has managed to recover with great difficulty ..."


    "Not only did he buy an expensive but useless broken broom for an outsider, he also bought an old muggle house at a premium, sooner orter the Breck family fortune will be lost to him ..."


    Though Kreacher was mumbling in a low voice, he was mumbling just loud enough to maintain a level that both Sirius and Harry could hear.


    Harry''s expression stiffened a little and he gave Sirius an awkward look, contemting whether or not to give Sirius back his fire crossbow arrows ... But he really liked that broom and was a little reluctant to part with it.


    And Sirius'' face darkened for a moment.


    "Kreacher, I''m the ultimate heir to all of the ke family fortune!" He said to Kreacher with a stern face, "Is there anything wrong with me spending my own money on something for my godson?"


    "Yes there is nothing wrong with it." Kreacher nced at Sirius, then both muttered, "Just because of that I am worried that sooner orter, the Breck family fortune will be lost to this indifferent mentality of young master Sirius."


    "Uh ... Sirius, I''m not sure about your family''s situation, or else I''d better return the fire crossbow arrows, right?" Harry asked in a small voice.


    "Just ignore him, this house elf is just against me all day!" Sirius felt a bit disgraced and gritted his teeth as he shooed Kreacher out, "Leave as soon as you''re done cleaning up and go find your Master Regulus!"


    After Kreacher''s Phantom Shift departure, it wasn''t until the two of them, Harry and Sirius, were inside the living room together that Harry was still struggling with whether or not to persuade Sirius to return the house and broom.


    "Sirius, I don''t actually have to use the fire crossbow arrows, I can get the Quidditch Cup with the Sweeper as well ...," Harry said to Sirius with determination as he finally came to a decision.


    "You really don''t have to care what Kreacher is talking about ..." Sirius gave Harry a somewhat helpless look, "I''m really not short of money, it''s just that that house elf grew up with my mother, just as she was. never saw me as a traitor to the Breck family."


    "You know Harry, I was the only Gryffindor in the Breck family and that was tantamount to betrayal in their eyes. If I hadn''t ended up being the only heir left in our family, howe those family estates wouldn''t have passed into my hands ..."


    "But didn''t that house elf just say ... that you have a brother?" Harry queried.


    Sirius fell silent.


    "It''s a bitplicated, in short, it''s just that everyone thinks Regulus is dead ... or that he really is dead." He said softly, "With Drac''s help, he came back to life, but the family fortune has been passed on to me."


    "Back from the dead?!" Harry''s mouth dropped open in shock.


    "Not quite back from the dead, but not too far off." Sirius'' haughty eyes also had a vaguely convincing look mixed in, "I have to say, that Professor Drac of yours really is a very powerful man."


    Harry nodded heartily.


    Professor Drac, despite his unreliable appearance of looking around for fun, loafing around and doing nothing all day long, many of his unintentional gestures were a great shock to the students.


    "Okay, enough with theplicated stuff." Sirius shook his head and brought up the subject, "Instead of discussing those things, let''s think about who will win the Quidditch World Cup this year."


    "Arthur and I have already talked about it, and the two of us will go to the Weasleys'' house together when the timees, and travel with them to the Quidditch World Cup final."


    Harry, being a Quidditch fan, did immediately divert his attention.


    "That would be awesome!" He jumped up expectantly, "I''ve been thinking about it all summer, Ron told me ages ago that Mr. Weasley could get tickets to the site from the Ministry of Magic."


    "Yeah, or the top box!" Sirius looked but a little regretful, "I was going to get you some tickets myself, looks like I won''t have to ..."


    "Good thing too, saves Kreacher fromining about you spending money." Harryughed.


    "Forget it, he''ll find a way to troll me anyway." Sirius shrugged.


    "By the way," he asked with a sudden twinkle in his eye, "does that Professor Drac of yours like Quidditch? He''s done me and my brother a lot of favors, I think I should get him some gifts."


    "Erm ... probably not a big fan?" Harry thought hard for a moment and then shook his head, "It seems like Professor Drac doesn''t go to the Quidditch pitch every time he''s there to watch the game, he just wants to watch the fun that''s made during our games."


    "Is that so ..." Sirius was deep in thought.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Drac, who was being read to by Sirius and Harry, was in the White Flying Dragon pub in Tumble Alley, sitting in the most luxurious of the exclusive cubicles, sipping his drink leisurely.


    Across from Drac sat a pale, tantalizingly blonde-haired man with an extraordinarily anxious expression.


    "Professor Drac, I''mpletely on your side, you must help me!" Lucius'' body moved around, fidgeting as if there were thorns sticking out of the soft, luxurious cushions in the cubicle.


    "Don''t fidget here, I''m looking distracted." Drac raised his eyes and red at him for a moment, turning to continue savoring the wine in the goblet he held.


    Lucius did quieten down, not daring to fidget, but his breathing still seemed a little rapid.


    Only after he had leisurely finished tasting the liquor in his ss did Drac then gently set his goblet down on the table and looked squarely at Lucius.


    "Tell me, Lucius, what is the reason for this rush to get me over here?" Drac asked absently.


    Lucius didn''t say much, but as soon as he did, he pulled open the sleeve of his left arm, revealing a red skull marking, and arge boa constrictor emerging from the skull''s mouth as if it had a tongue sticking out.


    "Professor Drac, the ck magic mark has be clear again in recent times." He said uneasily, "I thought it was an illusion when I first noticed it a few days ago, but just in the past two days, the mark has even shown signs of heat ..."


    "You should know what this means!"


    Drac''s expression became slightly more solemn as he looked towards the mark that had caused countless storms in the magic world and brought about endless fear.


    "As I recall, didn''t Voldemort voluntarily burn his soul thest time he was in the bunker you Death Eaters built for him?" He asked softly.


    "It was, and I had thought that was the end of the Dark Lord''s time." Lucius'' lips trembled and a few drops of cold sweat dripped down his forehead, "And it was true for a while at the very beginning, the Dark Mark almost disappeared into thin air ..."


    "But every day since the beginning of this summer, the markings have be a few points clearer. By today, it''s not much worse than it was during the war!"


    Looking at Lucius'' cold sweaty head, and looking at the iparably clear ck magic mark on his left arm, Drac''s eyes also shed with a touch of gravity.


    Voldemort had already burned his soul voluntarily, and even though there was a soul weapon present that could retain a residual soul that was even worse than a wandering soul, his power was indeed weakened to the limit.


    By now, less than two years had passed since Voldemort''s spontaneousbustion, so theoretically it was still far from the time when he would be able to revive.


    If it had been a few months ago, Drac might still have felt puzzled.


    But nowadays, he was able to determine one thing with great certainty: Voldemort had truly borrowed the power of that so-called God of Death!


    "So you''vee to me now because you already have something in mind?" Drac asked.


    "Yes, I do have an idea ... but but need to ask your opinion." Lucius said in a rushed voice.


    "Tell me." Drac said.


    "Ahem ..." Lucius dryly coughed twice and carefully said, "Professor Drac, in fact, you know ... that the Dark Lord is now treating me. Even to us Death Eaters who are not imprisoned in Azkaban are not very trusting."


    "That''s natural, it would be strange for him to trust you guys." Drac snorted, "Voldemort''s a bit of a fool, but he''s not exactly a fool either."


    Lucius didn''t dare say anything more to Drac''sment about Voldemort, so he could only lower his head as if he hadn''t heard it and proceeded to exin his thoughts backwards.


    "Yes, it is true that we are not trustworthy, so we must make moves that will gain trust." He said, "We all know that the most nagging thing about the Dark Lord is that after he lost his power, we Death Eaters who had preserved our freedom didn''t do anything to look for him ..."


    "So, while the Dark Lord hasn''t summoned us with the Dark Mark yet, we can make some appearances ahead of time to show that the Death Eaters are still active, that we haven''t forgotten him, and that we haven''t stopped looking for him."


    Lucius looked at Drac a little sheepishly after he had finished speaking, afraid that he would think he was taking advantage of the situation to do something small.


    "You think that''s all it took to regain Voldemort''s trust?" Drac didn''t count on Lucius being up to no good, he just thought his n was rather self-defeating and nced at him with nted eyes.


    "Of course not, but at least we''ll be able to have something to talk about when we face the Dark Lord." Lucius said, "He must be in a hurry right now, and won''t make a move against us without a good reason."


    "That''s an interesting argument." Drac thought about it briefly, then quirked a corner of his mouth, "Are you sure you can convince the other Death Eaters to join you?"


    "Their thoughts should be simr to mine." Lucius said, "All that''s missing now is someone to take the lead, and I think I can get the position, and then I''ll have a bit more confidence in front of the Dark Lord."


    "Looks like you''ve already thought about it." Dracughed softly, picking up the sk and refilling himself with a ss of wine, "And exactly how?"


    "I want to start a riot in the name of the Death Eaters at the uing Quidditch World Cup." Lucius took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.


    "If things get out of control by then, Professor Drac, I want you to help me control the scene!"


    ...


    Obviously, the Weasleys and Harry and Sirius were unaware of the uing ''nned'' disturbance.


    On the day of the Quidditch World Cup final, they woke up early and made their way through the door keys to the campgrounds around the Quidditch pitch.


    There were hundreds of oddly shaped tents, and they were set up on the gentle slope of arge expanse of ground that stretched out into the dark woods above the horizon.


    There were so many wizardsing to watch the Quidditch World Cup finals that the Ministry had had to "manage the door keynding in batches" to prevent teams with different door keys from crashing into each other and creating major traffic idents.


    The Weasleys had been unlucky enough to be assigned the 5:07 a.m. door keynding time, so they would have to wait at the campsite for a few hours until the Quidditch match officially started.


    Of course, there were more people who were even earlier than the Weasleys, and some of them had already been at the campsite all night.


    Mr. Weasley had proudly exined to the young wizards about this year''s Quidditch World Cup, telling them that the stadium could hold up to 100,000 spectators.


    The price, of course, was that the five hundred staff members of the Ministry of Magic had been busy all year with this!


    "Fudge has received so manyints about how badly he handled things regarding Sirius and Buckbeak, plus he''s so desperate to get rid of his early image as a Dumbledore Answering Machine that he''s been trying to make a big ssh for a long time."


    Mr. Weasley said this.


    He then looked mysteriously at several young wizards who were still in school, "Not only this matter, but there is another event that is equally significant and closely rted to you!"

 Chapter 234 - 234 People who like to bet more than the twins

    <h4>Chapter 234: People who like to bet more than the twins</h4>


    "Papa, don''t sell us short, what is it that concerns us so much!" George asked with an anxious nature.


    "George, you''re naive!" Compared to his twin brother, Fred was a bit listless, "What else could be the things that are closely rted to us students who are in school? It must be something like exams, homework, assignments and the like ..."


    "If I say so, maybe the Ministry of Magic cane up with some new regtions for exams or something like that, and it will be even harder to pass the ordinary wizard level exams in the future. Not to mention the advanced wizard rank exam."


    "You actually have the guts to mention exams?" Hearing Fred''sint, Mrs. Weasley red viciously at him and George, "I haven''t even said anything about the two of you yet, why don''t you tell me how many O.W.L.s you''ve passed in total? The two of youbined don''t have as many certificates as Percy alone!"


    "Yes, Percy, the Ministry of Magic''s outstanding intern-" George said in a long drawn out ent, "we saw it a long time ago, he can bend his back into a shrimp when he meets any of the Ministry''s junior officials! "


    "That''s right, Percy''s the best at that sort of thing, and if he ran into a senior Ministry of Magic official of that rank, maybe Percy could wipe the floor with his own nose!" Fred said yfully.


    "Shut up, Fred, George!" Percy''s face was red with anger.


    "You have no right tough at Percy!" It was obvious that Mrs. Weasley was looking towards Percy, who had taken twelve certificates, "Percy at least has very long term ambitions, don''t you?"


    "You used to spend all your time thinking about tossing around your mischievous contraptions, and then you tell me you want to open a joke store in the future? I think you guys are just trying to piss me off!"


    "Mom, you''re being professionally discriminatory! Every profession has a reason to exist." Fred shouted, "Didn''t Quidditch start out as something wizards used as a pastime, and now it''s a decent profession!"


    "Yeah, mom, you and dad were trying to get Charlie to be a professional Quidditch yer back then!" George chimed in and protested, "So how is a joke product that also serves as a pastime not a decent profession?"


    Mrs. Weasley froze.


    She nced at the mountain of tents in the room, all of which were spectators who hade to see the Quidditch World Cup duel, and was surprised for a moment that she couldn''t find the words to retort.


    Just then, Mr. Weasley suddenly jumped up, grinning and waving at a man striding over to him.


    "Here, I''d like to introduce you to one of the most important people in this Quidditch World Cup final." He introduced Harry and a few other kids, "Ludo Bagman! He''s the Head of the Department of Sport and Physical Education."


    Ludo smiled back and waved as he made his way over to Mr. Weasley.


    He was wearing a long Quidditch robe with a wide yellow and ck crosswalk, and a giant wasp sshed in ink across his chest - the


    It was the uniform of the Wimbledon Wasps, and Bagman was an extremely popr batsman on the Wimbledon Wasps team in the 1980s.


    It looked as if he had originally been fit and strong, but now it was starting to go downhill. The robes were stretched tightly over his big belly, and the bridge of his nose was ttened, presumably broken by a wandering ball.


    But despite being a little out of shape, his round, blue eyes, short blonde hair, and flushed face still made him look a lot like an overlyrge sports boy.


    "Aha!" Bagman shouted happily. He walked with a bounce as if he had cartridge yellows in the soles of his feet, and was evidently in a state of extreme excitement.


    "Arthur, old fellow," he panted, as he came to the tent where the Wesleys were, "what fine weather, isn''t it? The weather is marvelous! Where can you find weather like this! There are certainly no clouds at night ... The whole preparation is well organized ... I have nothing to do!"


    Behind him, a group of gaunt-faced Ministry of Magic members scurried past, and in the distance there were signs of someone ying with magical fire, purple sparks leaping up over twenty feet high. They were going to stop them, to prevent magic from being exposed in front of the muggles.


    "Good morning, Director Bagman!" Percy hastily stepped forward and bowed deeply.


    He bowed so eagerly that the sses on his face fell to the floor with the inertia.


    Immediately there was loudughter from Fred and George beside him.


    "What did I say, what did I say!" Fred coaxed excitedly, "Percy he can actually wipe the floor with his own nose!"


    Percy awkwardly retrieved his sses, which had fallen to the floor, his face as red as red-hot charcoal in a campfire in front of the tent.


    "Ah, yes," Mr. Weasleyughed and introduced Bagman again.


    "This is my son Percy. Just got a job at the Ministry of Magic; this is Fred ... No, that''s George, sorry, that''s Fred; this is my son Ron, and my daughter Ginny; and these are Ron''s friends, Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."


    "Oh yes, and Sirius ck, who is Harry''s godfather."


    At the sound of Harry''s name, Bagman showed slight surprise, his eyes immediately sweeping to the scar on Harry''s forehead.


    Harry was so used to this kind of behavior from others that his expression didn''t even change.


    And when Mr. Weasley pronounced Sirius'' name, Bagman was clearly startled and subconsciously tried to step back.


    It wasn''t until he saw that Sirius wasn''t as brutal and insane as he was on the wanted list that he let out a quiet sigh of relief.


    "You guys can thank Ludo for that," Mr. Weasley continued, "We got such great tickets thanks to him-"


    "Ah, hello, everybody!" Bagman was all smiles and waved his hand, "It''s nothing; Arthur and I are old buddies."


    "Want to ce a bet on the race, Arthur?" He then asked eagerly.


    Bagman jingled the pockets of his yellow and ck robes, which appeared to contain quite a few gold coins, "I''ve persuaded Roddy Pontene to bet me that Bulgaria will score the first goal - I''ve set him high odds, considering that Irnd''s number three striker is the best I''ve seen over the years The best ... little Agatha Timms has put half the stock in her Eel Farm on the line, betting that the game wouldst a week."


    "Oh ... well, then," said Mr. Weasley, after a moment''s hesitation, "let me think ... I''ll put up a galleon on Irnd to win, won''t I ?"


    "One galleon?" Ludo Bagman looked a little disappointed, but quickly recovered his interest, "Very well, very well ... Is there anyone else who would like to bet?"


    "They''re too young to gamble." Mr. Weasley held back the exuberant Fred and George, "Molly wouldn''t want to ..."


    However how could Fred and George, the two self-proimed gambling kings of Hogwarts, be willing to just give up on this great opportunity, they took out arge handful of gold Galleons.


    Ron watched in awe from the side, he never knew that his two brothers were so rich.


    "Wait, where did you guys get so much money?" Mr. Weasley froze for a moment as well.


    "That''s thanks to those con-emotional Slytherin bosses!" Fred said with a grin.


    "And Professor Drac kindly sponsored some of it." George added.


    "Well, no matter how you saved it, but listen to me ..." Mr. Weasley said in a lowered voice, "I don''t want you to gamble. This is all your savings you ... have."


    Before he could finish, Mrs. Weasley shouted a reprimand.


    "How dare you two still gamble at Hogwarts?!" She took out all the fire that she had just been dumbfounded by the twins, "I can finally realize why you guys didn''t do well in the exams, so it''s because you''ve been doing this kind of thing all day long!"


    "Eh, it''s a happy day don''t be a spoilsport Arthur, Molly!" Bagman said gruffly, jingling his pockets excitedly as he did so, "They''re old enough to know what they want!"


    "Well, since Ludo interceded for them ...," Mrs. Weasley hesitated for a moment, then red viciously at the twins, "Just this once, and never again!"


    It was mainly because of the fact that this Director of Sports and Physical Education was now in high spirits, and for the sake of Percy''s poprity in the Ministry of Magic, Mrs. Weasleypromised once.


    "Got it, Mom!"


    Fred and George jumped up and down gleefully and voiced their choices to Bagman.


    "You think Irnd will win, but Crumb can catch the Golden Flyers? No way, boys, that''s impossible ... I''ll give you good odds ... plus the five Galleons for that funny wand, okay, so are we ... "


    Ludo Bagman drew out his notebook and quill quickly, scribbling down his twin''s name as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley looked on with some concern.


    "It''s done." George took the small strip of parchment Bagman handed him and tucked it into the front of his robe.


    Bagman, who had pulled in another big order, was in a good mood and turned to Mr. Weasley again with a raised eyebrow.


    "Arthur, would you do me a favor?" He asked, "I''ve been looking for Buddy Crouch. The official in Bulgaria who I''ve been corresponding with is makingments to spite us, but I can''t understand a word he''s saying. Buddy will solve that problem; he speaks about a hundred and fiftynguages yet."


    "Mr. Crouch?" Percy said suddenly, frozen by the twins'' scorn a moment ago, and suddenly finding a way to insert himself into the conversation at the moment, "He can speak two hundrednguages! Mermaid''s, turkey''s, and troll ..."


    "Anyone can speak thenguage of the troll," said Fred, unimpressed; "you just point at it and make a purring noise."


    Percy gave Fred an evil look and proceeded to discuss with Bagman where Barty Crouch, the Director of the Division of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation, might be.


    Just then, a silver-haired figure appeared beside the Weasleys at an unknown time, looking thoughtfully at Bagman, who was talking to Percy at a high level.


    "Huh, Professor Drac, when did you get here?" Harry was the first to notice that there was an extra figure here and asked in surprise after seeing who it was, "I thought you didn''t like Quidditch matches!"


    "I really don''t have much interest in the game itself." Drac nodded, "But there''s likely to be a great deal of fun to be had around this World Cup venue before long."


    Drac quirked his mouth pleasantly and turned to Fred and George.


    "Are you guys really going to bet against him?" He asked to the twins, "Aren''t you afraid of losing when you''re betting your entire fortune?"


    "No fear, we have a hunch!" Fred said confidently.


    "It''s not all hunches, we still have the facts." George was obviously full of confidence as well, "In this match, in terms of the overall strength of the team, Irnd is obviously stronger than Bulgaria by more than one level."


    "But who let Bulgaria have Crum, he''s the best ball finder we''ve ever seen!"


    "Don''t worry, Professor Drac, the two of us have made so many bets and we haven''t really lost a few!"


    Fred and George both smiled yfully and nced at each other, both of them looking like they had it all figured out.


    "Like this?" Drac thought for a moment, and took out arge sack of gold galleons from his pocket and threw it in front of Bagman.


    "Mr. Bagman, ce a bet on me as well." Heughed softly, "Just the same as Fred and George and the two of them pressed."


    Bagman, who was originally bragging with Percy, turned his head, and when he saw thisrge sack of gold galoshes, his mouth unconsciously opened, sorge that he could stuff a ghostly flying ball into it.


    Then, uncontroble ecstasy appeared on Bagman''s face.


    "Ah, no problem, of course! Professor Drac right, don''t worry, I''ll definitely give you guys a very high multiplier, you guys wait to make a lot of money!"


    Of course, while Bagman was saying that Drac and the twins would make a lot of money, what he was thinking in his heart was that he had made a lot of money this time.


    Since he had gotten enough gold Galleons, Bagman was toozy to chat and brag with Percy here anymore, and even his interest in the Quidditch match had waned a lot.


    All he wanted to do now was to take these gold Galleons back and hide them.


    After Bagman left, Fred and George leapt to Drac''s side.


    "Professor Drac, do you also think that the two of us guessed correctly?" George asked with an expectant look on his face.


    "That''s not true, I just want to see what this Director of Physical Education and Sports will do." Dracughed lightly and shook his head, "Seriously, even if you guys do guess correctly, you two won''t necessarily get the money you won."


    "Huh? Why is that?" Fred''s eyes widened in shock, "The Director of the Sports Division wouldn''t be a scoundrel, would he?"


    "That''s not really true." Drac snorted, "I just noticed that he wasn''t acting too unusually, so I took a look at him with my regal fetching thoughts ..."


    "You guys probably won''t believe this, but this Bagman Director has a lot of gambling debts and is waiting for this Quidditch World Cup final to roll over and pay them off!"

 Chapter 235 - 235 Final site and final results

    <h4>Chapter 235: Final site and final results</h4>


    "How did this happen?!"


    Fred and George were as anxious as hotcakes, circling around Drac.


    "What can we do, that''s our start-up money for the joke store!" Fred muttered.


    "I kinda liked this Wimborne Hos yer before." George said in frustration, "Darn it, how does someone like that get to be Head of the Sports Division?"


    Mrs. Weasley sighed, then scowled again and gave the twins a stern look.


    "Consider this a lesson for you," she eximed in reprimand, "If you can learn from this and never bet against anyone again, then these galleons will not have been spent in vain!"


    Fred and George, however, of course, could not spare those golden galleons, and in their anxiety they had a sudden sh of inspiration, and turned to face Drac.


    "Professor, you likewise pressed a sack of gold Galleons, you can''t just give it all away to that gambler Bagman, can you?" George said with an indignant face, "No matter whether you care about the money or not, but if you win the bet and he doesn''t give you any money, then he obviously doesn''t have you in his sights!"


    "Yeah, Professor." Fred chimed in, "We know you''re rich, but you can''t spend money like that right?"


    Drac gave them a somewhat amused look and ticked the corners of his mouth.


    "Yeah, I''ve pressed a lot of gold Galleons into it." He had a smile on his face, but his voice grew cold, "Even if Bagman can dodge anyone''s debt, he would never dare to renege on mine as well."


    The reason why Drac had ced a bet to get involved was that he was actually nning to help Fred and George out. After all, these two living treasures were his own students, what was it like to be bullied by others?


    If they lost the bet, it would be fine, but if they really won the bet, Drac, who had pressed arge amount of Golden Galleons, definitely had every reason to go to Bagman to collect the debt, and by the way, it would be normal to help Fred and George get the money over as well.


    Let the twins save up some money, Drac was looking forward to the release of their joke store!


    ...


    As the hours passed, an emotion called excitement spread over the camp like a palpable cloud. At dawn, even the still summer air seemed to tremble with anticipation.


    Thest traces of concealment and camouge disappeared as day drew back like a curtain and the sun shone from the distant horizon on the thousands of eagerly awaiting wizards - the


    The crowd was wild with excitement at the news of the impending start of the tournament, and continued to celebrate using all manner of magic.


    The Ministry of Magic, thoroughly out of control, could only sumb to the inevitable tendency to stop working against the people and listen to the signs of obvious magic use popping up everywhere.


    Every few steps, phantom manifestation vendors descended from the sky, carrying trays and pushing carts filled with strange and bizarre contraptions:


    There were glowing rose-shaped badges, green for Irnd and red for Bulgaria, which shouted out the names of the yers; green tall hats decorated with clovers that danced in the wind; Bulgarian sashes with lions roaring from time to time; gs of the two countries, which yed the anthems of their respective countries when they were waved; and collectible statues of the famous yers, the figurines of which could be carried in the palm of the wizard''s hand. could walk around in the palm of a wizard''s hand with a smug air ...


    Ron had saved up his pocket money all summer for these souvenirs, with a small statue of a Bulgarian star finder, Viktor Krum, being the most expensive, and he was quite fond of it.


    But when heter discovered the more practical panoramic telescope, he immediately regretted buying so many useless objects.


    Sirius could see that the Weasleys were strapped for cash, so he waved his hand, ying up his usual advantage of being rich and generous, and directly underwrote all of the young wizards'' purchases for the day.


    Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were still a little overjoyed, but were pushed back by Sirius on the grounds that he was repaying them for the top floor tickets they had bought.


    And so, when the gym officially opened for admission, every Weasley junior had a panoramic telescope in their hands.


    Fred and George were the most excited, holding these telescopes with their marvelous and intricate features as if they wanted to secretly take them apart and study their construction.


    "Professor Drac, which side of the room are you seated on?" Mr. Weasley asked to Drac, "We can go all the way in if it''s not too far away."


    "Oh, I don''t have a ticket." Drac said with a calm face.


    "What?" Mr. Weasley froze in ce, "Uh, well, wait a minute, I''ll call Ludo right away, he should still have some reserved spots in his hand."


    "No need, I didn''te here to watch the game in the first ce." Dracughed lightly and shook his head, "Not to mention, no one can stop me when I want to go in. You guys watch-"


    Saying that, as if to verify his im, he suddenly disappeared in ce.


    "Huh, where''s Professor Drac?" Mr. Weasley lost sight of Drac without reacting at all, and had to turn his head to ask his wife and children around him, "Did any of you see Professor Drac? He wouldn''t just leave without saying a word, would he?"


    The young people of the Weasley family looked around but could not find Drac''s figure, and could only look at each other and shake their heads.


    Just then, Fred suddenly shouted:


    "Look guys, is that Professor Drac?"


    The crowd turned their gazes to Fred and realized that he was holding his panoramic binocrs up in front of his eyes, looking in the direction of the stadium.


    "Oh my God, it really is Professor Drac!" George eximed as he too raised his own panoramic binocrs, "And he''s waving at us!"


    Harry and the others hurriedly picked up their respective panoramic binocrs and looked in the direction Fred and George were looking away from.


    They saw that a silver-haired figure was sittingfortably inside the tallest goal on the Quidditch pitch, leaning against the edge of the circr frame, one foot on the other side of the frame and the other hangingzily down.


    The panoramic binocrs were able to see that Drac was smiling softly and waving in their direction, as if he could still see their movements from so far away.


    Crowd: "..."


    "What''s Professor Drac doing ...," Mr. Weasley asked nkly.


    "I guess Professor Drac has been wanting to go up and sit down for a while, and our conversation just now was just an excuse for him to do so ..." Ron had a look on his face that he didn''t see anythinging, "Dad, you don''t understand Professor Drac, and when you doter you''ll realize it''s not surprising what he does."


    Harry nodded approvingly next to him.


    "This professor of yours is really ... different." Mr. Weasley thought for half a day before finallying up with a more subtle adjective.


    A gust of wind blew by, and before anyone could react, Drac''s trademark long silver hair was once again flowing around them.


    "What are you guys saying about me?" Dracughed softly.


    "Ah, how!" Mr. Weasley was startled and hurriedly denied in a slip of the tongue, "It''s their good fortune to have a professor as different as you, who can definitely lead the children to a brand new path that is different from the original education system!"


    "Professor Drac, how does it feel to be on top of the goal at the Quidditch World Cup Stadium?" Fred asked gleefully, "If I wasn''t sure I''d be stopped by security, I''d be tempted to go up there and give it a try."


    "It''s okay, the view is nice, and the texture of the goal is a bit softer than expected, it should be wrapped in sponge, it''s quitefortable to sit on." Drac thought for a moment and thenmented.


    "But the disadvantage is that it''s a bit windy up there, plus the goal is still a bit narrow in the end, and it''s easy for your feet to slip off when you put them on it, so it''s better to forget about staying up there for a long time."


    "It''s still you, Professor." George gave an admiring thumbs up.


    Of course, the Wesleys apparently didn''t realize that Drac had another purpose.


    His presence on the highest goal was to give a signal to the eagerly awaiting Lucius Malfoy that Lucius was present and could act without fear.


    Because Lucius, as a Death Eater, was explicitly in a hostile rtionship with Drac, direct contact with him in public would ultimately put Lucius at risk of being exposed - in fact, Drac didn''t care about this at all, it was the timid Lucius who brought it up.


    After the little interlude, Mr. Weasley led the way, and everyone, clutching their purchases in their hands, walked briskly down the crowded passage into the woods.


    Along the way, hundreds of people could be heard crowding around and walking around, shouts,ughter, and intermittent singing could be heard. The wild excitement was contagious, and the Weasleys could not helpughing.


    They walked through the woods for twenty minutes,ughing and joking loudly all the while, and finally came out on the other side of the woods. By this time, they were within the shadow of the huge stadium.


    Standing at this angle, they could only see part of the magnificent golden wall surrounding the ying field, and the tall Quidditch goal stand inside was blocked.


    But it was clear that it wouldn''t be a problem to fit ten cathedrals inside.


    "This ce can hold a hundred thousand spectators." Mr. Weasley introduced, seeing the stunned expressions on the faces of the young wizards, "Five hundred staff members from the Ministry of Magic have been working on this for a whole year. Every inch of this ce is under a muggle banishing spell ..."


    "Oh, and in case you haven''t learned the Muggle Banishing Spell, it''s the one that whenever a Muggle approaches this ce, they suddenly remember the 100,000 things they need to do and hurry away ... May Merlin bless them."


    Mr. Weasley said cheerfully as he led the way towards the nearest entrance, which was already crowded with many shouting wizards.


    It was only when they reached the entrance that they realized Drac had once again disappeared into thin air and had no idea where he had gone.


    "First ss ticket." The witch from the Ministry of Magic at the entrance looked at their tickets and said, "Top floor box! Go all the way upstairs, Arthur, to the very top."


    The stairs leading up to the gymnasium were carpeted in fuchsia. The Weasleys picked their way up the stairs with the crowd, and slowly those streams of people made their way into the left and right bleachers.


    The top tier boxes were positioned at the highest point of the stadium and were directly in front of the gold goal posts, the same rack Drac had just sat on. There were about twenty purple and gold-ted sitting chairs here, divided into two rows.


    The Weasleys were seated in the front row, and shortly afterward, Fudge, the Minister of Magic, arrived on the scene.


    When Fudge saw Sirius, who was with the Weasleys, and Harry in the middle of them, he instantly furrowed his brow and his face became grim.


    But Sirius looked unconcerned and sat in his seat with his legs crossed, not caring at all about Fudge''s behavior.


    With the fall of Bagman''s voice, amplified with a sound amplification spell, the Quidditch World Cup final officially began.


    Even Harry, who was a talented ball chaser at Hogwarts, had never seen such an exciting Quidditch match. He pressed the panoramic binocrs so tightly against his sses that they were almost sunk into the bridge of his nose.


    The speed of the yers on both teams was unbelievable - the


    The ball chasers kept passing ghostly fly balls to other yers so fast that Bagman, thementator, only had time to announce their names, not even to exin the situation on the field and the tactics used by each of the two teams.


    Harry, who was very good at Quidditch, had read all sorts of Quidditch rted books and had experienced many real life battles, could easily tell that although both teams were very strong, the Irish ball chasers were superb.


    They worked together seamlessly and moved in perfect coordination, as if they could read each other''s minds.


    Sure enough, within minutes, Irnd scored the first goal.


    In the next few minutes, the Irish team, with their tacit cooperation and toughness, almost suppressed the Bulgarian team, and the score kept widening. When the Irish team got more than a hundred points, Bulgaria just scored a goal.


    But the point that cannot be overlooked is that Krum, who was the Bulgarian ball finder, was too good.


    With a Lansky fake he made a flying dive, fooled Irnd''s ball finder Linzi, managed to injure his opponent, and caught the Golden Flyers on his second dive to end the normal game.


    However -


    The gap between the two teams'' ball-chasers was ultimately too great, and the final score was set at 160:170.


    Bulgaria: 160; Irnd: 170.


    "Irnd have won!" Bagman eximed, who also seemed a little bewildered by the sudden end of the match, "Krum caught the Golden Flyers ... But Irnd won. Gosh, I don''t think anyone expected it to end like this!"


    Meanwhile, Fred and George were about to burst with joy.


    The two of them had actually guessed the ending of the game correctly!


    And both of the twins were sure that with Professor Drac''s help, Ludo Bagman wouldn''t dare to renege.


    The two of them really had the start-up money for their joke store!

 Chapter 236 - 236 Mark of the Black Devil

    <h4>Chapter 236: Mark of the ck Devil</h4>


    Bagman, as thementator for this Quidditch World Cup, was also inside the top box.


    He had just packed up his script on thementary box and hadn''t even had a chance to butch up before he was surrounded by two redheads.


    Fred and George had tumbled right over the backs of the rows of chairs, and almost as soon as the Wesleys and their entourage were slightly out of sight, they were in front of Ludo Bagman.


    The two men grinned happily and held out their spread palms to Bagman.


    "Uh ... this, how much am I supposed to pay you guys again?" His voice was a little hoarse from the passionatementary he had just given.


    "This amount." Fred held out three fingers.


    "Oh, three hundred galleons ..." Bagman was slightly relieved, "okay, not too much, let''s see ... "


    "And don''t forget about Professor Drac''s Galleons." George added from the side, "You were setting very high odds, I guess Professor Drac''s share of the win won''t be too small, I''m afraid."


    Bagman remembered therge sack of gold Galleons that Drac had thrown at him, and his expression, which was still quite rxed, stiffenedpletely, as if a powerful petrification spell had been cast on him.


    "Come on, give us our share first." Fred urged.


    "That ... I can''te up with that much cash at the moment, you guys need to give me some time." Bagman''s face went a little white, and he said with a strong gesture.


    "But I always think you have quite a bit of cash here as well." George nced suspiciously at the pouch hanging from Bagman''s waist, which he had jangled from time to time earlier in the camp.


    "You''re not thinking of reneging, are you?" Fred looked alert.


    "How could I? I''m the head of the Ministry of Magic''s Sports and Physical Education Division, how could I cheat you two little wizards?"


    Bagman snorted awkwardly before pulling out the same amount of gold coins from his own pouch as the galleons Fred and George had wagered on, and returning the strange homemade wands the two of them had made as well.


    "Here is your principal," he said with conviction, "and as for the galleons you have won, they will be delivered to you personally as soon as I have raised the funds."


    With these words, Bagman hastily butted out of the box and fled the scene like a frightened rabbit.


    Fred and George watched Bagman''s fleeing back and spread their hands at each other, deciding to leave the matter of debt collection to professionals like Professor Drac, and went back over a few more rows of chairs to where the Weasleys were seated.


    The group stepped down from the box, and soon the crowd that had left the stadium to return to the camp surrounded them like a tidal wave.


    As the crowd traveled, ragged chants came through the air, and the pint-sized demons that were the mascots of the Irish team kept weaving and flying above their heads, waving the streamers in their hands and rattling andughing as a way of expressing their joy at the victory.


    The game didn''t really take very long, officially starting close to noon and ending before the afternoon was over. It was one of the faster finals in the history of the Quidditch World Cup.


    Even though the tournament was over, there would be celebrations, yer-fan talks, and interviews with newspaper reporters in the evening after the break.


    As a result, most of the fans who hade to watch the Quidditch World Cup would not choose to leave now, but would wait for nightfall and take their chances to see if they could find a photo opportunity with their idols.


    After squeezing through the crowd of people, the Weasleys, Harry, and Sirius finally arrived at the campsite tents, but no one felt tired, instead they were in high spirits.


    The surrounding area was equally as noisy, with many fans talking about what had just happened in the match.


    Some were arguing about fouls, others were discussing who the best yer of the game was, and still others were arguing with red faces about whose idol was better.


    In the distance on the other side of the camp, many rousing chants and loud banging cascaded through the restless air for a long time.


    "Oh, it''s a good thing it isn''t my turn to be on duty ... to-day," muttered Mr. Weasley, heartily, as he listened to the boisterous voices outside the tent; "and it''s a good thing it won''t be necessary for me to tell the Irish to stop rejoicing in their triumphs, or it''s truly unimaginable."


    Harry ate the dinner Sirius had bought for him from a passing vendor, his mind unconsciously conjuring up some of Viktor Krum''s best moves.


    He fantasized about riding up to his Firebolt and attempting Krum''s beautiful Lansky fake ... Oliver Wood, the previous captain of Gryffindor, had somehow never taught him how such a fake was supposed to be done, even though he had also devised a lot of messy schematics.


    Of course, it was more likely that Wood himself didn''t know these moves ...


    Harry imagined, as if he saw himself wearing the robes with his name on the back, and imagined hearing the deafening cheers of the 100,000 spectators, and his mood couldn''t help but be a little exuberant.


    "Harry, Harry! Do you hear something out there?"


    Just as Harry was lost in his imagination, Ginny''s voice suddenly rang in his ears.


    "What ... what is it?" He asked as he snapped out of his imagination and turned his head.


    Harry realized that Ginny''s face was slightly flustered and one hand was gripping his sleeve tightly.


    He instantly felt that something was wrong.


    The voices in the camp changed, the singing stopped, and the sounds of shrieking and people running in panic were endless.


    Harry hurriedly put his still unfinished bowl of food down and wanted to go ask what was going on outside.


    At that moment, Sirius was the first to lift the tent''s curtain and said eagerly, "It''s toote, Harry! You younger ones catch up with us and hurry!"


    The adults had all been outside having a few small drinks around the campfire, and the underage wizards weren''t allowed to drink, so they had all stayed inside the tent to eat their dinner.


    And Sirius and the few adult wizards were the first to notice the mess in the distance.


    Harry did as he was told, pulled Ginny up and hurried out of the tent, with Ron and Hermione following him.


    It was now dusk, the sky was already darkening, and the camp hadn''t had time to light torches, so their eyes couldn''t clearly see what was really happening in the distance.


    Standing next to the tents, Harry could only see the wizards running in droves towards the woods next to the camp, as if fleeing from some group of people who were chasing towards them.


    There were shes of light and crackling noises from the group - loud sneers,ughter, drunken yelling, all drawing closer as the group moved.


    Then there was a sh of intense green light that illuminated everything around them.


    Harry saw that the group was a bunch of wizards in ck cloaks huddled tightly together, each pointing their wands upwards in their hands as they pushed forward together, slowly moving through the camp.


    The men had hoods over their heads and masks over their faces. Above their heads, four struggling figures floated in the air, twisted into all sorts of grotesque shapes, as if these masked wizards on the ground were maniptors of puppets, and the ones above them were marites, controlled by invisible strings attached from their wands into the air.


    As the group advanced, more wizards joined the parade, letting loose withughter and pointing their wands at the few bodies floating above them.


    As the parade continued to grow, tents continued to copse, and even wizards in the middle of the parade used their wands to set the tents in their path on fire.


    Many of the tents burned under the spread of fire. The screams from the campsite became more piercing.


    "That''s the Muggle Roberts family who run the campsite tents!" Mr. Weasley''s face was a little hard to see, "Damn it, how could there be such arge group of terrorists at a World Cup game?"


    "Their costumes and behavior ... look a little familiar." Sirius narrowed his eyes and coldly gazed at the crowd that was controlling the Muggle family.


    In the next moment, his eyes suddenly snapped, "I know, those people are Death Eaters!"


    "Death Eaters?" Mr. Weasley turned his head to Sirius in dismay, "Haven''t they been out of sight for a long time, why did they have toe out today?"


    "Who knows, just arrest them and ask them!" Sirius clutched his wand tightly in his hand and was about to charge the mob.


    His hatred for Death Eaters and Voldemort was engraved in his heart, and at this moment, when he saw this group of people unscrupulously making a big deal of breaking illusions at the scene of the Quidditch World Cup final, the anger in his heart could not be suppressed at all.


    "Sirius, you can''t go!" Mr. Weasley suddenly reached out his hand and yanked the impulsive Sirius, "You''ve only just cleared yourself of being a Death Eater, and now if you show up with those Death Eaters again, Fudge and Umbridge will definitely seize the opportunity to nt evidence on you!"


    "So just leave those Death Eaters alone?" Sirius frowned tightly.


    "Of course we can''t leave them alone." Mr. Weasley said solemnly, rolling up his own sleeves as he did so, "There are quite a few other upstanding Ministry of Magic members present here, and we''ll be there to help keep order."


    He then turned to Harry and a few other young wizards, "You little ones get into the woods and walk together, don''t spread out! I''ll catch up with you when this is settled!"


    "Harry, keep an eye on your godfather and don''t let him do anything impulsive!"


    After delivering these instructions, Mr. Weasley hurriedly rejoined several other Ministry of Magic members who were not on duty, and together they rushed to where the Death Eaters were converging.


    Harry nodded, tugged hard on Sirius'' arm, and dug into the woods with Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione, avoiding the path of the group of Death Eaters.


    As the day wore on, the sun got lower and lower and the sky got darker and darker.


    When the sun sankpletely into the horizon and the sky turnedpletely ck, a huge bright green light suddenly leapt up into the treetops and flew into the night sky.


    "What''s this-" Ron said nervously. He looked up, staring anxiously at the bright light that had just appeared.


    Harry looked up simrly.


    He thought at first that it was a graphic formed by Irnd''s pair of mascot dwarf demons, but then he realized that it was a huge skeleton, made up of countless turquoise, star-like points of light, with arge boa constrictor emerging from the skeleton''s mouth, like a tongue.


    As they watched, the skeleton rose higher and higher, emitting a dazzling light in a cloud of greenish smoke, like a new constetion against the dark night sky.


    Suddenly, gurgling screams of terror erupted from the woods around them.


    Harry didn''t understand the origin of the screams, only that the only possible cause was the sudden appearance of the skeleton. The skull had risen so high now that it illuminated the woods like a terrifying neon sign.


    "ck magic marker."


    Sirius said suddenly.


    "What?" Harry asked, not quite hearing him, and opened his mouth.


    "The ck Magic Mark, the signal Death Eaters use to contact their associates." Sirius said and suddenly gave a disdainfulugh, "These people in the forest didn''t realize until now that the tightly wrapped wizards were Death Eaters, and they didn''t feel scared until this moment."


    "If you ask me, these people are all a bunch of cowards as well, the Death Eaters have been gone for over a decade and they still let it scare them, heh."


    Sirius snorted and shook his head, then said to Harry, "Harry, you? Stay here, I''ll go over there. That Death Eater who cast the Dark Mark shouldn''t be too far from where we are."


    "No!" Harry subconsciously pulled Sirius back, "Mr. Weasley said to keep an eye on you to keep you from doing something impulsive."


    "That''s not exactly an impulsive thing, is it?" Sirius smiled, "I''m just going to take a look around, I can''t just let a Death Eater go, can I? Your parents wouldn''t have backed out at this point either, Harry."


    Hearing Sirius'' words, Harry hesitated.


    And Sirius took a few quick diagonal steps as Harry hesitated, and without waiting for Harry to express his agreement, he ran to the location that the Dark Marker corresponded to.


    "Time waits for no one, I''ll be quick." He shouted back as he was leaving.


    After leaving Harry and a few of their young wizards, Sirius first cast an illusionary body spell on himself, and thenpared it to the Dark Magic Marker in the sky, walking quickly through the woods.


    Before long, he reached the forest below the Dark Magic Marker.


    However, he didn''t find any traces of Death Eaters here, and instead saw two unexpected people.


    Drac with his trademark silver hair, and the other was the director of the International Magic Exchange and Cooperation Division, Barty Crouch.


    At this moment, Drac and Barty Crouch were standing face to face in a clearing in the middle of a forest, staring at each other.


    Drac''s mouth was covered with a few meaningful smiles, while Crouch''s face carried a few moments of bewilderment.


    "Mr. Crouch, exin yourself, why are you in this ce." Drac was the first to open his mouth to break the silence.


    At the same time, he spared a nce in Sirius'' direction and waved his hand slightly at him.

 Chapter 237 - 237 Buddy Crouch

    <h4>Chapter 237: Buddy Crouch</h4>


    Crouch still had a bit of bewilderment lingering on his face, but when he heard Drac''s question, he remained steady with his usual quick-witted reflexes.


    "I don''t know why you would ask such a question, Professor Drac." His face quickly regained itsposure, and he even had time to ask back, "Not only that, but I''m curious as to why it was you who was the first to arrive on the scene after the ck magic marker appeared."


    "As far as I know, tracking down ck wizards who vite thew should have been the job of the Ministry of Magic. For this kind of emergencies, we can''t use a Hogwarts professor to intervene."


    "Mr. Crouch, your question makes no sense." Drac sneered, "As a professor of Defense Against ck Magic, isn''t it normal for me toe to the scene to investigate when I see traces of ck magic?"


    "What''s more, those who helped maintain order at the scene just now weren''t all from your Ministry of Magic, I saw Bill and Charlie from the Weasley family and many other wizards contributing their share, yet I didn''t see any of you refusing their help."


    The light flowed in Drac''s eyes and he gazed coldly into Crouch''s eyes.


    "It doesn''t take a great deal of expertise to maintain order at the scene, but the Dark Mark is different, and every wizard whoes near here is suspect." Crouch said with the same cold face.


    "As the director of the Department of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation, as well as the former director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I have the ability, as well as the obligation, toe and arrest the suspects. But you are different, not only will a non-professional not be of any help, they may even damage the scene!"


    "That''s quite a good reason." Drac snorted, "So, Mr. Crouch, tell us exactly what you saw when you came to the scene. As the first person toe here, you should have found something, right?"


    As a matter of fact, the reason why Drac was skeptical of this Director of the Department of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation was also because his efficiency in arriving at the scene was just too high.


    Drac had originally stayed near the group of Death Eaters led by Lucius Malfoy, always ready to control the scene and clean up the situation, while at the same time, incidentally protecting Lucius, such a pawn that he had ced by Voldemort''s side, from being easily captured by the Ministry of Magic''s people.


    And the sudden appearance of the ck magic mark in the night sky waspletely unnned -


    Lucius'' group of Death Eaters actually didn''t want topletely expose their identity, but just wanted to make certain movements to show Voldemort, who was now hiding somewhere, that they hadn''t forgotten the glory and prestige of the Death Eaters as an organization, so that they could have some backbone when they were summoned by Voldemort again.


    However, the dark magic markpletely sort of tore their masks apart, making everyone present realize the true identity of the troublemaking gang.


    In this way, the employees of the Ministry of Magic would definitely increase their efforts to arrest them, and several purebloods such as Lucius who held a tacit agreement with the Ministry of Magic would also be questioned and suspected.


    Because of this, the first moment Drac saw the ck magic mark that appeared in the night sky, he phantom shifted to the scene. Yet he found no dark wizard here, only a Barty Crouch standing frozen in ce.


    Then there were only two possibilities left:


    One was that the wizard who had cast the ck magic marker was Barty Crouch; the other was that Crouch was standing in a nearby ce not far away before the ck magic marker rose into the air.


    If it was thetter case, Crouch was bound to have found something.


    "I do have something to discover." Crouch nodded resolutely, "There was indeed a figure standing in my position before the ck Demon Marker was cast, and I was not far away from the vicinity at the time, and clearly heard that his voice, though somewhat hoarse in disguise, was still young overall."


    "Is that so?" Drac frowned slightly, his gaze on Crouch deepening, "Then howe Mr. Crouch didn''t capture the dark wizard?"


    "He was so cautious that he didn''t even bother to look at the mark in the sky after the spell was recited, and immediately phantom shifted away from the spot." Crouch shook his head and said, "Although I hade quickly, I was still a little bit short."


    Just after the words were said, Crouch suddenly felt a sudden pain in his brow, as if images were about to emerge from the middle of his mind.


    He subconsciously closed his eyes and his face sank.


    "Professor Drac, are you using Regard for Thought on a Ministry of Magic official?" Crouch sternly questioned, "Do you realize what you are actually doing?!"


    "Empty words, Mr. Crouch." Dracughed softly, "You don''t want to nder someone''s innocence out of thin air."


    Crouch opened his eyes again, his face a little hard to see.


    Just then, a group of men hurried over, led by none other than Mr. Weasley and Cedric''s father, Amos Diggory.


    "What happened here? Who released the Dark Mark?" Mr. Weasley asked as he ran, panting.


    He stopped and saw that two men were facing each other here, "Ah, Professor Drac, and Crouch, there you are!"


    "Arthur, Amos, what''s the situation on your end?" Crouch nced at Drac once again, and then he quickly adjusted his emotions and turned his head to Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory and asked.


    "Oh, things are going well on our side, those Death Eaters are all soft bones, and they don''t have much of a fight in mind after seeing our people restore order." Mr. Weasley said, "But I didn''t figure it out, not only did they not be excited when the ck Magic Marker went up, but instead, they ran away one by one with phantom shifts."


    "Originally they couldn''t run away." Mr. Diggory added from the side, "But there was a very strong guy inside the Death Eaters who didn''t know when, and I almost managed to take care of the leader among them several times, but it was easily dissolved by a force."


    "If it wasn''t for the fact that that guy doesn''t seem to have much aggression, I''m afraid that the few of us wouldn''t be enough for him to fight alone ..."


    Hearing this, the corners of Drac''s mouth twitched without a trace.


    The "very strong guy" who had dissolved Mr. Diggory''s spell was obviously Drac himself.


    He originally knew that Lucius had always been pampered and would definitely not be too strong in a fight, but he had never thought that Lucius''s actualbat ability could be as bad as this.


    Drac had to step in several times to block Mr. Diggory''s attacks for Lucius, preventing him from being caught by the Ministry of Magic and then spoiling his fun.


    "Mr. Crouch, did you find the Death Eater who cast the Dark Mark?" Mr. Diggory opened his mouth and asked Crouch.


    "Unfortunately, I let him get away." Crouch shook his head and said in a deep voice.


    He then looked at Drac, "Professor Drac, it is now time for the Ministry of Magic to investigate, if you do not wish to be investigated, please leave the Eucalyptus discovery site for the time being."


    "I would like to know, how are you going to conduct the investigation?" Drac looked at Crouch, the corner of his mouth hooked up with a smile if nothing else, "Or is it that he is prepared to do a perfunctory job, to bring this matter hastily, then let the Daily Prophet avoid making some remarks, and finally divert the attention of the civilians with other messy things?"


    Obviously, Crouch''s face sank instantly.


    "Ahem ... Mr. Crouch, I need to go back to my family first." Seeing that the atmosphere between the two was not right, Mr. Weasley hurriedly stepped forward to change the topic, "They are still alone in the forest, I''m not too worried."


    He then pulled Drac out of the area without saying a word and walked towards the other side.


    "Professor Drac, although Crouch is usually a bit strict, he''s actually quite nice." Walking on the road, Mr. Weasley advised, "If you guys have any conflicts, there''s a high possibility that it''s a misunderstanding, there''s no need to intensify it further."


    "We don''t have any conflicts." Dracughed lightly and shook his head, then looked to the other side and said, "Sirius, it''s just the three of us here now, we cane out."


    In the next moment, Sirius lifted the Phantom Body spell, and his figure emerged in front of Drac and Mr. Weasley.


    "I don''t know how you could tell, I thought I was getting pretty good with the illusionary body spell." Sirius all but muttered.


    "Sirius?!" Mr. Weasley was startled by the sudden appearance of Sirius, "Why are you here, where are Ron and Harry and the others?"


    "Don''t worry, their location is quite safe." Sirius said, "I just rushed over here after I saw the Dark Mark, but Drac found me and hasn''t been letting me undo the Disillusionment Spell."


    He then looked at Drac and asked, "Professor Drac, do you suspect that Crouch is the one who cast the ck Magic Mark? I heard him say ... that you just used Regard and Take Thoughts on him."


    "Well, I do kind of suspect him." Drac nodded softly, "He arrived so quickly and coincidentally that he had to make me suspicious. He''s not bad at brain closure though, can''t see anything concrete."


    "This ... this can''t be right?" Mr. Weasley said with some bewilderment, "Crouch was an absolute hardliner when he was the head of the Division of Magical Law Enforcement before, and he''s one of the most unlikely wizards to use the ck Magic Marker yet. He even passed the temporary rule that the Unforgivable Spell could be used on Death Eaters ..."


    "If it weren''t for the fact that his son, Barty Crouch Jr.ter became a Death Eater and brought a stain on his reputation, I''m afraid this term as Minister of Magic wouldn''t even be Fudge''s turn."


    "His son was a Death Eater?" Drac suddenly hooked the corners of his mouth, a rakish look on his face.


    "Was." Mr. Weasley corrected, "Buddy Sr. himself pronounced his son guilty and locked him up inside Azkaban for life. Then Barty Crouch Jr. died in prison."


    "Already dead?" Drac''s brow furrowed again.


    "Professor Drac, just stop doubting Barty Sr. There''s no way he''s a Death Eater." Mr. Weasley said helplessly, "He has too much Death Eater blood on his hands for even Voldemort to ept his subservience anymore."


    ...


    Meanwhile, a group of figures in ck robes, hoods and masks sat around the parlor of Malfoy Manor.


    This parlor had again gone from a brightly lit d¨¦cor to dim and gloomy, as if it couldn''t afford to light amp.


    Every now and then, an asional apparition or two of simrly costumed wizards would move into the parlor and take their seats.


    Only when all the seats were filled did the wizard sitting in the top seat speak in a cold voice.


    "Admit it to yourself, which fool released the ck Magic Marker?" The man slowly removed the mask from his face, revealing Lucius'' pale visage as he scanned everyone present in exasperation.


    "I remember I made it clear before the operation not to do anything that might reveal our identities to prevent attracting the attention of the Ministry of Magic." Lucius said coldly, "We''re here to have something to say in front of our master in the future, not to attract Aurora toe and capture us!"


    "Lucius, don''t be so serious, it''s not like no one has been arrested!" A Death Eater next to him patted Lucius'' shoulder with a big grin.


    "From the looks of it no one did get caught." Lucius'' fist mmed heavily on the tabletop, "But that''s only because I found a powerful wizard in advance to look after us for a moment or two, if he wasn''t there, we would''ve long since been captured by those people from the Ministry of Magic!"


    That Death Eater couldn''t speak.


    Even if he was even more obtuse, he could see that there was indeed a powerful existence secretly helping them before.


    However, at this time there was another Death Eater who was dissatisfied.


    "Lucius, we didn''t agree to you being the leader because we were convinced, it''s just that you were the first one to propose this operation-" he said in a conspiratorial manner, "So don''t put up that leadership in front of us! I don''t like it!"


    "If you don''t like it, you can be the leader yourself, Yaxley!" Lucius responded with a sneer, "I''m finding out what''s wrong now, and finding out just who''s not following orders."


    "No one is not following arrangements, Lucius, and none of us here are fools!" Yaxley stood up with a fierce p on the table and pointed at the Death Eaters present, "Haven''t you noticed? Everyone here gathered together when the ck Demon Marker rose into the air!"


    "That''s impossible!" Lucius retorted tly, "If everyone was there, then who cast the ck Magic Mark? Is it hard to believe that those officials from the Ministry of Magic put it there?!"


    Just at this moment, another Death Eater suddenly raised his hand to interrupt the arguing two.


    "You guys, could there be other fellow Death Eaters drifting around undetected?" He asked thoughtfully, "Is it possible that he''s in the middle of some sort of predicament and cast the ck Magic Mark just to make contact with us?"


    Lucius and Yaxley both froze.


    "Or what if that person casting the ck Demon Mark is simply the ck Demon Lord who has yet topletely recover ..."


    The air steeply quieted down.


    The Death Eaters present unanimously thought of their actions of immediately choosing to flee away when they saw the ck Demon Mark.


    Everyone''s mood suddenly sank to the bottom.

 Chapter 238 - 238 News of the Triple Threat Tournament

    <h4>Chapter 238: News of the Triple Threat Tournament</h4>


    The Quidditch World Cup had ended prematurely in a state of disarray.


    Interviews with newspaper reporters, yer-spectator interactions, nightly fairs ... and all those post-game activities were no longer possible, the spectators had run out, and the campsite had pretty much burned to the ground.


    The teams were the quickest to leave, escorting their own yers, and as they did so, they hurled irritated abuse at the poor management of the Ministry of Magic in the UK.


    Poor Fudge, he had wanted to make a big deal out of the Quidditch World Cup and use the sess of the tournament to bring his prestige and reputation up, thus preserving his political position at the next change of government.


    However, the actions that the Death Eaters had pulled off hadpletely thrown Fudge''s ns out of whack. Instead of his reputation being raised, he was directly scolded to the internationalmunity.


    The whole of Europe now knew that Connelly Fudge, the minister of the Ministry of Magic in Ennd, was an ipetent fool who couldn''t even run a Quidditch match!


    "The Ministry of Magic panicked ... Criminals not caught ... Policing loose ... Dark wizards on the loose... ...bringing shame to the nation ... Who wrote this, huh?"


    Fudge stood behind his desk, angrily banging his desktop with today''s Daily Prophet.


    "Listen to this: the wizards, rmed, waited with bated breath for news at the edge of the woods, hoping to be reassured by the Ministry of Magic, and regrettably, they were sorely disappointed. Shortly after the appearance of the Dark Mark, a Ministry of Magic official showed up, dering that no one had been harmed, but refusing to say anything more. Whether or not his words were enough to quell the sort of rumor that a few bodies were carried out of the woods an hourter remains to be seen."


    "This ispletely putting the Ministry of Magic on the fire, those idiot-like civilian wizards will surely think that this World Cup final is dead ... butst night clearly not a single person died, and even the injuries were mostly caused by stampedes!"


    Fudge mmed the newspaper down hard on the floor, breathing heavily.


    The ragged breath was apanied by the asional angry, deafening roar that came from outside the office door, showing no sign of weakening even through the walls and the office door -


    It was yelling letter after yelling letter, all sent from various magical families or magical stores, mostly toin about World Cup safety and impensation.


    Ordinary wizards wanted the Ministry of Magic topensate them for their damaged belongings such as tents and camping supplies, magical stores wanted the Ministry of Magic topensate them for the advertising fees they had paid, and the participating teams wanted the Ministry of Magic topensate them for the emotional distress and convalescence of their yers ...


    Throughout the morning, the Ministry of Magic''s ministers were like putting out fires, their hands were busy handling all sorts of howler letters.


    If they didn''t open the howler letters right away, these dangerous letters would explode, destroying the Ministry of Magic''s belongings; and if they opened the howler letters, the deafening sounds would be unceasing, enveloping the entire floor in noise.


    Fudge''s face became even more ugly as he listened to those noisy voices.


    "Mr. Minister, these reports are obviously written by that woman called Rita Skeeter." Pink Toad Umbridge stood in front of Fudge and said coyly, "That woman knows how to write ptrap against the Ministry of Magic all day long."


    She cleared her throat and gave her opinion, "If you ask me, the Ministry of Magic should set up a Ministry of Public Opinion Supervision, and all those newspapers and periodicals should be vetted by the Ministry of Magic before they are published before they can be issued ..."


    "Dolores, how many times have I told you, we don''t have any extra ministry staff to deal with those minor and trivial matters anymore!" Fudge said in annoyance, "We have to focus all our efforts on another big thing right now, and if that thing is done right, I still have a chance to flip my wind rating."


    Yes, Fudge was preparing two big moves to get his credibility and reputation back.


    One of them was the Quidditch World Cup Finals, which had been dered aplete failure; as for the other, it was an equally major event that had been on hiatus for two hundred years, and one that Mr. Weasley had mentioned to the lesser wizards as an event that was close to their hearts ...


    ...


    Harry, Ron, and Hermione, along with the Weasley twins, had learned at the opening dinner exactly what the event Mr. Weasley had mentioned was.


    After mealtime was over, the young wizards sat down at the long tables of their respective houses and watched as Headmaster Dumbledore, who was sitting in the very center of the professors'' seats, stood up.


    "Well!" Dumbledore said as he looked at the group with a grin, "Now that we''ve all had our fill of food and drink, I must once again ask for your attention, I have a few announcements to make-"


    "Mr. Filch, the janitor, wishes me to inform you that this year, a few more items have been added to the list of prohibited items in the castle; they are the Screaming Swimming Ball, the Wolfsbane Frisbee, and the Combo Boomerang. The entire list consists of roughly four hundred and thirty-seven items and is avable in Mr. Filch''s office for anyone interested in checking it out."


    The corner of Dumbledore''s mouth twitched a few times.


    Harry nced over to the castle gates and saw that Filch was leaning a mop on the ground and standing smugly watching the small wizards in the auditorium.


    The truth was that the young wizards had gotten used to these lists of prohibited items that were added to every year, and no one ever cared about them.


    Fred and George even nced wryly at each other, obviously interested in these new additions to the list of prohibited items and wanting to buy a few from Hogsmeade to y with.


    "As before, I would like to remind everyone that the forbidden forest over by the grounds is off limits to students," Dumbledore continued, ignoring the alreadyckluster reactions of the students, "and as for Hogsmeade Vige, no student under the third year is allowed to patronize it."


    With those caveats out of the way, he smirked and raised his eyes to the young wizards in the room.


    "Also, it is with great regret that I have to inform you all that there will be no College Cup Quidditch Tournament this year!"


    His expression didn''t look sorry at all.


    "What?" Harry gasped in shock, twisting his head to look at his Quidditch teammates Fred and George, "How can this be?"


    The Gryffindors had only just won the Quidditch Cup the previous academic year, and now that Captain Wood, who was the Keeper, had graduated and left, theposition of the rest of the team hadn''t changed all that much, and it didn''t take a lot of bonding to be able to y, so it was safe to say that things were looking up.


    Sure enough, Fred and George also had their mouths open, staring wordlessly at Dumbledore, too surprised to speak.


    "Hold your horses, everyone, let''s not protest just yet." Dumbledore pressed his palms downward in an imaginary manner and continued, "This is due to arge event that will begin in October and continue throughout the school year, which takes up much of the teachers'' time and energy ..."


    "But I''m sure you can all get a great deal of enjoyment out of it. It gives me great pleasure to announce to you that over the next few months, we will have the great honor of hosting a very exciting event that hasn''t been held in over a century-"


    Dumbledore deliberately paused for a few seconds, bringing the sense of anticipation in the auditorium to a peak.


    "It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be held at Hogwarts this year!"


    "Triwizard Tournament?" Fred stood up menacingly and eximed, "You''re kidding!"


    The outcry was instantly broken by Fred.


    Almost everyone burst outughing at this, and Dumbledoreughed softly.


    "I''m not joking, Mr. Weasley," heughed, "but now that you mention joking, I did hear a very funny joke about a troll, a she-devil, and a dwarf demon who all went into the same tavern... ..."


    Professor McGonagall cleared her throat quite loudly, and could see that her face was darkening a bit.


    "Oh - it''s probably not a good time to talk about that ... well, it''s not a good time ... " Dumbledore seemed to be waving his hand in realization, "Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament ..."


    "Some of you still don''t know exactly what this tournament is all about, so I hope those who do will forgive me for exining a little here, I''ll allow their minds to wander for a moment."


    "The Triwizard Tournament was created about seven hundred years ago as a friendlypetition between the threergest magic schools in Europe. The three schools were Hogwarts, Boothbottom, and Durmstrang. Each school selects a warrior, and then the three warriorspete in three magical disciplines. The Triwizard Tournament was held every five years, with the three schools taking turns hosting it, and it was agreed that it was a wonderful way for young wizards to build friendships between different countries-but then the death toll of the participating students became too high, and the Triwizard Tournament was discontinued."


    "The number of deaths?" Hermione caught this keenly and whispered, while looking around in shock.


    But most of the students in the auditorium weren''t as nervous as she was, and many were mingling excitedly. Harry was also eager to hear the exact details of the Triwizard Tournament, neither of them interested in those who had died hundreds of years ago.


    "Several attempts have been made over the centuries to revive the brawl," Dumbledore continued to exin, "but none have been sessful."


    "However, we at the Ministry of Magic, the Department of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation and the Department of Magical Sports and Physical Education, believe that the time is ripe for another attempt. We did a lot of work this summer to make sure that every warrior would not encounter a life-threatening situation."


    "Not only that, but a new magic school will be added to this year''s Triwizard Tournament - that would be the Yinfa Magicani Magic School from the United States! From now on, the Triwizard Tournament will be the Quadwizard Tournament, and thepetition will be even fiercer!"


    Rolf Scamander, who was still in a state of inactivity while sitting at the long Hufflepuff table, stared menacingly at these words.


    He had a bad premonition, always felt that there would be some of his own acquaintances among those who came from Yinfa Magicani, and meeting up with them at Hogwarts at that time could be a bit awkward ...


    Dumbledore apparently didn''t notice Rolf''s expression that instantly became flustered and went on to exin:


    "In October, the Headmasters of Boothbottom, Durmstrang, and Imperatorium wille with their carefully screened contenders, and the ceremony for selecting the warriors will take ce on Halloween Eve."


    "An impartial-to-impartial referee will decide which students are most qualified topete for the Triwizard Cup and win honor for their school. On top of that, the winning individual will receive a prize of one thousand Galleons."


    "I want to participate!" Fred said to George in a lowered voice from over the table.


    His face was glowing with excitement at the thought of the possibility of receiving such honor and wealth.


    And there was more than one person like Fred who fantasized about bing a Hogwarts Warrior. People could be seen gazing at Dumbledore either avidly or expectantly at every house table.


    The entire auditorium was noisy, with people excitedly whispering to their neighbors and specting about just who would be a Hogwarts warrior.


    Dumbledore cleared his throat at this point and spoke again, so the auditorium slowly quieted down.


    "I know you are all eager to win the Triwizard Tournament trophy for Hogwarts," he said, "but the participating schools and the Ministry of Magic have agreed to set an age limit for this year''s contenders!"


    "Only students over the age of seventeen - that is to say, seventeen and over - will be allowed to enter for your safety."


    Dumbledore raised his voice slightly as some of the people listening to him let out angry protests, the Weasley twins being listed among them, and the news that they would not be able topete caused them to be exasperated.


    "This measure is necessary, as the scramble program remains daunting and dangerous, and no matter how many precautions we take, there is simply no way that students below the sixth and seventh grades will be able to handle it."


    "I hereby personally will make sure that no student not old enough to be a Hogwarts Warrior will be able to fool our most impartial referees!"


    His blue eyes glinted meaningfully as his gaze raked over Fred and George''s rebellious faces, "Therefore, if you are under the age of seventeen, I hope you won''t waste your time applying."


    Fred and George''s eyes cringed for a moment as the Headmaster''s gaze swept over them, then red defiantly.


    Dumbledore, however, ignored the twins'' movements and continued:


    "A delegation from Boothbottom, Ynfamoni and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and spending most of the school year with us. We hope that everyone will behave in a warm and friendly manner and promote Hogwarts."


    "Also, once the Hogwarts warrior has been finally chosen, you are expected to support him or her wholeheartedly, with the best oue, of course, being the Hogwarts warrior winning the final championship."


    Dumbledore winked at the young wizards and once again resumed his grinning expression.


    "Well, it''s gettingte, so in order for you to walk into ss tomorrow morning refreshed and clear-headed. Go back to your respectivemon rooms and get some sleep!" He smiled and waved his hand toward the stage.

 Chapter 239 - 239 The eve of the kick-off

    <h4>Chapter 239: The eve of the kick-off</h4>


    "They can''t stop me from participating!" Even though Dumbledore had already announced the end of the event, Fred still said stubbornly, "Being a warrior, we can openly do many things that we are not allowed to do normally, and there is also a bonus of one thousand Galleons!"


    "Yes," Ron also showed a dazed look on his face, "Yes, one thousand Galleons..."


    "I have calcted that although we won a lot from the bet with Bagman before, it is still a lot less than it would take to open a good joke shop with that little money." George said.


    He took out a piece of parchment from somewhere, with densely written numbers on it, all of which were the expenses that must be used to open a joke shop.


    "Wait, you guys are so good at math?" Ron looked at the parchment and swallowed his saliva. "So you thought about this day when you were choosing your courses in the third year, so you chose that boring course of arithmetic divination?"


    "Arithmetic divination is not boring at all!" Hermione retorted, "Let''s not talk about that for now, we should leave quickly. If we don''t leave, there will be only a few of us left in the whole hall."


    Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred and George started walking towards the entrance hall. Along the way, Fred and George kept arguing about what measures Dumbledore would take to prevent students under the age of seventeen from participating in thepetition.


    "Who will be the judge who is the champion... who is the fair referee who can''t be more fair?" Harry asked.


    "I don''t know," said Fred, "but no matter who that person is, he is the one we want to deceive. I think one or two drops of aging potion will work, George..."


    "But Dumbledore knows you are not old enough." Ron asked the question.


    "Yeah, but who will be the champion is not decided by Dumbledore, right?" Fred raised his eyebrows. "ording to Dumbledore, it seems that after the referee knows who wants to participate, he will pick the best one from each school..."


    "I think he doesn''t care how old we are. Dumbledore clearly wants to stop us from signing up!"


    "But many people died in the previous Triwizard Tournament!" Hermione said in a worried tone as she walked through a door hidden behind the tapestry.


    "Yeah," George said nonchntly, "but that was many years ago, right? And what''s the fun without a little adventure?"


    "If the fair referee was like Professor Drac, I would just tell him two funny jokes and he would let me sign up..."


    "Wake up, George!" Fred interrupted him mercilessly, "Professor Drac has nothing to do with the word ''fair''!"


    ...


    The next day, in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, Draczily pushed open the ssroom door as usual.


    This school year, there are quite few students in the sixth grade Defense Against the Dark Arts intensive ss.


    This is because the dueling club reced Drac''s function of using little wizards to entertain himself, so the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss is no longer so interesting to Drac.


    Now he just wants to bezy and teach as few people as possible.


    To this end, he deliberately changed the Defense Against the Dark Arts Enhanced ss from epting the worst grade, that is, students who received the "T (bad)" grade in the ordinary wizard grade, to only epting students who received the "O (excellent)" grade.


    More than half of the desks in the ssroom were empty, and there were not many students who could get the "O" grade in the entire grade.


    Unfortunately, Fred and George, the two funny guys, had too much fun in the duel club, and their defense against the dark arts level improved rapidly-


    Among their few O. W. L.s certificates, in addition to the arithmetic divination mentioned by Ron before, only Defense Against the Dark Arts got an "O".


    As soon as Drac entered the ssroom, he saw Fred and George sitting in their seats with their heads held high, their faces full of the meaning of e and praise me".


    "Are there only a few students who got ''O''? I''m disappointed." Drac looked around and was very satisfied to see that there were not many people here, but he still made a disappointed expression on the surface.


    "Of course, I still want to congratte all the students here who have excellent grades and have obtained the qualification to continue sitting in this ssroom!"


    Hearing Drac''s words that could barely be regarded as apliment, Fred and George smiled with satisfaction.


    "Before the ss officially starts, I have a few words to say to you-" Drac continued with an intriguing smile on his face, "You have heard Dumbledore say that this school year, the Triwizard Tournament... No, the Quadruple Tournament will be held in Hogwarts."


    "As the subject that tests practical ability the most, Defense Against the Dark Arts is closely rted to this game. So in my opinion, the Hogwarts warrior is likely to be selected from the students sitting here and the seventh-year intensive ss."


    It can be clearly seen that all the students in the ssroom were in high spirits, and even their sitting postures became subconsciously correct.


    Everyone wants to be the only glorious warrior in Hogwarts.


    There is no young and energetic wizard who doesn''t want to win glory for the school, and no one who doesn''t want to stand in the spotlight and receive cheers and apuse from all the teachers and students in the school.


    "Don''t get too excited too early," Drac chuckled, looked at Fred and George, and began to dampen their enthusiasm, "The prerequisite for bing a warrior is that you must be seventeen years old before the ceremony of selecting warriors on Halloween!"


    "This is unfair!" Fred jumped up first and shouted, "On Halloween, we will only be four months away from turning seventeen!"


    "That''s right, we want to protest!" George followed closely and jumped up.


    He also pulled up Cedric, who was sitting next to him and preparing to attend the ss, and pointed at him and said:


    "Cedric is only less than half a year older than us, and he entered the school in the same year as us. If he can register and we can''t, we will never ept it!"


    "That can only mean that your luck is not very good." Drac shrugged, "It is undeniable that luck is also a kind of strength."


    "Professor!" Fred wailed, "Can''t you really make some concessions? We are just a little bit away from registering!"


    Sometimes, if you are far away from the goal, people tend not to feel sad.


    But if you are just a little bit away from achieving your goal, but fail in the end, people will be sad, painful, and itchy to the point of going crazy.


    Fred and George are like this. The age difference of only four months really makes them a little crazy.


    "I''m not the fair judge, what''s the point of youining to me?" Drac chuckled, "Instead of yelling in vain in my ss, you might as well study how to deceive the ''referee''."


    "That''s what you said, professor!" George''s eyes lit up.


    "Professor, you must have a way to deceive the referee, right?" Fred said happily, "Otherwise, just tell us, we can save some energy and study more about how to win the final championship."


    "Are you so sure that you can be selected?" Drac looked at the twins and shook his head with a smile, "Figure it out yourself! If you can deceive the ''referee'' with your strength, it can be regarded as your own strength."


    "If you sign up with this kind of ''hard strength'', the students of Hogwarts will at least not feel dissatisfied with you, and even Dumbledore will most likely acquiesce to this kind of thing."


    "So, work hard, two teenagers!"


    Fred and George looked at each other, nodded heavily, and then sat down on the chair and started reading.


    It''s on fire!


    "Don''t sit down in a hurry..." Drac interrupted their fantasy, and the smile on his face became a little malicious. "You should be punished for making loud noises in ss without reason."


    "Let''s do this, all the Defense Against the Dark Arts homework before Halloween must be doubled!"


    George: "..."


    Fred: "..."


    ...


    The following time seemed to be exactly the same as in previous years, but it seemed a little different.


    All courses were taught ording to the previous course progress as usual, and there were no homework, in-ss exercises, duel clubs, etc., all waiting for the little wizards toplete.


    The Quidditch game was cancelled, but the students who didn''t have this entertainment activity didn''t feel bored.


    Those who were old enough were thinking about how to qualify as warriors. If they were elected as warriors, how could they win the game and win glory for the school...Those who were younger, such as Fred and George, were studying how to deceive the referee who was so fair that he couldn''t be more fair, and then report their names.


    In addition, younger wizards like Harry have nothing to do with this semi-final match.


    They have nothing to worry about, except that they asionally fantasize about pie in the sky, thinking that they might be seen as extraordinary and be selected as a warrior to fight for Hogwarts.


    In addition to fantasizing, the young wizards in the middle and lower grades also discuss from time to time, guessing which wizard from which academy can be a warrior of Hogwarts.


    "I guarantee that our Slytherin prefect Lucian Bol will be a warrior of Hogwarts. Professor Snape has always ced high hopes on him."


    Before Halloween, Draco Malfoy stood in front of the lobby of the auditorium and talked with his two followers.


    "Wrong, I think Roger Davis from Ravenw has more hope!" A Ravenw eagle wearing a blue striped tie retorted, "Davis is the best Quidditch team captain this year."


    "I think Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff will be a warrior." The person who said this was obviously a little badger.


    The hall was crowded with people discussing enthusiastically while reading the new notice posted on the bulletin board-


    "Representatives from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and Invermorny will arrive at 6 pm on Friday, October 30. The afternoon sses will end half an hour early. At that time, please send your schoolbags and textbooks back to the dormitory, gather in front of the castle to greet our guests, and then attend the wee party."


    "Great!" Harry said excitedly, "Thest ss on Friday is Potions! Snape will definitely not have time to find fault with us again!"


    Harry''s voice attracted the attention of Malfoy not far away.


    "Hey, isn''t this the famous Harry Potter?" He turned his head and looked at Harry with a provocative look, "I''m curious, does a big star like Potter think he can definitely be a champion of Hogwarts?"


    "I don''t!" Harry said angrily.


    But Malfoy obviously didn''t mean to let him go. He pointed his chin at Harry and said sarcastically:


    "Famous Harry Potter, if you don''t be a champion of Hogwarts in the end, will other schools think that the boy who lived is not worthy of the title?"


    "Anyway, Harry''s chance of bing a champion is much greater than yours!" Just when Harry was extremely angry, another voice suddenly stood up for him.


    Harry turned his head and saw Fred and George standing next to him, making faces at Malfoy.


    "It''s ridiculous, there are actually people who think Potter can be a champion!" Malfoyughed loudly, "Oh! It turns out that it''s the two Weiss, that''s normal."


    "Dare to bet?" George was not angry at all, but said with a grin.


    In their eyes, the purebloods in Slytherin were their customers, and sooner orter they would lose all their money to them, so of course they would not be unhappy about the slight offense of their customers.


    "What?" Malfoy was stunned.


    "I said, do you dare to bet?" George repeated, "I''ll bet five Galleons on Harry to be a champion of Hogwarts!"


    "Wait, don''t be impulsive, George!" Harry himself was stunned, and hurriedly pulled George aside, "Fred, please persuade him! There is no need to waste the five Galleons you are going to use to open the store just to vent my anger."


    However, Fred was not moved at all, but blinked at Harry.


    "I bet!" Malfoy suddenly took out a handful of gold Galleons from his pocket and handed it over, fearing that George would regret it, "It''s such a good thing, it''s better to have more!"


    He lost a lot of Galleons to the Weiss twins in the previous academic years, and he always felt very embarrassed.


    Now that he saw this sure-win deal, he was ready to get back all the face he had lost before!


    After Malfoy left, Harry looked at the twins worriedly.


    "Why did you bet on me bing a Hogwarts warrior? I''m not even old enough, and I can''t even sign up." He said helplessly.


    "It doesn''t matter, we''ve got the aging potion." Fred winked at Harry, "When the timees, you can drink a few more sips and deceive the fair referee."


    "You are the savior of the British wizarding world. If you don''t be a warrior, who will be a warrior!"

 Chapter 240 - 240 Beauxbatons School of Magic Arrives

    <h4>Chapter 240: Beauxbatons School of Magic Arrives</h4>


    In the next few days, the whole Hogwarts seemed to be preparing for the arrival of the semi-finals.


    The castle was being cleaned thoroughly.


    Because this ancient castle has a history of thousands of years, many ces that are not usually noticed are actually full of dust and stains.


    In addition, the person responsible for cleaning these years is just a squib, who does not have the convenience of cleaning magic, so the hygiene standards of the castle have actually dropped again without knowing it.


    Usually, professors and students are very ustomed to these dirty looks, and they call it the original vor of the castle that has been precipitated by thousands of years of history, which makes the castle look more heavy and ancient...


    But when the castle needs to wee guests, Professor McGonagall, the vice-president, suddenly realized that Hogwarts cannot use such a gray appearance to entertain guests from other magic schools.


    This would make them seem not to pay enough attention to such a grand event, and it would also make Hogwarts lose face.


    So, all faculty and staff went out collectively to use magic to help the castle key keeper Argus Filch clean the castle inside and out.


    Among them, Drac''s title deed was very useful. This all-round "surveince" sessfully discovered many unnoticed dirt in the corners. Drac even personally activated the magic of the castle itself to spread the cleaning spell to all directions.


    Filch had no task, so he set his sights on the portraits hanging on the wall.


    In fact, some portraits were also covered with dust and even covered with stains, but these paintings were drawn with magic, and it was not suitable to be cleaned directly with the cleaning spell to prevent the original magic from being destroyed or interfered with.


    The diligent janitor Filch finally found a job and used a rag to clean several dirty portraits, and even the faces of the characters in the paintings became whiter and tenderer.


    Those who were scrubbed were very dissatisfied with this. They sat in the picture frame with their bodies huddled, grumbling sullenly, and every time they touched the newly exposed pink tender flesh on their faces, they grimaced in pain.


    The armors that were often ced on both sides of the corridor also became shiny and no longer creaked when moving.


    "How many times have I told you to clean your soles before entering the castle!"


    Filch''s roar was often heard at the gate of the castle.


    His ferocious and irritable appearance scared many first and second grade wizards from walking by the ck Lake, because they were afraid that their soles would be stained with mud by theke.


    Not only in terms of hygiene, the professors also seemed particrly nervous in other aspects.


    "Longbottom, please be kind and don''t show your secret in front of the people at Durmstrang, so that they can see that you don''t even have a simple conversion spell!" Professor McGonagall shouted at the end of the ss.


    In that ss, Professor McGonagall reviewed the conversion spell, which is a spell that converts the properties of two objects and is one of the branches of Transfiguration.


    However, Neville got the spell target wrong in his nervousness, and identally grafted his ear onto a cactus, and his ear turned into a green nt with thorns, which looked very weird.


    Professor Flitwick was so anxious that he jumped on the desk, because Harry and other fourth-grade wizards couldn''t even learn the very basic Spell of the Spell, and often smashed the cushions used for spells on the faces of the students next to them, which interfered with the spells of the people around them, triggering a series of chain reactions...


    Inparison, Drac seemed much more rxed.


    "Speaking of which, Durmstrang will teach students to use dark magic. Are you afraid?"


    On the podium of the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom, Drac looked at the students in the audience with a teasing look.


    "Not afraid!" The students in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss answered loudly with confidence.


    No matter how they perform in other subjects, no matter whether they study hard orplete their homework seriously... But at least one thing is certain, that is, all students at Hogwarts have experienced Drac''s devil training!


    After such training, even if the students'' written scores in Defense Against the Dark Arts are not good enough, at least their practical skills are definitely not inferior to those of their peers.


    It is precisely because of this that the young wizards do not think that those Durmstrang students who have learned some superficial knowledge of dark magic can pose much threat to them.


    After all, no one knows dark magic better than their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!


    "Very good, it seems that you have lived up to my special training for you." Drac hooked his lips, and the emotions in his eyes gradually became interested.


    "But in order to prevent any unexpected situation, I think I need to give you some further training in the next two days - I will use dark magic on you continuously, and you need to respond to various types of dark magic in time!"


    The young wizards'' originally confident expressions froze, and their faces were instantly upied by helplessness.


    In the previous devil training, it was enough to be hit by Professor Drac''s spell. Now it''s changed to dark magic, wouldn''t it make them suffer to death?


    ...


    Finally, the time came to October 30th, the day before Halloween.


    That morning, when the little wizards went downstairs for breakfast, they found that the hall had been decorated overnight-


    Huge silk banners were hung on the clean, white walls, each representing a Hogwarts college: red with a golden lion for Gryffindor, blue with a bronze eagle for Ravenw, yellow with a ck badger for Hufflepuff, and green with a silver python for Slytherin.


    Behind the teacher''s desk, there was thergest banner with the Hogwarts coat of arms: lions, eagles, badgers, and snakes connected together, surrounding a huge letter "H".


    On this day, it seemed as if the air was filled with a mood of expectation and joy.


    In ss, no one was in the mood to concentrate on the ss...Perhaps except Hermione, most of the little wizards were thinking that people from Beauxbatons, Durmstrang, and Invermorny woulde tonight.


    In Harry''s opinion, even the Potions ss was not as unbearable as usual, because it would end half an hour earlier.


    When the bell rang early, under Snape''s gloomy face, Harry, Ron and Hermione ran out of the ssroom and hurried to the Gryffindor Tower.


    ording to the instructions on the notice, they put down their schoolbags and textbooks, put on their school uniforms and cloaks, and then rushed down the stairs in two steps and came to the entrance courtyard in front of the hall.


    The deans of each college stood at the front and ordered their students to line up in an orderly manner.


    "Wes, put your hat on straight," Professor McGonagall said sternly to Ron and Harry, "Potter, tidy up your hair and don''t let it get messy."


    Harry quickly pressed his hair down with his hands, but it had no effect at all.


    "Everyone, follow me," Professor McGonagall did not bother to continue supervising the image management of the young wizards, and took the lead to walk to the oak gate on the side of the entrance courtyard, "First-year students are in front... Don''t crowd..."


    They filed through the oak gate, walked down the steps that everyone had walked when reporting for the first year, and lined up in front of the castle.


    It was a cold, fresh evening, the night was slowly falling, and a white, translucent moon was hanging over the Forbidden Forest.


    "It''s almost six o''clock," Ron looked at his watch, looked at the driveway leading to the front door, and said, "How do you think they wille? Take the Hogwarts Express like us?"


    "I haven''t heard that the Hogwarts Express can go to other countries." Hermione said, "and the boat on theke here obviously can''t amodate people from three schools. If theye from Hogsmeade Station, we should go to the north gate to greet them."


    "How do theye? Riding a flying broom?" Harry looked up at the starry sky and guessed.


    "I don''t think so..." Hermione continued to retort, "Coming from such a long distance, they might all catch a cold and go home before they even get to Hogwarts."


    "Maybe it''s the portkey? We used this kind of thing to watch the Quidditch World Cup." Ron continued to guess, "Or they can Apparate - maybe in their country, people under the age of seventeen are also allowed to Apparate?"


    "You can''t Apparate within the scope of Hogwarts. How many times do I have to tell you?" Hermione said impatiently.


    Several people guessed and guessed, and they couldn''t imagine how teachers and students from other magic schools woulde here as guests.


    The next moment the moon appeared over the distant mountains, Dumbledore''s voice rang out.


    "Ah! If I''m not mistaken, the representatives of Beauxbatons are here!"


    "Where are they?" Many students asked anxiously, looking in different directions.


    "Look, in the sky!" A student with good eyesight shouted loudly, his finger pointing to the sky above the Forbidden Forest.


    A huge monster was rapidly passing through the deep blue sky, covered with starlight, flying towards Hogwarts Castle, gradually getting bigger and bigger.


    ...When the ck monster passed over the treetops of the Forbidden Forest and was illuminated by the lights from the castle windows, a huge powder blue carriage appeared in front of the little wizards.


    The carriage was as big as a house, and twelve winged horses pulled it into the air. These Pegasus were all silver-maned horses, and each horse was about the size of an elephant.


    The carriage was getting closer and closer, and in the horrified eyes of the little wizards in the front row, itnded at an extremely fast speed, almost hitting the heads of the students in the first three rows - with a loud noise that shook the earth, the horse hooves fell heavily on the ground, each as big as a te.


    In the blink of an eye, the carriage alsonded on the ground, and the huge wheels kept shaking. The golden Pegasus retracted their wings at the same time and proudly raised their huge heads.


    Hagrid, who was standing in the team of Hogwarts faculty, was staring at the sight. He had never seen a Pegasus of such excellent quality, and this size was even enough for a big guy like him to ride for a walk.


    Hagrid secretly made up his mind that he must get along well with the person in charge of Beauxbatons when the timees to exchange one, and it would be even better if he could exchange a pair.


    The door of the carriage was opened, and the young wizards of Hogwarts could take this opportunity to see that there was a coat of arms printed on the door of Beauxbatons'' carriage. The coat of arms was a patternposed of two golden cross-shaped wands, and there were three stars above each wand.


    A boy in a light blue robe jumped off the carriage first, bent down in the puzzled eyes of the crowd, and fumbled on the floor of the carriage for a while.


    The next moment, a golden spiral staircase extended from the bottom of the door like flowing water, extending all the way to the ground, giving the people in the carriage the opportunity to walk down gracefully from the door at the height of a floor.


    As expected by everyone at Hogwarts, the person who came out of the carriage door was indeed elegant enough, and a shiny ck high-heeled shoe poked out of the carriage...


    However, this shoe was as big as a small sled for children!


    Following the high-heeled shoes, a woman appeared. Her size was simply thergest that the young wizards and even professors present had ever seen in their lives. Perhaps only Hagrid in the entire wizarding world couldpare with her in physique.


    Of course,pared to Hagrid''s unkempt appearance and bulging belly, as well as messy hair and beard, when this big woman who got off the carriage of Beauxbatons approached, under the light of Hogwarts, everyone found that she had a very handsome olive face.


    Her hair wasbed back and tied into a shiny bun at the base of her neck. She was wrapped in a ck brocade dress from head to toe, and many luxurious opals shone on her neck and thick fingers.


    Obviously, despite her size, she is still a very particrdy.


    Harry subconsciously looked at Hagrid, wanting topare the two, but found that Hagrid was staring at the bigdy with a silly smile on his face, looking like a pervert.


    Harry covered his face in embarrassment.


    In fact, it is reasonable for Hagrid to be attracted to thisdy, after all, he has never seen anyone with a body shape that matches Hagrid.


    But...


    Harry looked at Hagrid''s dirty moleskin coat, and then looked at thedy of Beauxbatons who was dressed in jewels, and couldn''t help but feel worried for Hagrid in his heart.


    Dumbledore took the lead in apuding, interrupting Harry''s thoughts.


    He followed Dumbledore to apud to express his wee, and the ssmates around him also pped their hands, and many people stood on tiptoe to see this strange woman more clearly.


    Her expression rxed, she smiled elegantly, held out a glittering hand, and walked toward Dumbledore.


    Dumbledore was a tall, thin man, but he barely bent down to kiss thedy''s hand.


    "Dear Madam Maxime," Dumbledore said, "wee to Hogwarts, you and the students of Beauxbatons School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

 Chapter 241 - 241 Dumbledore’s old acquaintance at Ilvermorny

    <h4>Chapter 241: Dumbledore''s old acquaintance at Ilvermorny</h4>


    Shortly after Beauxbatons'' headmaster, Madame Maxime, who was the same height as Hagrid, arrived with her students, the Durmstrang team also arrived at the Hogwarts area in an equally surprising way.


    At first, a loud and strange sound floated from the darkness to the people present: a suppressed rumbling and sucking sound, like a huge vacuum cleaner moving along the riverbed...


    Although, the originally calm surface of the ckke suddenly produced violent fluctuations, and the water in the middle of theke seemed to have a huge monster moving, and huge water sshed on the water surface, and the waves hit the wetkeshore-


    Then, right in the middle of theke, arge whirlpool appeared, as if a huge plug was suddenly pulled out from the bottom of theke...


    A ck long pole-like thing slowly rose from the whirlpool, followed by sails and rigging...


    Slowly, a magnificent ship rose out of the water, shining in the moonlight.


    The ship looked strange, like a skeleton, as if it was the remains of a sunken ship that had just been salvaged. The portholes flickered with dim, misty lights, looking like the eyes of a ghost.


    Finally, with a ssh of water, the ship emergedpletely, bumping on the turbulent water, sailing to the shore, and a wide wooden board was ced on thekeshore.


    When the people on the ship went ashore, the students of Hogwarts noticed that their height and physique were very tall and strong. Of course, not as exaggerated as Madame Maxime, but about the same as Crabbe and Goyle...


    It was still very exciting to see a group of strong men get off the ship together and walk towards the crowd of Hogwarts. Many young wizards were a little scared.


    At this time, Ron suddenly shouted loudly, breaking the depressing atmosphere.


    "Harry, isn''t that... isn''t that Krum?" He pped Harry''s arm quickly.


    "Krum? Which Krum?" Harry was stunned.


    Without waiting for Ron to exin, he recognized the figure instantly when he caught a glimpse of the striking hooked nose and two thick ck eyebrowsing down from the hall.


    "It''s Viktor Krum!"


    Ron eximed in surprise.


    "I can''t believe he came to Hogwarts! I still have his figurines in my dormitory!"


    "For Merlin''s sake, Ron, he''s just a Quidditch yer." Hermione nced at Ron with disdain.


    "Just a Quidditch yer..." Ron stared at her nkly, as if he couldn''t believe his ears, "Hermione - he''s one of the best seekers in the world! I didn''t expect he was still a student!"


    The headmaster of Durmstrang, Ingor Karkaroff, raised his lips and walked over to shake hands with Dumbledore as if he had a sense of superiority.


    "Dumbledore!" he shouted enthusiastically as he walked up the ramp, "My dear old friend, how are you?"


    "Excellent, thank you, Professor Karkaroff." Dumbledore smiled seriously.


    "Dear old friend, ah, finally I''m back at Hogwarts..." He looked up at the castle and said with a smile.


    His teeth were very yellow when he smiled, and although his face was smiling, there was no smile in his eyes, and he was suppressing a trace of annoyance.


    "It''s great to be here, it''s great... Viktor,e here and warm up... You don''t mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a little cold..."


    Only when a big celebrity like Viktor Krum showed off in front of Dumbledore, Karkaroff''s smile became more sincere.


    Seeing this scene, Drac, who had been standing next to him bored, frowned.


    This person actually pretended to be cool in front of him?


    I can''t stand it.


    Isn''t it just a star student? As if no one has.


    "Potter,e here."


    Drac said indifferently.


    "...Ah? Me?" Harry was suddenly called by his name and asked in surprise.


    While asking, he was also reflecting on whether he was a little excited after seeing Krum and did not grasp the basic etiquette... But Ron and the bunch of girls next to him were obviously more excited?


    "Besides you, is there another Potter here?" Drac said impatiently, "Come here quickly!"


    Harry hesitantly squeezed through the crowd in front of him and walked to Professor Drac.


    He could see that even Dumbledore was looking at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor with a puzzled look, who didn''t know what he suddenly thought of.


    Just when Harry walked to the front of the team so that everyone from Durmstrang could see clearly, Drac''s expression moved, and a perfect breeze blew, just blowing away Harry''s bangs.


    The lightning-shaped scar that was famous in the magic world was exposed, and at the same time, a ray of moonlight from nowhere just illuminated Harry''s forehead.


    Everyone''s eyes were subconsciously attracted to it-


    "Oh my God! That scar, that is..."


    "What the newspaper said is true, the boy who survived is indeed in Hogwarts!"


    "He is... He is Harry Potter!"


    "..."


    The students who came to visit Durmstrang really started talking.


    Harry''s fame is not limited to the British magic world.


    At that time, Voldemort and his Death Eaters actually made a lot of trouble around the world, andunched terrorist activities in many different countries.


    In addition, the British Ministry of Magic was at a disadvantage in the war against the Death Eaters for a long time at that time, and it was unable to take into ount other regions. The magic world of other countries did not have a great wizard like Dumbledore who could make Voldemort feel afraid, so the man who must not be named made people all over the world fall into fear.


    The emergence of Harry Potter, the boy who survived a catastrophe, made people all over the world breathe a sigh of relief.


    Although more than a decade ago, on the surface, only the British wizardingmunity was celebrating the departure of the mysterious man, the wizardingmunities of other countries such as America also condemned the British wizards for letting owls fly around and releasing weather spells to celebrate, believing that they vited the International Confederation of Wizards'' Statute of Secrecy.


    But in fact, those countries that condemned it were already very happy.


    They hoped that Voldemort, a terrorist who no one could control, would be defeated quickly, otherwise what would happen if Grindelwald appeared again and swept across half of the world?


    It is precisely because of this that Harry''s fame has long gone beyond Britain and spread all over the world.


    Looking at the shocked reactions of the students of Durmstrang and the gloomy expression of Karkaroff after he was interrupted when he showed off his star student, Drac curled his lips with great satisfaction.


    "Excuse me, Professor Karkaroff," Drac said with a cheerful smile, "Actually, Harry has a slight cold too. I think he can talk to Mr. Krum about his condition."


    "No, I don''t..."


    Harry''s subconscious retort hadn''t finished yet when he saw Drac''s ring eyes, so he lowered his head silently.


    It''s better to have a cold than to make Professor Drac lose face...


    Karkaroff nodded stiffly and looked at Dumbledore.


    "Dumbledore, who is this..." he asked in a low voice.


    "Oh, I forgot to introduce you, Karkaroff." Dumbledore looked at Drac with a smile, and secretly gave him a thumbs up behind his back, then looked at Karkaroff and said, "This is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, Professor Drac!"


    Karkaroff had a gloomy face and wanted to say a few more sneers, but when he heard Drac''s name, his face changed. I don''t know what he thought of, and he didn''t dare to say anything to refute.


    "Let''s go, Viktor."


    He flicked his sleeves and called Krum and other Durmstrang students to walk up the steps leading to the auditorium.


    Krum followed without saying a word. His performance from beginning to end was very taciturn, which was different from his high-spirited performance on the broom.


    But this did not affect the enthusiasm of the students at Hogwarts at all.


    As a celebrity, Harry Potter spent every day with them, and his usual performance was not so outstanding. There was not much left of the halo effect.


    But Viktor Krum was different. Many young wizards saw a live Quidditch star up close for the first time!


    The students of Durmstrang felt the same when they saw Harry.


    Karkaroff led the students of Durmstrang up the steps. When Harry squeezed back into the team with the crowd, he saw Lee Jordan in the Gryffindor team jumping up and down on tiptoe, trying to see Krum''s back more clearly.


    Several sixth-grade girls muttered to themselves while frantically searching their pockets for something -


    "Oh, I can''t believe I don''t have a quill on me -"


    "Do you think he will sign my hat with lipstick?"


    "That''s ridiculous!" Hermione raised her head proudly, disdaining the girls who were arguing over a lipstick.


    "You''re at a big loss, Harry!" Ron grabbed Harry and said loudly, "You were so close to Krum just now, why didn''t you take the opportunity to ask him for an autographed photo?"


    "Uh..." Harry scratched his head.


    He couldn''t say that Professor Drac called him to the front to save face for Hogwarts and to suppress Krum, right?


    If he suddenly asked for an autograph, the professor''s n would fail...


    Harry shuddered, and couldn''t imagine what kind of cruel treatment he would suffer from Professor Drac if this continued.


    "It''s okay, Ron, Krum will stay in Hogwarts for a long time next." Harry patted Ron''s shoulder seriously, "You have plenty of opportunities to ask him for an autographed photo."


    Thest to arrive were the wizards of Invermorny.


    Harry identally saw that Rolf Scamander''s face on the Hufflepuff team was a little strange, and he kept shrinking behind the tall Cedric next to him.


    "What''s wrong with Rolf?" Harry looked over there with some confusion.


    The next moment, the ground suddenly shook violently. When he turned his head subconsciously to look at theke where the vibration came from, he was startled.


    In addition to the carriage as big as the Beauxbatons house parked on the shore and the luxurious boats moored on theke, a tall tower suddenly appeared in front of him, standing abruptly on the mudts of thekeshore.


    The surrounding wet sand seemed very soft, and it didn''t look like it could support such a building at all.


    However, this tower stood there in an unphysical way, with no sign of falling down.


    "How... did ite out?" Harry swallowed his saliva and asked Ron stutteringly.


    "No... I don''t know, it just suddenly came out from the ground." Ron also stuttered.


    As if apetition had already begun, the appearances of these three magic schools were more exciting than each other.


    The door of the tower opened, and an elderly white-haired witch with dark skin walked out. As soon as she saw Dumbledore, she waved her arms enthusiastically and waved to him.


    "Long time no see, Professor Hicks." Dumbledore also waved with a smile and hugged the professor named Hicks.


    It can be seen that Dumbledore and the headmaster of Invermorny are more familiar with each other than the previous two headmasters.


    "Oh, it''s been a long time since west met. We''ve be estranged." Professor Hicks blinked teasingly, "Albus, I remember you should have always called me Larry?"


    "Ah, it''s my problem, Larry." Dumbledore alsoughed, "After all, it''s a formal asion representing the meeting of two schools. I thought you would be a little more serious."


    "Really?" Professor Hicks smiled and suddenly lowered her voice, "If you were really so serious, you wouldn''t have tried every means to trick my outstanding student away!"


    While speaking, she looked at the Hufflepuff team, "It''s still easy to identify, the same color as the scarf Newt often wears. Um... brat, don''t hide, I see you!"


    Rolf, who had been hiding behind Cedric, reluctantly poked his head out and sighed deeply.


    "Good evening, Grandma Hicks." He greeted Professor Hicks with a bitter face.


    "You still know that I''m your godmother?" Professor Hicksughed and scolded unhappily, "Rolf, when you ran to Hogwarts to study without telling your grandmother, why didn''t I realize that you thought of us?"


    Rolf stood there weakly and didn''t dare to speak. The little wizards around him looked at him in surprise. They didn''t expect that this little badger who transferred to the school would have such a rtionship with the principal of the Yinfamori School of Magic on the other side of the ocean.


    Faced with this situation, Dumbledore could only speak helplessly to be a peacemaker.


    "Ahem..." He coughed dryly, "Lally, Rolf was just influenced by Newt and wanted toe to Hogwarts to experience the life of a Hufflepuff... Facts have proved that Hogwarts is more attractive to him."


    "Humph, since Albus you said so, I''ll give that kid a face and save the punishment for himter." Professor Hicks said, "But I want to see what is so attractive about Hogwarts during this time!"

 Chapter 242 - 242 Half-Veela

    <h4>Chapter 242: Half-Ve</h4>


    Rolf escaped Professor Hicks''s cmity, but not the other one.


    Compared with Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, there were not many students from Invermorny who came to Hogwarts, and they could be counted on one hand.


    But when Rolf saw the young boy with blond hair, strong physique and funny mustache, he shuddered and tried to get behind Cedric.


    However, Rolf''s position had been exposed by Professor Hicks. The student from Invermorny saw Rolf at a nce and walked over with a bigugh.


    "Ah, it''s been a long time since west met, Rolf!" He said very generously.


    Cedric was pushed in front of Rolf, and he was not sure whether the boy in front of him was kind or wanted to harm Rolf, so he had to protect Rolf behind him dutifully and fulfill his duties as a ss leader.


    "Excuse me, ssmate of Yin Famo Ni, I''m Cedric Diggory, the prefect of Hufflepuff." He said politely, "I want to ask, what do you want with Rolf?"


    To Cedric''s surprise, this sturdy wizard with a mustache was surprisingly easy to talk to.


    "Oh, nice to meet you, Prefect Diggory." He smiled and stretched out his hand to Cedric, "I''m John Kowalski, Rolf''s cousin. My grandmother and Rolf''s grandmother are sisters."


    "Hello, Mr. Kowalski." Cedric shook hands with John, then turned his head to look at Rolf, "Rolf, is this your cousin?"


    Rolf didn''t want to admit it, but under John''s smiling eyes, he couldn''t say the words of denial after all, so he nodded reluctantly.


    However, his admission confused Cedric.


    "I want to know, is there any problem between you two cousins?" he asked.


    "No, we have always had a good rtionship." John said with a smile, "It''s just that this kid must have been a little guilty recently and didn''t dare to face me. Am I right, Rolf?"


    Rolf didn''t say anything.


    John didn''t care, and then said to Cedric: "I originally wanted to train Rolf to take over my job and be the student union president after Yin Famo Ni, but he came to Hogwarts to study...so he is guilty!"


    Cedric thought about it carefully and made a judgment secretly.


    So he nodded and let Rolf who was hiding behind him go.


    "You two brothers should solve your own problems." He looked at Rolf with sympathy.


    Rolf was shocked. But without Cedric''s obstruction, he was immediately caught by this strong cousin, hugged by the shoulder and pushed towards Hogwarts Castle.


    Now, the people from thest magic school have all arrived. The "ushers" of Hogwarts finally don''t have to stand like a log in the coldke wind. They shivered and returned to the hall.


    Harry and his friends walked to the Gryffindor table and sat down. Ron deliberately sat on the side facing the door, because Krum and his Durmstrang alumni were still gathered at the door, and seemed to be unsure where they should sit.


    The students of Invermorny, led by John Kowalski, the president of the Student Union, naturally sat next to the long table of Hufflepuff. A group of people surrounded the lonely Rolf.


    Harry silently mourned for this good friend who had once explored together for two seconds...


    In addition, the students of Beauxbatons quickly chose the seats next to the Ravenw table with the least number of people and the quietest.


    After they sat down, they looked around the hall with a gloomy expression on their faces. It seemed that Hogwarts did not meet their imagination. Three of the students had their heads wrapped tightly with scarves and turbans.


    "It''s not that cold," Hermione nced at them and said unhappily, "Why don''t they wear cloaks?"


    "Here! Come and sit here!" However, Ron didn''t notice what Hermione was saying at all, and shouted hoarsely, "Here! Hermione, move over a little, make some room--"


    "What?"


    "s, it''s toote!" Ron said regretfully.


    Viktor Krum and his Durmstrang alumni had already sat down at the Slytherin table.


    Draco Malfoy and his two followers, Crabbe and Goyle, were very proud of it. Malfoy even stood up and leaned over to talk to Krum.


    "Ah, yes, Malfoy is fawning over him," said Ron sharply. "I bet Krum saw through him right away... I bet Krum is fawned over and ttered wherever he goes..."


    "Where do you think they''ll sleep? We can give him a bed in our dormitory, Harry... I''d give him my bed and sleep on a cot."


    Hermione snorted.


    "They look much happier than the Beauxbatons," Harrymented pertinently.


    The Durmstrang students took off their fur cloaks and looked up at the dark, starlit ceiling with great interest. Two of them even picked up golden tes and goblets and examined them carefully, obviously with great interest.


    Over at the staff table, the janitor Filch was adding a few chairs. For today''s grand asion, he wore a moldy old tailcoat.


    Harry was surprised to see that he had added five chairs, two to the left of Dumbledore''s main seat and three to the right.


    It was a bit strange to say that Filch''s physical fitness seemed to be much worse than before. The janitor who used to chase the little wizards who wandered at night could run all night, but now he was a little out of breath after moving five chairs.


    "But there are only three more professors," Harry said puzzledly, "Why did Filch bring out four chairs? Who else wille?"


    "Huh?" Ron answered vaguely, still staring at Krum eagerly.


    After all the students entered the hall and sat down at the tables of their respective colleges, the faculty also came in and filed to the main guest seats and sat down.


    At the end were Dumbledore, Professor Hicks, Karkaroff and Madame Maxime.


    The school rules of Beauxbatons seemed to be very strict. When the students of Beauxbatons saw their headmaster appear, they stood up quickly and did not dare to sit down when the headmaster was standing.


    Seeing this scene, several young wizards from Hogwarts couldn''t helpughing. But the representatives of Beauxbatons didn''t seem embarrassed at all. They sat down again only after Madame Maxime sat down on Dumbledore''s left.


    Dumbledore didn''t sit down, but stood in front of his seat waiting for the hall to gradually quiet down.


    "Good evening,dies and gentlemen, ghosts, and especially our distinguished guests," Dumbledore smiled at the students from other schools, "I wee you to Hogwarts with great joy. I hope and believe that you will feelfortable and happy here."


    A girl from Beauxbatons still wrapped her cheeks tightly with a scarf, and uttered a sneer that was undoubtedly questioning.


    "No one forced you to stay!" Hermione whispered.


    At this moment, a familiar voice suddenly came to her ears:


    "The hardware facilities of Beauxbatons are indeed much better than those of Hogwarts. It is normal for them to look down on them."


    Hermione turned around and saw Drac standing beside her with a chuckle, looking at the Beauxbatons girls with their faces covered with interest.


    "Professor Drac?" Hermione asked in surprise, "I thought you should be in the professor''s seat now?"


    "That''s right, but Potter cooperated well with me before, I think he should be rewarded." Drac said, "I may forget it in a few minutes, so it''s better to give it to him directly."


    As he said that, he took out a small thing from his pocket and threw it to Harry.


    "Professor, this is..." Harry caught the small thing, but couldn''t tell what it was.


    "Oh, I just had an idea and made a portable shlight." Drac nced at Harry''s forehead and said with interest, "It has a little magic. When the light shines on a certain ce, people around will unconsciously look at the ce where the light shines."


    "For example, when you run into Krum head-on, in order not to be overshadowed by him, you can use this shlight to shine on your forehead and let others shift their attention to your scar. It''s guaranteed to be practical!"


    Harry couldn''t help but cover his face.


    This operation is too embarrassing...


    "Professor, you just said that the hardware facilities of Beauxbatons are better than Hogwarts. Is this true?" Hermione fully exerted the characteristics of a curious baby and asked like a ss question.


    "Of course, after all, they are much richer than Hogwarts." Drac chuckled, "Nico mel, the alchemist that Potter and Weiss had a remote chat with before, is the director of Beauxbatons."


    "As you know, Nico has a magic stone that can turn stone into gold, and he has too much money to spend. So he donates arge sum of Galleons to Beauxbatons every year, so that the school has the confidence to undergo a major renovation every few years."


    "I have visited there several times, and their school is indeed very beautiful... At least it is notparable to Hogwarts, which relies on a few stingy pure-blood families and a small number of alumni donations to barely maintain its operation."


    "Then they can''t look down on Hogwarts, right?" Hermione was still a little indignant.


    "Indeed. But ording to the character of these little guys, not opening their mouths to mock is already a good endurance."


    Drac smiled and left the Gryffindor table and returned to his seat as a professor, leaving Hermione, Harry and Ron sitting in their original seats, not understanding why Professor Drac had be so easy to talk to.


    At the same time, Dumbledore''s speech also came to an end-


    "The Four Finals Tournament will officially begin at the end of the banquet." Dumbledore said, "I now invite everyone to eat and drink as much as you can, just like at home!"


    Then he sat down and talked happily with Professor Hicks on his right, and from time to time he smiled and nced at Rove, who was surrounded by a group of Yin Famori students and looked embarrassed.


    The tes in front of the little wizards were full of food as usual.


    The house elves in the kitchen seemed to have used all their tricks. Today''s dishes were more abundant than in the past, and they were ced in front of them in a variety of ways. Some of them must have foreign vors.


    "What is that?" Ron asked.


    He pointed to arge te of something next to arge steak and a cup of pudding, which looked like a seafood stew.


    "French bouibaisse," Hermione said.


    "Is it for those people in Beauxbatons?" Ron asked.


    "It should be," Hermione nodded, "This is French food. I ate it during the summer vacation two years ago. It tastes delicious."


    "It''s you, our Miss Know-it-all." Ron made a nomittal joke and served himself some ck pudding.


    It turned out that the young British wizards were not very interested in French dishes, and no one touched the te of French bouibaisse for a long time.


    At this moment, a voice said, "Excuse me, are you still eating this te of bouibaisse?"


    It was the Beauxbatons girl whoughed when Dumbledore was talking just now.


    At this time, she finally took off her scarf.


    A long waterfall of silver hair fell to her waist, and her beautiful face had a pair of big blue eyes and a mouthful of white and neat teeth.


    Ron''s face flushed red, and he stared at her nkly. He opened his mouth to answer, but only made some strange little sounds, as if his throat was stuck.


    "Okay, you take it." Harry said for Ron and pushed the te to the girl.


    "Have you finished eating?" the girl asked.


    "I''m done," Ron said with difficulty, a little breathless, "I''m done, it''s delicious."


    The girl carefully carried the te and walked to the Ravenw table. Ron still stared at the girl with wide eyes, as if he had never seen a female ssmate before.


    Harryughed happily, and hisughter finally brought Ron back to his senses.


    "She''s a ve!" Ron said to Harry in a hoarse voice.


    "Definitely not!" Hermione poked the steak in front of her with a fork and said with gritted teeth, "I didn''t see anyone staring at her like an idiot!"


    What she said was not entirely correct.


    When the girl walked through the hall, many boys turned their heads to look at her, and some of them seemed to be speechless for a moment, just like Ron.


    ''This is a half-blood ve. '' Hermione thought to herself.


    She suddenly realized why Professor Drac said that before - Ve''s temper is indeed not very good. In the previous Quidditch World Cup, the Bulgarian mascot Ve almost fought with the Irish mascot.


    Hermione looked at Drac''s long silver hair, which was brighter than that of the girl, and suddenly felt that she had discovered something incredible.


    Could Professor Drac also be a half-blood ve...?


    "That girl is really extraordinary!" Ron, who was standing by, didn''t know what Hermione was thinking. He just said as he turned sideways so that he could still look at the girl clearly. "There is no such beautiful person in Hogwarts!"


    "The girls in Hogwarts are not bad either." Harry said without thinking.


    He subconsciously followed Ron''s gaze to the long table of Ravenw and saw Qiu Zhang, who had smooth ck hair, sitting not far from the girl with silver hair.


    Harry''s gaze paused for a moment, and suddenly shook his head with a smile, and turned his gaze back to the long table of Gryffindor.


    He saw that Ginny, who was sitting not far away, was staring at him eagerly, and when she noticed his gaze, she blushed and lowered her head.


    Yes, the girls in Hogwarts are not bad either.


    Not only the girls in Ravenw, but also the girls in Gryffindor.

 Chapter 243 - 243 Goblet of Fire

    <h4>Chapter 243: Goblet of Fire</h4>


    Soon, the two empty seats near Dumbledore were filled in the professors'' seats.


    Ludo Bagman, the director of the Department of Magical Sports and Magic, sat on the other side of Karkaroff, and Barty Crouch, Percy''s immediate superior and the director of the Department of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation, sat next to Madame Maxime.


    "What are these two people from the Ministry of Magic doing here?" Harry asked in surprise.


    "Is it because they organized the Four Finals Tournament?" Hermione guessed, "I guess they are guests and are ready to witness the opening ceremony of the tournament with their own eyes."


    At this time, they noticed that Drac suddenly stood up from his seat, walked to Bagman and pressed his shoulder.


    "Oh, Fred, look!" An excited voice sounded next to the Gryffindor table. George was pping Fred''s arm like crazy, "Professor Drac dragged Bagman away!"


    "Well done, Professor Drac!" Fred jumped up and waved his fist excitedly.


    Others looked at the twins in bewilderment, wondering what they were so excited about.


    Some officials of the Ministry of Magic are indeed abominable, but this Director Bagman didn''t seem to have done anything that would anger the heavens and the people, except for not handling the Quidditch World Cup very well? Why are these two Weiss so happy?


    "What happened to your two brothers?" Seamus Finnigan, who shared a dormitory with Harry and Ron, approached Ron and asked curiously.


    Ron still didn''t want to take his eyes off the silver-haired girl, but just nced at his two brothers hurriedly, and said vaguely:


    "They won the bet... Bagman owed them a lot of money, and Professor Drac should help them get it back."


    "What a pity, why didn''t I bet everything I had with them?" He muttered with some regret.


    After listening to Ron''s exnation, the other little wizards of Gryffindor stared at Professor Drac and Ludo Bagman with wide eyes, wanting to see what method their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would use to collect the debt.


    However, the process was destined to disappoint the little wizards.


    Ludo Bagman had no ability to resist Drac at all. He didn''t even persist until the next dish was served under Drac''s cold eyes. He was defeated and took out an exquisite metal key from his pocket and handed it over.


    Then, Drac didn''t know what to say to Bagman. He walked around in a dejected manner, moved from the professor''s seat to the front of the Gryffindor long table, and handed a metal key to the Weiss twins.


    "This is the key to warehouse No. 592 of Gringotts. The wealth inside is enough to pay for the Galleons you won." Bagman looked at the key held in Fred''s hand reluctantly and said disappointedly.


    "Are there really enough Galleons here?" George looked at him suspiciously, "We know that you still have a lot of gambling debts that have not been repaid... You won''t lie to us, will you?"


    "Who do you two think I am?!" Bagman said dissatisfiedly, "As the director of the Department of Magical Sports and Sports, I promised to pay you enough Galleons, and I will definitely not regret it!"


    After that, he turned his head away with a heartache and no longer looked at the key.


    "I should have thought of it earlier. How could the first professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts who was re-elected and even re-elected for several years be easy to mess with..." Bagman was still mumbling on the way back to the professor''s seat.


    "It''s still easy to deceive those greedy goblins. They only need to show their identity as Ministry of Magic officials to borrow enough Galleons to pay back the professor..."


    Bagman made up his mind to start a big bet in this semi-final match and make back all the losses before!


    ...


    The banquet is still going on.


    The following dishes were served one after another. Not only the French fish soup, but also a strange white milk jelly and many other dishes that the young British wizards did not recognize.


    Ron guessed that they should be foreign dishes, so he carefully moved the tes a few inches away from his right hand so that they could be clearly seen from the Ravencrouch table.


    But his little trick did not seed.


    The girl who looked like a Ve might have eaten enough, or these dishes might not be from France, and she had no intention ofing to serve these foods...


    When the golden tes became brand new under the effect of magic, Dumbledore stood up again and smiled at the students from various schools who were gradually quieting down below the stage.


    A mood of excitement and nervousness seemed to permeate the hall.


    "The moment has finally arrived," Dumbledore said loudly, showing an expectant smile to the raised faces, "The Final Four Tournament is about to begin. I want to exin a few words before bringing in the box--"


    "Bring in what?" Harry was stunned for a moment and asked in a low voice.


    "He only said the box, who knows what it is." Ron shrugged his shoulders.


    "First, I will exin to everyone the program of our activities this school year. But first, please allow me to introduce two guests, because some people don''t know them. This is Mr. Barty Crouch, the Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Magic."


    There was sparse apuse in the hall.


    And Crouch seemed a little absent-minded, just nodding casually to the students in the audience.


    It''s a bit strange to say that when Drac just dragged Bagman away, the former Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, who was originally known for his toughness, did not have any objections, but seemed to have seen nothing.


    However, not many people paid attention to Crouch''s behavior, and the opening ceremony of the semi-finals continued:


    "This is Mr. Ludo Bagman, Director of the Department of Sports and Physical Education of the Ministry of Magic." Dumbledore pointed at Bagman and introduced him to the students.


    The apuse for Bagman was much louder than that for Mr. Crouch, perhaps because he was once famous as a batsman, or perhaps just because he looked much more friendly.


    Bagman seemed to havepletely forgotten the sadness of losing arge sum of money, and waved to everyone with a happy face to express his gratitude.


    "In the past few months, Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly to arrange the semi-finals," Dumbledore continued, "They will form a panel of judges with me, Professor Hicks, Professor Karkaroff and Madame Maxime to judge the efforts of the warriors."


    When the students heard the word "warrior", they immediately sat up straight and became more focused.


    Dumbledore seemed to notice their sudden silence. He smiled and said, "Mr. Filch, please bring up the box." No one noticed that the doorman Filch, who had been squatting in a corner of the hall, stood up and walked towards Dumbledore, holding arge wooden box iid with jewels in his hand. The box looked very old, at least several decades old. The young wizards watched in a trance and talked excitedly. Some young wizards in the lower grades simply stood on the chairs to see more clearly. But those young wizards were often too small, and even when they stood, their heads were not much higher than others. "Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman have carefully reviewed the specific events of the warriors''petition this year," Dumbledore motioned Filch to put the box on the table in front of him, and then said, "They have also made many necessary arrangements for each event-"


    "There are three events in this four-strongpetition, which will be held at different times throughout the school year. They will test the warriors in many different aspects...test their magical talents, their courage, and their reasoning ability."


    "Of course, it will also test the warriors'' ability to ovee danger."


    At the end, Dumbledore''s expression became serious.


    The hall became silent, as if everyone had stopped breathing.


    "As you know, there will be four champions participating in thepetition, one from each school," Dumbledore said calmly, "We will score them ording to the quality of their performance in eachpetition item. After three items, the champion with the highest score will win the trophy of the semi-finals."


    "As you all know, the person who is responsible for selecting the champions is a judge who is as fair as can be. Now, we will reveal the true identity of this judge, who is--"


    At this point, Dumbledore suddenly paused.


    He pulled out his wand and knocked three times on the lid of the box.


    The lid slowly and creaked open. Dumbledore reached in and pulled out arge, roughly carved wooden goblet.


    "It is the Goblet of Fire!"


    Everyone present cast their eyes on the cup in Dumbledore''s hand. The cup itself was inconspicuous, but it was full of dancing blue-white mes.


    The mes were different from the magical mes that the young wizards usually saw. There was a mysterious atmosphere in it, and anyone could feel that there were many different mysterious magics in the mes.


    Dumbledore closed the box and ced the cup on the lid so that everyone in the hall could see it clearly.


    "Every student who wants to run for the champion must write his name and school name on a piece of parchment and throw it into this goblet," Dumbledore said. "Students who aspire to be champions can sign up within 24 hours."


    "Tomorrow night, Halloween night, the goblet will select the names of four students who it thinks best represent the four schools. Tonight, the goblet will be ced in the foyer in front of the hall, and all students who are willing to participate in the election can touch it."


    "In order to prevent students who are not old enough from being tempted," Dumbledore said, "after the goblet is ced in the foyer, I will draw an age line around it. No one under the age of seventeen can cross this line."


    Seeing that all the little wizards were eager to try, his face suddenly became stern.


    "Finally, I would like to remind every student who is going to participate in the election that thispetition is not a joke, and you must not participate rashly. Once a warrior is selected by the Goblet of Fire, he must persist in thepetition to the end!"


    "To put it another way, whoever casts his name into the cup actually forms a magical contract that must be observed. Once you be a warrior, you are not allowed to change your mind."


    "Therefore, please think twice and make sure that you really want to participate in thepetition before casting your name into the cup..."


    After repeatedly emphasizing it many times, Dumbledore looked down at the time and smiled again:


    "Okay, it''s almost time, I think everyone should go to bed. Good night everyone!"


    The dinner finally ended in the students'' expectant, nervous, or anxious eyes.


    Dumbledore''s repeated warnings did dispel the idea of ??many young wizards to participate in thepetition. Of course, this idea of ??thinking twice before acting has no effect on the little lions of Gryffindor.


    "Age limit!" Fred patted the table, his eyes sparkling, "That''s easy, we can definitely be fooled by the aging drug, right, George?"


    "That''s right!" George''s expression was also full of excitement, "As long as our names are in that cup, it will bepletely sessful - it can''t tell who is over 17 and who is under 17!"


    At this time, the students had already passed through the auditorium and walked towards the two doors leading to the lobby.


    "But I don''t think it''s possible for someone under seventeen to win," Hermione advised as they walked on the road, "We haven''t learned enough..."


    "Not really, didn''t you hear what Dumbledore just said?" George retorted, "The semi-finals test all-round abilities, and people like us who are particrly proficient in unconventional things certainly have our own advantages!"


    "Where is he?" Ron was the only one who was still confused among the people present, and he said in confusion, "Dumbledore didn''t say where the representatives of Durmstrang slept, did he?"


    He didn''t hear a word of Fred''s conversation, and was only busy searching for Krum in the crowd.


    However, his question was answered almost immediately.


    Karkaroff didn''t look too good, and was hurriedly walking towards his students.


    "Well, let''s go back to the ship. Are you nning to stay overnight in the castle?" he said. "Viktor, how do you feel? Have you eaten enough? Do you want me to send some warm wine from the kitchen?"


    Harry saw Krum shook his head and put his fur cloak back on.


    ...


    The next day was Saturday. Generally speaking, students would get upte to have breakfast.


    However, many people got up much earlier than usual this weekend.


    When Harry, Ron and Hermione went downstairs and entered the entrance hall, more than 20 people were already gathered there to watch the show.


    Several young wizards were still eating bread taken out of the hall, carefully looking at the Goblet of Fire burning with blue and white mes.


    The cup was now ced in the center of the entrance hall, on the stool where the Sorting Hat was usually ced. A thin golden line was drawn on the floor, and the golden line was shining with magical brilliance, surrounding the Goblet of Fire in the middle.


    "Has anyone put their name in?" Ron asked eagerly to a young wizard who had been waiting here to watch the show.


    "Yes, all representatives from Durmstrang," the young wizard replied, "but I haven''t seen anyone from Hogwarts sign up yet."


    "Someone must have put their name in while we were sleepingst night," Harry said hesitantly, "If it were me, I would do that... If the Goblet of Fire doesn''t ept you and throws your name out in a ball, how embarrassing!"


    Suddenly, someone behind the young wizardsughed.


    They looked back and saw Fred, George and Lee Jordan hurried down the stairs, all three of them looked extremely excited.


    "It''s done!" Fred whispered to Harry, Ron and Hermione in a proud tone, "We sessfully brewed a cup of aging potion and just drank it."


    "I haven''t seen you two have such a good talent for potions..." Ronined.


    Fred and George ignored him, but walked excitedly towards the age line surrounding the Goblet of Fire.


    "Watch out, it''s time to witness a miracle!"

 Chapter 244 - 244 Poor Hagrid, being played around with

    <h4>Chapter 244: Poor Hagrid, being yed around with</h4>


    Fred was the first to pull out a piece of parchment from his pocket, on which was written "Fred Weiss - Hogwarts".


    He walked confidently to the edge of the age line and stood there, tiptoeing and testing, like a diver preparing to jump from a fifty-foot tform.


    Then, under the gaze of every pair of eyes in the hall, he took a deep breath and crossed the line in one go.


    For a moment, everyone present thought Fred had seeded -


    George obviously thought so too, so he also shouted triumphantly and jumped forward with Fred into the age line.


    However, both of them were too happy too early.


    A hissing sound like an electric current sounded, and the twins were immediately thrown out of the golden circle and fell painfully on the cold stone ground ten feet away.


    And it was not just physical pain, they were also mentally humiliated.


    With a loud popping sound, the two men''s chins sprouted identical long white beards, simr to the beard on Dumbledore''s chin, which looked particrly funny on the two young faces.


    The young wizards in the hallway burst intoughter. Even Fred and George, who got up and saw each other''s white beards, couldn''t helpughing.


    "I warned you." A voice that seemed to be amused said.


    Everyone turned around and saw Dumbledore walking out of the hall, and Drac walked shoulder to shoulder with him, both of them had a look ofughter on their faces.


    "I understand, this age line must have been drawn by Professor Drac!" After seeing Drac, Fred and George said with sudden enlightenment, "Only he can do such a bad operation of growing beards on our faces!"


    The smile on Drac''s face immediately disappeared, the corners of his mouth twitched, and then he nced at Dumbledore beside him.


    "So is this the image of me in your eyes?" He said with a gloomy face.


    "Isn''t it?" George said wittily, "Didn''t we ask you a few days ago if there was any way to bypass the age limit? In the end, you let us figure it out ourselves. Maybe you wanted to see us make a fool of ourselves at that time!"


    Fred nodded in approval, "Sure enough, Professor Drac just wanted to satisfy his own bad taste, so he didn''t tell us how to crack it."


    Drac''s face turnedpletely dark.


    "You two think you are very smart, right?" He sneered, "But have you ever considered... If I want to make you look bad, do I have to wait until today?"


    Drac snapped his fingers.


    The white beards on Fred and George''s chins that originally hung down to their chests suddenly grew again, extending from their chests to the soles of their feet, and then went around their backs and wrapped around their calves in circles, wrapping the two people into two solid white mummies.


    "Woo woo... Professor, we were wrong!" Fred''s mumbling voice came from the white beard that looked like a big cocoon.


    "We know we were wrong, Professor!" George also shouted in a suffocating voice, "Let us out quickly, we are suffocating..."


    However, Drac clearly wanted to punish the two of them, and he did not intend to pay any attention to them. He turned around and left the entrance hall and returned to the auditorium.


    After Drac left, Dumbledore coughed twice and waved his wand.


    The huge color-changing cocoon wrapped around Fred and George opened a hole, revealing the faces of the two.


    The twins held their breath for a long time, and finally got a chance to breathe again, gasping for air.


    "Mr. Weisley, to be honest, you really guessed wrong this time." Dumbledore looked at the two with a smile, and said happily, "This age line is indeed set by me, and it has nothing to do with Professor Drac."


    Fred and George stared at Dumbledore in amazement, not expecting that the respected old principal had such a bad taste.


    "Why do powerful professors have so many weird interests?" Fred muttered in a low voice.


    "Can only people with unusual interests have strong magical abilities? Then I''ll have to find some unusual interests to cultivate in the future..." George also muttered.


    Dumbledore actually heard the twins'' whispers, and his expression became a little amusing.


    "Don''t think too much. Growing a white beard is just a small punishment for trying to cross the age line." He said, "If you try to use the aging potion to cross the age line, the age line will automatically magnify the effect of the aging potion on you dozens of times."


    "Of course, it won''t really make you older, it will only change your appearance."


    He looked at Fred and George and winked at them, "As for now, I suggest that you two go to Madam Pomfrey."


    "Madam Pomfrey is already taking care of Miss Fawcett from Ravenw and Mr. Summers from Hufflepuff. They are also determined to make themselves a little older. But I must say that their beards are far less beautiful than yours."


    Fred and George set off for the school infirmary, and Lee Jordan also apanied his two roommates. He keptughing all the way.


    Seeing that there was no more excitement, the other little wizards also walked into the hall to have breakfast while giggling.


    As it was the morning before Halloween, the decoration of the hall had changed again.


    Arge group of bats dressed in distinctive costumes flew around the enchanted ceiling, which was obviously summoned by Professor Drac. At the same time, there were hundreds of little people made of pumpkins, looking at everyone sideways in every corner of the hall.


    Harry, Ron and Hermione walked towards Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan, who were also fourth-year Gryffindor students. The two of them were discussing those Hogwarts ssmates over the age of seventeen who might participate in thepetition.


    "Some people say that Warrington got up early in the morning and put his name in." Dean told Harry, "It''s the big guy from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."


    Harry once yed Quidditch against Warrington, and that big guy was more foul-breaking than Fred and George, and was much more violent.


    After hearing what Dean said, he shook his head in disgust, "We can''t let a Slytherin be a Hogwarts warrior!"


    "The Hufflepuffs are all talking about Diggory," Seamus said beside him, "but in my opinion, a guy with a handsome face like Diggory must have nothing to praise about his strength."


    "Cedric is still very good, at least he ys Quidditch well..." Harry wanted to say a few more words, but found that Ron had covered Seamus'' mouth with horror.


    "You dare to say that!" Ron said in a low voice, "Didn''t you find that Professor Drac is also like what you described? And Fred and George once told me that Cedric is Professor Drac''s favorite student."


    Dean and Seamus immediately closed their mouths, not daring to breathe.


    They carefully nced at the professor''s seat and found that Professor Drac didn''t notice this side, so they breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Listen!" Hermione said suddenly.


    A loud cheer suddenly came from the lobby outside the auditorium.


    Everyone turned around in their seats to see Angelina Johnson walk into the hall, grinning a little sheepishly.


    Angelina was a very good chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and had a good rtionship with Harry, Fred and George.


    She walked straight over to Harry, sat down and said, "I was so nervous that I actually had the courage to put my name in!"


    "Are you kidding me?" Ron looked very surprised.


    "So, are you seventeen?" Harry asked.


    "Of course, you didn''t see a beard, did you?" Ron said gloatingly, "Although I don''t know if girls will grow beards if they use aging potions..."


    ...


    After breakfast, Harry, Ron and Hermione prepared to go see Hagrid together.


    As they walked out of the hall door, they ran into students from Beauxbatons.


    These guests from France wereing in through the front door from the entrance courtyard, including the girl who looked like a ve. The young wizards who were still watching the Goblet of Fire stepped back to let them pass and watched eagerly.


    "Look, Ron, the Ve you''ve always wanted." Harry pulled Ron''s arm.


    Ron immediately looked over eagerly, and Hermione next to him took two steps away from him in disgust.


    Madam Maxime followed her students into the hallway and told them to line up. One by one, the students of Booth Barton crossed the age line and threw their parchments into the blue and white mes.


    As each name was thrown into the me, the me quickly turned red and burst into sparks.


    "What do you think will happen to those who are not chosen?" Ron whispered to Harry when the girl who looked like a ve threw her note into the Goblet of Fire, "Do they return to their own school, or stay here to watch the game?"


    "I don''t know," Harry said, "I guess they will stay...Madame Maxime will still be here as a referee, right?"


    "So... where do they sleep?" Ron said, taking a few steps towards the front door and looking at their backs, "Maybe they will want to borrow the Gryffindormon room..."


    The mystery of where the students of Beauxbatons sleep was soon revealed.


    When they approached Hagrid''s hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, the huge powder blue carriage that Beauxbatons took when they came had stopped about five hundred feet away from the main entrance of Hagrid''s hut, and the students of Beauxbatons were getting into the carriage one by one.


    The elephant-sized Pegasus pulling the carriage were grazing in a temporary enclosure next to the carriage.


    Harry knocked on Hagrid''s door, and immediately the hound Fang barked in the room.


    "Finally!" Hagrid opened the door and said, "I thought you guys had forgotten where I lived!"


    "We''re really busy, Ha--" Hermione just said halfway, suddenly stopped, looked up at Hagrid, surprised and speechless.


    Hagrid was wearing his best, but not very good-looking, furry brown suit, with a yellow and orange checkered tie.


    However, this was not the worst: he obviously tried to straighten his hair, using a lot of machine oil or something like that.


    Now Hagrid''s hair was slicked back - maybe he originally nned to let his long hair hang down his back like Drac, but found that he had too much hair, so he slightly tangled it, and ended up tangling it into a broom...


    This outfit obviously did not suit Hagrid.


    Hermione stared at him nkly for a moment, then decided not to make anyments, so as not to hurt Hagrid''s self-esteem.


    "Well... I heard that you sessfully cultivated a few sting-tailed skrewts?" she asked.


    At the same time, Hermione red at Ron in time to stop him from speaking... Ron had been staring at Hagrid''s weird hairstyle and was about to open his mouth to make ament.


    ...


    Harry and the other three little wizards stayed in Hagrid''s shed until the evening.


    At about half past five, it was getting dark, and they felt it was time to return to the castle to attend the Halloween party, and more importantly, to attend the announcement ceremony of the champions of each magic school.


    "I''ll go with you," Hagrid stood up and put aside the half-eaten rock cake in his hand, "Wait for me a while."


    He walked to the chest of drawers next to the bed and began to look for something in it.


    Harry and the others didn''t pay much attention at first, until a particrly unpleasant smell prated their nostrils, and then they realized the seriousness of the matter.


    "Hagrid, what''s that smell?" Ron asked, coughing violently.


    "Huh?" Hagrid turned around, holding arge bottle in his hand, "Don''t you like it?"


    "Like?" Harry choked, "I thought it was the cheap perfume that Neville mixed in Potions ss."


    "Is it the moisturizing perfume you put on after shaving?" Hermione guessed a little closer, asking in a choked voice.


    "Well... Actually, it''s cologne," Hagrid muttered, his face flushed, "Maybe too much was spilled, I''ll wash it off, wait a minute..."


    He walked out of the hut with heavy steps, and Harry and the others saw him desperately washing his face in the bucket outside the window.


    "Cologne?" Hermione looked at Harry and Ron in surprise, "Is he really Hagrid, not Malfoy?"


    "And what about the hair and suit?" Harry also asked in a low voice.


    "Look!" Ron suddenly pointed out the window.


    Hagrid had straightened up and turned around, his face full of a blush like a big apple.


    Harry and Hermione looked through the window and saw that Madam Maxime and the students of Beauxbatons had just gotten out of the carriage, apparently preparing to attend the banquet.


    They couldn''t hear what Hagrid was saying, but when he talked to Madam Maxime, his expression was infatuated and his eyes were misty. He had never had this expression before.


    "So Hagrid is going to the castle with Madam Maxime!" Hermione said indignantly, "He just said he was going with us!"


    Hagrid didn''t even look back at his hut, and walked across the grounds with Madam Maxime with heavy steps.


    The students of Beauxbatons followed behind, trotting to keep up with their long steps.


    "He''s in love with her!" Ron said in disbelief, "Ah, if they have children in the future, they will definitely set a world record - I dare say each of their children weighs a ton!"


    Hagrid left them and left, and Harry and the other two had to leave the shed by themselves, and helped Hagrid close the door.


    Just as he walked up the slope leading to the castle, Harry suddenly saw a familiar figure appear beside him, looking at the direction where Hagrid and Madam Maxime left with interest.


    "Tsk tsk, poor Hagrid, being yed around by Madam Maxime." The figure chuckled.

 Chapter 245 - 245 Warriors roster released

    <h4>Chapter 245: Warriors roster released</h4>


    "Professor Drac, why are you here?" Harry asked in surprise.


    "Obviously, I''m here to have fun." Drac turned around and faced the three little wizards, saying happily.


    "Fun? What fun is there here?" Hermione looked a little confused.


    "What else could it be? Of course it''s Hagrid." Ron muttered in a low voice, "Poor Hagrid, Professor Drac made fun of him..."


    Why does this sentence sound familiar?


    Drac nced at Ron.


    "Actually, Hagrid came to see mest night... Well, to ask me how I take care of my image." He said with interest, "At that time, I realized that there was fun to be found in him, and today I came here to see that it was true."


    "So... Professor, have you told Hagrid how you take care of your image?" Hermione said expectantly.


    "Of course, I''m still very helpful... So I told him not to take care of it, and it became like this naturally." Drac said, "Yes, Miss Granger, Hagrid''s eyes at that time were simr to yours now, obviously he didn''t believe me."


    Hermione nodded in approval.


    She didn''t believe that Professor Drac could maintain his current good looks without taking care of it.


    "But I didn''t expect that if he didn''t believe me, it would be fine, but what kind of operation would it be to deal with his hair like me..." Drac seemed to be a little amused, "Now it''s a bit weird."


    "It''s a bit of a subtle description to say it''s weird, professor." Ron corrected beside him, "Hagrid now looks like a kettle with a broom stuck in the bottle mouth."


    "Ron!" Hermione red at him, "It''s so rude to talk like that!"


    "Although it does look like it..." Harry muttered in a low voice.


    Drac looked at Ron with a strange expression.


    I have to admit that he understands metaphors...


    "Okay, stop chatting here," Drac waved his hand and said to the three little wizards, "If you don''t go back to the Halloween dinner, the Goblet of Fire may have already selected the champions."


    ...


    Before Harry, Ron and Hermione could react, Drac disappeared in an instant.


    They wanted to ask Hagrid how he was yed around, but now they could only leave thewn near Hagrid''s hut in dismay and walk back to the hall.


    When the three little wizards walked into the candlelit hall, it was almost full of people -


    The Goblet of Fire had been moved from the entrance hall to the professor''s seat, right in front of Dumbledore''s tall chair.


    They noticed that the white beards on Fred and George''s chins were gone, and their chins became smooth again. It can only be said that Madam Pomfrey''s medical skills are as excellent as ever.


    The twins seemed to have epted their defeat and were trying to trick others into joining their bet to guess who would be the champion of Hogwarts.


    "I really hope it''s Angelina." Fred said as Harry, Ron and Hermione sat down, "But we''ve already bet on Harry to be the champion of Hogwarts to help him out... It would be a bit of a bummer for Harry to put Angelina down."


    "Don''t be ridiculous," Harry said with an embarrassed expression, "I didn''t even put my name in the Goblet of Fire."


    "Oh, yes." George sighed in disappointment, "We wanted you to try the aging potion we worked so hard to make, but we didn''t expect that the age line was so tricky that it didn''t even give us a chance."


    "Stop talking, the banquet is about to start," Hermione reminded, "and we''ll soon know who will be chosen as the champion of Hogwarts."


    Today''s Halloween dinner seemed tost much longer than usual.


    Perhaps because there were banquets for two consecutive days, the young wizards did not seem to like the borately prepared sumptuous dishes as usual.


    Of course, the bigger reason was that the students in the hall were constantly looking forward, and every face showed an anxious expression.


    It seemed as if there were nails on their chairs. They were all fidgeting and stood up from time to time to look at Dumbledore in the middle of the professor''s seat¡ª¡ª


    The old headmaster''s slow chewing made the young wizards particrly impatient. They wanted him to finish the food on the te quickly and announce which four students would be selected as the final warriors.


    Finally, all the golden tes on the four long tables returned to their original spotless state, and the voices of discussion in the hall suddenly increased a lot.


    Then, Dumbledore stood up, and the hall suddenly became silent again.


    Karkaroff and Madame Maxime on both sides of Dumbledore looked as nervous and expectant as everyone else, while Professor Hicks looked indifferent, as if he was still savoring the dishes just now.


    In addition to several headmasters, Ludo Bagman, who came to watch the opening ceremony, smiled and winked at the students of various magic schools, while Mr. Crouch looked uninterested, even a little bored.


    "Well, the goblet will make a decision," Dumbledore said, looking at the Goblet of Fire, "It is expected to take another minute."


    "Everyone listen carefully, after the names of the champions are announced, I hope they can go to the front of the hall, walk along the staff seats, and enter the next room-"


    He pointed to the door behind the staff seats, "-there they will get preliminary guidance on this four-strongpetition."


    Dumbledore then took out his wand and waved it in the air.


    In an instant, except for the dim candles in the pumpkinnterns, the rest of the bright candles that illuminated the entire hall went out, and the hall suddenly fell into a state of half light and half dark.


    At the same time, the Goblet of Fire emitted a dazzling light, brighter than anything else in the entire hall, and the blue-white mes with sparks were almost dazzling.


    Everyone endured the blinding light, stared with eyes wide open, and waited...


    "One minute is almost up." Someone at the Gryffindor table nced at the clock and whispered.


    The next moment, the me in the goblet suddenly turned red, and crackling sparks sshed out.


    Then, a tongue of fire leaped into the air, and a piece of parchment with burnt edges flew out from it - except for the edge of the paper, the inside was intact, and it was clearly the slips of paper with names thrown in!


    Everyone in the hall held their breath.


    Dumbledore stretched his hand high and caught the parchment urately.


    Then he held the slip of paper far away and looked at the name on it by the light of the me - the me returned to blue and white at this time.


    "Well, the first champion is born! This is a champion of Durmstrang," he said in a clear and powerful tone, "Viktor Krum!"


    Apuse and cheers swept the entire hall in an instant.


    Viktor Krum stood up from the Slytherin table, looking listless and unsurprised, and walked in the direction Dumbledore had said before.


    He walked forward along the professor''s seat and entered the next room from the door in front.


    "It''s not surprising that Krum can be a champion!" Ron shouted loudly.


    Seeing Krum elected, he seemed to be more excited than Krum himself.


    "Great, Viktor!" Karkaroff shouted in a loud voice, and although the apuse in the hall was loud, everyone could still hear his voice, "I know you are destined to be a champion!"


    Even the other Durmstrang students were not too surprised, at most they showed a little disappointment.


    It can be seen that Krum was the most likely candidate to be a champion in their hearts.


    After the apuse, the chatter, cheers and discussions gradually subsided.


    Now everyone''s attention was focused on the goblet again.


    After a few seconds, the me turned red again - the second parchment jumped out of the cup under the push of the me.


    "This time it''s the champion of Beauxbatons," Dumbledore nced at the note and read aloud, "Fleur Dcour!"


    "It''s her, Ron!" Harry patted Ron''s arm heavily.


    The girl who looked like a ve stood up gracefully, shook her silver hair, and walked lightly between the Ravenw and Hufflepuff tables.


    "Fleur... Her name is Fleur Dcour, what a beautiful name." Ron seemed stunned, and kept muttering in his mouth.


    "Oh, look, everyone else is disappointed." Hermione said in the noise without even looking at Fleur.


    She raised her chin to the other representatives of Beauxbatons - two girls who were not chosen were in tears, burying their heads in their arms and crying sadly.


    When Fleur Dcour, who looked like a ve, also entered the next room, the hall fell silent again.


    Everyone was waiting for the next champion, wondering if it would be from Invermorny... or Hogwarts?


    The mes turned red again.


    Dumbledore caught the note that popped out and read loudly:


    "The champion of Invermorny is John Kowalski!"


    John Kowalski, who was sitting at the Hufflepuff table, stood up and hugged all the Invermorny students one by one, then rubbed the head of Rolf, who was sitting next to him and sulking, and strode to the front of the hall.


    Dumbledore seemed to know this boy, and smiled and nodded to John who was walking towards him.


    Harry had some impression of him. He remembered that this Invermorny boy should be Rolf Scamander''s cousin.


    Speaking of which, this Invermorny warrior should be the most low-key one among the three warriors who have been selected.


    Needless to say, Viktor Krum, as a genius seeker of the Bulgarian Quidditch team, and a yer who personally ended this Quidditch World Cup, his poprity can almost cover the entire auditorium.


    Although Fleur Dcour is not as famous as Krum, her ve-like attraction and her beautiful face can naturally bring her great momentum.


    She has only been in Hogwarts for one day, and arge number of students remember her.


    In contrast, John Kowalski, who has a funny mustache and an unremarkable appearance, seems very ordinary.


    When John also entered the next room, the auditorium became quiet again, and this time the silence was filled with a strong excitement that could be tasted.


    Now it was the turn of the Hogwarts warrior...


    At this time, under the expectant gaze of many young wizards of Hogwarts, the Goblet of Fire turned red again, sparks flew, and the mes jumped high into the air.


    Dumbledore pulled out the fourth parchment from the tip of the me.


    "The Hogwarts warrior--" he read aloud,


    "Cedric Diggory!"


    The cheers at the Hufflepuff table were deafening!


    Every Hufflepuff student was jumping up and down, screaming and stamping their feet. As the most populous college in Hogwarts, every little badger felt proud and added fuel to the warm atmosphere in the hall with practical actions.


    Cedric walked past them with a bright smile on his face.


    Professor Sprout, who was sitting in the professor''s seat, blushed with joy, hugged Professor Flitwick, who was sitting on a pile of books next to him, and kissed him.


    Professor Flitwick''s face also turned red, and he looked at Drac on the other side for help, but Drac had no intention of helping him at all, and instead looked at him with an expression of watching a show.


    Professor McGonagall seemed a little disappointed that the Gryffindor student did not be a warrior, but she immediately became happy again and apuded Cedric.


    Snape was not as generous as Professor McGonagall. He nced in the direction of the Slytherin table with dissatisfaction, as if ming the Slytherin prefect, why Warrington did not be a warrior representing Hogwarts.


    The cheers for Cedricsted for a long time.


    After a long time, Dumbledore let everyone calm down and listen to him.


    "Great!" When the noise finally died down, Dumbledore said happily, "Now our four champions have been selected. I can understand everyone''s excitement. I hope that everyone will go all out to support the champions from your schools!"


    "Those who are not selected as champions don''t have to be disappointed. By cheering for the champions, you will also make a great contribution to this semi-finalpetition--"


    But the next moment, Dumbledore suddenly stopped talking.


    The students in the audience also saw what attracted his attention--


    To everyone''s surprise, the me in the goblet turned red again. Sparks burst out with crackling, and a long tongue of fire suddenly jumped into the air, and a piece of parchment with burnt edges flew out from it.


    Dumbledore seemed to subconsciously stretch out a slender hand and grab the parchment.


    He held it far away and stared at the name written on it.


    The hall fell into a long silence. Dumbledore stared at the note in his hand. Everyone in the hall stared at Dumbledore, and everyone''s expression was extremely puzzled.


    Finally, in the silence, Dumbledore cleared his throat and read aloud-


    "Harry Potter."

 Chapter 246 - 246 Goblet of Fire under a Confounding Charm

    <h4>Chapter 246: Goblet of Fire under a Confounding Charm</h4>


    Harry sat there nkly, and he realized that everyone in the hall turned their heads and looked at him.


    He was stunned, his mind was nk.


    Unlike when the four warriors were selected before, there was no apuse in the hall at this moment.


    A buzz of discussion began to spread in the hall, as if countless angry bees were buzzing.


    Some students even stood up to see Harry''s appearance more clearly, while Harry sat stiffly in his seat, as if he was cast into a petrification spell.


    They looked at Harry''s face, which still had some childishness, and their hearts were full of doubts... Even if he was the boy who survived the disaster, he was too young at this time.


    And as the host, Hogwarts actually gave birth to two warriors. Doesn''t it prove that thepetition is unfair? Isn''t that age line also meaningless?


    The first to break the silence were Fred and George.


    After a brief shock, the twins suddenly jumped up and strode towards the direction of the Slytherin table.


    "Malfoy, your Galleons belong to us!" Fredughed loudly, "See, Harry really became a warrior!"


    "This is impossible!" Malfoy blurted out.


    He looked at the note in Dumbledore''s hand in disbelief, and then looked at Harry who was sitting at the Gryffindor table with a dull face, his eyes almost spitting fire.


    "A conspiracy! It''s definitely a conspiracy!" Malfoy protested loudly, "I remember clearly that Potter is only fourteen years old! He is younger than me, how can he cross the age line!"


    Obviously, not only the students of the other three schools will be dissatisfied with such a result, Malfoy''s protest also resonated with many Hogwarts students.


    People are not worried about theck of but the inequality, which has been the case since ancient times.


    If this game strictly abides by the age line regtions, it will be fine, but even if there is an exception, the emotions of the young wizards will inevitably be greatly resisted.


    Everyone wants to be that exception, everyone feels that they may be that exception, and simrly, no one is willing to ept that the exception is not themselves!


    Malfoy felt very happy about the attention.


    He smiled unconsciously, wiped his light blond hair covered with hair gel, and prepared to reveal "the various crimes Harry Pottermitted in Hogwarts".


    "You may not know that Potter has been dishonest since he entered school. He..."


    "Shut up, Draco!"


    Just when Malfoy was about to make a long speech, a voice suddenly interrupted him.


    He originally thought that it was the little fans of Harry in Gryffindor who shouted angrily, and was about to ignore it, and thenpletely ruin the reputation of his mortal enemy in public.


    However, Crabbe and Goyle beside Malfoy bumped his ribs with their elbows.


    "What are you two doing? Do you want to stop me?" Malfoy looked at his two followers with an impatient look.


    Crabbe shook his head hesitantly, indicating that he should look at the professor''s seat.


    Malfoy turned his head inexplicably and found that his dean was staring at him with cold eyes.


    "Professor, why are you..."


    "Be quiet, don''t let me hear your noisy voice again." Snape said coldly.


    "But..."


    Malfoy hesitated to speak, but finally shut up.


    He couldn''t understand why the Slytherin Dean, who hated Potter the most on weekdays, wanted to stand up for Potter today?


    At the same time, Snape, whose thoughts could not be guessed, stood up with a gloomy face and looked at Dumbledore who was standing in the middle of the professors'' seats.


    At this time, Professor McGonagall was whispering anxiously in Dumbledore''s ear, and Dumbledore was listening with his ears tilted, frowning slightly.


    "Principal Dumbledore, I want to know what the reason is?" Snape asked directly without caring that Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were talking.


    "Calm down a little, Severus, Minerva and I are already discussing countermeasures." Dumbledore said softly.


    "Calm down? How can you ask me to calm down!" Snape roared in a low voice, "Don''t you know the mortality rate of the Triwizard Tournament? Letting students of this age go to thepetition is nothing but suicide!"


    He looked at the Gryffindor table from a distance, in the direction of Harry, and the disgust in his eyes had not subsided at all, but there was also an unspeakable worry in it, which appeared in the same pair of eyes in a very contradictory way.


    "No, Potter must not participate in the semi-finals!" Snape said firmly.


    "Severus, this contract has been established!" Dumbledore said solemnly, "Once the contract of the Goblet of Fire is established, the contestants mustplete every project, otherwise they will be subject to the most severe punishment for viting the contract..."


    "Do you want Harry topletely lose the ability to use magic and be a Muggle from now on?"


    Snape''s lips were tightly pursed.


    "Is there no way to cancel this contract?" He nced at Dumbledore and turned his gaze to Drac.


    At this time, Drac hade to the Goblet of Fire curiously, studying the runes on the Goblet of Fire and the magic contained in it with great interest.


    "Hmm? Don''t look at me, I have no way to cancel the contract." Drac noticed Snape''s sight and shook his head with a smile, "Once the contract is established, it already exists in the blood of the wizard, and no external force can deprive it."


    Of course, Drac himself actually doesn''t care about the restrictions of various contracts.


    Because there is no contract to restrain him, those contract penalties that deprive him of magic, blood, and even life have no effect on Drac''s physique...


    However, as an ordinary little wizard, Harry obviously couldn''t deal with the contract punishment from the Goblet of Fire, so he could only participate in the Four-Strong Tournament from beginning to end... or now it can be said to be the Five-Strong Tournament.


    When Dumbledore and Snape fell into silence, Drac was still circling around the Goblet of Fire in the middle of the professor''s seat with interest, with wine-red light flowing in his eyes, repeatedly looking at the cup burning with blue and white mes.


    "Have you found anything, Professor Drac?" Dumbledore asked.


    "Well... I did find something." Drac said, "It can be seen that this Goblet of Fire was cursed when we were not paying attention. I have to say that this is really an excellent Confusion Charm, which can actually have an effect on this cup."


    "Confusion Charm?!" Professor McGonagall opened her eyes wide in surprise.


    "It is indeed a Confusion Charm. The magical aura in the cup will remain for a period of time." Drac said with interest, "This kind of magical residue is easy to identify. It is obviously a trace of the Confusion Charm."


    "ording to the time, it should bete at night after the banquet ended yesterday. A sneaky figure came out to cast a spell on the Goblet of Fire."


    "As for who it is... I have no idea at all!"


    ...


    Under the stage, Harry turned to look at Ron and Hermione.


    He saw that the students at the long Gryffindor table behind them all opened their mouths and stared at him.


    "I didn''t put my name in." Harry said helplessly, "You know I didn''t, I''ve been with you all the time!"


    Ron and Hermione also looked confused and stared at him nkly.


    Just like that, Harry sat in his seat, waiting for Dumbledore and the professors to punish him...


    "Harry Potter!" Harry sat at the Gryffindor table for a long time, his legs were almost numb, and finally heard Dumbledore''s voice in front of the hall, "Harry! Pleasee here!"


    "Go." Hermione urged in a low voice, gently pushing Harry.


    In a nervous mood, Harry stood up, but stepped on the bottom of his robes and stumbled slightly.


    He quickly adjusted his pace and walked along the passage between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables.


    Harry could feel hundreds of eyes staring at him, as if each eye was a searchlight, trying to see through himpletely.


    The buzz of discussion grew louder and louder, and it seemed as if a whole century had passed before Harry finally walked up to Dumbledore.


    He felt the eyes of all the professors fixed on him.


    "Well... go through that door, Harry," Dumbledore said softly.


    Unlike when he faced other champions, there was no smile on his face this time.


    Harry walked through the door and out of the hall, and found himself in a small room with portraits of wizards hanging on the walls on both sides. In the firece opposite him, the fire was burning brightly.


    Viktor Krum, Cedric Diggory, Fleur Dcour and John Kowalski were four real champions, and now they were all gathered around the fire, and it seemed that they were getting along well.


    Against the backdrop of the mes, the four figures made a particrly strong impression.


    Krum leaned against the stove, hunched over, thinking about something, and slightly distanced himself from the other three. Cedric stood there with his hands behind his back, staring at the fire.


    When Harry walked in, Fleur Dcour turned around and shook her long silver hair.


    "What''s wrong?" she asked, "Do they want us to go back to the Great Hall?"


    She thought Harry came in to pass on a message - the warriors in the room didn''t know what had just happened, and they missed a big show.


    Harry''s throat moved, but he couldn''t say what he wanted to say, and he didn''t know how to exin what had just happened.


    He just stood there, looking at the four warriors. He suddenly felt that they were all so tall... The fourth-year students stood in front of the four adult students, and the height difference was really big.


    Not long after, the room suddenly ushered in a flurry of footsteps. It was Ludo Bagman who walked into the room.


    He grabbed Harry''s arm and pulled him forward.


    "Too bizarre!" He squeezed Harry''s arm hard and whispered, "Absolutely too bizarre! Three gentlemen... and thisdy,"


    He walked to the fireside and said to the other four people, "Please allow me to introduce - although it seems incredible - this is the fifth warrior of the Four Finals!"


    Viktor Krum stood up straight, looked up and down at Harry, and a gloomy expression appeared on his arrogant face. Cedric seemed at a loss. He looked at Bagman and then at Harry, thinking that he must not have heard Bagman''s words clearly.


    Fleur Dcour shook her long hair, smiled and said, "Oh, this joke is very interesting, Mr. Bagman."


    "Joke?" Bagman looked unfathomable, "No, no, absolutely not! Harry''s name just came out of the Goblet of Fire!"


    Krum''s two thick eyebrows frowned slightly, and John Kowalski looked at Harry in surprise, and then looked away nonchntly.


    "Is this true, Harry?" Cedric asked, with a confused look in his eyes, walking up to Harry, "So who is the champion representing Hogwarts?"


    "No, Mr. Diggory, this is obviously wrong," Fleur also frowned, and said to Bagman arrogantly, "He definitely can''tpete, he''s too young."


    "Yeah... it''s really surprising," Bagman rubbed his smooth chin, looking down at Harry with a smile, "But, as you know, the age limit is only implemented this year as an additional safety measure."


    For some reason, Bagman seemed very happy that such a champion who surprised everyone suddenly appeared.


    "Since his name sprayed out of the goblet... I mean, I think since it hase to this point, it is not allowed to escape... The rules are very clear that once you are selected, you mustplete thepetition..."


    The door behind them was pushed open again, and arge group of people rushed in aggressively.


    Dumbledore, followed closely by Mr. Crouch, Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor Hicks, Professor McGonagall and Snape, while Drac followed leisurely at the end of the team.


    Before Professor McGonagall closed the door, the buzz of students'' discussions in the hall continued toe in, causing Harry to feel embarrassed.


    "Madame Maxime!" Fleur immediately said when she saw the headmaster of her school, striding towards Madame Maxime, "They said that this little boy is also going to participate in thepetition!"


    Little boy?


    Although Harry felt incredible and his brain was numb, he also felt a trace of anger in his heart.


    In the more than three years he spent at Hogwarts, he must have experienced no fewer adventures, big and small, than this Miss Fleur Dcour!


    Harry cast his eyes on Madame Maxime, wanting to see what she would say.


    Madame Maxime straightened her tall and sturdy body... Then, her head hit the chandelier full of candles.


    "What does that mean, Dumbledore?" She lowered her head again, but her expression was full of arrogance.


    "I want to know that, too, Dumbledore," Karkaroff echoed.


    He had a cold smile on his face, and his blue eyes were as cold as ice. "Hogwarts has two champions? I don''t remember anyone telling me that the host school can have two champions - didn''t I read the regtions carefully enough?"


    Heughed briefly, and the sound was very unpleasant.


    "Don''t worry, both of you," Professor Hicks was the most rxed of the four headmasters. She smiled and waved to the two headmasters who had just spoken. "I remember Professor Drac said before that the Goblet of Fire was confounded by someone, so the ident happened."


    "Indeed, someone must have nned a conspiracy against Potter." Drac leaned against the wall next to him and saidzily to everyone present, "You should know his identity. It''s not surprising that he is treated like this."


    "I don''t care who he is!" Karkaroff refuted loudly, "This semi-finalpetition is held at Hogwarts, you must take full responsibility for this game!"


    "Oh, really?" Snape''s sinister voice suddenly came from a corner of the room.


    Karkaroff''s face changed obviously.

 Chapter 247 - 247 Disputes and resolution

    <h4>Chapter 247: Disputes and resolution</h4>


    "Snape, what do you want to do?" Karkaroff stuttered.


    This scene looked strange. As the headmaster of Durmstrang, Karkaroff seemed to have an inexplicable fear of the professor of potions at Hogwarts.


    "Come with me, Karkaroff, let''s talk alone." Snape said in a gloomy voice.


    Karkaroff''s face changed again, and he actually followed Snape out of the room and walked straight to the door of the auditorium.


    Without such an important voice of opposition from Karkaroff, Professor Hicks did not show much objection to this situation - Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall realized that as long as they appeased Ms. Maxime''s emotions, today''s ident coulde to an end.


    So Dumbledore looked down at Harry, and Harry looked at him, trying to read the eyes hidden behind the half-moon lenses.


    "Did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire, Harry? "He asked calmly.


    "No." Harry took a deep breath and said confidently.


    He was clearly aware that everyone was watching him closely, and apart from Dumbledore, Professor Drac and Professor McGonagall, including Ms. Maxime and the warriors of various schools, few people would be willing to believe him.


    "Then did you ask older ssmates to help you put your name into the Goblet of Fire?" Dumbledore continued to ask.


    "No!" Harry was a little excited.


    "Ah, he must be lying!" Ms. Maxime refuted loudly.


    Like Fleur Dcour and Victor Krum, they also showed unbelievable expressions.


    "He can''t cross that age line," Professor McGonagall said sternly, "I believe we all agree on this-"


    "Dumbledore''s line must be wrong." Ms. Maxime said, shrugged her shoulders.


    "Of course, this is also possible. "Dumbledore smiled and said politely.


    "Albus, you know you are not wrong!" Professor McGonagall said angrily, "This statement is ridiculous! You actually believe that a great wizard who is proficient in all kinds of spells would make a mistake about an age line that is notplicated?"


    "It is impossible for Harry to cross that line by himself, and as Dumbledore believes, Harry has not persuaded senior students to do it for him. I think others should believe this too!"


    She looked at Ms. Maxime very angrily, and her voice gradually became louder.


    "Now the facts are clear. Someone wants to harm Harry. After all, everyone knows that the Triwizard Tournament... Now it is changed to the Quadruple Tournament is a very dangerouspetition. An underage fourth-year wizard has no ability to cope with this game at all!"


    "Mr. Crouch... Mr. Bagman," Ms. Maxime couldn''t refute Professor McGonagall, so she turned her eyes to the two officials of the Ministry of Magic, "You two are from the Ministry of Magic, and you have no direct rtionship with any of our schools. You should be more objective. "


    "You must also think this is extremely inappropriate, right?"


    Bagman coughed lightly.


    Self-centeredly, Bagman was actually quite happy about Harry''s sudden participation in the Final Four Tournament. After all, he had always wanted to use the Final Four Tournament as a tform to make money.


    In the past year, he had secretly added a lot of private goods to the process of thepetition.


    If the gambling was open, Harry, who was only in the fourth grade, would definitely have an extremely high odds... If Bagman used his authority to do some tricks in it and let Harry win in the end, it can be imagined that he would definitely be able to make up all the money he lost before. All the money will be earned back!


    Bagman was filled with endless expectations.


    He wiped his round baby face with a handkerchief and turned to look at Mr. Crouch.


    The final say was still in Mr. Crouch''s hands. ording to his integrity, this matter might be difficult to aplish.


    Mr. Crouch stood outside the circle of light from the fire, his face half hidden in the shadow, looking a little weird. The half shadow made him look much older, and he looked a bit like a skeleton.


    But when he spoke, his voice was still as stiff as usual.


    "We must abide by the rules!" said Mr. Crouch. "The rules clearly stipte that anyone whose namees out of the Goblet of Fire must participate in the Triwizard Tournament."


    His words surprised many people, including Bagman.


    The air was quiet for a few seconds.


    "Hey, Barty knows the rules by heart! "Bagman''s face suddenly broke into a smile, breaking the silence.


    He turned around and looked at Madam Maxime with a smile, as if the matter had been resolved satisfactorily.


    "I insist that my other students re-register." Madam Maxime''s expression was a little ugly, and she said forcefully, "You should put out the Goblet of Fire again, and we should continue to add names to it until each school produces two champions."


    She stared into Dumbledore''s eyes and said seriously, "This is fair, Dumbledore."


    "But... I''m afraid this won''t work," Bagman said a little panicked, "The Goblet of Fire has just gone out, and it won''t be rekindled until the next tournament..."


    "If you insist on using this method to gain an advantage, we won''t participate in the next tournament!" Madam Maxime said, "This obviously unfairpetition ispletely inconsistent with our previous negotiations and consultations."


    "No one expected this to happen, Madam Maxime. "Dumbledore said kindly, "But we have to finish this game anyway. We can''t quit halfway, right?"


    "What if we have to quit directly?" Ms. Maxime responded.


    "Really?" Drac suddenly said.


    He nced at the silver-haired girl standing beside him, and his expression suddenly became yful.


    "Are you going to let your warrior vite the magic contract and be a squib?" Drac raised his mouth and asked with interest, "I''m actually quite curious, if this Miss Dcour loses her magic, what kind of form will she be?"


    "Well, the possibility of keeping the human form is indeed a little greater... But it is not ruled out that she will be another form without the support of magic?"


    Fleur''s face suddenly turned pale.


    "You...what do you mean?" Ms. Maxime''s expression also changed, trying to suppress her inner panic as much as possible.


    "You know what I mean, Ms. Maxime. "Drac said softly with a smile still on his face.


    Most of the other people present looked at Drac in confusion, and then looked at Fleur and Ms. Maxime in confusion.


    They had no idea what these people were talking about.


    However, Fleur and Ms. Maxime knew that what Drac said was entirely possible.


    Fleur was a half-blooded Ve.


    The prototype of Ve was not human. When this creature was angry, they could transform into a bird-shaped banshee called "Harpies". They could use their innate magic tounch fireballs to attack.


    Drac was very curious about half-blooded Ve who had lost their magic power, because in this way he could see whether the half-blooded Ve still had the ability to transform into a bird-shaped banshee.


    "Professor Drac, can I think... this is a kind of coercion?" Ms. Maxime took a deep breath, tried to calm down the agitated emotions in her heart, and said coldly.


    "You misunderstood, ma''am, I''m really curious. "Dracughed, "This kind of opportunity is hard toe by."


    "You..."


    "Ahem... Excuse me, Ms. Maxime." Dumbledore smiled secretly, and then tried to smooth things over seriously, "As an expert in defense against the dark arts, it is understandable that Professor Drac is interested in these things. Please don''t mind."


    "I can''t tell whether he really wants to harm Fleur." Ms. Maxime snorted coldly, but didn''t continue to pester her.


    Because she always felt that Drac''s eyes were a little dazzling, as if he really wanted to kick Fleur out of the game, just to see what a half-blooded ve would look like after losing her magic power...


    "Ms. Maxime, the point is not here." Professor Hicks of Yin Famo Ni suddenly stepped forward and said to her, "If anyone has reason toin, it''s Potter..."


    "Why should hein?" Fleur Dcour asked first, stamping her feet, "He has a chance to participate in thepetition, doesn''t he? For so long, each of us has been hoping to be selected! To bring honor to our school! There is also a prize of one thousand Galleons - this opportunity is what many people dream of! "


    "But some people hope that Potter will die for this, Miss Dcour." Professor Hicks said with a smile.


    Thements from Yin Famo Ni made Ms. Maxim fall into deep thought.


    If the professors of Hogwarts said this in order to give their own school an advantage, then Yin Famo Ni, such an "opponent", also said this, which is worth pondering.


    "Professor Hicks, why do you also..." She said hesitantly.


    "Why would I stand on the side of Hogwarts?" Professor Hicks smiled and waved his hand, "I didn''t speak for Hogwarts. I just told the truth."


    "What''s more, we may not really suffer a loss... Although our Yin Famo Ni has not participated in your Triwizard Tournament, we have also studied historical materials seriously. "


    "Looking at all the Triwizard Tournaments in history, those events have always been designed to test individual ability, without any room for teamwork. I believe this year''s game is the same."


    She looked at Bagman and Mr. Crouch with an inquiring look.


    "Ah, I can prove that there is indeed no opportunity for teamwork in the events we set up this year." Bagman quickly patted his chest and guaranteed.


    "Then there is no problem, right?" Professor Hicks smiled, "So what does it matter if one school has a few more people? Don''t you believe that your students can stand out from the five, Ms. Maxim?"


    She nced at John Kowalski, who was standing respectfully beside her, and continued, "Anyway, I believe that no matter how many students Hogwarts puts on the field, John can win the final championship! "


    Ms. Maxim stopped talking, and the air fell into silence again.


    Everyone''s eyes were on her, because her approval or not basically determined whether this importantpetition, which had not been repeated for a hundred years, could be held smoothly.


    After a long silence, she finally nodded.


    "Since Professor Hicks has said so, I also agree that Harry Potter can participate in thepetition." She said, "But if I remember correctly, Professor Karkaroff has not been convinced. He is not as easy to talk to as I am."


    Just then, the door of the room was suddenly pushed open.


    "No need, Karkaroff has agreed!" Snape''s unique greasy voice came over.


    Ms. Maxim looked at the door and was surprised to find that Karkaroff was following Snape like a follower.


    His face was very gloomy, but he did not raise any objections to Snape''s words.


    "Karkaroff, you..." Ms. Maxim said unwillingly.


    "I have no objection. "Before she finished, Karkaroff spoke sparingly.


    Ms. Maxime paused for a moment, then turned her head and looked deeply at Snape.


    "Very good, it seems that the professors at Hogwarts are indeed talented!"


    She exhaled a long breath from her nose, stared angrily, but finally did not object.


    "Okay, let''s continue?" Bagman seemed very excited, rubbing his hands and looking at the people in the room with a smile.


    "It''s time to give guidance to our warriors, right?" He said, "Barty, you tell it?"


    Mr. Crouch seemed to suddenly wake up from his deep thoughts.


    "Okay, guidance. "He said briefly, "Yes... the first project..." He took a few steps forward and walked into the circle of light from the fire.


    The contestants all looked at Mr. Crouch. From a close distance, he looked very haggard.


    There were two deep shadows under his eyes, and his wrinkled skin was as white and transparent as paper. He didn''t look like this in the Quidditch World Cup final.


    "The first project is to test your courage," he said to Harry, Cedric, Fleur, Viktor and John, "so we are not going to tell you what it is. The courage to face the unknown is an important quality of wizards... very important..."


    "The first project will be carried out on November 24th and will bepleted in front of other students and the referee. "


    "Whenpleting thepetition project, the warrior must not ask for or ept any help from his teacher. When the warrior faces the first round of challenges, the only weapon in his hand is his own wand. "


    "As for the content of the second project, you will have to wait until the first project is over before you know it. Because thepetition is very demanding andsts for a long time, the warriors do not have to take the annual exams. "


    "That''s all. Is there anything else you need to know?"

 Chapter 248 - 248 The conspiracy behind the competition

    <h4>Chapter 248: The conspiracy behind thepetition</h4>


    Time goes back to ten minutes ago.


    After leaving the Great Hall, Snape and Karkaroff hid in a dark corner of the entrance courtyard corridor, discussing something secretly.


    Neither of them discussed the matter of the semi-finals. Instead, after observing the surroundings vigntly, they talked about another rather secret matter¡ª¡ª


    "Severus, do you feel it?" Karkaroff asked mysteriously.


    Unlike in public, he called Snape by name, as if he was very familiar with the potion professor.


    "...I don''t understand why you are making such a fuss, Ingor." Snape said coldly, "You are just scaring yourself."


    "Severus, you can''t pretend that this didn''t happen!" Karkaroff''s deliberately suppressed voice sounded panic and hoarse, afraid of being heard, "It has be more and more obvious over the past few months. I am very worried now, I can''t deny..."


    "Then run away," Snape said impatiently, "Run away, I will excuse you. But I will stay in Hogwarts-"


    "Severus, you clearly know what I am talking about!" Karkaroff suddenly pulled open the sleeve of his left arm and growled hoarsely, "This mark, it has be more and more active recently... That person is back!"


    On the inside of his left forearm, there is a skull with a snake head spitting out of its mouth-


    It is the Dark Mark representing the Death Eaters!


    "If the Dark Lord cane back, isn''t that a good thing for us?" Snape nced at the Dark Mark on Karkaroff''s arm and said indifferently.


    "Good thing?" Karkaroff sneered, "Since when did you, a Hogwarts professor who defected to Dumbledore as soon as the war ended, be a loyal follower of the Dark Lord?"


    "I have my own ns, which have nothing to do with you." Snape said stiffly, "You''d better hope that I won''t tell the Dark Lord about your performance today after I go back, otherwise you should know your fate."


    "Hehe, it seems that you are determined to go back, right?" Karkaroff said with gritted teeth, "In this case, I only ask you one thing, Severus... in When you see the Dark Lord return, you must tell me immediately. "


    "At that time, I will find a safe ce to hide. As for how you want to describe me in front of the Dark Lord, it''s up to you. Anyway, I will leave by then..."


    "...I agree." Snape pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Let''s talk about this matter here. Now we should discuss the matter of this game."


    ...


    Mr. Crouch and Bagman left after exining the game process and precautions and answering the questions of the five warriors.


    Bagman originally wanted to stay in Hogwarts for one more night, preparing to secretly give Harry some separate tips so that he could make money from gambling. But Mr. Crouch did not let him do so.


    As for Ms. Maxime and Karkaroff, because they were dissatisfied with the current form of the game, they each took their students and left the room quickly.


    "Thank you so much for your help today, Larry." Dumbledore looked at the only headmaster who had not left except himself, and smiled, "If you hadn''t suddenly stepped forward, I don''t know if I could have convinced Maxim and Karkaroff."


    "If I remember correctly, the headmaster...I should have convinced Karkaroff." Snape''s sinister voice suddenly sounded beside him.


    "Ah, of course, of course I have to thank you for your help, Severus." Dumbledore nodded happily, "But Professor Hicks is not an employee of Hogwarts after all, so of course I still have to take care of the guest''s emotions first..."


    "You are too polite, Albus." Professor Elie Hicks waved her hand casually, "I just said a few fair words, I sincerely hope that this little guy won''t get into trouble during the game."


    "Take care of yourself this school year, little guy." She looked at Harry with sympathy.


    "I will, Professor Hicks." Harry nodded firmly.


    After moving his eyes away from Harry, Professor Hicks said to Dumbledore angrily: "Albus, you must find out who did this... They didn''t even let a child go!"


    "Really, the older I get, the more I hate this kind of thing..."


    She kept muttering as she took John Kowalski out of the room.


    "Harry, Cedric, I suggest you go back to bed early." Dumbledore then turned to the two warriors of Hogwarts and said to them with a smile.


    "I believe that Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students are waiting to celebrate with you. They finally have an excuse to make a big fuss, and it''s wrong to take away their opportunity."


    Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore reproachfully, but rarely did she raise any objections.


    Harry looked at Cedric, Cedric nodded, and the two walked out of the room together.


    The hall was now empty, and the candles were burning low, making the jack-o''ntern''s toothy grin flicker and look strange.


    "So," Cedric said with a forced smile, "we are rivals again, outside the Quidditch field."


    "I think so," Harry muttered.


    He didn''t know what to say at all. His mind seemed to be in a mess, as if his entire brain had been robbed.


    "So, tell me..." Cedric hesitated for a long time, and finally asked, "How did you vote in?"


    "I didn''t," Harry said, looking up at him, "I didn''t vote, I''m telling the truth."


    "Well... okay," Cedric said, and Harry saw that Cedric didn''t believe him, "Okay... goodbye then."


    Even though Professor Hicks''s analysis of all this made sense and believed that someone wanted to harm Harry, most students didn''t think about it in this way.


    Compared with the dangers in the tournament, the honor in it is more eye-catching and easier to blind the eyes.


    Who else would believe him, except Ron and Hermione?


    Harry thought to himself.


    Everyone thought he had signed up for the tournament? But how could they think that? You know, hispetitors had received three years more magical education than him - and he would face a task that sounded very dangerous and had to bepleted in front of hundreds of people!


    Yes, he had thought about it, he had fantasized about it... but it was just a joke, a fantasy, a daydream... He had never really, seriously considered participating...


    And yet someone had considered it... someone wanted him to participate in thepetition and made sure he was selected.


    Why? To give him a pretty good advantage? He didn''t think so.


    So, was it to make him look stupid? If so, they might get what they wanted, but as for whether they really wanted him dead...?


    Could someone have put Harry''s name in the goblet just for a prank, for a joke? Did someone really want him dead? Harry couldn''t answer this question right away.


    Yes, someone did want him dead, someone had wanted him dead since he was one year old... That was Voldemort. But how could Voldemort guarantee that Harry''s name would be cast into the Goblet of Fire?


    Voldemort should be in a faraway ce, hiding his whereabouts, alone, weak and powerless...


    But in the dream he had, the one in which he woke up and felt the pain in his scar, Voldemort was not alone, he was talking to a young man...


    Harry woke up suddenly and found himself in front of the Fat Lady. There was another pale witch in the portrait at this time. He vaguely remembered that she was originally hung in the small room in front of the hall.


    "Good, good, great!" The Fat Lady said excitedly, "Violet - a portrait painter friend of mine just told me everything. Who was just selected as the school''s champion?"


    "Nonsense." Harry said dryly.


    "I''m absolutely not talking nonsense!" The pale witch said angrily.


    "No, no, Violet, that''s themand," the Fat Lady soothed, and she swung forward to let Harry into themon room.


    Harry nearly fell backwards at the sudden noise that filled his ears as the portrait opened. The next thing he knew he was being dragged into themon room by about a dozen hands, facing the entire Gryffindor House. They were all screaming, cheering, and whistling.


    "You should have told us you signed up!" Fred shouted. He looked half annoyed, half excited.


    "How did you get away with not growing a beard?" George yelled.


    "I didn''t," Harry said, "I don''t know how..."


    "We''ve got food, Harry,e and eat!" Someone dragged him to a table.


    "I''m not hungry. I ate enough at the banquet--"


    But no one wanted to hear him say that he was not hungry, and no one wanted to hear him say that he did not put his name into the goblet. It seemed that no one noticed that he was not in the mood to celebrate this matter at all...


    Lee Jordan flipped out a Gryffindor g from somewhere and insisted on wrapping it around Harry like a cloak.


    Harry had no way to get away. Every time he tried to sneak towards the stairs leading to the dormitory, the crowd approached him, surrounded him, forced him to drink another ss of butter beer, or stuffed biscuits and peanuts into his hands...


    Everyone wanted to know how he did it, how he deceived Dumbledore''s age line and put his name into the goblet...


    "I don''t know," he said over and over again, "I don''t know how this happened."


    But no one paid any attention, as if he had said nothing.


    "I''m tired!" he shouted after about half an hour, finally losing his patience. "No, seriously, George... I want to go to bed."


    He especially wanted to see Ron and Hermione, hoping to find some sense, but neither of them seemed to be in themon room.


    Harry insisted that he needed to go to bed, and finally got rid of everyone and hurried upstairs to his dormitory.


    To his great relief, he found Ron lying on the bed with his clothes on, alone in the dormitory. Ron looked up as Harry mmed the door.


    "Where have you been?" Harry asked.


    "Oh, hello," Ron said stiffly.


    Ron was smiling, but it was a very awkward and forced smile.


    Harry suddenly realized that he was still wearing the bright red Gryffindor g that Lee Jordan had tied on him. He tried to take it off quickly, but the knot was tied tightly. Rony motionless on the bed and watched Harry struggle to untie the g.


    "So..." Ron said, when Harry finally took off the g and threw it into the corner, "Congrattions."


    "What do you mean, congrattions?" Harry looked at Ron and asked.


    "Nothing... No one else crossed the age line," Ronughed dryly, looking as ugly as crying, "Not even Fred and George. What did you use - the Invisibility Cloak?"


    "The Invisibility Cloak couldn''t have gotten me over that line," Harry said slowly.


    "Oh, yes," Ron said, "If it was the Invisibility Cloak, I think you would have told me... Because the Invisibility Cloak can cover both of us, right? But you found another way, didn''t you?"


    "Listen," Harry said, "I didn''t put my name in that goblet, someone else must have done it!"


    "But why would they do that?" Ron raised his eyebrows, looking unconvinced.


    "I don''t know," said Harry, who felt that what he was about to say would sound sensational, like an act. "To kill me."


    Ron''s face was filled with disbelief - not disbelief that someone wanted to kill Harry, but surprise that Harry could say such a thing.


    "Harry, you could have told me the truth!" he said. "If you don''t want others to know, that''s fine, but I don''t understand why you lied? Especially when you made up such a... ridiculous lie."


    "You didn''t get into trouble for it, did you? The Fat Lady''s friend, Violet, told us all that Dumbledore had chosen you. A thousand Galleons, and you don''t have to take the end-of-year exams..."


    "I didn''t put my name in that goblet!" Harry shouted.


    He was feeling a little annoyed now.


    "Really?" Ron said indifferently, with the same suspicious tone as Cedric on his face, "But you didn''t have a chance this morning. You could have done itst night, and no one would have seen you... You know, I''m not a fool."


    "You really left me with that impression now." Harry said unhappily.


    "Really?" The smile on Ron''s face finally disappeared without a trace, "You need to go to bed, Harry. I think you need to get up early tomorrow to ept the media''s photo shoot or something."


    The two of them parted unhappily, both fell heavily on the bed, and no longer said a word.


    Harry didn''t expect that even his best friend was unwilling to believe him. He was still naively thinking before, fortunately there were Ron and Hermione...


    At the same time, in the room in front of the hall, Drac, Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall were investigating who came to the hallst night and threw the note into the Goblet of Fire.


    The results of the investigation were not satisfactory.

 Chapter 249 - 249 Speculations about the man behind the scenes

    <h4>Chapter 249: Spections about the man behind the scenes</h4>


    "Albus, do you think... someone really wants to kill Potter?"


    After everyone else left, Professor McGonagall pursed her lips hesitantly and looked at Dumbledore.


    "Huh? Professor McGonagall, didn''t you agree with Dumbledore''s idea just now?" Drac came over and asked curiously, "Could it be that someone as upright as Professor McGonagall would lie to others?"


    "I didn''t lie!" Professor McGonagall''s face turned a little red, and she looked a little guilty, "A little wizard like Potter, who is only fourteen years old, actually wants to participate in the samepetition with those seventeen-year-old adult students..."


    "The Goblet of Fire is certainly not that absurd, but those outsiders think that Hogwarts is using this method to gain an advantage!"


    As Professor McGonagall spoke, her originally guilty mood gradually turned into anger:


    "Merlin, Potter is in danger of death! If Professor Hicks hadn''t brought it up, who would have thought that this was about the life and death of a fourteen-year-old child? They only know how to quibble over such trivial matters!"


    "Minerva, calm down first." Dumbledore smiled and conjured a cup of hot water with his wand and handed it to Professor McGonagall. "After all, this is the first time that a school has produced two warriors. It is normal for Maxim and Karkaroff to have some emotions."


    "As for whether someone really wants to kill Harry... I think so. It''s obvious. The Goblet of Fire is a fair magical creation with powerful magic and strict rules. The name Harry spit out from the cup is definitely not something that can be exined by a prank between ssmates. "


    He turned his gaze to Drac, "Professor Drac, you seem to have some clues?"


    "Yes." Drac nodded gently, "A very good Confusion Spell, and found a way to most easily affect the Goblet of Fire..."


    "The person who cast the spell on the Goblet of Fire changed part of the Goblet of Fire''s cognition, making it recognize the original four magic schools as five - this is actually notplicated. The Ministry of Magic had already set it up once when Yin Famori joined. I guess that person''s status in the Ministry of Magic is not low, and he can know how to change the rules of the Goblet of Fire. . "


    "In my opinion, this matter is already very clear. The person who tampered with the Goblet of Fire is most likely the Director of the Department of International Magical Exchange and Cooperation, Mr. Barty Crouch."


    Drac had a yful smile on his face and stared into Dumbledore''s eyes. "I suspected him as early as the Quidditch World Cup. He was too efficient in rushing to the Dark Mark."


    "Not only that, an upright diplomat from the Ministry of Magic insisted on letting Potter participate in the semi-finals regardless of the protest of Headmaster Beauxbatons? Anyway, I think it''s a bit strange."


    Professor McGonagall had already opened her eyes wide, and a very incredible expression appeared on her face.


    "How could this be... Mr. Crouch has always been the toughest resistance faction in the war against Voldemort more than a decade ago. How could he help Voldemort harm Potter today, more than a decadeter?" She questioned.


    "But Professor Drac''s judgment is also reasonable," Dumbledore thought for a moment, nodded slightly and said, "If Barty is under the Imperius Curse, then everything makes sense."


    "No, he is not under the Imperius Curse." Drac shook his head, "The time when Crouch exined the rules of the game to the warriors was enough for me to explore his mental state... Although his spirit does look very tired, there is indeed no sign of being controlled."


    "If what Professor Drac said is true, then the person who cast the spell on the Goblet of Fire would not be Barty..." Dumbledore''s eyes condensed, and he changed his words and said, "I know Barty very well. He can''t work for Voldemort."


    "Albus, will someone use Polyjuice Potion to disguise as Mr. Crouch?" Professor McGonagall asked.


    "There is a certain possibility. I will find out about this matter." Dumbledore said in a deep voice, "But, Professor Drac, there is another question that is inconsistent with your inference..."


    "After the wee banquetst night, Barty and Bagman left the hall without stopping at all - he had no time to tamper with the rules of the Goblet of Fire."


    "Yes, Crouch should not have had the opportunity to cast the Confusion Charm on the Goblet of Fire..." Professor McGonagall frowned tightly, "The Goblet of Fire was tightly sealed in the box before the banquet began."


    "What if Crouch had already tampered with it when the Ministry of Magic changed the number of participating schools?" Drac asked.


    "That''s not right... The rules of the Goblet of Fire were modified under the witness of almost all senior officials, and Crouch also had no chance to tamper with them." Professor McGonagall shook his head.


    "Is that so..." Drac finally fell silent.


    If we judge by the time of the crime, Barty Crouch does have sufficient alibi...


    "Don''t be so pessimistic. In fact, we have other directions." Dumbledore''s voice interrupted Drac''s thoughts, "In fact, there was someone watching over the Goblet of Fire all night yesterday. Maybe he has some clues to tell us?"


    He looked at a portrait hanging on the wall next to him and smiled, "Miss Violet, can you help me call Mr. Argus Filch?"


    The portrait on the wall was the Fat Lady''s good friend. She was very excited to ept the principal''smission and ran to other portraits in the castle to find the Squib keeper.


    "Mr. Filch, is he rted to this matter?" Professor McGonagall looked a little confused.


    "Ah, Minerva, I certainly won''t feelfortable letting students freely cross the age limit to register without anyone watching." Dumbledore smiled, "I asked Argus to help me look after the Goblet of Fire for one night."


    "If there are little wizards who try to cheat and cross the age limit and are punished, he can also help send them to the school infirmary... The two little guys in front of the Weiss twins were sent to Madam Pomfrey by Argus."


    Not long after, the janitor Filch came to the room in front of the hall with a bucket of water and a rag.


    "The people are here, Mr. Headmaster!" Violet said happily on the wall.


    "Thank you very much for your help, Miss Violet." Dumbledore smiled at the portrait, then looked at the door, "Oh, Argus, put down the rag first, don''t work so hard. We have something to ask you."


    He asked about what happenedst night.


    "Oh! Do you want to know how Harry Potter threw his name into the Goblet of Fire?" Filch said a little excitedly, "I tell you, that mischievous boy from Gryffindor must have secretly thrown it in. I know he has an invisibility cloak that can hide from my eyes!"


    "Argus, the invisibility cloak can''t hide the age line!" Dumbledore corrected, "You just need to tell us what happenedst night."


    "Oh... okay, if you want to know." Filch seemed a little disappointed that he couldn''tin about the students, but out of respect for the headmaster, he still told what happenedst night seriously:


    "Not much happenedst night-"


    "Several seventh-year students threw their names in, and the cup didn''t move; there were also two ignorant junior students who tried to sneak into the age line and grew a lot of white beards... I sent them to the school infirmary."


    "Is that all?" Dumbledore asked.


    "That''s all, Headmaster," said Filch. "I mean, there''s no point in looking at this Goblet of Fire. I failed to catch several Gryffindor kids sneaking out for a night stroll. Under normal circumstances, there would definitely be a few students in detention to help me with my work..."


    "I see," Dumbledore nodded to Filch and let him leave the room. "Thank you, Argus."


    "What do you think?" he asked Drac and Professor McGonagall.


    "His opinion is of little reference value. He''s just a Squib, and any student can fool him." Drac smiled and shook his head. "If I were the guy who wanted to tamper with the Goblet of Fire, I would definitely explore the surroundings first and easily find this guy who doesn''t even have magic power."


    "But ording to Mr. Filch, he didn''t see anything all night." Professor McGonagall said, "Even if the figure can be obscured by the Disillusionment Charm, the color change of the magical me in the Goblet of Fire cannot be hidden, so..."


    "So it is very likely that Filch took action when he sent the two students to the school infirmary." Dumbledore said, "Argus was not present throughout the whole process. The person who tampered with the Goblet of Fire may have cast the Confusion Charm while he was away."


    "So after discussing for so long, we still haven''t made any progress!" Drac sneered.


    "It''s not easy to find someone lurking in the dark." Dumbledore sighed, "Oh? Severus, what do you think?"


    Just then, Dumbledore was surprised to see that Snape, who had been sitting in his seat without saying a word from beginning to end, suddenly stood up.


    "I don''t have any opinion. I don''t want to waste time here with you." Snape said coldly, "You might as well do something practical, such as adding a few more insurances to this game..."


    "Mr. Principal, if you don''t want the savior you have chosen to die in the semi-finals, then I suggest you find someone who is responsible for security to watch over the stadium... If you are toozy to find one, it''s okay, I just happen to be bored recently and can help you with this."


    Drac looked at Snape in surprise.


    "Do you want to be Potter''s security officer?" He asked with interest.


    "I told you, I''m just bored and willing to act as a security guard!" Snape said angrily, "I''m doing this for the reputation of Hogwarts, not for that idiot Harry Potter!"


    "Okay, okay, we get it." Drac teased with a yful expression, "I really didn''t expect you to have the potential to be a nanny."


    "I told you, I''m not a security guard for Potter!" Snape roared with a gloomy face.


    "Severus, with your emotional stability, it''s hard for me to trust you with the safety of the game." Dumbledore said softly, "I''m afraid you won''t care about the lives of others, but only care about..."


    "Enough!" Snape interrupted Dumbledore, "In that case, you can find whoever you want, I want to see how you will end up if the warriors die in Hogwarts!"


    After that, he flicked his sleeves, pushed open the door and strode out, his long ck cloak fluttering behind him.


    Drac watched this scene, and his eyes gradually showed interest.


    "Dumbledore, is there really a position like a safety officer in this game?" he asked.


    "Originally there was no such position, but what Severus said makes sense. We should indeed add such a position." Dumbledore said thoughtfully, "Severus is very capable and was originally a very suitable candidate..."


    "Unfortunately, his unfair behavior is too famous in Hogwarts. I am a little worried about the emotions of Maxim and Karkaroff."


    "If that''s the case..." Drac suddenly raised his mouth.


    He looked at Snape''s distant back with a fluttering ck cloak, and shouted to him loudly:


    "Snape, I''ll take the position of safety officer for you! Don''t worry, with me here, those little guys will never have any problems."


    Snape''s footsteps paused.


    Drac saw that his tense shoulders suddenly drooped along with the fluttering cloak behind him, as if he rxed a lot at once.


    Then, he did not stop and walked out of the hall again.


    ...


    After Halloween, there was less than a month left before the start of the first project.


    The five warriors were basically trying to prepare for the uingpetition, except for one of the youngest warriors...


    Compared to the other four warriors, Harry had a very bad life.


    Except for Hermione, who always believed that the semi-finals was very dangerous, almost no one in Gryffindor believed that he did not sign up, andined why he did not tell them how to cross the age line;


    Hufflepuff House had always had a good rtionship with Gryffindor, but recently it has be visibly cold, and it is obvious that they think Harry stole Cedric''s honor.


    As for the Slytherin students, Harry could have imagined this a long time ago, and they did even more excessive-


    After lunch one day, he and Hermione came to Snape''s underground ssroom for Potions ss and found that the Slytherin students were waiting outside the ssroom, and everyone had arge badge on the front of their robes.


    The badges all had the same words printed on them, and the bright red letters shone brightly in the dim light of the underground corridor, as if they were on fire:


    "Support Cedric Diggory -


    The True Warrior of Hogwarts"


    "Like it, Potter?" Malfoy said loudly when he saw Harry approaching, "They have other tricks - look!"


    He pressed the badge hard against his chest, and the words on it disappeared, and then another line of words appeared, shining green:


    "Potter Stinky Shit"


    The Slytherinsughed strangely.


    Each of them pressed their badges, and finally, the ring words - Potter Stinky Shit - were shing everywhere around Harry.


    Harry felt that the days of being a warrior were terrible!

 Chapter 250 - 250 Interview

    <h4>Chapter 250: Interview</h4>


    In the interview potions ss, for some reason, Harry felt that Snape was even more cruel to him.


    "This ss, learn the antidote!" Snape said.


    He looked around the ss, his cold ck eyes shing an unpleasant light, "You should prepare your own form now. I ask you to brew it carefully, and then we will choose someone to try it..."


    Snape''s eyes met Harry''s, and Harry knew what was going to happen - Snape wanted to poison him.


    "Potter, huh, the warrior of the semi-finals..." he said coldly, "If I were you, I would force myself to study how to save my life during this short preparation time, such as learning more knowledge..."


    "Why, you look very unconvinced? Can you ensure that there will be no poisoning scenes in the game? Or... our arrogant warriors think they can deal with all the dangers?"


    Harry watched Snape pick up the poison at hand, his heart thumping, imagining that he would suddenly pick up the crucible and smash it on his head when Snape was not prepared-


    Just then, the door of the dungeon was knocked, interrupting Harry''s thoughts.


    It was Harry''s little fan, Colin Creevey.


    Colin slipped into the potion ssroom sideways, smiled at Harry, and then walked towards Snape''s podium in front of the ssroom.


    Harry felt that Colin was extremely brave at this moment. If it were him, he would not dare to jump onto the podium when Snape was giving a lecture...


    "What''s the matter?" Snape looked at Colin with a squint and asked impatiently.


    "Excuse me, sir, I have to take Harry Potter upstairs." Colin said with a proud smile.


    Snape''s eyes dropped from his hooked nose and looked at Colin. A strong sense of oppression crushed him, and the smile slowly disappeared from Colin''s eager face.


    "Potter still has an hour of potions ss." Snape said coldly, "He will go upstairs after ss."


    Colin''s face flushed.


    "Sir... Sir, Mr. Bagman wants him to go," he said ufortably, "All the warriors have to go, I think they want to take pictures..."


    Harry looked at Snape''s expression, which became even more gloomy, and shuddered all over, hoping to stop Colin from saying thest sentence.


    He bravely nced at Ron, hoping that Ron, who was always good at changing the subject, could smooth things over and maybe save Colin from the podium before Snape got angry.


    However, Ron had been arguing with Harry all this time, and just stared at the ceiling.


    "Very good, very good--" Snape said sternly, "Potter, leave your things here, I want you toe backter and test your antidote."


    "I''m sorry, sir... He must take his things with him," Colin said nervously, "All warriors need..."


    Harry swallowed his saliva.


    I have to admit that Colin, this little fanboy, is so brave that he dared to refute Snape in ss.


    "Very good!" Snape said gloomily, "Potter... Take your schoolbag and get out of my sight immediately!"


    It seems that Snape is still a little hesitant about this game.


    Harry breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself.


    He threw his bag over his shoulder, stood up, and walked towards the door without stopping.


    When he walked past the desks where the Slytherin students were, the words "Potter Stinky Shit" shed at him from all directions.


    ...


    After escaping the bitter sea of ??Potions ss, Harry had to face another scene that he didn''t want to face anyway.


    A reporter wanted to take pictures of the warriors and publish their images in the Daily Prophet.


    Unlike the other warriors who won glory for the school, Harry felt that his identity as a warrior was not visible and was obtained through abnormal channels. If he was exposed to the general public in the wizarding world, it would probably make him further embarrassed...


    "Good luck!"


    When he came to the room used for taking pictures, Colin gave Harry his best wishes.


    Harry knocked on the door and walked in.


    This was a smaller ssroom, and most of the desks were pushed to the back of the ssroom, leaving arge open space in the middle. There were three desks connected to each other, ced in front of the ckboard, covered with a long piece of velvet.


    Behind the velvet-covered desk, there were five chairs. On one of them sat Ludo Bagman, who was talking to a witch Harry had never seen before, who was wearing a magenta robe.


    Viktor Krum, as usual, stood in a corner with a sullen face, not talking to anyone; Cedric, John, and Fleur were chatting, and all three of them looked very happy.


    At the front of the room, a pot-bellied man was holding arge ck camera that was emitting a little smoke, and was looking at Fleur out of the corner of his eye.


    After Harry entered the room, the conversation of the three warriors suddenly became quiet.


    For a moment, the atmosphere seemed a little awkward, but Cedric stood up and greeted Harry because of their old friendship, which made him less embarrassed.


    Bagman also saw Harry, so he quickly stood up and jumped forwardically.


    "Ah, here hees! The fifth champion!" he said cheerfully, "Come in, Harry,e in... There''s nothing to worry about, it''s just the wand testing ceremony, the other referees and our safety officer will be here soon."


    "Wand testing? Safety officer?" Harry asked in confusion.


    "We must check whether your wands are fully functional and in good condition, because in futurepetitions, wands are your most important equipment." Bagman exined, "As for the safety officer, this is proposed by Headmaster Dumbledore - in addition to the referee, a new safety officer will be added to ensure your safety."


    "The wand expert is upstairs, with Dumbledore. Then I''ll take a few photos of you..."


    He pointed to the witch in magenta robes next to him, "This is Rita Skeeter, she is writing a short article about the tournament for the Daily Prophet..."


    "Maybe it''s not a short article, Ludo." Rita Skeeter smiled strangely, staring straight at Harry.


    Her hair was made into fine, stiff, weird curls, which looked particrly awkward with her big-chinned face. A pair of jeweled sses rested on her face, and her thick, fat fingers grasped a crocodile leather handbag. Her nails were two inches long and painted red.


    No matter how you look at it, you feel that this woman is not reliable.


    "Before we start, can I have a few words with Harry?" She asked Bagman, but her eyes were still fixed on Harry. "The youngest warrior, you know... to add some color to the article."


    "No problem!" Bagman said loudly. He hoped that Harry, the youngest warrior, could be promoted. Maybe more people would join his bet.


    "Just... I wonder if Harry objects?"


    "Hmm--" Harry snorted in self-abandonment.


    "Great!" Rita Skeeter said, and excitedly grabbed Harry''s arm with her bright red w-like fingers, trying to pull him into another room.


    At this moment, the door of the room where the warriors were suddenly opened again.


    A head of silver hair that was even brighter than Fleur''s hair came into everyone''s sight.


    Rita Skeeter unconsciously rxed her grip on Harry''s hand, and her eyes were more excited than ever before.


    "Ludo, which star is this to promote the Final Four Tournament?" She asked Bagman without moving her eyes.


    "Ah? You said Professor Drac is a star?" Bagman shook his head with a bit of amusement, "This is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, and also the security officer for the next tournament, responsible for ensuring the safety of the warriors."


    "Wait, Ludo, you said... He is the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor who has been re-elected for the first time in decades at Hogwarts?!" Rita looked startled, and her eyes were filled with a series of emotions such as annoyance, regret, excitement, and shock.


    "Yes, Professor Drac has been the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts for more than three years." Bagman didn''t quite understand why Rita was acting so strange, and he reached out and scratched his head.


    "You don''t understand... This is big news!" Rita stamped her feet in anger, "This professor can upy the first page of the newspaper just by relying on his face, which is much better than the previous Gilderoy Lockhart... Not to mention that he is also a powerful Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts."


    "It''s really strange, why has such a person never appeared in the newspaper? Why didn''t I find this problem earlier?"


    "I thought you should know..." Bagman said inexplicably, "Professor Drac has just taken office at Hogwarts and some students have said that he looks quite good. As a reporter, you must have heard about those news, right?"


    "But I didn''t expect his appearance to be so good!" Rita replied eagerly, and immediately stopped Drac who was looking at the room.


    "Hello, Professor Drac, I''m Rita Skeeter, a reporter from the Daily Prophet."


    She extended a w-like hand with long red nails to Drac.


    Harry, who was originally dragged by Rita, stared in amazement as the reporter shook him off and came to Professor Drac.


    He stood alone in the middle of the room. It was not right to go back or stand there... Cedric waved at Harry and pulled him to the stool prepared for the warriors.


    On the other side, Drac lowered his head, nced at Rita''s red ws, and then at the weird curly hair and fancy sses.


    He pouted in disdain, looked away directly, and walked around the reporter in front of him to Bagman.


    "Mr. Bagman, I''m just a security guard. There''s no need to be interviewed, right?" Drac asked with a frown.


    If it was a reporter with a more pleasing image, Drac might have epted the interview. After all, being in the newspaper was a novel experience.


    But this reporter named Rita Skeeter was so weird that Drac didn''t even want to look at her to prevent it from affecting his mood...


    Bagman was a little embarrassed when he saw this.


    He had heard that Professor Drac was rather willful, but he didn''t expect that he didn''t even bother to follow the most basic etiquette of greeting.


    Looking at Rita''s constant nces, Bagman sighed.


    In order to repay Rita for helping him make big news when he was still a popr Quidditch yer, he had to say this:


    "Professor Drac, after all, we have set up the position of security officer for the first time, and there is no precedent to refer to... In my personal opinion, there is nothing wrong with taking photos for publicity, which can better promote our safety!"


    "Do you really think so?" Drac raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile.


    "Ahem..." Bagman shuddered, feeling as if Drac could see through his thoughts. "Well... I definitely have this idea, it depends on whether Professor Drac agrees..."


    Rita looked at Bagman with a look like a waste, and decided to do it herself.


    "Professor Drac, epting my interview will definitely be good for you." She said sincerely, "With your image, you only need to have some special skills to be the top of the magic world..."


    "And you are also the first legendary figure to be re-elected as the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts. You only need to promote it in the newspaper a few more times and publish a few books, and you will definitely be more famous than Lockhart at that time!"


    "This is much faster than making money as a professor!"


    Rita smiled confidently. She felt that no one could resist the temptation of bing famous and making a lot of money at the same time.


    After listening to the reporter''s introduction, Drac seemed very interested and slowly raised the corners of his mouth.


    "Don''t worry, I''m the top reporter. I''ve worked with many Quidditch stars, singers, and drama stars. I''m best at packaging images!" Rita thought Drac had an idea, so she quickly said while the iron was hot.


    "Professor Drac, I don''t need any benefits, as long as you can give me the right to interview and write biographies in the future..."


    "How can you think that I''m interested in money and fame?" Drac suddenly interrupted Rita Skeeter.


    "You''re kidding, who wouldn''t be interested in money and fame?" Rita felt a little uneasy and smiled reluctantly, "You worked hard to take on such a dangerous professorship, isn''t it to earn money and fame?"


    "I worked with Gilderoy Lockhart before. When he was the most famous, he thought about being a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for a year, just to be more famous..."


    "So you all think so?" Dracughed with interest, "Interesting."


    Indeed, most wizards who serve as Defense Against the Dark Arts professors have ulterior motives.


    Quirrell helped Voldemort steal the Philosopher''s Stone, and Lockhartter did it to gild his resume... So it seems that Drac also has other purposes.


    He came to Hogwarts to be a professor just to have fun.


    Now it seems that there will be a lot of fun during the tournament.

 Chapter 251 - 251 Wand detection

    <h4>Chapter 251: Wand detection</h4>


    "Professor Drac, this interview..." Rita Skeeter said unwillingly.


    "Forget about the interview, I have an appointment with someone else." Drac waved his hand casually, ignored her, and walked towards the steps on the side of the room.


    Watching Drac''s figure disappear at the corner of the stairs, Rita Skeeter gritted her teeth unwillingly, suddenly reached into her crocodile leather handbag, and took out a long, dazzling green feather pen and a roll of parchment.


    She spread the parchment on a table next to her, put the tip of the green feather pen into her mouth, sucked it for a while, and then ced the pen vertically on the parchment.


    The feather pen tube stood upright on the tip of the pen, hanging in the air and trembling slightly, as if ready to write an article at any time.


    "Check the status of the pen... My name is Rita Skeeter, a reporter for the Daily Prophet." She said.


    Bagman, who was standing next to her, walked over curiously and looked down at the feather pen and the parchment.


    As soon as Rita Skeeter finished speaking, the green quill began to write with great speed, the tip of the pen gliding deftly across the parchment-


    The charming blonde Rita Skeeter, now 43 years old, has used her unruly quill pen to expose many frivolous reputations...


    "Great." Rita Skeeterughed happily, tore off the first piece of parchment, crumpled it up, and stuffed it into her handbag.


    "How can this pen make up lies as easily as you do?" Bagmanmented, watching the scene with amazement.


    "Ludo, if you can''t speak, don''t speak."


    Rita Skeeter turned her head and red at Ludo, then continued to tell the quill to write, "Next is... um, Drac, the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts."


    Unlike before, this time the green quill hesitated for a long time before slowly moving across the parchment, writing the following words-


    Professor Drac, as the first re-elected professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts in 30 years, is very legendary. But perhaps few people know that this professor''s appearance is also so eye-catching;


    This professor is very low-key, and it is definitely a great loss to the magic world that he has such an outstanding image but is rarely known.


    Although he was unwilling to be interviewed, after the author''s indirect questioning, he still asked many questions...


    Bagman stood by and looked at the handwriting written by the quill, and couldn''t help but open his mouth in astonishment.


    ...


    "Mr. Drac, you''re here just in time!"


    In a room upstairs, an old wizard with tworge light-colored eyes was sitting quietly by the window. When he saw Dracing, he stood up in surprise.


    "I just sorted out the tools for checking the wand. It''s just right. I''ve wanted to take another look at that spooky wooden wand for a long time." The old wizard''s voice was vague, but the joy in it could not be concealed at all.


    "Oh? I thought you only agreed to make this wand because you were forced to do so." Drac chuckled, "Aren''t you only willing to use dragon heartstrings, unicorn tail hair and phoenix tail feathers as wand cores, Mr. Garrick Ollivander?"


    "Ah, that''s different!" Ollivander shook his head, "The reason I set such a rule is just because these three wand cores are the most stable. However, the fit between your little finger bone and wood and the caster is unprecedented, which is obviously worth making an exception for me!"


    Drac curled his lips, just pretending that the wand maker who said "You''ve got the wrong person" was not him.


    "Then help me take a look, I also want to know if this wand has changed after three years." Drac handed over his wand that he had used for three years.


    Ollivander carefully took the wand, ced it on a soft silk cushion on the table, and then put on single-frame sses.


    "Grimwood, powerful magical life bone as the wand core, thirteen and a half inches,pletely ck, hard body..." Looking at the wand, Ollivander murmured, "This is definitely one of the best works I have ever made!"


    "What do you mean?" Drac asked.


    "Mr. Drac, please look - Gloomy wood is the main material of this wand, which is extremely suitable for using necromancy and ck magic. However, this wood also has its limitations, that is, it is difficult to use it to cast holy magic such as the Patronus Charm..."


    Halfway through his words, Ollivander''s voice suddenly got stuck.


    He watched Drac raise his hand, recall the wand, and casually cast a silver-white bat patronus.


    Ollivander: "..."


    "It seems that there is something wrong with your judgment, Mr. Ollivander." Drac yed with the wand between his fingers andughed teasingly.


    "This shouldn''t be..." Ollivander showed a doubtful expression, "Wood like the Spooky Wood is extremely repellent to holy magic in the literature. Forcibly using this wand to cast the Patronus Charm will definitely affect the dark energy in it..."


    He took a series ofplex tools from his tool kit, took the Spooky Wood wand from Drac, and carefully checked it up and down.


    "Incredible... Incredible..."


    Olivander was more and more surprised, and the look of disbelief in his eyes became stronger and stronger.


    "The dark power on this wand, after the influence of the Patronus Charm, has not shown any signs of weakening... On the contrary, it is still increasing at an imperceptible speed?"


    "You mean... the darkness in this wand is still increasing?" Drac frowned and took the wand back from Ollivander.


    He had been lying in the coffin of the gloomy wood for a hundred years. He was very clear about the characteristics of this wood, and he also knew that everything in the world was different from himself who was eternal and unchanging. No matter how magical the material was, it would gradually be ordinary and its energy would gradually dissipate as time passed.


    This coffin has a history of hundreds of years, and it is no longer as deep as when the gloomy log was first obtained.


    However, after using this wand to cast the Patronus Charm many times, the dark characteristics in it not only did not decay, but were strengthened a lot?


    Drac held the wand, and his magic power prated deep into the wand to detect it. After repeated searches, he finally found an almost imperceptible energy source.


    Because Drac usually did not pay much attention to tools such as the wand, he naturally had no awareness of maintaining the wand and checking the wand core, and it was difficult for him to notice this deeply hidden energy source.


    If Ollivander had not used professional tools to test it today and raised such a question, Drac would probably not have discovered it even if he had used this wand until it was scrapped.


    But how can such a small energy source continuously enhance the power of the wand?


    Countless images shed before Drac''s eyes.


    He was sure that after Ollivander made this wand, there was no such energy source in the wand... This wandmaker was only proficient in making wands, and he did not have the ability to store the energy source of ck magic.


    So, when did this energy source appear?


    First of all, it is certain that it has not appeared for a long time. Because when the Patronus Charm was first used, the power of the wand did have an extremely weak decline, which can be easily perceived.


    Later, when did this decline stagnate and instead began to rise slowly?


    The picture in front of Drac finally froze at the end ofst semester, when he met the red-robed hooded man in the Department of Mysteries.


    The only person who could tamper with this wand without knowing it was Drac himself in the future!


    But how far into the future did the future selfe from?


    It actually raised Drac''s strength, which had not changed for nearly a thousand years, to a whole new level, even to the point where he could snatch people from the existence that called himself the god of death...


    "Mr. Drac, have you thought of anything?"


    Olivander''s voice interrupted Drac''s thoughts.


    "Nothing." Drac turned around and shook his head gently, "You should go do your work first, Mr. Ollivander. I heard from Bagman that you still have to check the wands of the participating warriors."


    "Oh!" Ollivander opened his big light-colored eyes even wider, "That''s right, I think I''m going to bete."


    After that, he hurriedly packed up the utensils on the table, saying that he must not live up to the reputation of the Ollivander wand-making family, while tremblingly pushing open the door and walking down the stairs.


    After Ollivander left, Drac exhaled a long breath, and his eyes became extremely deep.


    Different kinds of dark energy from the same source, the stone arch leading to another world in the Department of Mysteries, Herpo''s strange abilities in the secret realm on the top of Olympus, and the mysterious energy source left by the future Drac...


    All of this seemed to be linked together, pointing to a mysterious end.


    ...


    When Drac sorted out his thoughts and came downstairs again, he saw Ollivander seriously checking John Kowalski''s wand.


    "Well," Mr. Ollivander said, "a very well-made wand, it should be made by an excellent wand craftsman..."


    He raised the wand, turned it over and over in front of his eyes, and examined it carefully.


    "That''s right... snake wood, the core is made of cat and leopard whiskers, right?" He nced at John.


    "Yes, it''s the same material as my grandfather''s wand, but his wand doesn''t have a core." John nodded.


    "No wand core?" Ollivander looked up at John in surprise, "Excuse me, I don''t know any wand that can cast magic without a wand core..."


    "Oh, don''t doubt yourself, my grandfather didn''t use that wand to cast magic." Johnughed, "He was a Muggle!"


    "Muggle?" Ollivander''s eyes widened.


    "Ahem... Mr. Ollivander, don''t worry about this detail." Dumbledore, who came to the room as a referee, coughed twice and said, "Jacob, Mr. Kowalski''s grandfather''s wand, I gave it to him that year."


    "Oh, Albus, this is..."


    "It can be regarded as a souvenir. It seems that Mr. Kowalski''s family likes that wand very much." Dumbledore smiled and motioned Ollivander to continue his work.


    "I really don''t understand what you did when you were younger..." Ollivander shook his head nomittally, and looked at the wand again, "The most famous snakewood wand is of course Slytherin''s, which is suitable for all kinds of profound magic..."


    Drac listened to Ollivander''s words and looked at John''s snakewood wand with interest.


    He suddenly remembered that the snakewood wand used by Szar Slytherin seemed to be brought to America by a descendant, and he didn''t know where it was now.


    "I personally have never used leopard whiskers as a wand core. I think wands made of leopard whiskers are too changeable..." Ollivander continued, "However, everyone has their own preferences. Since it suits you, it is also a wand core suitable for various spiritual magic."


    "Twelve and a quarter inches, no wear...Okay, flocks of birds!"


    The snakewood wand made a loud bang, like a pistol firing, and a group of birds pped their wings and flew out of the wand head, flying into the pale sunlight from the open window.


    "Very good," Mr. Ollivander smiled and handed the wand back to John, "and thest one...Mr. Potter."


    Harry stood up, brushed past John, walked towards Ollivander, and handed over his wand.


    "Ah, yes," Ollivander''s light-colored eyes suddenly shed with extreme excitement, "Yes, yes... I remember it clearly, this is the wand made at the same time as that person, with two twin phoenix feathers..."


    "That person?" Rita Skeeter suddenly raised her head from her manuscript.


    Harry looked at Ollivander in panic and winked at him.


    He had never told anyone that his wand and Voldemort''s had the same core.


    In fact, Harry liked his wand very much. In his opinion, the rtionship between this wand and Voldemort''s wand could not be med on it - just as he could not sever his kinship with Aunt Petunia.


    However, he sincerely hoped that Mr. Ollivander would not tell the people in the room about this... If Ollivander revealed this secret, Rita Skeeter''s shorthand quill would probably explode with excitement.


    Ollivander seemed to understand Harry''s expression, smiled knowingly, lowered his head and fell silent, carefully examining the wand.


    Finally, he let a stream of wine spray out of the tip of the wand, then handed the wand back to Harry, dering it in very good condition.


    Rita Skeeter did not react, not knowing what Ollivander''s words meant, and lowered her head in disappointment, continuing to secretly make up stories for Drac.


    However, Drac saw the origin of the wand in Harry''s eyes.


    ''In that case, Potter''s wand might be of interest to Riddle? '' He thought.

 Chapter 252 - 252 How to repair a split soul

    <h4>Chapter 252: How to repair a split soul</h4>


    "Very good, thank you for your cooperation."


    After Ollivander checked Harry''s wand, Dumbledore stood up from the referee''s table and said to everyone present.


    "You can go back to ss now... Oh, maybe it''s better to go to the hall to eat directly, anyway, they will be out of ss soon."


    As he said this, he winked at the five warriors yfully.


    Harry, who had been in a very depressed mood, finally felt that something went well today.


    He stood up and prepared to leave, but the man with the ck camera jumped up and cleared his throat.


    "Take a picture, Dumbledore, take a picture!" Bagman pped his thigh in sudden realization and shouted excitedly, "What do you think of a group photo of the referee, safety officer and warrior, Rita?"


    "Well - well, let''s take a group photo first," said Rita Skeeter, her eyes constantly wandering around Drac, Krum, and Harry, the people who were most likely to make big news, "maybe take a few individual photoster."


    It took a long time to take the photo.


    No matter where Madame Maxime stood, it would be easy to block others, and the room was too small for the photographer to stand very far away, so it was difficult to get her into the camera.


    In the end, she had to sit down, and everyone else stood around her.


    Karkaroff kept twisting his goatee with his fingers, trying to curl it; Cedric smiled shyly at the camera; Fleur shook her hair and smiled stunningly...


    Somewhat surprisingly, Krum, who people thought would be used to such things as taking pictures, hid behind everyone.


    The photographer seemed particrly eager to put Fleur in the front, but Rita Skeeter always caught up and insisted that Drac, Harry and Krum stand in a more prominent position.


    Then she insisted on taking individual photos of the referee, the safety officer and the warriors one by one.


    However, Dracpletely ignored him and turned around and left the room, so she had to shift her attention to the "easy to bully" Harry and Krum and took photos of each warrior.


    It took a long time for the warriors to finally get out.


    By the time they got to the auditorium, the students who were originally in ss had already finished their meals.


    For Harry, this only happy thing seemed to have be a bit annoying.


    ...


    After Drac left the room where the interview was arranged, he went straight to the office of the Defense Against the Dark Arts assistant teacher assigned to Riddle, which was not far from the Defense Against the Dark Arts ssroom.


    Pushing open the door, the handsome ck-haired young man was reading a book. Seeing Drac''s arrival, he showed a bit of surprise.


    "Professor Drac, aren''t you dealing with the matter of the semi-finals? Why did you suddenly think ofing here?" Riddle stood up and asked, "The students'' homework has been corrected today. Do you need to take a look?"


    He put down the book in his hand, picked up a thick, neatly arranged pile of parchment from the desk by the window, and handed it to Drac.


    "I''m not here to check your work." Drac waved his hand and pushed the homework back.


    If it weren''t for the connection between Harry''s wand and Voldemort, which made Drac suddenly think of his assistant, he might have ignored Riddle to arge extent.


    This teaching assistant, who was found from a diary very hastily at that time, has be extremely low-key since he was found by Drac when he was looking for Slytherin''s remains in the previous school year.


    Every day, he just conscientiously arranges and corrects the homework of the young wizards, makes a demonstration in ss when necessary, and asionally serves as a sparring partner in the duel club...


    Apart from work, Riddle has been reading books, reading different magic books... ording to him, he only has the memory of Voldemort before he was 16 years old, and the umtion of magic knowledge is far from enough, and he must continue to study.


    It is simply the speech of a model student.


    Drac certainly has no reason to stop him from continuing his studies. After all, his teaching assistant work has beenpleted quite well, and even a sarcastic professor like Snape can''t find fault with it.


    Of course, Drac has no intention of finding fault at all.


    Only by having a reliable teaching assistant to deal with the various trivial troubles of being a professor can you have the opportunity toe out and have fun! Why not?


    Drac turned his attention back to the book that Riddle had just ced on the desk.


    This was a rather thick book, with a faded ck leather cover and a string of letters in a strange font on it -


    "Advanced ck Magic Revealed".


    "Advanced ck Magic? It''s quite boastful. How is this book?" Drac picked up the book casually and opened the first page.


    Before Riddle could remind him, a hideous ck skull suddenly emerged from the cover of the book, let out a piercing scream, and rushed towards Drac.


    However, before Drac could react, the skull seemed to be frightened and immediately turned around and wanted to return to the pages of the book.


    The next moment, two slender fingers pinched the ck mist on the back of the skull and lifted it in front of him like a puppy.


    "Interesting, is this a ck magic trap set by the author of this book?"


    Drac looked at the skull with interest. He felt that the image of the skull in the Dark Mark was inspired by this.


    "Let me see... the fog should be a bluff, and the main thing is the mental impact."


    Drac said to himself, "Oh, is the author of this ck magic book actually a good person? Wizards who don''t have enough spirit to withstand the ck magic in this book will be scared by this skull, so as to achieve the effect of warning?"


    Riddle watched this scene with shame on his face. He always felt that even though he had worked hard to improve, he was still not from the same world as this professor.


    Every time he opened the book, he had to be prepared to avoid being affected by the skull, so as not to reduce his learning efficiency in the next period of time.


    ...But this skull was as weak and harmless as a little puppy to Drac, not to mention being affected mentally.


    "Professor Drac, I guess this author can''t be called a good person. He is very arrogant..." Riddle said, "In my opinion, the author probably thinks that wizards who are not powerful enough are not qualified to read his works."


    "Oh, if that''s the case, it''s really arrogant." Drac sneered and shook his head, and began to turn the book back.


    This big book is worthy of the name of "Advanced ck Magic Revealed". All kinds of ck magic in it are organized quite well and urately, with few mistakes or omissions.


    It contains arge number of evil magic files and various evil experimental cases.


    It can be seen that the author who wrote this book is indeed not a good person in the literal sense, otherwise he would not have a special liking for these evil cases.


    Riddle watched Drac''s movements nervously, hoping that his reading speed of ten lines at a nce could skip some of the important information in it...


    However, the thing he least wanted to see happened after all.


    When Drac turned to a certain page, his movements suddenly paused.


    "Horcrux?" Drac raised his eyes and looked at Riddle with a smile, "You read this book mainly for this content, right?"


    It''s rare. Even with Drac''s experience, he rarely sees books containing specific information about Horcruxes.


    But this book "Secrets of Advanced ck Magic" covers the process of making Horcruxes, the impact of Horcruxes on the soul of the creator, and the method of repairing the soul...


    "Can the soul be repaired?" Drac said softly.


    "Yes, the book says... Only through regret can the split soul be repaired." Riddle nodded slowly and said, "This process is painful and may be fatal."


    "I remember you absorbed soul fragments from other Horcruxes before." Drac frowned, "If I remember correctly, it was the one in Rowena''s crown."


    "Isn''t this way of merging souls a kind of repair? I don''t think you have any regrets."


    "Yes, this fusion only relies on the characteristics of my own special Horcrux, and it is not considered a repair Soul. "Riddle was silent for a moment, then said with some distress, "So I can''t exert the power of all the Horcruxes."


    "And I don''t know how many Horcruxes that person has made. When I face him again in the future, I don''t know whether I can have the upper hand in terms of soul strength."


    Speaking of this, he looked at Drac with burning eyes, "Professor Drac, you must still have Horcruxes, right? I can always feel it!"


    "Are you talking about... this?" Drac took out a locket from his pocket and yed with it casually in his hands.


    This is a golden locket, iid with a sparkling green gem, the gem is in the shape of a snake, just like a real venomous snake.


    "Yes, I can feel it, this is his other Horcrux!" Riddle opened his eyes wide, and his face gradually showed an eager expression, "Professor Drac, can you let me absorb the soul fragments in this Horcrux? This way I will have more confidence in fighting him!"


    Drac suddenly stopped ying with the locket and held the locket firmly in his palm.


    "Do you think that with this soul fragment, you can fight Voldemort alone?" He asked lightly with a smile on his face.


    "I think... there is hope." Riddle took a deep breath, "ording to my understanding of myself, if I have to choose, I will divide my soul into seven pieces..."


    "The fragment I represent and the fragment in the Ravenw crown, there are already two pieces... If you add the one in your hand, I already have nearly half of the soul, and I only need to find another piece to gain an advantage..."


    Voldemort really has another soul in Hogwarts.


    Drac''s expression was a little yful, and he unconsciously thought of the fragment on Harry''s body.


    "Then how can you be sure that the souls split by Voldemort are all of the same strength?" He then asked, "How can you be sure that the soul fragment Voldemort left for himself will not be thergest one?"


    Riddle was stunned.


    "So don''t think of these tricks. Improving your strength is the hard truth." Drac put Slytherin''s locket back into his pocket again and patted Riddle on the shoulder.


    "When youpletely merge the soul fragments in Rowena''s crown, I will give you this Horcrux."


    His meaning is very clear, that is, to let Riddle learn to regret and repair his split soul.


    If he really learns to regret one day, then he can be assured to devour all of Voldemort''s souls.


    But can Riddle really, or is he really willing to learn to regret?


    Drac thinks it is difficult.


    ...


    On the Saturday before the first project started, Hogwarts approved students above the third grade to visit Hogsmeade vige as usual.


    Harry has spent more than half a month in frustration every day. Hermione persuaded him to go outside the castle to rx, saying that this might make him feel better.


    In fact, Harry was eager to go out and rx, and she didn''t need to persuade him at all.


    "But, what about Ron?" Before leaving, he suddenly thought of something, so he asked, "Don''t you want to go with him?"


    "Oh, that''s it..." Hermione blushed slightly, "I think we can meet him at the Three Broomsticks Tavern..."


    "No way!" Harry said bluntly.


    Ron took the initiative to quarrel with Harry, and Harry also felt that his jealousy was a bit unreasonable, so he simply cut off contact with him.


    Now Hermione wants Harry to take the initiative to find Ron, which is of course impossible.


    "Oh, Harry, this is too stupid! You two..."


    "I will go, but I don''t want to meet Ron. I want to put on my invisible cloak." Harry said angrily.


    "Oh, then all right..." Hermione said angrily, "but if you wear that clothes, I don''t want to talk to you, because I can''t tell if my eyes are looking at you."


    So, Harry put on his invisible cloak in the dormitory, went downstairs, and set off for Hogsmeade with Hermione.


    Harry felt particrly rxed under the Invisibility Cloak, because finally no one looked at him with malicious and suspicious eyes.


    As they walked into the vige, he looked at other ssmates walking by them. Most of them wore badges supporting Cedric Diggory on their chests, but there were no unpleasantments, and no one deliberately lit up the words "Potter Stinks".


    "Now people keep looking at me," Hermione said unsatisfiedly to the air beside her, "They think I''m talking to myself."


    They walked to Honeydukes Candy Store to buy a fewrge pieces of freshly baked cream-filled choctes to taste.


    Just then, from a distance, a boy with fiery red hair hurriedly ran towards Hermione.


    "Hermione--" The red-haired boy, that is, Ron, panted, "Something bad has happened. I think I just got some news... I think you need to tell Harry about this for me!"

 Chapter 253 - 253 Amicable settlement

    <h4>Chapter 253: Amicable settlement</h4>


    Ron has also been very depressed recently.


    The arrival of the unprecedented event of the Four Finals should have been something that people were looking forward to. Indeed, before the Goblet of Fire selected the final contestants, Ron was as excited as other young wizards.


    But when the name of his best friend, Harry Potter, came out of the Goblet of Fire, everything seemed to change.


    Ron didn''t know how Harry had crossed the age limit to put his name in, nor did he know why the Goblet of Fire really chose a fourteen-year-old wizard like Harry as the extra fifth warrior.


    This vited the rules of the game!


    Of course, he didn''t deny Harry''s intention. He knew that his best friend was the savior of the wizarding world, and it was understandable that he received some preferential treatment...


    But what Ron couldn''t ept was that his best friend secretly put his name into the Goblet of Fire without telling him.


    When Ron asked Harry why he did this, Harry actually told him that he didn''t sign up...


    If you didn''t sign up, why would your name be spit out by the Goblet of Fire? Do you think I''m stupid?


    We are best friends!


    I won''t reveal your secret, why do you hide it from me?


    Ron kept shouting this in his heart.


    During the period after the selection of the warrior list, he had been in an extremelyplicated mood. Every time he talked to Harry, he wouldin and be dissatisfied in his heart, so that the two of them would always part ways unhappily.


    I don''t know whether it was because of jealousy or dissatisfaction with Harry''s "deception", he couldn''t help but quarrel with his best friend, and his rtionship with Harry gradually became cold and distant.


    In this situation, the two twins of the Weiss family keenly discovered this.


    On this Saturday when the school allowed students to go to Hogsmeade for fun, Fred and George pulled Ron aside and talked to him in private.


    "Little Luo Luo, have you quarreled with Harry recently?" Fred asked with a mysterious expression, holding Ron''s shoulders.


    "How many times have I told you not to call me Little Luo Luo!" Ron blushed at Fred''s nickname for him.


    "What''s the matter? Why can mom call you that, but we can''t?" George said with a smile, "You are bullying the weak and afraid of the strong, you know?"


    "Even mom can''t call me that!" Ron said angrily, "This is the name from many years ago, and only you two guys use this name to bully me all day long. Don''t call me that in the future, do you hear me!"


    "Okay, little Luo Luo." Fred agreed to Ron with a grin, but he didn''t change his words at all, "Tell me, what happened between you and Harry, why don''t you even sit together for dinner recently?"


    "Yes, little Luo Luo, you used to be inseparable!" George added.


    Ron really couldn''te up with any way to deal with the two unruly brothers, so he could only pretend not to hear and snorted perfunctorily.


    "You don''t have to say it, but we know it. He must be unhappy that Harry became a warrior without you, right?" George said with a wise expression, winking.


    "I''m not that stingy..."


    Ron wanted to argue, but the twins didn''t listen and continued talking.


    "Don''t deny it..." Fred said, "We have watched you grow up since you wet the bed. I know what you are thinking even if you don''t say it!"


    Ron''s face turned red again, and he wanted to fight Fred, but he was pressed down by his two brothers with a smirk and couldn''t move at all.


    "You should calm down, little Luo Luo, don''t be so impulsive." Fredughed.


    "Let me go, let me go! I''m going to fight you!" Ron shouted.


    Seeing this, George pulled out a strange prop from his pocket and put it on Ron''s mouth. Ron''s mouth immediately turned into a pig''s mouth, and the sound he made turned into a "snoring" sound.


    "I have to say that the invention of the pig head gag is really useful." George gave Fred a thumbs up, "We must reserve a ce for it as the main product of our joke shop in the future!"


    "Yes, we can also produce a few magic pig ears as matching products." Fred also said excitedly, "I want to buy a set myself!"


    After a long time, until Ron''s "snoring" interrupted the two people''s thoughts, they realized that there was a little wizard of their own here.


    "Be quiet, little Luo Luo. Listen carefully to our analysis and see if it''s right!" Fred smiled with a prank expression, "In our opinion, you must have been unbnced about Harry bing a warrior, and then he didn''t tell you how to sessfully sign up, so you got upset, right?"


    The "snoring" sound from Ron''s mouth stopped unconsciously.


    "To be honest, we were a little angry at first... We wanted to help Harry cheat the Goblet of Fire and make him a champion!" George said, "Unexpectedly, our aging agent didn''t work, and he secretly signed up!"


    "Yes, the champion reward is 1,000 Galleons!" Fred agreed, "It''s enough for us to participate in apetition."


    "We were really angry at that time, but then I thought about it... It''s not right, why did Harry sign up without telling us?" George looked into Ron''s eyes and asked.


    "We all know that Harry''s parents left him arge sum of money, and he has a very wealthy godfather. The thousand Galleons are nothing to him. As for the fame of participating in the semi-finals, his reputation as the savior is already big enough, and there is no need for such a smallpetition to consolidate it..."


    "Besides, Harry has never been a person who likes to show off, and this is not his favorite Quidditch game, so there is no need."


    "Anyway, the two of us thought about it again and again, and felt that Harry might not have lied to us - he really didn''t put his name in the Goblet of Fire."


    Fred and George talked to Ron one after another, and then took off the pig''s snout hanging on his mouth.


    "Gululu...ah, you two bastards!" Ron looked at his two brothers angrily as they put the pig''s snout back into their pockets. "You are willing to speak well of Harry, isn''t it because he made you earn as much as winning the game from those Slytherin guys?"


    "I admit that there is a reason for this." Fred raised his hands very simply, indicating that Ron was right.


    "That''s right, but these are just trivial matters." George said, "Just tell me if our analysis just now makes sense!"


    "But if he didn''t throw his name into the Goblet of Fire, how did he register sessfully?" Ron questioned, "It can''t be out of nothing, right?"


    "Then we don''t know." Fred shrugged, "Maybe it''s really out of nothing?"


    "Forget it, I guess you won''t ept our analysis results directly, so let''s skip this topic first." George said, "We called you here not only to talk about Harry''s affairs, but also got a piece of news."


    "What news?" Ron red at him angrily.


    "Charlie took the initiative to write to us..." said Fred, "He mentioned Harry in the letter, and it seems that he never expected Harry to be a warrior participating in the semi-finals."


    "Yes, Charlie also said that this semi-final is very dangerous, and asked us to help Harry well." George said.


    "He wanted to sign up himself, he deserves it, who would help him..." Ron curled his lips in disdain and muttered, "There is no tournament that is not dangerous."


    Fred and George looked at him expressionlessly.


    Ron looked at his two brothers who were rarely serious. At first, he didn''t care. Slowly, he seemed to think of something-


    Ron''s child hole suddenly contracted, and his heart seemed to miss a beat.


    "Wait... Why did Charlie know that this semi-final was dangerous? He is not from the Ministry of Magic!" He screamed loudly, "Unless... Unless there is a project in the semi-final arranged by Charlie!"


    Then the final answer to this project seems to be about toe out-


    Fire dragon!


    ...


    "It''s bad, Hermione! I think I just got some news... I think you need to tell Harry about this for me!"


    In Hogsmeade Vige, Ron ran around and finally found Hermione in front of Honeydukes.


    "You should know my second brother, Charlie Weisley, you met him in the Quidditch World Cup final in the summer vacation." Ron said breathlessly, "He has been to the Fire Dragon Sanctuary in Romania since graduation, responsible for taking care of the fire dragons..."


    "Of course I know, I also know that Mr. and Mrs. Weisley originally wanted him to be a professional Quidditch yer." Hermione quietly nced at the air around her, stiffened her neck and said, "What''s wrong, did Charlie tell you something?"


    Ron panted for a long time, and when his breath finally calmed down, he said:


    "Charlie told us that... this semi-finalpetition is very dangerous!"


    Hermione''s eyes widened immediately.


    As a smart know-it-alldy, Hermione''s reaction speed is far beyond Ron''s.


    She immediately connected thepetition items of the semi-finals with Charlie''s work, and thought about what the next first item might be.


    "Oh my God..." Hermione turned her eyes nkly to the empty space beside her, her lips trembling, and she couldn''t say anything for a long time.


    "You should know the seriousness of the matter, Hermione, so you must bring this news to Harry." Ron said solemnly, "Don''t tell him that I told you this news!"


    After that, Ron wanted to turn around and walk back to the direction of Hogwarts Castle.


    However, the next moment, a piece of air around Hermione suddenly seemed to flow, and it was slightly distorted.


    Then, Harry''s figure emerged from the air.


    "No need to ask Hermione to pass on the message... I''ve been here all the time." Harry took a deep breath and said in a heavy tone, "Thank you for bringing this news, Ron."


    Ron opened his eyes wide and looked at Harry who appeared out of nowhere, stumbling and saying:


    "You... don''t think too much, I didn''t tell you this news for you. I just don''t want there to be casualties in the game and make Hogwarts look bad..."


    "With Professor Drac as a safety officer, Harry will be fine, Ron!" Hermione couldn''t help but corrected, "Don''t be so stubborn, you''re just worried about Harry''s safety."


    "I''m not!" Ron blushed and retorted loudly.


    Harry looked at Ron and was silent for a long time.


    "Ron, thank you so much." Harry said sincerely until Ron couldn''t bear it anymore and wanted to interrupt his sight.


    His tone seemed very gentle and soft.


    "It''s my fault. I should have thought that it''s normal to be misunderstood in such a situation. There''s no need for us to be angry and keep silent." Harry said, "Even if I''m misunderstood by you all the time, it''s better than isting me in four colleges, right?"


    Even though they were upset, even though he knew that Drac, as a security guard, would not let the yers get into trouble, Ron still cared about Harry''s safety.


    This touched Harry so much that he stood out from under the invisibility cloak and took the initiative to put down his face and reconcile with Ron.


    "I... I have a bigger problem..." Seeing this, Ron also stammered, "You want to participate in such a dangerous game, I should have stood by you to help you, but I was jealous and petty, and I had a conflict with you..." As he spoke, he looked at Harry carefully, "So you really didn''t throw your name into the Goblet of Fire?" "Yes, whether you can still believe it or not, but I really didn''t throw my name in." Harry said solemnly, "I don''t know who threw my name into the Goblet of Fire... But I definitely didn''t volunteer to participate in this game." "Okay... I believe you." Ron lowered his head and said in a mosquito-like voice. In the end, although they didn''t admit it, Fred and George''s analysis was indeed very reasonable and convincing, and it subtly affected Ron''s psychology. "Are you serious?" Harry heard Ron''s whispered confession and looked at him in surprise. Ron pursed his lips and nodded gently. "Great!" Harry hugged Ron''s shoulders, "I knew you were still my best brother! You don''t know how I spent this time when even you didn''t believe me..."


    "Harry, I..."


    "Ahem!" Hermione interrupted them with a cough, "Gentlemen, there''s someone next to you! If you have anything to say, you can talk about it slowly in the Three Broomsticks."


    "Also, we''d better discuss in advance how Harry should deal with a dragon!"

 Chapter 254 - 254 Five Fire Dragons

    <h4>Chapter 254: Five Fire Dragons</h4>


    "Harry, you have to cheer up!"


    In the Three Broomsticks, Hermione took a ss of grape juice from the proprietress, Mrs. Rosmerta, and then turned around and whispered to Harry seriously.


    "The dragon is not as easy to deal with as the magical beasts we saw in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss before... Although Professor Drac is watching over it, this time we have to deal with a dragon. If it just rubs you with its ws, you will be a meat pie!"


    "Don''t worry, Hermione, Professor Drac will definitely help Harry deal with the dragon easily." Ron said confidently, "Haven''t you all seen it? In the first grade, Professor Drac caught the troll''s stick with his bare hands-"


    Ron came to Hermione and Harry and said, "If you ask me, Professor Drac canpletely deal with the dragon with his bare hands without a wand!"


    Harry nodded in agreement.


    He has a moreprehensive understanding of Professor Drac''s strength than Ron-because he saw Drac chasing Voldemort with his own eyes at that time.


    No one would ever think that the Dark Lord who cannot be named cannot defeat a mere dragon, right? Then it is obvious that the dragon will not have any difficulty in defeating Drac who is chasing Voldemort.


    Thinking of this, Harry felt a little more rxed.


    "Ron, you are too dependent on Professor Drac!" Hermione nced at Ron andined, "What if Professor Drac suddenly found something interesting around him while watching the game, do you think he would be willing to continue to be a security guard or study his fun?"


    "This..."


    Harry and Ron looked at each other and swallowed their saliva at the same time.


    It seems to make sense...


    ording to Professor Drac''s style of jumping out of the window when he suddenly thought of something interesting in the middle of a lecture, it is not strange that he would slip away directly while serving as a security guard for the semi-finals.


    "Am I right?" Hermione raised her head proudly, "In short, Harry still needs to be stronger, at least to the extent that he won''t be easily killed by the dragon."


    "It''s easy to say, but that''s a dragon!" Ron looked distressed, "Charlie trained in Romania for so long at that time, and it still took several people to work together to deal with a dragon."


    "But even with many people cooperating, he still has various injuries all year round. Every time my mother sees him, she alwaysins about it for a while."


    After listening to Ron''s story, Hermione fell silent.


    "It''s okay, you two don''t have to worry about me." Harry took a deep breath, his eyes gradually firmed up, "I will definitely not stand there and wait for Professor Drac to save me."


    "Now the whole Hogwarts, even the students of Beauxbatons, Invermorny and Durmstrang are waiting to see meugh, waiting to see how I will make a fool of myself in thepetition... but I don''t want to make a fool of myself."


    "Since I have already participated in thispetition, I should at leastplete thepetition decently." Harry said,


    "Whether it is to prove to other colleges that I am not a thief who stole Cedric''s honor, or not to embarrass Hogwarts in front of other magic schools... I can''t put all my hopes on Professor Drac."


    "It''s best... I mean it''s best that I can''t get thest ce."


    Ron and Hermione looked at Harry with some touch, Hermione''s eyes gradually showed a smile, and Ron''s eyes showed a trace of guilt.


    He nowpletely believed that Harry did not sign up for it himself.


    "You can do it, Harry." Ron patted Harry on the shoulder and said to him, "You are the first in Defense Against the Dark Arts in our grade!"


    Speaking of the first ce in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Hermione pouted a little depressed.


    Since she lost to Harry in the first grade, no matter how hard she tried in each grade, she was always a little behind Harry in Defense Against the Dark Arts, which made her goal of getting the first ce in every subject a little more regretful.


    "It''s always good for you to think so," Hermione said. Now is obviously not the time topete with the results of a course. "Don''t worry, both of us will help you well."


    "In addition, I believe that thispetition will not really let you defeat a dragon... That''s too exaggerated!"


    Just when the three little wizards were still talking, Hagrid''s huge, messy head suddenly appeared in the crowd outside the three brooms.


    "Hey, why is Hagrid here?" Ron looked over there with some confusion.


    "Oh, thank Merlin, he finally stoppedbing his hair into a broom." Hermione looked back and breathed a sigh of relief, "Otherwise I really don''t know how to face him."


    Hagrid saw the three little wizards sitting on the three brooms from a distance and waved to them outside the window.


    "Ah, so you are here." He bent over and squeezed into the narrow door of the three brooms, then came to the round table where Harry and the other two were, and smiled at the three of them, "How are you? Have you been doing well recently?"


    "Well... okay." Harry hesitated for a moment, and finally did not tell the nervous Hagrid about his troubles during this period.


    "I knew it!" Hagridughed and patted Harry''s shoulder heavily, "You are a warrior of Hogwarts, and it will be your time to win glory for the school soon!"


    "I just hope I won''t embarrass myself in public now." Harry said with a grin, feeling pain on his shoulder from being patted by Hagrid.


    "Rx, you will get a good result, Harry!" Hagrid bent down mysteriously and winked at Harry.


    Then, he said in a very low voice that only Harry could hear: "Harry,e to my cabin to find me at twelve o''clock today, remember to wear your invisible cloak."


    Harry was stunned, and before he could answer anything, Hagrid straightened up.


    "Nice to meet you three today!" He said loudly and exaggeratedly.


    After that, he squeezed through several little wizards who wanted toe in without even ordering a drink, and went out through the narrow door.


    It can be seen that the owner, Mrs. Rosmerta, did not look very good.


    "Why did Hagrid ask me to find him in the middle of the night?" Harry turned his eyes to his two good friends and said in surprise.


    "Really?" Hermione was also surprised. "I really don''t understand what he wants to do. I don''t know if you should go, Harry..."


    She looked around uneasily and said in a low voice: "I think you''d better take more time to think about how to deal with the dragon."


    Yes, now is the time to race against time-


    There are only three days left before the first event of the semi-finals. The first event of the semi-finals will officially start on the afternoon of next Tuesday.


    If Harry can''t think of a way to deal with the dragon within these three days, he will inevitably make a fool of himself on the field, and then he will be looked down upon by students from Hogwarts and even other schools.


    "But... I think Hagrid may also have something important to ask me." Harry hesitated for a while, and finally decided not to disappoint Hagrid''s invitation, "He has never asked me to go to him sote!"


    ...


    Facts have proved that choosing to live up to Hagrid''s invitation has indeed brought Harry a lot of benefits.


    At 11:30 that night, Harry, who had pretended to go to bed early, put on his invisibility cloak, quietly passed through the Gryffindormon room and went downstairs.


    There were still a few people in themon room - Harry saw Colin Creevey got a stack of "Support Cedric Diggory badges" from somewhere, and was trying to use magic to change the words on them to "Support Harry Potter".


    However, after a lot of effort, all he could do was to fix the words on the badges on "Potter Stinky Shit".


    Harry slipped past them quietly and came to the hole of the Fat Lady''s portrait, his eyes fixed on the watch.


    When it was exactly 11:35, the door suddenly opened.


    It was Hermione who opened the Fat Lady''s portrait for him from the outside as originally nned, so that Harry could leave themon room through the hole without the Fat Lady.


    Harry whispered "thank you", shed past Hermione, and set off for Hagrid''s hut.


    The grounds behind Hogwarts Castle were dark.


    Harry looked along thewn at the lighting from Hagrid''s hut, and found that the huge carriage in Beauxbatons was also brightly lit.


    When he knocked on Hagrid''s door, he could hear Madame Maxime talking in the carriage.


    "You''re here, Harry?" Hagrid whispered mysteriously, opened the door, and looked around vigntly.


    "Yes," Harry felt a little puzzled, and while shing into the hut, he pulled the Invisibility Cloak off his head, "What do you want to see me sote?"


    "I''ll show you something." Hagrid whispered.


    It can be clearly seen that Hagrid''s expression is very excited at this time.


    There is a flower in the buttonhole of his clothes, which looks like a particrlyrge cabbage. It seems that he no longer applies engine oil to his head, but he still spends a lot of time tob his hair like Professor Drac-


    There are a lot of broken teeth of theb in his hair. It should be that the fragileb can''t withstand the hardness and thickness of Hagrid''s hair, so it breaks in the hair.


    "Hagrid, you really don''t fit Professor Drac''s hairstyle..." Harry said helplessly.


    "Really? I think it''s not bad, at least it''s much better than before!" Hagrid pulled his hair and pulled off a bunch of broken teeth of theb.


    Harry wanted to persuade him a few more times, but Hagrid suddenly pped his hands, put his index finger in front of his lips and said "hush".


    "Oh, I almost forgot the business," he said in a very low voice, "Come with me, don''t make a sound, cover your body with the invisibility cloak. We won''t take Fang with us, he won''t like it..."


    "Hagrid, listen to me, I can''t stay for a long time... I have other important things to do." Harry said.


    But Hagrid didn''t listen, he opened the door of the hut and strode towards the carriage of Beauxbatons.


    After calling Madam Maxime along, Hagrid led them, including Harry, who was covered in the Invisibility Cloak, and the three of them walked a long distance around the edge of the Forbidden Forest until the castle and theke were out of sight...


    Gradually, the loud shouts of several wizards reached their ears, followed by deafening and high-pitched roars.


    Hagrid led Madam Maxime around a bush and approached the ce where the roars came from, and then stopped.


    Harry, standing under the Invisibility Cloak, also hurried over and stood with them -


    The next moment, he opened his mouth in shock.


    Five adult dragons with very ferocious looks and covered with scales were locked in a field surrounded by thick wooden boards, standing on their hind legs, roaring and snorting.


    Balls of mes spewed out of their open, fang-filled mouths and shot into the dark night sky.


    Their necks were raised high, and their heads were fifty feet above the ground.


    A silver-blue dragon with a pair of long sharp horns was roaring and raging at the wizards on the field; a green dragon with smooth scales was twisting and stamping its feet desperately; there was also a red dragon with a circle of strange thin sharp horns around its face, spraying mushroom-shaped fire clouds into the air; a dragon with rainbow-colored pearl-like scales, colorful eyes, and no heart was lying on the ground alertly looking around; and finally a ck dragon, which looked more like a dinosaur than the others.


    There were at least thirty wizards on the field, and every seven or eight were responsible for dealing with a dragon. They pulled the chains, connecting the thick leather belts that tied the dragon''s legs and neck, and tried desperately to subdue the dragons on the field.


    These dragons seemed to have just been transported to the vicinity of Hogwarts and had not yet adapted to the surrounding environment, so they all looked a little irritable.


    The dragon trainers present tried their best but failed to control them. In the end, they could only use the Stunning Spell to calm the dragons.


    "You''re here, Hagrid?" A red-haired wizard walked towards Hagrid. Harry recognized that this was Ron''s second brother Charlie Weiss. "Wait, why did you bring her here too?"


    Charlie looked at Ms. Maxime beside Hagrid, with a hint of displeasure in his eyes. "Warriors shouldn''t know what they''re facing - she will definitely tell her students, won''t she?"


    Harry, hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, was a little embarrassed.


    Charlie did abide by the rules of the Four Finals Tournament. It can be seen that he was trying to keep these big guys secret.


    But he obviously didn''t expect that Hagrid was not a person who could keep a secret at all, not to mention that he had almost been bewitched by Ms. Maxime.


    "I just think she''s willing toe and see these lovely big guys." Hagrid shrugged his shoulders, his eyes still staring at the five dragons in fascination.


    "What a romantic date, Hagrid." Charlie shook his head helplessly and sighed.


    Ms. Maxim smiled reservedly, with an ambiguous light shing in her eyes.


    Then, Charlie began to introduce the names of these dragons to Hagrid-


    "This is the Hungarian Horntail," Charlie pointed to the dragon with ck scales and looked like a dinosaur.


    "The smaller one over there is an ordinary Welsh green dragon; the silver-blue one is the Swedish short-nosed dragon; the red one is the Chinese fireball; and the most beautiful one, the colorful one is the Australian egg white eye."


    After introducing these dragons one by one, Charlie whispered to Hagrid: "How is Harry? Although I really want to have some confidence in him, these are dragons that seven or eight of us can barely subdue."


    "Oh, don''t worry, Harry will be fine." Hagrid nced at the air next to him without leaving a trace, and then continued to stare at the dragons in a daze, his eyes seemed to be shining.


    "I really hope he is still safe after facing this danger." Charlie looked at the field where the dragon was locked up and said with a heavy heart.


    "I dare not tell my mother what Harry will do in the first project. She is already flustered about Harry..."

 Chapter 255 - 255 A turning point

    <h4>Chapter 255: A turning point</h4>


    After knowing that the object to be faced in thispetition was a dragon, Harry could not wait for Hagrid and Madam Maxime to finish their chat, so he put on his invisibility cloak and left the scene.


    On the way back to the castle, he identally bumped into a sneaky figure.


    Harry recognized it as Karkaroff by the light in the distance. He must have seen the two too obvious figures of Hagrid and Madam Maxime from afar on the boat on the ck Lake, so he sneaked over to see what they were doing.


    Now, Karkaroff only needs to find the ce where the two tall figures are, and he will know what is waiting for the warriors like Madam Maxime.


    ording to this situation, Cedric and John Kowalski are the only two people who will face the unknown on Tuesday.


    ...


    "''Use magic to trim ws...Treatment of scale ulcers...'' is useless, this is for those weirdos like Hagrid who want dragons to be stronger..."


    On the fifth floor of Hogwarts Castle, in the corner of the library, Ron was scratching his head and flipping through a thick pile of books in front of him, mumbling.


    Both Harry and Ron had never thought that they would have such a diligent day, and they actually spent almost a whole day in the library.


    "''Dragons are extremely difficult to kill, because their thick skin is permeated with ancient magic, and only the most powerful spells can prate...'' The person who came up with this project is too much, and actually let you face such a monster!"


    Hermione was reading the big book in her hand while defending Harry.


    "These books are useless. I can''t learn these spells in two days." Harry said, throwing the book called "The Dragon Lover" aside, "I think we should try some simpler spell books."


    He carried arge pile of spell books to the table and put them down, and began to read them one by one. Hermione kept muttering beside him:


    "Oh, and there is also the conversion spell... But what''s the use of conversion? Unless you convert the dragon''s fangs into milk fudge or something, making it less dangerous..."


    "Wake up, Hermione, even if the dragon has a mouthful of milk fudge teeth, it can easily crush Harry with its upper and lower jaws." Ronined.


    "How about transforming it? But you will definitely not seed in transforming such a huge monster. I doubt even Professor McGonagall can do it... Dumbledore will definitely have no problem..."


    "Or you cast the Power Spell on yourself to increase your strength? But no matter how strong you are, you can''t deal with a dragon, right? Besides, we haven''t learned it. I only learned about them when I was doing the practice questions for the Ordinary Wizarding Level Examination..."


    "Hermione," Harry said through gritted teeth, "Please, can you be quiet for a while? I need to concentrate."


    Hermione stopped talking, but Harry felt that his head was filled with empty buzzing sounds, as if there was no space for him to concentrate.


    He stared desperately at the index of "Basic Spells for Dealing with Hyperactive and Irritable Animals" in front of him, and his thoughts flew to who knows where.


    For a whole day, Harry, Hermione and Ron couldn''t think of any effective method that Harry could learn quickly.


    When they left the library listlessly, Harry felt that he was about to lose hope in this game.


    "Harry, I don''t think there''s a quick solution within three days..." Ron looked at Harry with a twinkling eye and whispered, "Otherwise... waiting for Professor Drac to save you is actually a good choice."


    "How can Harry give up like this before he officially faces the dragon?!" Hermione red at Ron fiercely and said loudly, "As long as the game hasn''t really started, we all still have a glimmer of hope, which is much better than giving up directly!"


    "It''s okay, Ron, I''ll think about it again." Harry shook his head gently, "I still want to try again, just in case I can find a way?"


    Ron sighed and said nothing more.


    At this time, Harry suddenly saw a tall figure walking out from the other side of the library.


    He was surrounded by many little wizards from Hogwarts, especially the Hufflepuff badgers with yellow cors, who were all cheering for that figure.


    "Oh, why are Diggory and you treated so differently even though we are both warriors?" Ron nced over there and muttered in dissatisfaction, "I tell you, Harry, you must defeat him when the timees... Wait, where are you going?"


    Ron saw that Harry walked straight towards Cedric after hesitating for a moment.


    "You... you don''t want to..." He grabbed Harry''s arm in disbelief and asked.


    "It''s okay, Ron," Harry shook his head at Ron, "I just want to bring the five warriors to a fair position."


    "Have you really decided?" Hermione pursed her lips and looked at him with a look of relief and hesitation.


    "Well, I''ve decided."


    Harry nodded heavily, as if he was trying to convince his two friends, or himself, and then said, "Ms. Maxime will definitely tell her students about the dragon. I also saw Karkaroff sneak into the Forbidden Forest that night, and Krum must have known about thepetition..."


    "Yeah, the two of them are not convinced that there are two champions in Hogwarts, and they definitely don''t care about cheating by revealingpetition information." Hermione nodded.


    "Yes, that is to say... now only Cedric and Kowalski of Invermorny don''t know what they will face." Harry said, "Cedric is the champion of Hogwarts selected by the Goblet of Fire, and he shouldn''t be left behind by the champions of other schools because of injustice."


    "What about Kowalski? What are you going to do?" Ron asked.


    "Kowalski seems to be a cousin of Rolf. I will tell Rolf about this and ask him to tell Kowalski." Harry thought, "If everyone knows, then the game will be fair again."


    Then he said goodbye to Hermione and Ron and walked straight to Cedric who was surrounded by the crowd.


    ...


    As Harry wished, with only three days left before the start of the game, all the warriors knew what they would face.


    Harry still clearly remembered the disbelief of Cedric when he got his hint, as if he didn''t expect anyone to be willing to help his opponent.


    "You''re really stupid, really." Ronmented, "You haven''t figured out how to deal with the dragon yet, but you actually told yourpetitors about the content of thepetition... If you didn''t do that, you might have won third ce."


    "But Harry did the right thing." Hermione''s eyes were misty, and she said with great emotion, "If he got a higher score with these improper information, ording to Harry''s personality, he would feel guilty for a long time."


    "I know, I just said that..." Ron muttered.


    "Think about it well, in fact, Harry''s approach is also beneficial." Hermione whispered, "I don''t know how Professor Drac found out that Harry told others about thepetition project, and praised him for doing a graceful thing."


    "Really?" Harry turned his head and asked in surprise.


    At least his behavior was meaningful to be praised by Professor Drac, whom he admired the most.


    "It must be true. With Professor Drac''s style, who knows where he is hiding to have fun with us!" Ronined, "And Cedric is his favorite student. The professor must appreciate Harry''s approach..."


    He looked at Hermione and said, "Now we don''t need the praise, do you want some actual rewards... For example, Professor Drac can help Harry think of a way to deal with the dragon?"


    "Don''t daydream, Ron, professors can''t directly help the participating warriors, this is the rule of the semi-finals!" Hermione emphasized.


    "I haven''t seen the two headmasters Maxim and Karkaroff have the idea of ??abiding by this rule..." Ron muttered.


    "Don''t say that. Actually, we still have something to gain." Hermione touched the note in her pocket and said in a low voice, "Professor Drac signed a note for me, allowing me to check the books in the restricted section of the library."


    "That''s great!" Harry was delighted. "We have almost read all the books about dragons in the usual borrowing area. If we can borrow books in the restricted section, maybe we can find a better way."


    At this time, they had just finished the Herbology ss and were walking on the road between the northeast direction of the castle and the castle gate.


    Harry and the other two were in a hurry, trying to finish dinner in the hall and then rush to the restricted section of the library to check more information for Harry.


    However, things did not go as nned. When they walked to the gate, they found that the gate was blocked by a group of people.


    "All of you! Wash yourself clean before entering the castle!" The angry voice of the gatekeeper Argus Filch came from the door. "Look at your image. You are embarrassing Hogwarts in front of other schools!"


    Harry and the other two approached and saw a group of little wizards covered in mud, each holding a broom, angrily confronting Filch.


    "How do you want us to wash clean outside the castle? Take a bath in the ck Lake in December?" A leading Slytherin student shouted.


    "I don''t care how you wash yourself clean. The guests from other schools are guests in the hall, and other professors will not allow you to tarnish the image of Hogwarts!" Filch shouted with a grin.


    "Then we will wait here for Professor Snape to pick us up. He will definitely let us in!" The leading Slytherin little wizard said angrily.


    "Maybe other professors wille first? They definitely won''t mind putting you in detention for a few days. No one cleans the bathroom on the third floor." Filch grinned, "You deserve it. Headmaster Dumbledore has already announced that Quidditch matches have been suspended, but you still secretly go outside to y ball..."


    "It''s just that the game has been suspended. Headmaster Dumbledore never said that we can''t y Quidditch by ourselves!" A little wizard shouted unconvinced.


    Harry, Ron and Hermione stood there and watched for a while, and roughly figured out what was going on.


    Several Slytherin little wizards took advantage of the afternoon when they had no sses to y Quidditch by theke, and then they were sshed with mud on thekeshore, so they were stopped outside the castle gate by Filch on the grounds that they were damaging the image of Hogwarts.


    "It shouldn''t have anything to do with us." Hermione said quickly, "Let''s go to the library quickly, there''s not much time left."


    Harry nodded, and followed Ron to squeeze through the crowd in front of her, trying to go in from Filch''s side.


    However, Filch didn''t want to let them in. Seeing Harry squeezing in from the crowd, he decisively turned his gun.


    "And you! I remember you, Harry Potter. You used toe back with mud all day long, and I don''t know how much workload you added to me." Filch pointed at Harry and said, "Who knows if you secretly went to y with them?"


    "I can''t y Quidditch with the Slytherin people!" Harry was suddenly stopped and said a little annoyed.


    "Yeah, you see there''s no mud on us, it won''t affect the image of Hogwarts, right?" Ron also echoed.


    However, before he finished speaking, he realized that he had said the wrong thing.


    They had just finished the Herbology ss, and were covered in mud from Greenhouse No. 3. They were no better than the little wizards who went to theke to y Quidditch.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Filch, but we are in a hurry now." Seeing that the situation was not right, Hermione quickly took over the conversation and said, "Harry will participate in thepetition tomorrow, and he needs to prepare a lot of things."


    However, Filch did not appreciate it at all, but rejected them coldly.


    "No way! Can the warriors tarnish the image of Hogwarts?" He sneered, "All you know is to do strange sports like Quidditch all day long, and don''t know how to attend ss honestly."


    "What''s the use of Quidditch? Can you win the semi-finals on a broom?" Filch still blocked the door firmly, not giving them any chance to enter the castle.


    His words directly offended most of the people present. Harry rarely united with the Slytherin students and wanted to refute Filch and maintain the status of Quidditch.


    However, just as Harry was about to speak, his arm was pulled by Ron.


    "Harry, wait a minute, I think I have an idea..." Ron stared, his eyes seemed to be shining.


    He pulled Harry behind him, rushed forward and knocked Filch aside.


    "Don''t worry about Filch, Harry,e with me!" Ron kicked the door open and yelled, "Hermione, throw away the note in your pocket, we are all overthinking!"


    "In fact, we don''t need to go to the library at all!"

 Chapter 256 - 256 First game of the championship

    <h4>Chapter 256: First game of the championship</h4>


    After Ron kicked the castle gate open, he didn''t even bother to go to the hall to eat, and ran with Harry and Hermione.


    He took his two friends to the teaching area and found an abandoned ssroom.


    "Ron... Ron, what on earth did you think of?" In the empty ssroom, Harry leaned on a dusty desk and said breathlessly, "Why did you say we don''t have to go to the library?"


    "Yeah, Ron..." Hermione was so tired that she didn''t care about the dust in the ssroom at all. Shey directly on a desk and asked exhaustedly, "I finally got a note from Professor Drac to borrow banned books, why don''t you use it?"


    "No, we really don''t have to go to the library." Ron was also panting, but his eyes were sparkling, "We have been going in the wrong direction before. In fact, we don''t need to deal with the dragon head-on!"


    "But... How can I finish the game without dealing with the dragon?" Harry hesitated.


    "Harry, let me ask you, do you really think you will be allowed to defeat the dragon during thepetition?" Ron stared at Harry with a wise and radiant face.


    "Uh... I don''t think so. After all, Charlie and other professional dragon trainers need seven or eight people to barely deal with a dragon." Harry hesitated, "I guess... maybe we can find a way to bypass the dragon?"


    "Yes!" Ron mmed the table, scaring Harry and Hermione, "Here is the crux of the problem!"


    "Think about it carefully. If you want to get past the dragon''s defense, is it really necessary to learn those magics against the dragon? Harry just needs to be fast enough and sensitive enough!"


    "Ron, what did you think of?" Hermione''s eyes lit up.


    "Harry, use what you are best at!" Ron said loudly, "Didn''t Filch just ridicule Quidditch for being useless? Then prove it to him!"


    Harry opened his eyes wide and became excited.


    "I know, broom!" he shouted, "I can ride a flying broom to fly past the dragon!"


    But then he became disappointed again, "But the rules of thepetition say that warriors cannot carry any items other than wands... I can''t bring a broom into the arena."


    "No, Harry, you just need to bring your wand." At this time, Hermione stood up with a smile, her tone more rxed than ever before, "There is a very simple spell, we have learned it in the spell ss this semester!"


    Harry looked into her eyes, and a very basic spell emerged in his mind-


    "Surfing Curse!"


    ...


    At two o''clock in the morning, in the Gryffindormon room, Harry stood by the firece, surrounded by many things-


    Books, quills, several overturned chairs, an old wizard chess set, and Neville''s toad Rifle.


    Just now, Harry finally mastered the Surfing Curse.


    "Much better, Harry, you''ve made great progress." Hermioney on the sofa tiredly, but her face looked very happy.


    "Huh--" Harry breathed a sigh of relief, "Great, at least now I know what to do if I can''t learn a spell next time..."


    The io Diary was originally a spell that fourth-year students were required to master in the next semester. He had not learned it in several spell sses, but now he has mastered itpletely in one night.


    Harry said, throwing a runic dictionary to Hermione so that he could try the io Diary again, "... Just threaten me with a dragon, that''s right!"


    He raised his wand again--


    "io Diary!"


    The heavy dictionary flew up from Hermione''s hand, flew to the other side of the room, and was caught by Harry.


    "Harry, I think you really mastered it!" Hermione said happily.


    "What? Did it work?" Ron looked up from a sofa in a daze, "Why did I fall asleep? Why didn''t you call me?"


    "It''s okay, Ron, you don''t have to stay with me sote..." Harry said.


    "What are you talking about? We are best brothers!" Ron jumped up from the sofa excitedly.


    "I hope it will work tomorrow," Harry nodded with a smile, "But the Firebolt is much farther than the things here. Tomorrow it will be in the castle, and I will be outside on the field..."


    "As long as you really concentrate and focus, the magic will definitely seed." Hermioneforted, "Harry, go back to the dormitory and sleep for a while... You need to rest."


    "Rx, Harry," Ron patted Harry''s shoulder very rxedly, "I can secretly help you take the Firebolt outside the audience. If anyone asks, I will say that I am going to y Quidditch after watching your game."


    ...


    By the next morning, the atmosphere of the whole Hogwarts became very tense and excited.


    After the morning sses, Professor McGonagall announced in the hall that sses would be suspended in the afternoon, so that all students would have time to go to the field with dragons below - of course, they didn''t know that they would see such an amazing thing as a dragon there.


    When Harry came out of thest ss of the morning, History of Magic, and came to the hall to eat like sleepwalking, Professor McGonagall hurried towards him from the professor''s seat.


    Many people stopped eating and turned their heads to look at them.


    "Potter, now the warriors have to go to thepetition field... You must be ready andplete the first project." Professor McGonagall said to him, pursing her lips tightly.


    "I know..." Harry stood up and didn''t realize that he had knocked his fork to the ground, making a crisp "ng" sound.


    "Good luck, Harry," Hermione whispered to him, "You will seed!"


    "Yes, Harry, don''t forget your Firebolt when the timees," Ron whispered, "I will take it outside the auditorium."


    "Yes, I will seed." Harry said in a daze, and his voice was not like his own.


    He and Professor McGonagall left the hall and walked towards the forbidden forest northeast of the castle. The five dragons were ced in that direction.


    Professor McGonagall also looked flustered.


    In fact, she was as anxious as Harry, because she couldn''t imagine how a fourth-year student like herself would deal with the extremely dangerous semi-finals?


    She walked down the stone steps with Harry, came to the outside, and gently put her hand on his shoulder.


    "Okay, don''t be nervous," she said, not knowing whether she wasforting Harry or herself, "Keep a cool head... Professor Drac will be watching you as a safety officer next to the stadium. If things go wrong, he will step forward to control the situation..."


    "Although you are the youngest warrior, as long as you give full y to your own abilities, no one will think you are inferior to others... Do you understand what I mean?"


    "I understand, professor." Harry heard himself say this.


    Professor McGonagall led him around the edge of the Forbidden Forest and walked towards the ce where the dragons were.


    When they approached the bushes where they could have seen the venue clearly, Harry found that a tent had been erected there, blocking the dragons, and the entrance of the tent was facing them.


    "You must go in with the other warriors," Professor McGonagall''s voice became a little trembling, "You have to wait in the tent for a while, Potter. Mr. Bagman is also in there, he will tell you the steps one by one... Good luck."


    "Thank you..."


    Harry thanked him in a monotonous, floating voice, then moved his legs and moved himself into the tent.


    It wasn''t just Harry. Every warrior present seemed very nervous.


    Fleur Dcour sat on a low wooden stool in the corner of the tent. She was not as calm as usual. She looked very pale and sick. Viktor Krum looked more gloomy than usual, with veins on his forehead throbbing from time to time. Cedric paced back and forth...


    Only John Kowalski looked rxed, sitting on a chair with his eyes closed.


    "Harry! Great!" Bagman seemed relieved when he saw thest warriore in, as if he was afraid that Harry would run away. "Come in,e in, rx, just like at home!"


    Bagman put on the old Wasps uniform again and stood among several pale warriors, looking like a big cartoon character.


    "Okay, now that everyone is here - it''s time to introduce the situation to you!" Bagman said happily, "After the audience gathers, I will pass this bag to each of you in turn,"


    He raised a purple silk bag and shook it at them.


    "You need to pick out the small model of the thing you will face from it! Theye in different types. In addition, I have one more thing to tell you... Your task in this game is to pick up the golden egg!"


    ...


    On the other side, a huge tform has been built on the field.


    This tform did not appear a few days ago. It was temporarily built with magic. The purpose is to hide the content of thepetition and give the audience and warriors a "surprise".


    At this time, the stadium was already crowded with people, and countless shouts came from the audience seats on all sides.


    This spectacr scene was only seen in the finals of the Quidditchpetition every school year at Hogwarts before, and this time, the audience around the stadium was even more than during the Quidditch game.


    This is because there are always people who are not interested in Quidditch games, but no one wants to miss this semi-final match that has not been held for hundreds of years!


    Draczilyy on a broom, swaying in the air above the stadium, asionally ncing at the enthusiastic students around the audience.


    He saw that many young wizards were waving gs with the names of the warriors they supported, cheering them up loudly -


    As the home court of Hogwarts, the gs with the words "Support Cedric" were naturally the most.


    However, what surprised Drac was that, looking back, the gs with Krum''s name were not much less than Cedric''s, which showed the great influence of this Quidditch star.


    At the same time, there were also many students who supported Fleur, most of whom were boys who had be Fleur''s fans in just one month. They shouted Fleur''s name with red faces and ears, and their fighting power was no worse than those loyal female fans of Krum.


    In contrast, Harry and John have fewer supporters.


    As a Yinfamori warrior with no fan base and no apparent advantage in appearance, John has no one to support him except for a few students who came to Hogwarts from Yinfamori.


    Although Harry is a "local" of Hogwarts, his bing a warrior is not recognized by many people. The Hufflepuff House, which has thergest number of students, even thinks that he has stolen Cedric''s honor.


    As a result, apart from a few good friends of Gryffindor such as Hermione, no one is willing to cheer for him.


    In contrast, many people in Slytherin held banners with Harry''s name on them--


    Of course, the words on it were "Potter Stinky Shit"...


    Then, Drac turned his eyes away from the audience and looked outside the entrance of the stadium.


    There was a little red-haired wizard who was sneaking with a broom and carefully hiding it behind a thick willow tree.


    "They actually thought of using a flying broom to deal with the game. They are really amazing." Drac watched Ron''s sneaky behavior from a distance, with a yful smile on his lips.


    Just then, a helpless call came from below.


    Drac turned his eyes away from Ron and frowned to look at the ce where the voice came from.


    "Professor Drac, can you trouble me to be a little more serious?" Ludo Bagman was standing on the long table of thementary booth with a helpless look on his face, shouting to Drac, "Principal Karkaroff and Ms. Maxim protested against you..."


    "They think you are not vignt enough and ask thepetition to rece the safety officer." He said.


    "I am so dedicated, why do they think I am not vignt?" Drac lowered the height of the broom and said innocently, "I am already very serious, okay?"


    Bagman looked at Drac lying on the broomstick, leisurely movements, and couldn''t help but fall into deep thought.


    Do you have any misunderstandings about the word serious?


    "I really don''t understand why Hogwarts would hire such an irresponsible person as a safety officer." Ms. Maxime''s stern voice sounded from the referee''s seat next to him, "I seriously doubt that when an ident urs during the game, he will not be able to save our warriors from the dragon in time!"


    "I also have doubts... Can this posture really control the flying broom?" Karkaroff also echoed, "If Krum has an ident, the consequences will not be something Hogwarts can bear."


    Drac looked in the direction of the referee''s seat, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.


    "Tsk, I really can''t do anything about you..." He chuckled, "You doubt that I can''t control the flying broom, right?"


    Under the gazes of the referees, Drac reached out and held the handle of the broom behind him.


    The next moment, he suddenly threw the broom on the referee''s seat.


    But his figure was still suspended in the air, swaying leisurely.

 Chapter 257 - 257 A surprising change on the field

    <h4>Chapter 257: A surprising change on the field</h4>


    The judges in the referee''s booth looked at the broom that fell on the stage in front of them, and their expressions gradually changed from doubt to astonishment.


    Among the six judges, Dumbledore seemed to have anticipated such a result, but just shook his head helplessly.


    As for the remaining five judges, Ms. Maxim, Karkaroff, Professor Hicks, Mr. Crouch and Bagman, they all widened their eyes at the same time, looking at Drac who was floating in the air without any support.


    "This... This is not a flying broom at all!"


    Bagman jumped from thementary seat to the referee''s stage at some point, and picked up the broom that Drac threw down with a shocked face, "This is just an ordinary broom, it has no flying effect at all!"


    After hearing Bagman''s exmation, the faces of the other judges changed again.


    It turns out that this safety officer does not need a flying broom to fly at all, and this broom is just pretending in front of them?


    Karkaroff, who had just questioned whether Drac could control the flying broom, now wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into... He felt his face being pped.


    "How about it, judges, do you think I can control the flying broom now?" Drac crossed his arms and looked at Ms. Maxim and Karkaroff with a smile.


    The two principals didn''t know how to answer, but Professor Hicks next to them coughed twice, which was considered to be a relief for them:


    "Ahem... Professor Drac, the warriors seem to being out soon, do you want to go and take a look?"


    Drac turned his head and saw that the first warrior had walked out of the tent.


    It was Cedric Diggory, and the whole audience burst into extremely warm apuse.


    The little wizards of Hogwarts waved the yellow g representing Hufflepuff College vigorously, and the cheers, screams and apuse merged together, even forming a kind of momentum of tsunami.


    Charlie Weiss and other dragon trainers from the Romanian Fire Dragon Reserve dragged a silver-blue scaled dragon into thepetition venue, and then tied it firmly to the ground with many chains.


    Bagman returned to thementary booth, pointed his wand at his throat, and spread his voice in all directions:


    "The first warrior toe on stage is Mr. Cedric Diggory from Hogwarts. His opponent is a Swedish short-nosed dragon... Everyone can look at the feet of the dragon, where a golden egg has been ced."


    "Now, professionals have tied the four feet of this dragon to the ground and will not let it break free. The dragons participating in thispetition are all female dragons. Now they are all under the Confusion Spell, thinking that the golden egg is their own dragon egg..."


    "And what Mr. Diggory has to do is to snatch the golden egg from the feet of the dragon! The judges will score him based on his specific performance..."


    Drac''s attention was indeed attracted by the uingpetition.


    He pped his wings, which turned transparent and were not discovered by others, and came to the top of the arena. He looked at Cedric with interest, wondering how he would face a fire dragon.


    A shrill whistle sounded in the noisy voices, and all the dragon trainers and staff left the arena, leaving this space for the participating warriors.


    The audience suddenly fell into silence, and everyone stared at Cedric firmly-


    This situation of relying on one''s own strength to fight against a behemoth like a fire dragon, almost no one present had ever witnessed it.


    They all stared intently, wanting to see whether the warriors on the field would live up to their trust and sessfully get the golden egg, or be defeated by the fire dragon instead?


    Cedric stood at the entrance of the fence of the venue and took a deep breath.


    Then, he suddenly pulled out his wand and pointed it at a huge stone next to him-


    "Vera Verto!"


    A spell belonging to the Transfiguration came out of his mouth.


    The next moment, the stone block, which was nearly half the size of a dragon, quickly changed its shape, from a sharp-edged stone to a rounded shape, and turned into a big dog made of rock.


    "Nice Transfiguration!" Bagman shouted in thementary booth, "Mr. Diggory used a very clever method to divert the dragon''s attention..."


    The rock dog rushed towards the Swedish short-nosed dragon, but suddenly changed direction before entering the range of the dragon''s ws.


    The short-nosed dragon''s attention was indeed attracted by the big dog, and it raised its ws wrapped in chains and wanted to chase the big dog.


    Obviously, these chains only restricted the range of the dragon''s activities, and could not directly make them immobile.


    While the Swedish short-nosed dragon was chasing the big dog, Cedric cast a speed-increasing spell on himself and rushed to the dragon''s nest where the golden eggs were stored.


    "Oh, beautiful, he really distracted the dragon... Wait, this dragon cares too much about its eggs, it gave up the big dog and pounced on Mr. Diggory!" Bagman eximed.


    On the field, the Swedish short-nosed dragon blew out a dazzling blue me from its nostrils, directly covering Cedric!


    Above the field, Drac''s eyes condensed, and he subconsciously lowered his body a little, ready to go over to save the situation at any time.


    At the critical moment, Cedric performed Transfiguration again, turning over a small piece ofnd under his feet, squeezing it around him to form an earth wall, and rolling to the side with the force generated when the earth wall was formed.


    The blue mes were all sprayed on the earth wall, turning the wet wall into a solid, hard and charred solid block, and the wall cracked with several huge cracks.


    There were screams and gasps from the audience, and Bagman''smentary sounded:


    "Oh, so dangerous, too dangerous... I have to say, this move is really dangerous!"


    And Cedric had no time to care about thementary and the audience''s reaction. He hid behind another low wall and became more cautious.


    He tried to reduce his presence as much as possible, waving his wand constantly, letting various transfiguration products swim constantly to influence the Swedish short-nosed dragon''s mind and look for an opportunity to take the golden egg.


    About fifteen minutester, after Cedric kept pulling and testing the fire dragon, he finally seized a great opportunity-


    Apanied by a deafening cheer, Cedric finally took advantage of the fire dragon''s attention being attracted by another big rock dog, quietly passed its defense, and took the golden egg back from the dragon''s nest.


    The Swedish short-nosed dragon realized that its egg had been stolen, and let out a series of angry roars, and a piece of dazzling blue mes sprayed out of its nose.


    At the same time, seven or eight dragon trainers from the Romanian Fire Dragon Sanctuary rushed in from around the venue, cast various calming spells on the dragon, and then took it away from the arena.


    "Mr. Diggory''s performance was excellent!" Bagman shouted at the top of his voice, "Now please let the judges give the score!"


    Dumbledore did not shy away from it and took the lead in raising a sign with the number "9".


    Nine points is a very high score out of ten.


    "Mr. Diggory''s Transfiguration is very good. I believe Professor McGonagall will be very pleased that she has taught such an excellent student." Dumbledoremented, "If the start is more stable, the efficiency may be higher."


    Professor Hicks smiled and also scored "9".


    Afterwards, Bagman, Mr. Crouch and Ms. Maxime raised the "8" sign at the same time.


    Overall, it can be seen that Cedric''s excellent Transfiguration has indeed been recognized by various judges.


    However, Durmstrang''s headmaster, Ingor Karkaroff, held up a sign with "6" written on it.


    After seeing his score clearly, there was a booing from the audience.


    Many young wizards from Hogwarts loudly denounced his injustice, and Fred and George took out a loud speaker from nowhere, spreading the voice of protest throughout the stadium:


    "Karkaroff is partial to others and cheating...Karkaroff is partial to others and cheating..."


    They kept repeating this sentence, which added a bit of humor to the solemn atmosphere.


    "I scoredpletely fairly!" Karkaroff''s face flushed with anger, and he loudly retorted to the audience, "He was almost sprayed by the dragon''s mes, which was definitely a major mistake!"


    In the end, Cedric got 48 points, which was pretty good overall. At least he smiled and waved to the audience with satisfaction.


    "Okay, pleasee to the audience and take a break..." Bagman said to him, "Mr. Diggory, please keep your golden egg safe - the clue to the next game is hidden in the golden egg."


    "Very good, there are four more warriors... The next one is Miss Dcour, and her opponent is a Welsh green dragon!"


    As the whistle sounded again, Fleur appeared at the entrance of the stadium.


    With Fleur''s appearance, many boys cheered uncontrobly. If the warriors were not too far away from the audience, they might not be able to control their expressions.


    Drac floated in the sky, looking at the reactions of the crowd with interest.


    He saw that Ron, with his fiery red hair, couldn''t help but look like a pig again, and Hermione next to him rolled her eyes.


    Unlike the wonderful transformation of Cedric''s endless creations in the previous game, Fleur''s operation seemed much more monotonous and boring.


    She was pale, raised her hands nervously, and chanted a long, in spell softly.


    As Fleur muttered the spell, the heated atmosphere in the audience became calm unconsciously, and even the Welsh green dragon who was ring at her gradually fell asleep.


    "Hypnotic spell, very creative approach..."


    Even Bagman was infected by the quiet atmosphere in the arena, and spoke in a low voice, just barely audible.


    Hypnosis is a continuous process. Fleur chanted continuously for nearly ten minutes before finally making the Welsh green dragon fall to the ground, snoring from its nose.


    A little cold sweat dripped from Fleur''s forehead, and she began to chant the spell while moving towards the golden egg.


    However, just when she was about to get the golden egg, I don''t know whether it was because the fire dragon was notpletely hypnotized or its subconscious was still guarding its dragon egg, a green me spurted out of the fire dragon''s mouth.


    Furong reacted quickly and dodged to the side.


    However, the mes covered too much area, and her skirt was still set on fire by the dragon.


    Furong subconsciously thought that the dragon was about to wake up, and lost her sense of proportion for a moment. After a long time of panic, she finally used the water-making spell to extinguish the sparks on her skirt.


    Fortunately, the Welsh green dragon seemed to be hypnotized and did not take the next step.


    Furong recovered from her panic, picked up the golden egg and left the arena.


    "Oh, she seeded! I really didn''t dare to breathe just now!"


    There was a strong cheer from the audience, and Bagman, who had been silent for a long time, finallyughed and returned to his previous style of loudmentary.


    Next, it was the judges'' turn to score.


    Although Fleur''s overall response was quite good, she was flustered when facing the dragon''s breath, which was a big loss of points-


    So Dumbledore and Bagman gave 8 points, Professor Hicks and Mr. Crouch gave 7 points, and Karkaroff looked at Ms. Maxime, hesitated for a moment, and scored 6 points, the same as Cedric.


    Ms. Maxime gritted her teeth and finally raised her sign: there was a big number "9" written on it.


    In the end, Fleur temporarily ranked second with 45 points.


    The next one to appear was Krum, and the opponent he drew was the colorful Australian egg white eye.


    As soon as Krum appeared, he quickly raised his wand and quickly cast a spell at the dragon''s eyes.


    "Very brave!" Bagman shouted, "This is the first time in the three games we have seen that a warrior directly chooses to attack the dragon!"


    The Australian White Eyes''s eyes without a child were suddenly attacked. It let out a roar of pain that reached the sky, pped its wings constantly, and stomped back and forth on the ground, shaking the chain and making it ng.


    "Oh, I just consulted Professor Dumbledore beside me, and he told me that Mr. Krum used an eye-sickness spell." Bagman exined loudly, "The dragon''s body is covered with tough scales, which are highly resistant to magic... but dragon eyes are different!"


    "The dragon''s eyes are the most vulnerable part of their body. If you can hit the dragon''s eyes with the eye-sickness spell, then they will probably be in so much pain that they won''t care about your little tricks..."


    Just then, Bagman eximed:


    "Oh, no! This Australian egg white eye actually crushed its own dragon egg... Mr. Krum got the dragon egg that was broken into two halves. I don''t know what the result should be..."


    Originally, the audience thought that the game was going to end like this, but the next moment, the Australian egg white eye shook its head violently.


    Then, it seemed to get rid of the influence of the eye-sickness spell, and itpletely quieted down, staring at Krum coldly with its eyes without childishness.

 Chapter 258 - 258 The coolest little wizard on the field

    <h4>Chapter 258: The coolest little wizard on the field</h4>


    "Oops, the situation is not good!"


    Bagman''s hurried voice spread from thementary booth to the whole audience.


    "I temporarily looked up the information about the fire dragon in my hand and found a very important problem - unlike the fragile eyes of other fire dragons, the eyes of the Australian white eye actually have a high resistance to magic..."


    "Mr. Krum''s response to the fire dragon''s eye disease spell is excellent, but he is unlucky and encountered an Australian white eye, an outlier among fire dragons..."


    As Bagman spoke, the dragon ws of the Australian white eye had already fallen heavily on Krum.


    Krum is worthy of being a top Quidditch professional seeker. He reacted very quickly and immediately erected an armor spell to block himself.


    However, the weight of the fire dragon alone is not enough to be blocked by a mere armor spell. The transparent barrier in front of Krum was almost crushed into pieces in an instant.


    Krum took advantage of the momentary dy caused by the Iron Armor Spell on the dragon''s ws and rolled on the ground in a panic, avoiding the w attack of the Australian Egg White Eye... However, he was no longer able to avoid the other giant w of the fire dragon.


    The entire audience was filled with gasps, and many of Krum''s fans screamed in fear. Some of them even climbed over the fence in front of the audience and rushed to the stadium to rescue their idol.


    "Oh, no! Mr. Krum can''t avoid the w attack of the fire dragon this time..." Bagman''s voice also involuntarily became louder, with an unprecedented tension in his tone, "Is he going to be stepped on by the fire dragon?"


    At this moment, the falling movement of the giant w of the Australian Egg White Eye stopped abruptly.


    A graceful figure with silver hair and a ck and red cloak was reflected in Krum''s terrified and shrinking eyes.


    "Oh! Look, our safety officer has taken action, and the warriors on the field have been saved." Bagman shouted excitedly.


    Then, he suddenly rubbed his eyes in disbelief, "Wait, am I seeing right? He...he...our security guard blocked the dragon''s attack with his bare hands?"


    The audience had the same reaction as Bagman. They opened their eyes wide and watched Drac standing in front of Krum in the semi-finals. He casually raised his hand, as if he caught a feather lightly, and blocked the dragon''s huge ws on his head.


    Compared with the dragon, Drac''s tall figure among wizards seemed so small.


    However, it was such a small figure that made it difficult for a giant like the dragon to move forward. It could only stand on the ground with its feet swaying, and its angry expression became a little naive.


    This scene gave people a strong contrast, and all the audience present did not expect that there was a bigger contrast behind it-


    Drac seemed to feel tired of holding his hand, so he casually swung the hand that was blocking the dragon''s ws...


    Just with such an easy swing, the dragon was hit hard.


    The huge body seemed to be kicked hard, flying high into the sky, and directly pulled the chains that bound its four legs straight.


    Then, it fell heavily to the ground, sshing dust all over the sky.


    The earth was still shaking and roaring, and the Australian egg white eye was still wailing in pain, but the arena of the semi-finals fell into a strange silence.


    Everyone looked at Drac''s direction woodenly, feeling extremely unreal...


    Such a strong and terrifying dragon was pped away by this safety officer?


    On the field, Drac casually dusted off his body and turned to look at Krum.


    "Mr. Krum, do you know what mistake you made?" He chuckled.


    Krum looked up nkly, his eyes still full of shock.


    "You didn''t adapt in time," Drac pointed out Krum''s problem.


    "In fact, the eyes of the Australian white eye without a child are quite obvious. When you saw it for the first time, you should have realized that the eye disease spell might not have the expected effect on it, but you still ignored the subsequent response."


    "Battles are never foolproof by relying on a single spell..."


    Drac''s reminder was just enough, and then he tidied his clothes as if he was driving away a small insect, and turned around and left the stadium leisurely.


    Commentator Ludo Bagman finally recovered from his shock until he saw Drac leave.


    "Ahaha, this... We can see that the configuration of the semi-finals is quite high." Heughed awkwardly twice, and said with a trembling voice, "It turns out that our safety officer is fully capable of protecting the warriors. With him, the probability of problems in the game will be greatly reduced!"


    The audience finally came to their senses and apuded enthusiastically, and many people pped their palms red.


    The scene just now was so exciting!


    The tiny human actually blocked the huge dragon with bare hands, and even pped the dragon away with a p...


    They really had never seen this scene!


    On the field, several nurses from the Hogwarts infirmary hurriedly carried a stretcher to Krum and asked him if he had any injuries.


    Krum held the half-broken golden egg and refused to go to the infirmary for examination, but chose to stay in the audience to continue watching the rest of the game.


    The dragon trainers from the Romanian Fire Dragon Reserve rushed forward to check if the Australian White Eye was hurt, and worked together to pull it off the field, and then brought the dragon that the next warrior would face to the field.


    "Ahem... Now please ask the judges to score Mr. Krum."


    Bagman suddenly remembered his business, and then presided over the process of the game: "This is the first warrior who caused the safety officer to leave the field. What score will the judges give him?"


    Mr. Crouch''s expression was a little impatient, and he was the first to raise the score card with the number "5" written on it;


    Bagman thought about it, and perhaps because he and Krum were both professional Quidditch yers, he gave him 7 points;


    Dumbledore, Ms. Maxim, and Professor Hicks also raised their signs one after another, with 7 points, 6 points, and 7 points respectively.


    When the audience turned their attention to thest judge, Durmstrang''s headmaster Karkaroff, they were shocked to see that the headmaster shamelessly gave Krum 9 points...


    In the end, Krum scored 41 points, temporarily ranking third.


    "It''s a conspiracy! It''s definitely a conspiracy!" Fred and George raised their loudspeakers again and shouted at Karkaroff.


    "Why! Why did Cedric, who sessfully got theplete golden egg, only get 6 points, and Krum, who only got a broken golden egg and had Professor Drac rescue him, get 9 points?"


    Many young wizards in Hogwarts were also protesting loudly, speaking up for the warriors of their own school.


    As for those fans who supported Krum regardless of right or wrong, they had already been used by other young wizards in Hogwarts and drowned in the anger of Hogwarts students.


    "I, Karkaroff, absolutely do not favor Victor!"


    Karkaroff was still quibbling: "Although there were some minor ws in Victor''s game, his courage to face the dragon was something that other warriors did not have, so I think he deserved this score!"


    "Ah¡ª¡ª"


    The whole audience booed.


    Unfortunately, Karkaroff did not care about the audience''s evaluation at all. Instead, he sat on the judges'' benchcently, urging Bagman to start the next game.


    "Well, there was a little episode, but it''s not a big problem." Bagman sighed and immediately regained his spirits. "Let me see... The next one to y is Mr. John Kowalski from Yinfamoni!"


    "The fire dragon he will face is the Chinese Fireball Dragon, which is often called ''Dragon Lion'' by Eastern wizards. It is a very peculiar looking species among fire dragons..."


    As Bagman introduced, John had already walked into the arena and stared at the fire dragon covered with scarlet smooth scales.


    As Bagman said, the shape of the Chinese Fireball Dragon is indeed rather strange. It has a lion nose on its face, and there is a circle of golden tassel-like spikes around the nose. Its eyes are bulging like two big light bulbs.


    "Okay, after the first three rounds ofpetition, we have seen different ways of dealing with the fire dragon by different warriors, and their performances are all very exciting..." Bagman said, "Next, let''s witness how Mr. Kowalski will..."


    Bagman''s voice suddenly stopped.


    The audience was a little confused by thementator''s half-sentenced behavior, but when they looked at John''s actions, all their actions stopped at the same time, just like Bagman.


    Some of the audience stared at John with their eyes wide open; some twitched their mouths, not knowing what to say or how to react; some even covered their eyes, looking like they couldn''t bear to watch.


    In the strange eyes of the audience and thementator, Drac curiously cast his eyes on John on the court.


    The next moment, Drac''s expression almost didn''t hold back -


    He saw that John was shaking his hands, twisting his thighs and hips, shaking his waist, and dancing a dance that he didn''t know what it should be called... Well, maybe it can be considered a dance...


    "What is he doing? Dancing samba?" In the audience, Ron looked at John''s movements with a confused look on his face and asked Hermione beside him.


    "I don''t think samba should be like this..." The knowledgeable Hermione was also confused, and said hesitantly, "Maybe this is a ceremony before the American Wizard Competition?"


    In the judges'' seat, Dumbledore also had a happy smile on his face.


    "Lally, John danced tango well." He said to Professor Hicks with a smile.


    "This is not tango, Albus..." Professor Hicks''s already dark face became even darker, "You clearly know what he is doing!"


    In the audience on the other side, Rolf Scamander in the Hufflepuff crowd covered his eyes and couldn''t bear to look directly.


    "Did your grandfather secretly give him some special treatment?" Drac''s voice suddenly rang in his ears.


    Rolf opened his eyes and saw that Professor Drac, who was originally flying over the stadium, appeared in the audience at some point, with a ridiculous expression on his face.


    "Ah, Professor Drac, you guessed it..." He looked around and said in a low voice, "John actually learned magical animal knowledge from his grandfather for several years before. After Harry told me the content of the game this time, he directly contacted my grandfather with my two-way mirror..."


    "When my grandfather heard that John was going to deal with the fire dragon, he immediately taught him a ''dance'' in front of the mirror with great joy... Well, that''s what John is dancing now."


    Dracughed out loud.


    He couldn''t helpughing when he thought of Newt standing behind the small two-way mirror, twisting his waist and swinging his arms to dance.


    "Your grandfather is really talented. He can actually think of using dance to deal with the fire dragon... Hahahahaha..." At the end of the words, Drac finally couldn''t helpughing out loud.


    "Next time I''ll ask him to dance for me. I really want to know how this old guy in his nies twists his waist..."


    "My grandpa is in good health. Not to mention the low-difficulty dance of the fire dragon..." Rolf said with a blush, "He can even dance the mating dance of the rhinoceros and the hand-raising dance of the manticore!"


    "Didn''t your grandma stop him from dancing this weird ''dance''?" Drac asked curiously.


    "My grandma didn''t want to do it at first," Rolf coughed dryly, "but the more he danced, the better his body became, soter, even my grandma joined in..."


    "Newt is worthy of it, he''s really good..." Drac silently raised a thumb.


    Just then, a little witch with messy dirty golden hair came over and inserted herself between Drac and Rolf.


    "Good afternoon, Professor Drac." She greeted him in a floating tone.


    "Good afternoon, Miss Lovegood." Drac chuckled, "Are you here to see Rolf?"


    "Yes!" Luna nodded, and then took out two hats from somewhere.


    Perhaps the two hats should not be described by the quantifier "top", but "only" -


    The two hats are in the shape of lion heads, as big as real lion heads. When Luna held them in her hands, they would asionally emit very realistic lion roars.


    "Luna, what are you doing..." Rolf nced at the hat in Luna''s hand, and a bit of ominous premonition rose in his heart.


    "Rolf, the next game is Harry''s game, let''s cheer for him together!" Luna said happily, "Look, these two hats can not only reflect the Gryffindor College where Harry is, but also just cover the shouts of others with the lion''s roar!"


    She smiled and stuffed the lion head hat into Rolf''s hand.


    Love looked at Professor Drac with a desperate expression, hoping that he could say something, but...


    "That''s a very good idea, Miss Lovegood." Drac said happily, "You will definitely be the coolest little wizards in the arena today!"

 Chapter 259 - 259 First game is over

    <h4>Chapter 259: First game is over</h4>


    Just as Rolf reluctantly put on the lion hat, the audience around him suddenly let out a burst of astonishment and sighs.


    Drac looked at the arena and found that the Chinese Fireball Dragon was actually following John''s movements, twisting its body, shaking its head from time to time, and jumping left and right to y.


    Then, John used the summoning spell to conjure a big ball, followed by a flying spell, and threw the ball in front of the fire dragon''s face.


    The fire dragon immediately blinked its protruding light bulb-like eyes, jumped forward excitedly, grabbed the ball with its two ws, and then hugged the ball and began to roll on the ground.


    Everyone watched John walk towards the nest where the fire dragon hid the golden eggs, took the golden eggs from its nest, and patted the fire dragon''s scales on the way, as if to say "I''ll exchange the ball for the golden eggs with you."


    The fire dragon did not object at all, and continued to y with the ball, kicking his legs excitedly from time to time.


    Audience: "..."


    Judges: "..."


    Dragon Tamer: "..."


    "Did your grandfather teach him this?" Drac''s mouth twitched, and he looked at Rove who was wearing a lion head hat next to him.


    "No, my grandfather didn''t know what kind of fire dragon he was going to face..."


    Rove shook his lion head speechlessly. His lion head and the head of the Chinese fireball dragon actually looked a little simr.


    "I guess... John may have remembered the method my grandfather used to tame Zouwu when he was in France." Rolf thought for a moment and hesitated, "At that time, my grandfather used a cat teaser in the shape of a bird to trick Zouwu into his box..."


    "I know," Luna, who also had a lion head,ughed happily, "No cat can resist the temptation of a cat teaser and a ball of yarn!"


    "Well, I know why this dragon is called ''dragon and lion'' by the Orientals..." Drac raised his hand to support his forehead, "So the ''lion'' in ''dragon and lion'' is the ''lion'' in lion dance?"


    At this time, John had already left the arena with his intact golden egg, and Bagman didn''t know what to say for a moment, and was racking his brains to think of thementary.


    Suddenly, Karkaroff pped the table and stood up from the judges'' seat.


    "I protest!" he shouted, "Why is the dragon he faces so docile, while Krum''s is so violent? This is absolutely unfair!"


    Karkaroff''s voice was loud, as if he wanted to gain the approval of others.


    However, except for the students from Durmstrang he brought with him and Krum''s diehard fans, everyone else looked at him with contempt.


    The most unfair thing in the semi-finals is you, the judge...


    Professor Hicks, who has always had a good temper, was also a little angry at Karkaroff''s protest. She turned her head and red at Karkaroff.


    "All dragons were carefully selected in the Romanian Dragon Reserve before thepetition, and the lottery process waspletely open. Why do you think John took advantage?" Professor Hicks asked sternly.


    "What''s more, even if this dragon is indeed more docile than the others, its weakness was discovered by John himself! Can you guarantee that anyone else can achieve the same effect as John?"


    Karkaroff was speechless after what Professor Hicks said, and had to me the problem on the Romanian Fire Dragon Reserve''s mistake in selecting dragons.


    "I think those dragon trainers were not sensible when selecting dragons."


    He looked at Dumbledore and Ms. Maxime, trying to unite with them, "Don''t you think so? The strength of these dragons is so different, which is a very unfair thing in itself..."


    "Oh, Professor Karkaroff, the staff of the Fire Dragon Reserve are professional, and they have tried their best to select dragons of simr difficulty." Dumbledore smiled, "I think this game is fair."


    As the discoverer of "Twelve Uses of Dragon Blood", Dumbledore himself has a lot of research on dragons. He naturally saw that although these dragons have different abilities and sizes, they are also somewhat different.


    But rtively speaking, the difference in difficulty for the warriors is not that big.


    Karkaroff snorted coldly and turned to look at Ms. Maxime.


    "The student from Hogwarts is now ranked first in the score, so Dumbledore will certainly not have any objections." He said dissatisfiedly, "What do you think, Maxime?"


    Ms. Maxime hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she was worried about the safety of the students. She didn''t want to cause any more trouble and was afraid of encountering more dangerous situations in the rematch...


    In addition, Ms. Maxime was not as thick-skinned as Karkaroff. She still felt guilty about informing Fleur of the content of the game in advance, so she did not agree with Karkaroff''s opinion.


    "I have no objection to the fairness of this game, Karkaroff." She said.


    "Good, very good! It seems that you are all very satisfied with your students'' scores." Karkaroff said angrily, "But the fire dragon that Victor encountered is obviously the most difficult. If his opponent is reced by the Chinese Fireball..."


    "You are a bit unreasonable, Professor Karkaroff!"


    Just then, the voice of a young wizard sounded behind the judges'' seats.


    As one of the persons in charge of the Fire Dragon Sanctuary in thispetition, Charlie Weiss hurriedly walked up the steps when he found out about the dispute in the judges'' seats and prepared to exin to the judges how they selected the fire dragons.


    When Karkaroff was so angry that he jumped up and down, he happened toe to the judges'' seats.


    "Professor Karkaroff, in fact, the Australian White Eye is the best-tempered of the five fire dragons!" Charlie said bluntly, "If your student hadn''t angered it with the Eye Spell right at the beginning, it would be the easiest fire dragon to deal with."


    He never had a good impression of the unreasonable Karkaroff, so he didn''t leave much room for his words.


    "On the contrary, the Chinese Fireball is one of the best among the five fire dragons in terms of me temperature, physical strength and temper. Except for the Hungarian Horntail that has not yet appeared, it is definitely the most difficult fire dragon!"


    "Listen to my advice, Professor Karkaroff. The different ways the warriors deal with the fire dragons ultimately determine the different difficulties we see!"


    Charlie stared at Karkaroff''s eyes and spoke word by word.


    After listening to Charlie''s statement, Karkaroff''s face was a little stiff, but he was still unwilling to let Krum get the lowest score.


    "Empty words are not enough. Who can''t speak with just their mouths..." His confidence was a little weak, but he was still stubborn.


    "Enough, Karkaroff!" Barty Crouch, the director of the International Magical Exchange Department, who had been silent on the judges'' seat, suddenly looked at Karkaroff coldly, "How long are you going to make trouble? Do you really want to ruin this game?!"


    Karkaroff shivered unconsciously when he saw Mr. Crouch''s cold eyes.


    As a member of the Death Eaters in the war thirteen years ago, his fear of the iron-blooded director of the Law Enforcement Department at that time has not diminished much. Facing Crouch''s cold eyes, Karkaroff did not have the courage to raise any objections for a while.


    Crouch saw that Karkaroff stopped talking, and raised his scoreboard with a cold face-"10 points".


    Next, except for Karkaroff who was not convinced and only gave 5 points on the grounds that John''s dance was not beautiful enough, the other judges gave John 10 points.


    In the end, John got an excellent score of 55 points, ranking first at present.


    "Ludo, continue the game." After the scoring waspleted, Crouch said to Bagman with a cold face.


    He immediately regained his indifferent expression and looked at the stadium indifferently.


    "Ah, ahem... OK, let''s invite the next warrior toe on stage!" Bagman nodded quickly and shouted to the tent at the edge of the stadium.


    "This is thest warrior toe on stage, Harry Potter from Hogwarts!" Under the effect of the amplification spell, his voice spread throughout the stadium, "Mr. Potter will face a Hungarian Horntail--"


    "This species of dragon is huge in size, has a high me temperature, and has a very bad temper. It is widely recognized by dragon trainers as the most dangerous dragon... I have to say that Mr. Potter''s luck is not very good..."


    Harry walked towards the stadium with mixed emotions in the voice of Bagman''smentary.


    He knew that John Kowalski, who was ahead of him, had finished the game, but he didn''t know what happenedter, so he waited in the tent for a long time.


    The long wait almost drained his courage.


    Harry walked through the entrance of the tent and outside, his inner tension increasing little by little, reaching an extreme level.


    Finally, he walked onto the field and saw everything around him, like a vivid dream - hundreds of faces looked at him from the stands above, as if they were watching a drama of life and death.


    At the other end of the field, the Hungarian Horntail loomed.


    It crouched low, guarding its nest of eggs, its wings half folded, its fierce yellow eyes fixed on Harry.


    The Hungarian Horntail was huge, covered with ck scales, with yellow eyes and bronze horns.


    Seeing Harry approaching slowly from a distance, it twisted its spiked tail violently, leaving several meters of pits and bumps on the hard ground.


    There was a roar of noise from the audience, whether these voices were friendly or malicious, Harry had no way of knowing, and no longer cared.


    Now he had to do what he had to do...


    He raised his wand-


    "io Firebolt!"


    Hearing Harry''s io spell, Drac''s sight passed through the many obstacles and nced at the willow tree outside the auditorium where Ron had hidden his broom before.


    He saw that behind the willow tree, an exquisite flying broom suddenly floated up, and then quickly flew towards the semi-finals arena.


    It nimbly bypassed the surrounding thick trees, passed through the rows of seats in the auditorium, and flew over the setting sun that was gradually rising in the sky...It was getting faster and faster, and then it suddenly stopped and was steadily caught in Harry''s hands.


    "Look! Mr. Potter has cast a spell, that is... the Summoning Curse!" Bagman''s voice resounded throughout the stadium, "Potter has got a flying broom, my god, what an incredible idea!"


    "I remember, Mr. Potter is the youngest seeker at Hogwarts, and within three years of attending school, he has made great contributions to the Gryffindor Quidditch team winning two of the Quidditch Cups..."


    But Bagman''s voice was almost not heard by Harry, holding the broom tightly in his hand, he now felt more rxed than ever before.


    He raised his leg to step onto the flying broom, kicked the ground, and flew into the air.


    Harry circled up quickly, the wind blew his hair, the audience below turned into indistinct little people, and the huge Horntail shrank to the size of a dog.


    He suddenly realized-


    What he abandoned was not only the ground, but also his fear... He returned to the ce where he was like a fish in water...


    It was just an alternative Quidditch game, that''s all, the Horntail was just another tough opponent team.


    Harry looked down at the nest of eggs protected by the dragon and made out the golden egg, which gleamed among its greypanions, lying safely between the dragon''s front legs, like a golden snitch in apetition.


    "Good," Harry said to himself, "a diversion, plus a Wronski feint...e on!"


    He dived, and the Ho''s head swung with him.


    Harry knew what it was going to do, so he stopped diving in time and leaped up. A ball of fire burst out, and if he didn''t avoid it in time, he would be sprayed directly.


    But Harry didn''t care, just thought he was just avoiding a Bludger.


    "My God, he flies really well!" Bagman shouted, "Did you see that, Mr. Krum? It''s a pity you didn''t think of doing this..."


    The audience was also screaming and cheering, Harry''s Gryffindor friends raised the "Harry Potter" g, and two little wizards in Hufflepuff wearing funny lion head hats cheered for Harry.


    Even students who didn''t get along well with Harry couldn''t help but be amazed by his actions. Even some Slytherin students couldn''t help but wave the g with Harry''s name on it...


    Of course, they forgot that in addition to the name, there was also the word "stinking shit" written on it...


    After a series of pulling and testing, Harry''s arm was scratched by the sharp and stinging tail of the Hungarian Horntail, but everything went smoothly.


    The Horntail was sessfully angered by him, and it spread its wings and pulled the chain with a nging sound.


    At the same time, Harry rushed to the nest of eggs at lightning speed, released the Firebolt, and freed his hands-


    He caught the golden egg urately, just like he caught the Golden Snitch countless times.


    Immediately, he "whooshed" into the air, flew away from the dragon, and hovered in the sky where the dragon couldn''t reach.


    The heavy golden egg was mped under the uninjured arm.

 Chapter 260 - 260 The Spellcaster Is Nowhere

    <h4>Chapter 260: The Spellcaster Is Nowhere</h4>


    "Oh, look!" Bagman shouted loudly, "Our youngest warrior got the golden egg the fastest! It turns out that Mr. Potter is no less than other warriors!"


    Bagman was so happy.


    He thought that the first game was not easy to operate, and Harry refused his help. He was afraid that he would not be able to get the golden egg that represented sess.


    However, what Bagman did not expect was that Harry, as the youngest warrior, not only got the golden egg, but alsopleted it very well!


    Harry slowlynded outside the audience seats and saw the dragon trainers rushing to the arena to calm the anger of the Hungarian Horntail. Ron and Hermione rushed down from their seats with excitement, and Hagrid and Professor McGonagall also hurried over to greet him.


    For the first time in a few months, Harry felt so rxed that he almost didn''t feel the pain in the wound on his arm... because he passed the first project and survived.


    "It''s wonderful, Potter!" Professor McGonagall said loudly as soon as he got off the Firebolt.


    Coming from the stern Professor McGonagall, these words were already a rare and highpliment.


    Harry noticed that her hand on his shoulder was shaking slightly, "Before the referee scores, you need to go to Madam Pomfrey... Diggory has already passed there, and you need her to help you treat the injury on your arm."


    "You seeded, Harry!" Hagrid said excitedly beside him, "Did you just hear? Charlie said that the Ho is the most ferocious among them!"


    "Thank you, Hagrid." Harry said loudly, and kept winking at Hagrid to prevent him from continuing rashly and revealing that he had taken him to see the dragon in advance.


    Hermione and Ron hugged Harry in turn, and Hermione even cried with joy that Harry sessfully survived the dragon.


    When Harry sat outside the first aid tent and received treatment from Madam Pomfrey, the scoring of the final game began.


    Ms. Maxime was the first to raise the scoreboard, and a long silver light floated from the board, showing the score on the board to the audience present-


    The silver light gradually twisted and merged into a number "8".


    "Not bad!" Ron said to Harry amid the apuse of the audience, "She probably deducted your points because of your injured arm..."


    Next was Mr. Crouch, and the sign he raised showed the number "9" in the air.


    "Very promising, Harry!" Ron was even more excited, patting Harry on the back and shouting, "At present, only Kowalski of Invermorny is a little higher than you, and no one else is better than you."


    Next was Dumbledore, who gave Harry and Cedric the same nine points; Professor Hicks also generously gave Harry nine points.


    The cheers of the audience became louder.


    Afterwards, Ludo Bagman raised his own sign-


    10 points.


    "Ten points?" Harry said in disbelief, "But... I''m injured... Is he kidding?"


    "Harry, stopining!" Ron shouted excitedly, "Ten points is not bad? I think you can even challenge the top three!"


    At this time, Karkaroff raised the sign, and the silver light on the sign merged into a number much smaller than the scores of other judges -


    "4".


    "What?" Ron stood up suddenly and shouted angrily, "Four points? This hateful, biased guy is getting more and more outrageous!"


    "Krum''s golden egg was so rotten that even Professor Drac had toe down to save him, but Karkaroff still scored 9 points... Youpleted the game so well, but Karkaroff only gave you 4 points?"


    It must be said that Karkaroff was a little bit pretentious when scoring Cedric and Fleur, and gave them 6 points, which was a passing score...


    But since John''s alternative game ended, he was toozy to pretend, and tantly gave John and Harry very low scores of 5 and 4 points.


    Despite this, Harry didn''t care.


    Even if Karkaroff gave him zero points, he wouldn''t care. He felt that no matter what the final score was, at least he proved himself in front of all the audience, proving that he was not a fake warrior who dragged Hogwarts down.


    Moreover, it was not only Ron and Hermione who were happy for him, but also his other friends...


    Now, when they saw the challenge Harry faced and his outstanding performance in this game, most of the students in Hogwarts began to support him, just like supporting Cedric...


    "Merlin''s beard!" At this moment, a scream of extreme shock rang in Harry''s ears.


    "What''s wrong with you, Ron?"


    Harry looked at the red-haired friend next to him and found that he was counting on his fingers with an incredible look on his face.


    "Harry, you seem to... your score seems to have surpassed several warriors!" Ron shouted with a shocked face.


    Hermione had not yet recovered from the emotion of crying for joy, and sat next to Harry with hazy eyes.


    After hearing Ron''s exmation, she was stunned for a moment, then quickly wiped her tears and took out a piece of parchment to calcte.


    "I''ve written down all the warriors'' scores. Let me see..." Hermione said quickly, "ording to the judges'' scores, Diggory scored 48 points, Dcour scored 45 points, and Krum made a big mistake, currently the lowest, 41 points..."


    "Well, Kowalski''s performance was amazing. Except for that biased guy Karkaroff, everyone else got full marks. His final score was 55 points, the first ce without any suspense."


    "And your total score, Harry, is... 49 points!"


    Hermione raised her head suddenly , staring at Harry with wide eyes, "You are one point higher than Diggory, who was favored by everyone before. You are now the second among all the warriors!"


    "What did you say?" Harry rubbed his ears in disbelief, thinking that he had hallucinations, "Hermione, did I hear it right... You said I was the second?"


    "Yes, Harry, you heard it right!" Hermione stood up excitedly, her eyes full of joy, "You don''t have to worry about those bad guys questioning you now!"


    Harry felt like he was floating.


    He originally just wanted to avoid being thest, at least not let Professor Drace down to save him from the dragon, and he didn''t expect to get such a result.


    "Mr. Bagman gave me too high a score, otherwise I should not be able topare with Cedric..."


    Harry was humble verbally, but the corners of his mouth that curled uppletely exposed his inner excitement and joy.


    At this moment, the curtain of the tent was lifted, and Cedric walked out of the first aid tent and walked straight to his side.


    "Um, Cedric, I..."


    Harry looked at him a little guilty, thinking that if he hadn''t participated in thispetition, Cedric would have been the second-ced warrior.


    However, before he could say anything to apologize, Cedric suddenly grinned at him and smiled.


    "Well done, Harry." He smiled.


    Harry''s worries disappeared in an instant and he alsoughed.


    "You too, Cedric."


    ...


    "You all did a good job!"


    In the tent where the warriors first gathered, Bagman praised happily.


    He shook his legs briskly in the tent, looking very happy, as if he had just sessfully jumped over the dragon and got the golden egg.


    "Okay, I just have a few words to say." Bagman smiled and told the warriors about the follow-up precautions. "The second project will start at 9:30 am on February 24 next year. Before that, you can rest for a long time-"


    "But we have to leave some questions for you to think about! If you look down at the golden eggs in your hands, you will find that they can be opened. See the seam there... Oh, Mr. Kowalski, don''t open it here, close it quickly!"


    Before Bagman finished speaking, John had already used his fingernails to pry open the two halves of the eggshell along the gap of the golden egg-


    At the moment the golden egg was opened, an extremely terrifying, sharp and piercing scream filled the entire tent.


    The warriors subconsciously covered their ears. Harry felt that this sound was much sharper than the sound he heard at the deathday party of Nearly Headless Nick... It was the noise of the ghost band ying with a musical saw.


    John himself was also startled and hurriedly closed the eggshells on both sides.


    The piercing noise that filled the entire tent finally stopped.


    "Mr. Bagman, what is this piercing noise?" Cedric, as a good student with excellent character and academic performance, habitually raised his hand to ask.


    "Oh, I can''t tell you that." Bagman took his hands off his ears and said to the warriors, "You must solve the clues provided in the egg by yourself - that will tell you what the second project is."


    "Before the game, I hope you can be fully prepared!"


    ...


    After the first project of the semi-finals was over, time quickly came to December.


    A strong wind blew around Hogwarts, and heavy rain often apanied by snowkes falling.


    Drac stood on the stone bridge connecting the main tower and the astronomy tower, leaning against the railing, letting the strong wind blow his silver hair messy, snowkes falling on his shoulders, looking at the white mist at the end of the frozen ckke, and thewns and bushes covered by snow nearby.


    "Professor Drac, the ce you chose is really inconsiderate to the elderly." Dumbledore walked over from the porch of the main tower andughed softly.


    He held his wand upright, as if holding a transparent umbre to block the wind and snow outside.


    Phoenix Fawkesy on Dumbledore''s shoulder, emitting warm heat, melting the snowkes floating around.


    "You should be thankful that I didn''t choose the top of the astronomy tower." Drac nced at Dumbledore and raised his lips slightly. "Compared to the top of the tower, the view here is inevitably much narrower."


    "I thought it was more suitable for us to sit by the warm firece in the castle and chat in such cold weather." Dumbledore brushed the snowkes umted on the marble railing with his sleeves and leaned on the railing next to Drac. "Oh, this railing is really cool."


    "It''s reallyfortable inside the castle." Drac nodded and looked at the shore of the ck Lake in the distance. "But I''m a little curious about what people living in the ship of Durmstrang would feel?"


    Dumbledore also followed Drac''s gaze to the big ship docked by the ck Lake - the big ship was shaking and swaying in the strong wind, and the ck sails were flying and dancing in the dark night sky.


    I don''t know what the Durmstrang people are thinking, but they actually use magic to prevent theke water near the ship from freezing, and the ck sails have no intention of being retracted.


    Therefore, the big ship swayed greatly in the strong wind, and I''m afraid the rooms there wouldn''t be very warm, after all, the wind near theke is not only strong, but also quite cold.


    "They should have their own unique way to keep warm, right?" Dumbledore nced over there, smiled and shook his head, "And the people of Durmstrang have lived in this cold environment for a long time, maybe they can only exert their full strength when the temperature drops."


    "Maybe..." Skipping other misceneous trivial matters, Drac suddenly asked: "Haven''t you found out who used the Confusion Charm on the Goblet of Fire?"


    Dumbledore''s expression suddenly became serious.


    "There is really nothing to find..." He said slowly, "On the night before Halloween, there were not many candidates who had the opportunity to touch the Goblet of Fire. I carefully observed their situation, but did not find any problems."


    "What about the professors of other schools? Are there any problems with them?" Drac frowned and asked, "It is impossible that the Confusion Charm on the Goblet of Fire appeared out of thin air?"


    "Ms. Maxime and Professor Hicks are both trustworthy, and Karkaroff was once a Death Eater. He was originally a certain suspect..." Dumbledore said slowly, "So I asked Severus to test him."


    "Severus judged that Karkaroff was not the real culprit who cast the curse on the Goblet of Fire. He was only afraid of Voldemort''s return and even nned to escape... I agree with Severus. ''s point of view. "


    "Think about it from another angle? In addition to professors, wouldn''t Voldemort''s helpers disguise themselves as students?" Drac asked again, "Will there be Death Eaters disguised as students and cast the Confusion Charm when throwing notes into the Goblet of Fire?"


    "I don''t think it''s likely." Dumbledore shook his head, "The students of Invermorny, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were organized by their headmasters and signed up for the Goblet of Fire together, so they didn''t have much chance to cast a spell."


    "As for the students of Hogwarts - when they entered the tform nine and three quarters of King''s Cross Station, they had actually passed a test to prevent the use of Polyjuice Potion to impersonate others..."


    "It''s really a bit strange. Howe this caster is nowhere to be found?"

 Chapter 261 - 261 Christmas Ball News

    <h4>Chapter 261: Christmas Ball News</h4>


    "Professor Drac, did you find anything over there?"


    Dumbledore thought for a moment, then suddenly turned his head and looked at Drac and asked.


    "I still doubt Barty Crouch''s identity." Drac turned around, folded his arms, leaned against the cold railing, and said casually.


    "Can you give me a reason?" Dumbledore''s eyes became a little deep.


    "You said... ording to the strictness of the director of the International Magic Cooperation and Exchange Department, will he really give Potter a score as high as 9 points?" Drac looked at the top of the astronomical tower with dim lights high up, and asked softly.


    "You can use Cedric''s performance as aparison - Potter was injured and actually used external objects, so his score should not be higher than Cedric''s. But the fair and strict Mr. Crouch in your mouth gave him nine points..."


    "This reason is a bit far-fetched, Professor Drac." Dumbledore shook his head slightly, "Maybe Mr. Crouch is just taking Harry''s age into consideration? It''s not easy for a 14-year-old to achieve this... Didn''t Mr. Bagman also give Harry full marks?"


    "Bagman, that guy, he just got addicted to gambling again." Drac sneered, "He lost a lot some time ago, and this time he put all his chips on Potter, hoping to make aeback in this semi-final."


    Dumbledore''s mouth twitched, and he nced at Drac subconsciously.


    Of the Galleons that Bagman lost, arge part of them were clearly given to you, Professor Drac, right?


    "Well, this one is not very obvious." Drac did not care what Dumbledore was thinking, and continued to talk about himself, "Then ignore this doubt for now and talk about the other-"


    "First of all, why did Crouch agree so strongly to let Potter participate in this semi-finalpetition? Is it just for the rule that ''everyone selected by the Goblet of Fire must participate in thepetition''?"


    Drac''s eyes moved away from the top of the tower and looked at Dumbledore meaningfully, "Although the punishment caused by the contract of the Goblet of Fire will indeed cause great harm to the contestants, is there really no other solution?"


    "After all, Potter is just a fourteen-year-old wizard. Before the end of the first project, no one believed that he could sessfullyplete thepetition. Not to mention, this also makes Hogwarts, the organizer, suspected of favoritism and fraud."


    "Bagman is keen to let Potter participate, after all, he is willing to do anything to win back the gambling money... But what about Crouch? He is out "You may be overthinking it, Professor Drac." Dumbledore obviously trusted Crouch very much, and smiled and shook his head, "Battie looks harsh, but he still cares about others. Harry''s contract with the Goblet of Fire must be fulfilled." "Not necessarily?" Drac chuckled, "If I guess correctly, Dumbledore, you should be fully capable of cracking the contract of the Goblet of Fire, right?" "To put it bluntly, the cup is just a pretty good alchemical product. If you and Nico can''t crack it together... that''s too fake." "Go with the flow, and you can also give Potter a tform for training and improvement, just so that this ''savior'' can grow faster to the point of being able to stand on his own - as for the dangers in the game, it''s not a problem at all. Is there any danger that you, a great wizard sitting on the judges'' seat, can''t solve?" Drac looked at Dumbledore with a smile, waiting for his reply. Dumbledore was silent for a moment, then sighed softly, exhaling a cloud of faint white mist in the cold snow.


    "You''re right, Professor Drac." He said softly, "Although we still don''t know who put Harry''s name into the Goblet of Fire, I don''t me him at all. On the contrary, I am a little grateful to him."


    "Voldemort has notpletely returned. Under Fudge''s maintenance, the wizarding world is still as calm as a pool of stagnant water on the surface. It is really difficult for me to find a way to quickly make Harry grow up..."


    "And the semi-finals is an excellent tform. It can be under my control and have enough security, and it can give Harry enough urgency. I can''t think of any better training opportunity than Harry bing a warrior."


    "I know," Drac curled his lips, "but you are the only one who has such a mentality. Crouch doesn''t have so much leisure as you."


    "Do you think those people in the Ministry of Magic will hope that the ''savior'' will grow faster like you? At most, they regard Potter as a mascot."


    "But you overlooked a problem, Professor Drac," Dun Bridgol shook his head and said, "Battie doesn''t know that Nico and I can break the contract of the Goblet of Fire, so in order to prevent Harry from being punished by the contract, he must agree to let Harry participate."


    "It''s not just one way to break the contract," Drac shrugged, "Prepare another formal match without spectators, and don''t count the score. Can''t Potter admit defeat as soon as hees on the court?"


    "As long as you are willing to think of a way, you can always find a loophole to bypass it. It depends on whether Crouch wants to do it."


    "Maybe Bartie is just a temporary idea to set an example for Harry?" Dumbledore narrowed his eyes, "After all, Harry is also a celebrity in the British wizarding world, and even the entire wizarding world. Taking this opportunity, it is also a feasible solution to expand the influence of the British Ministry of Magic worldwide."


    "And it is also very likely that Bartie has not thought of other solutions to bypass the Goblet of Fire contract in a short time... I will go to the Ministry of Magic and find out how he reported to Fudge."


    "Well, it''s better to ask." Drac nodded.


    "Of course, I''m just guessing, because I didn''t find any traces of the Imperius Curse on Crouch, and I can''t see any problems with his memory... I wonder if I can get something out of him if I use Veritaserum..."


    "Don''t do that!" Dumbledore was shocked by Drac''s bold idea and quickly stopped him, "Professor Drac, you really don''t have to break up with the Ministry of Magic because of this uncertain thing."


    "I will definitely not let them know that it was me who did it." Drac said as a matter of course.


    "Listen to me, forget it this time..." In the cold weather, Dumbledore felt that sweat was almosting out of his forehead, "Leave this to me, I will go and confirm whether Barty has any problems."


    "Well, what a pity..." Drac smacked his lips regretfully.


    Then, he jumped lightly, stepped on the railing covered with snow, and turned back to smile at Dumbledore:


    "Good night, Mr. Headmaster. I hope to hear from you before the Christmas ball!"


    After that, Drac leaned back and fell directly into the ck Lake under the bridge.


    The next moment, a pair of broad wings spread out from his back, suddenly changing the direction of falling, driving Drac to the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor''s office on the third floor of the castle.


    Looking at Drac who left suddenly, Dumbledore shook his head with a smile.


    "Sweet dreams, Professor Drac."


    ...


    "Potter! Weiss is here! Can you pay attention a little bit?"


    In the Transfiguration ss on a Thursday in mid-December, Professor McGonagall''s angry voice was like a whip, crackling and scolding, startling Harry and Ron to raise their heads from their seats in a hurry.


    The ss was almost over, and they had justpleted the task assigned by Professor McGonagall, turning some guinea fowl into guinea pigs.


    The bell might ring at any time, and the next game would note for a while. Harry and Ron had no sense of urgency at the moment. They were holding two fake wands invented by Fred and George, and fencing back and forth in the back row of the ssroom.


    "Come on, Potter and Weiss, you two can be considered senior students, so can''t you behave in ordance with your age?" Professor McGonagall said, ncing at them angrily.


    "Especially Potter, you are a warrior of Hogwarts, representing the image of Hogwarts - if students from other schools see you fighting and making trouble in ss, what do you think they will think?"


    Harry sat on the stool with his back tensed, trembling and afraid to speak.


    Ron wasining in his heart that Fred and George had invented such a fun thing, causing them to be scolded in ss.


    Thinking about it this way, Fred and George are the real senior students, and their behavior is not in line with their age!


    Professor McGonagall certainly didn''t know what Ron was mumbling in his heart. After deducting two points from Gryffindor, she turned her eyes to the other students in the ssroom.


    "Everyone stop for a moment, I have something to tell you." She said.


    The ssroom immediately became quiet, and the little wizards looked up at Professor McGonagall.


    "It''s like this, the Christmas ball ising - this is an important tradition of the Triwizard Tournament, and it is also a good opportunity for us tomunicate with guests from foreign countries."


    "This ball is only open to students in the fourth grade and above, but if you want, you can invite a junior student..."


    In the ssroom, several little witches let out an ambiguous giggle, especially Gryffindor''s Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. The muscles on their faces were tense, and they couldn''t help turning their heads to look at Harry as a warrior.


    Professor McGonagall ignored them. Harry, a straight man, felt that this was particrly unfair. She had just scolded him and Ron, but now she didn''t me Parvati and Lavender.


    "Remember to wear your dress robes when the timees," Professor McGonagall continued. "The ball will be held in the hall at 8 o''clock on Christmas evening and will end at midnight. Listen--"


    Professor McGonagall looked at the whole ss calmly.


    "The Christmas ball undoubtedly gives us a chance to... well, dress up and rx ourselves." She said in a casual tone, "but that doesn''t mean we will rx our behavioral requirements for Hogwarts students."


    "I would be very sad if a Gryffindor student brought shame to the school in any way!"


    The bell for the end of get out of ss rang melodiously. As usual, everyone stuffed their books into their schoolbags and threw them over their shoulders. There was a noisy and busy ssroom.


    Professor McGonagall raised her voice and shouted in the midst of the noise: "Potter - stay here, I want to say something to you."


    Harry thought that Professor McGonagall would scold him and Ron for fencing in ss, so he walked towards the podium listlessly.


    Professor McGonagall waited until all the students in the ss had left before saying: "Potter, every warrior must have his own partner -"


    "What partner?" Harry asked in confusion.


    Professor McGonagall looked at him suspiciously, as if she thought he was joking.


    "The partner you bring to the Yule Ball, Potter!" she said sternly, "Your partner!"


    Harry''s heart skipped a beat and his cheeks felt hot.


    "Dancing partner?" He said with a red face, "I don''t dance, Professor McGonagall."


    "Oh, you have to dance," Professor McGonagall looked at him seriously, "I was just about to tell you this - ording to tradition, the dance is opened by the champions of the Triwizard Tournament and their partners."


    "Even if it bes a four-waypetition this year, this will not change!"


    "But..." Harry felt ashamed when he thought about dancing in public, "I really can''t dance, can I not dance?"


    He was afraid that Professor McGonagall would not agree, so he hurriedly He added: "Cedric is so elegant, he will definitely dance. Can''t he start the dance on behalf of Hogwarts?"


    "This is a traditional practice, Potter!" However, Harry''s wish waspletely useless. Professor McGonagall still said firmly, "You are also a warrior of Hogwarts. As one of the representatives of the school, you must do what everyone expects."


    "So, you must find a dance partner for yourself, Potter."


    "But... I can''t..."


    "You heard what I said, Potter!" Professor McGonagall said in an unquestionable tone.


    Harry had no way to refute, so he could only nod silently, thinking about the choice of partner.


    The first thing that came to his mind was Qiu Zhang''s soft ck hair and beautiful face. After all, he had a crush on her for a long time in the previous academic years.


    Then the next moment, Harry pped himself - Qiu Zhang was dating his good friend Cedric, and he couldn''t let his imagination run wild anymore.


    "Are you okay, Potter?"


    Professor McGonagall''s voice brought Harry back to his senses.


    Harry looked up and saw Professor McGonagall looking at him with a worried look on her face. From her expression, it was obvious that she was worried that he had some mental illness, so she suddenly pped herself...


    "Ahem, I''m fine, Professor." Harry coughed twice and said awkwardly, "My hand just shook a little."


    "You don''t have to be so nervous, Potter." Professor McGonagall said, "Dancing can be learned quickly, and we will train several warriorster... Do you need to go to the infirmary?"


    "I''m really fine, Professor McGonagall." Harry kept shaking his head, "I should go, Ron is still waiting for me outside the ssroom!"


    After that, in Professor McGonagall''s still somewhat doubtful eyes, Harry ran out of the Transfiguration ssroom.

 Chapter 262 - 262 Marauder’s Map

    <h4>Chapter 262: Marauder''s Map</h4>


    "Are you going to the ball, Ron?"


    In the Gryffindormon room, Harry leaned on the sofa listlessly and asked his friend next to him.


    "Forget it, you know my dress..." Ron said listlessly.


    The Weasley family had too many children and not enough money, so Mrs. Weasley could only buy Ron a second-hand old dress with purplece embroidered on it. The cuffs were open like a flower. It was hard to tell whether it was a man''s or a woman''s dress...


    "In fact, it might still be usable after a little tidying up," Harry patted Ron''s shoulder sympathetically, and then sighed, "Professor McGonagall forced me to go to the ball, and you must go with me when the timees!"


    Ron also sighed with a sad face.


    It can be seen that he actually wanted to go in his heart, but he was suffering from his dress being too unsightly, so he really couldn''t ept the risk of making a fool of himself to attend this Christmas ball.


    "Hermione, are you going to the ball?" Harry turned his head and looked at Hermione who was lying on the coffee table reading a book. "You should stay in school during the Christmas holiday, right?"


    "Well, you have be a Hogwarts warrior, I must stay to help you."


    Hermione nodded slightly, moved her eyes away from the book in front of her, looked at Harry seriously and said: "Harry, I think you should think more about the next project instead of worrying about the ball. It may be more dangerous than facing the dragon!"


    "Don''t worry now, Hermione." Ron said nonchntly, "There are more than two months before the next project starts, and the time is enough. But there are only a few days before the Christmas ball!"


    "Yes, Hermione, I would rather go back to face the dragon than dance at the Christmas party." Harry echoed.


    As always, Harry has no motivation without pressure. His current pressure is all about dancing in public at the Christmas ball.


    At this moment, a Gryffindor girl whom Harry had never seen before came over from nowhere and asked Harry if he could be her dance partner.


    Harry was shocked to find that this girl was actually a fifth-year student, and judging from the way she acted, if Harry dared to refuse, he might be knocked unconscious by her punch.


    "Um... I have an appointment with Hermione and Ron to go to the library to prepare for the next project today," Harry quickly used Hermione''s persuasion as an excuse and changed the subject, "Let me think about it again, okay?"


    After saying that, he immediately pulled Ron and Hermione out of themon room as if they were escaping.


    When they ran to the corridor outside, Ronughed for a long time. Afterughing enough, he said impartially:


    "She is actually quite pretty."


    "She is a foot taller than me!" Harry was still a little shocked and said with a heavy breath, "Imagine dancing with a girl who is taller than me. She may also wear high heels. Wouldn''t I make a fool of myself?"


    "Is this your excuse for running away under the pretext of preparing for the next project?" At this time, Hermione pursed her lips and said sternly.


    "I just... can''t find any other excuses." Harry stammered.


    "Anyway, this reason has been said. In order to prevent you from bing a liar, let''s go to the library to study the next project now!"


    As she said that, Hermione dragged Harry and Ron, who were reluctant on their faces, to the library without saying anything.


    ...


    "I''m sure there''s no book here that mentions a screaming golden egg." Ron yawned andined on the way back to themon room.


    Harry, Hermione and Ron searched for information until midnight, until Madam Pince drove them out of the library, but they didn''t find any useful information.


    "This is a specially madepetition prop, Ron," said Hermione, "There will definitely not be relevant information in the library that is exactly the same as the golden egg, but at least we can find something simr..."


    "But we don''t even know what this is." Harry said a little disappointed.


    "Maybe we can ask Professor Drac?" Ron said thoughtfully, "He seems to be very knowledgeable about all kinds of messy things."


    "But the rules of thepetition say that warriors cannot seek help from professors!" Hermione retorted.


    "What''s the matter, I don''t think the principals of other schools follow this rule..." Ron muttered.


    At this moment, a man wearing a moldy suit, with a pale face, sunken cheeks and a pair of bulging eyes, stopped the three of them.


    "Curfew ising soon. You guys better walk faster. Don''t let me catch you breaking the school rules!" He held a dim oilmp, and the flesh on his double chin trembled fiercely.


    "Got it." Harry and the other two agreed perfunctorily, but there was no intention of speeding up their pace.


    There were still a few minutes before curfew, which was enough for them to return to themon room at a leisurely pace.


    "Wait a minute." Filch suddenly stopped them from behind.


    Harry and the others turned around and frowned at the ferocious gatekeeper.


    "It''s not curfew yet, is it, Mr. Filch?" Hermione asked confidently, posing as a good student.


    "It''s true that it''s not time yet, but that doesn''t mean you haven''t vited the school rules at all." Filch said sinisterly, "I know you, you are in the same group as the twins."


    "I don''t know what kind of messy props they have been thinking about recently, I suspect you guys have also contributed to it!"


    "We didn''t!" Hermione said angrily.


    She has been a good student for so long, but today is the first time she has been ssified as a troublemaker like Fred and George who specifically go against the school rules.


    This really pissed off the top student.


    "Just because you say there are none, does that mean there are none?" Filch said with a grin, "Those two little bastards don''t know where they put those nasty and bad prank props they made. They might be hidden on you!"


    "Nonsense!" Ron stepped forward and retorted loudly, "This is a naked nder!"


    He couldn''t help but be anxious, because he and Harry did carry some prank gadgets made by Fred and George. If Filch really found out, he would definitely not let them go easily.


    "Don''t worry about him, Ron," Harry pulled Ron''s arm from behind and whispered to him.


    "It''s not long before curfew. Filch must be trying to dy us so that we can''t get back to themon room in time... so that he can catch us and help him clean up."


    Hermione also reacted, turned back and red at Filch fiercely, then ignored him and dragged Harry and Ron to the Gryffindormon room...


    "Nonsense."


    They rushed back to themon room at thest minute before curfew, and Harry spoke the password to the portrait of the Fat Lady.


    Saying goodbye to Hermione in front of the stairs leading to the upper floor of themon room, Harry and Ron walked into the boys'' dormitory area together.


    However, as soon as they entered this space, they found Fred and George lying next to the firece inside, studying something furtively in the light of the fire.


    "What bad things are you two doing again?" Ron asked unhappily because he was implicated by these two guys just now.


    "Shhh--"


    Fred put his finger in front of his mouth to make a silent gesture.


    Then, he carefully looked around and took out a book from behind George after making sure no one was eavesdropping.


    "Book?" Ron looked at Fred and George in surprise and asked, "You two are sneaking around and reading here? You don''t have a fever, do you?"


    Having been an older brother for more than a decade, he never thought that these two mischievous guys would like to read, let alone secretly read by the light of the firece after turning off the lights.


    Could it be that there is something about this book that cannot be seen by others?


    Ron showed an expression of sudden enlightenment.


    "Oh¡ª¡ª" he said in a long tone, raised his eyebrows, and smiled knowingly, "I didn''t expect that you two would sneak a peek at that kind of obscure novel here!"


    "What on earth are you thinking about, little Luo Luo?" George looked at Ron with disgust, "I really don''t know what you learned in Hogwarts. You don''t learn well all day long."


    "No, why does it feel so strange to hear such wordsing out of your mouth..." Ron''s face wrinkled, "And what exactly is this book? Is it necessary to shrink here so mysteriously to read it?"


    "You don''t understand, this book has a great origin!" Fred nced around again, and then whispered to Ron and Harry, "This was secretly taken from Filch''s office!"


    "What?" Harry widened his eyes in astonishment, "You sneaked into Filch''s office?"


    Filch was just moring to catch these two troublemakers, but he didn''t expect that they had already run to Filch''s office to steal the house!


    "Yes, I tell you, Filch''s office is simply a treasure trove!" Fred said excitedly, "You can find some very useful things from time to time, and I don''t know where he confiscated them from."


    "A few school years ago, we found a particrly magical parchment in the drawer of his filing cab. It was full of various secret passages in Hogwarts, and you can also see other people''s whereabouts!" George added, "It was because of that parchment that we were able to trick Filch repeatedly."


    As he said this, George proudly pulled out a square, tattered-looking parchment from his cloak, with nothing written on it.


    Ron thought it was another joke by the twins, and stared at them with bulging eyes.


    "Don''t be impatient, little Luo Luo, we haven''t finished talking yet." Fred looked at him dissatisfiedly, "We took a great risk and threw several dung bombs into the corridor outside Filch''s office to get these things out of Filch''s drawer."


    "The words ''confiscated materials, highly dangerous'' are written on that drawer, but they are all good things for us..."


    "Since then, the two of us have found opportunities to visit Filch''s office every school year. Look, haven''t we found something quite useful again?"


    Fred patted the book next to the firece.


    "You didn''t make up so many things to deceive us?" Ron asked suspiciously, looking at the tattered parchment.


    "Oh, do we need to deceive you?" George stood up with a smile.


    He took out his wand, tapped the parchment lightly, and said:


    "I solemnly swear that I will do no good."


    After hearing his serious "oath", Harry''s expression almost couldn''t be held back, and Ronughed out loud.


    Ron was about tough at George''s silly behavior, but the next moment, the tattered parchment suddenly changed-


    Thin ink lines like spider webs began to appear from where the wand touched, these lines merged and crossed each other, extending to every corner of the parchment.


    Then, words began to appear above the parchment, inrge curved green letters, saying:


    Suppliers who specialize in helping magic prank makers-Moon Face, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, grandly introduced


    This map detailed all the details of Hogwarts Castle and various venues, and this was not the most exaggerated. What is really worth noting is the small ink dots moving along the map, each of which is marked with a name in tiny letters.


    Harry and Ron opened their mouths in surprise and leaned over to take a closer look.


    A small ink spot in the upper left corner showed that Dumbledore was pacing in the study of the headmaster''s office; Professor McGonagall was motionless in her office; there were a few Gryffindor junior wizards who sneaked out for a night out in the teaching area...


    "Hey, did Filch run so fast? He actually returned to his own office?" Ron noticed that at the bottom of the map, the name of the castle janitor was motionless in the janitor''s office.


    "Maybe he suddenly felt sleepy?" Fred shrugged. "Look at Filch''s weak appearance and staying up all night. I think it''s not surprising that he suddenly died there."


    "Wait a minute, look here." Harry suddenly pointed his finger at a location on the Marauder''s Map. "Barty Crouch... Do you remember him? I don''t remember himing to Hogwarts as a guest today?"


    "Maybe he just came?" George guessed, "He came to Hogwarts secretly at night to discuss problems during thepetition with Principal Dumbledore to prevent the warriors from hearing?"


    "Maybe." Harry shrugged and no longer paid attention to the name of the Director of the International Magical Cooperation and Exchange Department.


    What they didn''t notice was that after this "Barty Crouch" walked around the castle a few times, he didn''t go to the principal''s office as they thought.


    He went straight to the janitor''s office belonging to Filch...

 Chapter 263 - 263 Choosing a dance partner

    <h4>Chapter 263: Choosing a dance partner</h4>


    "Then what is this book?"


    Ron reluctantly watched George put away the Marauder''s Map, and had to look at the book that he also got from Filch''s office.


    The cover of the book was bright yellow, with a line of strange words engraved on it - "A Clever Combination of Alchemy and Pranks".


    "It''s actually a book about pranks, no wonder you read it with great interest..." Ron curled his lips, "By the way, is there really someone who publishes a book for pranks?"


    Both Harry and Ron were not very interested in this prank book. Compared with the magical Marauder''s Map before, they both felt that this book seemed a bit mediocre.


    "I can tell you two don''t know what''s good!" Fred rolled his eyes at the two people who didn''t have good taste, then picked up his book "The Clever Combination of Alchemy and Pranks" and said to them:


    "This book talks about a lot of things about alchemy, and it''s not one of those obscure and difficult tomes in the library. Instead, it''s quite easy to understand, and people with no alchemy foundation can learn it."


    "Yes, the author of this book is so talented!" George also praised it, "You don''t need to fully understand alchemy, you only need to borrow some small details of alchemy to extend our joke products in a variety of different directions."


    "I can already foresee how many interesting joke products we will produce in the future!"


    Harry and Ron were also interested in the blueprint drawn by the twins for the future.


    Ron took out a strange-looking wand from his pocket, the one he had used to y "fencing" with Harry in Transfiguration, and asked:


    "Can this thing be improved? It feels quite interesting."


    "It''s a piece of cake!" Fred smiled and stretched out his hand to George.


    George took out two wands that looked simr from his pocket and handed one to Ron and one to Harry.


    "Try these two." He smiled.


    Harry and Ron took the wands half-believingly and used the method they yed in the Transfiguration ssroom to collide the two wands together.


    With a "bang", almost in an instant, the two wands changed their shapes at the same time-


    The one in Ron''s hand turned into a tinned parrot, and the one in Harry''s hand turned into a rubber haddock.


    "Wow!"


    The two looked at the wands in their hands...or animals in amazement, thinking that this idea was simply great.


    "Well, I said this book is very useful, right?" Fred said with a beaming face, "I''m not bragging. Now, no matter what kind of magic props we have, it won''t take long for us to judge what tricks it has!"


    Harry happily took the "Haddefish" in his hand in front of him, wanting to carefully study how it works.


    At this time, he was suddenly stunned.


    He found that he was holding a golden egg in his left hand, reflecting the glittering light in the firelight of the firece.


    "Wait a minute, Fred..." Harry asked with a dazed look, "Do you think... this golden egg is also a magic prop rted to alchemy?"


    ...


    The Christmas ball is getting closer and closer, and Harry and Ron still haven''t found a dance partner.


    But at least there is good news. Fred and George, who im to be magic prop experts, have made a judgment that the golden egg Harry got from the dragon''s nest in the first game is an alchemical product, so they took it away for research.


    Harry felt that he couldn''t find a solution anyway, so he might as well hand it over to the twins who had a lot of experience in making magic props...


    It was another Defense Against the Dark Arts ss. Drac saw that the little wizards'' minds had long drifted to the Christmas dance a few dayster and they were in no mood to study, so he simply changed this Defense Against the Dark Arts ss into a self-study ss.


    Of course, the more important reason was that Drac himself was toozy to teach...


    "Harry, I have some bad news for you." Ron sat on a chair in the ssroom and secretly said to Harry sitting next to him.


    Harry turned his head and looked at him with some doubts.


    "You may not believe it, but I asked around and found that we are almost the only two boys in Gryffindor who don''t have a dance partner." Ron said frustratedly.


    Then, his expression became a little more energetic, "Oh, by the way, there is actually Neville... Do you know who he invited? Hermione!"


    "What? Hermione was invited?" Harry said, he waspletely attracted by this surprising news.


    Harry and Ron have always regarded Hermione as their good brother, and it seems that they have never thought that this good brother will also be invited to a dance as a girl.


    "Yeah, I just found out about this not long ago!" Ronughed, and the frustrated expression on his face was much less, "Neville told me after the potions ss yesterday!"


    "He said Hermione has always been so kind, helping him with homework and so on - but guess what Hermione said? Hermione told him that she had promised someone else!"


    "Hahaha... It sounds like the truth, she just doesn''t want to go with Neville..."


    Not only Ron, but Harry also had a funny expression on his face.


    "What are you two whispering about?" Hermione suddenly turned her head and asked.


    She sat in the row in front of Harry and Ron, listening to the two whispering for a long time, and finally couldn''t help but raise her head from the textbook in front of her and red at her two bad friends behind her.


    "No, we didn''t say anything." Ron forced himself to keep a straight face, but the corners of his mouth were almost curled up to the sky.


    "I heard everything!" Hermione said angrily, "You two don''t believe that I can find a dance partner, right?"


    "Ah, that''s not the case..." Harry realized that he had said the wrong thing and stammered, "We just thought that you would focus on studying and not think about those misceneous things."


    "Yes, yes, Harry is right!" Ron also hurriedly agreed with a strong desire to survive.


    He looked at Hermione, and his eyes suddenly lit up, and he looked at her as if he had suddenly discovered a new person.


    "Hermione, I suddenly realized that Neville is right -" Ron said hesitantly, "You are also a good girl..."


    "Oh, you are very observant," Hermione curled her lips and said sharply, "I didn''t realize this until the fourth year, and I was reminded by others!"


    "Don''t say that, Hermione, I just didn''t notice it for a while." Ron scratched his head, "Or... you can choose between me and Harry as your dance partner?"


    "No, I refuse!" Hermione refused him without thinking.


    "Oh, hurry up," Ron said impatiently, "We need dance partners. If everyone else has one and we don''t, it would be too embarrassing... and you need a dance partner, too, right?"


    "I can''t go with you," Hermione said, her face flushed involuntarily, "I''ve already promised someone else."


    "No, you haven''t!" Ron said confidently, "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"


    "Oh, really?" Hermione suddenly raised her voice, her eyes became a little scary, "It took you three years to find out that I''m a good girl, Ron, but that doesn''t mean no one else has noticed it!"


    Ron stared at her nkly, and then he grinned again.


    "Okay, okay, we know you''re a good girl," he said with a smile, "Okay? Can you promise it?"


    "I''ve told you!" Hermione said angrily, "I''ve already promised someone else!"


    After that, she turned around angrily,y on the table and ignored the two steel straight men behind her.


    "Is she lying?" Ron whispered to Harry, looking at her back.


    "I don''t think so..." Harry shook his head nkly, "If we have to wait until the Christmas ball to be exposed, it will be too inconsistent with Hermione''s style."


    The movement between the three little wizards also attracted the attention of Drac, who was cking off on the podium.


    He stood up and walked to Harry and Ron.


    "I heard... you were discussing the Christmas ball just now?" Drac raised his mouth and asked with interest.


    "Ah, no, Professor Drac..." Ron was startled, straightened up instantly, sat upright in his chair, and said, "We are discussing study problems!"


    At the same time, he took out a book from the desk drawer and ced it in front of him, pretending to study seriously, and his eyes asionally nced to the side, trying to observe Drac''s reaction.


    "Stop pretending, you''re not like that at all." Drac pulled the book from Ron''s arm and said jokingly, "Tsk, you didn''t even notice that you held the book upside down, you don''t even pretend to be professional."


    "Look at your deskmate Potter, he''s different - when he was cking off, he knew to take the pen in his hand in advance and spread the book on the table... and you actually said you were studying facing the bare table, who would believe it?"


    Harry blushed with shame, lowered his head and said nothing.


    Ron stammered, not knowing what excuse to find to "exonerate" himself, so he could only learn from Harry and lower his head and pretend to be an ostrich...


    "Here, take your book." Dracughed lightly and threw the book he took from Ron back to him, "Remember to pretend to be more like him next time, don''t study like a fool facing an empty table."


    After that, Drac turned around and returned to his podium.


    "We...were not punished?" Ron blinked as he watched Drac leave, and looked at Harry, "Didn''t Professor Drac double our homework for next semester?"


    "Maybe, maybe, maybe not..." Harry shook his head uncertainly, "It seems that Professor Drac is in a good mood today, maybe he let us off."


    In fact, it didn''t take long for Harry and Ron to know why they were not punished.


    "Everyone stop what you are doing!"


    Standing on the podium, Drac said to the audience.


    The little wizards in the ssroom stopped studying, chatting, or discussing the Christmas ball that wasing in a few days, and looked up at the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor on the podium.


    Drac was very satisfied with the quick response of the little wizards and nodded happily.


    "I heard that you will attend a Christmas ball in a few days, and everyone needs a dance partner, right?" he asked.


    "That''s right, Professor." Ernie MacMin from Hufflepuff replied, "Students above the fourth grade can participate in the dance. No one wants to stand in the audience and watch others dance."


    It can be seen that this little badger from Hufflepuff must have found a good dance partner. His expression when he spoke seemed to be in high spirits.


    "Very good, then I want to ask, is there anyone here who hasn''t found a dance partner yet?" Drac asked excitedly, looking at the little wizards in the audience.


    However, except for the honest Neville who raised his hand, the others probably felt embarrassed and did not consciously raise their hands.


    "Tsk, why don''t you use the opportunity?" Drac sneered, "How about this, those who have found a dance partner raise your hands."


    Sure enough, after changing the way of asking, most of the students in the ssroom raised their hands.


    "Very good, then those who have found dance partners can be the audience today."


    Drac casually moved his fingers, and before the little wizards who raised their hands could react, they and their desks and chairs moved horizontally, and then appeared neatly at the edge of the ssroom wall.


    The remaining ones were the little wizards who did not raise their hands - Harry, Ron, Neville, and a few girls were among them.


    Those who did not find dance partners were immediately exposed to the public''s eyes. Their expressions were stunned for a while, and then their faces turned red.


    It took Harry and Ron a long time to realize what happened -


    Professor Drac might havee up with another way to have fun. Now he put them in the eyes of the public and was watching their embarrassing performance with interest.


    "Professor, you can''t do this--" Ron wailed, "If you do this, we will be killed!"


    "How can you say that?" Drac said with a yful expression on his face, smiling, "I have good intentions and provide a tform for you little guys who don''t have a partner, so that you can find a partner for each other."


    "But I would rather not dance at the Christmas ball than find a partner like this..." Ron murmured in grief and anger.


    "Okay, get moving, gentlemen who don''t have a partner yet." Drac looked like he was watching the fun and urged the little wizards in the middle of the ssroom, "This is a rare opportunity. The two who sessfully hold hands can be exempted from half a month''s homework!"


    Sure enough, there must be a brave man under a big reward.


    As a little wizard who is not very smart, Neville always doesn''t have enough time to finish his homework...Drac''s promise is quite effective for him.


    What''s more, Neville really wants to find a partner...


    So, Neville, who has always been dull, was the first to stand up from his seat.

 Chapter 264 - 264 I treat you as a brother, but you want to be my brother-in-law?

    <h4>Chapter 264: I treat you as a brother, but you want to be my brother-inw?</h4>


    "Oh? It seems that our first warrior has appeared." Drac said happily.


    He deliberately used the word "warrior" which is the same as the name of the contestants in the semi-finals, and nced at Harry, who was only one aisle away from Neville, with a half-smile.


    Harry rubbed the goose feathers on his quill awkwardly, and his eyes drifted to who knows where.


    And Neville moved his feet stiffly as if his legs were numb from squatting, and moved towards a little Hufflepuff witch wearing a yellow cored wizard robe.


    It was a girl with a ruddy face and golden hair in two braids.


    Seeing Neville walking towards her, the little witch couldn''t help but open her eyes wide.


    "Hannah, can... can you be my dance partner?" Neville pinched the corner of his clothes, and his voice was almost inaudible.


    "Are you talking about... me?" Hannah Abbott asked in surprise.


    She was not very pretty and shy, so she only had a few friends, such as Susan Bones and Ernie Macmin from the same college.


    Butpared to Hannah, Susan was more cheerful and generous, and she also had an aunt who was the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the Ministry of Magic, so she was much more popr in Hogwarts.


    Ernie Macmin had made an appointment with Susan to be a dance partner early on, and Hannah was the only one left alone among her few friends.


    She had originally nned not to attend the Christmas ball and sit in the audience to watch other people''s performances...


    But she never thought that Professor Drac would arrange a "blind date" in this Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, giving those who had no dance partners a chance to speak up.


    "No... That''s right, Hannah." Neville looked at Hannah''s surprised expression and thought she was going to refuse, so he hurriedly continued:


    "Hannah, we were arranged to be partners by Professor Sprout in the Herbology ss before... At that time, I felt that we worked well together, but because I felt that we were not familiar enough, I did not ask you to be my dance partner..."


    "Neville, you are actually a very good wizard." Before Neville finished speaking, Hannah suddenly said, "Especially in the Herbology ss!"


    "So... you agreed?" Neville felt his heart stop for a moment.


    "Well, I agreed!" Hannah nodded, her face flushed.


    Neville almost jumped up excitedly, and a simple smile appeared on his face.


    "Bang¡ª¡ª"


    With a crisp sound, arge group of small fireworks appeared from nowhere in the ssroom, and colorful lights of various colors bloomed like flowers, and then spread all over the ssroom.


    The young wizards looked at the podium and saw Drac pointing his wand at the ceiling of the ssroom. Clusters of colorful fireworks poured out of his wand.


    "Congrattions, the first pair of partners sessfully held hands!"


    Drac nodded with satisfaction and took the lead in apuding.


    The young wizards also pped their hands vigorously, and a few boys whistled.


    Neville and Hannah blushed and stood awkwardly in the middle of the ssroom, not knowing what to do next.


    It was not until Drac had appreciated their embarrassed expressions that he waved his hand and moved the two of them and their desks to one side of the ssroom, so that the two thin-skinned wizards could rx and breathe.


    "Very good, the first brave warrior has seeded, a very good start." Drac said with a smile, "Are there any other gentlemen who want to try it?"


    "I suggest you seize it, this is a rare opportunity. Other professors will not take out their own sses to find dance partners for you like I do!"


    At Drac''s urging, a Hufflepuff boy who had no dance partner also plucked up the courage to stand up and walked towards a Gryffindor girl.


    Perhaps because the current atmosphere is very good, there is almost no hesitation, and the two little wizards sessfully formed a partner.


    Seeing their sess, other little wizards who did not have dance partners could not sit still, and they stood up to find their favorite dance partners, and they were all sessful.


    In the end, only Harry, Ron and a Gryffindor girl were left without a dance partner.


    These three little wizards immediately became the focus of others'' attention.


    "Oh? This is interesting." Drac''s expression became more and more amused. "There are only two men and one woman left on the field, which means that one of the men will definitely not be able to find a partner in the end."


    "Mr. Potter, and Mr. Weasley, how will you two inseparable good brothers choose?"


    Harry and Ron looked at each other in surprise.


    In fact, from the perspective of personal conditions, neither of them is bad, and can even be said to be very good-


    Harry is the savior of the wizarding world, the youngest genius seeker in Hogwarts, and the second ce in the first game of the semi-finals. These three important advantages are needless to say; but his appearance is also excellent-


    From the previous generation, Harry''s parents, James Potter and Lily Potter, who were the figures of Hogwarts at the time, were both very outstanding in appearance. In addition, Harry was influenced by the fragments of Voldemort''s Horcruxes since he was a child, and his appearance was even slightly closer to the young Tom Riddle.


    Therefore, although there are Professor Drac and Assistant Riddle, who are so handsome that they are inhumane, and there are tall and handsome prefects like Cedric, Harry''s appearance does not seem so outstanding, but it still attracts many people who are obsessed with appearance.


    As for Ron, although he does not have extremely outstanding experience and good looks like Harry, he inherited the excellent genes of the Wesley family. His height is much taller than his peers, and his humorous personality makes him quite likable.


    Unfortunately, Harry has always had a candidate in his mind that he dared not say clearly, so he subconsciously rejected everyone who invited him, which also made other little witches with ideas give up the idea of ??finding him as a dance partner.


    As for Ron, he just couldn''t let go of his face and wanted to find the most beautiful dance partner.


    "It looks like you two aren''t ready yet," Drac couldn''t helpughing as he watched Harry and Ron look dumbfounded. "What? Do you need me to give you a few minutes to discuss who to invite?"


    Ron was the first to react, nodding hastily, and then immediately pulled Harry''s head under the desk.


    "Harry, I won''t dance anymore, and you go invite Eloise Midgen to the dance." After avoiding the sight of other students under the table, Ron breathed a sigh of relief and said righteously.


    Eloise Midgen was thest girl in the ssroom without a dance partner. She was also a Gryffindor student and was famous for having a lot of e on her face.


    It was precisely because of these dense e that everyone wanted to avoid her.


    "Why?" Harry asked in confusion, "Didn''t you say... if we were the only fourth-year boys in Gryffindor who didn''t attend the dance, it would be embarrassing?"


    "But... sometimes I''d rather be alone," Ron nced at Midgen and found that she was looking under their table with a twinkling look in her eyes, and quickly retracted his gaze, "The e on her face is too scary..."


    "Her e has improved a lot recently," Harry said, "She cursed her face to get rid of these pimples before, and then Madam Pomfrey cured it."


    Hemented impartially: "After getting rid of the e, she actually looks pretty!"


    "But her nose is a little crooked," Ron said picky.


    "Don''t be like this, Ron. We have no choice now." Harry persuaded, "If Professor Drac didn''t give us this opportunity, could you really find another dance partner you like?"


    "But..."


    "It''s not just this problem," Harry continued, "Even if you can really find another dance partner, is there any other opportunity for you to be exempted from half a month''s Defense Against the Dark Arts homework?"


    Ron was a little tempted, but he couldn''t save face and wanted to refute a few words.


    Just then, Drac''s urging voice interrupted him.


    "Have you discussed it, gentlemen?" Drac walked to the two of them at some point, staring at them with a smile, "It''s not long before the get out of ss ends. I suggest you discuss a result before the get out of ss ends-"


    "In addition, Miss Midgen looks anxious."


    Harry stood up from under the table.


    He nced at Eloise Midgen, then at Ron, then took a deep breath, mustered up the courage to say to Drac:


    "Professor, I actually have a favorite dance partner that I haven''t invited yet... She''s not in this ssroom..."


    "What do you mean?" Drac raised his eyebrows.


    "Can I ask for a leave from you and leave ss two minutes early?" After speaking, Harry spoke more and more fluently, and his tone became more and more firm, "I want to wait for her at the door of her ssroom."


    Ron next to him looked at him in amazement: "You persuaded me to invite Midgen because you already have a girl you like?"


    But Drac and Harry ignored him.


    Drac stared at Harry and was silent for a few seconds. In Harry''s eyes, these few seconds of silence seemed as long as an hour.


    "Okay."


    Drac''s voice was like heavenly music, and Harry jumped out of his seat in surprise.


    "Thank you so much, Professor Drac!" he said quickly, "Ron, remember to take my bag back to the dormitory after ss, I''m leaving first!"


    As he spoke, he quickly pushed open the door of the ssroom, his steps were a little staggering, but his expression was extremely happy as he rushed out of the corridor.


    So, only Ron and Eloise Midgen, a man and a woman, were left in the center of the ssroom.


    "Very good, now we don''t have to worry about the problem of uneven number of male and female students." Drac looked at Ron and said happily, "Now it''s up to you, Mr. Weiss."


    "Well, I..." Ron nced at Midgen, still a little hesitant in his heart.


    However, at this moment, Midgen stood up from the chair first.


    "Ronald Weiss, can you be my dance partner?" She said generously.


    Ron was stunned. He found that Professor Drac, Eloise Midgen, Hermione, and even all the other students in the ssroom were staring at him... If a girl refused in this atmosphere, it would be too embarrassing.


    "Okay... okay." Ron nodded after all.


    At the same time, the bell for the end of get out of ss rang leisurely.


    All the students in the ssroom found dance partners, and Drac also had a lot of fun. This Defense Against the Dark Arts ss was a happy one!


    ...


    Time flies, and Christmas ising soon in the eyes of everyone''s expectations.


    The Christmas ball that the students of the four schools have been thinking about day and night is also quietlying in this snowy season.


    Harry, Ron, Seamus, Dean and Neville, the five roommates in the same dormitory, changed into their own robes in the dormitory above the Gryffindormon room, and each of them looked a little uneasy.


    But no one was as nervous and frustrated as Ron. He looked at himself in front of the long mirror in the corner, with a guilty and uneasy expression on his face.


    After all, he still didn''t have the money to buy another decent dress, so he could only wear the second-hand,ce-like dress that Mrs. Weasley bought for him... It was ugly, which was an unavoidable fact.


    In order to reduce the feminine atmosphere of the robe, he took a gamble and cast a cutting spell on the folds andce.


    It worked, at least thece on the clothes was gone.


    But his spell was not used smoothly. When several boys started to go downstairs, his cor, cuffs, and the corners of his clothes were still frayed, which made him very frustrated.


    At this time, Ron missed Hermione very much... If she had used the cutting spell, there would definitely be no such frayed edges.


    "Where''s Hermione, why don''t I see her?" Ron and Harry walked down the stairs together, looking around in themon room, but couldn''t find Hermione at all.


    "I remember she said she was going to change clothes three hours ago. Hasn''t she dressed up yet?" Harry said in surprise.


    "Maybe these are the girls," Seamus Finnigan next to them made a face, "Among our group of boys, Ron, who was the most slow, only took less than half an hour."


    "By the way, Harry, you haven''t told us who your dance partner is?" Dean Thomas suddenly asked curiously, "You ran out two minutes early in that Defense Against the Dark Arts ss. Which girl did you go to find?"


    "You''ll knowter." Harry nced at Ron from the corner of his eye and said vaguely.


    The answer to the question was soon revealed-


    A petite witch with fiery red hair walked down the stairs from the girls'' dormitory. There were many freckles on her face, which made her face particrly beautiful.


    "Oh, Ginny, this is the first time I know you can dress up so beautifully." Seeing the little witch in a beautiful light green dress, Ron greeted her in surprise, "By the way, I haven''t asked who your dance partner is yet?"


    However, Ginny just smiled at him, and walked straight to Harry, who was standing next to Ron and had a somewhat stiff expression, and took his arm with a blushing face.


    "Let''s go, Harry." Ginny whispered.


    Seeing this scene, Ron widened his eyes in shock:


    "Harry, I treat you as a brother, but you want to be my brother-inw?"

 Chapter 265 - 265 Hermione’s dance partner is

    <h4>Chapter 265: Hermione''s dance partner is</h4>


    "Ron, how can you talk like that?"


    Ron''s shocking words made Ginny''s cheeks blush with shame, and she red at Ron fiercely.


    However, when Ginny turned her eyes to Harry, her eyes became shy and gentle again.


    "Harry, ignore him, let''s go quickly." She held Harry''s arm tightly and whispered to him, "Ron might ask some weird questionster!"


    Harry was now a little ashamed to face his good brother, so he nodded obediently and let Ginny pull him out of themon room and walk towards the hall.


    "Hey! Wait, you haven''t exined to me what happened between you!" Ron shouted to them anxiously.


    However, at this moment, his dance partner Eloise Midgen also walked out of the girls'' dormitory.


    Ron had to temporarily suppress his surprise and turned his eyes to Midgen.


    "You... well, you look... beautiful today." He said unnaturally, and subconsciously nced at the raw edges of his robe cuffs and cor, hoping not to be noticed by this hard-won dance partner.


    "Thank you." Midgen smiled and nced at Ron''s robe, and said very emotionally, "You look very good today, very individual."


    "Oh, thank you." Ron''s face became more natural, "Then... shall we go down?"


    Midgen nodded, and also took Ron''s arm generously.


    The entrance courtyard in front of the auditorium was crowded with students. They were all circling back and forth, waiting for the arrival of eight o''clock, when the door of the auditorium would open to the students on time.


    Today''s atmosphere was particrly lively, and the dance partners were in pairs, whispering in each other''s ears; some young wizards wanted to meet with dance partners from other colleges, so they squeezed sideways in the crowd, looking for each other''s figures.


    Harry and Ginny had already found a rtively empty corner in the corridor in advance, and Ginny was still holding Harry''s arm tightly.


    At this time, Ginny was talking enthusiastically with Rolf and Luna who met in the hallway-


    "Luna, your aesthetic taste is really good!" Ginny praised her good friend Luna, "This dress is so beautiful!"


    "Thank you, Ginny, your dress is also very good." Luna blinked her big eyes full of spirit and praised it.


    Harry looked at Luna''s dress and looked at Rolf who was standing next to Luna. Both of them had a strange expression, and obviously disagreed with Ginny''s praise.


    Luna was wearing a dress with silver sequins. If you only look at the dress, there is nothing special about it. It is just an ordinary gray dress with pleatedce.


    But the silver sequins on the skirt were not known where they came from. They were forcibly stuck to the skirt with a sticking spell, and they were particrly reflective. Even though there were not many light sources in the yard, they almost blinded Harry''s eyes...


    The two girls soon gathered together and chatted happily.


    Harry and Rolf stood side by side beside them silently, ostensibly looking at the ckke covered with snow on the ice, but actually whispering to each other.


    "Rolf, didn''t you persuade Luna?" Harry whispered to Rolf, "What are those crooked sequins on her skirt? Is it her own idea?"


    "Those sequins are actually the shed shells of the shining beetles..." Rolf said listlessly, "I collected them when I went to the Forbidden Forest with Luna some time ago. It happened to be the peak period of the beetle molting. She seemed to like them very much..."


    "In other words... those crooked sequins actually have your contribution?" Harry looked at Rolf sympathetically.


    "Yeah, but it''s actually good." Rolf said, "Do you think I didn''t persuade Luna? I have sessfully persuaded her to take off the airship lees on her ears and the butter beer cork hanging around her neck."


    "Oh, by the way, you may not know what airship lees are - in fact, they are an orange-red fruit that looks like a small carrot. They are hung upside down on the bush before picking... Luna said that Mr. Lovegood believes that airship lees can improve the ability to ept abnormal things."


    "Compared to Luna, I think I may need an airship lee pendant now." Harry swallowed and whispered, "I feel that Luna and Ginny''s aesthetics are beyond my understanding."


    "Who said it''s not?" Rolf sighed, and then heughed indulgently again, "But if it weren''t for this weird aesthetic and quirky personality, she wouldn''t be Luna."


    "That''s true." Harry also smiled knowingly.


    Just then, a group of Slytherin students walked up the stairs from theirmon room in the basement.


    Draco Malfoy was walking in the front. He was wearing a ck velvet high-cored robe. With his light blond hair, pale face and disdainful expression, he actually looked quite handsome.


    But in Harry''s disgusted eyes, he looked like a parish priest.


    Malfoy''s good friend and loyal fan, Pansy Parkinson, was wearing a light pink robe with ruffles. She hung tightly on Malfoy''s arm.


    Crabbe and Goyle, who were walking behind them, were both dressed in green, like two mossy rocks. Harry was very satisfied to see that these two big guys couldn''t find a dance partner.


    "She is dressed up nicely today... Oh, so she found a poor guy from the Wesley family as her dance partner." Malfoy walked up to Harry, raised his chin, and said in a sharp tone, "I guess she must have spent all the savings of the Wesley family on this dress--"


    "Are you right, Potter, the champion of Hogwarts?"


    "Watch your mouth, Malfoy!" Harry took a few steps forward and responded angrily.


    He had been almost immune to Malfoy''s foul mouth, but when the target of his foul mouth was Ginny, he couldn''t help but feel protective.


    "Am I wrong? How can a pure-blooded scum like the Wesley family afford such a dress?" Malfoy nced at Ginny mockingly andughed, "And the one next to her, did she pick up a piece of clothes from the garbage dump?"


    This sentence offended three people at the same time, including Harry, Rolf and Ginny, but not Luna, the person involved.


    When Harry and Rolf were trying to find a way to teach this cocky guy a lesson, Luna spoke before them.


    "Hello, Malfoy." Luna said in a vague voice, "You seem to be very inferior..."


    "I am inferior?" Malfoyughed loudly, as if he had heard the funniest joke, "Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle, tell me, is there something wrong with her brain? I am a member of the Malfoy family..."


    "It has nothing to do with the family." Luna''s expression was very serious, and there was an inexplicable persuasiveness in her words, which easily interrupted Malfoy.


    "You seem to have nothing but money... Only followers, no real friends to confide in, no girls you really like, and yourmendable Quidditch skills are not good enough in front of the hostile Harry..."


    "I can understand you, Malfoy."


    At the end, Luna''s face actually showed a strong sense of pity, and her words were full of sympathy.


    "Nonsense!" Pansy Parkinson was the first to lose patience and refuted loudly, "How could Draco not have a girl he likes!"


    However, Luna did not seem to answer her thoughts, but looked at her with more pity.


    Harry, Rolf and Ginny all looked at Luna in disbelief, and were amazed by her beauty.


    They had never thought that Luna, who was usually dazed and crazy, could be so urate and ruthless when she was scolding people. Malfoy on the opposite side was obviously speechless.


    What''s more admirable is that Luna didn''t seem to say those words to scold people at all, but she thought so in her heart.


    Malfoy gnashed his teeth for a long time, but he couldn''t find anything wrong with Luna''s words--


    He really didn''t like Pansy Parkinson, even though the two knew each other since childhood; Crabbe and Goyle were not his real friends, they were just his followers and bodyguards found by his father; as for Quidditch, although he didn''t want to admit it, he was indeed not as good as Harry, who won the Quidditch Cup twice with the Gryffindor team.


    Is it that his pure-blood origin is the only thing worth boasting about?


    Malfoy took a deep breath unwillingly.


    He raised his head and looked at Luna hatefully, decided not to pay attention to this strange girl, and once again pointed the spearhead at his old rival, Harry.


    "Potter, where is your mudblood friend?" Malfoy asked with his chin raised, showing his disdainful expression again.


    He decided to use his own strengths to attack the opponent''s weaknesses, starting with the bloodline.


    "If I''m not mistaken, she must be unable to find a partner and is too embarrassed to attend the Christmas ball, right?" Heughed disdainfully, "No one would be willing to find a mudblood as a partner!"


    "You''re talking nonsense, Hermione has a partner!" Ginny retorted loudly.


    "Really?" Malfoy sneered, "I want to see which idiot is so self-destructive that he is willing to find her to dance with him."


    Harry was speechless.


    Even though the ball was about to start, he had no idea who Hermione had found a partner so early, so he couldn''t refute Malfoy.


    Malfoy looked at Harry, with an expected look on his face, and raised his mouth proudly.


    Just when Malfoy thought he had finally turned the tables, the oak door of the hall was opened.


    The sound of the door opening attracted the attention of everyone present.


    Everyone turned around and saw the students of Durmstrang and their headmaster, Karkaroff, walking in together.


    Victor Krum walked in the front, with a beautiful girl in a blue robe that Harry didn''t know. For some reason, this beautiful girl always gave Harry a familiar feeling.


    Over the heads of those Durmstrang students, the little wizards saw that the entrance of the auditorium was decorated with golden light, and there were twinkling fairy lights inside.


    "It''s really generous. Your professors don''t know where to invite at least 500 living fairies." The future magical zoologist Rolf exined in time.


    Harry looked over and saw that the fairies were either sitting in the rose bushes created by magic or pping their wings on the statues. Those statues seemed to be Santa us and his reindeer.


    At this time, Professor McGonagall''s voice rang:


    "Pleasee here, warriors!"


    Ginny nervously adjusted her dress, and a reserved smile appeared on her face.


    She and Harry said "see youter" to Rolf and Luna beside them, and then looked at Malfoy with a sullen face, and then walked forward to Professor McGonagall.


    The chattering crowd cooperated very well to make way for the two of them to pass.


    When he walked to Professor McGonagall, Harry saw that she was wearing a red id robe and a wreath of thistles on the brim of her hat.


    Professor McGonagall asked the warriors and their dance partners to wait by the door and let other students enter the hall first. After the students were seated, the warriors lined up to enter the hall and start their performance.


    Fleur Dcour and Roger Davis stood closest to the door.


    Harry knew Davis, he was the captain of the Ravenw Quidditch team. This time, perhaps because the students of Beauxbatons were close to Ravenw, he got the opportunity to be Fleur''s dance partner.


    Davis seemed to be unable to believe his good luck. He couldn''t take his eyes off Fleur from beginning to end;


    John Kowalski''s partner was a girl from Yin Famouni. He seemed toozy to make new friends;


    As Harry expected, Cedric Diggory did be a partner with Cho Chang. The two stood beside Harry and smiled at him and Ginny in a friendly manner;


    Harry smiled back at them, then looked away and finally looked at the focus of the crowd, the big star Krum.


    Suddenly, he opened his mouth in surprise-


    The beautiful girl standing next to Krum turned out to be Hermione!


    But she didn''t look like Hermione at all. She seemed to have used a spell to do something with her hair, making it no longer messy, but smooth and shiny, and tied into an elegant bun behind her head.


    She was wearing a long dress made of flowing light purple-blue fabric, and somehow her temperament was different - perhaps it was just because she had taken off the more than 20 thick books she usually carried.


    Hermione also had a smile on her face. Although she looked a little nervous, she was countless times more beautiful than usual.


    Harry couldn''t understand why he and Ron had never noticed that their good friend Hermione could have such a pretty side.


    The next moment, Harry stopped thinking about it because he saw Malfoy and Parkinson walking past them.


    The expression on Malfoy''s face was unprecedentedly shocked and gloomy. Obviously, he also recognized the girl standing next to Krum as the mudblood he despised.


    He stared at Hermione, his lips moving again and again, but he couldn''t find a word to insult her.

 Chapter 266 - 266 Christmas Ball

    <h4>Chapter 266: Christmas Ball</h4>


    "Good evening, Harry!" Hermione took Krum''s arm and smiled brightly at Harry and Ginny, "Good evening, Ginny!"


    Ginny''s face showed an extremely surprised expression.


    "Wow, Hermione, you look so beautiful after dressing up!" She said with some envy, "Speaking of which, Krum''s vision is so good that he discovered the fact that the two idiots have not realized for several years."


    "Ahem." The idiot standing next to Ginny choked.


    Hermione''s face was red, and Krum nodded woodenly, showing Ginny a slightly stiff but kind smile.


    At this time, Ron and Eloise Midgen walked over from the opposite side of the hall hand in hand.


    "Hey, Ron..."


    Harry wanted to say hello to Ron, but he found that his good friend''s face was terribly gloomy at this time.


    Ron seemed to have no idea that Harry and Hermione were the same, and he pulled Midgen and walked straight past them into the hall.


    "You said... Ron didn''t see us?" Harry asked Ginny hesitantly, "Or did he just not recognize Hermione and thought that Hermione lied to us when she said she had a partner?"


    "I don''t think so." Ginny curled her lips, "I think he was jealous. After all, this idiot never thought that Hermione, who he spent every day with, was so beautiful."


    "Of course, it could also be that he was not satisfied with the fact that I secretly became your partner..." At the end, Ginny''s cheeks turned red.


    After the other students sat down in the hall, Professor McGonagall looked at the warriors and their partners and asked them to line up in pairs and follow her into the hall.


    Harry could only temporarily suppress his confusion and file in with the other warriors, heading for arge round table at the front of the hall where the referee and the safety officer sat.


    When the warriors entered, the students who had already sat down apuded enthusiastically.


    On Christmas Eve, the entire hall was decorated anew, brighter and more gorgeous than any previous Christmas dinner.


    The walls of the hall were covered with glittering silver frost, the ceiling was a starry night sky, and hundreds of mistletoe branches and ivy wreaths were suspended in the sky.


    The four long tables of the colleges disappeared, reced by a hundred small tables withnterns, and a dozen students sat around each table.


    Overall, the little wizards who knew each other from each college were still sitting together, but the boundaries of the colleges seemed to be not as clear as before.


    Harry concentrated his mind and maintained the manners that Professor McGonagall had secretly taught him, being careful not to trip over the hems of various long dresses around him, and trying his best to maintain the image of a warrior in the semi-finals.


    Ginny''s face was red, but she seemed very happy. She held Harry''s arm tightly and smiled brightly at everyone, as if she was showing off something.


    When approaching the guest of honor, Harry and Ginny saw Ron and Midgen.


    Ron was squinting his eyes, watching Hermione walk down the aisle. Midgen looked a bit amused, and curiously moved his eyes back and forth between Ron and Hermione.


    "You are not in a good state today." Midgen asked in a low voice with a look of interest, "Do you like Hermione?"


    "Hmm... Hmm?!" Ron was like a husky that was kicked, his face suddenly filled with shock, shame and confusion, "How is it possible! How can I like her? We are brothers! Do you understand what brothers mean?!"


    "I know, I know you are brothers." Midgen said with a smile, "You don''t have to react so radically, Ron."


    ...


    While Midgen was eating melons and Ron was desperately resisting, the warriors had passed by the students and came to the front of the guest of honor.


    Dumbledore smiled happily and waved to the warriors and their dancing partners;


    Karkaroff seemed unhappy, probably because his beloved disciple Krum was too close to a Muggle-born wizard from Hogwarts; Ludo Bagman wore a bright purple robe with big yellow stars on it tonight, and he pped his hands enthusiastically like his ssmates;


    Ms. Maxime took off her usual ck satin uniform and wore a light purple flowing robe; Professor Hicks wore a dress made of bright silver silk threads.


    Of course, the most eye-catching guest of honor was Professor Drac, the security officer. In the entire auditorium, most of the little wizards focused their attention on their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, both boys and girls.


    At first nce, Drac''s outfit seemed to be no different from usual, still the ck and red wizard robe he wore before. But tonight, he put his cor up¡ª¡ª


    Just this change of putting his cor up, for some reason, made a casual robe seem to change its appearance, and suddenly it became a robe that was not inferior to any formal dress present.


    At the same time, Drac''s long silver hair, which had always been loose, was tied up for a rare time, revealing a pair of pointed ears.


    He also wore an extremely luxurious and exquisite dark crown, iid with three dark red gems, which exuded extremely deep magical fluctuations and were obviously very valuable.


    Of course, the little wizards present did not know that the reason why Drac wore this crown was actually because he had experienced a lot of twists and turns¡ª¡ª


    The Four Finals Tournament is a rare event in a century. As the organizer, Hogwarts must show its style in front of many foreign guests.


    For this reason, before the Christmas ball started, Professor McGonagall personally went to Drac''s office to persuade him, hoping that thezy Drac could tie up his loose hair and wear a decent hat.


    Drac was unwilling, but he could not resist Professor McGonagall''s earnest persuasion, so he prepared to temporarily pick up a hat to make up the number.


    He immediately thought of the first Christmas when he came to Hogwarts, when he once wore a clean Sorting Hat on his head as his top hat... At that time, the Sorting Hat also humorously called out the name of the "Sorting House" "Azkaban"...


    However, Drac''s idea was still rejected.


    Just kidding! Even if the Sorting Hat is not serious, even if it was indeed the hat of Drac''s friend Gryffindor more than a thousand years ago, after so many years, its connotation has quietly changed.


    Now, the Sorting Hat is a cultural relic representing Hogwarts, representing the symbol of the different spiritual cores of the four colleges.


    If you just put the Sorting Hat on your head so carelessly and appear in front of other guests, how will they view Hogwarts?


    Is the famous Sorting Hat just a dispensable toy of a professor?


    ...Although it was true, Professor McGonagall was unwilling to expose this fact to other schools, at least this would save the Sorting Hat some face.


    So, Drac had no choice but to take out the crown that he had not worn for who knows how many years.


    Now, he was only one vampire scepter away from the image of ruling the entire Drac Castle...


    This nearlyplete Drac was undoubtedly very eye-catching, and Harry had to work hard to move his eyes away from the mysterious Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and look at thest seat of the guest of honor.


    He was surprised to notice that Mr. Crouch was not there. Ron''s brother, Percy Weiss, was sitting in the seventh seat at the table.


    The warriors and dance partners walked to the table, and Percy pulled out an empty chair next to him and looked at Harry with a sharp gaze.


    Harry understood what he meant and sat down next to Percy.


    The next moment, Percy saw Ginny next to Harry and couldn''t help but open his eyes wide.


    "Ginny? Howe you are Harry''s partner?" Percy asked Ginny with an elder brother''s attitude.


    "Why, can''t I be Harry''s partner?" Ginny, who was shy at first, now let herself go and said to Percy with her head held high.


    "It''s not that I can''t, but..." Percy scratched his head and forgot what he wanted to say.


    "Percy, why didn''t Mr. Crouche?" Harry was also a little embarrassed, and quickly changed the subject and asked the question he wanted to know.


    "Oh, by the way, I almost forgot to tell you--" Percy finally remembered what he wanted to say, with a smug smile on his face, "I got promoted!"


    He adjusted his brand new navy blue robe, with a smug and pretentious look on his face.


    "Mr. Crouch saw that I worked hard and seriously, so he promoted me to his personal assistant!" Percy said. From his tone, I thought he had just been selected as the supreme ruler of the universe.


    "As Mr. Crouch''s personal assistant, I''m here on his behalf."


    "But this doesn''t seem to have any necessary connection with why he didn''te?" Harry asked.


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Crouch''s health is not very good... or very bad." Percy sighed and exined to Harry, "It seems that he has been a little bit wrong before the Quidditch World Cup."


    "But this is not surprising. The work of the International Magical Exchange Department is too hard. And he is not as young as before-although, of course, he is still very good, and his mind is still as sharp as before. But the World Cup is a terrible failure for the entire Ministry of Magic..."


    "Well, as I said just now, he is old and needs to be taken care of. But his family''s little elf Ling seemed to have had an ident, and his wife and son also passed away. I guess there is no one to take care of him now..."


    "Later, we had to prepare for the Triwizard Tournament and deal with the aftermath of the World Cup - that hateful woman named Skeeter spread rumors everywhere..."


    "s, poor man, he is spending a quiet Christmas, he needs a rest so much. I am d that he knows that he has someone he can rely on to handle some things for him."


    Percy talked about it, and finally turned the topic to himself, praising himself generously.


    "Speak less, Percy." When Percy wanted to continue to brag, Ginny interrupted him in time, "I remember clearly that at the Quidditch World Cup four months ago, Mr. Crouch couldn''t even remember your name!"


    Harry nodded in agreement.


    He also remembered that Mr. Crouch called Percy "Wetherby" at that time.


    "That was then! It''s different now!" Percy blushed anxiously.


    At this time, everyone had a golden te in front of them. There was no food on the te yet, but everyone had a small menu in front of them.


    Harry blocked out Percy''s chattering, picked up his menu without any confidence, and looked around - there was no house elf serving next to him.


    At this time, as if he saw his confusion, Dumbledore looked at his menu carefully, and then read to his te very clearly:


    "Pork chop!"


    A very tempting pork chop immediately appeared on the te.


    The others at the table suddenly realized and followed suit, ordering their favorite food on the te.


    The dinner started smoothly. The professors and students present enjoyed the rich food while chatting with their dance partners, taking the opportunity to exchange feelings and discuss how to dance together in the next dance.


    Hermione and Viktor Krum were talking spectively, and they didn''t seem to pay attention to what they were eating at all.


    It urred to Harry that, even though they had yed together in a match, he had never heard a word from Krum, who was so introverted.


    But he was actually speaking now, and speaking cheerfully -


    "Ah, we actually have a castle, but I don''t think it''s as big or asfortable as this one." He said to Hermione with a smile on his face, "Ours only has four floors, and you can only light fires when you use magic..."


    Meanwhile, Fleur Dcour was criticizing the decoration of Hogwarts to Roger Davis.


    "That''s nothing," she said contemptuously, looking at the star-lit walls around the hall. "At Beauxbatons Castle, our Great Hall is filled with icicles at Christmas."


    "Of course, those icicles don''t melt at all... They''re like huge diamond statues, shining in the hall. The food is also top-notch. We also have a choir of mountain fairies who serenade us while we eat."


    "We don''t have these ugly armors on the walls at all. If a ghost who specializes in mischief breaks into Beauxbatons, he will definitely be driven out..."


    Roger Davis watched her talk with an infatuated look on his face. Several times he held his fork crookedly and didn''t put the food into his mouth.


    Looking around the hall, Hagrid sat next to another staff seat. He put on the ugly fluffy brown suit again andbed his hair into a broom.


    Compared to Professor Drac''s tied hair, Hagrid''s hair looked like a bunch of weeds tied up...


    At this time, Hagrid was looking up at the guest of honor seat, constantly looking at Ms. Maxime.


    "Long time no see, Weiss." A voice sounded in Harry and Ginny''s ears.


    They turned around in surprise and found that Professor Drac had changed his position at some point and appeared next to Percy, without attracting the attention of anyone else.


    "Ah, Professor Drac, it''s nice to see you again!" Percy saw the professor he had always admired, and immediately sat up straight, turning from a personal assistant to a senior official of the Ministry of Magic into a good student.


    "Do you mind telling me about what you said to Potter before?" Drac asked softly, "What happened to Mr. Crouch?"

 Chapter 267 - 267 Dance tonight

    <h4>Chapter 267: Dance tonight</h4>


    "Do you want to know about Mr. Crouch?" Percy was stunned.


    "Yes." Drac nodded and went straight to the point, "Let''s talk about Crouch''s family first. How did his wife and son die?"


    "Ah, isn''t this a good idea?" Percy hesitated.


    He always felt that it was not appropriate to tell others about his boss''s family situation directly, but the person who asked this question was the professor he respected and feared, so Percy was embarrassed to refuse.


    "Why, as a personal assistant, don''t you know the specific situation of your boss?" Drac saw Percy''s hesitation, so he added fuel to the fire, "You are not doing a good job. Weiss, don''t say you are my student when you go out in the future."


    "How could it be?" Percy said loudly, "I asked many colleagues in the Ministry of Magic, did sufficient research, and carefully understood Mr. Crouch''s situation! I can definitely be a qualified assistant!"


    As expected, Percy took the bait at once. In order to prove his work ability, he told the outside world about Crouch''s situation like pouring beans.


    Harry was a little embarrassed, feeling that this neer to the Ministry of Magic who thought he was very capable waspletely yed around by Professor Drac.


    "Mr. Crouch is actually quite pitiful," Percy sighed and told Drac, "During the wizard war against the mysterious man, he might have been too busy with work and neglected to teach his son..."


    "Later, Barty Crouch Jr. became a Death Eater..."


    "This is the first time I''ve heard of this," Drac''s eyes moved, "Since his son is a Death Eater, is it possible that Crouch himself was also bewitched and became a pawn of Voldemort in secret?"


    "That''s impossible!" Percy denied tly, "Anyone in the Ministry of Magic could be a Death Eater, but Mr. Crouch definitely can''t be!"


    He exined, "Professor Drac, you may not know... After the mysterious man left, Mr. Crouch personally tried his son, ignored Barty''s sophistry, and personally locked him up in Azkaban."


    "Is that so?" Drac said. G said thoughtfully, "So... he is a righteous person who sacrifices his rtives for the greater good?"


    "There is no one more righteous than Mr. Crouch in the Ministry of Magic." Percy said seriously with a look of admiration in his eyes, "Mr. Crouch was the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the time. Many of his tough measures actually provided great help to the Ministry of Magic in fighting against the Death Eaters..."


    "For example, Aurors were allowed to use the Unforgivable Curse on Death Eaters, and Death Eaters with conclusive evidence could be directly imprisoned in Azkaban..."


    "But his measures were not necessarily correct," Drac shook his head, "Wasn''t Sirius ck misunderstood by wizards for more than ten years because he was directly imprisoned in Azkaban without interrogation?"


    Harry, who was listening to their conversation with relish, suddenly changed his face when he heard about Sirius, and his mood became much darker.


    Because of this incident, he couldn''t appreciate the senior official of the Ministry of Magic.


    "That... that''s just an example." Percy said stubbornly, "Those measures are generally beneficial, as can be seen from the fact that Mr. Crouch has gained a lot of prestige with those measures."


    "So why didn''t he be the Minister of Magic?" Drac asked, "Just because his son is a Death Eater?"


    "Professor, this is actually a big stain." Percy shook his head helplessly, "So theter Minister Fudge made an excellent performance and was elected as the Minister of Magic this time."


    "There is no need to be so euphemistic, Weiss." Drac sneered, "Fudge didn''t have any excellent performance. Didn''t he just take the opportunity to unite other members to exclude Crouch, and then write letters to Dumbledore every day, using Dumbledore''s reputation as the ''pir of the magic world'' to create a humble and stable personality for himself?"


    "Hehe, now that his position is almost stable, he wants to get rid of Dumbledore''s influence."


    Drac did not restrain his contempt for people like Fudge at all.


    "Ah, that''s not right..." Percy''s sweat dripped down his forehead, and he picked up the napkin on the table and kept wiping his forehead.


    "But it''s understandable. After all, in politics, it''s no big deal to use dirty means." Drac changed the subject.


    "Crouch is not necessarily a selfless good man. He put his son in Azkaban, and it is very likely that he struggled for his hope of bing a minister."


    "Professor, you may have some misunderstanding about Mr. Crouch..." Percy wiped his sweat more frequently.


    From time to time, he turned his head to look at Bagman, the director of the Department of Magical Sports and Magic, hoping that another Ministry of Magic official present did not notice this.


    He was worrying too much. Bagman was happily chatting with Krum and trying to pull this professional Quidditch yer into his gambling game.


    "You are still too young, Weiss." Drac chuckled, "Many things are not as simple as you think, nor as fair as they seem on the surface."


    Seeing that Percy still looked a little unconvinced, he shook his head, "Forget it, you may not havepletely integrated into their politicians. You will know it naturally when you see more."


    "Now tell me about other things. What''s the matter with Crouch''s wife?"


    Seeing that Professor Drac did not press step by step, Percy breathed a sigh of relief.


    "This is actually known to everyone," he said, "Mrs. Crouch''s health has not been good for a long time. When she learned that Barty Crouch Jr. became a Death Eater and was imprisoned in Azkaban for life by Mr. Crouch himself, her health condition deteriorated."


    "Later, for some unknown reason, Barty Crouch Jr. died in Azkaban. Mrs. Crouch could not bear the shock of the news and left soon after."


    "Wait," Drac suddenly frowned, "You said that Barty Crouch Jr. and Mrs. Crouch died at the same time, right?"


    "Yes, Mrs. Crouch can''t bear the pain of losing her son. This is a normal thing, right?" Percy asked doubtfully.


    "Maybe." Drac didn''t say much, just nodded gently.


    Percy and those slow-witted officials of the Ministry of Magic may not realize any problems, but Drac is different. He looks at things from a preconceived standpoint of suspicion of Crouch.


    It might be normal to single out Mrs. Crouch''s death from excessive grief and serious illness, but why did Barty Crouch Jr. die in Azkaban?


    It can be learned from many ces that Barty Jr. was a young man who joined the Death Eaters shortly after graduation. His body would never be so weak that he could not withstand the torture of the Dementors in just a few months - Sirius was tortured for a full thirteen years!


    Not only that, since Barty Jr. chose to quibble during the trial, it means that he has no intention of dying, which can also rule out the possibility of suicide.


    Then the question is, why did an excellent, young wizard who did not intend tomit suicide die in Azkaban for no reason?


    Drac is going to take time to go to Azkaban again to see if he can find other evidence...


    Unknowingly, everyone present had eaten and drunk enough, and the banquet came to an end.


    Dumbledore stood up first and smiled at theughing and talking little wizards.


    "It looks like everyone has finished eating," he said with a smile, "Then, the next step is to move on to the part we are most looking forward to - the dance!"


    "Everyone stand up!"


    The students stood up excitedly, carefully tidying up their messed-up clothes and hairstyles at the banquet, and the witches hurriedly took out small mirrors to touch up their makeup.


    After seeing everyone stand up from their chairs, Dumbledore raised his hand and waved his wand -


    All the tables flew to the wall with a "whoosh" sound, and were neatly arranged close to the wall, leaving arge open space in the center of the auditorium.


    Then, he conjured up a high stage, attached to the right wall, on which was ced a set of drums, several guitars, a lute, a cello and several organs.


    At this time, the top streamers in the magic entertainment circle, the members of the Weird Sisters Wizard Band, rushed onto the stage while screaming, and the audience immediately burst into thunderous apuse.


    Most of the members of this group are witches. They have long, thick hair, wear ck robes that are deliberately torn and tattered, and pick up their own instruments.


    "Oh, that''s their lead singer, Myron Wagtail!" Ginny looked at the band on the stage and patted Harry''s back excitedly, "Mom usually likes to listen to her singing on the magic radio!"


    "And Donaghan Temlit, he is the only wizard in the Weird Sisters, he ys the bass, I heard that he is too good at ying, so the band made an exception and invited him in..."


    Obviously, Ginny loves this band in the magic world very much, and can call out the names of every wizard in the band.


    Harry also watched the band on the stage with great interest, almost forgetting what to do next.


    At this moment, he suddenly found that thenterns on other tables were extinguished, and several other warriors and their dance partners stood up.


    "Harry, Ginny, hurry up!" Hermione came over and reminded kindly, "You should start dancing too!"


    After saying this, she blushed and handed her hand to Krum who was looking at her expectantly.


    Harry stood up quickly and walked into the brightly lit dance floor with Ginny, carefully avoiding the eyes of his friends - he could see Seamus and Dean waving at him, secretly making fun of his stiff movements.


    Then, Ginny took the initiative to grab his two hands, put one of his hands on her waist, and held the other tightly in her hand.


    It was the first time for Harry to hold a girl''s hand. He felt a heat in his heart rushing straight to his forehead. His palms suddenly sweated a little, as if half of his body had lost strength. How could he remember the dance moves taught by Professor McGonagall?


    He identally stepped on Ginny''s toes.


    "I''m sorry, I..." Harry apologized quickly and looked at Ginny''s eyes with a guilty conscience, but found that her eyes were full of smiles, smiling foolishly, without any intention of ming him.


    Harry''s mood slowly rxed.


    In a slow and gentle song yed by the weird sisters, Harry''s performance was not as bad as expected.


    While slowly turning in circles under the guidance of Ginny, he silently recited the steps and frequency taught by Professor McGonagall. The cooperation between the two became more and more tacit, and the viewing of the dance was getting better and better.


    Gradually, Harry had the energy to look at other spectators who had not started dancing yet. They were watching the warriors'' leading dance with envy, surprise, or appreciation.


    He was very d that he had passed another test and did not make a fool of himself in public.


    Soon, many people entered the dance floor, and the warriors were no longer the center of attention.


    Neville and Hannah Abbott were dancing nearby. Hannah frowned and dodged frequently because Neville stepped on her foot clumsily. Fortunately, Hannah was very considerate and deliberately slowed down her steps and keptforting him;


    Dumbledore was dancing the waltz with Ms. Maxime. Compared with Ms. Maxime, Dumbledore, who was originally very tall, was almost a dwarf. The top of his pointed hat just touched her chin.


    However, for such a big woman, her dance steps were very elegant, and there was no sign of clumsiness like Hagrid;


    On the other side, Professor McGonagall invited Professor Drac to enter the dance floor to dance together.


    Professor McGonagall''s dancing posture is needless to say. After all, she is the "dance teacher" who personally taught the warriors to dance before the Christmas ball and has a professional level of dancing.


    But to the surprise of all the little wizards, Professor Drac, who had always been low-key, actually had a good dancing level. He cooperated with Professor McGonagall, who was at a professional level, surprisingly perfectly, and almost took up most of the limelight of the dance.


    "I said Professor Drac could dance!" When the weird sisters switched songs, Harry heard Fred showing off to his dance partner Angelina,


    "When he asked us to experience the Imperius Curse, I knew that Professor Drac must have done special research on dancing to control me and George to do such difficult movements!"


    Soon, the second song sounded, and the rhythm was much more cheerful than before.


    Fred and Angelina immediately began to dance unrestrainedly-


    Fred tried to recall the perfect dance posture under the control of Professor Drac''s Imperius Curse, but it looked a mess to outsiders, as if he was pulling Angelina to learn to y with the Chinese Fireball Dragon...


    Harry and Ginny looked at his performance with amusement, then looked at each other andughed easily.


    "Want another dance?" Harry asked, blushing.


    Ginny nodded heavily.

 Chapter 268 - 268 Jealousy

    <h4>Chapter 268: Jealousy</h4>


    Another song ended, Harry panted and wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    "Are you tired?" He looked at Ginny and asked, "How about we take a break?"


    Ginny was still reluctant to leave, and moved her sore ankle, trying to force herself to continue dancing.


    However, Harry nced outside the dance floor and saw that Ron had stopped dancing with Midgen early, but sat on the seat outside, looking a little unhappy.


    Although Harry was a little reluctant, he was worried about Ron, so he pulled Ginny out of the dance floor.


    "How was the dance today?" Harry asked Ron, sitting down and opening a bottle of butter beer on the table.


    Hogwarts was well prepared for this dance. There were several banquet tables next to the dance floor, with different types of drinks on them, so that students who were thirsty from dancing coulde here to replenish their drinks.


    Ron still sat there motionless, not in the mood to answer Harry''s questions, but ring at Hermione and Krum who were dancing nearby.


    "He''s been sitting like this for a long time." Midgen crossed her arms and sat with her legs crossed, one leg shaking to the beat of the music, as if she hadn''t danced to her heart''s content.


    "Since he saw Granger''s good looks, he''s been distracted," she said, "We only danced once today. His dancing skills weren''t very good to begin with, and he was distracted, so he wasn''t even much better than Longbottom."


    Midgen was obviously a little dissatisfied with Ron.


    No matter which girl it was, if her partner didn''t concentrate on dancing with her at the ball, but instead kept his attention on another girl, she would not be generous enough to show understanding.


    Inparison, Midgen was already very open-minded.


    If it were someone else, it''s hard to say whether Ron can sit here intact now...


    "Ron, I admit that Hermione''s outfit today is indeed... well, incredible, but you don''t have to be so surprised, right?" Harry said carefully.


    "Don''t ask, Harry." Ginny said coldly beside him, "Haven''t you noticed yet? This guy is obviously jealous of Hermione dancing with Krum."


    "I didn''t!" Ron''s face turned red, and he turned back and red at Ginny, "I... How could I be jealous of the two of them, what do you think is the rtionship between us?"


    "We are brothers, understand? You girls don''t understand how we get along with each other!" He said fiercely.


    "Yes, yes, when Hermione didn''t pay attention to her image, you always regarded her as your ''brother''. Now that she has be beautiful, you realize that she is a girl." Ginny mocked mercilessly.


    "You don''t need to remind me, I always knew she was a girl!" Ron said stubbornly.


    "Then why didn''t you think of asking Hermione to be your dance partner before?" Ginny pouted and continued, "You had to wait until Krum invited her before you thought of asking her to be your dance partner... In your eyes, Hermione can''t find a dance partner, right?"


    "I''m not... I, she also..." Ginny''s words made Ron start to be incoherent.


    "There are other things." Ginny pressed on, "Did you say in themon room that you would rather go to the Christmas ball alone than invite Hermione?"


    "I didn''t... I just didn''t want to invite girls who were difficult... not very pretty," Ron stammered, "I''d rather go to the Christmas ball alone than dance with those girls."


    "Huh?" Hearing this, Eloise Midgen, who was sitting with her legs crossed, couldn''t sit still anymore and asked, "Do you mean Hermione is not pretty, or am I not pretty?"


    "I saw it when Professor Drac arranged a team for those who didn''t have a partner in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss. You were originally very reluctant to be my partner, right?"


    "I''m not..." Ron was so anxious that he almost cried.


    He was indeed not very satisfied with Midgen''s e and crooked nose, so he didn''t think of inviting her as a partner, but he never dared to say this idea in front of Midgen.


    Now that Ginny had provoked him, Ron blurted out his criteria for choosing a dance partner. As expected, Midgen discovered it.


    "I shouldn''t have invited you,e on, Weiss!" Midgen said coldly, without any intention of listening to Ron''s exnation. She changed her name from first name tost name.


    After that, she stood up and left her seat and sat at another banquet table.


    Soon, other boys came over and invited Midgen to dance together. Midgen agreed without hesitation.


    "Ginny, what have you done..." Ron said with a sad face as he watched this scene.


    "You did it all yourself." Ginny said without showing any weakness, "You''d better find a way to apologize to Midgen these days, otherwise I can''t be sure that she won''t turn against you."


    At this time, Hermione came over from the dance floor and sat on the chair left by Midgen.


    She hadn''t realized that a war had almost broken out here, and she kept fanning herself with her palms, her face slightly red from dancing.


    "Good evening, Hermione." Harry greeted Hermione first.


    But Ron kept his mouth shut and said nothing.


    "Good evening, Harry... It''s really hot, isn''t it?" Hermione said, while picking up the paper towel on the table to wipe her sweat, "Viktor went to the next table to get a drink... Hey, where''s Eloise? Isn''t she your dance partner?"


    Ron looked at Hermione sourly, and his attention was all focused on Hermione''s address to Krum.


    "Viktor?" he said, "Did he ask you to call him ''Vicki''?"


    Hermione looked at him in surprise.


    "What''s wrong with you? Are you in a bad mood now because of a conflict with Eloise?" she asked.


    "If you don''t know," Ron said sarcastically, "then I don''t want to tell you."


    Hermione was surprised and confused, and looked back at Harry.


    Harry didn''t know what to say, so he could only shrug helplessly.


    "Ron, how could you--"


    "He''s from Durmstrang!" Ron suddenly shouted, "He''s Harry''s rival! A rival of Hogwarts! You--you''re--"


    He was obviously racking his brains to find a powerful word to describe Hermione''s heinous crime, "You''re pro-enemy, this is what you did!"


    Harry, who was sitting next to him, couldn''t bear to listen anymore, and didn''t know why he was involved in this.


    He pulled Ron''s arm, trying to stop him, but Ron was unmoved.


    Hermione opened her mouth in astonishment.


    "Don''t talk nonsense!" She retorted after a moment, "Enemies! Who is the enemy? To be honest, who was so excited when he came? Who wanted his autograph? Who put his model in the dormitory?"


    Ron decided to ignore these words and changed the question: "He probably invited you when you were both in the library?"


    "Yes, that''s right." Hermione said, and the blush on her cheeks caused by dancing became brighter, "So what?"


    "How did it happen?" Ron asked sharply, "Did you go to get him to talk for Harry?"


    "No, it''s not!" Hermione retorted loudly, "If you really want to know, I''ll tell you, he... He said he came to the library every day just to talk to me, but he couldn''t muster up the courage!"


    "Really?" Ron said sourly, "Huh, that''s what he said."


    "Then please tell me what he means?" Hermione asked impatiently.


    "Isn''t it obvious? He''s Karkaroff''s student, isn''t he?" Ron said, "He knows who you hang out with all day - he just wants to get close to Harry and steal his information; or get close to Harry and cast a curse on him..."


    "Shut up, Ron!" Ginny interrupted him loudly, "You''re done, always making up excuses like this!"


    "I just hope she knows that Krum is our enemy!" Ron also shouted excitedly.


    "Ahem... Ron, I don''t think it''s a big deal for Hermione to dance with Krum." Harry, who was between the two, trembled and wanted to be a peacemaker.


    But Ron ignored Harry''s thoughts and asked:


    "Why don''t you go find Vicky now? He might be worried if he can''t find you."


    "His name is not Vicky, Ron!"


    Hermione was shaking with anger, and without waiting for Krum to bring the drink, she walked straight across the dance floor and disappeared angrily in the crowd.


    Ron looked at her back, with a look of anger and relief on his face.


    "Let''s go too, Harry," Ginny curled her lips and took Harry''s hand, "Ron has always had a period of time when he has been upset with us since he was a child."


    "Wait, I haven''t talked about you yet!" Ron turned his head and looked at them, "You two haven''t told me yet, what''s going on with you? I''m your brother, Ginny..."


    However, Ginny didn''t want to pay attention to him at all, and took Harry to the dance floor, and danced with Harry in the next fast-paced dance of the Weird Sisters.


    However, Harry didn''t have the heart to dance, he was a little absent-minded, and his dance steps didn''t keep up with the beat. He was always worried about his friend.


    At this time, a tall figure and another short and fat witch came to him and Ginny while dancing.


    Harry found that Professor Drac''s dance partner had changed from Professor McGonagall to Professor Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff, at some point.


    He never thought that Professor Sprout, a witch who had been working in the greenhouse for years and made herself look dirty, could actually dance well.


    But her figure was a little funnypared to Professor Drac''s tall figure...


    Of course,pared with the height difference between Dumbledore and Ms. Maxim before, the difference between Professor Drac and Professor Sprout was quite harmonious.


    "Potter, if you don''t stay focused when your dancing level is not good, your partner will probably be angry." Drac''s voice sounded beside Harry.


    Harry realized that he had stepped on Ginny several times and apologized to her.


    Fortunately, Ginny also knew that Harry was distracted by his friend, who was her brother, so she forgave him generously.


    "What''s wrong? Did you have a conflict with your inseparable friend again?" Drac asked with interest, "I remember you just reconciled not long ago?"


    "Not this time..." Harry said, "Ron and I didn''t have a conflict this time."


    He was still hesitating whether to tell Professor Drac about Ron''s situation, but Ginny spoke first.


    "Professor, this time it''s not a problem between Harry and Ron, it''s Ron and Hermione." Ginnyined, "He''s probably jealous and started to quarrel with others again... First it was Harry, then Hermione, twice this semester, he''s really not done!"


    Ginny thought that Ron was her brother after all, and Hermione was her good friend, and it also involved Harry, whom she admired.


    Now that the two people are in conflict, perhaps the omnipotent Professor Drac can find some solutions.


    However, Drac had no intention of helping them solve the problem at all, but instead looked like he was watching the fun.


    "Oh? Weiss is jealous of Granger? Interesting!" He said with great interest, "Come on, tell me what happened between the two of them, I love to hear it."


    "Uh..." Harry was stunned, feeling that Ginny''s idea of ??asking Professor Drac for help was totally unreliable.


    Fortunately, in addition to Professor Drac, there was also a kind and amiable Professor Sprout dancing here.


    As the most enthusiastic dean of Badger College, Professor Sprout looked at Harry and Ginny with a smile and said to them: "Are you talking about the young man from Weiss''s family? I know that the youngest boy in Weiss''s family is not very worrying."


    Hearing this, Harry blushed a little, and always felt that the people who were not very worrying mentioned by Professor Sprout should include himself.


    "It''s okay," Professor Sprout said with a smile, "When I taught Arthur and Molly, they were actually not very worrying either - especially Arthur, who was even hung up and beaten by the janitor at that time!"


    Ginny saw that Sprout was willing to help, so she quickly told her in detail what happened between Ron, Hermione and Krum. Drac, who was dancing with Professor Sprout, was watching with interest.


    "So that''s how it is," Professor Sprout smiled gently, "Perhaps you haven''t thought that this is not just his problem?"


    "Ron has topete with so many outstanding brothers at home. Harry, you are his best friend and so famous - every time others see you, he is left out, and he endures it silently, never saying a word. I think this time just made him unbearable..."


    "It''s simr to Hermione''s this time. Miss Granger has always been so outstanding. No matter how indifferent he seems to be, he will always feel inferior in his heart."


    "Do you know? Ron is actually very likely a child whocks self-confidence and insecurity."

 Chapter 269 - 269 The Secret of the Golden Egg

    <h4>Chapter 269: The Secret of the Golden Egg</h4>


    "Insecure? Ron?"


    Ginny asked in surprise: "You are not kidding, professor? Hasn''t Ron always been heartless? In our entire family, except for Fred and George, Ron is the funniest."


    "Humor and inferiority are never a conflict, Miss Weisley." Professor Sprout smiled, "I can actually understand Ron''s feelings... I have taught Arthur and Molly''s children, I can analyze it for you from a personal perspective-"


    "Let''s start with Bill. Bill is the eldest son of your family. He has been Other children got twelve OWLs in the fifth grade and went directly to Gringotts as a curse breaker after graduation..."


    "Percy was simr. He got twelve OWLs and went directly to work in the Ministry of Magic after graduation. As for Charlie, he has always been a good Quidditch yer. Minerva was showing off the Gryffindor team in front of several of us deans all day long."


    "When I heard that Charlie didn''t be a professional Quidditch yer, Minerva was sad for a long time."


    Professor Sprout changed his dance posture to the music and said amiably.


    Harry and Ginny''s attention was no longer focused on dancing. They swayed along with the movements of Drac and Professor Sprout, and listened carefully to her evaluation of Ron''s performance.


    "Thinking about it, the Wesley family is really full of talents." Drac chuckled and said, "It would be better if they could be quiet, especially the twins, who are so annoying."


    "Fred and George are really naughty." Speaking of the two funny guys, the amiable Professor Sprout sighed helplessly, "The only students I have met in my career are Harry''s father and his friends more than ten years ago, who canpete with these two little guys."


    "But then again, although they are naughty, they are also very smart. Students who don''t focus on studying all day and can get five OWLs certificates are rare in my teaching years!"


    Hearing this, Harry nodded in agreement.


    He had never seen the Wesley twins study seriously, otherwise he and Ron would not be so surprised when they saw the twins reading around the firece outside the boys'' dormitory before.


    However, these two guys were able to pass the wizard level exams in five subjects... You know, these assessments are not like the usual final exams. Many young wizards with average learning can only get three or four certificates at most!


    "Their brains are really useful." Drac chuckled, "Those two guys often bring their own small magic props to me for evaluation... The production level is not very good, but they have a lot of ideas."


    "Let''s see how they perform in the future. If they are not as naughty as they are now, maybe I will introduce them to Nico one day when I am in a good mood."


    "Nico mel?!" Professor Sprout opened his mouth in surprise, then turned his head to look at Ginny and said seriously, "Did you hear that, Ginny, tell your two brothers to pay attention when you go back. This is a big deal about their future!"


    Ginny nodded quickly.


    "Don''t be so serious, I''m just talking... I don''t know if Nico agrees or not." Drac smiled and shook his head.


    Then, his face showed an interesting look again, "But I really want to see what kind of expression the old guy would have if Nico''s alchemy skills were used by the two Weisses to make joke products."


    Harry swallowed silently.


    He always felt that if Nico mel really epted Fred and George as apprentices, other people would not be able to look directly at the alchemy skills of this respected alchemist in the future...


    "Okay, let''s stop talking about the topic, I haven''t finished yet." Professor Sprout smiled.


    At this time, a song yed by the weird sisters had just ended, and they walked out of the dance floor together and sat down at a banquet table with many empty seats.


    "Where were we talking about? Oh, right, we''re talking about Fred and George, right?"


    Professor Sprout continued to analyze: "Although the two little guys'' grades are not as good as his three brothers, as Professor Drac said, they are very talented in other aspects."


    "What''s more, the twins have such a good rtionship and have been inseparable for a long time. They will definitely not have the illusion of being ignored and unloved like Ron."


    She turned her head to look at Ginny, "Ron is the youngest boy in your family, and you are the youngest girl. There is only a one-year age difference between the two of you, right?"


    Ginny nodded a little nkly.


    "Then the key to the problem is very clear." Professor Sprout pped his hands and said to her.


    "Arthur and Molly can raise so many outstanding children, which proves that they are indeed a pair of excellent parents - despite this, after having so many boys, they will involuntarily favor the only youngest girl like other families."


    "You mean... me?" Ginny blinked and raised her hand to her nose.


    "Yes, you are about the same age as Ron, but you are more favored than him. It is normal for him to have an unbnced mentality." Professor Sprout said, "This psychological imbnce may not be reflected in normal times, but it has been umted in Ron''s heart."


    "At the same time, his two best friends-"


    Speaking, Professor Sprout looked at Harry again, "Harry Potter, the savior, the genius Quidditch yer and one of the five warriors, and Miss Hermione Granger, who has long dominated the first ce in the grade..."


    "Born in such a family environment, and also made friends with two such Excellent friend, in my opinion, Ron''s performance is many times better than other little wizards. "


    "So, I hope you can think from his perspective and be more considerate of your brother and friend." Professor Sprout smiled gently, "Go back and talk to Hermione, don''t let these little things affect your friendship."


    "It is normal for adolescent children to have conflicts asionally. As long as you can resolve the conflicts with your heart, your friendship will go further."


    Professor Sprout''s analysis and constion brought Harry and Ginny apletely different perspective.


    They have never thought from Ron''s perspective, but they just think that it is wrong for him to lose his temper and make trouble, and it is unreasonable, but they don''t realize why he has such behavior.


    After Professor Sprout''s analysis, they can better understand Ron''s difficulties and know the weakest part of Ron''s heart.


    Just when Harry and Ginny were still thinking, a chirping sound came from the side, interrupting their thoughts.


    Harry looked up and looked at Professor Drac who was sitting not far away tasting wine.


    They saw that arge group of witches of different grades surrounded Drac in three circles, shouting anxiously.


    "Professor, what happened to Professor Drac?" Harry asked Professor Sprout carefully.


    "Oh, you mean Professor Drac!" Professor Sprout looked over there and said with a smile, "A group of little girls are vying to invite him to dance!"


    "Invite Professor Drac to dance? So many people?" Harry asked in astonishment.


    "Yes, just now it was Minerva and I who upied their Professor Drac, so they were quite restrained." Professor Sprout said, "Now that he is free, of course those little witches are scrambling toe."


    As she said that, she suddenly sighed, "It''s no wonder those little girls are excited... If I were twenty years younger, I might be even more active than them!"


    "So, did Professor Drac agree to dance with them?" Harry asked nkly.


    "Of course he agreed, otherwise they wouldn''t be so excited." Professor Sprout smiled, "Drac, in order to be fair, let them line up one by one, one dance each, until the end of the dance!"


    ...


    At twelve o''clock midnight, the Weird Sisters stopped ying, and everyone gave them ast round of apuse, and then began to walk towards the entrance hall.


    Many people hoped that the dance could be extended for a while, including Harry and Ginny, but not Drac.


    Drac danced with countless little girls, and felt that he had lived for more than a thousand years, but he had never been so tired...


    Simrly, Ron was not the one who hoped that the dance would be extended.


    Ron felt that he had not had a happy night -


    He watched Hermione dancing with his former idol in a depressed mood, and his original dance partner was also angry with him and ran away with someone else, and his sister was chatting with his best friend...


    He sat at the banquet table with lifeless eyes, and when the music faded, he left the hall like a zombie and walked towards the Gryffindormon room.


    On the way, he saw George running down the marble stairs holding a golden egg, with an extremely excited look on his face.


    "Ron, do you see where Harry is?" George asked Ron, and he did not notice the lost expression on Ron''s face.


    "I don''t know, maybe he is still flirting with Ginny?" Ron said with a mumble, almost without opening his mouth.


    "I see. Thank you, little Luo Luo!" George thanked him casually and continued to run down the stairs.


    Harry and Ginny bumped into George holding the golden egg at the entrance of the hall.


    They then remembered that George didn''t seem to attend the dance. Only Fred was dancing with his partner Angelina.


    "What''s wrong, George?" Harry asked, "Why didn''t youe to the dance?"


    "Shhh - keep your voice down." George looked around and pulled Harry to an empty corner of the entrance courtyard.


    After confirming that there was no one around, he stuffed the golden egg in his hand into Harry''s arms and raised his eyebrows mysteriously.


    "I found the secret of this golden egg, Harry!" George said proudly.


    "What? You cracked it?" Harry opened his eyes wide.


    He had been obsessed with the dance and almost forgot that there was still the second project of the semi-finals waiting for him.


    "That''s right!" George nodded. "Actually, Fred and I found some clues before, but there was no way to verify it."


    "So today I let Fred go dancing by himself, and then I sneaked into the prefect bathroom while everyone was at the Christmas ball..."


    "Wait, why did you sneak into the prefect bathroom? What does this have to do with the golden egg?" Harry was full of doubts and asked several questions in a row. "Also, doesn''t it require a password to enter there? How did you get in?"


    "Oh, the password there has never changed. We got it from Percy a long time ago." George said indifferently, "Only the prefect bathroom has a bathtub, and our shower is useless."


    "Don''t ask anything else for now. While the dance has just ended and there is no one else in the bathroom, let''s go there quickly!"


    "If the two of us go to the prefect bathroom, then...what about Ginny?" Harry nced at his dance partner and said hesitantly.


    "If Ginny wants to go, you can ask her to take a bath with you." George said with a smirk.


    Ginny blushed, stamped her feet in anger, red at George, and then followed the crowd to the Gryffindormon room.


    ...


    The moonlight shone in the corridor, which was empty and very quiet, forming a sharp contrast with the noisy hall.


    George pulled Harry to the statue of "Lake Boris" - this was a wizard with a nk expression, and the gloves on both hands were worn backwards.


    George followed the statue and walked to a door next to it, and read the password to the door:


    "Fresh pineapple."


    The door creaked open.


    Harry followed George in, turned around to lock the door, and looked around.


    "Wow, being a prefect is really good!" he eximed.


    In front of them was an extremely luxurious bathroom. There was a luxurious chandelier with candles above their heads, casting a warm and soft light in the room. Everything was made of snow-white marble, including the bathtub in the middle that was sunken into the ground.


    The bath is like a rectangr swimming pool, with about a hundred golden faucets on the side, and each faucet has a different colored gem on the handle.


    In addition, there is a diving board outside the bath, as if it can really be used as a swimming pool.


    Snow-white linen curtains are hung on the windows; a pile of soft white towels are ced in a corner.


    There is a painting on the wall, framed in a gilded frame. The painting shows a blonde mermaid, sleeping soundly on the rocks, with long hair brushing her face, trembling slightly with every breath she takes.


    "There''s no need to envy them, don''t you already know the password?" Georgeughed, "Fred and I often sneak in, and we don''t have to do the work of the prefects, which is the mostfortable."


    "So, what should we do?" Harry looked at the golden egg in his hand and asked.


    "Well... I suggest you throw it in directly!" George said.

 Chapter 270 - 270 The clues and solutions for the second project

    <h4>Chapter 270: The clues and solutions for the second project</h4>


    "Throw it in?" Harry asked in astonishment, "What if it gets damaged by soaking?"


    "Don''t worry, you''ll be right if you listen to me!" George patted his chest and assured, "This is at least a special alchemical product for the semi-finals, it''s not that fragile."


    Harry looked at George doubtfully, thinking that no matter what, it would be right to try. So he gritted his teeth and threw the golden egg into the water.


    With a "plop", the golden egg fell into the foamy water and quickly disappeared.


    "Then what?" Harry was stunned for a moment, turned his head and asked George.


    "Then you have to jump in too." George smirked, stood behind Harry and secretly made a move, pushing him into the bathtub.


    "Hey, wait, I haven''t changed my clothes yet... Gurgle Gurgle..."


    The water here is very deep. He stood up, but his toes could only barely reach the bottom of the pool. Harry identally choked on arge mouthful of water.


    After a while, he struggled to float to the surface of the water and red at George with a smirk on his face.


    "Don''t look at me like that, I''m helping you!" George had no idea what he had done, but said with a joking face, "Why don''t you go and see what happened to your golden egg?"


    Harry took a deep breath and decided to find the information of the second project of the semi-finals first, and then settle the score with George alone.


    He swam back and forth in the water twice before finally finding the golden egg in the hot, humid and foamy water.


    He plunged into the water and picked up the golden egg.


    There were colorful mists floating around, and this atmosphere made Harry''s head dizzy. He didn''t notice what changes had taken ce in the water.


    "It doesn''t seem to react?" Harry asked.


    "Why don''t you try to open it?" George said.


    Harry stretched out his arms, held up the golden egg with his wet hands, and opened it. Suddenly, a piercing scream filled the bathroom, echoing and vibrating between the marble walls -


    But the sound was still as inexplicable as usual, and mixed with all the echoes in the bathroom, it was even more puzzling.


    He snapped it shut, worried that the sound would attract other prefects and Filch.


    "George, you are not ying a prank again, are you?" Harry looked at George suspiciously and asked with a frown.


    "Who do you think I am, Harry!" George shouted indignantly, "No matter how much I like pranks, I will not make fun of your game!"


    "Think about it carefully, did I just ask you to jump into the water with the golden egg?" He sat on the edge of the bathtub and said to Harry.


    "Yes, am I not standing in the water with the golden egg now?" Harry still looked very confused.


    "Think about it, Harry. If this egg can be solved by just soaking it in water, then why did I bring you to this bathroom?" George said, "I mean - you bury your head and the golden egg in the water, and then open the golden egg..."


    "Is that so?" Harry was still a little skeptical.


    But with the mentality of being here, he took a deep breath, dived under the water, and opened the shell of the golden egg again.


    Now, he sat on the marble at the bottom of the bubble bath, and heard some strange sounds singing in unison in the opened golden egg in his hand.


    Harry clenched the golden egg in his hand in surprise, and hurriedly listened to what those strange voices were singing¡ª¡ª


    "Find us, where our voices sound, we can''t sing on the ground.


    When you search, please think carefully:


    We have robbed your most beloved treasure,


    You only have one hour,


    To find and take back the objects we took away, when the time is up, bury hope,


    It haspletely disappeared and will never see the sun."


    After listening to this, Harry stepped on the bottom of the water with his feet, let himself float up, and got out of the water full of bubbles.


    He shook his head, shook his hair out of his eyes, and then took a breath with a pale face.


    "Did you hear anything?" George asked excitedly.


    "I heard it..." Harry said thoughtfully, "''Find us, where our voices sounded...'' In fact, this hint doesn''t need to be said... Wait a minute, I need to listen to it again..."


    As he said, he dived under the water full of bubbles again.


    The song of the golden egg was sung three times underwater before Harry could barely remember it in his mind.


    He emerged from the water again and shouted to George anxiously: "George, do you have paper and pen?"


    "What''s wrong, can''t you remember it?" George asked.


    "I can almost remember it, but I''m afraid I''ll forget it after tonight." Harry said, "It''s better to write down the contents here as much as possible, just in case there is something missing!"


    "Let me look..." George said as he rummaged around in his pocket, "...Ah, I got it, here is a color-changing feather pen and a piece of parchment that I usually use to record inspiration."


    "Color-changing feather pen? Isn''t this the magic joke prop that you and Fred are studying?" Harry asked worriedly.


    "No problem, as long as you write in a specific way, the color-changing feather pen can write clear enough." George said confidently, "You can read it, I''ll help you write it down."


    After they wrote down all the songs word for word, Harry finally climbed out of the bath in wet clothes and sat next to George.


    "I have to find those who can''t make sounds on the ground..." He said slowly, "Well... who could it be?"


    "I feel it''s obvious." George raised his eyebrows, "What else can it be except those underwater animals?"


    "That''s right," Harry nodded, "The first project is to face the dragon, so the second project should be facing some magical animals living in the water, and this time there is an hour to find those "treasures."


    "Then there is a problem, how do you stay underwater for an hour?" George asked pointedly.


    Harry was stunned.


    Yes, swimming in the ck Lake in such a cold weather is already difficult, not to mention that those so-called "treasures" must be in the deepest part of the ck Lake... How can he hold his breath for an hour and persist until he finds those "treasures"?


    "Don''t think too much for now," George saw that the atmosphere was a little solemn, so he yed his usual strengths and made a face at Harry, "It''s not toote to think about it slowly during this period, there are still two months before the start of thepetition!"


    "Yeah, that''s right." Harry nodded gently.


    "Let''s go back to themon room together." George said, "I think you should have a good rest tonight."


    ...


    In the Charms ss after the Christmas holiday, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat alone at a table at the back of the ssroom.


    In the second half of the semester, the practice of the Spell has basicallye to an end. The spell that the little wizards have to practice in this ss is exactly the opposite of the Spell - the Expulsion Spell.


    Because things flying around in the ssroom can easily cause unfortunate idents, Professor Flitwick prepared a lot of soft cushions for each student to practice with, so that even if the spell is misced, it will not hurt people.


    Professor Flitwick''s choice is indeed very foresighted. Many young wizards are not good at spells, such as Neville. He is too inurate when chanting spells, and always identally makes some heavy things fly all over the room-


    For example, the thick pile of books under Professor Flitwick''s feet.


    Professor Flitwick has fallen off his books several times, all because Neville used the Banishing Spell to pull the books out from under his feet...


    Fortunately, there is a little witch next to Neville, Hannah Abbott, who has learned spells well. She can correct Neville''s ws and omissions in casting spells in time, so that he will notpletely cast the Banishing Spell on Professor Flitwick.


    Since the Christmas ball, Hannah and Neville have been surprisingly close. Neville likes Hannah''s kindness, while Hannah thinks Neville''s honesty and clumsiness are cute.


    In contrast to these two little wizards, Ron and Hermione''s rtionship has never been reconciled.


    Although after Professor Sprout''s persuasion, Ginny and Harry told Hermione why Ron behaved like this, so that Hermione was no longer as angry as she was at the ball, but Ron''s awkwardness in his heart could not be easily resolved in a short time.


    Hermione and Krum maintained a good rtionship, which made Ron jealous for a long time, and he always liked to stab Hermione when he had nothing to do.


    Of course, Ron and Hermione at least had Harry as a glue.


    As the holiday ended, the second project of the semi-finals was getting closer and closer, and they needed to turn all their attention to the imminent problem at the moment-how could Harry survive underwater for an hour on February 24th.


    Ron was inclined to use the Summoning Charm again - Harry had told them about the use of the water-scuba on the Muggle side, and Ron thought that Harry could get a set of water-scuba from a nearby Muggle town.


    Hermione tly rejected this suggestion.


    "Ron, even if Harry learned how to operate the water-scuba within the required one hour under impossible circumstances, he would definitely be disqualified." Hermione said.


    "He will definitely vite the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy - it''s a pipe dream to fly a set of scuba gear across the countryside to Hogwarts without being seen by Muggles!"


    "You''re making a specious argument!" Ron stabbed Hermione unconvinced, "Can''t we get a set of scuba gear in advance so that Harry can learn how to use it first, and then wear it directly into the water when the timees?"


    "That would be using other tools, which is also against the rules of the game." Hermione emphasized, "The rules of the game clearly state that warriors cannot use tools other than wands in the game."


    "Then what do you think Harry should do?" Ron snorted, waved his wand, and identally smashed the cushion in front of him on Neville''s head, "Oh, sorry, Neville! I didn''t mean to..."


    "I think the best way is to use Transfiguration to turn Harry into a submarine or something." Hermione looked up, waved her wand, and lightly ced a cushion in the box in front of the ckboard.


    "Unfortunately, we haven''t learned advanced human body transformation yet, which is something that will only be taught in the sixth grade... and if you transform yourself without fully mastering it, the consequences will be disastrous..."


    "Yeah, I don''t want to walk around with a diving telescope on my head." Harry also waved his wand, and to his surprise, his cushion just fell on top of Hermione.


    He theny on the table and said in self-abandonment: "You say... if I provoke Professor Drac during the game, will he be angry and use Transfiguration to turn me into a fish or a penguin..."


    "I think he is more likely to turn you into a duck, the kind that can only stare at things underwater but can''t get them." Ronined.


    "Forget it, you''d better not think about using Transfiguration, Harry." Hermione shook her head helplessly and said, "In that case, I think you''d better use a spell..."


    Just like that, Harry, Ron and Hermione went into the library again, immersed in studying those dusty tomes, hoping to find a spell that can keep people alive without oxygen.


    During lunch time, evenings and the entire weekend, the three of them soaked in both sides of the library, searching hard.


    Hermione went to Drac again and wrote her a note, approving her to use the books in the restricted area, and even asked for help from the vulture-like librarian Madam Pince-


    However, they didn''t find any way, as if there was no simple and effective spell that could make Harry stay underwater for an hour ande back alive.


    After all, his age was too disadvantageous, and he didn''t learn a lot of things.


    Until thest afternoon before the semi-finals, Harry and the others didn''t find how to deal with this underwaterpetition.


    Harry knew very well that even if a miracle happened and he suddenly found a suitable spell, it would be difficult to master it overnight.


    How could he let things fall to this point? Why didn''t he start studying the clues provided by the golden egg earlier? Why did he skip sses - maybe a professor once mentioned how to breathe underwater?


    The sun outside the window gradually set. Harry, Hermione and Ron sat in the library, anxiously flipping through spell books. There were several piles of books on the table in front of each of them, and they couldn''t see each other.


    Whenever Harry saw the word "water" in the book, his heart would beat wildly, but if he looked more carefully, it was often two pints of water, half a pound of chopped mandrake, and a newt...


    However, just when they were about to fall into despair, a turning point appeared at an unexpected time -


    As Harry''s opponent, Cedric walked in a minute before the library closed and handed a book to Harry.

 Chapter 271 - 271 Gillweed

    <h4>Chapter 271: Gillweed</h4>


    "What is this?"


    Harry was stunned for a moment, looking at the herbology book that Cedric handed to him, and asked in confusion.


    "There may be something you need in it." Cedric smiled, "I just told me that Qiu was also in the library just now, and saw the three of you still looking up information here..."


    "I guess you haven''t found a way to get out of the water yet."


    "Are you here tough at me on purpose?" Harry''s face changed and he asked stiffly.


    "No, I just want to return a favor to you." Cedric smiled warmly.


    "Favor?" Harry looked at him confused.


    "Have you forgotten? Before the first match, you told me that the event would be rted to dragons." Cedric said, "If you hadn''t told me this information, I''m afraid I wouldn''t have been able toe up with that clever method on the spot."


    "I didn''t do you any favors." Harry muttered, "Except for you and Kowalski, all the warriors in the first round know what the event is. I just don''t want to take advantage of you..."


    "But this is indeed a big favor for me." Cedric smiled and sighed, "If you don''t have this idea of ??not wanting to take advantage, but choose to be like the principals of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, and want to foresee thepetition..."


    "If I don''t know, I may suffer a big loss, and maybe even embarrass the warriors of Hogwarts."


    He forcefully stuffed the book in his hand into Harry''s hand, and then said: "So take this book, I just happened to find it, and page 69 has what you need."


    Harry clenched the book in his hand stiffly, with mixed feelings in his heart.


    He really needed a solution to help him finish the game, but this solution was given by his opponent, which made him very frustrated.


    "We are not just opponents, Harry." Cedric seemed to know what he was thinking, and smiled andforted him, "Isn''t this mutual help between friends?"


    Harry was stunned for a moment, and then heughed with relief.


    Yes, he and Cedric are not just opponents-


    As early as in so many Quidditch games, Cedric and the Hufflepuff team''s open and aboveboard style had won Harry''s favor.


    After the experience of helping Hufflepuff snipe the Slytherin team in the second grade, he and Cedric could actually be called friends.


    "Give me the method to deal with the game, what will you do?" Harry was no longer entangled in epting Cedric''s help, but worried that he had no other way to deal with it, so he asked this way.


    "Don''t worry, I''ve already figured out what to do." Cedric smiled, "It''s a coincidence that Mr. Filch found me a few days ago and said that he had confiscated this book from a Hufflepuff student and asked me, the prefect, to help return it."


    "But I couldn''t find the owner of this book after asking around the entire Hufflepuff, so I took the initiative to look through the contents of the book and happened to find some useful things."


    "Don''t worry, I will return the original book to Mr. Filch. This one was copied using a copying spell and can only exist for a few hours, so Mr. Filch won''t know about it - anyway, you don''t need to read it for too long, right?"


    Harry was relieved and put away the book that Cedric brought over.


    "Thank you, Cedric." He thanked sincerely, and then sighed bitterly, "To be honest, if I hadn''t sent this book, I really don''t know what to do..."


    "After all, you are still young and haven''t learned a lot of things. This is normal." Cedric smiled, "Your performance in the first game has impressed me. You can think of such a clever way to use the flying spell to summon the flying broom."


    "In fact, this is also what my friend thought of," Harry looked at Ron next to him and said softly, "If it were just me, maybe Professor Drac would have toe down and rescue me in the first game, right?"


    "It''s okay, at least you have achieved good results." Cedric waved his hand and said goodbye to Harry, "I wish you a good game tomorrow, Harry!"


    "I also wish you a good game tomorrow, Cedric!" Harry also waved his hand.


    After Cedric left, Ron and Hermione quickly gathered around Harry, as if they had grabbed a life-saving straw, staring closely at the book that Cedric sent.


    "Harry, look at what''s written here!" Hermione said hurriedly.


    "Will this really work?" Ron wondered, "Maybe he just wants to interfere with his opponent... Harry, Diggory''s score is a little lower than yours now, if he wants to trip you up..."


    "Cedric wouldn''t do that." Harry shook his head and interrupted Ron, "I believe in his character. Just based on the fact that he would rather admit defeat than win unfairly on the Quidditch field, there''s no need for us to doubt him."


    As he spoke, Harry turned to page 69 ording to the page number Cedric told him.


    The page clearly recorded a type of herb - chinweed.


    "Gillweed is produced in the Mediterranean area. It is gray-green, long and sticky..." Ron read the content in the book, "This is not a spell. What does it have to do with tomorrow''s game?"


    "Keep reading, Ron!" Hermione turned back and red at him, then read on:


    "It was discovered by Edora Catridge in the early years. ording to him, wizards who take Gillsweed will grow gills that can breathe underwater, and webbed hands and feet will grow for swimming..."


    Hermione looked up in surprise and found that Harry and Ron had the same look in their eyes.


    "It actually works!" Ron eximed, "Does this mean that Harry can hide a Gillsweed in his pocket and eat it before entering the water..."


    "Don''t be happy yet, I think we''d better finish reading the functions of Gillsweed first--" Hermione said seriously, "What if it has any side effects?"


    Then, she continued to read: "The effect of the herb was verified a centuryter by herbalist Beaumont Mejri Banks, who determined that the magic of a Gillsweed canst for about an hour."


    The three of them were more and more surprised.


    The effect of Gillsweed canst for about an hour. This is simply a herb tailor-made for the second event of the Four Finals!


    "I must get a Gillsweed!" Harry pped his thigh and jumped up from his seat, "I can wear an invisibility cloak, sneak to Hogsmeade, and buy one from the herb shop over there!"


    As he said, he was ready to run back to themon room and get his invisibility cloak.


    However, at this moment, Hermione caught a glimpse of thest line of small words on the page:


    "P.S.: Gillweed is rtively rare and is a precious potion material. It is not rmended to be used as a swimming tool for a long time; it is not rmended to be sold on arge scale."


    She opened her eyes wide and grabbed Harry''s arm in a panic.


    "Wait a minute, Harry, the herb shop in Hogsmeade may not have Gillweed..."


    "Why?" Harry and Ron stopped eagerly.


    Hermione pointed to thest line of small words on the book, and the joyful expressions on Harry and Ron''s faces suddenly froze.


    "Then what should we do?" Harry asked nkly.


    Ron looked at the various other books piled up next to him, and his eyes gradually became a little dazed.


    "Diggory should not have seen that line of small words, otherwise he would not have given you this book..." He murmured, "Is there no way for Harry toplete the game?"


    The three people stood there nkly, and even Mrs. Pince''s ferocious actions to chase them away were almost unnoticed.


    "I''ve told you several times that the library is closed!" Madam Pince shouted angrily, "Are you three guys challenging the authority of the librarian?!"


    She has been a librarian at Hogwarts for so many years, and has the "power of life and death" over all books. Any little wizard who needs to borrow books needs to have a certain degree of respect for her, and she is proud of this.


    However, today, someone dared to ignore Madam Pince as a librarian, which is definitely a direct resistance to the authority of the librarian!


    "Oh, sorry, Madam Pince, we were distracted just now." Hermione, who often came to the library to borrow books and had the most dealings with Madam Pince, was the first to react and apologized, "We''ll leave right away!"


    As she said that, she immediately pulled Harry and Ron out, leaving Madam Pince resentfully sorting out therge number of books they left behind.


    ...


    On the other side, Hermione pulled Ron and Harry in each hand and ran to the Gryffindormon room at the same time.


    While running, she said hurriedly: "You two hurry up, maybe we still have a chance now."


    "Give up, Hermione, we have no chance..." Ron let Hermione pull him, and said dejectedly, "Let Harry swim twops in the ck Lake, Professor Drac will pull him out of the water."


    "I''d better go to Hogsmeade to take a look, what if the herbal medicine store there has gillyweed?" Harry didn''t give up like Ron, but his expression was also not optimistic.


    "The game is not over yet, and everything is not settled yet!" Hermione looked at the two of them sternly and said loudly, "You two cheer up, Harry still has a chance to seed in tomorrow''s game!"


    "Have you thought of any way, Hermione?" Harry looked at Hermione hopefully, and raised thest glimmer of hope in his heart.


    "Yeah." Hermione nodded heavily. "Just because there is no gillyweed in the herb shop in Hogsmeade doesn''t mean there is no gillyweed in other ces!"


    "You mean..."


    "Gillyweed is not only a tool to help people swim, but also a very precious potion material." Hermione said, "Let''s go to Snape''s potion storage room and look for it. We should find something."


    Ron and Harry widened their eyes in surprise.


    They never thought that Hermione, an excellent student who always abides by school rules and regtions, would take the lead in proposing the n to steal the things of the potion professor...


    "Hermione, are you really not infected by Fred and George to break the school rules?" Ron hesitated and asked in a low voice.


    "I just did it for Harry, just this once!" Hermione red at Ron and said sternly.


    Then, she looked at Harry, "Harry, hurry back to your dormitory and get your invisibility cloak. Let''s go to Snape''s office in the basement of the castle... In addition, I think we need a few helpers."


    That night, Fred and George made a big move in the corridor of the dungeon of Hogwarts Castle.


    They first threw severalrge dung balls at the entrance of the Slytherinmon room, and then set off several exaggerated fireworks outside Snape''s office.


    ording to Fred and George, they had wanted to do this for a long time.


    Snape was so angry that he didn''t sleep at night and rushed out of the office in anger, determined to catch the troublemakers who didn''t take them seriously.


    However, Fred and George had the advantage of the Marauder''s Map. They shuttled back and forth between various secret passages in the castle, fooled Snape around, and took him from the basement to the eighth floor of the main tower without being caught once.


    At the same time, the three young wizards hid in arge invisibility cloak and sneaked into the dungeon of the castle when Snape went out to capture Fred and George.


    "Alohomora."


    Hermione pointed her wand at the lock of the potion material storage room and whispered.


    The lock opened, and Harry, Ron and Hermione pushed the door open and walked in. They saw countless potion materials and many experimental products soaked in jars, some of which were extremely strange and looked particrly creepy.


    "Is it so easy to get in here?" Ron closed the door and asked in confusion, "I thought Snape was very powerful, but I didn''t expect his protective magic to be so poor."


    "Maybe... he never thought that anyone would dare to sneak into his potion storage room?" Harry said uncertainly.


    Hermione frowned and stared at the wand that had just cast the unlocking spell.


    "Why do I feel a little strange..." She whispered, "Snape''s protective magic should not be so fragile. Instead, I feel that it is more like it has been cracked by someone, leaving me with only a most ordinary door lock."


    "Don''t think too much, just get in." Ron said carelessly, "Instead of thinking about these things, you might as well hurry up and help Harry find the gillyweed!"


    "Yeah, that''s right." Hermione nodded in agreement.


    Then, the three little wizards began to search Snape''s potion material storage room inside and out,paring it with the description in the book sent by Cedric, trying to find the gillyweed that Harry would need in a few hours.

 Chapter 272 - 272 Black Lake

    <h4>Chapter 272: ck Lake</h4>


    "Hasn''t Harrye yet?"


    Bagman looked at his watch and asked worriedly at the semi-finals.


    "There''s only one minute left before the game starts, Dumbledore. The warriors of your school don''t seem to be very willing to keep the game time." Karkaroff said coldly.


    "Don''t worry, Professor Karkaroff, the game hasn''t officially started yet, has it?" Dumbledore responded calmly.


    "But the other warriors are ready, and now everyone is waiting for him alone!" Karkaroff said unwillingly.


    Just then, Harry, Ron and Hermione rushed over from the direction of the castle, panting.


    Ron and Hermione ran to the audience seats, while Harry ran straight to thekeside where the other warriors were, holding his knees with both hands, breathing heavily.


    "I... I''m notte, am I?" Harry asked with a chuckle.


    "Where have you been?" A domineering voice suddenly rang out, "Thepetition is about to start!"


    Harry turned his head while panting and saw Percy Weiss sitting at the referee''s table. Mr. Crouch''s position - Mr. Crouch was unable to attend thepetition, so Percy, a young assistant, made an exception and became a judge for the semi-finals.


    Although Percy''s voice and tone sounded a bit domineering and dissatisfied, it also interrupted Karkaroff''s next attack on Harry.


    "Okay, okay, Percy!" Ludo Bagman waved his hand and called Percy, "Let him take a breath!"


    When he saw Harry, it seemed that a stone in his heart fell to the ground. A smile first appeared at the corner of his mouth, but then he became a little worried.


    He was worried that Harry rushed to the scene in such a hurry, whether he was not prepared or did not take the game seriously enough...


    In fact, Harry and the other two took this game very seriously.


    They specially asked Fred and George for help yesterday, and arranged a fireworks show for Snape that seemed particrly logical. By the way, they used dung eggs to baptize the Slytherin students'' lounge, sessfully attracting Snape''s attention and even leading him from the underground to the eighth floor.


    However, Snape has been against students for so many years, and his title of "score crusher" is not in vain.


    Although Snape did not catch Fred and George on the eighth floor of the castle, he soon saw through his n and realized that the two troublemakers suddenly made such a big move today, and they must have other intentions.


    So he rushed down from the eighth floor and returned to his office at a very fast speed.


    Fortunately, Harry, Ron and Hermione had found the sacgrass before he rushed down, and left the potion storage room in time.


    They thought that Snape would not find it so easily if they just took a sacgrass from the potion collection.


    However, Snape was so mad that day that he rushed out of the potion storage room angrily and rushed to the height to block the door of the Gryffindormon room, muttering some inexplicable words:


    "Lacewings, African tree snake skin, two-horned beast feet... I knew that someone had been entering my storage room during this period, and that person must be making polyjuice potion... It must be you, Potter..."


    The matter concerned his own potion materials, and Snape was surprisingly patient and waited outside the Gryffindormon room until dawn.


    As a warrior, Harry did not dare to return to his ownmon room. He could only wear the invisibility cloak and apany Snape outside the door to endure the cold and hunger, but he could not go back to the dormitory to get his own preparations.


    Because of this, Harry did not arrive at the venue until less than a minute before the start of the game.


    ...


    In the referee''s seat, Dumbledore and Professor Hicks smiled at Harry. Although Percy looked a little dissatisfied, the expression in his eyes was also rxed about Harry''s arrival. But Karkaroff and Ms. Maxim seemed unhappy to see him... From the expressions on their faces, they obviously thought he would not show up.


    It seemed inconvenient to pick on a fourteen-year-old child, so Ms. Maxim turned her attention to Drac -


    "Mr. Security Officer, I think you should have understood that today''s game is held in the water." She said, "We can''t see the specific content of the game at all, and the warriors have little chance to send out a distress signal... So I wonder, how can you find the right opportunity to save the warriors from danger?"


    Drac was suddenly mentioned, and looked at Ms. Maxim with some surprise.


    Then, he said casually, "It''s not that I can''t see it, but I''m not ready yet."


    "Prepare?"


    "Indeed, if you can solve something with a little preparation, why think soplicated?" Drac said casually, "Look-"


    I saw an old parchment flying out of Drac''s pocket, and Drac waved his hand, letting the parchment go to the ck Lake.


    Under the perspective of Drac''s light, countless magic nodes gathered together and continued to extend to the bottom of the ck Lake.


    The Hogwarts title deed suddenly rendered a patch of gloomy colors, which were the fragmented light from the depths of the ck Lake.


    The parchment suddenly expanded and grewrger, gradually filling the entire stadium in the shocked and astonished eyes of the audience.


    Then, Drac waved his magic hand and ced the parchment on the side of the stadium where all the audience could easily see it, forming it into a huge projection, ying the situation under the ck Lake in real time.


    "Do you still want to question me now, Ms. Maxim?" Drac looked at her with a smile and said.


    Ms. Maxim and Karkaroff sighed deeply at the same time.


    They felt that the chance of overthrowing Hogwarts was getting slimmer and slimmer.


    ...


    On the field, Ludo Bagman hade to the warriors and told them to line up on the shore, with each person ten feet apart.


    Harry was thest one in line, next to Krum. Krum was wearing a pair of swimming trunks and was shirtless. He had already taken out his wand and was ready.


    "How is it, Harry?" Bagman led Harry a few steps forward, avoiding Krum, and asked in a low voice, "Do you know what you have to do?"


    "I know." Harry panted, while clutching the chinweed in his pocket.


    This was his lifeline.


    "Very good, I wish you sess, Harry." Bagman squeezed Harry''s shoulder hard and turned back to the referee''s table.


    He pointed his wand at his throat, just like in the Quidditch World Cup final, and said, "Loud voice!" Then his voice was like thunder, passing over the darkke and reaching the stands.


    "Listen up, everyone. Our warriors are in position. I''ll blow the whistle and the second task will begin. They have a full hour to take back what was taken from them. I''ll count to three. One... two... three!"


    The sharp whistle echoed in the cold, still air. Cheers and apuse broke out from the stands.


    Krum first used a crude human transformation to turn his head into a giant shark, and then took the lead in jumping into the ck Lake in February, which had not yet entered spring, wearing swimming trunks.


    "Oh? A very clever human transformation. I didn''t expect Mr. Krum''s level of transformation is not inferior to his flying ability!" Bagman said admiringly, "I heard that Durmstrang students are very resistant to cold and can swim in the water in winter, so there is no problem with his choice to jump directly into the cold water."


    Fleur cast a head-bubbling spell on herself, and then also fell into theke gracefully with a slender figure.


    Harry looked at Cedric, who was helping him with the project, and found that he had also chosen the Bubblehead Charm, but he also used partial body transformation to make his hands and feet more suitable for swimming.


    Harry didn''t have time to watch what the other warriors were doing. He just took off his shoes and socks in a few seconds, took out the gillyweed from his pocket, stuffed it into his mouth, and waded into theke.


    Theke water in February had just thawed, and it was freezing cold. The skin on his legs felt hot and painful, as if it was on fire.


    The further he walked, the deeper theke became, and his soaked robe fell heavily. Now theke water was above his knees, and his two rapidly numb feet stepped on the mud and slippery, sticky stones, and kept slipping.


    He chewed the gillyweed quickly and hard, which didn''t feel good. It was tough and slippery, like an octopus''s tentacles. He paused in waist-deep water, swallowed the gillyweed, and waited for a miracle.


    Then, quite suddenly, Harry felt as if an invisible pillow was pressing down on his mouth and nose. When he inhaled, his head was spinning. His lungs were empty, and there was a sudden sharp pain on both sides of his neck -


    Harry quickly grabbed his throat with both hands and felt two narrow cracks under his ears, opening and closing in the cold air... He had gills!


    He did not hesitate and took the only reasonable action - he dived into the water.


    Taking the first sip of coldke water was like getting the oxygen needed for life.


    His head stopped spinning, so he took another deep sip ofke water and felt the water flowing smoothly through his gills, delivering oxygen to his brain.


    He stretched his hands out in front of him and looked at them carefully. They looked a little green under the water, which was very strange, and there were webs connecting the fingers and toes, as if his feet had suddenly be duck webs.


    At the same time, the water was no longer freezing cold... On the contrary, he felt very cool, veryfortable, and his body became very light.


    Harry continued to paddle forward, and he was pleasantly surprised to find that his two webbed feet could enable him to move faster in the water than onnd. He also found that he could see clearly without blinking his eyes.


    Soon, he swam far away and then dived deep into the bottom of theke.


    There seemed to be a cheer from the audience in the distance, and Harry raised the corners of his mouth in relief in the water.


    ...


    In fact, those enthusiastic cheers and screams were not for Harry.


    In addition to Harry, Krum, Fleur and Cedric, John, who was also a warrior, seemed particrly unhurried.


    He stood lightly on the shore, picked up a green leaf in his hand, and gently put it to his mouth.


    "Woo-woo-"


    A strange and melodious blowing sound came from John''s mouth.


    The next moment, the water of the ck Lake seemed to be boiling, countless bubbles emerged from the water, and arge number of ripples appeared on the originally calmke surface.


    "Ssh!"


    A loud sound of water rang out.


    Along with the water sshing all over the sky, arge water monster that looked like a horse and covered with broad-leaved cattails as mane suddenly emerged from theke andnded in front of John, shaking quietly.


    "That''s... that''s..." Bagman, thementator, was so surprised that he couldn''t speak clearly, "It seems to be a horse-shaped water monster!"


    Seeing John grabbing the "mane" of the horse-shaped water monster and stepping on the back of the water monster, as if he was ready to ride such a powerful magical animal into theke, the referee seat couldn''t sit still.


    "This is a 4X-level magical animal. The warriors will never ride such a monster that destroys the bnce to participate in thepetition!" Karkaroff jumped up and protested loudly.


    Ms. Maxim also stood up angrily.


    "Isn''t this a tant use of external objects?" She said loudly, "I don''t agree with him participating in thepetition in this way!"


    "John can tame the magical animals in thepetition venue. Isn''t this his own strength?"


    Professor Hicks also stood up and confronted the two headmasters of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.


    ...


    Harry had no idea what was happening in the referee''s seat.


    Under the reflection of the Hogwarts title deed, the audience saw that Harry had begun to swim in a dark and hazy strange scenery.


    Harry''s ears were silent. He could only see the scene within a radius of ten feet, so every time he paddled in the water, a new scene suddenly emerged from the darkness in front: a jungle of undting and tangled ck water nts, and a wide and t muddy sand scattered with shiny pebbles. He swam deeper and deeper, moving towards the center of theke. His eyes were wide open, looking through the gray, strange waters, at the shadows in the distance, where the waters were dark and hazy.


    He looked far ahead, and there was a patch of green waterweed, two feet deep, like a very densewn. Harry stared ahead without blinking, trying to identify the shapes in the shadows... Just then, without any warning, something grabbed his ankle.


    Harry twisted his body and saw a grindylow - a water monster with horns on its head.


    The grindylow poked its body out of the waterweed, its long nails tightly grasping Harry''s legs, and its mouth showing long pointed teeth.


    Behind the water monster followed an ugly brown-skinned mermaid... It was this mermaid who was driving the grindylows and other water monsters to attack Harry.


    Harry quickly reached his webbed hand into his robes and touched his wand.


    But just as he grabbed the wand, two more grindylows emerged from the weeds, grabbed Harry by his robes, and tried to pull him down.


    "Rshio!"

 Chapter 273 - 273

    <h4>Chapter 273:</h4>


    The audience outside the venue looked at the image on the old parchment. The movements of the five warriors were divided into five boxes, all of which were clearly visible.


    "Harry wanted to use the Leaking Spell to attack the mermaid. It seems that there are some problems with the effect of this spell in the water..." Bagman''s attention was always focused on Harry, and he exined in time after seeing his movements.


    Some of the audience looked at the box where Harry was, and saw that the tip of his wand did not emit the red beam that should have appeared. Instead, a lot of bubbles burst out, and a stream of scorching water touched the ugly mermaid.


    When the water flow touched the mermaid, the mermaid did not show the original state of fatigue, but a few red spots appeared on the brown skin scalded by the hot water, and it seemed that the movement was not affected.


    "We all know that Potter, as the youngest warrior, has not experienced many courses yet. This is due to hisck of experience..." Bagman exined with a worried look on his face, "There is a difference between spells in water and in the air... Unless you are strong enough to be unaffected by water."


    The picture on the parchment changed again-


    Mermares living in hightitudes almost always live in cold water. Although they were not hurt by the hot water, they were furious.


    He opened his mouth. Although the audience could not hear it, they could guess that he made a series of sharp screams.


    Afterwards, more and more ugly brown-skinned mermaids holding steel forks gathered from all directions, driving arge group of Grindylows to surround Harry in the middle.


    If there is no miracle, Harry will definitely not be able to escape from this dense encirclement.


    Gillweed can only make him adapt to moving and breathing in the water, and cannot improve hisbat ability in the water.


    In this case, a little wizard who is only in the fourth grade is obviously no match for the vicious mermaids who have lived in the water since childhood.


    However, the security guard Drac, who waszily floating over the ck Lake, had no intention of helping. He even had the leisure to put a bloody lollipop in his mouth and looked at the greatly expanded Hogwarts title deed with interest.


    Not only Drac looked indifferent, but even the other spectators seemed to not care about Harry''s condition at all... In fact, their attention was focused on another box, and they basically didn''t see what happened to Harry -


    There was a figure riding a majestic horse-shaped water monster, and it really seemed to be riding the wind and waves in the water of the ck Lake, shuttling quickly underwater.


    Such a magical scene was so cool that the little wizards cast envious eyes, imagining that they would also have the opportunity to ride such a cool magical animal and make a big ssh under the gaze of everyone.


    Now in the entire arena, only Bagman and Harry''s Gryffindor friends were worried about Harry who was surrounded.


    "Professor, Harry is about to be attacked by a mermaid. Don''t you n to help him?"


    Hermione and Ron happened to be sitting near Drac floating in the air. Hermione was anxiously looking up and shouting to Drac.


    "Don''t worry, it''s not time for me to take action yet." Drac took the bloody lollipop out of his mouth and said to the little witch in the audience.


    "But..."


    "Didn''t you see that Potter will not be alone soon." Drac said.


    He raised his chin towards another box on the title deed.


    Hermione and Ron looked over and found that two boxes that were originally distinct suddenly trembled, and then the two boxes ovepped in an instant, forming arger box.


    "That''s... John Kowalski!" Ron screamed in surprise.


    In the picture disyed on the deed, the coolest warrior in the field, John Kowalski, rode a water monster, broke through the waves all the way, and rushed into the group of mermaids surrounding Harry.


    The ugly brown-skinned mermaid was blown away by the waves raised by the water monster, and the man and the horse were thrown upside down... or the mermaid was thrown upside down, and in a blink of an eye, this unbreakable encirclement was broken open.


    John rode the water monster quickly to Harry''s side, dragged him to the saddle-shaped waist back of the water monster, and then rushed out of the encirclement of the mermaids again.


    As a 4X-level magical animal known for its water ability, the water monster certainly swims much faster than the mermaids. In a blink of an eye, they got rid of the mermaids'' pursuit, leaving only the sharp and piercing mermaids'' angry screams behind them for a long time...


    Afterpletely getting rid of the mermaids, John put Harry down from the back of the water monster.


    Neither of them had a normal conversation in the water, so John just nced at Harry, made a few gestures, and then gave him a thumbs up.


    Harry understood what John meant.


    Becausest night when Cedric gave him the herbal book that recorded the gillyweed, he had the same expression.


    John also owed Harry a favor for telling him the content of the first project, and helping him today was to repay that favor.


    Seeing that Harry understood what he meant, John smiled and nodded, then rode on the horse-shaped water monster like the wind, and then went to look for the "treasure" mentioned in the golden egg hint.


    Harry was stunned for a while, and then heughed.


    His seemingly stupid "assisting the enemy" behavior in the first game saved his second project.


    I can only say that there are still many good people!


    ...


    Harry smiled knowingly underwater, but the situation on the water surface did not seem calm.


    "Professor Hicks, what do you mean by your warriors?" Karkaroff stood up from the judges'' seat again and questioned angrily, "Are you Yin Famori nning to form an alliance with Hogwarts to suppress us Durmstrang and Beauxbatons?!"


    Their previous conflict had just been suppressed by Dumbledore and Bagman.


    At that time, thanks to Percy''s finding that the warriors could use any items in thepetition venue to help themselves, Karkaroff had no reason to continue making trouble.


    But he had just calmed down for a few minutes, and when he saw the two warriors joining forces, he couldn''t help but want to scold again.


    "I don''t quite understand, Professor Karkaroff, do you have paranoia?" Professor Hicks was not an easy person to deal with, and he stabbed back without giving in, "Is there any problem with a kind person helping others when he sees them in danger?"


    "We don''t want and don''t need to spend time and effort targeting you, Durmstrang!"


    "But this is apetition, not a casual day." Karkaroff was furious and said loudly, "He is helping hispetitors, which is unfair to Kowalski himself and other warriors!"


    "If you have enough personal charm, you can also let other warriors voluntarily help your warriors, instead of jumping around like a clown here." Professor Hicks looked at him contemptuously and shook his head casually.


    "You...you are insulting a referee!" Karkaroff was so angry that his face turned red, and his right hand kept twitching, as if he was forcibly enduring not to pull out his wand to cast a spell.


    Or, if he could win, he might have pulled out his wand long ago.


    But Professor Hicks is a well-known spell master. She was a well-deserved first-tier fighter in the global wizard war against Grindelwald decades ago. She is not as good as Dumbledore, so Karkaroff is really a little scared when facing her.


    "I am also a referee, Karkaroff." Looking at Karkaroff''s expression, Professor Hicks showed a faint smile and corrected, "In my opinion, we just disagree on the judgment of the contestants and have a little friendly conflict."


    Seeing that Karkaroff''s face is still going to get darker, Bagman, as the only official present at the Ministry of Magic, quickly stepped forward to smooth things over for the two.


    "Professor Hicks, Professor Karkaroff, it is normal for the two referees to have conflicting opinions," he said, "but you really don''t need to argue..."


    "Including the previous incident of riding the Equus, since Harry and Mr. Kowalski did not vite the rules, the two warriors cannot be punished;"


    "Simrly, since Mr. Karkaroff thinks their behavior is unfair to other warriors, why not reflect this in the score, this is meaningful, right?"


    Bagman wiped his sweat and felt that all his emotional intelligence in this life was used today.


    Karkaroff snorted coldly and sat back in his chair, which was considered to be an approval of Bagman''s statement.


    It can be imagined that he will severely suppress the scores of other contestants in this game...


    In the audience not far away, the young wizards did not know that a fight almost broke out on the referee''s side. They were still looking at the huge old parchment with great interest, and carefully watching the wonderful operations of the five warriors in theke.


    Of course, the most eye-catching one is still John riding the Equus.


    Before the other warriors had swum far, he had already ridden the water monster across arge area of ??the ck Lake.


    "It''s strange, why didn''t I see Rolfe to watch the game? I was waiting to ask him about the details of the handsome water monster his cousin rode!"


    In the audience of Hufflepuff College, Justin Finch-Fletchley, who was born as a Muggle and was in the same ss as Rolf and Harry, looked around and said with some disappointment.


    "Yes, this game is so interesting, it would be a pity if Rolf didn''te." Susan Bones nodded and agreed.


    "Maybe Rolf has gone to another college?" Ernie Macmin guessed, "Hasn''t he been hanging out with that crazy girl from Ravenw?"


    Just as the little wizards of Hufflepuff kept guessing, a voice suddenly rang in their ears:


    "Don''t guess, he has other more important tasks today."


    Ernie, Susan and Justin turned their heads and saw Drac''s iconic silver hair and ck and red cloak.


    "Professor Drac, you finally wandered over here?" Susan said in surprise, "We were just wondering, you almost floated around the stadium, why haven''t youe to Hufflepuff yet!"


    Drac''s mouth twitched, always feeling that the little witch used words like "wandering" and "floating" to describe herself, but he couldn''t find anything worth refuting.


    Fortunately, Ernie MacMin on the side quickly changed the subject, so that Drac didn''t have to worry about how to refute Susan''s description.


    "Professor, did you just say that Rolf had other more important tasks?" Ernie asked, "What tasks could he have? It''s not to tame another kelp?"


    "That''s not the case." Drac looked at the picture on the title deed, smiled and shook his head, "But judging from Kowalski''s progress, you should know soon."


    On the title deed, therge square formed by Harry and John split into two again.


    At present, John is still far ahead, riding the sea monster and searching everywhere.


    Among the other four warriors, Harry''s progress is the fastest.


    On the one hand, the effect of the scap is indeed good. He carefully avoided the search of the mermaids in theke and swam quickly with his palms and flippers that have adapted to the aquatic environment.


    On the other hand, when Harry was rescued by John, he also took the sea monster as a ride, and rode for a long distance, so he opened arge gap with the other three.


    From the perspective of exploration progress, the remaining three warriors are Krum, who has turned into a shark head and is very good at swimming, and the progress is the fastest; Cedric, whobines the Bubble Head Curse with human body deformation, is second; Fleur, who only uses a Bubble Head Curse, is at the end.


    Fleur''s swimming skills are actually not worse than Krum''s. In addition, her body is slender and slim, and the resistance is very small. The maximum speed is even faster than Krum.


    But she was not a student of Durmstrang, a school built at a highertitude. She could not adapt to cold water as well as Krum. The coldke water in February reduced her body function by arge margin, and she could not exert her full strength at all.


    Seeing another group of mermaids surrounding the slow-moving Fleur, Justin Finch-Fletchley, who was nervously watching the deed screen, became a little anxious.


    "Why are these ugly mermaids again? They are so hateful!" he said indignantly, "and these mermaids simply ruined all my fantasies about mermaids, woo woo..."


    "Oh?" Drac became interested, "What fantasies can you have about mermaids?"


    "I originally thought that mermaids were the kind of mermaids in fairy tales - the kind with long hair and good figures." Justin murmured sadly,


    "But the mermaids in the ck Lake here at Hogwarts are not beautiful at all - iron-gray skin, shaggy hair, iplete teeth..."


    "Sure enough, fairy tales are all lies!"

 Chapter 274 - 274 Under the Lake

    <h4>Chapter 274: Under the Lake</h4>


    "In fact, the mermaids that Muggles imagine do exist..."


    Drac nced at the sad Justin Finch-Fletchley and said casually, "They may have seen mermaids in warm waters and recorded the images of those mermaids."


    "Are the mermaids in warm waters different from the mermaids in the ck Lake?" Justin''s eyes showed a glimmer of hope again, "Are there any mermaids with long hair and very beautiful hair?"


    "Of course, the species of mermaids is still more pleasing to the eye." Drac smiled indifferently, "Including temper, appearance and character are much better than those mermaids in cold water areas."


    Speaking of this, Drac couldn''t help but raise a mocking arc at the corner of his mouth.


    He had a big conflict with the mermaid tribe, and even personally transformed a mermaid leader into the lowest blood servant among vampires, causing thatrge mermaidmunity to fall into serious civil strife.


    The thing is, in 1811, the then Minister of Magic, Grogan Stump, set a new definition of "human", and the magicmunity reached a consensus to define "beast" together -


    Humans, that is, wizards and Muggles, as well as goblins, vampires, hags, giants, house elves, ve and werewolves in human form were all ssified into this category.


    However, centaurs and mermen refused to be called "humans" because they were unwilling to share the name of "human" with vampires and hags, and voluntarily were ssified as "beasts".


    At that time, these two groups who had no ability but were very self-righteous made Drac very angry.


    He directly picked the two most lively mermaid and centaur groups, easily transformed the leaders of the two groups into blood servants, and then stayed out of it, admiring what those races who thought they were very noble would be after their leaders became vampires that they looked down upon.


    Drac''s expectations were not disappointed. The two leaders could not control their desire to suck blood and were soon exposed to the eyes of their tribesmen.


    After the mermen and centaurs of the two groups found that their leaders had be lowly vampires, they quickly fell into civil strife. Countless lower-ss centaurs and mermen wanted to overthrow the rule of the leaders and maintain the purity of the tribe...


    "It''s ridiculous that the most arrogant and self-conceited mermaid poption is not those pleasing warm water mermaids, but these cold water monsters." Drac sneered, "I really can''t understand what they have to be proud of."


    Justin, Ernie MacMin and Susan Bones shivered at the same time.


    They felt that the temperature around them, which was not very warm, suddenly dropped several degrees and became extremely cold.


    Justin shivered and nced at the picture on the Hogwarts title deed, watching those ugly mermaids surrounding Fleur Dcour, whose ankles were entangled by water nts, and silently gave them a pitying look.


    Sure enough, Drac suddenly flew up from the Hufflepuff audience just before the mermaid''s fork was about to touch Fleur.


    He appeared above the ck Lake in an instant, with a faint sneer on his lips, and waved his wand violently.


    The next moment, in the horrified eyes of the crowd, theke water set off a huge wave, and a huge water column shot into the sky, almost swallowing up half of the sky.


    A huge water wall stood high on theke, with clouds and snow, and the whole ck Lake seemed to be suddenly divided into two halves!


    One half was a huge water wall, and the other half was an unfathomable abyss.


    The Hogwarts title deed, which had been magnified countless times, seemed like a small building in front of the Skylon Towerpared to the water wall of theke, standing there tremblingly, no longer as imposing as before.


    In the picture on the deed, you can see that Fleur Dcour, who was entangled in water nts and wrapped by mermaids, suddenly had a beam of sunlight shining on her silver hair and the already dim light in her eyes.


    Then, a waterspout quietly formed at the bottom of theke, cutting the water nts in half, and then lifted Fleur''s body to the surface of theke.


    The waterspout swept a group of mermaids into it at some point, like a drum washing machine, tossing those ugly mermaids and their pet Grindylows around, shaking them all over, and many of them lost consciousness directly.


    Justin, who had been standing with Drac not long ago, swallowed his saliva.


    "Professor Drac must have done it on purpose, right?" He whispered to Susan and Ernie beside him.


    Susan and Ernie nodded silently, agreeing deeply.


    "Ahem... Professor Drac, stop your magic for a while."


    Dumbledore stood up from the judges'' seat and coughed twice, "Actually, I have reached an agreement with the mermaids. They are just pretending and will not really hurt Miss Dcour."


    "Do you dare to believe what these guys say?" Drac turned his head and raised his eyebrows to look at Dumbledore, "They have done many things to backstab others. If it were me, I would definitely not make any agreement with them."


    "Don''t worry, we have signed an unbreakable contract, and they can''t vite it." Dumbledore said helplessly, "Theoretically speaking, these mermaids can also be regarded as staff members of the semi-finals..."


    "So that''s it!" Drac blinked his eyes and pretended to be enlightened, but the waterspout on the water did not show any intention of stopping.


    But Drac''s expression was too innocent. Justin and the other three Hufflepuff wizards could not tell that the petty professor was thinking of the previous feud with the mermaids and wanted to teach them a lesson.


    Seeing that Drac did not want to take back the magic, Dumbledore had no choice but to personally wave his wand to pull the mermaids out of the waterspout.


    Poor mermaids, they were still unconscious when Dumbledore put them back into the water. I''m afraid they won''t wake up for a while.


    Watching the mermaids return to the water, Drac pouted his lips in boredom, waved his hand, and smashed the water wall on theke back onto the water, making a deafening "boom".


    Dumbledore shook his head helplessly again and waved his wand again to calm theke.


    At this time, the rescued Fleur was also released from the waterspout by Drac, and Madam Pomfrey was running over in a hurry to check the warrior''s physical condition.


    "Professor, can you please save my sister? She''s not even ten years old yet!" Fleur shouted to Drac anxiously before Madam Pomfrey came to check.


    "Huh? What happened to your sister?" Drac asked casually as he descended from the sky.


    He snapped his fingers, and Fleur''s wet body immediately became dry as if she had not been in the water.


    "My sister, Gabrielle Dcour, must have been captured by the mermaid." Fleur said anxiously, "I found out early this morning that Gabrielle had disappeared. Considering the hint given by the golden egg, I have guessed that she is my ''treasure'' mentioned in the hint."


    "But I have lost the qualification to continue thepetition, and there is no way to rescue Gabrielle... If she is not rescued in an hour, theke will drown her!"


    Drac looked at Fleur, who was extremely anxious and extremely pale, with interest, and was a little curious whether this half-blooded ve would turn into a sharp bird''s beak in extreme anxiety.


    "Ahem..." Dumbledore''s cough interrupted Drac''s thoughts.


    Drac looked up and saw that Dumbledore was being questioned by Beauxbatons''s headmaster, Ms. Maxime, on the judges'' bench. He was almost in a hurry.


    He finally put aside his thoughts of watching the show and said to Fleur:


    "Well, actually your sister will be fine. It''s just a game. There''s no need to risk her life."


    "But many people died in the previous semi-finals!" Fleur was still full of anxiety, pacing back and forth, as if she wanted to jump into the ck Lake again at any time.


    "How about this," Drac saw that Fleur was still worried, so he had to add, "If your sister hasn''t been rescued after an hour, I will rescue her myself, how about it?"


    Fleur was relieved and let Madam Pomfrey, who had just arrived, take her to check.


    Drac''s strength has been verified by everyone. If this powerful security guard who vited the rules agrees to rescue Gabrielle, then Gabrielle''s safety should be guaranteed... Furong thought so.


    Even if one warrior was eliminated, thepetition still continued.


    The mermaid''s song to remind thepetition time sounded under the ck Lake-


    "There is only one hour to find and take back the objects we took away... Don''t dy any longer, half of the time has passed, lest the things you are looking for rot here..."


    Thepetition time has passed halfway, and the first warrior who found the "treasure" finally appeared.


    As expected, it was John Kowalski riding a horse-shaped water monster.


    At this time, from the Hogwarts title deed, which was restored to be the tallest building on the scene after the water wall disappeared, it can be seen that John swam to a ce that looked like a vige.


    He looked around and drove the horse-shaped water monster to swim quickly.


    There are many stone dwellings around, and they are still increasing. Gradually, the shapes of the dwellings became more and more exquisite. Some of them were surrounded by gardens - some spaces where water nts and lotus pods were nted.


    Some of the dwellings had small green lodi tied in front of their doors, like a guard dog.


    Mermen emerged from all directions, looking at John curiously. When they saw the horse-shaped water monster under John, they all showed vignce in their eyes. Some mermaids took out steel forks from the house, and some covered their mouths with their hands and whispered.


    John quickly turned a corner and arrived at a very strange scene.


    That ce seemed to be the square of a small mermaid vige, surrounded by some houses, and arge group of mermaids floating in front of the houses.


    Some mermaids in the middle were singing in unison, calling the warriors toe over. Behind them stood a rough statue: a big mermaid carved from a huge stone. Five people were tied tightly to the tail of the mermaid stone statue.


    Most of these people''s faces were familiar, including Cho Chang, Ginny, Rolf, and a little girl with cloud-like silver hair.


    The audiencepared the silver hair with Fleur''s, and soon realized that the little girl, who was no more than eight years old, was Fleur''s sister, Gabrielle Dcour.


    In addition to these four little wizards, there was an older wizard wearing the uniform of the Bulgarian Quidditch National Quidditch Team.


    The five of them looked very asleep, their heads drooping weakly on their shoulders, and a string of thin bubbles kepting out of their mouths.


    "Ginny! Why is she there?" Ron in the audience eximed, "And, isn''t that Hilma Dennison? It seems to be Krum''s best friend in the Bulgarian national team."


    He turned his head to look at Hermione, but found that Hermione''s face was a little red.


    "What''s wrong with you, Hermione?" Ron asked curiously.


    "Nothing..." Hermione covered her face with both hands and shook her head heavily.


    What she didn''t tell Ron was that the staff of the semi-finals originally intended to find her as Krum''s "treasure".


    But because of the conflict with Ron some time ago, and Harry''s dilemma of not being able to find a way to deal with the game, Hermione deeply realized that her two friends might need her more than Krum.


    So she rejected the invitation of the staff and chose to stay in the library with Harry and Ron to find a way to deal with the second game.


    The staff of the semi-finals had no choice but to settle for the second best and found Krum''s best friend in the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team... or only friend, and arranged her as Krum''s "treasure" in the depths of theke.


    At this time, in the picture on the title deed, John keenly realized what he should do.


    So he took out his wand from his pocket, put it close to the rope wrapped around Rolf, and silently read:


    "Diffindo."


    As an experienced adult wizard, he was obviously much more effective in using spells in water than Harry.


    Although this cutting spell was not as powerful as the one on the ground, it was enough to cut the rope on Rolf.


    After rescuing Rolf, John drove the Kelpie to hover above the water without hesitation, causing violent waves.


    "Okay, our first warrior has seeded!" Bagman shouted loudly on thementary stand, "Mr. John Kowalski, he rescued his partner in less than forty minutes!"


    After John surfaced, the whole audience burst into warm cheers.


    He smiled a little tiredly, put Rolf on the shore, and waved to the Kelpie.


    The 4X-level magical animal turned around in ce and disappeared into the deepke.


    However, unlike the excited and cheering audience, Fleur, who was sitting in the medical tent, looked a little lost -


    She thought other warriors would help her rescue her sister.


    "No need to look depressed." Dracughed softly and said to her.


    "Even if other warriors don''t save your sister, there will still be a fool in this game who will save those who have nothing to do with him despite the advice of others."

 Chapter 275 - 275 The silly boy in the semifinals

    <h4>Chapter 275: The silly boy in the semifinals</h4>


    More than half of the time has passed. The current situation on the field is that one warrior has been eliminated and one warrior has sessfully rescued his partner.


    The game is still going on.


    There are still three warriors in the ck Lake who are still swimming hard, looking for the "treasure" in the hint given by the golden egg.


    Finally, when there are only a dozen minutes left before the one-hour limit, Harry swam to the mermaid vige where John had been before, swinging his webbed fingers and breathing with the gill pouches on the outside of his neck.


    He swam past the mermaids cautiously, fearing that these guys who raised Grindylows would suddenly stop him, and quickly bypassed the mermaids singing in the small square and swam to the rough stone statue.


    On the tail of the big mermaid carved from a huge stone, one of the five people who were originally tied tightly was rescued, and now there are still four people left who have not been rescued.


    "Ginny!"


    Harry saw the little witch with fiery red hair at a nce.


    He swam hard towards the hostages, and was careful to watch out for the groups of mermaids nearby.


    Harry thought the mermaids would attack him with steel forks, but fortunately, they kept their promise to Dumbledore and did not do so.


    The ropes that tied the hostages to the statue were made of seaweed, thick, slippery, and very strong. Moreover, these ropes were tied with countless strange knots inside and outside, which could not be untied in a short time.


    However, after the test just now, Harry did not have the ability to use spells smoothly in the water, and could not use the cutting spell to cut the rope. After all, he could not even cast a silent spell... Now he just wished he had a knife with him.


    Harry looked around, and many mermaids around the hostages held sharp steel forks in their hands.


    So he swam quickly towards a seven-foot-tall mermaid with a long green beard and a short ne made of shark teeth, and gestured to borrow its spear.


    The mermaidughed and shook his head.


    "We can''t help." He said in a hoarse and low voice in the water.


    "Bring it here!" Harry said viciously.


    But only some bubbles came out of his mouth, and no sound came out at all.


    He swam forward a few feet quickly, grabbed the steel fork in the merman''s hand, and tried hard to take it from him.


    But even though Harry had taken the scimitar grass to adapt to the water environment, his strength was obviously not as great as that of the merman who swam in the water all year round.


    The mermaid easily pulled the steel fork back, then threw Harry aside casually, and thenughed, as if mocking the weakness of this so-called "warrior".


    However, Harry had no time to be angry about this. He turned around in the water eagerly, and then looked around, trying to find a sharp object... anything would do...


    Fortunately, there were some fragments of stone pieces scattered on the bottom of theke, some of which were quite sharp.


    Harry dived down, grabbed a particrly sharp piece, and returned to the statue.


    He used a stone to smash the rope that bound Ginny, but even so, it took him several minutes, until his arms were sore before he finally broke the rope.


    Ginny closed her eyes, floating unconsciously a few inches above the bottom of theke, drifting with the waves.


    Harry took a few breaths with the cheek pouches on the side of his neck, looking around nkly.


    John should have rescued a hostage, but the other warriors were still nowhere to be seen.


    Harry hesitated.


    He heard a voice in his heart saying that as long as Ginny was rescued, the other hostages were the tasks of other warriors and had nothing to do with him.


    Moreover, ording to the situation that there were four people left, John must have only taken one person away... John, who had such a powerful helper, only took one person away, so why did he have to care about those trivial matters?


    Harry pulled Ginny''s arm and prepared to take her back to the shore.


    At this moment, he caught a glimpse of a long, smooth ck hair still tied to the stone statue from the corner of his eye¡ª¡ª


    Qiu Zhang.


    Harry''s memory suddenly went back to the second grade, when he was obsessed with this girl.


    Even though he has let go of this youthful period now, it is not so easy topletely let go of it as if they were strangers... Moreover, he was able to get to this point thanks to Cedric.


    Harry stopped swimming with his paddles.


    His eyes moved, and he suddenly thought that John certainly didn''t need to rescue the others¡ª¡ª


    When John came here, it was still early for the one-hour limit, and what he was thinking in his mind must be to finish the game as soon as possible, not to doubt that other warriors could not rescue their "treasures"...


    If there were not only ten minutes left before the hour, Harry would not have doubted whether other warriors coulde to this position.


    However, if it was true as the mermaid''s song said, those hostages would "rot here" after the one-hour limit, then he couldn''t just sit back and watch!


    Harry gritted his teeth, suddenly turned around and swam back to the statue, picked up the sharp stone and hit the rope on Qiu Zhang.


    The next moment, several pairs of thick, gray-brown hands grabbed him.


    Six or seven mermaids pulled him away from Qiu Zhang, shaking their green-haired heads and pulling him viciously.


    "You can only take your own hostages," one of the mermaids said to him, "Don''t worry about others..."


    "No!" Harry shouted angrily, but only two bubbles came out of his mouth.


    "Your project is to rescue your own friends, don''t worry about others!" said the mermaid.


    "She is my friend too!" Harry pointed at Qiu Zhang and shouted, arge silver bubble silently came out from his lips, "and I don''t want others to die!"


    Qiu Zhang''s face was pale, and his long hair fluttered gently in the water. The little girl with silver hair had blue cheeks and looked lifeless.


    Harry struggled to get rid of the mermaids, but they pulled harder and pulled him back.


    His chest was heaving violently, and he looked around desperately.


    Where were the other warriors? If he sent Ginny to the surface and then came back to rescue Qiu Zhang and the others, would it be toote? Could he still find them?


    He looked down at his watch, wondering how much time was left... but his watch had long been soaked in the water and the hands were motionless.


    Just then, the mermaids around him suddenly pointed excitedly above Harry''s head, making bursts of sharp cries.


    Harry looked up and saw Cedric swimming towards them.


    There was a huge bubble around Cedric''s head, making his facial features look stretched and widened, which was very funny.


    "Sorry, I just got lost!" He said with his mouth, and his expression was also very nervous, "Fleur and Krum should be here soon."


    Harry felt a stone fell to the ground, and he looked at Cedric with some envy as he took out his wand from his pocket, used a silent spell to turn a stone into a knife, and quickly cut the rope and rescued Qiu Zhang.


    After cutting the rope, Cedric turned around and nodded to Harry, pulling Qiu Zhang upstream and soon disappeared.


    Harry looked around and waited.


    He had to make sure Fleur and Krum rescued theirpanions in time to prevent the time from exceeding an hour and causing any idents to the hostages...


    ...


    On the shore, outside the medical tent, Fleur looked at the picture on the Hogwarts title deed standing in the distance with red eyes.


    "Is this the friend Rolf made at Hogwarts?" John also came to the medical tent, stood beside Fleur, and sighed softly, "He is indeed a silly boy, but he has to be admired."


    He came here after rescuing Rolf and handed Rolf to Madam Pomfrey for a physical examination.


    "Am I right? There will be a fool to save your sister." Drac chuckled, "I may be able to guess why Dumbledore likes him so much."


    On the judges'' bench, Professor Hicks turned his head to look at Dumbledore and smiled softly.


    "Albus, your Hogwarts warrior gave up the second ce, why do you seem to be so happy?" she asked.


    "Oh, nothing, I suddenly thought of something happy." Dumbledore said, and he couldn''t hide the smile on his face.


    ...


    In the depths of the ck Lake, another warrior came to the square where the hostages were.


    Harry turned around and saw a huge monster swimming towards them, with a human body below, wearing swimming trunks, and a shark''s head above... It was Krum.


    It seemed that he wanted to do a human transformation on himself, but it was not very sessful... or only half sessful.


    Even so, being able to achieve half of the human transformation is also quite outstanding.


    Half-man, half-shark, Krum swam straight towards his teammate on the Bulgarian national team, Hilmar Denison.


    Harry had a feeling that Krum seemed a little disappointed when he saw that his "treasure" was Hilmar, as if he had thought that the hostage here should be someone else.


    After Krum arrived next to Hilmar, he was a little confused. He used his shark''s mouth to pull and bite the rope on his body... The problem was that Krum''s new teeth had a strange structure, and he had a hard time biting anything smaller than a dolphin.


    And Harry was sure that Krum''s movements were not careful. He almost tore Hilmar in half... Harry rushed forward, patted Krum''s shoulder heavily, and raised the sharp stone.


    Krum grabbed it and started to chop and smash the rope on Hilmar''s body.


    It turned out that Krum was much stronger than Harry, and he seeded in a few seconds.


    He grabbed his teammate''s waist and took him to the surface quickly without looking back.


    Now there was only one hostage left, the little girl with silver hair.


    Fleur hasn''te yet, what should I do? Harry thought anxiously.


    He was not sure when the game time would reach one hour. It seemed that Fleur must have encountered some trouble... There was no other way now, only...


    Outside the medical tent, Fleur looked at the picture on the title deed nervously. Harry grabbed the stone that Krum had thrown and came to Gabrielle Dcour.


    But the mermaids gathered around Ginny and Gabrielle, shaking their heads at Harry.


    Harry pulled out his wand viciously.


    "Get out of the way!" A string of bubbles came out of his mouth.


    But he clearly realized that the mermaids understood what he meant, because their expressions suddenly changed, and their turbid yellow eyes stared at Harry''s wand, looking very scared.


    They were inrge numbers, and Harry was alone.


    But Harry saw from the panic on their faces that they seemed to be afraid of magic... Just twenty minutes ago, the mermaid he faced had not shown such emotions.


    Bagman, who was sitting in thementary booth, had a strange expression on his face as he looked at Drac standing on the shore.


    "Obviously, these mermaids are afraid of the wand in Mr. Potter''s hand..." he said, "If I''m guessing correctly, it should be that the spell used by Professor Drac to rescue Fleur not long ago left a great shock to the mermaids underwater, making them have an unprecedented awe of magic..."


    In the depths of the ck Lake, Harry raised his wand high above his head.


    "I''ll count to three!" he shouted, and arge string of bubbles spurted out of his mouth.


    Harry raised three fingers to make sure they understood what he meant.


    "One!" He put down one finger, and the mermaids looked at him nkly, but hesitated and did not move.


    "Two..." He put down the second finger.


    The mermaids finally couldn''t suppress the fear in their hearts, and scattered, and from time to time they looked back at the wand in Harry''s hand, fearing that he would suddenly attack.


    Harry rushed forward and chopped the rope on Gabrielle''s body like he did when he rescued Ginny.


    Finally, Gabrielle was free too.


    Harry picked up Ginny and Gabrielle, two little witches, in one hand each, and kicked off from the bottom of theke.


    Even with the effect of the scap, it was still very difficult for Harry to swim to the surface with the two girls, especially when both hands could not paddle smoothly.


    Fortunately, the weight of the two little girls was very light, so he could barely support himself.


    Harry pped his webbed feet desperately, but after a few minutes, he found that these feet had turned back into ordinary human feet again...


    His heart sank suddenly, realizing that an hour had passed.


    The mermaids swam up with him, and Harry saw them swimming around him lightly and freely, watching him struggling in the water... Now the time is up, will they pull him back to the bottom of the water? Will they eat people?


    Harry was getting more and more out of breath, and all kinds of terrible spections kept emerging in his mind...


    He began to realize very clearly how wet and cold theke water in his mouth was... His consciousness gradually became faint, and the two slender little witches in his hands seemed to have turned into two heavy lead balls...


    "Professor, Potter seems to have no strength..." Fleur''s eyes were red, and she stood up from her seat and said to Drac anxiously, "Please save them quickly!"


    Drac frowned, and seemed a little dissatisfied with the result. But he nodded and took a step forward.


    At this moment, John suddenly stopped Drac''s action.


    He picked up a leaf that he had been holding in his hand for a long time and yed a melodious melody.

 Chapter 276 - 276 The second project ended

    <h4>Chapter 276: The second project ended</h4>


    Just before Harry fell into aa, he seemed to hear a broad, whistling cry.


    "Woo¡ª¡ª"


    The cry was getting closer and closer, and it seemed that a horse-shaped water monster with broad-leaved cattails as mane broke through the waves in theke, and in an instant came under Harry, carrying him to the top of theke.


    Maybe a few minutes passed, or maybe just a moment passed, Harry suddenly felt his head out of the water, and the wonderful, fresh, cool air brushed across his wet face.


    He suddenly woke up, swallowing the air in big gulps, feeling that he had never breathed well in his life.


    The horse-shaped water monster used its head to support Harry''s back, and used its body to support Ginny and Gabrielle, and swam to the shore.


    Then, it swung its tail, threw them on the shore, and turned around without looking back and disappeared into theke.


    Harry panted heavily and managed to stand up on the sand on the shore. He immediately went to check on Ginny and Gabrielle. He was worried that if he stayed for more than an hour, something might happen to the hostages captured by the two mermaids.


    Just then, a cheer came from the stands.


    The audience was full of people, and the little wizards were shouting and yelling, and they all seemed to stand up.


    Harry didn''t know what they were cheering for, and guessed that they probably thought Ginny and the silver-haired girl were dead... Fortunately, they weren''t. Ginny and Gabrielle both opened their eyes.


    Gabrielle opened her eyes and saw a strange face, looking terrified and confused, while Ginny smoothed her long red hair and blinked at Harry a few times in the bright sunlight.


    "You did it, didn''t you?" Then she saw Fleur''s sister, her smile faded a little, and she puffed her lips, "Why did you bring her up?"


    "Fleur didn''t show up, I couldn''t leave her down there." Harry panted and answered, "What if no one rescued her, and she would lose her life like the mermaid sang?"


    "You''re stupid!" Ginny said angrily and amusedly, "How could the professors allow such a thing to happen? After more than a hundred years, the Four Finals Tournament was finally held, and the Ministry of Magic would not want any idents to happen."


    "But just in case..." Harry lowered his head and said in a mosquito-like voice.


    "That song is just to get you back within the specified time!" Ginny emphasized, "I hope you didn''t waste time trying to be a hero down there, affecting your ranking."


    Originally, Ginny was a little angry at Harry for saving others, but when she saw Harry''s discouraged expression, she couldn''t helpughing.


    "Okay, I know you''re a good person." Ginny smiled, "At least you seeded in this game, I know you can do it."


    "Actually..." Harry hesitated for a moment, wanting to tell the truth that he was helped by Cedric and John Kowalski.


    However, at this moment, Madam Pomfrey and several nurses from the school infirmary came over in a fuss. Krum, Fleur, Cedric and Qiu Zhang, all the people who had been in the water, came over, most of them wrapped in thick nkets.


    Dumbledore and Ludo Bagman walked down from the stands and looked at them with a smile.


    Percy''s face was pale, as if he rarely showed concern for them. He looked a little more pleasing than his usual stern image, and rushed over to greet them impatiently.


    At the same time, Madame Maxime was trying hard to hold Fleur Dcour - Fleur was too worried about her sister and struggled desperately to jump into the water.


    "Gabrielle! Gabrielle! Is she still alive? Is she injured?" She kept asking.


    "She''s fine..." Harry wanted to tell her loudly, but he was so tired that he could hardly say a coherent sentence, let alone shout loudly for Fleur to hear.


    Percy supported Ginny and pulled her to the shore. Ginny seemed reluctant to leave Harry... But Harry was immediately caught by Madam Pomfrey and wrapped in a thick nket like the other warriors.


    Then she forced a hot potion into Harry''s mouth, and suddenly, streams of hot air came out of his ears.


    The head nurse''s stimnt was as effective as ever, making Harry''s condition, which was originally so tired that he almost fainted on the spot, much better, at least enough to support him to walk to the medical tent.


    Of course, before hepletely fainted, Harry wanted to hear his score again.


    The judges gathered together again and decided to give the final score after discussion.


    The warriors and theirpanions were arranged in the medical tent and cared for by Madam Pomfrey.


    "You saved her!" Fleur walked quickly to Harry''s side as soon as they entered the tent, almost breathless with excitement, "You saved my sister, Gabrielle, even though she is not your partner!"


    "Yeah..." Harry said in a somewhat depressed mood.


    He really wished that he had not been a hero at the time, and just let them be tied to the stone statue... If so, maybe he could get a better ranking.


    However, the next moment, Fleur suddenly lowered her head and kissed Harry on each cheek twice.


    Harry''s face instantly turned red.


    Ginny''s face also turned red, and it was red with anger.


    "What are you doing?!" She asked angrily.


    "This is just amon etiquette in our France, little girl." Fleur turned sideways and looked at Ginny and Harry with an intriguing look, "If you think there is a problem, you can also kiss twice as a reward for Ali saving you!"


    Ginny''s face turned even redder, turned around, and decided not to pay attention to this shameless woman.


    "Ahem... Well, my name is Harry, not Ali." Harry felt a little embarrassed and didn''t know what to say, so he had to change the subject by using the pronunciation of his name.


    "Oh, I forgot that the letter ''h'' here has to be pronounced." Fleur nodded in understanding, "English is such a troublesomenguage..."


    Harry thought for a moment and said he didn''t agree.


    He always felt that the French habit of not pronouncing the consonant letter "h" but pronouncing the English "h" with the letter "r" was more troublesome...


    Just before they had time to debate their respectivenguage habits, Ludo Bagman''s voice, amplified by magic, suddenly rang in their ears, startling them and causing the audience in the stands to suddenly quiet down.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, we have finally made a decision--"


    Bagman said loudly, "Based on the real-time broadcast of the ck Lake by Professor Drac and the retelling of what happened underwater by Merkus, the mermaid leader, we have decided to give the warriors the following scores based on a full score of 60..."


    "Although Fleur Dcour showed excellent use of the Bubblehead Curse, she was attacked by Greenlodi when approaching the target and failed to sessfully rescue the hostages-we give her 32 points."


    There was a sparse apuse from the stands, most of which should be apuded because of Fleur''s beauty.


    "I should have scored zero points." Fleur shook her pretty cheeks and said hoarsely.


    "Cedric Diggory also used the Bubblehead Charm, but he also added some human body transformation." Bagman continued, "In addition, he was the second to return with hostages, and he was also the only two warriors toplete thepetition within the stipted time of one hour."


    "Therefore, we give him 54 points!"


    The Hufflepuff students in the crowd cheered enthusiastically, the sound was deafening.


    Harry saw that not far from him, Cho Zhang looked at Cedric with a fiery look.


    Then, Harry suddenly looked at the silent Krum and realized something in his heart.


    If ording to Bagman, among the five warriors, only Cedric and Johnpleted thepetition within the stipted time, then he must have exceeded the time limit long ago.


    That is to say, his cheekbone grass was good enough to make his transformationst for more than an hour.


    "Viktor Krum used Transfiguration, which was iplete but still effective," Bagman continued confidently, "He was the third to return with the hostages. Although he was two minutes overtime, it was fast enough... We give him 50 points."


    Karkaroff pped his hands very vigorously, looking very proud, as if Krum''s defeat in the first game had lowered his goal a lot.


    "Finally, there are two warriors whose scores are quite controversial. One of them is John Kowalski..." Bagman continued, "He used a tamed kelpie to help him finish the game first."


    "But! Some judges believed that he used tools outside the game and his personal ability could not be reflected, so they gave him a low score... Mr. Kowalski''s final score is 50 points."


    There was an uproar in the audience, and Bagman in thementary booth nced at Karkaroff inconspicuously.


    In fact, Karkaroff ignored the opinions of other judges and gave John zero points, so that he lost the chance to be the first ce in this project.


    It can be seen that Professor Hicks''s face was not good, and many students of Yin Famo Ni also protested loudly.


    No one would look very good in such a situation. Professor Hicks had already scored Krum fairly and impartially, and then Karkaroff, who had promised to do well, suddenly stabbed her in the back and gave John zero points...


    Now, twopletely unequal warriors got the same score.


    Professor Hicks clenched his wand, as if waiting for the game to endpletely at any time, and nned to teach Karkaroff a lesson that he would never forget.


    "Harry Potter used Gillyweed and achieved amazing results." Bagman continued to read, "He was thest one to return, far exceeding the one-hour stipted time... However, Mr. Potter was the second to find the hostages."


    "He failed to return in time because he wanted to ensure that all the hostages returned safely, rather than just caring about his ownpanions... This is an extremely noble character. For me personally, I quite appreciate his behavior."


    Bagman smiled triumphantly, not hiding the fact that he had just given Harry a perfect score of ten.


    "If everyone is like Bagman, there may still be hope." Ginny looked at Harry with half regret and half sympathy, and said to him.


    "In fact, most of the judges," Bagman nced at Karkaroff with great dissatisfaction at this point, "they all think that this fully reflects the noble moral character. However... Mr. Potter''s score is 49 points."


    However, Harry was very satisfied, and his heart jumped for joy - at least this time he was not much behind Cedric and Krum, almost a tie.


    Ginny stared at Harry nkly, then rxed,ughed happily, and pped hard with the other spectators.


    "You are awesome, Harry!" Ginny shouted in the noise, "So you are not being a hero - you are being moral!"


    Fleur was also pping hard, but Krum didn''t seem very happy, and hardly said a word to his teammates, just looking at Hermione and Ron standing in the stands.


    But Hermione was so busy cheering for Harry that she didn''t notice him at all.


    Harry thought for a moment, stood up and walked to John Kowalski''s side.


    John turned his head to look at him, with a friendly smile on his face, "What''s wrong, Harry?"


    "During thatst period...you asked the Kelpie to pick me up, right?" Harry asked in a low voice.


    "It''s obvious, isn''t it?" John smiled. "In fact, Professor Drac was going to save you, but I suddenly thought that if the safety officer took action, you would have used up your chance to ask for help and would be judged as a failure..."


    "You were not far from the shore at that time. It would be a big loss if the game was judged as a failure in that situation. So I helped you a little."


    "But didn''t you repay the favor before? Why did you help me..." Harry asked in confusion.


    John stood up and walked to Harry and patted his shoulder.


    "I admire you for saving other people who have nothing to do with you regardless of danger." He said softly, "Maybe... I also want to make myself feel a little involved in this noble behavior?"


    At this time, the second project of the semi-finals was graduallying to an end.


    "The third - andst project will be held in the evening of June 24," Bagman announced the start time of thest project, "The warriors will know the specific content of the project one month in advance. Thank you for your support to the warriors!"


    It''s finally over.


    There are still a few months until June 24th, and they have enough time to rest. They don''t have to worry about anything in the short term...


    Thinking this way, Harry stood up in a daze, and followed Madam Pomfrey back to the castle with other warriors and hostages to change into dry clothes.


    Walking on the road, Harry caught a glimpse of Drac''s tall figure standing on the top of the column at the highest point of the stand, intersecting with Hogwarts Castle under the reflection of the setting sun, like a beautiful silhouette.


    He seemed to look over here, and then suddenly disappeared.


    No one knew where he went.

 Chapter 277 - 277 Barty Crouch’s Secret

    <h4>Chapter 277: Barty Crouch''s Secret</h4>


    On an ind without sunlight, the sky is gloomy and the sea breeze is howling.


    The ind is surrounded by waves, and rows of ck waves rise and fall, like countless sea beasts breaking free from their cages, with their rough backs covered with seaweed almost touching the sky.


    On this ind, a lonely fortress is surrounded by tall steel walls on all four sides. The waves hit the iron walls, sshing high waves, but no drop of water can pass over the towering walls on the ind.


    Countless Dementors, wearing tattered ck cloth and looking like they have been soaked in water, are wandering in the sky. Wherever they pass, it seems that all the happiness has been sucked away, reminding people of the most terrible things they have experienced in their lives.


    However, these Dementors, who are almost feared and dreaded by the entire magic world, behave very abnormally today.


    They deliberately bypassed an open space on the ind of Azkaban, far away from there, as if something more terrifying than these monsters appeared in that direction.


    This is a cemetery on the ind of Azkaban.


    No one takes care of it here, just like an abandoned mass grave, with corpses lying there in a mess.


    The bodies of wizards who were tortured to death by Dementors in Azkaban were hastily buried, and asionally some friends or rtives who came here to visit would erect a few stones here, just as tombstones for the dead.


    A tall figure with long silver hair and wine-red eyes stood quietly beside the cemetery, with a look of contemtion on his face.


    Countless Dementors on the ind did not dare to get close to him¡ª¡ª


    Most of the Dementors had experienced the Patronus spell that covered the entire ind, and had seen their almost immortal Dementorpanions beingpletely annihted... Their fear of Drac had been deeply engraved in the memory of the tribe.


    Drac was happy that there were no disgusting monsters like Dementors to bother him, so that he could find someone more conveniently.


    Or a ghost.


    As early as the Christmas ball, Drac wanted toe to Azkaban to take a look, but he only found time between the various funs of the semi-finals after the second project was over.


    Before the Christmas ball, Percy introduced Barty Crouch''s family situation to Drac, and mentioned Crouch''s Death Eater son who died in Azkaban, and Crouch''s wife who also died during that time.


    Drac had always been very suspicious of Crouch, so he would not let go of such seemingly minor doubts.


    How could an excellent young wizard like Barty Crouch Jr., who obtained twelve OWLs certificates during school and joined the Death Eaters shortly after graduation, not be able to withstand the torture of Dementors for just a few months?


    Drac stood in front of the cemetery and snapped his fingers gently.


    Next, it was as if a blood-red thread passed through Drac''s hand and connected to all the almost unformed bones on the ground.


    Gradually, these corpses began to move -


    In fact, each corpse may still have some remaining soul fragments still in the body, especially in a cruel ce like Azkaban, it is almost impossible for wizards to die peacefully, and more or less they will have some obsessions...


    These obsessions are the premise for the birth of ghosts.


    As Drac once said to his cheap daughter Selina, he is the purest dark life and is very good at necromancy.


    This blood-red thread is an application of necromancy, which evokes the broken souls and meager consciousness that have not yetpletely dissipated in the bodies of the dead, allowing Drac to get some information he needs here.


    Under the effect of the blood-red thread, transparent figures floated up from the corpses. Most of them had dull eyes and no consciousness, and there was no possibility ofmunicating with them.


    However, this is a prison that has existed for who knows how many years. With such arge number of dead people, there are always some souls that still retain a rtivelyplete consciousness.


    These rtivelyplete soul fragments are actually only a hair''s breadth away from forming ghosts.


    "What''s your name?" Drac walked to the side of a illusory wizard with the clearest eyes and asked softly.


    "I... yes, what''s my name?" The illusory wizard looked at Drac nkly, and then looked at the surrounding environment, "I seem to remember... I should have died in a prison..."


    He covered his head in pain, and his vague voice seemed a little hoarse, "I... my name... my name should be..."


    "It''s okay, forget it if you can''t remember it." Drac interrupted the illusory wizard, and the light in his eyes kept flowing, "I want to ask you a few questions, listen carefully..."


    The wizard seemed to be controlled, and stopped abruptly with a hoarse look, looking at Drac solemnly.


    "You say." He said in a stiff, t voice.


    "How long have you lived in this cemetery?" Drac asked casually.


    The illusory wizard frowned unconsciously and fell into thought.


    "About thirty years." After a long time, the illusory wizard slowly uttered this sentence.


    It can be seen that the wizard''s consciousness is not sure how many years he has been here, so under the control of Drac''s necromancy, he can only give an approximate value.


    "Thirty years... Then you must know Barty Crouch Jr., right?" Drac asked, "He also died on this ind more than ten years ago, and I still have some questions to ask him."


    However, the transparent wizard shook his head.


    "I don''t know anyone named Barty Crouch Jr. in this cemetery." He said.


    Drac frowned.


    "Do you know the others?" he asked softly, "Or do you not know Barty Crouch Jr. because you have no way to contact the other broken souls who died nearby?"


    "No, I know everyone buried here." The transparent wizard retorted, "But I have never seen a wizard named Barty Crouch Jr."


    "Is that so?" Drac''s eyes showed some intriguing colors.


    There are only two possibilities now-


    The first is that Barty Crouch Jr.''s body was taken away by his father and was not buried here at all; the second is that Barty Crouch Jr. was not dead at all and has been hiding in the dark...


    "Very good, I need to find other people to confirm it." Drac nodded.


    Next, he found other broken souls with clearer consciousness one by one and asked them, and the answers he got were simr.


    This specially set up tomb on the ind of Azkaban really seems to have never had any information about Barty Crouch Jr....


    Until he asked a slightly older witch with gray hair.


    "I need to ask, do you know a wizard named Barty Crouch Jr?" Drac stood in front of the witch''s illusory figure and asked as usual.


    However, unlike other wizards, the moment this witch heard the name "Barty Crouch Jr.", her eyes suddenly erged, and then she turned her eyes to the side as if nothing had happened.


    "From the looks of you, you should know Barty Crouch Jr., right?" The red light in Drac''s eyes flowed again, and the witch''s eyes gradually lost focus.


    Just when Drac thought that she would tell everything she knew like the souls she had asked before, the witch''s eyes suddenly regained their sanity.


    There was a trace of panic and agility in her eyes that should not belong to these residual souls. She turned her eyes to the side and wanted to escape from Drac.


    "Stop!" Drac said coldly.


    He was a little embarrassed that his necromancy, which he was good at, had an ident.


    So, Drac raised his finger and pointed at the witch¡ª¡ª


    "Imperio."


    The effect of the Imperius Curse in this situation was almost immediate.


    Although the witch struggled again and again, she had no magic power in her body, nor did she have aplete consciousness and soul, and there was no room for resistance.


    Soon, this witch, who was not young, became obedient and submissive like the residual souls before.


    "So, now can you tell me..." Drac sighed, stood in front of the witch, and asked softly, "You know Barty Crouch Jr., right? What is your rtionship with him?"


    The witch''s lips moved, and it seemed that she still had the strength to struggle, and she didn''t know where the strength came from.


    However, she didn''tst more than a minute in the end. Her willpower was ultimately no match for Drac''s powerful magic.


    The illusory witch spoke:


    "I am the mother of Barty Crouch Jr."


    Drac''s child hole suddenly shrank


    ...


    Hogwarts Castle.


    Usually, the beginning of the summer semester means that Harry has to step up training to prepare for thest Quidditch match of the season.


    But this year, he has to prepare for the third and final event of the semi-finals, and does not need to participate in Quidditch training.


    But he still doesn''t know what to do, and there is no specific direction for preparation.


    Until one afternoon after the Transfiguration ss, Professor McGonagall called him to the back of the ssroom.


    "Potter, you go to the Quidditch field at nine o''clock tonight," Professor McGonagall said to Harry, "Mr. Bagman will be there to tell the warriors what the third event is."


    So, at half past eight that night, Harry separated from Ron and Hermione, who had reconciled, in Gryffindor Tower and went downstairs. When he walked through the hall, Cedric wasing out of the Hufflepuffmon room.


    "What do you think the third project will be?" Cedric asked Harry as they walked down the stone steps and merged into the cloudy night. "Cho and Fleur both think it will be an underground tunnel. They think we are looking for treasure."


    "That''s not bad," said Harry, thinking that he could just borrow a Niffler from Rolf and leave the task to it.


    They walked along the darkwn towards the Quidditch pitch and entered the pitch through a crack between the stands.


    "What have they done here?" Cedric stopped suddenly and said angrily.


    The Quidditch pitch was no longer t and smooth.


    It looked as if someone had built countless long low walls here, which were intricate and winding in all directions.


    Cedric and Harry were both loyal fans of Quidditch, and of course they could not ept that the Quidditch pitch they were familiar with had been transformed into this.


    "It looks like a wall!" Harry said, looking down and carefully observing the low wall closest to him.


    "Hello!" a cheerful voice called out.


    Ludo Bagman stood in the middle of the field, with John, Krum and Fleur beside him.


    Harry and Cedric stepped over the low walls and walked towards them. Fleur smiled brightly at him as Harry approached - her attitude towards him had changed 180 degrees since Harry rescued her sister from theke.


    "Looks pretty good, don''t you think?" Bagman asked cheerfully as Harry and Cedric climbed over thest low wall. "Progress is pretty fast, isn''t it? In another two months, Hagrid will make them twenty feet high."


    He saw the unhappy expressions on Harry and Cedric''s faces and smiledfortingly, "Oh, don''t worry, your Quidditch field will be back to normal as soon as the championship project is over!"


    "Well, I think you can probably guess what we are going to do here?"


    Bagman looked at everyone with expectation.


    "Maze." After a moment of silence, Krum said in a gruff voice.


    "That''s right!" Bagman pped his hands, "It''s a maze! The third task is very simple and clear. The Triwizard Cup is ced in the center of the maze. Whoever can touch it first will win the final championship."


    "We just need to pass the maze?" Fleur asked doubtfully.


    This doesn''t seem very difficult.


    "There will be many obstacles," Bagman said happily, hopping on tiptoe, "Hagrid provides a lot of animals... and some spells must be lifted... things like that, you know."


    "In addition, the warrior with the leading score will enter the maze first." Bagman nced at John, "But it doesn''t mean that the first one to enter will definitely be the first to pass the level. You all have to try your best!"


    Harry and the other warriors couldn''t help but look at John.


    Harry knew exactly what kind of animals Hagrid would provide in such an asion. It was not fun at all...


    In addition, heter learned from Rolf that John had studied for a long time with the most outstanding magical zoologist, Newt Scamander. If the obstacles were all magical animals, he might have won the championship.


    "Don''t worry, there won''t be only magical animals." Bagman seemed to see their concerns and exined, "There are also various other obstacles such as protective magic and alchemical products waiting for you!"


    After exining the content of thepetition, everyone walked over the growing low wall and walked towards the castle.


    Bagman hurriedly walked beside Harry... Harry felt that he was about to ask to help him again.


    Sure enough, Bagman found an excuse to pull Harry to a remote ce near the Forbidden Forest, and his expression seemed a little upset.


    "Listen, Harry, do you think you can defeat the other warriors and win the final championship?" he asked.


    "Of course I don''t think so." Harry shook his head and smiled with relief. "In fact, I am very satisfied to havee this far. I don''t force the first ce."


    "No, how can you not pursue the first ce..." Bagman said anxiously, "I can make you get the first ce!"


    Harry shook his head and didn''t want to pay attention to this referee who didn''t know what he was thinking.


    At this moment, a rustling sound suddenly came from the depths of the Forbidden Forest.


    Harry turned his head and stared at the ce where there was movement just now. He reached into his robe and fumbled for his wand.


    At this time, a ragged man suddenly stumbled out from behind a tall oak tree.


    Harry didn''t recognize him for a while... Then, he realized that this was the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Mr. Barty Crouch.

 Chapter 278 - 278 Mental Disorder

    <h4>Chapter 278: Mental Disorder</h4>


    Mr. Crouch looked like he had been wandering outside for many days. The knees of his robe were torn and bloodstained. His face was also covered with scars, his beard was untidy, and his face was gray and haggard.


    His hair and beard, which were originallybed meticulously, were now messy, and it seemed that they had not been washed and trimmed for some time.


    However, although his appearance was very different from usual, his behavior seemed even more strange than his appearance.


    Mr. Crouch seemed to be talking to someone, and this person could only be seen by himself. He kept mumbling in his mouth and gesticting from time to time. His emotions were sometimes calm and sometimes excited. Harry and Bagman could not understand what he was doing at all.


    When Harry saw him, he remembered an old tramp he met when he went out shopping with the Dursleys before entering Hogwarts... The mentally ill tramp also kept talking crazily to the air.


    At that time, Aunt Petunia grabbed Dudley''s hand and pulled him across the street to avoid the madman. Uncle Vernon took advantage of the situation and kept talking to the whole family about how he was going to treat beggars and tramps...


    "Mr. Crouch, what''s wrong with you?" Bagman looked startled and walked up to Mr. Crouch at a loss.


    Crouch didn''t seem to see him at all, just talking to a tree next to him.


    "... Weatherby, after you finish this, send an owl to Dumbledore to confirm the number of students participating in the tournament at Durmstrang. Karkaroff sent a message saying that there are twelve..."


    Harry still remembered that Weatherby was the name of Percy that Crouch remembered wrongly, and Fred and Georgeughed at Percy for a long time for this.


    "Mr. Crouch?" Bagman asked carefully again.


    "... and then send an owl to Madam Maxime to deliver a letter. She may also want to increase the number of students, since the number of students in Karkaroff has increased to twelve..." Crouch still seemed to have heard nothing, and said to himself, "Let''s do it this way, Weatherby, okay? Okay..."


    Bagman: "..."


    "Why is Mr. Crouch here?" Harry walked to Bagman and asked in confusion, "Didn''t Percy say that he was not feeling well and stayed at home to rest?"


    "I don''t know." Bagman shook his head nkly, "Could it be that he was too stressed out at work and made himself mentally ill?"


    Crouch still didn''t hear the two people''s discussion. He stood there stiffly with his eyes bulging, staring at a tree in front of him, muttering silently.


    Then, he suddenly staggered a few steps to the side and fell to his knees with a "thump".


    "Mr. Crouch?" Harry shouted, "Are you okay?"


    Crouch''s eyes rolled up, and most of the whites of his eyes were exposed.


    Harry turned his head to look at Bagman, who gritted his teeth and rushed into the bushes with Harry, looking down at Crouch who was kneeling on the ground in panic.


    "Something must have happened to him... What should we do?" Bagman did not look like a Ministry of Magic official in the face of such a situation. He had lost his mind and paced around like an ant on a hot pot.


    "I think we''d better go and call someone quickly," Harry said to him in a low voice, seeing that Bagman was unreliable, "Listen, Mr. Bagman, we''d better call Madam Pomfrey..."


    "Dumbledore!" At this moment, Crouch suddenly shouted.


    He gasped and rushed towards Harry, grabbed the Hogwarts school robes and pulled him to his side.


    But Crouch''s eyes were staring straight above Harry''s head, as if there was something there.


    "I want to... see... Dumbledore..." he said in a rough tone.


    "Okay," Harry said quickly, "As soon as you get up, Mr. Crouch, we''ll go find Dumbledore right away..."


    "I did...something...stupid..." Crouch said, panting, as if Harry didn''t hear him.


    He lookedpletely crazy, his eyes bulging out, turning strangely, and saliva dripping down his chin, "You must...tell this...to Dumbledore!"


    Crouch''s eyes suddenly turned around and stared at Harry.


    "Who...are you?" he whispered.


    "Oh my God, Mr. Crouch, how can you not recognize who this is?" Bagman said in a fuss, "Are you out of your mind?"


    Harry turned his head and red at Bagman, raised his hand to signal him not to interrupt them, and then turned to Crouch again.


    "I''m a student at Hogwarts," Harry said carefully.


    At the same time, his expression was very nervous, and his brain was spinning rapidly, trying to find a way to quickly find the professors.


    "You''re not...his?" Crouch asked softly, his mouth drooping.


    "No." Harry followed Crouch''s words.


    In fact, he didn''t understand what Crouch was talking about at all.


    "Then it''s Dumbledore''s people?" Crouch asked again.


    "Yes." Harry said.


    Now he understood a little bit that the "he" Crouch just mentioned should be the opposite of Dumbledore''s camp, that is to say... that "he" represents Voldemort!


    Crouch''s expression rxed slightly and pulled Harry closer.


    Harry tried to pry open Crouch''s hand holding his robe, but he was holding it too tightly and couldn''t pry it off.


    "Give Dumbledore... a reminder..." Crouch said.


    "If you let me go, I''ll go find Dumbledore," Harry said impatiently, "Let me go, Mr. Crouch, I''ll go find him..."


    "Thank you, Weatherby, I''d like a cup of tea after you finish that. My wife and son will be here soon, and we''re going to a concert with the Fudges tonight."


    Suddenly, Crouch let go of Harry and started talking to a tree again, as if he had forgotten Harry all of a sudden.


    Harry was very surprised, and Bagman also stared at him in amazement, feeling that the image of Crouch in his mind was impacted.


    "Yes, my son recently passed the twelve ordinary wizard level examinations with satisfactory results, thank you..." Crouch''s words became coherent again, but it became confusing again.


    "Yes, I am indeed very proud of him... But don''t let this matter dy our work. If you can give me the memorandum from the Andorran Minister of Magic, I may have time to draft a reply..."


    "You stay here and watch him!" Harry took a deep breath and turned to Bagman, "I''ll go find Dumbledore. I know the password to his office, so it can be faster-"


    "But he is crazy..." Bagman said hesitantly, turning to look at Crouch, "How about we put him here with a binding spell, and then go find Dumbledore together?"


    Crouch was still chattering at the tree, as if he was sure that it was Percy.


    "But are you sure you can trap Mr. Crouch with just a binding spell?" Harry asked, "At least one person should stay here to prevent him from running around Hogwarts... Are you going to leave a student here?"


    Bagman was convinced.


    He nodded helplessly, then carefully put ayer of armor charm on himself and stood several trees away from Crouch.


    Harry was about to leave, but his action seemed to irritate Mr. Crouch, causing him to change his posture suddenly, grab Harry''s knees, and drag him to the ground again.


    "Don''t... leave... me!" He whispered, his eyes bulging again, "I... escaped... must remind... Dumbledore... he''s back... broke into... the house... and took control..."


    "It''s all my fault... my son... it''s all my fault... telling Dumbledore... Harry Potter... the Dark Lord... has recovered..."


    "As long as you let me go, I''ll go find Dumbledore, Mr. Crouch!" Harry said irritably.


    He didn''t pay any attention to what Crouch was saying, just thinking he was still talking nonsense.


    "Help me, Mr. Bagman!" Harry looked at Bagman and said upset.


    Bagman hesitated and raised his wand at Crouch.


    "Rshio."


    Crouch finally lost his strength and let go of Harry''s knees.


    Harry took the opportunity to break free from Crouch, ran out of the Forbidden Forest and ran across the dark Quidditch pitch.


    At this time, the Quidditch pitch was empty. John, Krum, Cedric and Fleur were gone.


    Harry ran back to the castle as fast as he could, climbed the stone steps in two steps, passed through two oak doors, jumped up the marble stairs, and ran to the third floor -


    There was an empty corridor on the third floor, with a gargoyle in the middle, and a spiral staircase behind the gargoyle that led directly to the headmaster''s office on the eighth floor.


    "Ice... iced lemon juice!" he said to it breathlessly.


    This was the password to the secret staircase leading to Dumbledore''s office - at least it was like this two years ago.


    However, it was obvious that the password had changed. The stone monster did not move and jump to the side, but stood still, staring at Harry fiercely.


    "Get out of the way!" Harry shouted at it anxiously, "I''m in a hurry, hurry up!"


    However, the stone monster obviously would not open the door because of the threat of a little wizard, and the look in his eyes when staring at Harry became more ferocious.


    Harry looked around anxiously in the corridor, wanting to see if there would be any professors passing by who could tell him the password to the principal''s office.


    Before other professors passed by here, Harry''s eyes suddenly lit up.


    He suddenly thought that Professor Drac''s office was also on the third floor of the castle, not far from here... If he made some noise here, Professor Drac would appear in an instant with his speed.


    So Harry took out an explosive wand made by Fred and George from his pocket... Before going to find Bagman, he was ying with Ron in the Transfiguration ssroom with this new joke product.


    This wand is like a firecracker. It can make a lot of noise after breaking, but it will not cause any harm to the user.


    Sure enough, the moment the explosion sounded, a silver-haired figure suddenly appeared in front of the gargoyle.


    "Potter?" Drac looked a little surprised to see Harry here.


    He heard the explosion in the corridor from a distance in the office.


    Drac thought that the two troublemakers who were ying with the explosion in the corridor should be Fred and George, and thought that the two guys wanted to die in front of him again.


    He wanted to catch the two troublemakers in the act and teach them a lesson... However, unexpectedly, the one who made such an explosion was Harry, who had always been honest in front of Drac.


    Drac narrowed his eyes and looked around, but did not find the figures of the Weisi twins around.


    "So... are you nning to inherit the mantle of the two Weisis?" Drac looked at Harry and sneered.


    "No, Professor!" Harry exined hurriedly, "I really have something urgent this time, so I need to find you urgently, so I thought of this way..."


    "Professor, Crouch... Mr. Barty Crouch, the referee of the semi-finals, is crazy!"


    Drac''s eyes suddenly condensed.


    "Several months have passed... Has Barty Crouch finally shown up?"


    Since the remnant soul of Barty Crouch''s mother was found on the ind of Azkaban, Drac has confirmed one thing-


    Barty Crouch has a big problem, and Barty, a Death Eater, is probably not dead yet!


    However, Barty Crouch seemed to have evaporated during this period of time, and he could not be found anywhere or by any means.


    It was not until today that Drac learned about Crouch''s appearance from Harry.


    "Where is he now?!" Drac asked in a deep voice.


    "Just at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Mr. Bagman is watching over him there." Harry said hurriedly.


    "Tell me the exact location and I''ll take you there." Drac grabbed Harry''s hood and said quickly.


    "Wait a minute, Professor!" Harry said hurriedly, "Mr. Crouch said he wanted to find Headmaster Dumbledore and told him something important... He''s already at the door, why don''t we go up and call him first?"


    "What a hassle..." Drac pouted and stood in front of the gargoyle.


    Harry looked at him expectantly, wanting to hear what password Dumbledore had changed recently.


    Drac: "..."


    Gargoyle: "..."


    The air suddenly became quiet.


    "Professor?" Harry asked tremblingly.


    "Ahem." Drac coughed twice, "I don''t think I know the password here..."


    "But... I remember you often go to the principal''s office, don''t you?" Harry was stunned.


    "Yes, I often go to see him..." Drac''s mouth twitched a little, "But I always go in through the window... Who would go through the door?"


    Harry: "..."


    Professor, you really don''t take the usual path.


    "That... Professor Drac, why don''t you go through the window?" At this moment, the gargoyle looked at Drac''s increasingly dangerous eyes and panicked, "I really can''t open the door for you on my own initiative!"


    It was afraid that the professor in front of it would tear its body apart because of shame...

 Chapter 279 - 279 Crouch disappears into thin air

    <h4>Chapter 279: Crouch disappears into thin air</h4>


    "Forget it, let''s ignore this stubborn ugly thing and go straight over."


    Drac didn''t bother to pay attention to the gargoyles and rushed to the Forbidden Forest to find Barty Crouch, who had disappeared for several months.


    So he grabbed Harry''s hood and the two disappeared together in the corridor on the third floor.


    The next moment, Drac and Harry appeared in the principal''s office together.


    Dumbledore, wearing a long green nightgown, was drinking tea and reading some letters. Seeing Drac and Harrying, he raised his head in surprise.


    "It''s rare to see you twoe to see me together. Is there something wrong?" Dumbledore looked at Drac and then at Harry, and asked in surprise.


    "Professor!" Harry took a step forward and said to Dumbledore, "Mr. Crouch has appeared - in the forest, he has something to tell you!"


    Harry thought Dumbledore would ask some questions, but Dumbledore didn''t ask anything, which made him feel relieved - Drac had told Dumbledore about Crouch''s problem long before he found the conclusive evidence.


    Now, Dumbledore was as eager as Drac to see the director of the International Magic Exchange and Cooperation Department who had disappeared for several months.


    "Lead the way in front." Dumbledore frowned slightly and said without hesitation.


    "Don''t lead the way, it''s a waste of time." Drac grabbed Harry''s hood again, "I''ll wait for you at the Quidditch Stadium. It''s not toote to consider leading the way there."


    After that, Drac and Harry disappeared again.


    Dumbledore shook his head helplessly and looked at the golden-red bird on the shelf beside him:


    "Excuse me, Fawkes."


    Then, Fawkes the Phoenixnded on Dumbledore''s shoulder and took him away in a golden-red me.


    ...


    The three of them instantly appeared at the edge of the Quidditch field.


    Harry was no longer surprised by Drac''s ability to Apparate in Hogwarts. As soon as his feetnded on the ground, he hurriedly took the two professors to the direction where Crouch had appeared before.


    "What did Mr. Crouch say, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as they walked quickly to a winding path.


    "He said he wanted to remind you that he had done something terrible..." Harry said thoughtfully, "Mr. Crouch also mentioned his son, and... and Voldemort, and it seemed that Voldemort had recovered..."


    Just now, he hadn''t noticed the meaning of Crouch''s words. After repeating it, Harry was suddenly shocked.


    "Is it true?" Dumbledore said solemnly, quickening his pace and hurried into the dark, gloomy forest.


    "His behavior is very abnormal," Harry said.


    Harry walked quickly beside Dumbledore, and Drac was on the other side of Dumbledore. He didn''t see how he moved, but he was like a ghost, following the pace of the two people''s strides.


    "Mr. Crouch doesn''t seem to know where he is. He keeps talking, as if he thinks Percy is there... Then he suddenly changed, became very scary, and said he wanted to see you..."


    Harry said with some concern: "I asked Mr. Bagman to keep an eye on him in the Forbidden Forest."


    "Really?" Dumbledore''s eyes gradually became particrly deep.


    He looked at Drac, and they nodded to each other.


    "It should be the Imperius Curse without a doubt." Drac said softly.


    "Professor Drac, I remember you checked Crouch''s mind before." Dumbledore asked, "Although you have always suspected Crouch, you have never been sure that he was controlled by the Imperius Curse..."


    "Voldemort should have found a way to prevent the Imperius Curse from being discovered." Drac said thoughtfully, "But I am a little puzzled. His power is far less than his peak period... So, how can he deceive me with that level of power?"


    "In short, I am afraid we have to prepare for another war." Dumbledore said in a deep voice.


    Then, Dumbledore looked at Harry: "Do you know who else saw Mr. Crouch?"


    His steps became bigger, and Harry had to run to keep up.


    "No." Harry was a little out of breath and said intermittently, "Mr. Bagman was talking to me at the time... He had just finished telling the warriors about the content of the third project, and then pulled me to the Forbidden Forest."


    "Later, we saw Mr. Crouching out from the depths of the Forbidden Forest-"


    "Where was he?" Dumbledore asked.


    At this time, the lights of Hagrid''s hut and Beauxbatons carriage in the distance had almost disappeared in the darkness, leaving only the faint starlight in the sky shining through the scattered branches and leaves on the ground, and the mes emanating from Fawkes on Dumbledore''s shoulder, allowing Harry to identify the direction of travel.


    "Over there." Harry raised his hand and pointed forward, stepped in front of Dumbledore and Drac, and led them through the bushes.


    As a Gryffindor wizard who often came to the Forbidden Forest, Harry was familiar with this area and was confident that he would not go wrong.


    "Mr. Bagman?" Harry shouted into the Forbidden Forest, "Mr. Crouch? I brought Professor Dumbledore to see you!"


    No one answered.


    "They were here just now." Harry said to Dumbledore in a panic, "They must be around here, I don''t know what went wrong..."


    Dumbledore suddenly raised his wand-


    "Lumos."


    A narrow beam of light shone from the tip of the wand, moving back and forth between the dark tree trunks, illuminating thend below.


    However, before Dumbledore and Harry found Crouch and Bagman with the help of the fluorescence, the silver-haired figure beside them had already discovered the traces of the two Ministry of Magic officials.


    Drac''s figure disappeared beside Dumbledore, and then shed behind a thick tree.


    "Here." He snapped his fingers lightly.


    A bright white me appeared in Drac''s palm, and then began to rotate around him, illuminating arge area of ??the surrounding forest.


    Harry and Dumbledore hurried forward and looked at the roots of the tree where Drac was.


    There, Bagmany curled up at the foot of a tree, looking unconscious¡ªthere was no sign of Mr. Crouch around.


    Dumbledore leaned down and gently lifted one of Bagman''s eyelids.


    "He fainted," Dumbledore said softly.


    He looked toward the surrounding trees, his half-moon lens flickering in the dim light of his wand.


    "Should I go get someone?" Harry asked worriedly, "Madam Pomfrey?"


    "No," Dumbledore said quickly, "Stay here."


    As he spoke, he looked at Drac on the side.


    Drac nodded, and his figure suddenly soared into the air, flying above the Forbidden Forest, higher than all the trees.


    The next moment, a silver-white de of light swept across the entire Forbidden Forest, and Harry felt cold all over, as if something had scanned his entire body.


    Dumbledore raised his wand high, pointing in the direction of Hagrid''s hut.


    A silver phoenix flew out of the wand and shed through the trees. Then Dumbledore leaned over to Bagman again, pointed his wand at him, and whispered:


    "Evesting (Ee)."


    The resuscitation spell worked well, and Bagman soon opened his eyes with a nk look on his face.


    As soon as he saw Dumbledore, he struggled to sit up, but Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder and told him to lie still.


    "Mr. Crouch ispletely crazy!" Bagman covered his head with his hand and muttered, "He suddenly attacked me... Even in this state, I am no match for him, and then he knocked me out."


    "Okay, lie down for a while." Dumbledore said, his voice getting deeper and deeper, "I hope we have another chance to find Crouch."


    Then, Drac also fell from the air.


    "How is it, did you get anything?" Dumbledore asked.


    "I have searched the area covered by the Anti-Apparition Spell, but there is no one." Drac said softly, "Of course, it is not ruled out that there will be ways to bypass my perception, just like the Imperius Curse on Crouch."


    "It is not easy to bypass your perception, Professor Drac." Dumbledore shook his head gently, "I am more inclined to believe that Crouch has left the area of ????Hogwarts and Apparated away... Can the spatial fluctuations of Apparition be captured?"


    "Are you not embarrassing me?" Drac said with his arms folded and leaning against the tree trunk next to him, "Tell me, how can I find a spatial fluctuation that has dissipated a few minutes ago in such arge area?"


    Just then, a thunderous sound of footsteps came into their ears, and Hagrid appeared panting, followed by Fang.


    He held his bow and arrow in his hand and looked around vigntly.


    "Professor Dumbledore!" After seeing the people present, his eyes widened, "Professor Drac, Harry... why are you all here?"


    "Hagrid, please help send Mr. Bagman to the school infirmary," Dumbledore interrupted his question and quickly arranged, "He was hit by a very stronga spell and will be weak for a while."


    "Then, tell Minerva and the others to make sure they take good care of the students in each college and no one shoulde out of themon room!"


    "Oh, okay... no problem, professor..." Hagrid was a little stunned, but he still carried out Dumbledore''s orders as quickly as possible.


    After he finished speaking, he carried Bagman on his back, turned around and disappeared into the dark bushes, and Fang followed behind at a trot.


    From a distance, Harry seemed to hear Hagrid meet someone at the exit of the Forbidden Forest and greeted him: "Oh, good evening, Mr. Filch... I don''t need to help, just do your own thing... Oh! Thank you so much!"


    After Hagrid left, Dumbledore breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Professor Drac," he said softly, "Please send Harry back to hismon room... I want to look for him again. Mr. Crouch''s escape from the Imperius Curse will definitely be known to Voldemort, and he should be in danger now."


    "Let''s look for him together." Drac was silent for a moment, then said, "Anyway, I''m also very interested in what Crouch has experienced."


    He snapped his fingers lightly.


    A dark moon appeared beside Harry, and Drac reached out and pushed Harry into the dark moon, teleporting him directly back to the Gryffindormon room.


    ...


    If what happened that night were to be spread, it would probably shock most wizards in the magic world--


    It was rare that two great wizards joined forces, but they couldn''t find a person who was unconscious...


    The sun rose again from the end of the ck Lake. In the Hogwarts principal''s office, Drac and Dumbledore sat on the sofa and chair in silence, and both of them looked unhappy.


    "Professor Drac, do you still remember? How long did it take Harry to get to the castle from the Forbidden Forest?" Dumbledore asked, breaking the silence.


    "I know what you want to say," Drac nodded and said, "I asked Potter, he ran back from the Forbidden Forest almost without stopping. At his speed, he could finish the journey in less than ten minutes..."


    "Even if we add the time spent in the castle, it took no more than twenty minutes from the time Potter left Crouch to the time we entered the Forbidden Forest... I don''t believe he could get out of the range of the Anti-Apparition Spell in twenty minutes."


    Drac took out the title deed of Hogwarts and looked at the vast forest northeast of the castle.


    He knew the boundaries of Hogwarts very well, and he also knew exactly how vast the coverage area of ??the Anti-Apparition Spell was... This was definitely not a journey that could bepleted in twenty minutes by just legs.


    "What if Crouch rode a broom?" Dumbledore frowned and guessed.


    "If it was a broom as fast as the Nimbus 2000, twenty minutes would be enough for him to leave Hogwarts..." Drac said, "But a person who is fighting the Imperius Curse and is extremely unconscious, do you really think he can control a flying broom?"


    Dumbledore''s eyebrows frowned even more.


    He stood up from his chair and paced back and forth in the office, thinking about Crouch.


    "If we rule out the possibility that Crouch could leave on his own, that is to say..." Dumbledore suddenly turned his head and looked at Drac, "There is a possibility that there was another person in the Forbidden Forest at that time, and he hid Crouch!"


    "That''s right, and that person is likely Barty Crouch Jr. who faked his death on the ind of Azkaban." Drac added in a deep voice.


    Dumbledore''s eyes moved, and then he sighed again.


    "Unfortunately, Voldemort seems to have learned his lesson this time and didn''t ask his former subordinates for help." He said helplessly, "I didn''t get any information from Severus... Professor Drac, do you have any news?"


    "Lucius has never been trusted by Voldemort, so it''s impossible for him to be driven under such circumstances." Drac shook his head and said, "Voldemort probably only trusts his supporters who are imprisoned in Azkaban now."


    He then looked at Dumbledore and asked, "You should know your former students. What kind of person is Barty Crouch Jr."

 Chapter 280 - 280 Pensieve

    <h4>Chapter 280: Pensieve</h4>


    "Little Barty..." Dumbledore narrowed his eyes and recalled, "He is a very good student... Well, he is somewhat simr to Tom back then."


    "But there are many differences between the two. Tom has been thoughtful since he was a child, and he is also good at acting and deceiving others..."


    "Little Barty is different. He was originally just a good student like Percy Weiss... But from a certain period of time, he became more and more taciturn and more and more withdrawn."


    Dumbledore stroked the lid of the teapot, and a bit of sadness appeared in his eyes.


    "Why, did something happen in the middle?" Drac asked curiously.


    "To be precise, those things have been happening all the time." Dumbledore corrected, "Professor Drac, you should have known that when Little Barty was in school, it was the period when Voldemort and the Death Eaters were most active."


    Drac nodded gently.


    "At that time, both the Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix were under considerable pressure, and the then Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Barty Crouch Sr., certainly shouldered the greatest burden." Dumbledore sighed and introduced to Drac.


    "It was precisely because of this kind of thing that Barty Sr. was busy presiding over the overall situation and neglected his son for a long time... coupled with Mrs. Crouch''s over-indulgence in her child, that eventually led to such a tragedy."


    "Is this another clich¨¦ story of a child whocks love and then turns evil and joins the enemy camp?" Drac tutted.


    He raised his hand and sucked a piece of sma chocte on Dumbledore''s desk and stuffed it into his mouth.


    "I''ve seen a lot of this kind of thing, and I can imagine what he was thinking." Drac said casually, "Because he was not valued by his father, a senior official, he wanted to prove himself in front of his father, so he studied hard..."


    "But he got twelve OWLs certificates, an excellent result that is rare in decades, but it is not even as good as a memorandum from the then Andorran Minister of Magic."


    Drac smiled yfully and shook his head, "Then Barty Crouch Jr.pletely gave up the idea of ??relying on his own efforts to avoid being ignored by his father, and turned to be a Death Eater..."


    "Since there is no way to get your attention by conventional methods, then be your enemy and stand from the perspective of a serious concern to let old Crouch look at you."


    "Do you think I''m right?" Drac raised his mouth and looked at Dumbledore.


    Dumbledore stopped stroking the lid of the pot.


    He stared nkly at the white steam that kepting out of the spout of the pot and sighed deeply.


    "There are many tragedies that don''t need to happen. Maybe if old Barty can take a few minutes out of his work every week to praise his children," Dumbledore sighed softly.


    "There''s no need to feel sorry," Drac said, "I heard that Barty Crouch Jr. and other Death Eaters tortured Longbottom''s parents with the Cruciatus Curse, and they have no intention of repenting."


    "You should see it clearly, Dumbledore. What he pursues in his bones is the pleasure brought to him by violence, abuse and blood. He is essentially a terrorist."


    Dumbledore took off his sses and shook his head helplessly.


    "I hope you can understand me, Professor Drac," he said softly, "I don''t have as long a life as you, and I am getting older both physically and mentally...Old people always like to be sad, don''t they?"


    After that, Dumbledore suddenly stood up and walked towards the ck cab on the side of the office.


    "Want to see what little Barty looked like in the past?" he asked. "Perhaps this will help us find something."


    Dumbledore opened the cab door.


    There was a shallow stone basin in the cab, and the mouth of the basin was covered with strange carvings,posed of various types of runes.


    After the cab door was opened, a silver light emanated from the stone basin, which looked like liquid and gas, like a piece of bright silver, but it was constantly flowing, like ripples on the water in the breeze, and like clouds that spread out and spun softly.


    The things in the basin looked like light turned into liquid, and like wind condensed into solid...


    "Is this... a meditation basin?" Drac became interested and stood up from the sofa.


    "Yes, the Pensieve." Dumbledore nodded gently, "Sometimes I feel that my mind is filled with too many thoughts and memories. At this time, I use the Pensieve to suck out the extra thoughts from my mind and pour them into this basin. I will take a good look at it when I have time..."


    He then looked at Drac, "Professor Drac has lived for so many years, doesn''t he need a Pensieve to organize his memories?"


    "I''ve never been toozy to use this kind of thing," Drac shook his head, "Just forget the things you can''t remember. Anyway, most of them are unimportant things, why do you have to force them to stay in your mind, which will only add to your troubles?"


    "You''re right, I actually envy your attitude." Dumbledore smiled softly, "But life is so short, there are always some things you don''t want to forget, and there are always some things you can''t forget..."


    It seems that he feels that he has been sentimental and sad a little too many times today. Dumbledore shook his head, as if he wanted to get rid of someplicated emotions.


    "Want to take a look together?" He looked at Drac and asked.


    Drac nced at the stone basin and nodded.


    In fact, he had long been curious about Dumbledore''s past memories.


    Unfortunately, this great wizard was very good at Legilimency and his brain lusion was quite stable. Even with Drac''s Legilimency, he could not see anything from his eyes.


    Today, he had the opportunity to see some of Dumbledore''s memories on the spot, which was just what Drac wanted.


    The two of them drove their minds at the same time and explored the silver substance that seemed to be liquid and solid.


    The next moment, the principal''s office suddenly fell over.


    Drac and Dumbledore came to a dimly lit room full of stepped benches and sat on one of the benches. This bench seemed higher than the others.


    There were at least two hundred wizards in this room, and no wizard looked over here. It seemed that no one noticed that there were suddenly two more people here.


    Drac and Dumbledore were like two spectators who were separated from the screen and could not be noticed by the people here, but the scene in front of them was extremely real, as if they were actually there.


    "This is quite interesting." Drac''s voice echoed in the room, but none of the wizards present heard it.


    Dumbledore turned his head and found that Drac appeared in front of an old man with a long white beard and white hair, looking around him with interest -


    That was Dumbledore who was a dozen years younger, and his long white beard was much shorter than it is now, only hanging down to the abdomen.


    "Ahem... Professor Drac, our focus is not here." Dumbledore looked at this scene and said with a bit of a smile, "Aren''t we here to observe the condition of little Barty?"


    "By the way, it''s not bad to take a look at what you looked like more than ten years ago!"


    Drac looked at Dumbledore''s image from front to back and said happily, "When will you take me to see what you looked like when you were young? I want to see how ugly you were back then, and how you lived your whole life without even a partner."


    Dumbledore: "..."


    Just then, the door in the corner of the room suddenly opened.


    Six Dementors walked in from behind the door, and among them were four disheveled wizards.


    Many people present secretly looked at a meticulous wizard sitting high up - Barty Crouch, the then Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.


    Next to Crouch sat a frail witch, who was sobbing in a low voice, with her trembling hands holding a handkerchief to her mouth.


    With his excellent eyesight, Drac could clearly see in the dim room that Crouch''s face was very haggard and gray, and a vein on his temple was throbbing... This haggardness was as serious as when he was a judge in the semi-finals.


    Several people around began to whisper, as if they were discussing something.


    The Dementors put four people in four chained chairs in the center of the dungeon. One of the short and fat wizards looked at Crouch nkly; the other thinner wizard seemed more nervous, his eyes directly nced at the audience.


    There was also a woman with thick ck hair and long eyshes, who looked crazy andcent, sitting on a chained chair, as if she was sitting on a throne.


    Thest one was a boy of seventeen or eighteen, who lookedpletely frightened and trembling, with straw-colored hair scattered on his face and freckled skin as pale as paper.


    Seeing the boy, the frail witch next to Crouch began to sway back and forth, sobbing with her handkerchief covering her mouth.


    "The two wizards in front are Rodolphus and Rabastan, a pair of Death Eater brothers." Dumbledore saw that Drac looked a little confused, and introduced him, "The witch is..."


    "Betrix Lestrange." Drac suddenly took over and said.


    "Does Professor Drac know her?" Dumbledore asked with some confusion.


    "Well, I saw her in Azkaban prison..." Drac saw the astonished expression in Dumbledore''s eyes, and had to add, "Wasn''t it to find Sirius ck at that time? I sneaked into Azkaban to take a look."


    Of course, his curiosity about Azkaban was the most critical reason for sneaking into the prison... But there was no need to tell Dumbledore this reason, so as to avoid being caught by the old headmaster and constantly persuading him.


    At the front of the courtroom, Crouch had stood up, looking down at the four people below, with extreme hatred gradually gathering on his face.


    "You are brought before the Magical Law Committee to await sentencing," he said clearly, "Your crimes are so heinous--"


    "Father," the straw-haired boy begged with a horrified expression on his face, "Father... please..."


    "--This is rare in the cases tried by this court." Mr. Crouch raised his voice, drowning out his son''s voice, "We have heard the usations against you. The four of you kidnapped an Auror--Frank Longbottom, and used the Cruciatus Curse on him, trying to find out the whereabouts of your master, the mysterious man--"


    "Father, I didn''t!" Little Barty, who was tied to the chair, screamed, "I didn''t, I swear! Father, don''t send me back to the Dementors--"


    Drac stared closely at the eyes of little Barty Crouch, but he could not see the fear and regret in his eyes, but only luck, cruelty, madness... and joy.


    Dumbledore frowned, as if he couldn''t bear to watch this scene.


    "The usation also says," Mr. Crouch continued, "that you used the Cruciatus Curse on Frank Longbottom''s wife when he refused to provide information. You conspired to make You-Know-Whoe back and want to restore the violent life you led when he was powerful. Now I ask the jury-"


    "Mother!" Little Barty shouted loudly, and the thin witch next to Crouch sobbed and swayed back and forth, "Mother, stop him! Mother, I didn''t do those things, it wasn''t me!"


    "Now I ask the jury to vote," Mr. Crouch ignored him and said loudly, "Those who think that these crimes should be sentenced to life imprisonment in Azkaban as I do, please raise your hands!"


    The wizards on the jury on the right side of the dungeon raised their hands in unison.


    The audience around them pped their hands happily, with relieved expressions on their faces... After all, few people have seen two elite Aurors being tortured to madness, and they all have a deep understanding of what happened to the Longbottoms.


    Barty Jr. began to scream, and a trace of panic seemed to finally appear in his eyes.


    "No! Mother, no! It wasn''t me, it wasn''t me, I didn''t know! Don''t send me there, stop him!"


    The Dementors slowly floated in again.


    Barty Jr.''s threepanions stood up from their chairs silently, and Betrix looked up and shouted to Crouch:


    "The Dark Lord wille back, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban, we''ll wait! He wille back to save us. He will reward us specially! Only we are loyal! Only we try to find him!"


    Barty Jr. tried his best to get rid of the Dementors, even though the cold suction of the Dementors that sucked happiness and souls had begun to take effect on him.


    Some of the audienceughed at him, some stood up, and some cheered angrily for their fate.


    Betrix had already walked back to the door in the corner with pride, and little Barty was still resisting.


    "I am your son!" he shouted to Crouch, "your son!"


    "You are not my son!" Crouch roared loudly, his eyes suddenly bulging outward, "I don''t have a son!"


    The thin witch took a breath, copsed on the stool, and fainted. But Crouch seemed not to see it.


    "Take them away!" He waved his hand and roared at the Dementors, "Take them away, let them rot there!"


    ...


    The picture in the Pensieve was frozen at this moment.


    In the frozen picture, Drac and Dumbledore looked at each other, and their brows were tightly twisted together.

 Chapter 281 - 281 Before the last match

    <h4>Chapter 281: Before thest match</h4>


    "It''s really cruel, isn''t it?"


    Drac stared at Crouch''s frozen face in the picture, and said with a slightly mocking tone, "He tried his best to stabilize the situation in the wizarding world, but his own child became crazy."


    "Old Barty has done a good job. At least he didn''t favor his son at all." Dumbledore sighed.


    "Perhaps in his eyes, his son should have been an excellent student who didn''t need to worry about him. It wouldn''t be toote to care about him after the situation in the wizarding world stabilized... But he was wrong. By the time of this trial, everything was toote."


    "Heh..." Drac suddenly sneered, "If he really showed such selflessness, why did I see Mrs. Crouch''s residual soul in the cemetery of Azkaban in the end?"


    Dumbledore fell silent again.


    "I can actually guess what old Barty was thinking at the time." After a while, he said, "Mrs. Crouch''s body has been very weak for a long time. After Barty Jr. was imprisoned in Azkaban, she became seriously ill and didn''t have much time left..."


    "I guess she should have begged old Barty to use her life, which was not long at that time, to exchange her son from Azkaban-"


    "The Polyjuice Potion can do it. As long as she is buried within the time limit of the Polyjuice Potion, she will not be discovered by others. Everyone will only think that Barty Jr. died in the cell."


    "That''s right, then the following things make sense." Drac smiled faintly, "Crouch took his son He was locked up, but he didn''t expect Voldemort to regain his strength and find out that Barty Crouch Jr. was not dead, so he personally rescued his loyal servant. "


    "It''s a pity that old Barty has been tough all his life," Dumbledore shook his head and sighed, "He was soft-hearted just this once, but he got himself into trouble."


    "Okay, there''s nothing more to say about this matter." Drac waved his hand indifferently and floated into the air, "Check the facilities of the third project carefully. Barty Crouch Jr. may be hiding somewhere near the castle."


    After that, he broke through the frozen picture of the trial room and turned the space over.


    The next moment, Drac returned to the principal''s office of Hogwarts and stood next to the Pensieve, which was exactly the same as the position before entering the trial room.


    The Pensieve was shining in the cab in front of Drac. Dumbledore stood beside him and turned to look at him.


    "Professor Drac, when the third taskes, the safety of the warriors will be in your hands."


    Dumbledore said solemnly.


    ...


    Into June, the atmosphere in the castle became tense and excited again.


    Everyone was looking forward to thest task of the four-strongpetition to be held a week before the holiday, which would determine who would win the final victory for their school and prove which magic school was the best among the four schools.


    As a warrior, Harry would practice spells with Ron and Hermione whenever he had time.


    He felt more confident than the previous two times -


    Although this game was definitely full of dangers, Harry had sessfully passed the test ofrge magical animals and magical obstacles, and this time he was notified in advance and had the opportunity to make some corresponding preparations.


    Professor McGonagall ran into Harry, Hermione and Ron practicing everywhere in the school several times, so she made an exception and allowed them to use the Transfiguration ssroom to practice magic during lunch time.


    At the same time, Hermione asked Drac for a book-borrowing slip to the restricted section.


    Hermione thought that Professor Drac might think that the books in the restricted section were nothing important and didn''t take them seriously, so he approved the slips very easily.


    Under such favorable conditions, Harry quickly mastered the barrier spell, which can be used to block attackers; the crushing spell, which can blow up solid obstacles; and the directional spell that Hermione found in a spell book, which can make Harry''s wand point to the north, so that he can judge whether the direction is correct in the maze.


    It''s a pity that he hasn''t fully mastered the very practical armor spell, which can temporarily form an invisible wall. Unfortunately, Hermione cleverly broke it with a weak leg spell during the sparring.


    "You practiced well," Hermione said encouragingly, looking at her spell list and ticking off the spells they had learned, "Some of these spells will definitelye in handy."


    In addition, Harry oftenmunicated with his godfather Sirius during this period.


    Sirius, like Hermione, seemed determined to help Harry pass the third task safely - he reminded Harry in every letter that you have no responsibility for things outside the walls of Hogwarts, and you have no ability to influence them.


    "If Voldemort is really regaining his strength, I think you should be safe first. With Dumbledore''s protection, he can''t attack you directly, but you have to be more careful and don''t take risks."


    "Now you have to think about how to get out of the maze safely, and other problems will be dealt withter."


    Sirius warned Harry in the letter.


    As June 24 approached, Harry became more and more nervous, but his mentality was better than before the first and second tasks.


    First of all, he believed that he had done his best to prepare this time. Moreover, this was thest project. Regardless of whether the results were good or bad, thepetition was about to end, and this big burden could be unloaded.


    More importantly, in the first two projects, Harry had proved himself to everyone. Even if he didn''t perform well in thest game, he would not be easilyughed at again.


    ...


    Time flies, and the day of the final exams quietly arrives.


    The warriors of the Triwizard Tournament can not take the final exams, so Harry sits at the back of the ssroom for every exam, looking for useful spells for the third project.


    In the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, as expected, Professor Drac was not in the ssroom for such a boring thing as invigtion. He was reced by Assistant Riddle, who looked no older than a senior student.


    "Harry, I guess you should have also received some news... about that person." After the exam, Riddle collected the test papers and walked straight to Harry.


    "That person?" Harry asked in confusion.


    "Mysterious man, I heard that his power has recovered." Riddle drove away Ron and Hermione who wanted to get close to him, and waited until everyone in the ssroom had left before whispering to Harry.


    "Well, I heard Mr. Crouch say that before." Harry said, "But Mr. Crouch''s mental state is not normal, so Sirius and I think we can''t trust his wordspletely."


    "It''s always right to be careful." Riddle frowned and said, "If I were that person, I would definitely choose to tamper with the third project. There is no better ce to do it than that maze."


    Riddle has been a little uneasy recently, because he feels that his main soul has experienced something, and his soul power has be extremely strong in a short period of time, as if it has returned to its peak.


    As the same person at different times, he can easily guess what Voldemort wants to do next-


    After the soul is restored, obtaining a body bes a top priority.


    As for the method of obtaining a body, Riddle is also quite clear, after all, his current body was made by Voldemort at that time.


    The flesh of servants, the bones of fathers, and the blood of enemies.


    Among them, in order to resist the blood magic created by Lily Potter with love, Voldemort will inevitably choose to use Harry''s blood as the enemy''s blood, so the maze of the third project is likely to be the best time for him to kidnap Harry.


    Riddle was a little scared. He had already torn his face with his main soul, and Voldemort had restored the power of his soul. If Voldemort was allowed to recover his body, he would have no resistance to his main soul at all.


    This was uneptable to Riddle, who wanted to be independent.


    "Tom, are you thinking too much?" Harry couldn''t think of such aplicated thing. Instead, he smiled and joked with Riddle, "With Professor Drac as a security guard and Professor Dumbledore also sitting on the judging panel not far away, how dare Voldemorte to Hogwarts?"


    "Be serious, Harry, I''m not joking." Riddle said with a straight face, "What if he has other ways to hide from Professor Drac and Dumbledore?"


    "Don''t worry, Tom, I''ll be more careful." Harry replied, "Sirius also warned me that getting out of the maze safely is the primary goal... I will send out a distress signal in time if I encounter danger!"


    Riddle was a little relieved and nodded to Harry, but his expression still looked a little worried.


    ...


    The next day was the day when thest event of the semi-finals began.


    Harry received a notice from Professor McGonagall during breakfast.


    "Potter, the warriors will gather in the conference room next to the auditorium after breakfast." She said.


    "But the game doesn''t start until tonight!" Harry was stunned for a moment. He thought he had remembered the time wrong, and his heart skipped a beat.


    "I know, Potter," Professor McGonagall nodded, "This gathering has nothing to do with the game... The rtives of the champions are invited to watch the finals. You can meet them."


    She walked away. Harry stared at her back in a daze.


    "Rtives? Did she call the Dursleys over?" He asked Ron beside him nkly.


    "I don''t know," Ron replied casually, packing his schoolbag in a hurry, "Harry, I have to go quickly, I''m going to bete for the exam. See youter."


    In the gradually deserted hall, Harry finished his breakfast.


    Soon after, Fleur Dcour stood up from the long table of Ravenw and walked into the meeting room with Cedric. After a while, Krum also went therezily.


    But Harry sat there without moving.


    He really didn''t want to meet any rtives. He had no rtives - no rtives who were willing to watch him risk his life topete.


    But just as he stood up and was about to go to the library to study some spells, the door of the conference room opened and Cedric stuck his head out.


    "Harry,e on, your family is waiting for you!"


    Harry stood up in confusion. He thought the Dursleys were impossible toe, so who wasing?


    He walked through the hall and pushed the door into the conference room.


    Cedric and his parents stood by the door. Mr. Amos Diggory was the director of the Department of Magical Creatures of the Ministry of Magic. He had fought against the Death Eaters with Mr. Weasley during the Quidditch World Cup;


    Viktor Krum was in a corner of the room, speaking fast Bulgarian with his ck-haired parents;


    On the other side, Fleur was chattering in French with her mother. Fleur''s sister Gabrielle was holding her mother''s hand and waving her other hand to Harry. Harry also waved and grinned.


    Then he turned around and saw three unexpected people.


    Mrs. Weisley, Bill Weisley, and Sirius stood in front of the firece, looking at him with a smile.


    "Surprise!" Sirius said with a yful smile, opening his arms to Harry.


    Harry''s heart was relieved, and he walked forward with a smile and hugged Sirius.


    "We wanted toe and watch your game, Harry!" Mrs. Weisley also leaned over and kissed Harry''s cheek, "Thanks to Professor McGonagall, she agreed to let use as rtives."


    "How are you?" Bill also smiled and shook hands with Harry, "Charlie wanted toe too, but he couldn''t leave. He said that your match against the Horntail was so exciting, it was incredible!"


    Harry noticed that Fleur Dcour looked at Bill with interest over his mother''s shoulder.


    It can be seen that she was curious about Bill''s long hair and dragon tooth earrings.


    "You are so nice," Harry whispered to Sirius and Mrs. Weasley, "I was wondering who woulde, Dursley..."


    "Don''t mention that idiot to me," Sirius said angrily, "They are not worthy of being your family!"


    Mrs. Weasley also pursed her lips.


    She always avoided criticizing the Dursleys in front of Harry, but every time she heard their names, her eyes would be angry.


    "It''s good to be back," Bill said, looking at the meeting room, "I haven''t seen this ce for five years. Is the portrait of the mad knight still there? Is his name Sir Cadogan?"


    "Oh, it''s still there." Harry said, Sir Cadogan was guarding the Gryffindormon roomst year.


    "Where is the Fat Lady?" Bill asked again.


    "She was there when I was in school," Mrs. Weasley interrupted, "One day I didn''t get back to the dormitory until four in the morning, and she scolded me severely..."


    "What are you doing outside the dormitory at four in the morning?" Bill looked at his mother in surprise.


    Mrs. Weisley smiled, her eyes sparkling.


    "Your father and I went out for a walk, but he was caught by the caretaker at the time, Apollyon Pringle." Then she looked at Sirius, "Speaking of night walks, Sirius is more experienced, right?"


    "Of course," Sirius said proudly, "If we talk about the number of night walks, no student dares to say that I am second!"


    "Fred and George are not good enough?" Harry said in surprise.


    "They are not qualified either!" Siriusughed.


    Under the leadership of Sirius, the "night walk expert", they talked andughed while strolling around the castle.


    Unconsciously, the evening star pushed open the night curtain, and the moonlight sprinkled silver gauze.


    Night hase.


    Thest game is about to begin.

 Chapter 282 - 282 Filch and the Accident on Mount Olympus

    <h4>Chapter 282: Filch and the ident on Mount Olympus</h4>


    "Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes, I will invite everyone to the Quidditch field to watch thest event of the Triwizard Tournament..."


    When the enchanted ceiling was dotted with stars, Dumbledore stood up in front of the staff seat and everyone fell silent.


    The dinner was more sumptuous than usual, but the warriors didn''t eat much, and they were all very nervous now.


    "...Now please ask the warriors to follow Mr. Bagman to the yground."


    Dumbledore pped his hands and signaled the warriors present to follow Bagman who was standing at the door of the hall.


    Harry stood up, and the Gryffindor students looked at him and apuded him together.


    The Weasleys and Sirius also sat at the Gryffindor table - they were all Gryffindor students, and they also wished him good luck together.


    At the same time, at the long table of Hufflepuff College, there was a warm apuse from the seats of Beauxbatons, Invermorny and Durmstrang.


    Harry, Cedric, Fleur, Viktor and John gathered together in apuse and walked out of the hall together.


    "Feeling okay, Harry?" Bagman followed them as they walked down the stone steps and asked, "Are you confident?"


    "Very good," Harry said.


    He was telling the truth. Although he was indeed nervous, he kept reviewing the spells he had learned during this period in his mind. Thoseplex spells were vivid in his mind, as if he could blurt them out by waving his wand.


    This confident state made him feel much better.


    The warriors walked all the way to the location of the original Quidditch field - it had bepletely unrecognizable, and even Harry and Cedric, who had trained here for a long time, could not believe that this was once a field.


    A twenty-foot-high hedge surrounded the edge of the field, with only a gap in front of them, which was probably the entrance to this giant maze.


    The passage inside the maze was dark, and standing outside, nothing could be seen, which seemed a bit scary.


    "Hey, has the security professor arrived?" Furong''s eyes swept across the entrance of the maze and found a silver-haired figure standing high on the hedge surrounding the maze.


    A bright crescent moon hung behind Drac.


    Tonight was a waning moon, and the crescent moony on its side to the lower right, as if it was supported behind Drac''s head, turning into a crystal pillow in a ttering manner.


    "I remember when we left the auditorium, wasn''t he still eating in the staff seat?" John asked curiously, "Why did he arrive before us?"


    "It''s Professor Drac''s routine operation, you''ll get used to it." Cedric chuckled.


    Five minutester, people began to enter the stands.


    Hundreds of students filed into their seats, and the air was filled with excited voices and chaotic footsteps.


    Lights were lit around the maze, blending with the stars in the sky, illuminating the venue brightly.


    Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Flitwick walked into the stadium and approached Bagman and several warriors.


    They all had glowing red stars on their hats, except for Hagrid, whose red star was on the back of his thick terry vest - the professors couldn''t find a hat that would fit him for a while.


    "In addition to Professor Drac, we will also patrol outside the maze," Professor McGonagall said to the warriors, "If you encounter difficulties and want to get rescue, you must shoot red sparks into the sky in time, and someone wille to help you, do you understand?"


    The warriors nodded in unison.


    "In addition, if you encounter a very urgent danger and don''t have time to cast red sparks, remember to shout loudly," Professor McGonagall warned, "Professor Drac can usually hear your shouts."


    She looked at the two Hogwarts students, Harry and Cedric, and took a deep breath.


    "Good luck in the game!"


    After Bagman and Professor McGonagall finished their instructions, they walked in front of the three temporary patrol members.


    "Then I''ll trouble you, three professors!" he said to them happily.


    "Good luck, Harry." Hagrid whispered a blessing to Harry, and then turned and left.


    The three professors walked away in different directions, distributed around the maze.


    Then, Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and said "loud voice", and his voice amplified by magic echoed in the stands.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, thest game of the semi-finals is about to begin!" he said excitedly.


    "Now, let me report the scores of the five warriors in the first two events - John Kowalski, a total of 105 points, and the first ce is the Invermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"


    Apuse rang out, but the Hogwarts students who upied most of the audience were not too enthusiastic, so the apuse was not too loud.


    "Next are the second and third ce, Cedric Diggory, and Harry Potter - they scored 102 and 98 points respectively, and the two warriors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry happened to be ranked together, so Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry ranked second!"


    Until then, extremely warm apuse and cheers rang out on the field, scaring the birds of the Forbidden Forest into thepletely dark night sky.


    Although Hogwarts did not get the first ce in the score, their school had two warriors ranked second and third respectively, which proved that the warriors of Hogwarts still had a great chance of winning the final championship!


    The little wizards looked at Harry and Cedric with expectation, waving the red and yellow gs representing Gryffindor and Hufflepuff in their hands, with the names of the two warriors written on them.


    "Next is Mr. Victor Krum, 91 points, Durmstrang Academy ranked third!" Bagman continued to read.


    Another round of apuse rang out - Krum''s fame still had a strong influence in the eyes of the little wizards.


    "Finally, Miss Fleur Dcour, 77 points, Beauxbatons Academy is temporarily ranked fourth!"


    Fleur made a major mistake in the second project and failed to rescue her sister, so the score was widened by other warriors.


    At this point, except for some young wizards who were attracted by Fleur''s beauty, most of the audience apuded politely.


    Harry stood not far from the entrance of the maze, looking at the audience from a distance, and could recognize Mrs. Weisley, Sirius, Bill, Ron and Hermione in the stands, apuding Fleur politely.


    He waved to them from a distance, and Sirius and the others also waved to him with a smile.


    "Now let me introduce the rules of thepetition - the scores of the first two items will determine the order in which the warriors enter the maze. The warrior with the highest score will be the first to enter the maze, and the warriors behind will be dyed by five minutes each..."


    "Now, Mr. Kowalski, listen to my whistle!" Bagman stood on thementary seat and said with a red face, "Three... two... one..."


    "Toudu--"


    With a short whistle, John quickly ran through the entrance and into the maze.


    The tall hedges cast ck shadows on the path. I don''t know whether it was because the hedges were tall and dense, or because of the silence magic around the maze, the voices of the audience disappeared as soon as John entered the maze.


    John was not too nervous in his heart, because there were many dangerous magical animals in this maze, which happened to be his strong point-


    After studying for a long time with Newt Scamander, the most outstanding magical zoologist of this century, his grandmother''s brother-inw, and his grandfather''s good friend, most magical animals were not only not obstacles to John, but could even be used as a help.


    He confidently turned a fork in the road, wanting to see what kind of magical animals the big gamekeeper and forest ranger could find.


    However, when he appeared behind the corner, what blocked his way was not a magical animal or a magic mechanism, but a bald old man with a ferocious look.


    "Are you... Mr. Filch, the gatekeeper of Hogwarts?" John frowned and asked, "You shouldn''te here, it''s dangerous here..."


    John''s words suddenly stopped.


    He saw that the Squib Filch in front of him actually took out a wand from his pocket, and yed with it in his hand very skillfully for a few times, and then pointed it at John.


    John immediately felt bad and rolled to one side subconsciously...


    A white beam of light flew past his shoulder and instantly turned the hedge behind John into a stone wall.


    "Quite a quick reaction, worthy of being the first ce in the semi-finals." Filch sneered.


    John was shocked and broke into a cold sweat.


    He never thought that such a seemingly harmless Squib could cast such a powerful spell.


    "Who are you?!" he asked.


    "You don''t need to know." Filch said coldly, "If you are an uncontroble person on the field, how can that stupid kid get the Goblet of Fire..."


    As he said that, he cast another powerful spell.


    John quickly used an Shield Charm to block in front of him, but the Shield Charm could not stop Filch''s spell. The transparent barrier hit John''s chest heavily, knocking him up and crashing into another hedge behind him.


    Seeing that Filch was about to recite the spell again, John realized that he was no match for this "gatekeeper", so he quickly raised his wand and pointed it to the sky.


    "Ruddy Sparkle!"


    A dazzling red light shot out from the tip of John''s wand and rushed straight into the sky.


    However, just before the sparks were about to burst out of the tall fence, another spell arrived and intercepted them in a split second.


    It was Filch''s universal spell to break the spell!


    John''s heart sank.


    Suddenly, he thought of what Professor McGonagall of Hogwarts had told them before the game started -


    "If you encounter a very urgent danger and don''t have time to cast the red sparks, remember to shout loudly. Professor Drac can usually hear your shouts."


    John''s eyes lit up, and he didn''t care whether the silencing spells around him would block his shouts. With a one-in-a-million hope, he began to shout loudly to the sky.


    "Professor Drac, help me!"


    However, "Filch" didn''t react to his actions. Instead, he walked forward leisurely with an evil smile on his face.


    "Don''t worry, Professor Drac, whom you rely on, has been led away..." He said with a sinister smile, "No one can hear your call for help now."


    Then, "Filch" raised his wand-


    "Imperio."


    ...


    Five minutes ago, just when John had just entered the maze to start the game.


    Drac stood on the high fence, looking into the depths of the maze with interest.


    At this moment, his eyes moved slightly.


    A delicate crystal ball emitting a soft glow was taken out of Drac''s pocket.


    This crystal ball has not been used for several years. It is a pair connected to the crystal ball that Weiss sent to Romania three years ago.


    In the center of the crystal ball of the Mo Lake, there should be a dim moon rotating quietly.


    However, at this moment, the dark moon has be extremely bright, shing and shining.


    This means that Selina has a message to pass on to him.


    Drac frowned, nced at the glittering crystal ball, and then looked into the depths of the maze.


    With Professor McGonagall and the others patrolling, there shouldn''t be any problems in the game in the short term, right?


    He thought so, and then disappeared from the spot.


    The next moment, Drac appeared on a small ind outside the Hogwarts area, and his adopted daughter Serena, whose hair was half ck and half white, was waiting for him on the ind.


    "What''s wrong? Is there something urgent that you came here suddenly?" Drac frowned and asked, "If there is nothing urgent, I will go back first. There is something going on over there."


    "No, this matter is very urgent!" Selena walked quickly to Drac''s side with an extremely anxious look on her face, "It''s the Greek magic world. Minister Abertel said that something happened on Mount Olympus!"


    "What?" Drac frowned tightly, "Why at this time?"


    "I don''t know." Selena shook her head, "Only you can enter that secret realm. I can''t find a solution with several high-level vampires, so I can onlye to contact you."


    She looked at Drac with some concern and asked, "Is it Ander There is a problem with Uncle Ross again. Previously, it was the despicable Herpo who suddenly increased his power, causing the movement of Mount Olympus. "


    "But I have been very restrained recently and have not gone to kill the Dementors." Drac was a little confused, but still shrugged, "Forget it, I still have to go and take a look, in case there is any big problem with Andros."


    Then, he looked at Selena: "I should be a security guard at the semi-finals. Now that I have to leave Hogwarts and go to Mount Olympus to check the situation, this position needs someone to take over."


    "How about this, Selena, you help me watch the stadium, and I will try toe back as soon as possible."


    "Me?" Selena asked incredulously.


    "That''s right, there''s no time to find someone else in such a short time." Drac nodded, raised his hand and conjured two dark moons, "Go, this is the way to the Quidditch field at Hogwarts."


    As he spoke, he pushed Selena into one of the dark moons without saying anything, and then stepped into the other one and came to the top of Mount Olympus where the incident happened.

 Chapter 283 - 283 The current status of the secret realm and the ongoing competition

    <h4>Chapter 283: The current status of the secret realm and the ongoingpetition</h4>


    Just like the situation two years ago, Mount Olympus is now covered in a thick fog.


    Drac gently waved his wand in the thick fog.


    A blood-red beam of light sted towards a ce in the thick fog, and the next moment, a hexagram magic circle surrounded by circr light appeared at the ce bombarded by the spell.


    Taking a step forward, Drac instantly stepped into the rotating magic circle.


    The moment he touched the light curtain, just like the time he came with Newt and the Greek Minister of Magic Albert two years ago, the world suddenly turned upside down.


    The towering and majestic Mount Olympus turned upside down, hanging far above the sky.


    And below Mount Olympus is a majestic and elegant building with a strong ancient Greek style, standing on a t ground like water.


    Andros''s patron saint still stood there - as tall as Mount Olympus, like a silver giant that seemed to reach the sky and the earth.


    However, the silver light on the giant flickered at this time, shing from time to time, as if it would go out at any time.


    Endless ck fog filled the patron saint''s surroundings, submerging most of those ancient Greek-style buildings, and these ck fogs were still rising, and it would not be long before those temples and pces would bepletely buried...


    Drac knew that these buildings represented all the power that Andros could gather -


    Most of these buildings were ancient Greek temples, which contained countless human beings'' faith in gods, and were also full of the most earnest expectations of wizards and civilians in the magic world for Andros to defeat Herbo.


    One building after another served as the array base, and together they formed a magical magic array, sealing Herbo''s soul in this powerful array.


    And the core of the array was the giant patron saint incarnated by Andros!


    In the process of fighting against Helbo for more than 2,000 years, Andros''s power was slowly weakening over time, but Helbo''s soul power was growing for some reason.


    As one grew stronger, the other weaker, and gradually, Andros was unable to suppress Helbo.


    To this end, he borrowed the power of the building projection, and used his remaining power tomunicate with the original building in the outside world, connecting the faith of ordinary wizards on thisnd.


    In the end, Andros, with the help of the faith of outsiders, once again gained the power to rival Helbo.


    However, people''s faith is not endless. When this faith can no longer support Andros''s confrontation with Helbo, the formation automatically absorbs the foundation of the Greek magic world, that is, the magic power that escapes outside.


    This is a move that gambles the future of the Greek magic world, but these magic powers can''t resist Helbo''s sudden surge in power this time.


    When these buildings arepletely buried, that is when the secret realm copses and Helbo is born!


    Drac''s eyes became very solemn.


    He shed and appeared in the center of the giant guardian.


    A tall man wearing a white robe-like outfit and bare shoulders stood pale in the center of the guardian, trying to maintain the suppression of Helbo by this secret realm to prevent him from breaking through the secret realm and entering the world.


    "What happened here?" Drac frowned and asked the man, "Why did Helbo''s power be so strong in just two years? Wasn''t he eliminated by us two years ago? It will take at least ten years for him to recover?"


    Hearing Drac''s question, Andros turned around and smiled at him reluctantly.


    "Ah, you''re finally here, my old friend." Andros rxed a little and forced a smile, "You didn''t kill all the Dementors outside, did you? I can only think of plundering the dark energy of the Dementors to restore his strength..."


    "How is that possible?" Drac retorted, "In order to prevent you from dying too quickly, I have hardly killed any Dementors in the past two years... Besides, I just went to Azkaban a while ago, and the Dementors there are alive and well!"


    "Ahem... What''s the matter with Herpo''s power?" Andros coughed weakly a few times and said to Drac, "I don''t understand, there was no sign at all, and he almost broke through the secret realm before I could react."


    "When did his power start to surge?" Drac asked.


    "I''ve been in the secret realm and can''t tell the exact time," Andros said, "but it''s very close, no more than a few hours."


    "A few hours..." Drac frowned, "Why didn''t he get into trouble when I was bored before, but he had to go wrong at the beginning of the semi-finals? I always feel that it''s a bit deliberate..."


    "Don''t study whether it''s deliberate or not, I can''t stand it anymore!" Andros rolled his eyes unhappily beside him, "Hurry up,e and help!"


    Drac put aside his doubts and raised his wand-


    "Expe."


    ...


    "Point Me."


    In the maze of thest project of the semi-finals, Harry held the wand t on his palm and whispered to it.


    The wand rotated and pointed to the dense hedge on his right.


    This meant that the direction was north, and Harry realized that he had to go northwest to get to the center of the maze. The best way is to take the left fork and then turn right as soon as possible.


    The road ahead is clear and empty all around. When Harry turns right, there are still no obstacles. It is as quiet as a quiet dormitoryte at night.


    Harry doesn''t know why the maze is like this. Shouldn''t there be thorns, countless dangerous magical animals, and countless difficult puzzles blocking his way one after another?


    Such a smooth road makes Harry a little flustered. He always feels that this maze seems to be tempting him with a false sense of safety.


    Suddenly, there seems to be some movement behind him.


    Harry is refreshed and quickly picks up the wand to prepare for self-defense, but under the fluorescent light of the wand, it is Cedric who is running out from a small road on the right in a hurry.


    He looks a little flustered at this time, and there is still smoke on his sleeves.


    "Hiss, I just ran into Hagrid''s sting-tailed skrewt!" he shouted to Harry, "I''ve never seen such a big one in Care of Magical Creatures ss, and I finally escaped from it!"


    "Is it dangerous over there?" Harry asked doubtfully.


    "Yes, there are all kinds of traps along the way, and there are many scary magical animals." Cedric nodded, "Why, isn''t that the road you chose?"


    "I don''t seem to have encountered any danger along the way..." Harry said hesitantly.


    "Is that so?" Cedric looked at him with some envy, "Maybe you are luckier."


    He shook his head, turned and rushed into another road, trying to throw the sting-tailed skrewt that was approaching again away.


    Harry also quickened his pace and took another road - if it weren''t for the fact that he and Cedric couldn''t help each other, Harry really wanted to form a team with Cedric, at least if they continued like this, the championship would be more likely to belong to Hogwarts in the end.


    Turning a corner, he finally saw the first monster on this road... A Dementor slowly walked towards him, twelve feet tall, with a hood covering his face and his rotten and scabby hands stretched straight out.


    It floated closer step by step, and touched him by feeling. Harry could hear the gurgling wheezing sound in its throat.


    A cold and sticky feeling attacked his whole body, but he knew what to do... In the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss, Professor Drac used a lot of these monsters as teaching aids. The young wizards at Hogwarts were afraid of nothing but Dementors.


    Harry tried his best to think of the happiest things, and tried his best to concentrate on imagining the scene of walking out of the maze and celebrating victory with Ron and Hermione. At the same time, he raised his wand and shouted the same spell as Drac on the other side:


    "Expe!"


    A silver stag jumped out of Harry''s wand and ran towards the Dementors. The Dementor took two steps back and tripped over its robes... Harry had never seen a Dementor so funny that it could trip over its own robes.


    "Don''t move!" Heughed and took two steps forward with the silver patronus, "I know you''re a Boggart! Riddikulus!"


    With a bang, the "Dementor" exploded into ayer of green smoke and turned into a funny clown.


    The silver stag also disappeared because Harry used another spell.


    Harry continued to move forward, walking as fast and as quietly as possible, still holding his wand high, listening vigntly to the movements around him.


    When Harry came to a fork in the road again, suddenly, a scream broke the silence around him.


    "Fleur?" Harry shouted.


    He recognized the charming witch''s voice, but the scream from this voice,bined with the silent environment around him, was particrly terrifying.


    Harry took a deep breath and stopped at the intersection of the two roads, looking for Fleur''s trace... He didn''t know what Fleur had encountered, nor did he know how she was doing now, thinking that he might be able to help.


    No red sparks were seen - did this mean that Fleur had gotten rid of the trouble, or was the trouble she encountered too great that she couldn''t even take out her wand?


    If there was really no time to cast the red spark, Fleur''s scream just now might have been heard by Professor Drac...


    Harry walked to the right fork with increasing uneasiness, but at the same time he couldn''t help thinking that perhaps a warrior had fallen...


    His heart was beating fast, and he continued to walk down.


    I don''t know how long it took, Harry only encountered a few magical animals that were not too dangerous along the way, and a few magical obstacles were not tooplicated. He couldn''t help but wonder if the wizard who set up this maze underestimated their abilities.


    The trophy was getting closer and closer. After walking on a t road for a few minutes, Harry suddenly stopped.


    A sound came from a road next to him.


    "What are you doing, Krum?" said Cedric''s voice. "What on earth do you want? Warriors are forbidden to hurt each other!"


    Then Harry heard Krum''s voice.


    "Crucio!"


    The air was suddenly filled with Cedric''s screams.


    Harry ran wildly along his path in terror, trying to find a gap to get through, but couldn''t find one.


    He tried the Crushing Charm again in a panic, which didn''t work very well, but he finally opened a small hole in the hedge.


    He stuck his leg into the hole and kicked hard at the dense thorns and branches. Finally, he kicked a gap and struggled through, tearing his robes.


    Looking to the right, Cedric was lying on the ground, twitching, and Krum was looking down at him indifferently.


    Harry climbed to his feet and pointed his wand at Krum. Krum looked up, saw Harry, turned around and ran away.


    "Stupefy!" Harry yelled.


    The spell hit Krum''s back.


    He stopped suddenly, fell forward, andy face down on the grass without moving.


    "Cedric, how are you?" Harry rushed to Cedric, grabbed his arm and asked hoarsely.


    Cedric had stopped twitching andy there gasping for breath, covering his face with his hands.


    "It''s okay, you came in time, I''m not that fragile." Cedric panted, "Maybe it''s because he didn''t master the Cruciatus Curse very well."


    "I can''t believe it... Krum sneaked up behind me... I heard it, turned around, and he pointed his wand at me..."


    Cedric stood up, his body still shaking, and staggered to the ground.


    They looked at Krum, who fell to the ground under the effect of the Stunning Spell.


    "It''s hard to believe... I thought he was pretty good." Harry stared at Krum in disbelief.


    "I used to be too," said Cedric.


    "By the way, did you hear Fleur''s scream?" Harry suddenly remembered the scream just now, and looked at Cedric and asked.


    "I heard it," Cedric nodded, "Do you think Krum also did it to her?"


    "I don''t know." Harry''s tone was very heavy, and he said slowly.


    "Don''t think too much, the game is not over yet." Cedric held the hedge next to him and asked in a low voice. "Are we leaving him here?"


    "No," Harry denied tly, "I think we should shoot red sparks and let someone take him away... otherwise he might be eaten by the sting-tailed skrewt."


    "He deserves it." Cedric muttered.


    But he still raised his wand and shot a string of red sparks into the air. The sparks surrounded Krum and marked his location.


    Next, a very strange scene appeared in the maze.


    Just now, because of Krum, the two warriors, Harry and Cedric, temporarily united - and now, the fact that they are opponents has returned to the minds of the two people.


    After all, now that Fleur and Krum were eliminated, only the two of them and John were left on the field, and the probability of them winning the championship was greatly increased... Now everyone wanted to win the final championship.


    Whether it was because of the honor or because of the 1,000 Galleons.


    They walked silently on the dark path, and when they reached a fork in the road, Harry suddenly turned left, and Cedric turned right in tacit understanding.


    Cedric''s footsteps soon disappeared.

 Chapter 284 - 284 Weird John and temporary security guard Selina

    <h4>Chapter 284: Weird John and temporary security guard Selina</h4>


    In the secret realm on the top of Mount Olympus, countless silver bats gathered into a wave, standing in front of the surging ck fog.


    The silver giant also emitted bursts of light, blocking the ck fog from eroding and engulfing the building.


    However, the ck fog seemed endless and was still expanding. The dissipation of the silver light was like a drop in the bucket, which could only slow down its rising speed, but could notpletely suppress it.


    "This is not a solution." Drac frowned and said.


    "I know it''s not a solution..." Andros said, gritting his teeth, "but I have been deprived of half of my control over the secret realm, and now I can''t even find where Herbo is."


    "It''s not hard to find, after all, this ce is so small." Drac''s eyes moved slightly, looking into the depths of the ck fog, "Herbo must be in it, just go in and take a look and you''ll know."


    "Wait..." Andros grabbed Drac''s arm, "You don''t want to enter this ck fog, do you?"


    He persuaded: "The dark power here is too strong. I felt it was unbearable when I touched it a little bit before, let alone taking the initiative to go deep!"


    Drac was silent for a while, then turned his head and looked at Andros with an idiotic look.


    "What''s wrong? Did I say something wrong?" Andros asked inexplicably, "I know you are very strong, but the power that Helpo suddenly burst out is also something I have never seen before. I suggest you don''t take the risk!"


    "...Have you ever thought that you can''t bear the ck fog because of your physical condition?" Drac said faintly.


    "There is no need to poke my wounds, right?" Andros looked very hurt, "I know that people like me who live with the patronus as their bodies are rtively humble, but I can''t help it..."


    "No, you misunderstood." Drac''s mouth twitched, and he interrupted him, "I mean, have you ever thought...I am here to fight this ck fogpletely for you, if I am alone, I don''t have to care about it at all."


    Andros shook his head nkly.


    However, the next moment, he realized what Drac meant.


    Drac suddenly retracted his wand, and his temperament suddenly changed.


    The sacred aura stained by the Patronus spell disappeared, and his ck and red robe fluttered without wind, and the endless dark aura surged up, and it seemed that the momentum was not inferior to the endless ck fog below.


    Andros: "..."


    He silently moved a few steps to the side, avoiding the darkness on Drac''s body that was so thick that he couldn''t look directly at it, to prevent his Patronus body from being affected.


    "Why didn''t you tell me in advance? You can transform as soon as you say so?" Andros looked at Drac with disdain, "I''ve seen you use the Patronus state for so long that I almost forgot that you are the darkest guy."


    "I''ll go find Herpo, you hold on for a while." Drac curled his lips and said casually, "If you feel you can''t do it, just shout, I should be able to hear you."


    "Okay, I''m not that weak yet." Andros waved his hand, "You go quickly ande back quickly, I''ll hold on here first."


    Drac nodded lightly, jumped down from the chest of the silver giant, and sank into the ck mist.


    ...


    "It must be very close, the Goblet of Fire should be not far away..."


    In the arena of the semi-finals, Harry held up his wand and used the directional spell to determine his direction.


    The wand told him that the direction he was in waspletely correct. As long as he didn''t encounter any dangerous obstacles, he might have a chance to get the trophy of the semi-finals and be the final winner...


    Thinking of this, Harry ran.


    He ran along this road, and soon he saw a light in front of him.


    The semi-finals cup stood quietly on the exquisite pedestal in the open space a hundred meters away, shing an attractive light.


    Just when Harry thought he was about to win the final victory, suddenly, a ck shadow rushed to the road in front of him from the side fork.


    It was Cedric, he got there first!


    He was sprinting towards the trophy at full speed. Harry estimated the distance between himself and Cedric, and looked at Cedric''s long legs, knowing that he could never catch up.


    Cedric was much taller than him, had longer legs than him, and was better developed, and his physical fitness was probably better than his.


    Harry slowed down panting and felt that he had no chance.


    This seems to be a good idea, the champion still belongs to Hogwarts.


    Just as Cedric was about to reach the open space where the semi-final cup was, Harry''s eyes suddenly changed.


    He saw a huge ck shadow outside the hedge on the left, moving quickly towards this side on the intersecting road, and Cedric was about to hit it... But Cedric was only staring at the trophy and didn''t see it at all-


    "Cedric!" Harry shouted, "Watch out to the left!"


    Cedric turned his head suddenly and saw something next to him.


    He was startled and quickly dodged to the side to avoid colliding with that thing.


    But Cedric was running too fast before, and the sudden change of center of gravity made him fall heavily to the ground.


    Harry was horrified to see that a huge spider crawled over and leaned over to press Cedric.


    "Stupefy!" Harry raised his wand and shouted loudly.


    The spell hit the spider''s huge, ck, hairy body, but it was no more than a stone thrown at it. The spider merely twitched, seemingly unaffected.


    But at least it had some effect, because the spider''s attention shifted, its eyes moving away from Cedric, and it turned quickly and rushed towards Harry.


    "Stupefy! Impedimenta! Flipendo!"


    Harry panicked and used three different spells in session, bombarding the spider in session.


    But it didn''t work at all - perhaps the spider was too big, or its magic was too much stronger than Harry''s, the spells had no effect on it, but instead angered it even more.


    Harry saw in horror the eight gleaming ck eyes and sharp pincers, and the spider had already pounced on him.


    The spider lifted Harry into the air with its two front pincers, and Harry struggled desperately, trying to kick it with his feet.


    His leg touched the spider''s ws, but the spider did not react. Instead, Harry immediately felt a sharp pain.


    He heard Cedric also using a Stunning Spell to attack the spider, but his spell did not work either - the spider opened its ws again, and Harry raised his wand and shouted:


    "Expelliarmus!"


    This spell, which Harry was best at, was still effective.


    The Disarming Spell made the spider''s front ws release him, but this meant that Harry would fall from a height of three meters.


    Harry''s legs could not withstand the weight of his body, and he felt a pain and copsed to the ground.


    But now he had no time to care about this pain. Without thinking, he pointed his wand at the spider''s lower abdomen and used the Stunning Spell again.


    At the same time, Cedric also shouted the same spell.


    The two spellsbined seemed to have an effect that the first spell could not: the spider fell to the side, crushing a hedge, and its hairy long legs were spread out on the ground.


    "Harry, are you okay?!" Harry heard Cedric shout, "Didn''t it fall on you?"


    "No." Harry shouted breathlessly.


    He looked down at his legs, which were bleeding. There was some sticky stuff on the torn robe, which was secreted from the spider''s ws. It was unknown whether it was poisonous.


    Harry tried to stand up, but his legs were shaking so much that he couldn''t support the weight of his body, so he leaned against the hedge, gasping for breath, and looked around.


    "We should be safe now, right?" Harry closed his eyes and asked weakly.


    However, he suddenly heard Cedric''s unbelievable voice-


    "Kowalski? Have you been here for a long time? Why didn''t I see you pick up the trophy?"


    Harry opened his eyes and looked at the open space where the semi-final cup was.


    At this time, John Kowalski stood in the ce where the light was shining, looking at Cedric steadily.


    "John Kowalski?" Harry was stunned.


    He saw that John''s expression was very wooden, and his mustache-wearing face was no longer funny, but rather scary.


    Harry felt something was wrong.


    This expression seemed very simr to when Krum tortured Cedric with the Cruciatus Curse before...


    "Expelliarmus."


    As if to verify Harry''s guess, the next moment, John suddenly raised his wand without Cedric noticing.


    Cedric''s wand flew out, was caught by John, and then thrown far away.


    "Kowalski, what are you doing?!" Cedric looked at this scene in shock, and asked angrily, "If you want to take the trophy, you can just take it directly, there''s no need to do it with me, right?"


    John still didn''t speak, but raised his wand again.


    Harry didn''t care about his leg injury at this time. He stood up with the help of the hedge, pointed his wand at John and shouted:


    "Petrificus Totalus!"


    John nced at Harry and used another spell to block Harry''s full body petrification spell -


    "Protego."


    Harry knew that he was no match for John alone, so he turned to look at Cedric.


    "Cedric, go get your wand back!" He shouted, "This person is definitely not John, or he is controlled by someone else... We can''t just sit there and wait for death!"


    Seeing this, Cedric also recognized the current situation in a short time, knowing that the purpose of this "John" was no longer to get the trophy of the semi-finals, but more likely to hurt them like Krum!


    However, no matter how well Cedric performed in ss, he did not master the advanced spellcasting ability such as wandless casting.


    So he looked at Harry again and winked at him.


    Harry nodded knowingly and pointed his wand at the wand that John had just thrown aside.


    "io Cedrid!"


    The extensive practice of the io Spell before the first project was not in vain. After the io Spell was cast, Cedric''s ash wand immediately flew up and flew towards Harry.


    Harry opened his hand, wanting to catch the wand and throw it back to Cedric.


    However, at this moment, another huge figure suddenly appeared, blocking Cedric''s wand and Harry.


    Harry widened his eyes and saw another huge spider crawling over from the fork in the hedge on the right.


    As for John in the open space, he took his index finger and thumb away from his mouth - he just whistled, and it seemed that this whistle made the spider hear hismand.


    "Oh no, he can also control magical animals!" Harry''s face turned a little pale.


    Cedric was the same. He watched helplessly as the huge spider crawled towards him step by step, but he could not think of any way to resist.


    At the same time, John raised his wand again...


    Suddenly, a light shed!


    A short red cloak fell from the sky and blocked the spider!


    Harry widened his eyes and saw a thin, even boneless hand firmly grasping the spider''s front ws.


    The next moment, the hand flipped and easily flipped the spider, which was taller than a floor, to the ground, as if it was flipping a small beetle.


    It was not until then that Cedric and Harry had time to look at the figure that fell from the sky -


    This looked like a petite girl who looked very heroic.


    Her hair was half ck and half white, she had a pair of red eyes, and she wore a short cloak and a long dress that was ck on the outside and red on the inside.


    The person who came was Selina who arrived in time. She thought she only needed to ck off here, and other professors would solve the safety problems of the contestants.


    However, when no one cast red sparks, she was the only one who could hear the movement in the center of the maze.


    Selina pped her hands and spread her hands in front of her chest.


    A group of bats with white mes on their bodies flew out andnded on the big spider.


    In a blink of an eye, the huge body of the spider was burned to ashes.


    "Huh - I''m awesome. I learned his secret in less than two years!" Looking at the spider''s disappearing body, Selinaughed and boasted happily.


    "Uh... that, thisdy," Harry suddenly reminded, "there is still one person''s problem that has not been solved. By the way, please don''t treat John the same way you treat spiders..."


    Harry thought for a long time and couldn''t figure out which professor this was. Wasn''t the security guard Professor Drac? Why did such a young girle here?


    At the same time as Harry reminded, John also raised his wand indifferently.


    "Stupefy."


    A red beam of light shot out and hit Serena''s back heavily.


    "Be careful!" Harry shouted in shock.


    But he closed his mouth the next moment.


    Serena was hit by aa spell, but she turned around and looked at John angrily as if nothing had happened.


    "You little wizard are not very cute!"


    Harry and Cedric watched her, and she shed in front of John, and then pped John on the forehead.


    John fainted.


    "Huh, this is solved." Serena pped her hands.


    Harry secretly swallowed his saliva.


    "Well, he is not dead?" He asked in a low voice.


    "Of course, do I look like such a violent person?" Serena bared her sharp teeth and asked viciously.


    Harry and Cedric silently looked at the spider, which waspletely destroyed, and shook their heads at the same time.

 Chapter 285 - 285 The Champion of the Tournament and the Dispersion of the Black Mist

    <h4>Chapter 285: The Champion of the Tournament and the Dispersion of the ck Mist</h4>


    Serena left with John, who had fainted on the ground.


    Harry and Cedric looked at each other in bewilderment. They still couldn''t believe that this problem was solved by a girl who didn''t know who she was.


    Then, they realized something at the same time -


    Now there were only two of them left in the whole maze, and they were only one step away from the final victory!


    At this moment, Cedric was standing only a foot away from the Triwizard Cup, and the trophy was shing behind him.


    "Take it, it''s yours." Harry panted, suppressed his desire for victory, and said to Cedric, "Whoever gets the championship first will get it, you are closer to the Quarterfinal Cup than me."


    Cedric didn''t move.


    He stood there nkly, looking at Harry, and then looked back at the trophy.


    In the golden light of the trophy, Harry could see the eager expression on Cedric''s face.


    Cedric looked back at Harry again, and Harry was barely standing up with the help of the hedge.


    Cedric took a deep breath.


    "Take it, the victory should be yours." He said, "You saved my life twice."


    If Harry interrupted Krum''s Cruciatus Curse the first time, Cedric could stillfort himself by saying that they were both Hogwarts warriors; but the second time, it was Harry''s reminder and help that saved him from being killed by the spider...


    Hufflepuffs always value integrity and honesty the most. Cedric couldn''t ept that he took the trophy representing victory in front of Harry after being helped twice.


    "The rules are not like this." Harry shook his head and said.


    He saw Cedric''s hesitation and felt a little annoyed for no reason.


    Harry''s legs hurt badly. In order to deal with the two spiders, he was in pain all over... However, after so much effort, he lost to Cedric, just like his rtionship with Qiu Zhang before.


    "Whoever gets there first gets the trophy. You got there first." Harry shook off his misconceptions and said to Cedric seriously, "I''m telling the truth, and my leg is so injured that I might not be able to walk over."


    Cedric was indifferent, but took a few steps closer to Harry, away from the trophy.


    "No." He shook his head again.


    "Don''t be so stylish," Harry said impatiently, "Take it quickly, so we can leave here... Who knows if there will be other dangers waiting for us?"


    Cedric saw Harry holding on to the hedge tightly to keep himself steady.


    "You told me there was a dragon," Cedric said again after a moment of silence, "If you hadn''t warned me in advance, I might have been eliminated in the first task."


    "That''s because I got help first!" Harry said impatiently, trying to wipe the blood off his leg with his robe, "and you told me how to deal with the second task - we are even."


    "Strictly speaking, I also received help from others." Cedric said, "The book was given to me by Mr. Filch, although his original intention may not be like this..."


    "But we are still even." Harry shook his head.


    He carefully tested his injured leg, and as soon as he put weight on it, the leg trembled violently - he sprained his ankle when he was thrown down by the spider.


    "Your score for the second project should be higher, at least higher than mine." Cedric said stubbornly, "You stayed until the end and rescued all the hostages... I should have done the same."


    "I was the only one who was stupid enough to take the song seriously! You are all smart people and know that nothing will happen to them." Harry said unhappily, "Hurry up, get your trophy!"


    "No." Cedric still repeated the word.


    He stepped over the spider that was not burned by Selina and was knocked unconscious by him and Harry, and walked to Harry''s side.


    Harry looked up and red at him.


    Cedric was serious.


    He was giving up the honor that Hufflepuff had not received for hundreds of years - as the most low-key house, it was rare for Badger House to have a warrior in thepetition, let alone win the final championship.


    "You go." Cedric repeated again.


    It seemed that he used all his perseverance to say this. But his expression was very firm, without any hesitation, and he was obviously determined.


    Harry''s eyes moved to the trophy.


    In the light of the trophy, his mind was hazy for a moment, as if he saw himself holding it and walking out of the maze -


    He held the semi-final cup high, and the crowd cheered in his ears; he saw Ginny''s face full of admiration, saw Ron and Hermione cheering loudly, and saw Sirius smiling and saying that he was proud of him...


    Then the illusion disappeared, and Harry saw Cedric''s stubborn face in the dimness.


    "Let''s go together." Harry suddenly thought of a way.


    "What?" Cedric was stunned.


    "Two people take it at the same time, and Hogwarts still wins." Harry said, "We are the joint champions."


    Cedric stared at Harry with wide eyes, and Tong Kong trembled.


    "You...really want to do this?"


    "Of course," Harry took a deep breath and said to him heavily, "Of course...we helped each other to ovee difficulties, right? We got here together, and this is not the credit of one person."


    For a long time, Cedric seemed to be unable to believe his ears, and then he smiled.


    "Listen to you,e together!"


    He grabbed Harry''s arm and helped Harry limp towards the trophy.


    Walking from the dim hedges to the brightly lit central square of the maze, the glittering trophy was getting closer and brighter, just like the extremely happy emotions in the hearts of the two.


    After walking to the side of the trophy, Harry and Cedric each raised their hands above a shining handle.


    "I''ll count to three, okay?" Harry said, "Let''s grab the trophy together. Mr. Bagman said it will take us back together."


    Cedric smiled and nodded.


    "One...two...three..."


    The two put their hands down at the same time, and each grabbed a handle.


    The next moment, their legs left the ground, and their hands were tightly attached to the handle of the Quartet.


    The Quartet dragged them forward in the whistling wind and swirling colors, and no one knew where it was going...


    ...


    In the gloomy ck mist, a group of beautiful ancient Greek-style buildings were looming around.


    Drac put his hands behind his back and walked leisurely in the secret realm, as if it was not a dangerous battle, but a carefree leisurely tour.


    However, there was a faint light in Drac''s eyes, indicating that his mood was not as calm as it seemed.


    Although Andros was strong-willed, his situation was not good.


    In the final analysis, this old antique who had survived in the ancient Greek period did not really live for so many years. He just used his unique patron saint to ce the remaining soul, just to be able to use his own power to trap Helbo in the secret realm.


    But the patron saint is ultimately created by a person''s positive emotions. No matter how heartless Andros is, he can''t resist the wear and tear of time.


    Drac can clearly feel that, especially in thest few hundred years, Andros''s patron saint has be weaker and weaker... If he hadn''t been obsessed with stopping Herbo from going out to do evil, he might have disappeared with the wind.


    The despicable Herbo must be found in the shortest time, otherwise Andros may bepletely submerged in this endless darkness.


    Drac''s eyes locked on a location and then quickened his pace.


    The darkness in that direction is much thicker than other ces!


    The dark breath in the air became more and more dignified. The deeper it went, the more the darkness seemed to turn into substance, so sticky that it formed a dark liquid, blocking the steps of others.


    But these obviously couldn''t stop Drac.


    As one of the purest dark creatures, Drac walked in this darkness like a fish in water.


    In the deep darkness, he saw an unkempt, shifty, and rather wretched old man, standing hunched over in the ce where the dark atmosphere was the thickest.


    That was the despicable Herbo, who was notorious enough in the thousands of years of history of the magic world.


    "We meet again, Mr. Count."


    Seeing Dracing, Herbo took the initiative to say hello.


    "Oh? You seem different today." Drac looked at him in surprise, "I remember that every time I came to this secret realm, you would dodge in a panic. Why do you look so confident today?"


    "Hehehe..." Herboughed sinisterly, "I have dodged you too many times, and I don''t want to hide again today."


    "I want to know, who gave you the courage?" Drac took out the magic wand and gently rubbed it in his hand.


    The gloomy wooden wand seemed extremely excited in the dark, exuding an eager breath all over his body.


    Not only that, there seems to be some energy awakening inside the wand...


    "Drac, you don''t understand what kind of power I have gained." Herbo was very excited, his face full of fanaticism.


    Drac suddenly sneered and curled his lips in disdain.


    "If you are talking about the power of the ''God of Death'', then I think your sense of superiority is a bit ridiculous." He said indifferently, "You are just a poor guy who relies on external forces."


    Herbo''s eyes suddenly erged, and the expression on his face changed from fanaticism to shock.


    "You clearly don''t have a Horcrux, how could you know the existence of the God of Death?" He asked loudly, "Is your so-calledck of interest in eternal life all pretended, and you have split your soul in private? Hypocrisy!"


    "I''m not interested in learning your self-muttion-like stupid behavior," Drac sneered, "Who told you that only by splitting the soul can you have the opportunity to understand another world?"


    The stone archway of the Death Hall in the Department of Mysteries is connected to another world. No one seems to know about this... After all, entering that veil means death, and not everyone has the opportunity to force their way out of that world.


    Drac became more and more curious about himself from the future, and he could actually snatch people from the "God of Death".


    "Nonsense!" Helbo''s exasperated voice interrupted Drac''s thoughts.


    "The power of that person is definitely not something you people who have never experienced it can understand!"


    He suddenly held his hands together, and a vortex of dark energy was slowly gathered, gradually forming an extremely terrifying ck hole, as if even the eyes could be sucked into it...


    "Drac, I admit that I have been suppressed by you for many years..." Helbo''s face gradually calmed down, but his tone was extremely vicious, "But today, I will let you feel the real power of darkness!"


    The ck hole suddenly erupted, and a dense dark cone burst out in the direction of Drac.


    Drac''s eyes suddenly became solemn.


    He realized that if this spike hit the edge of the secret realm, it might be able to tear apart this space that brought together the faith and potential of the entire Greek magic world!


    However, Herbo did not do so.


    In order to avenge Drac''s suppression of him for thousands of years, Herbo chose to use this borrowed power to take revenge!


    Drac''s eyes shed. He knew that he could not fight head-on, so he decided to avoid the edge for the time being and choose the right time to counterattack.


    However, at this moment, a power seemed to suddenly wake up in his wand.


    That was the power left in this wand by his future self, and Drac had never discovered what use it could be.


    So he raised the wand with this power.


    As the wand was waved, the surrounding darkness seemed to be attracted by an inexplicable force, and all gathered towards the wand... It was as if they were following the guidance of the wand!


    Drac''s eyes lit up, and instead of dodging, he turned around and flew towards the terrifying spike.


    The tip of the magic wand urately touched the front end of the spike. At that moment, time seemed to freeze...


    "Buzz..."


    After a long time, a buzzing sound came from the intersection of the two.


    The extremely solid spike was first torn open, and then shattered inch by inch, turning into pieces of ck light.


    Afterwards, under the guidance of the gloomy wooden magic wand, those ck light spots also joined the surrounding dark energy army, and were deprived of control by Drac bit by bit, and turned to crush Helbo.


    "How... is it possible?" Helbo''s eyes widened, and the whole person was stunned on the spot, "This kind of power... Why can you control it..."


    Before he could finish his words, the surrounding "rebellious" dark power had already swept in, like a millstone, crushing Helbo''s soul into powder.


    Helbo failed again and could only rely on the Horcrux to wait for rebirth.


    "I''m sorry, it seems that even if you borrow other powers, you still can''t seek revenge on me." Drac raised his mouth happily, "No matter how strong the borrowed power is, it is not your own. Isn''t it easy to turn against me?"


    Then, Drac waved his wand again.


    The ck fog in the secret realm dissipated in an instant.

 Chapter 286 - 286 Cedric’s death?

    <h4>Chapter 286: Cedric''s death?</h4>


    In a gloomy, overgrown cemetery, two figures were suddenly thrown down from the air.


    Harry''s feet hit the ground, his injured leg softened, and he fell to the ground; Cedric also sat on the ground.


    The suction on the semi-final cup disappeared, and it stumbled from the hands of the two people and rolled to the side.


    "Hiss... where are we now?" Harry held the wound on his leg and took a breath of cold air.


    Cedric shook his head nkly, then stood up and pulled Harry up, and the two looked around together.


    This ce was obviouslypletely out of the territory of Hogwarts. They flew in the air for an unknown period of time, probably several miles... maybe hundreds of miles.


    Even the mountains around the castle disappeared nearby, and the vast forbidden forest could not be seen, only a weedy cemetery.


    A tall yew tree could be seen on the right side of the cemetery, and there was a ck outline of a small church behind it. There was a hill on the left, and a fine old house could be vaguely discerned on the hillside.


    Cedric looked down at the trophy of the semi-finals, then looked at Harry.


    "Didn''t Mr. Bagman say... that the trophy would only send the champion out of the maze?" he asked, "Did he say that the trophy was actually a portkey?"


    "He probably didn''t say that." Harry said, "Or... ourpetition hasn''t ended yet, is this a hidden arena?"


    He looked around the cemetery, which was eerie and silent, "Is this also part of the game?"


    "I don''t know." Cedric said, his voice a little nervous, "Anyway, pull out your wand, what do you say?"


    "Okay." Harry also nodded nervously.


    They pulled out their wands and walked slowly forward.


    Harry kept looking around, and there was always a strange feeling lingering in his heart, as if someone was watching them nearby.


    "Someone ising." He said suddenly.


    They squinted nervously and looked at the darkness, a figure was walking towards them step by step between the gloomy tombs.


    The two couldn''t see the man''s face, but from his gait and figure, it seemed that the man''s back was a little hunched, and... his body shape and way of walking were somewhat familiar to the two.


    Harry lowered the wand in his hand a little, he turned his head to look at Cedric, and Cedric also cast a questioning nce at him.


    The two turned their heads and stared at the approaching figure, full of doubts.


    The man stopped in front of a towering marble tombstone, only about six feet away from them.


    At that moment, Harry and Cedric looked at the hunched figure.


    "Mr. Filch, why are you here?" Looking at the figure, Cedric asked in surprise, "So... is this really still part of the game?"


    Filch suddenlyughed sinisterly.


    "Wait, Cedric, something is wrong..." Harry''s strangeness in his heart became more and more obvious.


    It felt like a blood vessel was throbbing on his forehead, hurting him.


    Cedric looked at Harry nkly, and heard someone behind "Filch" speaking loudly and coldly.


    At the same time, the scar on Harry''s forehead began to hurt violently.


    He had never felt such severe pain in his life. His wand slipped to the ground involuntarily. He covered his face with both hands, bent his legs and fell to the ground. He could not see anything in front of him, and his head seemed to explode.


    "Kill those who are in the way." He vaguely heard the voice say.


    There was a whistling sound of wind, followed by a sharp shout that pierced the night sky -


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    A strong green light pierced Harry''s eyelids, and he heard something fall heavily beside him.


    The scar hurt so much that he felt nauseous and wanted to vomit... After an unknown amount of time, the pain eased a little, and he slowly opened his stinging eyes in fear.


    Cedric was lying on the ground with his limbs stretched out, his eyes were lifeless, and he didn''t know whether he was dead or alive.


    For an endless second, Harry stared at Cedric''s face, his expressionless gray eyes, like the window of an abandoned house... His mouth was half open, and he looked a little surprised.


    Except for Harry and Voldemort, no one could survive the attack of the Killing Curse.


    Harry''s brain couldn''t ept the scene in front of him, it was nk, but he felt that Cedric was probably dead in his helpless subconscious... He didn''t see that there were two ck inverted cross pendants hanging on Cedric''s chest, which turned blood red at this time.


    Harry began to understand that this trap was specially set for him, and it was all for this moment since the start of the semi-finals.


    Harry felt an irrepressible guilt in his heart. He thought that Cedric died because of him...


    In a nk thought, Harry vaguely felt that he was dragged up by "Filch" and dragged towards the marble tombstone next to him.


    Before he was pushed over and his back hit the tombstone, Harry saw a name on the tombstone in the shing light of his wand - "Tom Riddle." Tom? Wasn''t Tom the assistant teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts? How could his name appear here, and how could it be engraved on a tombstone? Before Harry had time to think about it, another seemingly unreal figure appeared in front of him. His figure was extremely transparent, and even the dead wood behind him could be seen through the cloak on his body. An equally unreal face appeared under the cloak - it was a face that had often appeared in Harry''s nightmares for three years. It was paler than a skull, with two big red eyes, a nose as t as a snake''s nose, and two thin slits for the nostrils... Harry knew that this was Voldemort. Infinite fear rose in his heart, and a terrible thought came to his mind... The Dark Lord that everyone feared wasing back! "Well done, Barty." Voldemort stared at Harry with scarlet eyes, and said lightly to the people around him, "Your loyalty and ability can gain my recognition. In the future, you will be my most trusted servant."


    "Swear allegiance to the Dark Lord!" The wizard who looked exactly like Filch knelt on the ground and shouted loudly.


    Harry looked at "Filch" nkly, wondering what was going on with this castle gatekeeper. However, the next scene immediately made him realize the truth of the matter.


    The face of "Filch" kneeling on the ground gradually changed, the wrinkles gradually disappeared, the skin became smooth, and the copsed nose also stood up. The long, messy hair was shortening, and the bald head also grew hair, and turned light yellow.


    Harry saw a man kneeling in front of him, with pale skin, slightly freckled, and a head of light yellow messy hair.


    This man was very simr to Mr. Crouch, the director of the International Magic Exchange and Cooperation Department.


    "You...you are..." Harry struggled, "You used Polyjuice Potion to disguise yourself as Filch, just to lure me to this cemetery for thest game?"


    Looking at the changes in "Filch" in front of him, the things that happened in this school year came to Harry''s mind--


    Four schools participated in thepetition, but the Goblet of Fire spit out the names of five warriors: this is because "Filch" was the person in charge of guarding the Goblet of Fire that night, and he had countless opportunities to secretly cast a Confusion Spell on the Goblet of Fire;


    The firstpetition item was the dragon, and Harry had been slow to think of a way to deal with it: "Filch" deliberately blocked the entrance of the castle and euphemistically suggested that they use flying brooms to deal with the dragon, and Ron quickly reacted at that time;


    For the second item, "Filch" deliberately put a book about alchemy in the storage of dangerous goods drawer, luring Fred and George to steal it, and thus helping them to crack the secret of the golden egg;


    The second task was to survive in the depths of the ck Lake for an hour, and Harry hadn''t thought of a way until the game:


    So "Filch" gave Cedric the book "Mediterranean Magical Aquatic nts and Their Characteristics" which recorded the sacgrass, because he knew that a decent person like Cedric would be willing to help Harry who had given him clues about the dragon;


    In the third game, "Filch" used the Imperius Curse to control Krum and John, asking them to hinder Fleur and Cedric''s game and prevent Harry''s final championship from being taken away by someone else...


    Harry thought that he didn''t encounter much danger in the maze, but Cedric encountered all kinds of crises, and it was very likely that "Filch" secretly intervened in the maze.


    Harry figured everything out, raised his head, and looked at the wizard in front of him in horror.


    Little Barty smiled darkly.


    "It''s a pity that you guessed it, but it''s toote." He said contemptuously, "My disguise as Filch is the best decision I have ever made. No one thought that someone would be willing to disguise as a Squib."


    "It''s ridiculous. Dumbledore is called the patron saint of Muggle-born wizards, but he doesn''t pay much attention to Squibs from the bottom of his heart. They are no different from the pure-bloods he despises..."


    "The real ''Filch'' can''t have brain lusion. During this year, even if he seriously used Legilimency to look at me, my identity would be directly exposed to you..."


    "But do you know? Potter, Dumbledore has never cared about ''me'' as a Squib."


    A year of lurking made little Barty''s mind not normal. He seemed eager to share his masterpiece with others.


    "Nonsense!" Harry retorted loudly, "Dumbledore just doesn''t want to observe others in an illegal way!"


    "Naive!" Little Bartyughed contemptuously, "Do you really think that Dumbledore has never used Legilimency on other faculty members on weekdays?"


    "It''s not easy, Potter, to help you pass these projects without arousing suspicion. I have to use all my tricks to make people unable to see the traces of my intervention. If you win too easily, Dumbledore will be suspicious..."


    "My first reminder was indeed hidden enough. Fortunately, you have a smart friend who can think of my hidden meaning. Butter my help became more and more difficult..."


    "In the second project, I was particrly worried that we would fail... You stayed in theke for too long, Potter. I thought you drowned. Fortunately, Dumbledore regarded your stupidity as noble and gave you a high score, so I was relieved. tone. "


    "Of course, you were also taken care of in the maze tonight." Little Barty continued, "However, what I didn''t expect was that the biggest w in this year was my stupid father, who was able to break free from my Imperius Curse in a short time!"


    "You are Mr. Crouch''s son?!" Harry widened his eyes, "Where is Mr. Crouch now, what did you do to him?"


    "You may not know, my father is very disappointing..." Little Barty said with a crazy look, "So I happily...very happily...killed him to ensure the sess of the Dark Lord''s n!"


    "Okay, Barty, don''t talk nonsense with him!"


    Just then, Voldemort''s extremely cold voice interrupted the conversation between the two, "Hurry up and start the ceremony, I have been waiting for this day for too long!"


    "Yes!" Little Barty''s crazy look immediately subsided, and he responded solemnly.


    He tied Harry, who was unable to resist, to the tombstone, and then took out a dagger and stabbed Harry''s wrist hard.


    Deep red blood flowed out from the wound on Harry''s wrist. The illusory Voldemort waved his hands, letting the blood float in the air, forming a profound and obscure pattern.


    "Potter, you should be proud." Voldemort''s cold and sharp voice sounded in Harry''s ears, "Even if a new form is found, your blood is still an indispensable link."


    Diary Riddle may know best that Voldemort''s original resurrection form requires three things-


    Father''s bones, enemy''s blood, servant''s flesh.


    However, after the first body he created was taken away by Drac, he did not have the second father''s bones.


    So, Voldemort made a deal with the god of death.


    He would sacrifice half of his soul to the god of death in exchange for a short period of time to restore strength and another way to resurrect...


    As for the other half of the soul, it will be redeemed with the soul of the diary Riddle and the Horcrux in his hand after solving the problem of diary Riddle.


    In addition, Voldemort and Death also reached another deal-


    Death was responsible for leading Drac away, leaving the position of security guard vacant, so that his n to kidnap Harry in the third project could proceed smoothly.


    Death agreed, and he thought of Herbo, who also had a Horcrux, and chose to lend his power to Herbo.


    Herbo recovered in a short period of time andunched a rebellion against Andros, forcing Drac to rush from the scene of the semi-finals to the secret realm of Mount Olympus.


    Now, Voldemort was whispering a spell to the patternposed of Harry''s blood.


    The blood seemed to burn, and then it began to flow, as if forming a blood vessel throughout the body-


    Then, bones and flesh emerged out of thin air, and a ck figure of a wizard appeared in front of Harry.


    Tall and thin, like a skeleton.

 Chapter 287 - 287 The Dark Lord Returns

    <h4>Chapter 287: The Dark Lord Returns</h4>


    Voldemort is back.


    Harry stared at the ugly and weird face in front of him with wide eyes, and countless emotions such as hatred, fear, and confusion were intertwined in his heart.


    He knew clearly that this was the real murderer who killed his parents and his destined enemy. If it weren''t for this person, he would have a happy childhood and wouldn''t have to spend the not-so-good ten years at the Dursleys'' house.


    For this reason, Harry''s hatred for Voldemort in his heart was real.


    But at the same time, he felt a little scared and confused in his heart, and he couldn''t suppress the feeling of powerlessness.


    This was a dark wizard who had been feared by the entire magic world for decades, and a person who even Dumbledore had to be cautious of. Harry couldn''t think of how he could escape from his hands.


    Harry could only watch helplessly as he was hung on the tombstone and Voldemort began to examine his new body...


    His hands were like pale spiders, his slender pale fingers touching his chest, arms, and face; his red eyes looked brighter in the dark, and his eyes were two slits, like a snake.


    He raised his hands and moved his fingers, his expression ecstatic, as if he hadpletely forgotten Harry who was tied to the tombstone, and Barty Crouch Jr., the biggest contributor to this trip.


    After a long time, as if to confirm that there was nothing wrong with his body, Voldemort finally turned his eyes.


    He reached his unusually long fingers into a deep pocket and pulled out a wand. He gently stroked the wand, then turned his bright red eyes to Harry and let out a cold and sharpugh.


    "It''s about time, and it''s time to call my stupid fence-sitters toe and take a look..." Voldemort said coldly.


    He waved to Barty Jr.


    Barty nodded knowingly, knelt down beside Voldemort, reached out and lifted the tattered sleeve of Filch''s shirt, revealing a bright red tattoo on the inside of his left arm - it was a skull with a snake spitting out of the skull''s mouth.


    This mark had appeared in the Quidditch World Cup, and it was the Dark Mark that was feared by the wizarding world.


    Voldemort looked at it carefully, and then pressed his long, pale index finger on the Dark Mark on Barty''s left arm.


    The pain in Harry''s forehead was again aching, and Barty trembled all over, and it seemed that he was not feeling well.


    When Voldemort''s slender fingers were removed from Barty''s mark, Harry saw that the Dark Mark had turned into a dark color.


    After doing this, Voldemort''s face showed a cruel andcent expression. He straightened up, raised his head, and scanned the dark cemetery.


    "After feeling it, how many people have the courage toe back this time?" He murmured, staring at the stars in the sky with his glowing red eyes, "How many people will be stupid not toe..."


    "I know, I failed two years ago because Drac turned against the people I trusted the most... But this time is different, I found the best ally and restored all my strength."


    He seemed to be talking to Barty and Harry, and also to himself.


    "Dumbledore, Drac... I will return the shame of the past a hundred times!"


    Then he looked at Harry, and a strange arc appeared at the corner of his mouth.


    "Harry Potter, you are standing on my father''s grave." Voldemort whispered, "He is a dirty Muggle who has the same name as me... Tom Riddle."


    Harry''s eyes widened when he heard the name.


    "Oh, you look surprised, right?" Voldemortughed coldly, "I guess you know someone with the same name, and that person is still a good friend of yours..."


    "But in fact, he is just a personality created with a soul fragment that is not worth mentioning... He was originally the person I trusted the most. Yes, who would not trust his own soul?"


    Voldemort''s eyes suddenly became extremely cold, "But he shamelessly betrayed me and joined Drac!"


    Harry felt that his cognition was greatly shocked.


    It turned out that the assistant teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts who taught him a lot of knowledge and was both a teacher and a friend was just a soul fragment of Voldemort? Is he still trustworthy? Why did Professor Drac take in Voldemort''s soul...


    Countless question marks appeared in Harry''s mind, his thoughts were in a mess, and he didn''t know what to say at all.


    At this moment, Voldemort''s eyes suddenly looked around the cemetery.


    The air was gradually filled with the rustle of cloaks. Between the graves, behind the fir trees, in every shadowy ce wizards were Apparating. They were all hooded and their faces covered.


    Voldemort stood there waiting in silence. One Death Eater fell to his knees, crawled to Voldemort and kissed the hem of his ck robes.


    The Death Eaters behind him did the same, each crawling to Voldemort on his knees and kissing his robes, then stepping aside, standing up, and silently forming a circle around the grave of old Tom Riddle, Harry, Voldemort, and Barty Crouch Jr., still wearing Filch''s shabby clothes.


    "Wee, Death Eaters." Voldemort said calmly, "This scene is so familiar, it seems that it happened once two years ago... That time, we went to attack Azkaban together, but failed due to the obstruction of the hateful Drac."


    "I know that many of you think that I have fallen, even worse than a professor in a school... I also know that many of you have already found a way out for yourself."


    "So my n to resurrect this time did not look for any of you. I don''t want to see another betrayal."


    Lucius in the crowd trembled all over, secretly taking deep breaths, trying to keep himself calm.


    "Fortunately, I sessfully found a servant I can fully trust!"


    Voldemort looked at Little Barty beside him, and Little Barty bowed deeply to him.


    "Young Barty Crouch is much younger and more loyal than you." Voldemort said coldly, "Thanks to his efforts, I finally regained my power in my heyday."


    Hearing this, the emotions of the Death Eaters around him changed significantly, some were excited, some were shocked, some were panicked, and some were terrified.


    Watching their expressions change, Voldemortughed triumphantly.


    "Yes, my power is back! Drac and Dumbledore will no longer be obstacles in my eyes, and the entire magic world will be at our disposal!"


    "From now on, the Dark Mark will shine again in the sky of the magic world!"


    "Congrattions to the master''s return!" The Death Eaters all knelt on the ground and congratted loudly.


    "Then, our road to dominating the magic world will start with this person--"


    Voldemort smiled cruelly, walked forward slowly, turned around and raised his wand to Harry.


    "Crucio!"


    Harry screamed in pain.


    He had never experienced such painful torture... He felt that his head must have cracked along the scar, as if all the bones in his body were burning, and his eyeballs were spinning wildly in his skull.


    Harry finally experienced the pain that Cedric felt when he was hit by Krum''s Cruciatus Curse, and the Cruciatus Curse cast by Voldemort himself would be much more terrible than Krum''s dark magic!


    He didn''t know how Cedric managed to be safe and sound at that time. He felt that he just wanted to faint... or even die.


    At this moment, a cool breath passed through Harry''s chest, like a sweet nectar, greatly relieving the pain of the Cruciatus Curse.


    Harry''s consciousness finally became clear. He realized that when he won the first ce in the Defense Against the Dark Arts exam in his first year, Professor Drac gave him a pendant that could resist the attack of dark magic to a certain extent.


    He suddenly thought that Cedric seemed to have the same pendant!


    Harry had a glimmer of hope in his heart, but he was still screaming on the surface to prevent Voldemort from noticing his abnormality.


    At the same time, his brain was spinning rapidly, thinking about ways to break the situation...


    After an unknown amount of time, the torture suddenly ended.


    Harry stopped screaming and slumped on the tombstone of Voldemort''s father, looking up through ayer of mist at the glowing blood-red eyes. Theughter of the Death Eaters echoed in the night sky.


    "I think you have seen how foolish it is to think that this boy is stronger than me," said Voldemort,ughing, "but I willpletely dispel the misunderstanding in everyone''s mind."


    "It was a fluke that Harry Potter escaped from my hands. Now I will kill him to prove my power, right here and right now, in front of you, without Dumbledore to protect him and his mother to sacrifice for him."


    "I will give him a chance, he can fight me, so that you will not doubt who is stronger--"


    "Battie, help me put him down and give him his wand back!"


    Little Barty waved his hand and used the cutting spell to urately cut the rope that tied Harry to the tombstone, and waved his wand again, so that the wand next to Cedric''s "corpse" flew into Harry''s hand.


    At the moment when his toes touched the ground, Harry considered running away, but his injured leg was trembling, and he was surrounded by Death Eaters, so he couldn''t run away at all.


    "I heard you''re a good rank in the Hogwarts Dueling Club," Voldemort said with a sneer, "Then let me see your strength!"


    "Now--start the duel."


    Harry wanted to raise his wand, but before he could recite the spell, or even move, he was hit by the Cruciatus Curse again.


    The intense pain took over everything, and the effect of the Inverted Cross Amulet had ended. He didn''t know where he was... It was as if a white-hot knife was piercing every inch of his skin, and he screamed again.


    Then it all stopped, Harry turned over and climbed up, shaking uncontrobly, stumbling into the wall of Death Eaters, and was pushed back to Voldemort by the Death Eaters withughter.


    "Take a break," Voldemort said, his two slit-like nostrils widened with excitement, "You should be in pain, Harry? You don''t want me to do it again, right?"


    Harry didn''t answer, he held his wand tightly.


    While the Death Eaters around him wereughing, Harry suddenly raised his head and raised his wand violently-


    "Expelliarmus!"


    Of course Voldemort would not be hit.


    He seemed to be angered by Harry''s provocative behavior, and directly raised his wand and shouted the spell of the killing curse:


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    Two beams of light, one red and one ray, collided in the air-Harry thought he would be hit directly and die gloriously in the duel.


    But he didn''t.


    Harry''s wand suddenly vibrated as if it was electrified, and he held it tightly, and he couldn''t let go even if he wanted to-a thin beam of light connected the two wands, which was neither red nor green, but dazzling gold.


    At the same time, Voldemort''s wand also trembled.


    Completely caught off guard, Harry and Voldemort were both uncontrobly lifted into the air, and the two wands were still connected by the shing golden line. They flew from the tombstone of Voldemort''s father to an empty field without a grave...


    As the golden thread burst out, ghostly figures emerged from Voldemort''s wand one after another-


    A Muggle old man with a cane, Bertha Jorkins who had posted a missing person notice in the Ministry of Magic... Harry realized that these were all lives that Voldemort had killed.


    Sure enough, Harry found that Cedric did not appear among them, he should not be dead yet...


    A momentter, another transparent figure emerged from the tip of Voldemort''s wand, and Harry saw who she was at a nce... It was as if he had been expecting her to appear from the beginning, because the person who emerged was the person he thought about the most tonight...


    A long-haired ghost fell to the ground, and her red hair and green eyes could be vaguely seen... Harry looked at his mother''s face, his arms shaking violently.


    "Your father is here too..." Her voice seemed far away, yet close. "He wants to see you too... It''ll be fine, hold on..."


    Then, the soul of a tall, disheveled wizard, James Potter, rose from the tip of Voldemort''s wand, fell to the ground like his wife, and stood up.


    He approached Harry, looked down at him, and spoke to him in the same distant, resonant voice, but the voice was so low that Voldemort couldn''t hear it - Voldemort had never encountered such a situation before, and now his face was livid with fear...


    "After the connection is broken, we can only stay for a short while." James Potter said, "But we will buy you time... You must get the portkey, which will take you back to Hogwarts. Do you understand, Harry?"


    "Understood." Harry held the wand tightly, tears flowing from his eyes unconsciously.


    "Now, retreat." James said.


    The next moment, Harry suddenly shook off the golden light in front of his wand, turned around, and used the method he had thought of for a long time, throwing out a shing handmp -


    This was a handmp made by Drac that could divert other people''s attention. It was originally made casually when weing guests at the semi-finals. It was made to make students from other magic schools focus on Harry''s scar, which earned Hogwarts enough face at the time.


    Originally, Drac just gave the handmp to Harry casually, but it was of great use today.


    Even if Drac''s creation was casual, it was not something that ordinary wizards could resist. Even Voldemort was affected for a moment, so that he was stopped by souls such as James and Lily.


    Taking advantage of this fleeting opportunity, Harry rushed to Cedric, grabbed Cedric with one hand, and grabbed the semi-final cup with the other hand -


    The portkey worked!


    Amid Voldemort''s furious shouts, Harry and Cedric were swept away by a whirlwind and returned to Hogwarts.

 Chapter 288 - 288 He is not dead yet

    <h4>Chapter 288: He is not dead yet</h4>


    On the other side, earlier.


    At the edge of the Quidditch field at Hogwarts, Snape, who had not paid much attention to the game, suddenly stood up, hurriedly pulled Dumbledore from the judges'' seat, and came to an empty corner outside the maze.


    "Do you know what happened in the maze?" he asked anxiously.


    "What''s wrong, Severus?" Dumbledore asked curiously, "Did you find any problems?"


    Snape suddenly rolled up the wide sleeve of his left arm, revealing the hot and red Dark Mark.


    "This is..." Dumbledore''s expression also became solemn.


    "This is the Dark Lord calling his servants!" Snape said heavily, with an unconceble irritation on his face, "He''s back, Headmaster, at this time! At this time when no one knows whether Potter is in trouble!"


    Dumbledore''s face finally changed.


    "Where is Professor Drac?" he asked quickly. "Isn''t he always in the maze? If he is here, the chances of Harry getting into trouble are not high..."


    "Also, when Voldemort summons the Death Eaters, you should respond immediately... With what happened to Tom before, he should trust you more than other Death Eaters. Don''t waste this trust."


    "No, he told me to stay in Hogwarts at that time. I can say that I can''t get rid of your attention..." Snape said with an ugly face, "I want to know what happened in the maze now."


    Just then, a strange little girl with half white and half ck hair suddenly fell from the air.


    "You are the principal of this school, right?" She looked up and down at Dumbledore''s long white hair and beard, and asked.


    "Yes, you are..." Dumbledore asked doubtfully.


    He could clearly feel that the little girl in front of him was not the same as the wizard''s magic, and the dark meaning was very obvious. She looked like a... vampire.


    "It doesn''t matter who I am. Anyway, he asked me to be a temporary security guard, so I came here." Selina said casually, "I wanted to go to the judges'' seat to talk to the principal, but I couldn''t find him. Fortunately, I heard someone talking here and came here."


    "Excuse me, this ''he'' is Professor Drac, right?" Dumbledore asked politely.


    "Who else can it be except him?" Selina curled her lips, "I was thrown here as a temporary security guard without even saying it clearly, and I have such a heavy workload right at the beginning..."


    "Wait, you mean, Drac is not on the scene now?" Snape''s expression suddenly froze.


    "Well, he suddenly has other things to do." Selina said as a matter of course.


    As she spoke, she pped her hands.


    Dumbledore and Snape only then noticed that two people who were originally floating behind Selina were now ced on the ground in front of them.


    "I picked up these two little guys in the maze, and now I''m handing them over to you." Selina said.


    Judging from their appearance, Selina is younger than Fleur and John, but she calls the two warriors "little guys", which makes Snape feel awkward.


    "Are these two... Miss Dcour and Mr. Kowalski?" Dumbledore didn''t care about Selina''s age. He looked at the two people on the ground and asked Selina, "After Mr. Krum, did they also have trouble..."


    Dumbledore frowned tightly.


    "There may be some problems here... I don''t think there is anything in the maze that would prevent Mr. Kowalski from even casting the red spark."


    Then, he looked at Selina with a serious expression and asked, "Madam, what was the state of these two warriors when you saw them?"


    "This girl must have been unconscious for a long time. She was already like this when I got there." Selina said thoughtfully, "As for this boy, he was originally attacking the other two boys..."


    "Don''t worry, wait until I finish... I guess he was controlled by the Imperius Curse, so I knocked him out and brought him out."


    "How could he be controlled by the Imperius Curse when he was ying the game?" Dumbledore asked in a deep voice, "What about the other two warriors? How are they?"


    "They were not far from the trophy. After I help them get rid of the boy controlled by the Imperius Curse, the game should be over soon." Selina said.


    Then, she was suddenly stunned for a moment, "Hey, why hasn''t the game ended yet? I remember it took a long time to find you guys... Does it take so long to distinguish who gets the trophy?"


    Dumbledore and Snape looked at each other, and the same words were clearly written in their eyes-


    Something happened!


    "Why did Drac leave at this time?" Snape suddenly looked at Selena and questioned word by word, "Wasn''t it him who said he would take good care of the contestants?"


    "I don''t know what he said to you." Selena put her hands on her hips and said dissatisfiedly, "And what do you mean? Do you think I''m not a good enough safety guard for him?"


    "You can think that''s what I mean." Snape said coldly.


    Selena is not easy to mess with. She is used to being the acting leader of the vampire n, and is used to being strong and revengeful. Naturally, she can''t let Snape question her.


    So, her eyes turned cold, and in the blink of an eye, a bat burning with white mes quietly attacked Snape.


    "Severus, now is not the time to argue." Dumbledore suddenly stood up to break the tense atmosphere, "I think your mark shoulde in handy, we need to meet the Dark Lord."


    He moved half a step without a trace, raised his hand lightly to extinguish the mes on the bat, and handed it back to Selena.


    Selena widened her eyes in surprise when she saw her magic being easily wiped out.


    She always knew that the headmaster of Hogwarts was very powerful, but she didn''t expect him to be so powerful... From the little show just now, it can be seen that he is at least at the same level as Drac.


    "It''s nice to meet you, this unknowndy." Dumbledore smiled gently and said to Selena, "We are not hospitality enough today, but there are really other urgent things to do. I hope you can understand."


    Dumbledore didn''t say anything more. When he looked at Snape again, his expression returned to seriousness.


    Snape nodded, feeling the call of the Dark Mark on the inside of his left arm, and took Dumbledore out of the corner outside the maze.


    Just as Dumbledore was about to call Fawkes the Phoenix over and take them to the ce where Voldemort summoned the Death Eaters, a gust of wind suddenly came from the sky.


    Dumbledore looked up and saw the Four Finals Cup flying over with Harry and Cedric,nding on thewn surrounded by the audience seats.


    A wave of sound came from the audience seats, and they thought the final champion had finally appeared, and cheered.


    But when the first person found Cedric lying motionless on the ground with his eyes nk, the cheering became weak, and turned into an uproar.


    Snape and Dumbledore walked up quickly and came to Harry and Cedric.


    "Harry, Harry!"


    Dumbledore helped Harry up from thewn, looked down at him through his semicircr sses, and was slightly relieved to see that he seemed to have no other problems except the wound on his leg.


    Harry opened his eyes.


    He saw the starry night sky and Headmaster Dumbledore in front of him.


    There were dark figures around him, all pressing towards him, and the ground under his body seemed to be shaking slightly with their footsteps.


    Harry let go of the trophy, but held Cedric tighter. He grabbed Dumbledore''s wrist with his free hand, and Dumbledore''s face was sometimes clear and sometimes blurry in the misty tears.


    "Professor, hurry up, Cedric may not be dead!" He choked and said, "It was Voldemort who did it... Voldemort is back."


    "What''s wrong? What happened?" At this moment, the upside-down face of Cornelius Fudge, the British Minister of Magic, appeared in front of Harry, his face was pale and his expression was panic.


    The Minister of Magic was originally going toe here to present the final award and give an impassioned speech, but the scene in front of him cast a shadow on his originally good mood.


    This semi-finalpetition was specially held by Fudge to consolidate his political position. If someone died in thepetition... Fudge couldn''t imagine what kind of setbacks his political career would encounter.


    "Merlin... Diggory!" He said with a pale face, "Dumbledore, is he... is he dead?"


    Dumbledore didn''t say anything, but pulled Cedric over with a serious face and reached out to touch his pulse.


    "His heartbeat stopped." Dumbledore''s face became heavier.


    He took out his wand and cast severalplex and powerful healing spells on Cedric in session, but none of them worked.


    "Severus, do you have any ideas?"


    Dumbledore looked at Snape who came with him and asked softly.


    "You should have figured it out... He''s dead." Snape said expressionlessly, but his eyes looked a little dim. "I don''t know why his soul didn''t dissipate, but his body ispletely dead."


    "No... How is that possible!" Harry still held Cedric''s wrist tightly, tears filling his eyes involuntarily. "He was clearly wearing the amulet made by Professor Drac. The amulet can resist the Cruciatus Curse for me, and it should also be able to resist the Killing Curse..."


    Dumbledore''s eyes moved, and he found two identical inverted cross pendants on Cedric''s neck.


    Both pendants were bright red like blood.


    "They have both taken effect, and they should have resisted a powerful ck magic respectively." Dumbledore said softly.


    "Two amulets..." Harry muttered, "Yes, Qiu Zhang should have given her share of the pendant to Cedric, how could Cedric get into trouble?"


    "Harry, the killing curse is different from any other dark magic." Dumbledore said in a sad tone, "The killing curse is a spell that works on the rule level and cannot bepletely resisted by any defense."


    "But... Professor Drac..." Harry still refused to ept his fate.


    Obviously, this glimmer of hope has just risen, how can it be extinguished so easily?


    "Enough, Harry, let him go." Fudge said standing by, "Amos Diggory ising, let his father see him again."


    Fudge began to twist Harry''s fingers, trying to make him let go of Cedric''s "corpse", but Harry still held on tightly.


    Then Dumbledore''s face came closer, still unclear.


    "Harry, you can''t help him, it''s over. Let go." He said.


    "It was clearly a trap for me..." Harry murmured in a low voice, "Why did Cedric get hurt... It''s all my fault, I shouldn''t have suggested that we win together..."


    "It''s okay, Harry, I don''t me you." Dumbledore said softly, "Let go..."


    Dumbledore leaned down and helped Harry stand up with extraordinary strength for a thin old man. Harry staggered, as if there was a hammer hitting his head, and his injured leg could not support the weight of his body.


    He vaguely saw that Amos Diggory, who had met him twice, fell beside Cedric, and a witch burst into tears... and many girls from Hogwarts were also sobbing softly.


    ...


    When Drac solved Andros''s troubles and dealt with the despicable Herpo, he came back to see such a sad scene everywhere.


    "Can anyone tell me what happened?" Drac casually grabbed a girl who was sobbing in a deserted ce and asked with a frown.


    "Professor Drac, where did you go just now?" The girl who was pulled over sobbed and cried to Drac, "Cedric... Cedric he... he died! I had clearly put my amulet on him before the game, I just hope he won''t get into trouble..."


    Drac then noticed that the girl he pulled over was Cedric''s girlfriend, Qiu Zhang, a fifth-year student in Ravenw.


    "Where is he?" Drac''s face darkened and became extremely scary, "Tell me, where is Cedric now!"


    Qiu Zhang wiped his tears and pointed his finger to the center of thewn.


    Drac''s figure disappeared from the spot and instantly appeared on thewn surrounded by the crowd.


    "Get out of my way!"


    As his cold words fell, the dense crowd was suddenly pushed aside by an irresistible force, leaving a wide passage for Drac.


    Drac walked over to Cedric and looked at Amos Diggory and Mrs. Diggory who were crying bitterly.


    "Let him go first, you two." He took a deep breath and said in a low voice,


    "He''s not dead yet."

 Chapter 289 - 289 First Embrace

    <h4>Chapter 289: First Embrace</h4>


    "Are you telling the truth?!"


    Hearing Drac''s voice, Mrs. Diggory seemed to have grabbed a life-saving straw and grabbed his sleeve tightly.


    "Yes, I can make him wake up." Drac said slowly, "But I need to tell you in advance that this kind of ''waking up'' may not be what you think..."


    "Anyway, it''s okay to make Ced alive!" Mrs. Diggory sobbed emotionally, "Ced is just seventeen years old, he is so outstanding and makes us so proud..."


    Amos Diggory also wiped tears secretly.


    Since Cedric was born, he has been proud of his son. Cedric lived up to his expectations and became a "child of other people''s families", allowing Amos Diggory to show off in front of other colleagues and friends.


    Just now, he was still showing off to people near the audience, and he was sure that Cedric would win the trophy of the semi-finals and win the championship of this game.


    Cedric did get the trophy...


    However, the way he came back was unimaginable.


    "Professor Drac, please help Cedric..." Amos Diggory pleaded with a gloomy look.


    "You get up first." Drac looked at Cedric''s unfocused eyes and said to the couple indifferently, "Don''t worry, he will be fine."


    Dumbledore, who was also standing aside, seemed to realize something and looked at Drac with a very strange look.


    "His body has indeed lost its vitality, Professor Drac." He said word by word, "People who have been hit by the killing curse are irreversible."


    "I know." Drac said slowly, "But... can''t a dead body regain vitality?"


    Dumbledore was silent for a moment.


    "Professor Drac, are you sure you want to do this?" His tone suddenly seemed a little erratic.


    "I have decided." Drac nodded gently, "Help me keep an eye on the others and don''t let them disturb me."


    Dumbledore sighed, said nothing more, and just waved his wand silently.


    A circle of invisible barriers suddenly appeared, surrounding Drac and Cedric, and blocking all others outside the barrier.


    Under the burning gaze of the crowd, Drac raised one arm and stretched it forward.


    Cedric''s body floated up from the ground, his eyelids slightly closed, covering his eyes that had lost focus.


    At this time, someone suddenly eximed.


    "Look, Professor Drac..."


    Without his reminder, everyone''s eyes were already focused on Drac.


    Drac seemed to be toozy to hide anymore, andpletely removed all disguises-


    His skin became paler, a hint of blood appeared on his wine-red eyes, and his ears became pointed, all of which reminded everyone present of his true identity!


    Drac''s style as a professor gradually faded, and his temperament became colder, but his handsome face and dangerous aura were as tempting as poppies. He smiled perfectly andzily, revealing a pair of sharp side teeth.


    "You are a vampire?!" Fudge was the first to scream, and then he looked at Dumbledore: "Dumbledore, how dare you recruit a vampire as a professor?"


    Dumbledore ignored Fudge and just looked at Drac worriedly.


    If Drac''s identity was exposed, even if the students of Hogwarts were still willing to ept him, those conservative and rigid-minded parents would definitely not agree to let a vampire be their children''s professor.


    Not only that, although the situation has improved a lot in recent years, due to the infectiousness and aggressiveness of vampires, wizards in the magic world still stay away from this group, just like treating werewolves.


    Therefore, Drac could not take advantage of the public opinion in the magic world.


    If this goes on, given Drac''szy character, I''m afraid he won''t be able to continue to be the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts...


    Dumbledore looked at Drac with a confused mind, and saw him take two steps towards Cedric, pull up one of Cedric''s arms, lower his head slightly, and pierce Cedric''s wrist with two sharp side teeth.


    The Diggory couple eximed, and subconsciously wanted to rush to their son.


    But Dumbledore stopped them.


    "Amos, this is the only way." He persuaded softly, "If you still want your child toe back, don''t disturb Professor Drac."


    Mrs. Diggory''s lips opened and closed, and Amos Diggory''s eyes kept flickering.


    They struggled for a long time in their hearts, and finally realized that Cedric could note back exactly as before, and he could onlye back to them in another way.


    "Just do what Professor Drac did." Amos Diggory sighed deeply, "No matter what Cedric bes, we will love him as before."


    Mrs. Diggory nodded with tears in her eyes.


    No matter what he bes, it is better than nevering back.


    ...


    At the same time, Cedric''s body gradually shrank, as if too much blood had been sucked out.


    First Embrace.


    This is a ritual unique to the vampires, which is different from the literal meaning of "The Embrace". The First Embrace actually represents the human blood and vampire blood of the person who is about to be a vampire in the ritual.


    When ordinary vampires perform the First Embrace ritual for others, it will bring extremely strong feelings to the participants, including fear, heartache, death from excessive blood loss, and other dangers. It is even more impossible to restore the vitality of a body that has lost its vitality out of thin air.


    But Drac, as the leader of the vampires, is naturally different from them.


    He can turn a human into a high-level vampire without any side effects, and can also directly use his own blood to awaken an inactive body.


    In a moment, Cedric''s shrunken body returned to its original state.


    His skin color became paler, but his lips were bright red, and his ears and fingers also quietly showed the characteristics of the vampires.


    Drac let go of Cedric''s hand and took two steps back.


    Although he hadn''t opened his eyes yet, Cedric''s body stood firmly in ce, without any sign of falling.


    "You can wake up, Cedric." Drac took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of his lips, saying softly.


    The next moment, Cedric suddenly opened his eyes.


    "Run, Harry!" He blurted out as soon as he opened his eyes.


    Hearing his words, Harry almost couldn''t control the tears in his eyes again.


    "Cedric, we are back..." he said with a sob, "I escaped from Voldemort."


    "No... I remember I was under the killing curse?" Cedric was stunned for a moment, then frowned, "Why am I still alive?"


    He looked around nkly, "Father, mother, Principal Dumbledore, Professor Drac... Why are you all here?"


    The Diggory couple burst into tears.


    "Get used to your current body." Drac turned his back and waved his hand, "You can let Potter and your parents tell you the cause and effect. When you are almost adapted, you can go to Bran Castle in Romania to find me."


    He looked at the Hogwarts Castle standing under the stars behind him again and smiled softly.


    After staying here for four years, the fun that should be found is actually almost found. It''s time to put an end to it...


    Drac chuckled and took a step forward, ready to say goodbye to this ce with four years of memories.


    However, at this moment, a voice suddenly interrupted his rare thoughts of emotion.


    "Stay where you are, don''t move!" Minister of Magic Fudge frowned and shouted fiercely, "Auror, stop him!"


    Drac turned his head and looked at Fudge in surprise.


    He suddenly felt that there was still fun to be found here, so he temporarily put away the idea of ??leaving.


    "Harry, I want to ask you...what did you just say?" Fudge forced a smile and asked Harry, "I hope you can organize your words well."


    "What did I say just now?" Harry was a little stunned, "Didn''t I just tell Cedric that we are back?"


    "No, it''s another sentence." Fudge said nervously.


    "I said...I escaped from Voldemort." Harry also remembered what he said before.


    He suddenly thought that he should tell the situation at that time so that the Ministry of Magic can be prepared to deal with Voldemort.


    So Harry continued, "Minister Fudge, Voldemort has resurrected and has summoned arge number of Death Eaters... I was lucky enough to escape from Voldemort..."


    Harry recounted what happened in Riddle''s graveyard as quickly as possible, and then looked nervously at Fudge and Dumbledore in front of him.


    "Impossible!" Fudge suddenly yelled, "Harry, think about it again, you must have a memory error, right?"


    "No, I know I didn''t say anything wrong." Harry said seriously, "Voldemort is back, and the Ministry of Magic must be prepared to fight the enemy, Minister Fudge!"


    "Enough!" Fudge said angrily, "Where are the nurses here? There is a warrior here who is not only injured, but also has some problems with his brain and needs immediate treatment."


    "There''s nothing wrong with my brain!" Fudge''s performance made Harry a little angry, and he retorted loudly, "I know very well "I don''t know what you are talking about!"


    "Cornelly, I believe what Harry said." Dumbledore also said seriously, "You''d better be ready in time..."


    "Wait a minute, Dumbledore!" Fudge waved his hand and interrupted Dumbledore, "You...well, you are ready to ept everything Harry said, right?"


    "Of course I believe Harry," Dumbledore said, his eyes shining at this time, "What Harry said about what happened after he touched the Four Finals Cup ispletely reasonable and exins everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappearedst summer."


    "You really You are so stupid, Dumbledore..." Fudge suddenly had a weird smile on his face, "How could you believe the nonsense made up by a child? He must have been stimted by something during the game and had hallucinations."


    "Fudge, Cedric was cursed!" Amos Diggory suddenly turned around and looked at Fudge angrily, "Can you deny this? My son almost died in the hands of the mysterious man!"


    "You are too impulsive, Amos." Fudge still had that weird smile on his face, and nced at Drac on the other side, "I It ispletely believable that your precious son was framed by Professor Drac, just to transform this good seedling into a vampire. "


    "We all know that most vampires are insidious and cunning, and they will do anything to achieve their goals. You two must not be fooled by him!"


    "You must be reading Rita Skeeter''s article, Mr. Fudge." Drac sneered, "Why didn''t I realize that the Minister of Magic was so imaginative before?"


    Seeing that Drac was about to walk over here, Fudge panicked and waved to the Aurors around him.


    "Aurors, stop this vampire, he is very likely the culprit of this incident!" Fudge said loudly.


    Drac''s mouth grinned even more exaggeratedly.


    "Interesting." He smiled coldly, "I want to see what interesting things you can say."


    "In addition, I found that," Fudge really had something to say, looking at Dumbledore, "I found that you have been hiding some of the child''s conditions from reporting? He is a snake, right? His behavior is weird everywhere-"


    "I think you are probably referring to the pain in Harry''s scar that he has been feeling?" Dumbledore said coldly.


    "So, you admit that he has been having headaches?" Fudge quickly found a new entry point, "Headache? Nightmares? Maybe...hallucinations?"


    "Listen to me, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, taking a step towards Fudge, with an indescribable power in his eyes, "Harry is as clear and rational as you and me. The scar on his forehead has not confused his mind."


    "I believe that Harry''s scar will only hurt when Voldemort is lurking nearby or feels particrly eager to kill."


    Fudge took a half step back from Dumbledore, but his expression was still so stubborn.


    "Forgive me, Dumbledore, I have never heard that a curse scar would be like an rm..."


    "I saw Voldemorte back with my own eyes!" Harry shouted, "I saw the Death Eaters with my own eyes, I can tell their names! Lucius Malfoy--"


    Snape suddenly moved, but when Harry looked at him, Snape''s eyes turned to Fudge again.


    "Malfoy has been acquitted!" Fudge was obviously offended and said, "A very old family that generously donated to the good cause of the Ministry of Magic-"


    "McNeill!" Harry continued to list those names.


    "Also acquitted! Currently working in the Ministry of Magic!"


    "Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle..."


    "You are just repeating the list of wizards who were judged not to be Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" Fudge said angrily, "You can find those names in the past trial reports!"


    Harry opened his mouth again angrily and wanted to refute, but Fudge did not give him the opportunity.


    "Enough, this child needs to rest, take him away quickly." Fudge said sternly, "Also, all Aurors concentrate their efforts to catch that vampire!"


    Drac folded his arms and leaned against a streetmp beside him.


    When Drac saw that Fudge and many Aurors turned their eyes to his direction, he curled the corners of his mouth happily.


    "It''s fun again."

 Chapter 290 - 290 Rupture

    <h4>Chapter 290: Rupture</h4>


    However, before Drac could make a move, Professor McGonagall, who had arrived at an elerated speed, stood between Fudge and Drac.


    On the surface, Professor McGonagall was trying to protect the professors of Hogwarts, but in fact, she was worried that Drac would get angry and kill Fudge on the spot...


    She knew very well that those seemingly powerful Aurors were of no use in front of a great wizard-levelbat power.


    "You fool!" Professor McGonagall shouted at Fudge, "Harry said it very clearly, Bertha Jorkins and Mr. Crouch had been killed by Barty Crouch Jr., and he almost killed Diggory! Can''t you see the current situation?"


    "Yes, I can''t see it!" Fudge had no idea of ??his situation at all, and he also shouted loudly, his face flushed purple, and his anger was no less than Professor McGonagall''s, "I only see that you are all determined to create a panic and destroy everything we have painstakingly built in the past thirteen years!"


    Drac looked at Fudge with interest, looking at his angry face and inappropriate behavior.


    Such a Minister of Magic, who should have considered all the potential dangers in the wizarding world and made proper arrangements, refused to believe that his orderly, stable andfortable world could be destroyed - refused to believe that Voldemort could make aeback.


    "Voldemort is back," Dumbledore stepped forward and grabbed the angry Professor McGonagall, and said again, "Fudge, if you ept this fact immediately and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation."


    "The first and most important step is to get Azkaban free from the control of Dementors -"


    "What are you talking about?" Fudge shouted again, "Cancel the Dementors? I will be kicked out of the office as soon as I make this suggestion! Half of us can sleep well at night because we know that there are Dementors standing guard in Azkaban!"


    "Cornelly, if you know You are letting Voldemort''s most dangerous cronies guard those guys who will serve him at hismand, so how can you guys sleep peacefully? "Dumbledore said, "Those guys can''t be loyal to you!"


    "Voldemort can provide them with much more power and fun than you can! Once he has the alliance and support of dark creatures such as Dementors, his former allies will return to him, and then it will be difficult for you to stop him from regaining the power he had thirteen years ago!"


    Fudge''s mouth opened and closed, as if no words could express his anger.


    Then, he seemed to suddenly find another loophole, and his eyes suddenly lit up.


    "Wait a minute, Dumbledore, you also mentioned dark creatures, right?" Fudge said excitedly, "Aren''t vampires also part of dark creatures? To me, this n was arranged from beginning to end by the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor you randomly recruited... He is the culprit of everything."


    He once again put the me on Drac.


    After all, nothing is more suitable to take the me than a ready-made dark creature.


    "Cornelly, you are too obsessed with your official position, which makes you lose your proper judgment!" Dumbledore said, his voice gradually rising, his eyes shining, "You attach too much importance to the so-called pure wizard blood! You have always been like this."


    "You don''t realize that a person''s origin is not important, what matters is what kind of person he grows up to be and what kind of person he chooses to be... This is true for James Lupin and Professor Drac."


    "I advise you to take some correct measures, then the Ministry of Magic and the entire wizarding world will always remember you and regard you as the bravest and greatest Minister of Magic in history."


    "On the contrary, if you do not take action-history will also remember it firmly: it is your inaction that gives Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have worked so hard to rebuild!"


    Dumbledore''s words were deafening, and everyone present could clearly see that Fudge was also shaken for a moment.


    But the next moment, he seemed to react again, gasping and stepping back step by step.


    "Absurd," Fudge whispered, his feet kept moving, "It''s crazy..."


    Then, there was another silence in the air.


    "If you are so stubborn and insist on your own way, Cornelius..." Dumbledore waited for a long time, and seeing that Fudge seemed to have no intention of repenting, he finally broke the silence in the air with disappointment, "Then we have to go our separate ways."


    "You do what you think is appropriate. I-will act ording to my will."


    There was no threat in Dumbledore''s voice. It sounded like just a statement, but Fudge was furious, as if Dumbledore was approaching him with a wand.


    "Okay, okay, Dumbledore," he said angrily, waving a finger threateningly, "I have always given you full freedom, and I have always respected you..."


    "I may not agree with some of your decisions, but I always keep silent. Not many people will allow you to hire professors at will, like this vampire, and that Hagrid with a criminal record, or decide what to teach students without consulting the Ministry of Magic."


    "But if you are going to go against me--"


    Fudge''s eyes suddenly became fierce, and he raised his hand to point at Drac.


    "All Aurors present, catch this dangerous vampire for me." He shouted loudly, "I suspect he killed Mr. Crouch of the International Magic Exchange and Cooperation Department and wants to destroy the hard-won stability of the wizarding world!"


    After receiving the order, a group of Aurors rushed towards Drac at the same time.


    Spells of various colors shot out from their wands, blocking all of Drac''s retreats.


    "Boring."


    Drac smiled indifferently, without any intention of resisting, but opened his arms to the spell.


    "Professor Drac!"


    "Wait--"


    "..."


    In the horrified eyes of all the students, parents and professors present, the spell light like a rainstorm hit Drac.


    Fudge showed a touch of joy on his face, thinking that he was about to seed-as long as he could catch this vampire, what the truth of the matter was, wouldn''t it be up to him?


    However, the next moment, he widened his eyes and his expression became extremely horrified.


    After those spells hit Drac, they were like a stone sinking into the sea, without causing any waves.


    On the other hand, Drac stretched himselfzily.


    "What a shame, Aurors." Dracughed contemptuously and mocked, "Your spells don''t seem to be much better than my students''."


    Watching this scene, the Aurors were so shocked that they couldn''t speak. Their hands holding the wands began to tremble, and they had strong doubts about their abilities...


    In fact, the Aurors selected by Fudge to follow him were the most outstanding in the Auror Office. When they were on missions, they were very confident and felt that they could fight arge number of masters alone.


    However, today, Drac didn''t even use spells, and took all their spells abruptly, which made these young Aurors begin to doubt their lives...


    "Wake up, he''s just a vampire!" Fudge saw that most of the Aurors had lost their fighting spirit, and shouted angrily, "The reason he can block your spells is because of the physical talent of vampires. Did the Defense Against the Dark Arts you learned get eaten by dogs?"


    The Aurors were slightly cheered up.


    Some smart Aurors thought of the Defense Against the Dark Arts they had learned that year, and suddenly they chose to use a specific spell to attack Drac.


    Some of the Aurors used the Weather Spell to conjure up a piece of sunlight; some used the Summoning Spell to conjure up a bunch of garlic and threw it in front of Drac... Other Aurors followed suit.


    Drac: "..."


    He was disgusted by these things.


    The damage was not great, but it greatly affected his mood.


    The next moment, Drac''s raised mouth corners drooped, and his eyes became colder.


    "Fiem."


    The magic wand was inserted vertically into the ground, and then a golden light curtain extended from Drac''s feet to the surroundings, covering all the Aurors in it in an instant.


    This is Nics mel''s specialty. Although it is like using a cannon to kill a mosquito, it has to be said that it is really useful-


    All the sunlight, garlic and the like were swept away, and the Aurors in the light curtain were shocked to find that they seemed to have lost all their magic power, and even an ordinary spell could not be used.


    Looking at the embarrassing actions of the Aurors, Drac smiled again.


    He snapped his fingers, and a long rope appeared out of thin air, effortlessly tying up all the Aurors brought by Fudge... Without the help of magic, the resistance of these Aurors was not as good as that of a group of unarmed Muggles.


    Then, Drac put away his wand and walked towards Fudge slowly.


    "Albus, at this point, are you still going to let Minister Fudge continue to poison the wizarding world?"


    He didn''t even bother to look at Fudge, but looked directly at Dumbledore and said:


    "If you ask me, you should take this opportunity to get rid of him and be the minister yourself... If you really don''t want to be the minister, you can also find someone who is obedient."


    "You... what are you going to do..." Fudge kept backing away, his voice trembling uncontrobly, "I... I tell you, you are letting the vampire n go against the entire British Ministry of Magic. Do you want to be the sinner of your n?"


    "Is that what you think?" Dracughed even more happily, "Don''t bother with that, Minister Fudge. To be honest, no matter what I do, no matter what I do, I can''t be the sinner of the vampire n."


    "If there is no me, there will be no vampire n now, do you understand what I mean?"


    Drac walked to Fudge''s side and said with a chuckle.


    "You...you are..." Fudge''s eyes widened, and he was extremely frightened at this moment.


    "Ahem...don''t worry, Professor Drac," Dumbledore suddenly said, "I can understand your good intentions, but I really have no power or qualifications to interfere with the change of the Minister of Magic...we should think of other more feasible ways."


    "Don''t be pedantic, Dumbledore!" Drac said coldly, "I am sure this is the most feasible way, and the most effective way. Do you still want to let Fudge deceive the eyes of the entire wizarding world?"


    Dumbledore fell silent.


    "...If we use violent measures to forcibly rece the Minister of Magic, then how are our actions different from Voldemort?" After a moment, he said softly.


    "Tsk, this is why Fudge is not afraid of you even though you are a great wizard." Drac sneered and shook his head.


    As the voice fell, his eyes suddenly became sharp.


    "Since your moral values ??prevent you from doing it, let me help you!"


    Drac suddenly stretched out his hand, and a streak of white me flew towards Fudge''s forehead as fast as lightning.


    Fudge had no time to react, and could only open his eyes wide in horror, watching the streak of fire fly in front of him in an instant...


    The next moment, an elder wand with seven protruding branches suddenly appeared in front of Fudge, blocking the mes and Fudge.


    The wand swung lightly, picking up the mes and flying aside, saving the terrified Minister of Magic at the critical moment.


    Dumbledore, with his head full of white hair, stood in front of Drac.


    Fudge sat down heavily on the ground, panting heavily, and it took him a long time to catch his breath.


    He clearly felt the power of the me just now, and felt that he almost brushed past death...


    "You really did it." Drac said softly.


    He paid no attention to Fudge, who was sitting on the ground, but focused his eyes on Dumbledore in front of him, staring at the sharp blue eyes behind his half-moon sses.


    "Professor Drac, you don''t have to do this." Dumbledore sighed softly, "The students of Hogwarts need you... If you kill Fudge, there will be no room for you to continue to be a professor here."


    "I don''t have to be this professor." Drac said coldly, "I would rather see if you are stubborn enough to stand in front of me for the pedantic principles in your heart?"


    "There is no need to be so extreme, Professor Drac." Dumbledore sighed again, "Violence can''t solve all problems."


    "But sometimes violence is also useful, isn''t it?" Drac said, "Give me an urate answer, Albus, do you want to stand in front of me for this bastard?"


    Dumbledore was silent for a moment.


    After a moment, he finally said, "Professor Drac, if you insist on doing this, then I will have to try my best to stop you."


    "Very good." Drac said.


    There was no displeasure or anger on his face, but a light smile.


    "Remember, when I first came here four years ago, I always wanted to have a good exchange with you." Drac stared into Dumbledore''s eyes and said slowly, "But you have been shirking... until today, I finally found the opportunity."


    "Well, before I leave, let me take a good look at what kind of power you, the pir of the magic world, have!"

 Chapter 291 - 291 Dracula vs Dumbledore

    <h4>Chapter 291: Drac vs Dumbledore</h4>


    Tonight, the young wizards of Hogwarts spent the whole night in a mess.


    First, they watched a game where they couldn''t see the contestants at all from the audience, and could only stare at the hedges around the maze in a daze; finally, Harry Potter flew out with the semi-final cup, but another Hogwarts warrior who returned with him seemed to have lost his breath.


    Just as they were crying for Cedric in grief, Professor Drac, who was a security guard but had never appeared, suddenly appeared on the field and told them that Cedric was not dead.


    However, their Defense Against the Dark Arts professor turned into a vampire and revived Cedric with the First Embrace... Then, their headmaster suddenly broke up with the Minister of Magic, and Professor Drac was also involved.


    Just when they thought that Professor Drac would join forces with Headmaster Dumbledore to deal with Fudge, for some reason, the two professors actually fought...


    This was the first time they saw a battle between two great wizards, and it might be the only time in their lives.


    A wizard as powerful as Dumbledore may not be born for hundreds of years. Since Voldemort, it seems that no one has been able to fight against Dumbledore for decades.


    Therefore, although most of the young wizards have not figured out why things have turned out like this, they still eagerly began to watch this duel that is enough to be recorded in the history of magic.


    ...


    Under the gazes of the young wizards, Drac suddenly spread a pair of wide wings behind him and took off.


    The rich dark power was released unscrupulously, causing hurricanes on thewn. The audience nearby was like duckweed in the water, blown away and scattered, and had no way to control which direction they were floating.


    Dumbledore looked up at the silver-haired figure hanging in the bright moonlight, his eyes more solemn than ever before.


    He first waved his wand heavily, sending the spectators of the semi-finals, Fudge and the Aurors he brought back to the audience seats, leaving enough space on thewn.


    Then, he raised one arm high to his side.


    A golden-red fire shed, and the phoenix Fawkes appeared above Dumbledore, soaring gracefully around, and the moving chanting spread in the air, as if just listening could bring people unparalleled courage.


    When Dumbledore was ready, Drac in the air chuckled and disappeared suddenly.


    At the same time, the bright moon in the sky suddenly became a full moon, and the snow-like moonlight suddenly became like an extremelyrge spotlight, pouring down a dazzling silver light.


    This silver light gathered into a beam and went straight to Dumbledore.


    Everything under the shining light seemed to lose its shape, bing vague. The grass on the ground turned into a piece of silver powder and flew away with the hurricane that had not yetpletely blown away.


    Dumbledore''s eyes were solemn, he raised his wand above his head and waved it vigorously.


    Suddenly, the space he was in turned into a piece of broken jade, scattered into scattered pieces of debris, and the silver light from the full moon shone on the debris, as if shining into another space.


    Behind the debris, Dumbledore stood on thewn safely and brushed his sleeves.


    The wizards in the audience seemed to be still intoxicated in a beautiful and dangerous dream, until this moment they suddenly realized that the first battle between the two great wizards was over.


    This way of dueling waspletely different from the duels they were familiar with.


    In their original understanding, a duel between wizards is two people facing each other, casting spells at each other, and whoever can hit the other side will win in the end... Maybe there are some differences in the process, but it is basically the same.


    However, the duel between Drac and Dumbledorepletely overturned their understanding of wizard duels.


    The wizards present never thought that a duel could be so pleasing to the eye and so gorgeous!


    Isn''t this much more beautiful than the semi-finals?


    The audience, especially the young wizards who are still in school, gradually had a strange glow in their eyes.


    This powerful and gorgeous duel style is the future of their learning magic!


    Before seeing this duel, some young wizards were stillcent about learning a simple Stunning Spell; some thought that the magic world was sofortable that they would not need many attack and defense spells in their lives, so they decided to give up; some were just cking off all day, thinking about taking one step at a time...


    However, today''s duel between the great wizardspletely aroused their desire to learn magic. Even if they could not change the world like the two professors, at least they had to have a special skill.


    On thewn, the duel between Dumbledore and Drac continued-


    Drac was so fast that he almost split into four or five clones to surround Dumbledore in the middle, and countless crescent-like light des rushed towards him from all directions.


    Dumbledore waved his wand and summoned arge piece of red mes, which spun in ce into a storm of mes, swallowing all the light des.


    Next, Drac''s figure disappeared again, and a dazzling snake-shaped lightning fell from the sky, fiercely tearing the calm night sky apart. Then, thunder rolled from the horizon one after another.


    At the same time, Fawkes flew from the sky to Dumbledore''s side, dived into the rapidly burning firestorm, and rose up again with the mes, stirring up a roaring wind.


    The storm wrapped in zing mes, transformed into a huge fire phoenix, swallowing the snake-shaped lightning that connected the sky and the earth into its mouth.


    The mes shattered, the phoenix was reborn, and a wrinkled fledgling pped its wings and flew out of the ashes and into Dumbledore''s arms.


    "Albus, you have indeed reached the same level as Szar and the others."


    Drac''s voice came from the night sky, containing unconcealed appreciation and pleasure.


    He hadn''t had such a good duel for a long time, and felt that the muscles and bones all over his body were finally rxed, and he couldn''t suppress his joy.


    "I am really ttered by this evaluation, Professor Drac." Dumbledore adjusted his breathing slightly and said slowly, "I am still far behind the four founders."


    "No, not far at all." Drac chuckled, "In some ways, you are even stronger than them."


    Then, Drac changed the subject, "Unfortunately, human physique still limits you after all - if you were 20 years younger, I might not be able to break through your resistance. But..."


    Dumbledore''s face suddenly changed, and his eyes quickly turned to the side.


    He was shocked to find that the spell that was originally set up to protect Fudge had been broken at some point. Fudge fainted on the ground at this time, and a small bat was quietly lying on Fudge''s neck.


    "You should thank me, Albus, I didn''t take his life." Drac''s figure suddenly appeared beside Dumbledore, "Of course, I don''t like killing people, I prefer to keep him for fun..."


    "What did you do to him?" Dumbledore asked with a frown.


    "It''s just that he has repeated the experience of the centaurs and mermaids of the two tribes." Drac smiled maliciously.


    "I want to see if Mr. Fudge can still trust those pure bloods as easily as before, and find others to take the me as before."


    After that, Dracughed.


    Without waiting for Dumbledore to respond, he recalled the vampire bat on Fudge''s neck and turned away.


    "Professor Drac, please wait a moment!"


    Dumbledore hesitated for a moment, but finally stopped Drac from behind, "I want to know, the n we made together to fight Voldemort... is it still valid?"


    "Since I am no longer a professor at Hogwarts, what does this have to do with me?" Drac smiled indifferently and waved his hand behind him, "The rest is up to you."


    He walked forward a few steps, but then suddenly stopped.


    "By the way, there is one thing I should let you know." Drac turned his head and said to Dumbledore, "Albus, there are even bigger enemies behind Voldemort. I suggest you read more of The Tales of Beedle the Bard."


    After saying this sentence that would sound inexplicable to others, Drac smiled softly, looked at the Hogwarts Castle under the night again, and turned to walk further away.


    However, before he had taken a few steps, he was stopped again.


    "Professor, you don''t have to leave Hogwarts." Cedric suddenly stood in front of Drac and said firmly, "I have heard from my parents that you exposed your identity to save me... This is not your problem at all!"


    "Cedric, you don''t have to persuade me." Drac shook his head gently, "I deliberately exposed my identity. I have long been bored with the monotonous teaching."


    "But didn''t you also say that the fun that happened in Hogwarts is the most concentrated ce you have ever seen?" Cedric continued to persuade, "Maybe there will be a lot of interesting things here in the future. Don''t you want to see it?"


    "It''s no longer necessary. I find it troublesome." Drac said, "Not everyone thinks like you, especially those self-righteous parents... Who is willing to let their children receive education from a vampire?"


    At this time, Cedric''s parents hesitated and walked towards Drac.


    "Professor Drac, we all support you to continue to serve as the professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts." Amos Diggory said.


    "That''s right. I can''t think of anyone more suitable to teach this course than you." Mrs. Diggory agreed, "There have been too many professors of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. You are the only one who can be re-elected for four terms."


    "I said, this is not a question of suitability." Drac shook his head and said, "I don''t want to be this professor anymore."


    "But..."


    "Don''t say buts anymore. I''m determined to leave." Drac interrupted them and said firmly.


    He bypassed the Diggory family and walked forward again.


    However, after a few steps, two more people blocked his way.


    "Professor, have you forgotten our bet?" Fred George said to Drac with a grin.


    "We were only in the third year at that time, and we bet in the hall that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would leave after teaching for a few months." George added, "You came over and bet dozens of Galleons, saying that you could continue to teach here... Do you remember?"


    "Yes, professor." Fred said, "If you leave like this, then you will lose those dozens of Galleons to us!"


    "That''s right, if you can resist not leaving, then it will be considered that we lose." George said, "It just so happens that we got the winnings from thest bet from Bagman, and we are able to repay your bet!"


    Drac looked at the two in surprise.


    "It''s really not easy to deduct the bet money from you two misers." He chuckled.


    "Really! So have you changed your mind?" Fred and George asked expectantly.


    "No, those dozens of Galleons will be regarded as an investment in your joke shop." Drac shook his head, "Didn''t you say a long time ago that you wanted to open a joke shop of your own?"


    "Professor, you actually still remember..." The twins said in a daze.


    "Of course, how could I not remember something?" Drac smiled and pushed Fred and George aside, then walked towards the castle gate, "Okay, don''t stop me, think about what products to put on the shelves when the timees!"


    However, Harry, Ron and Hermione also rushed over.


    Among them, Harry even supported his injured leg with a cane, and Pomfrey was chasing him.


    "Professor, are you really leaving?" Harry asked anxiously, "We need you, Hogwarts needs you... I still have a lot to learn!"


    "Yes, professor," Ron nodded and said in agreement, "Hermione just said that if you leave, she will never find a professor who can easily give her a book borrowing note from the restricted area like you!"


    Hermione red at Ron fiercely, but did not refute, just looked at Drac in front of her hopefully.


    "Don''t worry, Dumbledore will find a better Defense Against the Dark Arts professor." Drac said to the three little wizards with a smile, "Professor Flitwick was once a duel champion. If you have any questions, you can go to him. He will not hesitate to teach you."


    As he said this, he wanted to pass the three little ones and continue to walk towards the door.


    However, more and more little wizards rushed over from the audience and blocked Drac. Hundreds of students gradually gathered together to form a magnificent river of people.


    They were reluctant to leave, and they shouted loudly to keep him. Some emotional little witches even cried...


    Looking at this scene, Drac''s eyes flickered.


    He felt a little touched in his cold heart.

 Chapter 292 - 292 Take leave of

    <h4>Chapter 292: Take leave of</h4>


    "Professor Drac, maybe you haven''t realized it yourself..."


    Dumbledore came to Drac at some point and smiled gently, "During the four years of teaching at Hogwarts, you have finally developed some ties."


    "Perhaps these ties seem insignificant to you, but they are all the sincere wishes of these students and their purest wishes."


    "So this is your original purpose, Albus?" Drac frowned slightly and asked softly, "Four years ago, old Nico asked me toe here for this purpose, right?"


    Dumbledore smiled but said nothing.


    Amid the expectant eyes of many young wizards, Drac sighed imperceptibly, took a step forward, and looked around at all the students in the audience - the faces of these students were very familiar, and they had all sat upright facing his podium...


    "I am not apetent professor," Drac said slowly after a long silence.


    "Do you know? I don''t teach seriously, I''m not responsible for teaching, I don''t even bother to mark homework, I''m toozy to give exams; as for the highly acimed duel club, it''s just to watch you make a fool of yourself on the duel stage..."


    "I don''t understand, what on earth is worth keeping me for?"


    Drac looked around at the little wizards present, wanting to hear an answer from them.


    "Professor, maybe I can answer this question."


    Percy Weiss, who came here as a judge in ce of Mr. Crouch, walked over from the side of thewn and raised his hand like he did in his school days, just like answering Drac''s questions in ss.


    Drac looked at him with a very curious look in his eyes.


    "Professor, maybe you just teach as you please on weekdays, and do what you like to do." Percy said, "But in fact, you don''t realize how popr your teaching is!"


    Drac looked at the many little wizards around him, and seeing that they all looked like they agreed, he couldn''t help but feel more curious.


    Could it be that these little wizards all have some masochistic attributes? Whether it''s the duel club or the usual ss, as long as he leads it, none of them can be considered easy, right? How could this be popr?


    "Professor, you don''t have to be so curious." Percy saw Drac''s doubts and then exined, "No matter how tiring the duel club is, it can really let us learn knowledge, and it is also an experience we have never had in other sses..."


    "Do you remember? In order to let us practice the uracy of casting spells, you led the students to jump down from windows next to each other on a snowy day and practice magic in the snow... Professor McGonagall was so angry at that time."


    Percy nced at Professor McGonagall not far away. Professor McGonagall stared at him with a stern face, but then she couldn''t hold back her expression and finallyughed with some nostalgia.


    "Professor Drac, in fact, your course is not just a lesson for us. Many times it is more like a novel adventure and an interesting experience." Percy smiled.


    "One more thing!" Fred and George sneaked up to Percy and raised their hands like Percy just did. "We really like your teaching style. For example, you never assign boring homework and let us study on our own from time to time..."


    "...including choosing dance partners for us in ss, so that everyone has the opportunity to participate in the Christmas dance!" Harry also smiled and looked at Ginny and took over the conversation.


    "And Professor Drac''s ss is very pleasing to the eyes!" Another little witch excitedly said.


    Then, one by one, the little wizards began to chatter about their favorite teaching style of Drac, and they never tired of discussing it.


    Dumbledore stood beside Drac, looking at the little wizards in front of him with a smile.


    "How is it, Professor Drac?" Dumbledore''s face was flushed, and the unpleasantness of fighting for Fudge and Drac just now seemed to havepletely disappeared. "Didn''t you expect that you would have so many fans without realizing it?"


    "I really didn''t expect it." Drac said softly, "These little guys make me feel a little reluctant to leave."


    "Then stay, Hogwarts still needs you, Professor Drac." Dumbledore said.


    Drac was silent for a long time, and finally shook his head.


    "No, I have to leave." He sighed, "Not just because of the reasons I just said... In fact, I have more important things to do, and the result of that thing is no worse than Voldemort''s influence on the wizarding world."


    "Is it the thing mentioned before, about "The Tales of Beedle the Bard"? "Dumbledore''s face became serious.


    "Yes," Drac nodded slightly, and said in a low voice, "I have offended that guy badly. He probably wants to get rid of me now. I have to find a way to deal with him."


    As he said, he turned around and looked at Dumbledore, "You should also pay attention to this side. This matter must be more troublesome than a mere Voldemort."


    "I know." Dumbledore nodded slowly.


    Then, Drac looked at the densely packed students on the field again, raised one hand, and slowly floated up in the air.


    "Bang¡ª¡ª"


    He snapped his fingers lightly, but the sound reached everyone''s ears.


    The field gradually quieted down, and everyone cast their eyes on Drac in the air, watching his gradually rising figure.


    "I appreciate your kindness, but we will have to say goodbye one day, whether it''s today or tomorrow." Drac''s voice floated under the night sky, ringing in everyone''s ears, "Even if I stay here, you will graduate one day."


    "This is thest lesson I teach you - learn to ept separation, learn to control your emotions, and don''t invest time and emotions in useless separation..."


    "In the next few years, this magic world may no longer be peaceful, but turbulent. You also need a more suitable professor to teach you to learn this Defense Against the Dark Arts course systematically, instead of teaching you wherever you want like me."


    The students opened their eyes wide and gradually realized that Professor Drac would not stay.


    Some little wizards cried loudly, even the introverted little wizards had red eyes.


    "Cheer up, don''t let meugh at your weakness." Looking at the little wizards crying below, Drac chuckled, "I hope that the way you remember me is not to cry here, but to think of the defense knowledge I taught you when facing danger..."


    "In that way, my four years at Hogwarts will be meaningful."


    After saying this, Drac turned around and looked at the Hogwarts Castle that had stood on this high ground for a thousand years.


    It has not changed for a thousand years, but it seems to have given it some other meanings in just four years.


    "Farewell."


    Drac said softly.


    The next moment, a full moon quietly appeared behind him, brighter and colder than the crescent moon hanging in the sky.


    The silver-haired figure disappeared with the ethereal moonlight, leaving only a blue velvet-like silent night in the sky, and stars dotted on the velvet.


    The lights around the Quidditch field illuminated the faces of the students. They stared nkly at the night sky, looking at the direction where the moon disappeared, with their thoughts rising and falling.


    Perhaps, in the countless lives toe, they will often think of this summer night that was once illuminated by the moonlight...


    ...


    "You...you seem to be different today than usual?"


    Walking on the wall of Brown Castle, Selena looked at Drac''s profile and hesitated for a long time before asking.


    "Is there anything different?" Drac retracted his gaze from the distant night sky and looked at Selena, "Speaking of which, I seem to have not changed for a long, long time."


    "But today is indeed different..." Selena whispered, "Or rather, you seem to have new changes every year in the four years you have been at Hogwarts...but the changes are not as big as tonight."


    "Tell me about it?" Drac turned and leaned against the wall, with interest in his eyes.


    "I can still remember that you have experienced separation like today before." Selina said, "For example, more than two hundred years ago, you were invited by Ms. Delys Deventer to serve as a guest therapist at St. Mungo''s..."


    "When you left St. Mungo''s, you just left without saying goodbye. Delys and other therapists'' requests to stay didn''t seem to matter."


    "And you said that when you followed Nics mel to the Alchemist''s Association for fun hundreds of years ago, you felt bored and left there without any regrets..."


    "I know what you want to say." Drac smiled softly, "You want to ask me when I started to be sentimental, right?"


    " I didn''t say that. "Selena quickly distanced herself from the matter, "I''m just a little curious. After all, I''ve never seen you being moved by those wizards."


    "Yeah, it seems that I haven''t felt emotional fluctuations for a long, long time." Drac looked at the starry night sky and said softly, "I have always relied on those fun things to find a little bit of insignificant joy. As for other emotions, I haven''t felt them for a long time."


    "Thest time I felt emotional fluctuations seemed to be a thousand years ago, when I saw the tomb that Szar built for himself... It''s been so many years without realizing it."


    "I think you have really changed a lot. You even started to reminisce about the past." Selena whispered secretly.


    "What''s wrong with reminiscing about the past?" Drac asked with a smile, "At least it makes me feel alive, which is much better than spending every day numbly and bored as usual."


    "I also know that people who know me often describe me as casual, ruthless, and pleasure-seeking. Only the vampires under my protection and the few old guys who can be regarded as friends of mine will care about me a little bit..."


    "Now, there are more people who care about me... Not just one or two, but hundreds."


    "In that case, why don''t you continue to stay in Hogwarts?" Selena asked.


    "Aren''t you the one who wants me to return to Drac Castle to work the most?" Drac looked at her with interest.


    "I do want you toe back..." Selina bit her lip and whispered, "But if you are happier there, I have no reason to deprive you of your rare good mood."


    "I didn''t expect you to be so good at making people happy now." Drac raised his mouth, "Forget it, I do have other things to do. This matter is very dangerous. There is no need to drag down those little guys who can care about me a little bit."


    "Is there anything else in this world that makes you feel dangerous?" Selina asked in surprise.


    "Just because there is nothing in this world doesn''t mean there is nothing in another world." Drac said slowly.


    Without waiting for Selina to continue asking, he changed the subject, "Has Riddle arranged a room for my assistant?"


    "Te went to arrange it. It should be almost arranged now." Seeing that Drac didn''t want to say more, Selina had to suppress her doubts and replied, "Te said he would bring Riddle here after the arrangement."


    Drac nodded slightly, then looked at the end of the city wall, and saw two figures walking towards this side.


    "The room has been arranged, Lord Drac!" Te said respectfully.


    "Thank you for your hard work, Te." Drac nodded, then looked at Riddle beside Te, "Are you satisfied with the amodation?"


    As Drac''s assistant in the Defense Against the Dark Arts ss at Hogwarts, Riddle was also taken back to Drac''s castle after Drac left Hogwarts.


    One of the reasons is that Riddle is Voldemort''s Horcrux after all. If he continues to stay in Hogwarts without Drac''s control, it will be risky for the young wizards;


    In addition, Drac''s next n also needs the assistance of Voldemort''s "other half".


    "I am very satisfied, Professor Drac." Riddle said, "The amodation here is much more spacious than the assistant''s office in Hogwarts Castle."


    "As long as you are satisfied." Drac nodded calmly, staring into Riddle''s eyes, "Then... I want you to learn to repent, can you do it now?"


    Deep repentance is the only way to repair a split soul.


    Riddle also looked directly at Drac''s eyes, exhaled deeply, and said slowly:


    "I already know how to repent... The soul fragments in the crown have beenpletely integrated by me."


    Drac''s eyes showed a hint of surprise, and then he stared at Riddle''s eyes, his expression gradually became meaningful.


    "Very good, then our next action will have a direction."


    He took out an object from his pocket and yed with it gently in his hands.


    It was Slytherin''s locket taken from the ke family.

 Chapter 293 - 293 Department of Mysteries incident

    <h4>Chapter 293: Department of Mysteries incident</h4>


    After Voldemort''s resurrection, many things gradually changed.


    Drac left Hogwarts and took away assistant Riddle. Snape temporarily took on the part-time job of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in thest few days of the semester, assigning summer homework instead of Drac, which made the young wizardsin bitterly.


    Fudge was transformed into the lowest level vampire by Drac, and returned to the Ministry of Magic to pretend to be normal, but he could not hide it from the insiders present, and the news still spread.


    The regime in the British Ministry of Magic almost changed, and it was suppressed by Fudge and his diehards.


    Dumbledorepletely parted ways with Fudge, and publicly announced Voldemort''s return at the end-of-term dinner, warning students to be vignt.


    Cedric became a vampire, chose to graduate from Hogwarts early, and went to Brown Castle to study the "High-Quality Vampire Code of Conduct"piled by Selina and the innate abilities of vampires.


    He was a vampire who was embraced by Drac himself. His physical fitness and magic power have greatly improved in a short period of time. He really needs to systematically learn how to control his power.


    Of course, how to face his friends and ssmates with a new identity is also a matter that troubles Cedric.


    Cedric''s girlfriend, Qiu Zhang, who finally confirmed her rtionship in the semi-finals, cried very sadly, and he had to promise her that he would often return to Hogsmeade to meet her...


    Fortunately, the magic world has a precedent of the famous vampire singer Lorcan Deiss living in harmony with wizards.


    Drac gave a few instructions, and Deiss took the initiative to keep in touch with Cedric, using his own personal experience to enlighten him and give reasonable suggestions. So Cedric was not too confused.


    Hogwarts issued him a graduation certificate in advance, which was equivalent to Cedric officially graduating in the sixth grade instead of dropping out of school - in fact, he was indeed better than almost all the students in the graduating grade.


    As for Harry, his life became a little confused.


    After Harry escaped from Voldemort''s hands by the shback spell cast by the same core wand in his and Voldemort''s hands, he became the center of discussion in Hogwarts. His ssmates all wanted to ask him what happened before he came out of the maze.


    However, although Harry told his ssmates how Voldemort was resurrected, only a part of them believed in Harry.


    After all, after many years of ssmates, they already knew the savior of the magic world very well. Everyone knew that Harry was just an ordinary person, and many people were unwilling to believe that he could escape from the terrible dark devil for the second time.


    Moreover, there are two types of people who are willing to believe in Harry-


    One is a group of fanatical fans such as Colin Creevey and Harry''s good friends in Gryffindor. They are willing to believe Harry and are more willing to believe Dumbledore''s warning.


    The other group of students is mainly pure-blood students from Slytherin. They seem to be excited about the return of the Dark Lord and think that pure-blood students will be stronger under the leadership of Voldemort.


    However, it is a bit strange that Draco Malfoy, who should be the most excited, is not as happy as his two followers. Instead, he looks a little anxious and his pale face bes even more bloodless, which makes many Slytherin students think he is sick.


    ...


    When the summer vacation came, Harry left Hogwarts Castle in a depressed mood and spent an unhappy summer vacation.


    In addition to his aunt and uncle still treating him like a bug and shouting at him, and his cousin Dudley using him as a punching bag for boxing, there are even two Dementors who live on souls that have escaped the control of the Ministry of Magic and came to Privet Drive to ambush him.


    Fortunately, under Drac''s training, Harry has long been able to skillfully use the Patronus Charm and easily drive away the Dementors.


    These two Dementors were arranged by Umbridge.


    She gave Fudge an idea, hoping to force Harry to use magic outside the school, and falsely use Harry of viting the "Reasonable Restraint of Underage Wizards Act" by using magic outside the school, so as to expel him from Hogwarts.


    A savior who was expelled from school would surely have a greatly weakened influence in the magic world.


    And Fudge could step on Harry, whose reputation plummeted, to further strengthen his political reputation-


    Fudge, who was turned into a low-level vampire by Drac, needed to strengthen his reputation to prevent himself from being squeezed out of the position of Minister of Magic by other officials.


    In fact, Fudge basically stayed in the office every day and did not go out. When he encountered extremely important social events, he used Transfiguration to modify his appearance to prevent others from seeing the clues.


    And as a low-level vampire like him, he could not control his desire to suck blood, so he could only secretly order a lot of blood from merchants who made blood-vored lollipops and blood puddings, which barely suppressed his emotions of attacking others...


    However, Fudge and Umbridge''s n failed after all.


    When Harry came to the Ministry of Magic for trial, Dumbledore personally attended the trial as a witness for Harry and finally helped him get rid of the usation.


    Poor Harry, after a series of changes in the summer vacation, finally waited for the start of school.


    But at the opening ceremony, he found that Fudge''s assistant, the senior executive of the Ministry of Magic, and the acting deputy minister Umbridge became the new professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts this year.


    She represented the Ministry of Magic to rectify the "bad atmosphere" of Hogwarts, and it was also apromise made by Dumbledore to get Harry out of the usation and let Hogwarts continue to receive the support of the Ministry of Magic.


    This is because, after Drac left, the funding chain provided by the school board to the school was broken-


    Originally, Malfoy and other pure-blood families were thergest donors of Hogwarts'' operating funds, but after Voldemort was resurrected, Lucius naturally had to make a gesture of drawing a line with Dumbledore and did everything he could to embarrass him.


    Hogwarts students are exempt from tuition fees, and the school does not have many ways to make a profit. Hogwarts must have external sources of funds to operate.


    In addition to the board of directors, the remaining funds are provided by the Ministry of Magic. Fudge threatened to cut funding and forced Umbridge to join the Hogwarts teaching team.


    Umbridge''s teaching method is not like Defense Against the Dark Arts at all. Instead, it makes students read nonsense textbooks without any practice and exercises. Even the dueling club has stopped.


    The students of Hogwartspletely lost the opportunity to practice, just because Fudge stubbornly believed that the magic world was extremely stable and students did not need to beware of any dark magic...


    In the first ss, Harry shed with Umbridge because he was angry at her teaching method and was eventually put in detention.


    The huge gap made other studentsin about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and they hoped that Drac would return to Hogwarts, even if he led them to jump out of the window again...


    ...


    In order to oppose Umbridge''s control over the students and to let everyone learn more about defense so as to cope with the uing storm in the wizarding world, Harry and several good friends organized a small Defense Against the Dark Arts Club, which met in the Room of Requirement.


    This club was named Dumbledore''s Army, or D.A. for short.


    The connotation of Dumbledore''s Army was actually inherited from the duel club hosted by Drac, which was to train students'' practical ability.


    Therefore, there were many more students who responded than Harry imagined.


    However, due to therge number of people involved, there were still traitors in the D.A., and Umbridge relied on the traitor to discover that Harry was teaching everyone Defense Against the Dark Arts behind her back.


    Everyone fled in a hurry, and in the end only Harry was caught because he was thest one to leave. Umbridge was overjoyed and finally found a way to weaken Harry''s reputation. She was ready to expel him from Hogwarts on the grounds of illegal association.


    However, Dumbledore took the me for Harry and was deliberately expelled from Hogwarts to make other preparations to deal with Voldemort.


    During Dumbledore''s absence, Harry''s scar hurt even more.


    One day, in his hazy fantasy, he saw Sirius being captured by Voldemort and taken to a ck door under the Ministry of Magic. However, at this moment, Principal Dumbledore was no longer in school.


    "We must save Sirius." Harry said anxiously to his friends, "He is being tortured by Voldemort!"


    ...


    "Are you sure about the uracy of the news, right?"


    In the most luxuriouspartment of the White Dragon Bar, Drac and Lucius sat face to face on the sofa.


    "That''s right. The Dark Lord has invaded Potter''s mind and wants to trick him out to get a prophecy." Lucius'' face was pale and his facial muscles were shaking with tension. "He seemed to say that the prophecy concealed the fate of him and Potter..."


    "What he wants to do is irrelevant to me." Drac shook his head, "All I need is a chance to stop him... If it''s in the Ministry of Magic, this opportunity might work."


    He looked up at Lucius and handed him a two-sided mirror. "Thank you for your hard work this time. When the timees, feel free to find an opportunity to contact me with this."


    Lucius took the mirror and a look of hesitation appeared on his face.


    "Mr. Drac, I feel that if the Dark Lord finds out that his n has been exposed, he will probably suspect me." He said in a panic, "I think then..."


    "After this time, you can get away from Voldemort." Drac said, "You can stay in Drac Castle temporarily, or I can help you arrange a house and be your Fidelius Secret-Keeper, both are fine."


    Lucius'' eyes suddenly showed a look of overjoyed joy.


    "Okay... okay! Thank you so much, Professor Drac!" He said happily.


    For Lucius, after being an undercover agent for so long, he finally had a day to rx!


    ...


    Beside the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Rolf, Ginny, Neville and other students stood together.


    Harry and his friends finally got rid of Umbridge, andter, at Rolf''s suggestion, they prepared to ride the Thestrals in the Forbidden Forest to the Ministry of Magic to rescue Sirius.


    "Rolf, how do we ride them?" Harry walked to a Thestral and looked back at Rolf and asked.


    "This is not difficult, but I didn''t expect you to see the Thestrals." Rolf said, "I heard Luna say that you saw the Thestrals in front of the carriage before, but I didn''t quite believe it..."


    "Maybe it''s because of what happened in the cemetery. I really thought Cedric was dead at the time." Harry said slowly, "And I also saw my parents who had left long ago, and remembered the things in my childhood when I didn''t remember anything."


    Rolf fell silent and stretched out a hand to pat his shoulder.


    "Come with me, just get on." After a moment, he said to Harry gently, "Thestrals are actually quite docile. Luna and I oftene to feed them. Let them help us today."


    Harry put one hand into the mane of the Thestral closest to him and held it tightly. He stepped on the stump next to him with one foot and climbed clumsily onto its soft and smooth back.


    The Thestral did not resist, but turned his head to look at Rolf.


    "Got it, got it. I''ll bring you more meat next time." Rolf seemed to immediately understand what the Thestrals meant by their expression, and said to them with a smile.


    Harry sat on the Thestrals'' back, turned around and looked around at the others-


    Neville was hunched over, lying on the back of another Thestrals, trying to cross one of his short legs to the other side; Luna had already sat sideways and was tidying up her robes, just like she would ride on the Thestrals every day.


    But Ron, Hermione and Ginny were still standing there motionless, staring with their mouths open.


    "What''s wrong?" Harry asked.


    "How are we supposed to ride on them?" Ron murmured, "We can''t see them."


    "Oh, that''s easy." Luna said as she slid off the Thestrals enthusiastically, and strode towards Ron, Hermione and Ginny, "Come here..."


    She pulled them to the Thestrals standing around, and helped them ride on the Thestrals one by one.


    She held their hands and told them to hold on tight before walking back to their mounts. All three of them looked nervous as hell.


    "This is incredible," Ron muttered, stroking the horse''s neck carefully with his free hand. "Incredible... If I could see it -"


    "You''d better never see it," Harry said helplessly. "Besides that, are you all ready?"


    The others nodded, and everyone''s knees tensed under their robes.


    "Okay..."


    He nced down at the Thestral''s sleek ck head and swallowed nervously.


    "So, London, Ministry of Magic, Guest Entrance," he said uncertainly. "Well... if you know how to get there..."


    The Thestral stood still for a moment, then suddenly spread its wings with such force that Harry almost fell off.


    It crouched slowly, then shot up into the sky like an arrow, so fast and at such a steep angle that Harry had to cling to its body with his hands and feet to prevent himself from falling off its bony tail.


    They rushed over the treetops and flew into the ming sunset, eyes closed, cheeks pressed against the smooth, silky mane of the Thestral.


    They flew over the grounds of Hogwarts and over Hogsmeade; Harry could see the hills and valleys below.


    The day began to fade, and they flew over vige after vige, with lights dotted below them, and then a lone car speeding through hills on its way back along a winding mountain road...


    "How bizarre!"


    Harry could barely hear Ron shouting from somewhere behind him, and imagined what it would feel like to be so high in the air, unable to see his mount.


    Dusk fell, and the sky gradually turned a faint, hazy purple, with small silver stars scattered around.


    Gradually, a group of tall buildings appeared in the sight of the little wizards.

 Chapter 294 - 294 Prophecy Ball

    <h4>Chapter 294: Prophecy Ball</h4>


    Under the illumination of the orange street lights, an old telephone booth stood on the street.


    Harry had been to the Ministry of Magic when he was used of viting the "Reasonable Restraint of Underage Wizards Act" and knew that the unremarkable telephone booth was actually the entrance to the Ministry of Magic.


    He squeezed into the telephone booth with his friends. Fortunately, they were all young wizards around fifteen years old, and there was no fat person in the team, so they were able to squeeze in.


    "Who is closest to the phone, dial 62442!" Harry shouted to his friends inside.


    62442 is typed in a nine-square grid, which actually means magic (MAGIC).


    Ron''s arm was bent awkwardly and stretched towards the dial and dialed the number.


    As the dial quickly turned back to its original position, a woman''s cold voice came into the phone booth:


    "Wee to the Ministry of Magic, please state your name and business."


    "Harry Potter, Ron Weiss, Hermione Granger," Harry said quickly, "Ginny Weiss, Neville Longbottom, Rolf Scamander, Luna Lovegood..."


    "We are here to rescue people, unless your Ministry of Magic rescues him first."


    "Thank you," said the cold voice, "Guest, please take the badge and pin it on your clothes."


    Seven badges slid out of the metal chute that should be used to withdraw coins.


    Hermione picked them up and handed them to Harry over Ginny''s head without a word. Harry nced at the top one and it said:


    Harry Potter, rescue mission.


    "Guests of the Ministry of Magic, you need to be checked at the security checkpoint and register your wand. The security checkpoint is at the end of the main hall."


    "Got it!" Harry said loudly, "Can we act now?"


    The floor of the telephone booth suddenly shook, and the sidewalk outside gradually rose above the window, and the darkness closed over their heads.


    Apanied by a boring friction sound, they gradually descended deep into the ground.


    "Do you think it''s too easy for us toe in?" In the dark, Hermione asked hesitantly, "Will the Ministry of Magic let us underage wizardse in so easily to save people?"


    "It seems a bit strange." Rove also frowned, "I remember that the Ministry of Magic used to be very strict in examining guests, especially our reasons were a bit improper, and they didn''t ask much."


    Rove had been to the Ministry of Magic many times with his grandfather and father, and was quite familiar with it, but this time the examination situation really made him feel a little weird.


    Fudge and Harry''s rtionship was so strained, how could the people in the Ministry of Magic not pay any attention to this name...


    "Maybe it''s because it''ste at night?" Ron guessed, "It''s time to get off work, my dad has never worked overtime until this time...but they are not in the Order of the Phoenix now, where could they be?"


    They secretly went back to the Order of the Phoenix through Umbridge''s firece to take a look, but did not find any adults.


    "But even in the middle of the night, there must be someone on duty here, right?" Hermione asked, "Why didn''t anyone ask about our purpose and just gave us a pass?"


    "This proves that the Ministry of Magic has been conquered by those Death Eaters!" Harry said impatiently, "It is very likely that the staff on duty have also been in trouble!"


    Others were silent.


    Thinking of this, a nervous moodpletely enveloped their hearts... Can they, a few students who have not yet graduated, really save Sirius from the cruel Death Eaters?


    A thin golden light shone on their feet, getting wider and wider, and gradually moved to their bodies.


    In such a narrow space, Harry grabbed his wand and squatted as low as he could to look outside through the ss to see if anyone was waiting for them in the main hall.


    But the main hall seemed empty.


    The light in the main hall of the Ministry of Magic was darker at night than in the day, and there was no fire in the mantelpiece embedded in the wall. But when the elevator stopped smoothly, he saw that the golden symbol on the dark blue ceiling was still twisting irregrly.


    "The Ministry hopes you have a good time tonight," said the cold female voice.


    The door of the telephone booth suddenly opened, and Harry stumbled out, followed by Neville and Luna.


    The only sound that could be heard in the main hall was the continuous rush of the golden fountain in the center of the hall. The water kept gushing out from the wands of wizards and witches, the arrows of centaurs, the tips of goblin hats and the ears of house elves, and fell into the circr pool.


    "Come with me," Harry whispered.


    Seven of them were running at full speed down the hall, and he was at the front, past the fountain and toward the security desk, where a wizard had sat to weigh Harry''s wand, but now it was empty.


    Harry thought there should be security here, and believed that the absence of anyone guarding the door was a bad omen.


    His foreboding was heightened as they passed through the golden doors of the Ministry and toward the elevators.


    He pressed the nearest "down" button, and the elevator almost immediately clicked into view, the golden bars sliding from the center to the sides with a deafening, echoing ng.


    They rushed in and took the elevator to the ninth floor below the Ministry.


    "Department of Mysteries," said the cold woman''s voice as the elevator stopped.


    The bars opened and they stepped out into a corridor that was eerily silent except for the nearest torches flickering in the air currents stirred up by the elevator.


    Harry''s eyes turned to the in ck door in the corridor - in his vague connection with Voldemort, he could see that Sirius was tortured inside this door, and now they were finally here.


    "Let''s go." He whispered, leading everyone forward along the corridor.


    The other young wizards stared at the front nervously, only Luna, who always had a strange way of thinking, looked around curiously.


    "Okay, everyone listen," Harry stopped less than six feet away from the ck door and said to the others, "Maybe we should leave a few people here... lookout, and--"


    He actually wanted to rush in alone, because this operation was dangerous, and the others had nothing to do with Sirius, so they didn''t need to step into danger for him.


    "But if there is any situation, how can we notify you?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and asked, "You may be far away from us."


    "We will all go with you, Harry." Neville also said firmly.


    "Well, let''s go on." Ron also said.


    Rolf smiled and nodded to him.


    Harry was still a little hesitant and didn''t want to take them all with him, but it seemed that he had no choice...


    He turned and walked towards the ck door, which opened automatically,


    ...


    "Get ready, Lucius, they areing in."


    Drac said to a bronze mirror, behind which was the nervous face of Lucius Malfoy.


    Harry and the other seven young wizards entered the ck door of the Department of Mysteries, but they didn''t notice that one of the six halls here had quietly opened a gap - that was the Hall of Death.


    Drac had been standing next to the huge stone arch, feeling the faint breath of death behind the curtain, while observing the actions and progress of Harry and others through the crack of the door.


    After contacting Lucius, he took out another two-way mirror.


    "Albus, are all the people from the Order of the Phoenix here?" Drac asked the mirror.


    "Everything is ready." Dumbledore said behind the mirror, "When you remove the anti-Apparition spell over there, all the avable members of the Order of the Phoenix will Apparate directly to the Department of Mysteries."


    "Okay, remember to ask your people to spare Lucius Malfoy''s life. I promised him." Drac added.


    "No problem, I''ll give the order." Dumbledore said.


    In fact, Hermione and Rolf''s suspicion of the abnormal behavior of the magic world waspletely correct.


    The Ministry of Magic should have had some employees on dutyte at night, but there were many Death Eaters who had close ties with the Ministry of Magic. Lucius and Yaxley easily found an excuse to lead away the members of the duty room.


    After no manual review, Yaxley directly approved the entry application of Harry and others, allowing them to walk in easily.


    The hallucination Harry saw was also false-


    Voldemort learned that Sirius was one of the most important people to Harry, both a father and a friend, so he used the connection between the two to invade Harry''s brain and let him see the hallucination of Sirius being tortured.


    As Lucius said to Drac, Voldemort''s goal was to obtain a prophecy ball, which recorded the fate of Harry and Voldemort.


    However, what Voldemort did not expect was that Lucius had leaked this matter to Drac early.


    So Drac contacted Dumbledore again, and the two quickly discussed a n to take this opportunity to deal with Voldemort.


    "Are you confident?" Drac looked aside and asked.


    The young Riddle was standing there, looking a little nervous.


    "I don''t have much confidence. After all, that is my main soul that haspletely recovered its strength." He said gloomily, "and I only have three soul fragments here, not even half of the seven pieces..."


    "After today, it will definitely be more than half." Drac chuckled and said, "We will suppress him. You are only responsible for finding the Horcrux on Voldemort."


    ...


    "It''s here!"


    After trying several doors in a row, Harry finally found the right one.


    It was as tall as a church, with towering shelves lined up inside. There were countless gray ss balls on the shelves, and nothing else.


    More candlesticks were embedded in the shelves at certain intervals, and dim light shone from them. The small ss balls glowed faintly in these lights.


    Harry walked forward slowly and looked down at a dark aisle between two rows of shelves. He could not hear a sound or feel any movement, even the slightest movement.


    "You said that Sirius was in the 97th row here." Hermione whispered beside him.


    "Yes," Harry replied softly.


    He looked up at the nearest row of crystal balls, the candles next to them were emitting blue mes, and the silver numbers under the brackets were shing, "53".


    "I think we should go to the right." Hermione whispered, ncing at the row next to her, "Oh, this is 54..."


    "Everyone, get your wands ready." Harry lowered his voice and instructed.


    They tiptoed along the long aisle between the shelves, looking back from time to time, and the distance was almost dark.


    There were small yellowbels on the shelves under each ss ball. Some of the balls emitted a mysterious flowing light, while others were vague and dark, like extinguished light bulbs.


    They passed row 84, row 85... Harry tried to listen to the slightest movement, but heard nothing. Maybe Sirius'' mouth was blocked, or maybe he was unconscious...


    Or maybe it was the most fearful thought in his heart, maybe he was dead... Thinking of this, Harry felt like he was falling into an ice cave.


    "97!" Hermione said suddenly.


    They gathered at one end of row 97, staring at the corridor next to the shelf, where no one was.


    "Sirius should be at the very end," Harry said, his mouth was a little dry, "It''s impossible to see clearly standing here."


    He led everyone through two rows of towering ss balls. When they passed by, some of the ss emitted a faint light...


    "He should be nearby," Harry said in a low voice. He was convinced that with every step forward, Sirius'' ragged figure would appear on the dark floor, "somewhere here...really close..."


    "Harry?" Hermione tried to call him.


    Harry didn''t want to answer, his mouth was already dry.


    "Somewhere here..." he said.


    They hade to the other end of the row of shelves, exposed to more dim candlelight.


    There was no one here either, only echoes and dusty silence.


    "Harry." Hermione said slowly, even amplifying her voice, "I think... Sirius is not here."


    No one said anything.


    Harry couldn''t figure it out, he clearly saw Sirius, that was the real perspective of Voldemort... He didn''t understand why Sirius was not here, and he didn''t dare to believe that the picture he saw was wrong.


    He ran quickly in one direction past the rows of shelves and looked along them.


    However, there was no shadow of Sirius anywhere, and no signs of fighting.


    "Harry?" Ron shouted.


    "What?" Harry replied dejectedly.


    He thought Ron would tell him he was stupid, or suggest that they should go back to Hogwarts, or me him for taking a risk with a group of friends toe to the Ministry of Magic in the middle of the night...


    However, Ron talked about something else: "Did you see this?"


    "What?" Harry asked.


    He strode up to Ron and saw that he was staring at a dirty ss ball on the shelf.


    "What are you looking at?" he asked depressedly.


    "It''s...it has your name on it." Ginny said in surprise.


    Harry moved closer, and Ginny pointed to a small ss ball. It was dirty, as if it had not been touched for many years, but the faint light inside made it shine a little.


    "My name?" Harry asked nkly.


    He walked forward and looked at the yellowedbel under the ss ball on the shelf.


    Thebel was marked with a date in exquisite handwriting, followed by a string of letters:


    S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D.


    (Sybill Patrick Trwney to Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore)


    "What is this?" Ron asked, "How did your name get on it?"


    "It''s a prophecy ball." Ralph frowned, "If Harry''s name is written on it, then it''s likely a prophecy about Harry."


    "Prophecy?" Harry was a little curious, "What will these prophecies say?"


    He raised his hand, grasped the dirty little ball, and took it down.


    At the same time, azy voice suddenly sounded in the darkness not far away:


    "Very good, Potter, now turn around slowly and give it to me."

 Chapter 295 - 295 Everyone is here

    <h4>Chapter 295: Everyone is here</h4>


    As if suddenly appearing, many dark shadows appeared around Harry and hispanions, blocking their way on both sides.


    The eyes of these people gleamed in the gaps of their hoods, and more than a dozen wands with shining tips were aimed at their hearts... The little wizards held their breath in fear.


    Lucius took two steps forward and appeared in front of Harry.


    "Give it to me... Potter." He repeated slowly, holding out his hand with his palm facing up.


    Harry''s heart sank suddenly. They were surrounded, and they were not superior in terms of numbers or strength.


    "Give it to me." Lucius said again.


    "Where is Sirius?" Harry gritted his teeth and asked.


    Several Death Eatersughed.


    "The Dark Lord always predicts things!" Among the dark figures on the left, a harsh female voice said proudly, "I knew he would be fooled."


    "I want to know where Sirius is!" Harry shouted in a panic.


    "You took him away." Harry said, forcing himself to shake off the panic in his heart, "He''s here... I know he''s here."


    "The little baby was frightened awake, and thought the dream was real." The woman, Betrix Strange, said disgustingly in a baby-like voice.


    As Dumbledore expected, the Dementors betrayed the Ministry of Magic after all, and secretly released Betrix and other vicious Death Eaters from prison.


    In order to avoid the Dementors, the Aurors stationed in Azkaban usually did not enter the deepestyers to inspect, which also made Fudge, who firmly believed that the Dementors would not betray, not know that Azkaban was half empty!


    At this time, Harry found that Ron moved beside him, as if he wanted to take out his wand.


    "Don''t do anything." Harry muttered, "You can''t do it now-"


    Betrixughed in a hoarse and piercing voice.


    "Did you hear that? Did you hear that?" Sheughed crazily, "He''s giving orders to other children, as if he''s going to attack us!"


    "Oh, you don''t know Potter as well as I do, Betrix." Lucius said softly, "He has a big weakness in heroism - the Dark Lord knows that."


    "So, give me the prophecy, Potter."


    "I know Sirius is here." Harry still said unwillingly, although his panic made his chest tight, "I know, you caught him!"


    More Death Eatersughed, Be''sughter was the loudest and harshest.


    "It''s time for you to understand the difference between reality and dreams, Potter." Lucius said, "Give me the prophecy immediately, otherwise we will have to use coercive measures."


    "Okay,e on!" Harry said, raising his wand to his chest.


    At the same time, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Rolf and Luna''s six wands were raised on both sides of him.


    Harry''s heart tightened. If Sirius was really not here, he was leading his friend to a meaningless death...


    But the Death Eaters did not attack.


    "Hand over the prophecy. There is no need to hurt anyone." Lucius said coldly.


    This time it was Harry''s turn tough suddenly.


    "Yes, that''s right!" He said sharply, "You want this prophecy, but you are afraid that it will be broken if you use a spell easily, right?"


    As soon as he said this, Be couldn''t bear it anymore and said:


    "io Prophecy!"


    Harry had been prepared for her. Before she finished the spell, he quickly shouted:


    "Protego!"


    Although the ss ball slipped to his fingertips, he still tried to catch it.


    "Oh, he''s quite powerful, little Potter." Be said, her furious eyes ring at Harry fiercely through the gap in her hood, "Very good, then-"


    "Crucio..."


    However, before Be could recite the Cruciatus Curse, Lucius raised his voice and interrupted her.


    "I told you not to do this!" He yelled at Be, "What if you break it, are you prepared to face the wrath of the Dark Lord yourself?!"


    Lucius stopped Be''s attack and rxed a little.


    He still remembered his undercover mission, which was to prevent the Death Eaters from hurting the little wizards when necessary... Fortunately, protecting the prophecy was a very good excuse that would not arouse suspicion from other Death Eaters.


    However, just when the Death Eaters had not figured out how to get the prophecy in their hands without damage, several little wizards suddenly moved.


    "Do it!" Harry shouted loudly.


    Six different voices chanted loudly behind him:


    "Reducto!"


    Six shattering spells flew in six different directions, and the shelves in front of them exploded after being hit. The towering shelves shook, hundreds of ss balls shattered, and countless pearly white prophetic images floated out of the prophecy balls and floated in the air.


    Countless prophetic voices intertwined together, extremely noisy.


    ss fragments fell on the floor like a rainstorm, and the wood chips of countless shelves were like heavy snow...


    In such a scene, the Death Eaters almost subconsciously raised their hands to cover their faces, and the seven little wizards ran in the opposite direction of the Death Eaters "in the rain" together, lowering their heads and rushing forward.


    They came to the other end of the 97th row, turned right and started running at full speed.


    Just in front of them, a door was ajar, which led to another hall of the Department of Mysteries, and they came in from there.


    He rushed out of the door, waiting for others to quickly cross the threshold before mming the door shut, still holding the prophecy ball tightly in his hand.


    "Colloportus!" Hermione breathlessly chanted the Locking Spell,pletely sealing the door.


    "Are we...are we saved?" Harry asked breathlessly.


    However, before he finished speaking, several Death Eaters'' irritable voices came from inside the door-


    "Open Sesame!"


    This was a much more violent unlocking spell than the ho, which directly destroyed the Locking Spell cast by Hermione from inside the door.


    Harry and the others realized that something was wrong, so they could only run again with heavy breaths, and then went into another door... They could no longer tell the specific direction, and could only run around the six halls of the Department of Mysteries like headless flies.


    The Death Eaters were following closely behind them. If they hadn''t been concerned about the prophecy in Harry''s hand, Harry and his friends would have been drowned in the Death Eaters'' spells.


    After fighting with the Death Eaters for a long time in several halls, the young wizards were more or less injured...


    Even if the Death Eaters'' spells would not attack Harry on arge scale in order to protect the prophecy from being damaged, they were still far behind the adult Death Eaters with richbat experience.


    In the end, only Harry, Rolf and Neville were left with some fighting power.


    They supported theirpanions who were either unconscious or hit by the petrification spell, and stumbled into a ck door.


    The Death Eaters followed closely behind, stopped beside them, and stared at them intently.


    Several Death Eaters were panting as hard as Harry and his friends, and one was bleeding profusely. It seemed that the Defense Against the Dark Arts exercise of Dumbledore''s Army was effective, and the Death Eaters were not feeling well either.


    "Potter, it''s time to end it," Lucius slowly pulled off his mask, walked forward like the most loyalckey of Voldemort, and whispered, "Now give me the prophecy like a good boy."


    "Let...let my friends leave, and I''ll give it to you!" Harry said desperately.


    Several Death Eatersughed.


    "You have no right to bargain, Potter." Betrixughed shrilly, "Look, there are still ten of us, and only three of you can move...Didn''t Dumbledore teach you how to count?"


    Harry gritted his teeth and wanted to struggle again, but Be pointed her wand at Neville again.


    "Longbottom, right?" Betrix''s pale face showed a very evil smile, "Great, I have the honor of meeting your parents, little guy."


    Neville seemed to suddenly think of something, and his face became extremely hideous.


    "It was...it was you?!" He yelled, raising his wand and wanted to rush towards Be.


    "What a vitality." Betrix stared at Neville, looking excited. "Well, let''s see how long Longbottom canst before he copses like his parents... unless Potter is willing to give us the prophecy."


    "No... Neville, don''t go..." Harry tried to hold Neville back, but Neville didn''t know where he got the strength from, and he couldn''t hold him back at all.


    Betrixughed cruelly and raised her wand:


    "Crucio!"


    Neville screamed and fell to the ground, his legs curled up to his chest, twitching and screaming in pain.


    Harry could fully understand Neville''s feelings, after all, he didn''t have the amulet made by Professor Drac.


    Rolf took a few steps forward, trying to save Neville from Be.


    However, another Death Eater, Antonin Dolohov, spotted him and used a barrier spell to block Rolf back.


    "Be, that''s enough. Getting the prophecy first is the most important thing." Lucius was still trying to fulfill his undercover mission.


    "This is just to give him a little taste!" Betrix said indignantly, putting down her wand.


    Neville stopped screaming andy at her feet sobbing.


    She turned and looked at Harry.


    "Okay, Potter, either give us the prophecy or watch your little friend die in pain!"


    Harry didn''t have time to think about anything else, he had no choice.


    The prophecy was still in his hand, warmed by his body temperature, and he handed it over.


    Lucius reached out to take it, while thinking about how to lose the prophecy.


    At this moment, the whole dim room seemed to be lit up with a dazzling light.


    Then, above Harry and the Death Eaters, two doors opened at the same time.


    Five figures rushed into the room like gods descending from heaven, leaping down from the high steps -


    They were Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks and Kings, all core members of the Order of the Phoenix.


    Dolohov turned around and raised his wand, but Tonks had already fired a Stunning Spell at him.


    Harry took the opportunity to jump to the side, out of the reach of Lucius''s arm.


    The appearance of the Order of the Phoenix members diverted the attention of the Death Eaters, who jumped down the steps while raining spells at them.


    Passing through the running crowd and shes of light, Harry and Roff pulled up Neville who had fallen to the ground, dodged the rays of spells, found a safer ce, and helped Neville sit against the wall.


    "Are you okay?" Harry asked Neville, and another spell flew over a few inches above their heads.


    "Not bad." Neville said as he tried to stand up, but was pushed down by Rolf.


    "You''re already injured, leave the rest to us." Rolf said softly, "Luna and the others are not in good condition, and you need to take care of them here."


    He looked at Harry and joined the battle between the members of the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters.


    On the other side, Lucius once again began to perform with his superb acting skills.


    He cast spells more diligently than anyone else, but he couldn''t hit anyone; and the members of the Order of the Phoenix seemed to have not seen him, no one cared about what Lucius was doing, and they were only concerned with fighting with other Death Eaters.


    The situation on the field seemed to be gradually improving. There were only ten people left on the Death Eaters who were capable of fighting -


    Antonin Dolohov was hit by Tonks''s Stunning Spell without any preparation and fell into aa. In addition, Lucius was a traitor, so there were only eight Death Eaters left.


    And the five people of the Order of the Phoenix plus Harry and Rolf made seven people!


    Harry and Sirius stood together, shoulder to shoulder, facing the attack from the opposite side, and cooperated very well.


    Rolf came to Tonks and took over the small magical animals she brought to assist him in the duel, and he was also getting better.


    It seemed that the two sides gradually became evenly matched.


    Until the scar on Harry''s forehead began to hurt again, as if it was burning, the burning pain was unbearable... It hurt so much that he cried...


    "Harry, what''s wrong with you?" Sirius picked up a petrification spell cast by Be and bent down to ask Harry.


    "Be careful..." Harry murmured painfully, "Voldemort... he... ising..."


    As if to verify Harry''s words, a ck mist suddenly rushed into the dim hall.


    The ck fog dissipated, and a figure appeared in the center of the hall-


    Tall, thin, wearing a ck mask, with a snake-like face pale and haggard, and a scarlet eye like a slit staring at Harry...


    Harry stood there stiffly, unable to move. Sirius subconsciously blocked in front of Harry.


    A wave of tension surged into the minds of all members of the Order of the Phoenix. They knew that all the people here were no match for Voldemort.


    "We meet again, Potter." Voldemort smiled sinisterly, "If you know what''s good for you, then hand over the prophecy."


    However, just when Harry felt a little desperate, anotherzy voice sounded, which made Harry open his eyes in surprise, and Voldemort''s face changed instantly-


    "I didn''t expect it to be so lively here!"


    The silver-haired figure appeared above the hall with the moonlight.


    At the same time, a ball of golden-red fire also appeared in the hall, shining with the moonlight.

 Chapter 296 - 296 Stalemate

    <h4>Chapter 296: Stalemate</h4>


    "Drac, Dumbledore..."


    Voldemort looked at the two figures that followed him, his face became extremely gloomy.


    "Who is it?!" He turned to the group of Death Eaters behind him and red at them fiercely, "Who is the traitor this time?!"


    "I only told you guys, the ones I trust enough, about this n, but Drac and Dumbledore set a trap for our n early! There is no other possibility except someone leaked the secret!"


    The nine awake Death Eaters looked at each other, and looked at the others around them with suspicion and suspicion. Everyone acted like Voldemort''s most loyal servant.


    "Why, are you only allowed to set a trap for a child, but we are not allowed to ambush you from behind?" Drac slowly descended from the sky and asked with a chuckle.


    "Drac! It''s you every time... It''s you who ruin my n every time!" Voldemort''s ugly snake face showed deep hatred, and he growled murderously, "I''ve tolerated you for a long time!"


    He raised his wand to Drac, "I have recovered my strength now, I want to see if you can still deal with me like before?"


    "It''s stupid toe here tonight, Tom," At this moment, Dumbledore also took two steps forward and said calmly, "The Aurors are on the way-"


    "So, you two want to deal with me together?" Voldemort spat on the ground.


    He took the lead and fired another deadly spell at Dumbledore, but Dumbledore waved his wand and deflected it, hitting the steps in the distance, and a ball of fire ignited.


    "Albus, you don''t have to do anything." Drac looked at Dumbledore with dissatisfaction, "I''m not interested in bullying others with others."


    Dumbledore shook his head helplessly, and had to step back a few steps and turned to face the Death Eaters.


    He waved the wand in his hand lightly, and conjured a strong rope to tie up the group of Death Eaters who had no ability to resist.


    Seeing this scene, Voldemort''s eyes became even gloomier, and he wanted to rescue his servants.


    However, Drac took a step sideways and blocked him.


    "Dare you be distracted at this time?" He took out his wand seemingly casually.


    Then, a powerful blood-red spell shot out from the wand, and even Neville and other little wizards hiding in the corner could feel their hair standing up.


    Voldemort had to divert his attention back and conjure a silver shield from thin air to resist the spell.


    "Buzz--"


    The spell hit the shield, making a low gong-like sound - a strange, creepy sound.


    "You can''t beat me anymore, Drac!" Voldemort said, his scarlet eyes narrowed behind the shield, "Is there anything more discouraging than this?"


    "Really?" Drac raised his lips.


    Another spell shot out from his hand, and then split into two, four, countless... Countless blood-red beams flew in all directions, and shot towards Voldemort from countless directions.


    Voldemort''s face was solemn, and he also split the silver shield in his hand into several pieces, blocking himself.


    As the spell bombarded, cracks gradually appeared on the solid shield.


    With a "click", the first shield shattered, and the shattering of other shields followed closely.


    Voldemort roared, his body turned into a ck mist, flew out from the gaps between countless spells, and appeared in front of Drac¡ª¡ª


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    The dazzling green light was like a waterfall, instantly submerging Drac''s figure.


    However, the next moment, a small bat flew around the green light waterfall and flew in front of Voldemort''s eyes.


    Then, the bat suddenly swelled up, and Drac returned to his human form and kicked Voldemort''s nose, which seemed to be non-existent.


    "Ugh..."


    Voldemort took a few steps back in pain, and two lines of ck blood flowed from his snake-like nostrils.


    Drac''s kick was not easy to take. If he hadn''t been flying in the air with nowhere to get leverage, and if Voldemort''s newly built body hadn''t been strong, I''m afraid this kick would have directly kicked his head off his neck.


    However, despite this, Voldemort was still in great pain, and he was still pushing the deformed vertebrae behind his neck with his hands.


    "Drac... Is this how you treat wizard duels?" Voldemort said bitterly, "You even ignored the rule that there can be no physical contact in wizard duels?"


    Obviously, he had never expected Drac to suddenly use his kicks to sneak attack...


    "Who told you that this is a wizard duel?" Drac fell back to the ground, nced at Voldemort in surprise, and chuckled, "Have you forgotten? I am a vampire, and the duel between us is of course an unlimited duel."


    Voldemort was so angry that he could not do anything about Drac.


    Compared with the strong physical fitness of the vampires, physicalbat is indeed the weakness of all wizards.


    When fighting with Dumbledore, Drac might not use his physical advantage because he gave face to the old principal; but facing Voldemort, there is no need to hold back, just kick when you need to, just to stretch your muscles.


    "Very good... Your strength really didn''t disappoint me, Drac." Voldemort wiped the blood from his nostrils and said coldly, "But no matter how strong you are, you can''t kill me at all!"


    "We all know that there are many other ways to destroy a person, Tom." Dumbledore suddenly spoke.


    He spoke calmly and slowly approached Voldemort, as if he didn''t take this notorious dark devil seriously at all, and as if nothing annoying had happened.


    "I must admit that just taking your life will not satisfy me."


    "But there is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!" Voldemort roared, "I will not die, so I am invincible!"


    "You are so wrong." Dumbledore''s voice was very light, as if two people were exchanging some secrets face to face, "In fact, your biggest failure is that you can''t understand that there are things worse than death..."


    "Isn''t death itself the worst thing?" Drac looked at Voldemort as if he was mentally retarded, "You are still too young after all. If you live long enough, you will find out how much you want to die."


    "Impossible!" Voldemort said coldly, "You two don''t want to shake me with words!"


    "This guy is hopeless." Drac shrugged, no longer in the mood to continue ying, "Forget it, control him, there are other tasks to bepleted!"


    As he said, Drac and Dumbledore attacked together.


    The power of the two great wizards was obviously not something Voldemort could resist alone. Within a few minutes, he was firmly tied to a stone archway by an iron chain transformed by Dumbledore.


    "Drac, is this what you said about not being interested in fighting with others?" Voldemort struggled for a few times and found that he had broken free, so he turned his eyes to Drac and said in a mocking tone.


    "I really disdain to fight with others." Drac smiled and nodded, "But who told you that this is a battle? I have lost interest in fighting with you. Of course, it is the easiest way to control you."


    "You..."


    "Riddle,e out!" Drac suddenly snapped his fingers and summoned a dark moon.


    In the dark moon, a handsome young wizard jumped out and walked straight towards Voldemort.


    Seeing the approach of the person, the expression on Voldemort''s face became more and more sinister, vicious, angry and irritable.


    "You... are just a part of my soul..." he said in a resentful tone, "but now you havepletely be Drac''sckey?"


    "I just found a better partner." Riddle said with a smile, "Why should you be the main soul and I am destined to be only a clone?"


    Looking at Voldemort, who was tied to the stone arch in front of him, Riddle was extremely excited and felt that he was getting closer and closer to bing an independent "person".


    "Let me see what else you have on you!" Riddle stretched out his hand to Voldemort.


    "You dare?!" Voldemort''s eyes changed, and two scarlet beams shot out from Riddle''s eyes, trying to stop Riddle from casting spells.


    However, Drac snapped his fingers and forced the beams back.


    Then, a ring iid with a ck gem broke free from Voldemort''s index finger, slowly floated into the air, and finally fell into Riddle''s hands.


    Riddle''s eyes were suddenly covered with a gray mist, and then a vague phantom figure flew out from the ck gemstone on the ring and sank directly into Riddle''s eyes.


    The face of the phantom was almost exactly the same as Riddle''s, but it looked more mature.


    When Voldemort saw this scene, his eyes seemed to be spitting out mes.


    "How is it possible... You are just a Horcrux, how can you repair the soul?" Feeling that the soul fragments in his Horcrux disappeared in an instant, he was almost tearing his eyes.


    "Why is it impossible?" Riddle said, "Because you can''t learn to repent, but I can."


    "No, I don''t believe you can..."


    Voldemort stared at Riddle''s eyes, and then he suddenlyughed, "Hahahahahaha... I understand, you really yed a good hand!"


    "What are you talking about?" Riddle frowned.


    "In that case, then increase the intensity!" Voldemort ignored Riddle andughed loudly.


    Along with his hoarse, unpleasant, and even a little funnyughter, the curtain on the stone archway next to him suddenly moved.


    Originally it was just slightly fluttering and floating, but now it was like a g blown by the wind, like a dark gray curtain swinging wildly... A stream of evil, gloomy, and dark power surged out from this curtain.


    The extremely solid iron chains on Voldemort''s body gradually made dense "creaking" sounds and broke inch by inch.


    Then, he stood up suddenly, surrounded by a force that was much stronger than before...


    Riddle was rushed dozens of feet away with a "bang", and hit heavily on the stairs that were descendingyer byyer around him. His face was pale, and he looked at Voldemort''s increasingly strong figure in disbelief.


    If he had not just absorbed a piece of soul, making his power stronger, he would probably have been knocked unconscious by the aftermath of this condensed power...


    "Professor Drac?" Dumbledore''s face was solemn, and he cast his eyes on Drac on the other side.


    Drac''s expression also changed, and his brows were furrowed.


    "I almost forgot that we were fighting in such a ce. This is really annoying." He clenched the wand in his hand and blocked the front of the stone archway, "Albus, Voldemort is in your hands!"


    There were a few marks left by the future Drac in the gloomy wooden wand, which was also the only means to limit the power behind the curtain.


    Drac waved his wand and cast a colorless transparent film, which surrounded the dark gray curtain and the stone archway around ityer byyer, so that the power behind the curtain could not be transmitted to Voldemort.


    However, the curtain was still surging, and the low murmur of the god of death in another world behind the curtain could be vaguely heard.


    On the other side, Dumbledore had drawn his wand again and was waving it like a whip - a long, thin me emerged from the tip of the wand and wrapped around Voldemort like a thorn.


    For a moment, it seemed that Dumbledore had controlled his opponent, but the fire rope was immediately affected by another Transfiguration and turned into a ming serpent, which quickly slithered down from Voldemort''s body, hissing viciously and facing Dumbledore.


    Voldemort disappeared, and the snake stood up on the floor and pounced on Dumbledore.


    Then, a green me "poofed" in the air above Dumbledore''s head, and Voldemort''s figure reappeared. From top to bottom, another green light flew out of Voldemort''s wand and shot towards Dumbledore.


    At the same time, the venomous snake alsounched an attack -


    At the critical moment, a golden-red light shed, and the phoenix Fawkes suddenly flew above Dumbledore''s head, opened its beak wide, and swallowed the green light of the killing curse in one gulp.


    It burned into a ball of fire, fell to the floor, and returned to its small, wrinkled childish image.


    At the same time, Dumbledore waved his wand vigorously - the fire snake was thrown high into the air and disappeared into a wisp of thick smoke.


    Then, endless water flowed out from several doors above, forming a cocoon like ss water, wrapping Voldemort inside.


    In the blink of an eye, a dark, rippling, and vague figure of Voldemort was seen dimly trapped in the water dungeon...


    Just when Dumbledore and Drac were both tied up by different things, a crazy, light yellow-haired young man entered the Death Hall of the Department of Mysteries at some point.


    The ropes on the Death Eaters were quietly untied, and the battle seemed to have returned to the beginning...

 Chapter 297 - 297 Resurrection Stone

    <h4>Chapter 297: Resurrection Stone</h4>


    "Battie, you''re here!"


    Betrix''s husband, Rodolphus Lystrange, stood up from the ground and patted Barty on the shoulder, "The Dark Lord is still foresighted and let you act ording to the circumstances."


    "Well, what''s the situation with the master now?" Barty nodded and asked, "Can he deal with Dumbledore and Drac alone?"


    "Don''t worry, the master has his own way to deal with them." Rodolphus Lystrange said enthusiastically, "On the contrary, it''s us who should settle ounts with those members of the Order of the Phoenix!"


    After that, he smiled grimly and turned to look at Sirius, Tonks and others.


    With the addition of Barty Crouch, the new force, the gap between the two sides that was about to be equalized seemed to tilt towards the Death Eaters again...


    Just then, Drac''s voice suddenly rang next to the stone archway.


    "Lucius, do it."


    Without waiting for the Death Eaters to react, Lucius Malfoy pointed his wand at Rodolphus beside him at the fastest speed in his life¡ª¡ª


    "Petrificus Totalus!"


    Rodolphus''s face froze instantly, and the evil smile was still on his stiff face.


    "Lucius, what are you doing?!" Betrix stared at Lucius in shock, and instantly raised her wand to him, "The traitor the master is talking about is you!"


    She fiercely threw a killing curse at Lucius, which was full of hatred, as if this was not her brother-inw, but an enemy who killed her father.


    Lucius rolled on the ground in a mess, avoiding the powerful killing curse cast by Be in anger, and then ran to Sirius and the others with an anxious look on his face.


    "One of us! Don''t do it, I''m one of us!" He shouted as he came to Sirius and showed a ttering smile, "Sirius, Narcissa''s cousin... Long time no see."


    "Lucius, how could a scum like you think ofing to us?" Sirius looked at him with disdain and asked, "I thought you felt very happy kneeling and licking Voldemort''s feet... I really don''t understand why Professor Drac would ept you."


    Luciusughed dryly twice, but in order to survive, he still smiled and stood among several people in the Order of the Phoenix, making an expression that Voldemort and I would never reconcile.


    "Lucius, the traitor is you!"


    Voldemort broke free from Dumbledore''s water dungeon, and the water he raised fell to the ground with a "ssh", soaking the uneven floor.


    Then, he shot a green light at Lucius in anger.


    However, before the green light could extend far, it was knocked aside by another spell from Dumbledore.


    "Your opponent is me, Voldemort," Dumbledore said solemnly.


    Voldemort''s face was gloomy, and veins on his face were throbbing. He seemed to be extremely angry about being betrayed.


    Then, he suddenly looked at Harry, who was fighting side by side with Sirius.


    Dumbledore''s expression, which had always been extremely calm, suddenly changed.


    "Protect Harry!" He shouted to Sirius hurriedly.


    This was the first time that Dumbledore''s voice even sounded a little panic.


    Harry didn''t understand why, but Sirius had already blocked him behind him and looked directly into Voldemort''s eyes... but it was toote!


    At that moment, Harry''s scar suddenly exploded, and he even thought he was dead - this was an unimaginable pain, a severe pain that could not be erased at all.


    From Sirius''s perspective, he found that Harry''s eyes suddenly changed, the green color of the child turned scarlet, and the cold, dark, and angry emotions emerged from his eyes uncontrobly.


    The next moment, Harry spoke, his tone and eyes were equally cold, gloomy, and angry:


    "Kill me now, Dumbledore..."


    Harry struggled, his face was extremely pale, his whole body twitched, and he fell to the ground uncoordinatedly.


    Sirius quickly hugged Harry in his arms and looked at Dumbledore helplessly.


    Harry was still speaking coldly: "If death is nothing, Dumbledore, then kill this kid..."


    "Who are you? You...you are Voldemort?" Sirius looked a little flustered, and his tone was full of strong anger, "Immediately! Get out of Harry''s body!"


    "Hehehe...you can do it too, ke, kill him!" Harry''s mouth opened and closed, and he kept saying, "Don''t you want to kill me? Come now!"


    Dumbledore ignored the provocative words that Voldemort controlled Harry to say, and walked slowly to Harry''s side.


    "Harry, can you hear me?" He said softly.


    Harry''s eyes showed some struggle, his eyeballs rolled up, and it seemed that there were different consciousnesses in his body that were trying to seize control of his body.


    "Dumbledore,e and kill him... Professor, I''m fine... Boy, give up, you are far less powerful than my consciousness... So what, this is my body..."


    The two consciousnesses kept switching back and forth, and every inch of Harry''s muscle was exerting force, and his arms and thighs were twitching constantly.


    "Harry, stay focused, you can do it!" Dumbledore said seriously, "Drive Voldemort out of your consciousness!"


    "Potter, think of happy things!" Drac used one hand to control the power overflowing from the stone archway, and also turned around and said to Harry, "Aren''t you very experienced? When facing Dementors, how do you clear away misconceptions and hallucinations in your heart?"


    Harry suddenly heard the voices of Dumbledore and Drac, and his eyes gradually became firm.


    "Get out of... out of my body..." He used all his strength to touch the wand that fell to the ground and shouted:


    "Expe!


    !"


    A dazzling silver stag jumped out from the tip of the wand and flew into the air.


    Harry''s childish color turned back to clear green again. He kept panting and copsed on Sirius''s shoulder.


    On the other side, Voldemort opened his eyes, gritted his teeth and looked at Harry, and ordered the Death Eaters to retreat:


    "We retreat!"


    Then, a ck mist enveloped the nearby Death Eaters.


    The ck mist dissipated, and Voldemort and the Death Eaters in the Death Hall disappeared.


    At the stone arch, the dark gray curtains gradually calmed down and returned to their previous gently fluttering appearance.


    Drac retracted his wand and walked to Dumbledore.


    "It seems that our n has failed." Dumbledore sighed, "After all, Voldemort got away."


    "In fact, it''s not aplete failure." Drac held up his chin and looked at Riddle who was slumped on the steps in the distance, "At least we recovered another Horcrux... If Voldemort really split his soul into seven pieces, then we already have four pieces here."


    "That''s still a gain." Dumbledore nodded slowly and said softly, "By the way, can I take a look at the Horcrux ring I got from Voldemort?"


    "It''s just a ring, whatever you want." Drac shrugged.


    He waved to Riddle, who stood up with some regret and handed the ring over.


    Drac took the ring and handed it to Dumbledore casually, "Is there anything special about this thing?"


    Dumbledore carefully took the ring in his hand, raised it to his eyes, and stared at it carefully.


    His expression gradually became mixed withplex emotions such as surprise, joy and nostalgia, and his eyes gradually became hazy.


    "If I''m not mistaken, this should be one of the three Deathly Hallows..." Dumbledore looked at the symbol of triangle, circle and vertical line superimposed on the ck gemstone and said hoarsely, "This is the Resurrection Stone."


    "Resurrection Stone?" Drac became interested and nced at the ring, "Is it the stone that killed Cadmus Peverell? Tsk tsk, only a fool would use such a boring thing."


    "Ahem..." Dumbledore was choked.


    He really nned to wear this ring to see his sister who had passed away a hundred years ago and make up for the regret that he had never forgotten that summer.


    "Oh? From your expression, it seems that there is a story." Drac stared at Dumbledore with interest and said, "Do you want to tell me a story?"


    "These are all old stories, there is no need to talk about them." Dumbledore shook his head, "Professor Drac will not be allowed to hear my jokes."


    Drac wanted to say a few more words to encourage him, but at this moment, a series of Aurors and Ministry of Magic officials camete and rushed out of the entrance of the Hall of Death in panic.


    "There they are!" a man yelled, pointing at the messy floor of the Death Hall. "I saw it, Mr. Fudge, I swear You-Know-Who is back!"


    "I heard the noise when I came back from my shift, and then I saw You-Know-Who fighting with Dumbledore and the silver-haired man!"


    "Are you sure, Williamson?" Fudge said hurriedly, panting as if he had just finished a marathon, wearing pajamas under his pinstriped cloak.


    "Oh my God! Here... here... in the Ministry of Magic! Merlin... it''s incredible! I mean... how could this be?"


    "If you go to the room next to the Department of Mysteries, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, just changing the subject, and stepped forward, "you will see that there are still several unconscious Death Eaters in the Hall of Prophecy and the Hall of Time, waiting for you to deal with them."


    Fudge jumped up and down in shock, and his slippered feet left the ground.


    "Dumbledore! And Drac!" Fudge was still panting. The moment he saw Drac and Dumbledore in the Hall of Death, his face became very nervous. "You...you are here! I..."


    He looked around frantically at the Aurors he brought with him. It was obvious that he shouted almost without thinking: "Catch them!"


    "Tsk, it seems that bing a vampire has not affected your show of power." Drac saw through the poor human body deformation on Fudge''s face at a nce, and saw the obvious low-level vampire characteristics on him, and couldn''t help but sneered.


    "You...what are you talking about! I don''t understand!" Fudge''s face flushed and he shouted loudly.


    "It''s okay. I''m waiting for the day when you are exposed." Drac said with interest, "I want to see how your subordinates will see you then."


    "Cornelly, I am ready to fight with your people again, and I will definitely win again!" Then, Dumbledore also spoke, "But, a few minutes ago, your men also saw with their own eyes the fact that I have always emphasized to you this year-"


    "Voldemort is back! You have been going in the wrong direction for the past twelve months. Now it''s time for you to learn to use your brain!"


    "I... I can''t..." Fudge said angrily, looking around, as if hoping someone could tell him what to do.


    When he saw that no one was going to give him advice, he said, "Very good... Dawlish! Williamson! Go to the next hall and see if the Death Eaters he mentioned are there."


    "Dumbledore, you have to tell me... what happened tonight?" He added in aining tone, staring at the floor around him.


    The ground was full of potholes, covered with traces of spell bombardment, and there were many water stains, almost flooding the soles of feet. Only the stone arch stood there intact, and the dark gray curtain fluttered silently.


    "We can talk about this after I send Harry back to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore.


    "Harry? Harry Potter?"


    Fudge turned his head and stared at Harry, who was still lying in Sirius'' arms, and his spirit had not yet recovered from Voldemort''s control.


    "He... is here?" Fudge asked, staring at Harry, "Why? What is going on?"


    "I will exin everything," Dumbledore said, "when Harry returns to school."


    He picked up a blown door lock from the ground with a wave of his hand, pointed his wand at it and silently said: "Portus."


    The door lock emitted a blue light, vibrating the floor with a loud sound, and after a few seconds, it was motionless again.


    "How could you do that, Dumbledore?!" Fudge demanded loudly, "You don''t have authorization to use the Portkey! You can''t do that in front of the Ministry, you - you -"


    Dumbledore looked at Fudge domineeringly over his half-moon sses, and he immediately became stuttering.


    "You need to issue an order for Dolores Umbridge to leave Hogwarts," Dumbledore said. "Also, tell your Aurors to stop hiding the truth about Voldemort''s return; I''m going to give you..."


    As he spoke, Dumbledore took out a magic watch with twelve hands from his pocket and took a look at it. "... I can spare half an hour tonight, and I think we can have a good talk about all the key issues that happened here."


    "Then I will return to my school. If you need more help from me, of course, instead ofing to Hogwarts to find me, you might as well write to me and address it to the headmaster."


    Dumbledore was expelled from Hogwarts by Fudge because of the Dumbledore Army, but at this moment, Fudge could only let Dumbledore take the lead and return to school to continue to be his headmaster.


    Fudge''s eyes had never been so wide, his mouth was open, and his round face was flushed under his messy gray hair.


    "I...you..."


    Dumbledore turned around and ignored him.


    "Let''s go, Professor Drac." He said to Drac, "We may need to discuss our next n."

 Chapter 298 - 298 One life for another?

    <h4>Chapter 298: One life for another?</h4>


    "What are you going to do next?"


    Standing on the top of the astronomy tower of Hogwarts Castle, Drac asked softly.


    "I''m still thinking." Dumbledore yed with the resurrection stone ring, his eyes deep, "Now it seems thatpared with the power of the god of death, the threat of Voldemort himself is not so important."


    "That''s not the case," Drac said, "If there are no holders of those Horcruxes, the power of the god of death will hardly affect the world...so this threat is still brought by Voldemort."


    "But what we can''t figure out now is, what is the purpose of the so-called god of death?" Dumbledore frowned and said slowly, "If we can''t find his purpose, it will be difficult for us to make targeted countermeasures."


    "It should be found soon." Drac smiled casually, "As long as he is still using those Horcrux holders to "If you can''t make trouble everywhere, it proves that the god of death is not without desires."


    "But the appearance of the god of death is beyond our previous n after all." Dumbledore said in a deep voice, "The magic world is going to be in chaos, and those ordinary people are not ready to face the chaos..."


    "Hehe, there is no need to be so entangled." Drac suddenly raised his mouth, and a trace of contempt appeared in his eyes, "I have tried it, the so-called god of death is not invincible... I think so, if it is really invincible, why would it use the Horcrux to secretly hinder the magic world?"


    "What''s more, what does the chaos in the magic world have to do with me? The more chaotic this world is, the more fun it may be to find?"


    From the beginning to the end, Drac and Dumbledore''s paths are different.


    He is not interested in Dumbledore''s behavior of saving the magic world from fire and water and being the pir of the magic world, and he is not interested in spending time and effort to quell the chaos in the magic world.


    More than four years ago, the Mirror of Erised had already confirmed everything - Drac has always been a character who fears chaos in the world!


    He was willing to fight Voldemort with Dumbledore only because of his friendship with the headmaster and students in Hogwarts over the past few years, plus his previous feud with Voldemort... This does not mean that he is on the side of justice.


    On the contrary, Drac is happy to see the chaos that is almost destined toe to the magic world.


    He even wants to help speed up the chaos himself, and he already has a n, a very simple n...


    At this time, Dumbledore suddenly said: "Professor Drac, what do you think... If we can get behind that door, can we face the god of death head-on?"


    He stared at the ring in his hand, his eyes became very deep.


    "Then how are you going to get out of there? Unless there are special circumstances, that door is a dead end." Drac raised his eyebrows and chuckled, "Are you going to sacrifice your life and stay there forever?"


    "I''m just thinking... If he wants to get rid of the Horcrux fragments on Harry, maybe he needs a guide."


    Dumbledore''s voice was very soft, but with Drac''s hearing, he could hear it very clearly.


    The smile on Drac''s face instantly withdrew.


    "Are you serious?" He stared straight into Dumbledore''s eyes and asked seriously.


    "I''m just thinking of a possibility." Dumbledore shook his head and said gently, "I couldn''t think of a more suitable way before, but now, maybe there is a better way for us to choose..."


    Dumbledore took out his wand again and inserted it vertically into the ring.


    "There''s one thing missing, and I actually know where it is." He said softly, "It is said that if you collect all three, you can be the master of the god of death..."


    Drac stared at the wand in Dumbledore''s hand.


    He never thought that the Elder Wand, one of the three Deathly Hallows in the legend, had always been in Dumbledore''s hands.


    "Do you actually believe this rumor?" Drac frowned and asked, "I don''t see how these so-called Deathly Hallows can be better than normal alchemical products."


    "I don''t believe it either." Dumbledore smiled softly, "But they may give us a chance to face the god of death head-on."


    "I think we should at least give it a try."


    ...


    Drac had no intention of staying in Hogwarts, nor did he ask where thest Deathly Hallows was, nor did he verify with Dumbledore whether synthesizing the three Deathly Hallows could make him the master of the god of death as the legend said.


    He was not interested in these, but was vaguely worried about some of Dumbledore''s ideas and trends.


    Although he just said he could try, Dumbledore''s tone was not joking... He seemed to really want to enter the realm of death himself and was ready not toe back.


    Drac knew very well that there was a fragment of Voldemort''s soul in Harry Potter, and unlike other Horcruxes, this fragment hadpletely merged with Harry''s own soul.


    In order topletely destroy this fragment, Harry''s soul must be affected in the same way.


    In other words... Harry Potter is almost certain to die!


    After death, a wizard often has two choices-


    One is to continue to move forward bravely, and there will be no trace of the wizard''s real existence in the world; the other is that the obsession in the heart makes the wizard tethered to the world and turned into a ghost, just like Nick who almost lost his head, just like Helena.


    Harry''s situation is even more special.


    Because his mother, Lily Potter, had used all her strength to use blood magic to cast a protective magic in Harry''s blood that was strong enough to resist the great wizard.


    In order to fight against this magic, Voldemort deliberately used Harry''s blood when he was resurrected, so that this protective magic also flowed through his body.


    Although he was finally able to ignore Lily''s protection and touch Harry, another fatal w appeared-


    Voldemort would not be able to kill Harry.


    The protection of blood magic entered Voldemort''s body, so if Voldemort was not dead, Harry would still be protected. The magic that was supposed to dissipate when Harry came of age was unexpectedly dyed.


    In addition, Voldemort still had a soul fragment in Harry''s body, so the two of them formed a cycle, and no one could kill the other...


    If they wanted to break this cycle, they could only break it by themselves.


    Either Harry abandoned the blood protection in his body, let Voldemort lose this protection, and then die with the soul fragment in his body; or after all other Horcruxes were destroyed, Voldemort personally destroyed the soul fragment in Harry''s body, making himself lose his immortal body...


    Obviously, inparison, thetter method is more feasible.


    Drac guessed that Dumbledore wanted to go ahead and reach the narrow gap between life and death, the Limbo.


    Harry''s soul would not be truly damaged if he just killed Voldemort''s soul fragments, so in addition to continuing to walk and turning into a soul, there was a third option - turning back and returning to the human world.


    But how could the Limbo be easily escaped?


    There must be a person with a strong enough soul as a guide to reach the narrow gap between life and death first and guide Harry to turn back.


    Drac frowned tightly on the way back to Drac''s castle.


    There were not many people he could count as friends, and Dumbledore was one of them now. He couldn''t let him treat himself as a chess piece and count his life.


    But Dumbledore, a stubborn person, might have made a decision that was difficult to stop.


    Fortunately, Drac knew someone... If it was him, he might be able to change Dumbledore''s mind.


    Drac''s wings suddenly pped and changed the direction of flight.


    ...


    On the other side, Harry was already waiting alone in the Hogwarts headmaster''s office.


    During the time when the Ministry of Magic drove Dumbledore away from here, Umbridge tried her best to enter this office, but the gargoyle stone beast guarding the door easily let Harry in.


    Outside the window, a in gray-blue color hung in the sky, and dawn was slowly approaching.


    The office was quiet, everything was motionless, and only the asional snoring of a sleeping headmaster''s portrait would break the tranquility here.


    Harry gently took out a transparent ss ball, which seemed to have a pearly white picture ying inside, but it was not clear.


    This was what Voldemort had calcted to get, so he deliberately used the connection between him and Harry''s scar to lie to him that Sirius was in the Department of Mysteries, just to let Harry take the prophecy ball off the shelf with his own hands.


    Harry was very painful.


    It was because of his mistake that his friends and the members of the Order of the Phoenix were put in danger. If he had even considered what Hermione had said, that Voldemort might be taking advantage of his enthusiasm for being a hero...


    Just then, Dumbledore''s figure rose from the spiral staircase.


    "I guess you have a lot of questions to ask me now, Harry." He said to Harry in a gentle tone while walking slowly.


    Harry turned around, his eyes reddened involuntarily.


    "Professor, I... it''s all my fault..." Seeing Dumbledore again, the emotions he had been holding back for a long time finally came out, and his tone seemed a little trembling, "It''s all because of my arrogance that you are in danger..."


    Dumbledore did not answer Harry''s question immediately, but walked to the perch by the door.


    Then, he took out a young, ugly, featherless Fawkes from the pocket inside his robe and gently ced it on a te of fine ash under the gilded perch, where the adult Fawkes usually stayed.


    "Oh, Harry," Dumbledore finally walked away from the young phoenix and said to Harry, "You will be d to hear that none of your ssmates will suffer long-term pain because of what happenedst night."


    Harry wanted to squeeze out the word "good", but no sound came out.


    In his opinion, Dumbledore was reminding him that he almost caused heavy losses to the students and the Order of the Phoenix.


    Although Dumbledore''s eyes were only looking directly at him this time, and his attitude was gentle and kind, and he was not ming him at all, Harry still couldn''t bear to look him in the face.


    "Madam Pomfrey is treating them," Dumbledore continued, "Nymphadora Tonks may need to stay in St. Mungo''s Hospital for a while, but it seems that she will recover soon."


    Harry could only nod at the carpet, which became brighter and brighter as the sky outside gradually brightened.


    "Please sit down." Dumbledore''s tone became gentler, and he didn''t seem to me him at all.


    Harry hesitated, then slowly walked across the carpet that was golden in the sunlight and sat down opposite Dumbledore.


    "Professor..."


    "Harry, I owe you an exnation," Dumbledore said suddenly before Harry asked the question, "an exnation of the mistakes made by the elderly."


    "Because I now realize that all the things I have done and not done about you have the shorings of older people."


    "Young people don''t know what older people think or feel, but if older people forget what it was like when they were young, it would be a big mistake... It seems that I have forgotten it recently..."


    The sun has risen, and the mountains are showing a dazzling orange-yellow light edge, and the sky above is colorless and bright. The light shines on Dumbledore, falling on his gray eyebrows, beard, and deep wrinkles.


    "Fifteen years ago," Dumbledore said softly, "when I saw the scar on your forehead, I was wondering what it meant. I thought it might be a sign of some kind of connection between you and Voldemort."


    "You told me this before, Professor." Harry said slowly.


    "Yes," Dumbledore nodded gently, "Yes, but it is necessary to start with your scar. Because obviously, shortly after you returned to the magical world, my guess has been confirmed-"


    "Whenever Voldemort appears near you, your scar will give you some signs or feel other strong emotions."


    Harry nodded.


    Every time Voldemort shows any strong emotions, or his power is restored, or he appears next to Harry, the scar on Harry''s forehead will feel intense pain.


    "You can sense Voldemort''s presence, even when he''s in disguise, and you can tell how he feels when he''s emotionally high...Your ability has be more and more pronounced since he returned to his body and regained his full strength."


    Sure enough, Dumbledore''s statement waspletely consistent with Harry''s experience.


    "Recently," Dumbledore continued, "I began to worry that Voldemort might be aware of such a connection between you. Sure enough, he became aware of your presence when you prated his mind and thoughts."


    Harry raised his eyes and saw that Dumbledore''s face was a little tired at this time.


    "Yes," Harry murmured, "Yes, I had never realized it before."


    "You see," Dumbledore continued, "Voldemort intends to enter your mind, control and mislead your thoughts. I believe he had this idea not long ago..."


    "As Voldemort proved tonight, his purpose in controlling you is not to destroy me, but to destroy you. Just when he temporarily controlled you just now, he hoped that I would sacrifice you to kill him."


    Dumbledore sighed deeply.


    What Harry didn''t know was that if he wanted topletely get rid of Voldemort, he would almost certainly not survive.


    And the great headmaster in front of him was thinking about how to use his own aging life in exchange for the survival of Harry, a young man...

 Chapter 299 - 299 Family

    <h4>Chapter 299: Family</h4>


    A ray of sunlight slowly slid across the smooth desk of the headmaster''s office, illuminating a silver ink bottle and a bright red feather pen.


    The portraits around were rarely awake, listening attentively to Dumbledore''s exnation. In the picture frame, there were also the asional rustling sounds of the robes of past headmasters and the faint sounds of clearing their throats.


    "I know you feel guilty, but don''t be impatient, listen to me slowly and tell you the whole story." Dumbledore said to Harry gently.


    "In fact, Professor Drac has been nting an insider among the Death Eaters. As you can see, it is Lucius Malfoy who turned against us... He had long told Professor Drac that Voldemort wanted to trick you into the Ministry of Magic, so we used this to arrange a n in reverse."


    "Lucius Malfoy?" Harry frowned, "I don''t understand why that bad guy suddenly chose to help us?"


    "He is not helping us, he is just helping himself." Dumbledore shook his head and said, "Lucius Malfoy is a coward, he is just a fence-sitter."


    "When Professor Drac''s deterrence to Malfoy exceeded Voldemort''s, and Malfoy had already lost Voldemort''s trust, then his choice was self-evident."


    "But isn''t he afraid of Voldemort''s revenge?" Harry asked.


    "Of course he was afraid, so Professor Drac had already arranged a retreat for him before this operation." Dumbledore said, "Professor Drac personally acted as a secret keeper and built a safe house for Malfoy."


    "After this operation, the Malfoy family will evacuate to that house. His mission will end here."


    "In other words, all our actions are within your attention?" Harry widened his eyes in disbelief, feeling like a big fool, "So when we used Umbridge''s firece to go to the Order of the Phoenix, you deliberately hid?"


    "Yes, we really can''t appear in your sight, Harry." Dumbledore exined, "Voldemort and your memory are connected. If we show up rashly, it is likely to arouse his vignce..."


    "Unfortunately, this n went wrong in the end, and Voldemort was notpletely taken down-fortunately, it was notpletely fruitless."


    Dumbledore stared at the ck gem ring he had already worn on his index finger, and his tone became very gentle.


    Harry felt very ufortable.


    Although his guilt and self-me disappeared after listening to Dumbledore''s exnation, he felt like a clown who performed hard in front of everyone.


    All his actions had no real meaning, and now everyone knew that he was keen on being a hero.


    "But why didn''t Voldemort take the prophecy himself?" Harry asked unwillingly, "I can understand that only those mentioned in the prophecy can get the prophecy, but I don''t understand... Voldemort can obviously take it himself."


    "Voldemort is also afraid of being exposed, Harry." Dumbledore smiled at Harry and said, "If he, as one of the parties involved, took the prophecy himself. When the Unspoken Man in the Department of Mysteries found out about this, the news of the return of the mysterious man would quickly sweep the entire wizarding world-"


    "After all, Voldemort has not been resurrected for long enough, and has not yet organized all his forces and allies. Exposing himself too early will do him more harm than good."


    "If you go to take the prophecy, it will be different. Not only will it be easy for Fudge, who seeks stability, topletely oppose you, but you can also find an opportunity to eliminate you as a threat in the Ministry of Magic."


    "Unfortunately, it seems that his n haspletely failed."


    At this point, Dumbledore rarely smiled, and happily poured a cup of tea for Harry and himself, sipping it lightly.


    Harry took the tea and then picked up the prophecy ball he had been holding in his hand.


    "So this prophecy that mentioned me and Voldemort... what did it say?" he asked curiously, "Does it mention any important information? Voldemort is so interested in it."


    "The reason why Voldemort wants to get this prophecy ball so much is actually because he has only heard half of the prophecy." Dumbledore smiled, "Want to take a look together?"


    He reached out and took the prophecy ball from Harry''s hand.


    Then, Dumbledore tapped the transparent ball with his wand, and a pearly white image began to appear in the principal''s office. The effect was a bit like a pensieve, but the picture was much more hazy and blurred.


    Harry saw a disheveled woman sitting on a chair, reciting something crazily. From her clothes, it can be vaguely seen that she is the professor of divination at Hogwarts, Sybil Trwney.


    "The one who can defeat the Dark Lord is approaching..." Sybill Trwney muttered mysteriously, "Born in a family that has resisted him three times, born at the end of July..."


    "The Dark Lord will mark him as his greatest enemy, but he will have powers unknown to the Dark Lord... One of them must die at the hands of the other, because both cannot live, only one survives... The one who can defeat the Dark Lord will be born at the end of July..."


    The pearly white light disappeared, and Harry looked up nkly and met Dumbledore''s smiling eyes.


    "Professor Trwney didn''t seem to mention me specifically." Harry said in confusion, "And... Neville was also born at the end of July, and his family seemed to have resisted Voldemort several times."


    "You are right, Harry." Dumbledore smiled, "But you can take a look at the second half of the prophecy, which Voldemort never understood - ''The Dark Lord will mark him as his rival.''"


    "You and Voldemort are both half-bloods, and the Longbottom family is a pure-blood family, Harry... Voldemort attaches too much importance to bloodline, so he chooses to regard you, who are also half-blood, as his rival."


    "Isn''t this too... incredible?" Harry opened his mouth wide, "If the prophecy can determine everything in the future, then we What is the meaning of what we do? "


    "That''s not the case, Harry." Dumbledore shook his head and said, "The significance of our learning knowledge rted to prophecy is not to urately predict the future, but to get rid of the shackles of fate, let us understand more possibilities, so that we can live more freely. "


    "Prophecy does not exist to restrict us!"


    "Harry, remember, no matter what the future mentioned in the prophecy looks like, we still live in the present!" Dumbledore continued, "The present isplete, but the prophecy is not. The prophecy is fragmented, it can''t tell us everything about the future, and naturally there is no need to let it interfere too much with our present. "


    "But Voldemort..." Harry hesitated.


    "Voldemort pursues power and life too much, and he doesn''t see through many truths of life." Dumbledore sighed and said softly, "This is also a big reason why he has been frustrated in his confrontation with you. "


    "I thought it was just my luck. "Harry said in a low mood.


    "That''s not the case. Luck can''t represent everything in many cases." Dumbledore said seriously, "Perhaps it''s time. I should tell you what I should have told you five years ago..."


    Harry was stunned for a moment and looked at Dumbledore nkly.


    Dumbledore stared at the sunlit ground outside the window, and after a while, his eyes returned to Harry.


    "Harry, five years ago, just as I nned and hoped, you came to Hogwarts safely." He said, "Oh, maybe notpletely safe, you suffered in the Muggle family."


    "When I left you at the door of your uncle and aunt, I knew you would suffer. I knew that doing so would doom you to experience a dark and difficult decade."


    He paused and looked at Harry.


    Harry was silent and did not speak.


    "You may ask, and you have good reasons to ask - why is it like this? Why can''t I find some wizard families to take you in? Many families are not only happy to do so, but will be willing to raise you as their own real son, and they will feel honored and happy."


    "My answer is that my first consideration is to keep you alive. Because I know you may be in more danger than anyone else."


    "When we sent you to your uncle and aunt''s house, Voldemort was defeated just a few hours ago, but his supporters are still atrge... They are all angry and brutal desperados, and many of them are as terrible as Voldemort."


    "I need to make judgments and decisions about the next few years a few years in advance. Will I really believe that Voldemort will be defeated like Fudge and others? Did the demon leave forever? No, I don''t believe it. "


    "Although I don''t know when he wille back, ten, twenty, or fifty yearster, I am sure he wille back, and based on my understanding of him, I am sure he will never sit still before killing you."


    "I know that Voldemort''s magical ability is almost stronger than any living wizard now. I also know that once he recovers all his magic, I am afraid that even I, even if I try my best, may not be able to defeat him."


    "But I also understand where Voldemort''s weakness is-he is a child born under the influence of aphrodisiacs and has never known what love is. This is also the reason why he finally fell under your mother''s magic. "


    Dumbledore looked into Harry''s green eyes, stretched out his index finger, and gently pointed at his left chest.


    "So I decided to use Lily''s blood magic to protect you. Voldemort has always looked down on this kind of magic, and he has always despised and underestimated this kind of blood magic that explodes all emotions and power-"


    "Because of this, he paid the price for it. Your mother gave you an unexpected andsting protection, which still flows in your blood today."


    "So, I trusted your mother''s blood and handed you over to her sister, her only surviving rtive."


    "But she doesn''t like me." Harry immediately retorted, "She didn''t give me a little-"


    "But she took you in," Dumbledore interrupted him, "She may be reluctant, unhappy, and reluctant to take you in, but she still epted you after all. In the process, I amplified the magic that Lily cast on you, and Lily''s sacrifice made the blood bond the most powerful protection I could give you."


    "I still don''t think-" Harry said stiffly.


    "As long as you can still call the ce where your mother''s blood exists home, you will not be disturbed or harmed by Voldemort there. Voldemort made her blood flow, but that blood still exists in you and your aunt."


    "Lily''s blood magic has be your refuge. You need to go back once a year to ensure that this blood magic can continue. At the same time, as long as you are there, Voldemort cannot hurt you."


    "Your aunt knows this. I left a letter at the door of her house, and in the letter I exined everything I did to you. She knew that keeping you at home would ensure that you would be safe for the past fifteen years."


    Harry''s eyes widened, feeling that his outlook on life had been greatly impacted.


    The Dursley family, who usually wanted to beat and scold him every day, turned out to be his biggest umbre to protect him from Voldemort?


    "I know you may not be able to ept it for a while, but please think about it, Harry." Dumbledore said calmly, "If your aunt hates you so much, why does she go to King''s Cross Station on time every summer vacation to pick you up home?"


    Harry was stunned again.


    Thinking about it this way, it seems to be true...


    No matter how big a mistake he made before thest school started, and how unhappy the Dursleys were, Aunt Peggy and Uncle Vernon always stood on the tform of King''s Cross Station waiting for him at the beginning of each summer vacation.


    Even if the previous one ruined Uncle Vernon''s big business, even if Aunt Marge was blown up into a balloon, even if Dudley was locked in a disy cab in the zoo, they still didn''t n to leave Harry alone at the station.


    Although their expressions were not very good, and even their eyes were a little disgusted, they had never been absent.


    "You seem to have figured it out, Harry." Dumbledore smiled gently.


    "Your aunt has always had feelings for her sister. No matter how much she does or how badly she treats you, she still doesn''t want you to leave her like Lily did."


    "Harry, you have rtives. You always have."

 Chapter 300 - 300 Gellert Grindelwald

    <h4>Chapter 300: Gellert Grindelwald</h4>


    Austria, Alps.


    The cold wind whistled, and jagged mountains intersected each other. On the west side of the ridge was a parallel deep valley. Thick clouds were surging in the sky, covering the peaks.


    It should be a hot summer day, but the snow on the top of the mountain was still icy cold, and it formed a strand of smooth veins along the ridge.


    Near the snow line, there was a lonely ck tower standing on the edge of the cliff, dpidated and dusty, as if it had been silent for centuries.


    Suddenly, a diamond-like silver beam prated through the clouds, and a beam of moonlight illuminated the entire mountain top, illuminating the snow on the top of the mountain, and adding a rare color to this lonely tower.


    In the highest and darkest room in the tower, there was a thin, wrinkled old man, who raised his head on the cold and hard wooden bed and looked at the only window in the room that was narrower than a human head.


    The bright moonlight poured into the window and shone into the old man''s turbid blue eyes.


    With the help of this moonlight, the old man''s lonely eyes shed a trace of surprise.


    He saw an elegant bat flying lightly in the light and flew into the dim room with the moonlight.


    The batnded on the only tattered nket in the room and turned into a tall silver-haired man.


    "Gellert Grindelwald?" he asked softly.


    The room was too low, and Drac couldn''t even stand uppletely. He could only lower his head to look at the old man with sunken eyes, wrinkled face, and lying on the hard bed like a skeleton.


    "Oh, if you hadn''t told me, I would have almost forgotten my name." The wrinkles on the old man''s face squeezed together, and he squeezed out a rather sarcastic smile and said hoarsely.


    "To be honest, I thought I would see a great wizard who was still strong and strong after years," Drac was silent for a moment, and then said in a t tone, "I didn''t expect to see an old man who was down and out."


    He looked around with disdain, waved his hand, conjured a chair on the tattered nket and sat down, and then he finally straightened his back.


    "If you areparing me to that despicable, lying bastard, I''m sorry to disappoint you." Grindelwald was toozy to move, and spitted at the bedside with contempt, "I spent fifty years in this garbage dump, while he lived happily for fifty years."


    "As far as I know, Dumbledore has had no chance to live happily in the past few decades." Drac corrected, "After dealing with you, the first generation of dark devil, another dark devil appeared a few yearster, and his evil is even worse than you."


    "It''s just a baby that Dumbledore found from an orphanage," Grindelwald sneered, "I have to thank that little thing. If it weren''t for asking me how to deal with him, I''m afraid Dumbledore wouldn''t even bother to write me a letter."


    "You two are stillmunicating?" Drac asked in surprise.


    "It''s just a meaningless act to kill time." Grindelwald said self-deprecatingly, "Or maybe it''s just some preferential treatment he gave me out of pity for me as a defeated warrior."


    "So... you''ve never thought of escaping from such a bad life?" Drac''s eyes shed a red light, and his tone was also a bit tempting, "Are you willing to stay here for the rest of your life, until you die of old age in a dim room in the tower?"


    Grindelwald looked into Drac''s eyes, his eyes were confused for a moment.


    But the next moment, heughed hoarsely, as if he was not affected at all.


    "Is this the charm magic of the vampire n?" Grindelwaldughed hoarsely, "Count Drac really thinks highly of me, an old thing who is dying."


    Drac stared at Grindelwald''s turbid blue eyes and frowned slightly.


    "Do you know me?" Drac asked.


    "Of course, it''s too obvious."


    Grindelwald finally moved, sat up from the bed, and leaned against the rough wall beside the bed.


    "In the few letters Dumbledore wrote to me in the past few years, apart from Voldemort, you are the one mentioned the most." A look of hatred or envy shed across his face, "He seems to be very happy to pull you into the same camp..."


    "I have never been in the same camp with him." Drac retorted casually, "A good man who is willing to abandon his life as a pawn for the sake of others'' survival, I am not interested at all."


    "Hehe, good man..." Grindelwald''s mocking expression became more and more intense, and he sneered, "Just because he is a good man, do you have to break up with me, a bad man?"


    "He could abandon our promise fifty years ago, and he can naturally abandon his life at will fifty yearster... All for the so-called protection, for the so-called justice!"


    I don''t know what he remembered, Grindelwald''s mood became no longer calm, and his cheeks that had not been exposed to the sun for many years became sickly red.


    "Ha! When I saw that letter fifteen years ago, I knew that he would one day lose his life for what he called ''atonement''!" Grindelwald straightened his back from the wall and said excitedly.


    "He is really a great and supreme person. He can take everything on himself!"


    "What are you talking about?" Drac didn''t quite understand what Grindelwald was saying, and asked with a frown.


    "You know? I know Dumbledore better than anyone else in the world." Grindelwald''s voice suddenly calmed down, "He med himself for all the minor characters who died in the war with Voldemort..."


    "He felt that he could do better when Voldemort was still a student, and he felt that he could protect more people when the war broke out."


    "As for the kid who was called the savior, Albus thought that he didn''t protect his parents well, so he owed him... So he was willing to use his life in exchange for that kid''s life, which is ridiculous!"


    Drac understood this time.


    Grindelwald meant that Dumbledore was willing to save Harry with his life in exchange for his own, not only because of his responsibility, but also because he felt guilty for not protecting Harry''s parents and causing Harry to lose his happy childhood.


    But Drac was puzzled. How could Grindelwald know all these things so clearly? Wasn''t he locked up in this small, dim room in Nurmengard?


    Or... Dumbledore wrote to Grindelwald about all the recent events in detail?


    Did he trust the previous Dark Lord to this extent?


    Grindelwald seemed to see Drac''s surprise and smiled happily.


    "Don''t worry, I''m just a useless old man. Dumbledore can''t tell me everything." He said, "It''s just that my eyes can asionally see some things that haven''t happened yet."


    As a great wizard who was famous for his predictive ability decades ago, Grindelwald was naturally notparable to Sybil Trwney, a half-baked prophet.


    Even though his magic power was sealed and he could not use any spells, his own foresight talent still made him often see many fragmentary future scenes.


    Grindelwald oncey on an old hard bed and saw Dumbledore fall from the astronomy tower of Hogwarts...


    "Predict the future?" Drac''s chuckle interrupted Grindelwald''s recollection, "What a good ability."


    Drac was a little disdainful of this ability.


    This is actually the same as the prophecy ball that Harry brought back from the Department of Mysteries. Voldemort deliberately wanted to avoid it after learning the prophecy, but it was precisely his risk-avoidance that made him fail on a baby.


    In fact, the same is true for Grindelwald.


    During the Global Wizarding War, he was blinded by Dumbledore''s anti-vision method because he relied too much on his foresight.


    "Let''s stop talking nonsense. I just want to ask you one question--" Drac interrupted Grindelwald''s sentimental thoughts and asked directly, "Are you willing to spend the rest of your life in this dirty garbage dump, and no one will care about you until you die..."


    "...Or are you willing to regain a few more years of glory and add fuel to the chaos in this magical world?"


    Drac snapped his fingers lightly.


    It seemed that in an instant, the ice and snow umted in the Alps melted away, and the frozen magic power in Grindelwald''s body turned into a flowing river, pouring into the dried blood in an instant!


    Grindelwald raised his head, and his natural talent of Disguisemagus was immediately activated. The wrinkles on his face quickly faded, and his pale, tangled hair and beard became smooth and neat.


    He stood up from the shabby bed and silently stretched his stiff body that had not moved for a long time.


    "It seems that your choice is self-evident, isn''t it?"


    Drac also stood up from his chair, with a happy smile on his lips.


    ...


    A piece of news that shocked the entire wizarding world was on the front page of the Daily Prophet -


    "The One Who Must Not Be Named Is Back!"


    In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that the One Who Must Not Be Named had returned to the wizarding world and was once again active.


    "I have to announce with great regret that the wizard who calls himself the Demon King - oh, you all know who I mean - is still alive and active among us again."


    Fudge said this when addressing reporters. He looked tired and embarrassed. After this incident, his reputation and prestige in the British wizarding worldpletely dropped to the freezing point.


    In addition, Fudge was turned into a low-level vampire by Drac, and it was difficult topletely hide all traces of his actions... For example, he had not given a speech in the sun for a long time, and had not attended the Ministry of Magic staff dinner for a long time.


    For this reason, some senior officials within the Ministry of Magic questioned him, and Fudge was so busy that he had to follow Dumbledore''s advice.


    "It is also regrettable... We have to report that the Dementors in Azkaban have rebelled on arge scale, and they have expressed opposition to continuing to work for the Ministry of Magic. We believe that these Dementors are currently working for that demon."


    "We strongly urge the people of the magic world to remain vignt. The Ministry of Magic is publishing a preliminary defense guide for families and individuals, and will distribute it to all wizard families for free in the next month."


    These precautions and countermeasures were proposed by Dumbledore, and Fudge arranged them intact.


    After saying this, he hesitated and gritted his teeth.


    "In addition, we must strive for all the forces we can strive for." Fudge stood on the podium and said with difficulty, "For example, goblins, centaurs, some kind werewolves and giants, and... vampires, are all forces we can unite."


    "I have sent cooperation intentions to all ethnic groups defined as ''humans''. I hope everyone will put aside their past grudges and stop having ethnic prejudices..."


    After saying this, Fudge seemed to be exhausted.


    He worked hard to win the base of pure-blood families for four years, but basically dered bankruptcy after these measures were spoken out - most pure-blood families have never been willing to ept cooperation with other ethnic groups.


    Of course, Fudge has now be a vampire, and this is ast resort; moreover, more pure-blood families have joined Voldemort, and whether or not to get the support of pure-bloods is actually irrelevant to Fudge...


    The Ministry of Magic''s statement has aroused the vignce and anxiety of the entire magicalmunity, even though they just received the Ministry of Magic''s assurancest Wednesday: "No matter what rumors are currently circting, the im that the mysterious man is once again active among us is pure nonsense."


    What exactly prompted the Ministry of Magic to make a 180-degree turn in its attitude, few wizards know the details.


    But one thing is certain, the mysterious man who cannot even be named led a group of followers, that is, the Death Eaters known to everyone, and entered the Ministry of Magic on Tuesday night.


    "Albus Dumbledore, who has resumed his positions as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, member of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Wizard of the Wizengamot, has not yet found time to speak to us..."


    "He has insisted over the past year that You-Know-Who is not dead as everyone hoped and believed, and he has once again gathered his supporters to regain power. Meanwhile, the Boy-Who-Lived--"


    Hermione jumped over the newspaper in her hand and looked at Harry.


    They were all in the infirmary ward at this time, and Harry sat with Ron at the head of his bed and listened to Hermione reading the front page of the Daily Prophet.


    In fact, Ginny, Neville, and Luna''s injuries were basically healed by Madam Pomfrey in the blink of an eye, but they were all forced to stay in the hospital for observation because they were worried that the Death Eaters'' dark magic would cause any additional seque.


    Roff also came to the infirmary and brought Luna thetest edition of The Quibbler edited by her father.


    "Harry is the ''boy who lived'' again, right?" Rolfe sat down next to Luna, smiling and joking, "I remember the newspaper said a few days ago that Harry was a little wizard who was bewitching and liked to show off."


    "Yes, they are praising you highly now, Harry." Hermione said, continuing to read the article, "Well... he has never wavered in his position and has been forced to endure ridicule and nder..."


    Just then, Harry''s little fan, Colin Creevey rushed in like the wind.


    "Harry, the Daily Prophet has urgently printed an extra edition of the newspaper, did you see it?" he shouted breathlessly.


    "What happened, has Voldemort started to make trouble with his minions again?" Ron asked curiously.


    Colin Creevey shook his head and handed over a newspaper with the ink notpletely dried yet-


    "Emergency notice! The protective magic of Nurmengard was destroyedst night, and Gellert Grindelwald is missing!

 Chapter 301 - 301 The Calm Before the Second War

    <h4>Chapter 301: The Calm Before the Second War</h4>


    "Gellert Grindelwald? Who is that?" Ron still looked a little confused and asked nkly, "Is he famous?"


    "It''s Gellert Grindelwald, Ron!" Hermione corrected, "Have you forgotten the introduction we saw on Dumbledore''s chocte frog picture before?"


    "If I remember correctly, it says: ''Dumbledore''s well-known contributions include - defeating the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, discovering the twelve uses of dragon''s blood, and making great achievements in alchemy with his partner Nics mel.''"


    "Hermione, howe you remember everything?" Ron scratched his head.


    Hermione ignored him and became serious.


    "If Grindelwald escapes from Nurmengard, the situation in the wizarding world will be moreplicated." She said, "One mysterious man is enough for us, if we add the dark magician of the previous generation..."


    "So, Grindelwald is a big evil as powerful as Voldemort?" Harry asked.


    "Yes, I have checked the information," Hermione nodded, "Grindelwald''s name is listed in the list of the most dangerous dark wizards in ancient and modern times. If he is not on the top of the list, it is only because the mysterious man took the first ceter..."


    "But because Grindelwald never extended his terrorist activities to Britain, the details of his rise are not widely known here."


    "But... why didn''t Grindelwald escape from prison in the past few decades, but escaped at this time after Voldemort''s resurrection?" Harry frowned and asked in confusion.


    "I passed by the Slytherin table this morning and heard a few people discussing it." Colin Creevey said hesitantly, "They said that the previous Dark Lord was released by the You-Know-Who, and that the two Dark Lords would unite to overthrow Dumbledore..."


    "I don''t need to guess, I know that among these people discussing it are Draco Malfoy and his two followers." Ron said disgustedly, "A bunch of scum who will definitely be Death Eaters after graduation!"


    "Actually... it seems that Draco Malfoy is not participating in the discussion this time." Colin shook his head instead, "He seems to have been excluded from the circle of pure-blood students, and Crabbe and Goyle are not with him."


    "How could this be?" Ron was stunned for a moment, "He is not a Has he always imed to be the leader of the pure-blood family in Hogwarts? "


    "Because Lucius Malfoy betrayed Voldemort!" Rolf, who was sitting beside Luna''s bed, suddenly said, "Ron was knocked unconscious at the time, and he may not know that his betrayal at thest minute in the Department of Mysteries yed a crucial role in the entire battle."


    "Lucius Malfoy? Betray Voldemort?!" Ron jumped up from the bed and shouted, "What a joke!"


    "Rolf is right, it was Lucius Malfoy''s betrayal that made the advantage at that time lean towards our side." Harry nodded and said, "To be precise, he defected to Professor Drac."


    "I can''t believe it..." Ron''s eyes widened, still a little bit unbelievable.


    But within a moment, he seemed to have thought of something and suddenlyughed, "So Draco Malfoy must be miserable now? Wasn''t he beaten to death by the younger generations of the other Death Eaters?"


    "It seems not. After all, Malfoy is the prefect of Slytherin and canin directly to the professors." Colin said, "As for Crabbe and Goyle, they have abandoned Malfoy and gathered around Theodore Nott."


    "Sure enough, even if they change their masters, they can''t change their nature of being followers." Ronughed loudly, "I really want to be discharged from the hospital earlier andugh at them earlier, hahahaha..."


    However, Ron soon turned from joy to sorrow.


    Madam Pomfrey heard the noise here and came over angrily.


    "Don''t make loud noises in the infirmary. Will you be responsible if you disturb others'' rest?!" She yelled at Ron.


    Then, Madam Pomfrey looked at Harry and the others who were not hospitalized, "And you guys, you can leave now, the patient needs rest!"


    Faced with the murderous Madam Pomfrey, Harry, Rolf and Colin had no time to continue discussing Grindelwald''s problem. They nodded timidly and slipped out of the school infirmary together.


    Rony depressed on the bed, and Madam Pomfrey poured arge cup of extremely unptable potion without any sweetener, which made him not even in the mood tough at Malfoy.


    ...


    Standing at the door of the school infirmary, Harry said goodbye to Rolf and Colin and prepared to visit Hagrid in the shed next to the Forbidden Forest.


    Walking up the stairs leading from the infirmary to the first floor hall, Harry didn''t meet many people along the way.


    Even on Sunday, the castle seemed too quiet.


    It seemed that everyone had gone out and came to the sunny field to enjoy the rxation after the exams and the leisure of thest few days of the final semester without ss arrangements and homework.


    Harry walked slowly in the empty corridor, staring out the window; he could see some Quidditch yers floating in groups above the Quidditch field, a few little wizards ying on thewn, and two students swimming with a giant squid in theke.


    He found that he seemed to have formed a kind of separation atmosphere with the students of this castle:


    The burden of Voldemort''s return was on Harry, which made him a little breathless, and he couldn''t y as heartlessly as those little wizards.


    Even though the notice had been issued in the Daily Prophet, most students had not yet realized that the danger wasing. They always felt that there would be tall people to support the sky when it fell -


    In short, Dumbledore and Professor Drac would definitely handle all the dangers!


    But Harry was different...


    As a little wizard who had faced Voldemort several times, and as Voldemort''s nemesis in the prophecy, Harry was naturally on the opposite side of the dark wizard, and he also believed that Voldemort wanted to kill him all the time.


    In addition, there is now one more Grindelwald, and it is unknown what kind of changes the re-emergence of the previous generation of Dark Lord will bring to the wizarding world.


    Just as Harry was thinking, he just walked down thest marble step and entered the porch, but he met an old enemy from the past.


    Draco Malfoy was walking out of the doorway leading to the Slytherinmon room on the right. His face was gloomy, and his pale face waspletely bloodless.


    Slytherin''s green striped tie was draped around Draco''s cor, and the cor of his white shirt was also messy, with a few gray handprints, as if he had just had a fight with someone.


    Harry stopped suddenly, and so did Draco.


    At this moment, the air between the two seemed to solidify, and only the shouting,ughter and sshing of water from the field could be heard from the open front door, which was out of tune with this ce.


    Draco nced around - Harry knew he was looking for the professor - then returned his gaze to Harry and whispered, "You should be very proud, Potter."


    Harry raised his eyebrows.


    "It''s funny," Draco said coldly, "It only takes a newspaper to go from a nonsense liar to a hero admired by everyone..."


    Harry had never seen Draco so angry.


    He looked more angry than ever, and at the same time, there was a kind of confusion hidden deep in his pale face, which was twisted by anger.


    "You must be very proud." Draco said, his voice not much louder than a whisper, "You have established your reputation as the savior, while I can only be a pure-blood traitor, looked down upon by my ssmates and friends!"


    "But betraying Voldemort was your father''s own choice, I didn''t force him to do it." Harry spread his hands, "Sooner orter you will be happy, because Voldemort will be destroyed by Dumbledore soon... What''s wrong with you?"


    He saw that Draco''s eyes became horrified when he heard the name, so he added : "You should learn to adapt, Malfoy, your family is no longer in the same group with Voldemort, there is no need to be in awe of him."


    "Do you think you are a great man? How dare you preach to me like this, Potter?" Draco''s face was a little ugly, and he approached Harry, "Just wait, after the war is over, we can still rely on our family''s connections and property to recover to a ce you can''t even hope for!"


    "Do you think that after experiencing Voldemort, pure-blood families will still be as popr as before?" Harry asked back.


    "You don''t understand, the advantages of pure blood are beyond the imagination of you people." Draco said softly, "My father will make the family business prosperous again in no time..."


    "But you are just a family that relies on Professor Drac now." Harry said sarcastically, "But at least he has saved his life now-"


    Draco''s eyes twitched suddenly.


    The next moment, his hand quickly reached for his wand, but Harry was faster, and before Draco could put his fingers into the pocket of his robe, he had already taken out his wand.


    "Potter!"


    Just then, a greasy voice came from the other end of the porch, interrupting the duel between Harry and Draco.


    Snape appeared on the stairs leading to his office. Seeing him, Harry''s emotions became extremelyplicated again, and that feeling far exceeded his impression of Draco...


    No matter how much Dumbledore trusts him now, it was Snape who told Voldemort that half of the prophecy at that time...Harry''s parents lost their lives because of this incident.


    Even though Snape tried to save Harry from danger several timester, the disgust in his eyes for Harry was not fake at all! Harry didn''t have any good feelings for Snape at all!


    "What are you doing, Potter?" Snape didn''t know what Harry was thinking, but he strode towards the two of them while talking, and his tone was as cold as before.


    "I was just thinking about what spell to use on Malfoy, sir." Harry couldn''t control his emotions and said angrily.


    Snape red at Harry.


    "Put your wand away immediately," he shouted decisively, "Gryffindor will lose ten points--"


    Snape looked at the four huge hoursses on the wall and smiled contemptuously.


    "Ah, I find that there are no points left in Gryffindor''s hourss. In this case, Potter, we have to--"


    "Add some points?"


    Professor McGonagall walked on the stone steps leading into the castle and interrupted Snape''s words, looking quite good.


    "Professor McGonagall!" Snape said as he came forward, "Potter is about to attack his ssmates with magic, but you are going to give him extra points... am I understanding correctly?"


    "Yes, Professor Snape," Professor McGonagall said as she adjusted the pointed hat on her head, "I think Potter and hispanions should each get 50 points. Because they reminded everyone that the mysterious man is back!"


    "What do you think, Professor Snape?" Professor McGonagall looked at Snape with a smile.


    "What?" Snape asked in surprise, "Oh... maybe - I think..."


    "Then, Potter, the Weasley brothers and sisters, Longbottom and Miss Granger each get 50 points." Professor McGonagall waved her wand without asking Snape''s opinion.


    Arge number of rubies fell into the ball under the Gryffindor scoring hourss. "Oh - I think there are 50 points for Miss Lovegood and Mr. Scamander."


    She added, and some sapphires and topaz fell into the hoursses of Ravenw and Hufflepuff respectively. "Now you have to deduct 10 points from Potter, I think, Professor Snape - well, that''s it..."


    A few rubies flew back into the ball above, but even so, the remaining number was still considerable.


    "Well, Potter, Malfoy, I think you should go outside for a walk in such good weather." Professor McGonagall continued excitedly, "It''s rare to drive Umbridge out, and the air in the castle seems to have be fresh."


    She has been dissatisfied with Umbridge, who was forcibly arranged into Hogwarts by the Ministry of Magic for a long time. Now that Dumbledore has won the game with the Ministry of Magic and driven Umbridge out of the castle, Professor McGonagall feels very happy.


    "Professor, you don''t seem to be very worried about Grindelwald?" Harry was a little surprised by Professor McGonagall''s rxed and cheerful tone.


    He originally thought that a professor like Professor McGonagall, who was a serious and serious person, might frown and think about countermeasures for a long time after hearing the news of the birth of another Dark Lord!


    "So you also know Grindelwald?" Professor McGonagall looked at Harry in surprise and said to him, "Indeed, Grindelwald is indeed a very dangerous person, there is no doubt about that."


    "But for us, especially for Dumbledore, this is not apletely bad thing."


    "Just wait and see, Grindelwald can''t be in the same camp with the mysterious man!"

 Chapter 302 - 302 Uninvited guests at Durmstrang’s headmaster election ceremony

    <h4>Chapter 302: Uninvited guests at Durmstrang''s headmaster election ceremony</h4>


    For the Austrian magic world, these days have been spent in panic.


    Compared with the British magic world, which has not been affected by Grindelwald because of Dumbledore''s existence, even after fifty years, the wizards in the Austrian magic world have basically heard of Grindelwald''s story.


    Most of the wizards in Austria graduated from Durmstrang. On one wall of their school, there is still the symbol of the Deathly Hallows carved by Grindelwald. No headmaster has ever been able to remove it from the wall!


    The officials of the Austrian Ministry of Magic were panicked. They knew that Grindelwald had been imprisoned for decades and his strength should be much worse than before, but they still did not dare to rashly arrange Aurors to search.


    In order to prevent being used of inaction by the International Confederation of Wizards, the Austrian Minister of Magic acted very quickly to release owls to other countries, contacted the magic ministries of other countries, and tried to drag them to deal with Grindelwald together.


    This is how the news of the British magic world''s "Daily Prophet" came.


    However, just when the Austrian wizards and even the entire European magic world were in a panic, Drac and Grindelwald were standing on a peak in the Alps not far from Nurmengard.


    They were almost standing under the nose of the Austrian Ministry of Magic, and the Austrian Aurors might have discovered them, but they didn''t dare toe over.


    Grindelwald stood on the snow on the top of the peak, squinting his eyes, and the cold mountain wind blew in his face.


    "Huh... Is this the feeling of freedom?" He raised his hand to tidy up the white hair blown by the cold wind and said softly.


    Unlike Drac''s guess of excitement or expectation and otherplex emotions, Grindelwald looked calm, as if he was going out for a drive after staying at home for a few days.


    Although he had just stayed in the coffin for a hundred years a few years ago, which was twice as long as Grindelwald''s fifty years in prison in Nurmengard, there was still a big difference between the two.


    Drac''s sleep was almost aplete hibernation, just like taking a short nap in a coffin, and when he opened his eyes again, a hundred years had passed in a hurry.


    Grindelwald actually stayed in a small, dim, dirty room for fifty years. No one talked to him, and there was no fun. There was only silence and darkness for decades.


    Compared with this cell in Nurmengard, Azkaban can be regarded as heaven.


    Put yourself in his shoes and imagine that feeling. Drac thought that he would be bored to death if he couldn''t find fun in five days, let alone fifty years.


    I don''t know how Grindelwald persisted.


    Drac also had a trace of admiration in his heart, turned his head and asked Grindelwald: "So, what does freedom feel like?"


    "What does freedom feel like..." Grindelwald murmured softly, repeating Drac''s question.


    There was still a little daze on his face, staring straight at the snow-covered mountains, the several roads that were built in the mountains at some unknown time, and the small vige formed by the few small wooden houses at the foot of the mountain.


    This area was the base camp where Grindelwald led his followers fifty years ago. He should have been very familiar with this ce, but now he only felt strange.


    "What''s wrong? Can''t describe it?" Drac chuckled.


    Grindelwald turned his head to look at Drac, and the daze in his blue eyes gradually disappeared, and the flying spirit flowed into his eyes.


    "Actually, there is no special feeling, but I just think the wind on the top of the mountain is quite noisy," he raised a wild smile at the corner of his mouth, "It makes me upset."


    Grindelwald suddenly raised one hand high, with five fingers spread out.


    The next moment, the five fingers clenched into a fist.


    The cold wind on the top of the mountain suddenly stopped, and the few snowkes that were blown up by the cold wind suddenly lost their power and fell straight down, melting with the snow on the mountain.


    Drac looked at him, and a smile of interest appeared on the corner of his mouth.


    "It seems that these decades of imprisonment have notpletely destroyed the previous generation of the Dark Lord..." He said with a smile, "So what will you do next? Summon your former ''hundred thousand believers''?"


    "I am already an old man out of touch with the times, so how can there be believers all over the world?" Grindelwald shook his head self-deprecatingly, "Compared to fighting and killing, I now want to learn from Albus Dumbledore..."


    "I want to experience what it feels like to be a headmaster, and he can be immersed in this position for decades."


    ...


    That day, near the northernmost part of Europe.


    In a small castle with only four floors, the graduation ceremony at the end of the school year was being held in the lobby on the first floor.


    The style of this hall is quite in and simple, just like the students sitting in the audience.


    A group of students sat in their seats like they were in military training, wearing blood-red robes and standard leather hats neatly ced on the table in front of them.


    The seventh-grade student union president was standing on the podium to preside over the meeting.


    The student union president was a tall, thin, sallow-skinned young man with ck hair and eyes, and arge, curved hooked nose.


    The contours of his face were very clear, and he was one of the most famous Quidditch yers in the world, Viktor Krum.


    "The graduation ceremony hase to an end, and there is one more thing to announce before the holiday." Krum still had a hesitant expression and read the manuscript in a serious manner.


    "It has been a year since Ingor Karkaroff escaped. During this year, the position of Durmstrang''s president has been vacant - the school is actually run by the vice president, Professor Monte."


    "Adhering to the principle of fairness and justice, Professor Monte proposes that all students of Durmstrang vote together to elect a new president from among all professors."


    "Now, the voting begins. Students who support Professor Monte to be the next president, please raise your wands and cast a spark spell on the ceiling..."


    Under the stage, Professor Monte, who has short gray hair and is over 50 years old, showed a satisfied look.


    This vote is actually just a formality.


    As the vice president who has actually managed Durmstrang for a whole year, Monte''s reputation in the school is higher than that of other professorsbined. The position of the next president of Durmstrang is almost a foregone conclusion for him.


    As for letting Krum, the president of the student union who is about to graduate, preside over the student vote, it is just to make it look better and to convince other professors with an overwhelming advantage.


    However, just as the students were about to start voting, a figure suddenly appeared on the podium in the castle hall.


    The figure had light blond hair, a pair of blue eyes, a fine white beard on his chin, and a wild, yful smile on his face - it was Grindelwald who had restored his middle-aged appearance under the magic of Metamorphmagus.


    "Can this voting session be postponed for a while?"


    Grindelwald walked leisurely to the center of the podium. Krum barely reacted and subconsciously moved to the side of the podium, leaving the center of the podium for this uninvited guest.


    Krum finally reacted until he moved to the edge of the podium. He frowned and asked:


    "Excuse me, who are you...?"


    Grindelwald did not answer Krum''s question. He just leisurely looked at the simple and concise furnishings around the hall, and smacked his lips with emotion: "I really miss it. I haven''t been back for about a hundred years."


    The students in the audience were still wondering who this impolite wizard who interrupted the vote casually was. Some of them with bad tempers had already protested to the podium, wanting to drive Grindelwald off the stage.


    The hall gradually became noisy, but the students sitting in the front row noticed that the situation on the scene was a bit weird.


    Some young professors wanted to go on stage to preside over the situation, but they were held tightly by the older professors, who would not let them act rashly no matter what.


    And their vice-president, the elderly Professor Monte, was even more out of control. He stared at the arrogant figure on the podium in amazement, and didn''t even hear the students next to him asking him questions.


    "Grindelwald, you...howe you are here?"


    After a long time, Monte finally recovered from the shock and asked slowly in a trembling voice.


    He tried to raise the wand in his hand several times, but he couldn''t muster up the courage.


    More than 50 years ago, the first generation of the Dark Lord left a deep impression on the magic world, especially in this school where Grindelwald was trained, no one had not heard of his name.


    Hearing what Professor Monte said, the young professors around and the students near the first row suddenly opened their eyes wide and looked at the man with light blond hair and blue eyes on the podium.


    "He is Grindelwald?!"


    "Why is Grindelwald here?"


    "..."


    The noise in the hall suddenly dropped by dozens of decibels, but there were more whispers.


    They never expected to see this famous predecessor, the most powerful and notorious Dark Lord before Voldemort appeared, at the graduation ceremony of Durmstrang.


    The mark of the Deathly Hallows that Grindelwald carved before he was expelled is still clearly left on the wall not far away. Every time students pass by, they will deepen their impression of him...


    In fact, there are still many students in Durmstrang who admire this most outstanding wizard in the history of the school.


    Many people secretly draw the mark of the Deathly Hallows left by Grindelwald on their homework books, thinking that it looks cool - of course, they don''t know the specific meaning of this mark, just as a decoration.


    But it is undeniable that Grindelwald''s influence in Durmstrang is indeed very huge.


    Looking at the many expressions of fear, shock, expectation, and even fanaticism in the audience, Grindelwaldughed happily.


    "You don''t have to look at me like this. I used to be a student of Durmstrang. I came here just to see my alma mater." He did not ignore the question of Vice Principal Monte and said to the students in the audience with a smile.


    A cold sweat broke out on Vice Principal Monte''s forehead...Although Grindelwald was indeed a member of Durmstrang, he was an extremely dangerous Dark Lord!


    When the Dark Lord suddenly imed that this was his alma mater and wanted toe back to visit, Monte always felt that there was some daunting meaning in it.


    Comparing it with another Dark Lord, Voldemort''s actions when he returned to Hogwarts, we can see it.


    Sure enough, Grindelwald changed the subject-


    "It seems that I came here by chance. I heard that you haven''t elected the next principal yet?"


    He asked casually, but it seemed to give Monte a blow to the head.


    "You... you want to?" Monte asked tremblingly.


    "Don''t be nervous, Professor... Monte?" Grindelwald easily learned Monte''s name with Legilimency, and said to him with a yful expression, "I don''t want to seize the position of the headmaster. You value fairness and justice the most, don''t you?"


    Then, Grindelwald turned around and faced the many students in the audience, smiled and said:


    "Dear outstanding juniors of Durmstrang, I will participate in your headmaster election as a student who once studied at Durmstrang - everything is based on the principle of fairness and justice, and the winner is determined by voting."


    Mont looked at Grindelwald''s image on the podium in a daze, and just wanted to p himself for setting the rules for voting to elect the headmaster in the past.


    It is clear that he can be the headmaster directly, so why did he mobilize students to vote?


    Now, a dark lord who has disappeared for fifty years suddenly appeared at the voting site and said he wanted to participate in the headmaster election.


    Monte wanted to refuse his participation, but he couldn''t muster the courage to fight against him - Grindelwald''s reputation was too great, and he couldn''t even hold his wand tightly now, let alone confront Grindelwald face to face.


    Monte remembered a widely circted saying in thest era -


    If you oppose Grindelwald''s ideas, then go listen to his speech! It only takes less than five minutes, and you will spontaneously be a supporter of this man, believe in his ideas, and be willing to follow him wholeheartedly!


    And Vice Principal Monte, who had experienced that era, knew that this sentence was true.


    Unlike Voldemort, who was a terrorist, Grindelwald had his own unique personal charm. He did not rely on extraordinary force to scare his believers, but directly conquered the hearts of all believers!


    Monte sighed and put down the wand in his hand.


    He knew that if he gave Grindelwald a chance to speak, he would no longer have any chance of winning.


    So hepletely let it go and simply gave up the opportunity to be the new principal.


    "It is an honor for Durmstrang to have a wizard like you participate in the headmaster election." Monte stood up and said solemnly.

 Chapter 303 - 303 New Headmaster of Durmstrang

    <h4>Chapter 303: New Headmaster of Durmstrang</h4>


    "I don''t agree!"


    However, just when Vice Principal Monte agreed to Grindelwald''s participation in the election for the principal, another voice interrupted him.


    Grindelwald turned around and saw Krum, who had moved to the stage, returned to the podium again, looking at him with resentment in his eyes.


    "How can he be allowed to run for the principal? He is a murderer!" Krum shouted, "He killed my grandfather sixty years ago!"


    "Victor, stop talking nonsense... Get down from there!" Monte was startled by Krum''s sudden protest and hurriedly stopped him.


    He was afraid that Grindelwald would kill the Quidditch star yer on the spot if he was unhappy.


    At the same time, Monte had a little more hope in his heart-


    If Grindelwald really killed Krum, the president of the Durmstrang Student Union, in anger, he would naturally stand on the opposite side of the Durmstrang students and it would be difficult for him to gain the support of the students.


    If things really develop in this way, Monte thinks he still has a chance to get the position of the headmaster...


    However, decades of imprisonment have not reduced Grindelwald''s ability to deceive people.


    Far from being angry, he showed a gentle smile, with a hint of apology in his eyes.


    "I''m sorry to hear this news." Grindelwald said softly, "I can understand your feelings, Mr. Krum... The death of a loved one is an extremely sad thing."


    As he spoke, he sighed deeply, "Many people died in that war, including members of the International Confederation of Wizards, Aurors from various ministries of magic, and many wizards who disagree with my ideas..."


    "But!" Grindelwald suddenly changed his tone, "But... my friends, my many brothers and sisters also paid a heavy price, and many people died for ourmon ideals. Go, just like your grandfather. "


    "I don''t agree with your evaluation of me, Mr. Krum. Rather than saying that I am a murderer, I think of myself as a fighter! A fighter fighting for great ideals!"


    "I did hurt others, that is undeniable - but all the sacrifices we made on the road are for the greater good, so that wizards can no longer hide and can appear in public openly..."


    "Do you think I did something wrong, Mr. Krum?"


    Grindelwald looked at Krum deeply, with that kind ofpassionate and gentle smile on his face.


    Krum opened his mouth, but couldn''t say anything... He was not good at speaking, and facing Grindelwald''s sharp words, he couldn''t think of any angle to refute.


    "You...you are quibbling!" Krum could only stumble back.


    "Yes, I am indeed quibbling." Grindelwald not only did not object, but admitted it openly, "Because I lost the war in the end. No matter how I quibble, I am the loser... and history is written by the victors."


    "For this reason, I would like to ask everyone here - do you really believe that everything described in the history of magic, the evaluation of me by the International Confederation of Wizards, and the criticism of me by the elders... are all correct? Are they all true?"


    As Grindelwald''s words fell, whispers gradually sounded in the hall.


    The Durmstrang students, who already had many admirers of Grindelwald, could not help but begin to doubt the authenticity of history... How could such a wizard with great personal charm and gentle and calm conversation with everyone be as unbearable as the outside world judged?


    Some of the passionate young wizards directly became loyal fans of Grindelwald, thinking that all the negativements about him were deliberately smeared by the victors of the war.


    Vice Principal Monte saw it more clearly.


    He knew that Grindelwald''s speech had already begun when Krum rushed to the stage.


    The Dark Lord did not need to choose the right time and ce, he could convey his thoughts to everyone present at any time and anywhere.


    Krum wanted to continue to refute, but Grindelwald did not give him the opportunity to disrupt the atmosphere, and looked at him with his blue eyes.


    "Mr. Krum, go back to your seat first, and leave it to me next." Grindelwald said gently.


    His words seemed to have magic, Krum suddenly lost his mind, nodded obediently, walked down from the podium, and returned to his seat in the first row.


    Grindelwald has never been a kind person, and the silent Imperius Curse is just right here.


    The atmosphere on the field has gradually be warm, and no one cares about Krum''s abnormality, just thinking that he was persuaded by Grindelwald and chose to let go of the hatred of his grandfather''s generation.


    Grindelwald raised a satisfied smile at the corner of his mouth, took two steps forward, and came to the front of the podium.


    He did not stop the students who were talking to each other, and started his speech in this enthusiastic atmosphere:


    "Dear outstanding juniors of Durmstrang, it''s nice to meet you!"


    "Drmstrang is one of the greatest magic schools in the entire wizarding world. I used to be a student of this school... Of course, I am a little worse than these graduates in the audience, because I was expelled by the principal before I finished my studies."


    A good-naturedugh came from the hall.


    Grindelwald''s self-mockery undoubtedly brought him closer to his students, and made the unreachable image of the Dark Lord more real and visible.


    "We all know that Durmstrang never recruits Muggle-born wizards. Everyone present here has the purest wizard blood. You are all the most loyal and determined people in the wizarding world, and you will continue to fight for the continuation of magic."


    "Everyone present knows that I failed in that war and lost to Dumbledore."


    "At that time, I thought I had really done something wrong, so I promised him to disband the organization I had worked so hard to build and not to start a war again; then I was tied up in a small cell for fifty years."


    "Until today, I came out and saw that the current situation of the magic world is no different from fifty years ago. It has even beenpressed to a smaller size by the elerated development of the Muggle society... So I once again confirmed that what I did at that time was correct."


    "If the magic world is allowed topromise with Muggles like Dumbledore did, then our living space will be suppressed by Muggles again and again; sooner orter, there will be only a corner of the magic world, and only a few wizards will survive under the oppression of Muggles!"


    Grindelwald raised one hand high, his expression solemn and serious.


    The whispers disappeared, and the whole hall was silent.


    Everyone''s eyes were fixed on Grindelwald on the podium, watching him speak out the increasingly serious problems of the magic world.


    Some professors looked very nervous. They were afraid that Grindelwald would say something like starting a war again, and they were afraid that he would drag Durmstrang into the center of a new vortex.


    Grindelwald saw their nervous expressions and smiled gently.


    "Don''t worry, you don''t have to be too nervous." He said, "I''m old, and I''m not interested in starting another war to prove my right or wrong, nor is there any reason to shed more blood on this road that has no end in sight."


    "I just want to leave some thoughts for the magic world now, and pass on my thoughts."


    "You young people are the future of the magic world. Even if I don''t see the day when the magic world will see the light of day again in my lifetime, I hope that this seed of freedom can be passed down from generation to generation among you, making the future of wizards brighter all the way."


    "If anyone is willing to pass on this thought, please raise your wands!"


    The hall was quiet for a moment.


    The next moment, all the students present stood up at the same time and raised their wands high.


    Countless spark spells gathered together, like countless rising stars, reflecting an iparable shining light in the sky above the hall.


    "Thank you for your support. History will always remember this moment!"


    "I have seen that the future of the magic world has the shadow of each of you. You make the glory of magic more dazzling!"


    There is no suspense in this election of the principal.


    Except for students like Krum who really have a deep hatred for Grindelwald, almost everyone voted for Grindelwald. Even some young professors couldn''t suppress their inner passion and raised their wands to cast the spark spell on the ceiling.


    Today is indeed a historic day.


    The previous generation of the Dark Lord actually became the principal of Durmstrang School of Magic, and there was no oppression or coercion or inducement in the process. Instead, he took office smoothly with an invincible posture that everyone expected!


    In a corner of the hall, there was a handsome bat hanging upside down under a beam, watching this scene quietly.


    Drac remembered that Dumbledore once said that Grindelwald had been imprisoned in Nurmengard for fifty years and seemed to regret what he had done.


    Judging from Grindelwald''s speech and actions today, he actually has no regrets and still believes that his approach is correct...


    But Grindelwald has indeed changed.


    He no longer attempts to solve problems through violent means, and no longer has the idea of ??starting a war again. He just wants to pass on his ideas.


    The magic world is indeed getting smaller and smaller, and Drac has the most obvious feeling about this.


    A thousand years ago, all ces that Muggles could not reach, such as mountains, deep forests, and the center ofrgekes, were the territories where wizards could move freely.


    However, as Muggle technology continues to develop, the areas that can be explored are getting wider and wider, and the space for wizards to move around is alsopressed and narrowed ordingly.


    Now, Diagon Alley has to use magic to squeeze out a narrow alley from the Muggle streets; young wizards have to enter the Muggle station to go to school, and enter the wizards'' exclusive train between two Muggle tforms...


    When Muggle technology continues to develop, will they be able to invent a machine that can detect magic?


    Drac is not sure, but this also proves that Grindelwald''s theory isrgely reasonable.


    Of course, Dumbledore was not wrong.


    Everything he did was to protect ordinary people in the magic world from the harm of war, and reducing the casualties of wizards was also an important measure to maintain the development of the magic world.


    Dumbledore has not solved the conflict between Muggles and the magic world in recent years because there are always dark wizards like Voldemort waiting for him to deal with, leaving him no time to take care of other things.


    Now, it is not clear who is right and who is wrong.


    ...


    Just when the previous generation of Dark Lord had just made himself a principal with a simr status to Dumbledore, another Dark Lord was listening to his subordinates telling him the intelligence he had found out.


    "Severus, are you saying... the wand Dumbledore is holding now is likely to be the legendary Old Wand?" Voldemort stroked the original wand in his hand, with a greedy light shing in his eyes.


    "Yes, Master." Snape said calmly, "I also identally discovered that Dumbledore was studying the Deathly Hallows recently, and oftenpared his wand with the diagram of the Deathly Hallows, and came to this conclusion."


    "No wonder... No wonder that old thing can still have such a powerful force at such an old age." Voldemort licked his dry lips, "If I can get the strongest wand..."


    He suddenly restrained his greed and ordered Snape: "Severus, I have to make proper arrangements for this matter, don''t tell anyone!"


    "I understand." Snape nodded.


    "Okay, you go down." Voldemort said, "Don''t leave Hogwarts for too long, be careful not to be suspected by Dumbledore."


    Snape bent slightly, then turned and left the dark old house where Voldemort was.


    However, just as he was about to Apparate back to Hogwarts, a mess of long ck hair blocked Snape.


    "What''s the matter, Betrix?" Snape asked calmly.


    "You should know it well, Snape." Betrix Lestrange stared at him suspiciously and said coldly, "I don''t trust you."


    Snape curled his lips and looked at Betrix''s angry face sarcastically.


    "Tell me, there must be a reason," he said, "Why don''t you believe me?"


    "There are a hundred reasons!" Betrix nced at the house where Voldemort was, and made sure that he couldn''t hear the conversation between the two, and then spoke loudly.


    "Where should I begin - where were you when the Dark Lord fell? Why didn''t you make any effort to find him after he disappeared? What have you done all these years while living under Dumbledore''s wing?"


    "Also, why didn''t youe back immediately after the Dark Lord''s resurrection? Where were you when we fought so bravely to get the prophecy for the Dark Lord a few weeks ago? And most importantly, Snape, why is Harry Potter still alive? He has been at your disposal for five years!"


    She paused, her chest heaving violently, her cheeks flushed.


    Snape looked at her indifferently, then suddenlyughed.


    "Is that all?" he asked contemptuously.

 Chapter 304 - 304 Snape’s Undercover Life

    <h4>Chapter 304: Snape''s Undercover Life</h4>


    "That''s all?" Betrix looked at Snape in disbelief, "Do you think these doubts are not enough?"


    "Obviously not." Snape said in a very sarcastic tone, "Before I answer you-oh, yes, Betrix, I can answer your questions without hesitation."


    "Not only that, you can tell my words to those who talk about me behind my back, and you can also report the false words about my betrayal to the Dark Lord..."


    "But before I answer you, let me ask you a question-"


    Snape curled up a contemptuous arc at the corner of his mouth and stared into Betrix''s eyes.


    "Do you really think... the Dark Lord didn''t ask me every question?" He said indifferently, "Do you really think that if I didn''t give a satisfactory answer, I could still stand here and talk to you?"


    Betrix obviously hesitated.


    "I know he believes you, but..."


    "Do you think he''s wrong? Or did I actually trick him? I actually tricked the Dark Lord, the greatest wizard in the history of the wizarding world, the best Legilimency master in the world?"


    Snape put his hat on Voldemort one by one, but in Betrix''s eyes, his Dark Lord was indeed as great, excellent, and powerful as Snape described.


    Betrix didn''t say anything, but her expression seemed a little confused for the first time.


    Snapeughed a little smugly, but didn''t hold on to it.


    "You asked just now where I was when the Dark Lord fell from power, right?" He adjusted his sleeves and continued, "I was where he ordered me to go... in Hogwarts, because he wanted me to secretly monitor Albus Dumbledore there."


    "I guess you must know that I epted the teaching position at the Dark Lord''smand, right?"


    She nodded almost imperceptibly and opened her mouth to speak, but Snape stopped her first.


    "You also asked why I didn''t try to find him when he disappeared." His face darkened slightly. "In fact, the reason I didn''t look for him was the same as Everly, Yaxley, the Carrows, and many others... I thought he was dead."


    When Snape said this, he forced himself to recall the night when Lily was killed by Voldemort. His expression was extremely sad and self-ming, without any falsehood.


    In Be''s eyes, this was Snape''s regret for the Dark Lord''s departure and his confession for not looking for him... Her eyes softened a little.


    "I''m not proud of it, I did something wrong, but that''s the situation... If he can''t forgive us for losing our faith, then he won''t have many followers left."


    "He still has me!" Betrix said excitedly, "For him, I spent many years in Azkaban!"


    "Yes, yes, it''smendable." Snape said in a dry voice, "But don''t you think? You staying in prison is not of much use to him, but this gesture is undoubtedly a good..."


    "Gesture!" Be screamed, and she looked very crazy in her rage, "While I was tortured by the Dementors, you hid in Hogwarts,fortably ying the role of Dumbledore''s favorite!"


    "Not entirely," Snape said calmly, "Dumbledore refused to give me the teaching position of Defense Against the Dark Arts. You know, he seemed to think that it would make me fall again...seduce me to go back to my old ways."


    "Is that the sacrifice you made for the Dark Lord? Can''t teach your favorite subject?" Be sneered, "Why do you always... Stayed there, Snape? Still spying on Dumbledore for a master you believed dead?"


    "Perhaps not," Snape said nomittally, "but the Dark Lord is d that I did not give up my teaching post: when he returns, I can provide him with sixteen years of information on Dumbledore, which is a more valuable gift than endlessly recalling the miserable conditions in Azkaban..."


    "But you stayed -"


    "Yes, Betrix, I stayed." Snape continued "I have afortable job, why should I go to Azkaban?"


    "The Ministry of Magic was hunting down Death Eaters at the time, and Dumbledore''s protection saved me from prison. I should have used such a convenient condition."


    "I repeat again: the Dark Lord didn''t me me for staying, I don''t understand why you say anything!"


    Betrix opened her mouth, but it seemed that saying anything at this time would be disrespectful to the Dark Lord, so she closed her mouth again in frustration.


    "I think what you want to know next," Snape pressed on, raising his voice slightly, "why I didn''t help the Dark Lord get the Philosopher''s Stone four years ago..."


    Be nodded subconsciously.


    "This question is also easy to answer." Snape said calmly, "The Dark Lord didn''t know whether he could trust me at that time. He thought, like you, that I had turned from a loyal Death Eater into Dumbledore''sckey..."


    "He was in a pitiful situation at the time, very weak, and shared a body with a mediocre wizard. He didn''t dare to expose himself to a former subordinate, what if that subordinate reported him to Dumbledore?"


    "He finally chose to trust me until he was on the verge of failure, but was destroyed by Drac." Snape shook his head and said, "I feel very sorry about this, otherwise, he could have made aeback three years earlier."


    "You mean... he already believed you four years ago?" Betrix''s lips moved, as if she had swallowed a particrly unptable medicine.


    "That''s right." Snape nodded and said, "But if he could have believed me earlier, perhaps this matter would not have been destroyed by Drac... Of course, the incident of stealing the Philosopher''s Stone at that time was also one of the reasons why he was willing to let me stay in Hogwarts."


    "But when he came back, you didn''te back immediately, and when you felt the Dark Mark burning, you didn''t return to him immediately-" Be still picked holes unconvinced.


    "I don''t deny that I didn''te back immediately, because I couldn''t expose the fact that I was still working for the Dark Lord." Snape said as a matter of course, "I must maintain my undercover identity with Dumbledore and not let him see any ws..."


    "Betrix, you don''t think it''s easy to maintain your identity under a great wizard without being suspected, right?"


    It''s indeed not easy to maintain your identity under a great wizard, but in fact, in Snape''s view, it''s much easier to hide from Voldemort than from Dumbledore.


    Voldemort relied too much on his Legilimency, but he didn''t know that Snape was also a Legilimency master who was not much worse than him. He couldpletely control his thoughts and let Voldemort see only the side he wanted to show.


    But Dumbledore was different.


    Although the old headmaster had Legilimency ability that was even better than Voldemort''s, he rarely used this skill easily.


    Years of teaching career made him prefer to observe with his own eyes and discover details that many people could not notice...


    Snape''s thoughts returned to the past, looking at Betrix''s still unconvinced expression, thinking of Voldemort''s self-righteous arrogance, he suddenly felt that they were still far from Dumbledore''s realm.


    "But you didn''t do anything!" Betrix was still shouting angrily, "The rest of us are risking our lives for the Dark Lord, but you are not there again. How can you deny this, Snape?"


    "My order was to stay behind." Snape shook his head and said impatiently, "Don''t you agree with the Dark Lord''s idea? Do you think that if I join the Death Eaters to fight the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore will not notice it?"


    "In addition, with all due respect, the risk you mentioned... In fact, you are facing only seven children who are only in the fourth and fifth grades, right?"


    "You know that half of the Order of the Phoenix will soon join in!" Betrix growled, "And you are still avoiding my most important question-why is Harry Potter still alive?"


    "In the past five years, You can kill him at any time. But you didn''t do it. Tell me why!"


    "Don''t you understand what I mean?" Snape''s voice gradually turned cold. "Thanks to Dumbledore''s protection, I was not imprisoned in Azkaban! Do you think that I killed his favorite student, and he would not turn against me?"


    "And I soon found out that Potter had no ability to fight against the Dark Lord at all. He just relied on luck and the help of his many friends and professors to barely get out of many difficulties..."


    "He is extremely mediocre, but he is as smug and annoying as his father! He is no threat to the Dark Lord at all, do you understand what I mean?"


    After saying this, Snape seemed to have no patience to continue making meaningless excuses. He threw his cloak heavily behind him, then took a step and left Betrix.


    ...


    Soon after, Snape, who was fully trusted by Voldemort, appeared in the principal''s office of Hogwarts, quietly looking at Dumbledore behind the desk.


    "I don''t understand why you revealed the news of the Deathly Hallows to the Dark Lord." Snape asked, "If he gets this wand, it will be difficult for anyone to stop him from bing more powerful."


    "Yes, I know this very well." Dumbledore gently stroked the old wand in his hand and said softly.


    "But you still let me do it." Snape''s voice was very stiff.


    "Believe me, Severus, it is necessary to let Voldemort get this wand." Dumbledore said, "The wand he used when he was in school broke a year ago, destroyed by the shback spell between Harry''s wand... He should be eager to find a new wand."


    "But he has recently got a brand new wand, which was forced to be made for him by Ollivander." Snape said, "He may not necessarily be interested in this old wand."


    "No, I know Tom, he will not let go of anything that can enhance his strength." Dumbledore chuckled, "He will definitely be eager "I''m sorry I don''t understand, what''s the point of you trying so hard to get the old wand into his hands?" Snape said in a mocking tone, "To find yourself a stronger opponent?" "Don''t worry, Severus." Dumbledore shook his head and motioned Snape to sit down on the sofa opposite, "I think... it''s time to tell you something." "Huh, after being a spy for you for so long, have I finally gained the trust of the great Professor Dumbledore?" Snape sneered and turned to sit on the sofa. "What do you want to tell me?" he asked. Dumbledore took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I want to tell you something very important, Severus, I hope you can control your mood for the time being..."


    "Under the joint research of Professor Drac and I, the truth of fifteen years ago was restored - on the night when Voldemort tried to kill Harry, when Lily used her life to stand between them, the killing curse rebounded to Voldemort himself."


    "A piece of Voldemort''s soul was blown away and attached to the only living soul in the house..."


    Hearing this, Snape''s mocking expression gradually changed, and his child''s hole slowly shrank.


    "I think you have guessed that part of Voldemort''s soul lives in Harry. Therefore, Harry has the ability to talk to snakes and can connect with Voldemort''s thoughts... Harry has formed an alternative Horcrux."


    "As long as the soul fragment that has not been discovered by Voldemort is still attached to Harry, Voldemort can never really die."


    The sofa that Snape leaned on was very close to Dumbledore, but in his eyes, Dumbledore''s figure seemed to be getting farther and farther away, and Dumbledore''s voice echoed far away in his ears.


    "Then the boy... the boy must die?" Snape asked calmly.


    "Yes, Severus." Dumbledore nodded heavily, "and it must be done by Voldemort himself, that is very important."


    Another long silence.


    "I thought... for so many years... I thought we were protecting him." Snape''s voice became a little trembling, "For her... for Lily..."


    "We protect him because we must train him, cultivate him, and let him hone his abilities and will," Dumbledore still closed his eyes and said with difficulty, "When he chooses to die resolutely, it means theplete end of Voldemort."


    Dumbledore slowly opened his eyes and looked at Snape quietly.


    "You let him live just so that he can die at the right time?" Snape''s expression became very ugly.


    "I went undercover for you, made up lies for you, took mortal risks for you... All of this was to ensure the safety of Lily Potter''s son. Now you tell me that you raised him like a pig to be ughtered-"


    "How touching, Severus," Dumbledore said softly, "Are you really starting to like that boy?"


    "Do you think I like him?"


    Snape stood up uncontrobly, pulled out his wand, and waved it heavily-


    "Expe!"

 Chapter 305 - 305 Regime change at the Ministry of Magic

    <h4>Chapter 305: Regime change at the Ministry of Magic</h4>


    The candlelight in the headmaster''s office seemed to dim.


    A bright silver doe flew out from the tip of Snape''s staff, leaping lightly in the air around the office, and finally flew out of the window and disappeared into the night.


    Dumbledore looked back at it in a daze, watching its silver light disappear, then turned around and looked at Snape, his eyes filled with tears.


    "Lily... after so long, you still...?"


    "Always like this." Snape said.


    Dumbledore fell silent for a long time without saying a word.


    Snape just stared at Dumbledore, as if waiting for the old headmaster with far-sighted strategies to give him an exnation and tell him what the meaning of everything he had done to protect Harry was.


    After a long time, Dumbledore sighed deeply and wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with emotion.


    "I will give you an exnation, Severus." He said slowly, "You know, I also don''t want Harry to go down the destined path like this... He is still so young."


    Dumbledore''s voice was very light, almost like talking to himself, as if this exnation was not for Snape, but for himself.


    "That''s why I exposed the existence of the Elder Wand to Voldemort. I need him to get this wand... But before Voldemort gets this wand, the owner of the wand must be you!"


    Snape was stunned.


    "What are you kidding?" He frowned, "How can I get the approval of the Elder Wand from you? It is a Deathly Hallows anyway!"


    "I''m not kidding, Severus." Dumbledore said softly, "I will find a suitable opportunity for you to kill me in front of other Death Eaters... Only if you kill me in person can youpletely gain Voldemort''s trust."


    "I tell you, Dumbledore, this joke is not funny at all!" Snape sneered and said in a sarcastic tone, "If you want to change the subject in such a boring way, then I can only say that you are really old and stupid."


    "Please listen to me, Severus, I am telling you a n very seriously - a n that has a glimmer of hope to keep Harry alive." Dumbledore looked at Snape and said seriously.


    "Then go on." Snape threw his cloak and sat back on the sofa. "I''m curious about what tricks you are ying."


    Dumbledore smiled and looked at Snape''s eyes through his sses with his deep blue eyes. His expression seemed very rxed.


    But the words he said were like a storm, shaking Snape''s heart heavily.


    "I just thought of this n not long ago, because I got this ring from Voldemort by coincidence."


    Dumbledore smiled and rubbed the ck gem ring on his index finger, and said to Snape, "Perhaps you have guessed that this is one of the legendary Deathly Hallows - the Resurrection Stone."


    "Now I have both the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone in my hands, and I also know where the Invisibility Cloak is... So by chance, the Deathly Hallows that we have been looking for for decades are easily gathered in one ce."


    "In the legend, the person who collects the three Deathly Hallows will be the master of the god of death. This is obviously a myth, Exaggerated, the Deathly Hallows are just three extremely powerful magical creations. "


    "But after my research, I found that these three magical creationsbined do have some special effects... It allows the holder to have a choice on the road to death, and can stay between life and death."


    "With this ability, I can wait for Harry''s arrival in that lostnd and guide his wandering soul back to his body... This is the only way to let Harry survive."


    Dumbledore looked at Snape gently, his tone was quite calm, as if he was chatting about some ordinary family matters.


    Snape seemed to be shocked by Dumbledore''s idea, his eyes contracted violently, his throat choked, and he didn''t make any sound for a long time.


    Dumbledore didn''t speak either, just looked at him quietly, waiting for him to digest theseplex and shocking information.


    The starlight outside the window gradually dimmed, and a dawn light crossed the distant sky.


    "Are you crazy?!" Snape shouted, "What are you thinking? Using the life of a great wizard to exchange for an ordinary student? And at this moment when the wizarding world is in chaos?!"


    "The value of life is equally precious, Severus, no one is better than anyone else." Dumbledore chuckled, "Why not use my old man''s life to exchange for the survival of a young man?"


    "This ispletely different!" Snape growled, "Can I understand it this way? Voldemort is trying to destroy the stability of the wizarding world. At this time, as the only wizard he fears, you are nning to escape?"


    "Don''t worry too much. I am not the only one in the wizarding world who can deal with Voldemort." Dumbledore still said gently, "Professor Drac will not leave the students alone."


    "What about Grindelwald?" Snape asked, "He escaped from Nurmengard not long ago. Don''t tell I don''t know this news!"


    "Don''t worry, Grindelwald has changed a lot since fifty years ago, and he won''t start another war." Dumbledore said, "As for his ideas... Actually, that was my opinion. It''s not necessarily a bad thing to change the thinking of the magic world."


    "Don''t look at me like that, Severus, I''m not on this path just to save Harry''s life; on the road to death, I have other things to do..."


    "The magic world is not only threatened by Voldemort, but there is also a more terrifying death waiting behind Voldemort."


    "When that timees, I will deal with the threat of the death... As for Voldemort and other dark wizards in the world, I''ll leave it to you."


    His tone was rxed, but his blue eyes looked at Snape sharply, as if he could really see the soul they had been talking about.


    After a long time, Snape nodded stiffly.


    Outside the window, bright rays of sunlight lit up from the horizon, illuminating the ck Lake and the castle inch by inch, dispelling thest darkness before dawn.


    Dumbledore seemed satisfied.


    "Thank you, Severus..."


    He said softly, while walking around the desk, approaching Snape''s ear, and slowly telling his n.


    ...


    A lot of things happened this summer vacation.


    Voldemort is back, the Daily Prophet published this incident, and the Ministry of Magic distributed emergency dark magic defense home booklets to every wizard family for free.


    Fifty yearster, the first Dark Lord, Grindelwald, escaped from Nurmengard and took over as the headmaster of Durmstrang School of Magic;


    Many parents in Durmstrang protested, but the students in the school seemed to be possessed. Most of them were unwilling to go home for the summer vacation, but preferred to stay in Durmstrang to listen to Grindelwald''s lectures;


    The Austrian Ministry of Magic turned to the International Confederation of Wizards and tried to arrange for Aurors to sneak into the school to find out the situation. However, usually before entering the Durmstrang castle, the Aurors would lose their minds and fly around like headless flies.


    Many of the original seventh-grade students graduated. Victor Krum, a well-known seeker in the magic world, did not stay in Durmstrang like his other ssmates to listen to Grindelwald''s teachings because of his grandfather''s old hatred;


    He left school and returned to the Bulgarian Quidditch team to be a professional yer, but because of the activeness of the two Dark Lords, most wizards tended to stay at home, and the Quidditch sport became somewhat declining, and the future was worrying.


    Fred and George also graduated sessfully, and they really used the Galleons they won from Bagman to open a joke shop in Diagon Alley;


    Because of the increasingly depressing atmosphere in the magic world, the joke shop was weed by many wizards, and their business was very prosperous. It took only two months for them to have the confidence to open a branch in Hogsmeade.


    In addition, the British Ministry of Magic has also changed its regime-


    "So, you are no longer the Minister of Magic?"


    Drac took a newspaper away from his face and looked at the guy in front of him with a pale round face and two teeth sticking out of his lips with interest.


    "Yes... yes, Lord Earl." Fudge answered cautiously.


    The newspaper that was originally in Drac''s hand was thrown lightly on the table next to him. The title on it was:


    "Ms. Bones seeds Fudge as the new Minister of Magic"


    Most of the front page was upied by arge ck and white photo of a witch. She stood on a tform with a serious face and waved her hand outside the frame.


    "Ms. Amelia Bones, former Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, has been confirmed to seed Cornelius Fudge as Minister of Magic, and Rufus Scrimgeour, former Head of the Auror Office, has been appointed Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.


    Due to the evasion and inaction of the former Minister of Magic Fudge, and the confirmation of the rumored evidence that he had be a vampire, this appointment has been widely and warmly weed by the wizardingmunity." The newspaper read.


    Drac looked at Fudge, who looked reserved, and said, "Tsk".


    "You hid your vampire identity well, howe it was exposed?" he asked, "I thought you could keep hiding it."


    "It was all because of those two bitches Amelia Bones and Scrimgeour. They tampered with my public speech to win people''s hearts." Fudge said bitterly, "It was originally a cloudy day, and that''s why I agreed to give the speech outdoors."


    "Who knew that these two people used the simple excuse of needing good weather to appease the emotions of the wizarding world, and used a meteorological spell to move the clouds away!"


    "So you Exposing the identity of the vampire on the spot?" Dracughed gloatingly, "Be thankful, it''s good that a low-level vampire like you didn''t turn into ash directly when encountering sunlight."


    "But... but all my previous efforts were wasted!" Fudge covered his round face and said painfully, "Those who voted were also the same. I tried my best to give each of them a temporary dark magic defense manual the day before, but they turned their faces and refused to recognize me the next day!"


    "What manual?" Drac asked curiously.


    "Temporary defense manual in wartime." Fudge said, taking out a purple booklet from his arms and handing it to Drac.


    The booklet was printed with eye-catching words:


    "Authorized by the Ministry of Magic to protect you and your family from the harm of dark magic


    ...


    If you see or encounter an Inferi, please report to the Ministry of Magic in time."


    ...


    Drac flipped through the wartime booklet and then curled his lips.


    "It''s just such a thin booklet, and there''s no substantial content. Do you expect to get those wizards to support you with this?" He looked at Fudge sarcastically and said casually.


    "You can''t say that..." Fudge stammered, "I''m just a little unwilling, and I think I shouldn''t be driven out so hastily."


    "Why, can I understand that you are ming me for turning you into a vampire?" Drac raised his eyebrows.


    "I dare not, I dare not..." Fudge shook his head hurriedly.


    His current identity is just a low-level vampire who came to Drac''s castle to pay homage to the leader of the blood n. He was surrounded by high-level blood ns with terrible breath, and he didn''t dare to have any idea of ??offending Drac.


    What''s more, he also needed help this time, otherwise he would find a ce to hide secretly. Why would hee to a ce full of vampires to suffer for himself?


    "Tell me, what is your purpose ining to me?" Drac asked casually, "I don''t believe you are someone who is willing topletely integrate into the vampire n."


    "Yes... yes, I do have something to trouble the Count." Fudge bent over and said with a smile, "I know you have absolute say in the vampire n, and you also have influence on the werewolves not far away, so I came to you on purpose."


    "I came here on behalf of the Ministry of Magic, hoping to form an alliance with the vampires and the two tribes to fight against the mysterious man and Grindelwald together!"


    Drac nced at Fudge and felt a little funny.


    "Haven''t you abdicated? How can you stille here to negotiate on behalf of the Ministry of Magic?" Drac asked.


    "I haven''tpletely failed yet. As long as the cooperation between the Ministry of Magic and vampires and werewolves can be negotiated, I can make great contributions to the Ministry of Magic." Fudge saw that he couldn''t hide it from Drac, so he simply told the truth.


    "When Amelia Bones makes some serious mistakes, I will most likely get another chance to return to the position of Minister!"


    "Is that so?" Drac chuckled, "Then why don''t you take a look at who this is?"


    He snapped his fingers.


    A curtain was pushed open, and a middle-aged witch stood behind it, looking at Fudge with a serious expression.


    Her face was exactly the same as the one in the newspaper next to her.

 Chapter 306 - 306 The impending war

    <h4>Chapter 306: The impending war</h4>


    "Ah... Amelia?" Fudge was so scared that he almost jumped up, and asked stutteringly, "Why are you here?"


    "I am carrying out the few excellent administrative directions of the previous minister." Amelia Bones said calmly.


    "In view of the good rtionship between Count Drac and the teachers and students of Hogwarts in the past, the decision-making group of the Ministry of Magic believes that he is a powerful force that can be won; and Count Drac''s identity determines that I muste here in person to negotiate..."


    "However, I didn''t expect that during our negotiation, I found a familiar name to visit."


    Amelia stared at Fudge and said seriously: "Cornelly, don''t you have any reflection on why you stepped down? The exposure of the vampire identity is just a trigger. The wizarding people have been dissatisfied with your inaction for a long time!"


    "I was... I concealed the news of the mysterious man just to suppress the panic in the magic world!" Fudge argued stubbornly, "Who knew that after suddenly learning such shocking news, What will happen to those ignorant wizard families? Maybe the Death Eaters haven''t started the turmoil yet, but they will start the turmoil themselves..."


    "Don''t make excuses, Cornelius, you are just afraid that you can''t control the situation and don''t want to lose your power." Amelia said, "You don''t consider the people in the wizarding world at all, which is why Rufus and I must get rid of you."


    "You are a liar!" Fudge shouted loudly, "Don''t think I don''t know that you are just for my position! You became the Minister of Magic, and Rufus Scrimgeour reced you as the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The biggest beneficiaries are you two!"


    "Not everyone cares about power as much as you do, Cornelius." Amelia shook her head slightly.


    "I remember you weren''t like this before. Old Barty was supposed to be the Minister of Magic, but you happened to catch up with his son''s ident and took over the position of Minister... You were very unpopr when you first took office, and you relied on writing letters to Headmaster Dumbledore every day to stabilize your position."


    "But I don''t know when you started to be obsessed with this position. Is it because power has brought you too many temptations?"


    Amelia''s eyes were filled with confusion, disappointment, contempt, and even disgust, which directly broke Fudge''s psychological defenses.


    "Why do you look at me like that!" Fudge shouted indignantly, "Are you sure that if you stay in this position for a few years, you won''t be like me?"


    "No matter what kind of person I be in the future, at least I am working for the stability of the wizarding world in this war!" Amelia said calmly, "I will personally negotiate with the vampires, you can go home and retire with peace of mind."


    "No... I am unwilling..." Fudge murmured in a daze, "I am sure there will be a chance to be the Minister of Magic again... There must be..."


    He suddenly looked at Drac and said hopefully: "Count Drac... Lord Count! I am now I''m your subordinate. It would be good for you if I became the Minister of Magic, right? "


    "Even if you don''t care about those benefits, it''s very prestigious to have a Minister of Magic as your younger brother!"


    "Amelia happens to be here. You can easily kill her or detain her, and then announce to the public that you have reached a cooperation with me personally. Then I will definitely have a better chance of bing the Minister than Rufus Scrimgeour..."


    The sessive blows during this period almost made Fudge lose his mind. The position of Minister of Magic has be an obsession for him. If he died on the spot now, he would most likely be a ghost who is obsessed with bing the Minister.


    Looking at Fudge''s ridiculous behavior of desperately seeking medical treatment, Drac''s mouth curled up a hint of interest.


    Amelia Bones looked at Drac with some concern and secretly made a defensive posture.


    She was not sure whether the moody vampire lord would agree to Fudge''s request for a little benefit or a little face... Unfortunately, the Auror who followed was stopped outside the castle by the vampire guards, otherwise she might have more confidence.


    Just when Amelia was feeling uneasy, the smile on Drac''s face suddenly turned cold.


    "Who do you think you are? How dare you call yourself my subordinate?" He said lightly, "Besides, this proposal is really boring... Do you really think I don''t have subordinates of the Minister of Magic?"


    Fudge and Amelia opened their eyes wide at the same time.


    "I suggest you use your brains to think about why the living conditions of vampires in Romania are so much better than those in other countries?" Drac asked with a chuckle, "Is it just because the wizards here have no prejudice against vampires?"


    Amelia Bones suddenly remembered some details - when ministers from multiple countries met, no matter which Romanian Minister of Magic, they always liked to enter the room with a ck parasol, and all outdoor meetings would be rejected, and they rarely participated in banquets.


    Originally, she thought this was some special traditional customs in Romania, but nowbined with Drac''s tone, it is easy to draw a conclusion -


    The Minister of Magic in Romania has always been controlled by vampires!


    Amelia took a breath and had a new understanding of the power of Drac''s Castle.


    This understanding also made her more eager to hope that the British Ministry of Magic could reach a cooperation with Drac... At least don''t let this group belonging to the dark forces be won over by Voldemort.


    Fudge''s eyes also became a little desperate.


    "But...but the British Ministry of Magic is different from Romania. Isn''t it better for your minister to have more subordinates?" He finally struggled to say.


    "Sorry, I''m not interested." Drac waved his hand casually, "Come on, two people, drive Mr. Fudge back to his own country, and then add his name to the cklist of Drac Castle."


    "I think he needs to experience how vampires can survive in the magic world without the protection of Drac Castle!"


    Seeing the two vampires guarding the doore in, Fudge shouted in panic: "No...no, my Lord, I have other uses..."


    However, Drac hadpletely lost interest in him, and let his subordinates throw Fudge out of the castle, and then turned his attention directly to the current Minister of Magic, Amelia Bones.


    "Then we can finally talk quietly, Ms. Bones, how did youe up with the idea of ??cooperating with me?" Drac''s face returned to a smile, "From your perspective, shouldn''t I be a criminal who forcibly converted wizards into vampires in public?"


    Amelia Bones also showed a reserved smile on her face and gently sat on the chair opposite Drac.


    "To be honest, some people in the Ministry are dissatisfied with your behavior." She said softly, "Rufus doesn''t appreciate your style of doing things."


    "However, not only is he dissatisfied with you, Rufus also has a lot of opinions about Headmaster Dumbledore. Because building a force independently and confronting the mysterious man without the Ministry of Magic is actually a way to undermine the authority of the Ministry of Magic."


    "Oh?" Drac raised his eyebrows, "If he can even have opinions about someone like Dumbledore, shouldn''t he hate me? He didn''t stop you froming to me to discuss cooperation?"


    "In fact, there may be many members of the Ministry of Magic who are dissatisfied with you like Rufus, but there are still many members who are optimistic about cooperating with you." Amelia said, "You Maybe you know Percy Weiss? "


    "Of course." Drac nodded, "I remember that he was originally Barty Crouch''s personal assistant."


    "Yes, after the Ministry confirmed that old Barty was killed, I didn''t want to dy Percy''s talent, so I made him the secretary of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Amelia said, "In addition to Percy, there are many young people who have just joined the Ministry of Magic and admire you very much."


    "The proportion of such young people in the Ministry of Magic is not small. Because of their efforts, the Ministry of Magic voted and passed the n to unite with the vampire n... At that time, Rufus was quite angry."


    "Tsk, it''s hard for those little guys to be willing to speak for a vampire." Drac chuckled.


    "To them, your first identity is their professor, and your second identity is the leader of the vampire n." Amelia also smiled and said, "It seems that Count Drac is very popr in Hogwarts."


    "A group of blind little guys actually like to listen to the vampire professor''s lectures." Drac shook his head helplessly, but the smile on his face was hard to hide easily.


    "So..." Amelia pursed her lips and asked, "For your students, is Count Drac willing to join forces with the British Ministry of Magic to deal with the uing war?"


    Drac looked at Amelia''s serious expression, and the corners of his mouth gradually curled up.


    "With pleasure."


    He stood up from his tall chair and walked to the door of this reception room.


    "Let me think... Well, Te, it''s you!" He pointed to a high-level vampire with a goatee who was on duty outside, "You represent Drac Castle and take some low-level vampires to Ennd to cooperate with Ms. Bones at any time."


    "By the way, how is Cedric''s vampire talent and skills learning? If there is no problem, take him with you and let him go home to visit his parents and old friends..."


    "Selena, help me pass a message to Lupin of the werewolf tribe next door-"


    "Just say... let him go to Ennd with those ambitious werewolves to fight Voldemort. Whether we can reverse the inherent impression of werewolves and vampires in the magic world in one fell swoop depends on this time!"


    ...


    The war seemed to be on the verge of breaking out.


    No one expected the Death Eaters to act so quickly.


    Shortly after Amelia Bones left Romania and returned to the British territory through the portkey, she was stopped by several Death Eaters before she could return to the Ministry of Magic.


    "Yaxley, you are indeed a Death Eater!" Amelia looked at the man in front of her with blond hair and a gorgeous robe, her face was very ugly.


    "Didn''t you already know about this?" Yaxley stared at Amelia fiercely, his eyes showing no trace of anger. "Didn''t the traitor Lucius Malfoy tell you my identity?"


    "If I didn''t have a few well-informed friends in the Ministry, I might have been caught by Scrimgeour by now..."


    "Damn it! The war is about to begin, how can there still be people in the Ministry who can''t see the seriousness of the situation?" Amelia stamped her feet and gritted her teeth, "My schedule was also told to you by those people, right?"


    "Of course, who told you to arrange the arrest in secret?" Yaxley said coldly, "Others don''t know that I''m a Death Eater. As long as they give out a few more Galleons, they can easily find out your schedule."


    "It seems that you have been nning for a long time, and you are ready to find an opportunity to kill me, the new Minister of Magic, right?" Amelia asked.


    "Of course, we can''t let the Ministry of Magic and Drac form an alliance." Yaxley sneered, "As long as we kill all of you here, no one will know how you died... Then we canpletely frame your death on Drac andpletely destroy your alliance."


    "Once you are removed as an obstacle, we will use the Imperius Curse to control an official of the Ministry of Magic and support him to take over your position as Minister of Magic."


    "This method can kill two birds with one stone and let the Dark Lord easily control the entire Ministry of Magic!"


    "You talk too much, Corban!" Avery, another Death Eater next to Yaxley, reminded, "It''s better to get ahead of yourself. Let''s get started."


    Amelia took out her wand and winked at the Aurors who were acting as bodyguards around her.


    The Aurors raised their wands and blocked Amelia to prevent her from being hit by the sudden spell.


    "That''s a good idea, but do you think you can hurt me with just a few of you?" Amelia''s voice came from behind the many Aurors.


    In fact, in addition to being a politician, she is also a very talented wizard with excellent spellcasting ability.


    This kind of Death Eater posture obviously can''t easily deal with her.


    "We know you are strong, Amelia." At this time, Yaxley''s voice sounded again, "So there is another big gift waiting for you!"


    As soon as his voice fell, arge group of infernal corpses with stiff movements, ulcerated skin, and Yin Qi wrapped all over their bodies appeared behind him and surrounded him from all directions.


    At the same time, many werewolves subdued by Voldemort rushed up with their teeth bared; there were also Dementors floating in the air in the distance...


    It seemed that in the blink of an eye, this ce became a dark creature army, drowning Amelia and the surrounding Aurors.

 Chapter 307 - 307 The balance of victory tilts back and forth

    <h4>Chapter 307: The bnce of victory tilts back and forth</h4>


    The scene in front of her made Amelia Bones look a little heavy.


    Not only was the excessive number of enemies a threat to her, but the gathering of these dark creatures also proved that Voldemort''s power had expanded again.


    The dark camp would naturally favor powerful dark wizards like Voldemort, because dark wizards often have no scruples and will promise them extremely generous conditions.


    Amelia is now very grateful that the Ministry of Magic has passed a resolution to cooperate with Count Drac, winning over almost all vampires, as well as some werewolves headed by Lupin, and dividing arge number of dark creatures.


    Otherwise, she really doesn''t know how to stop the expansion of Voldemort''s dark forces.


    Of course, now is not the time to think about these things. How to escape from thisrge-scale attack is the most important thing.


    "We will try to dy as much as possible," Amelia whispered to the Auror beside her, "James Lupin should be here with the werewolves soon, but they need some time to prepare; the vampires may be faster, maybe we still have a chance to wait for their support."


    "We will protect your safety, Ms. Bones." The Auror Captain nodded and said to Amelia, "The Death Eaters should have been prepared and have arranged the anti-Apparition spell in advance. We can only take it step by step..."


    "...ording to the normal response method, we will follow the conventional means of the defense manual, first use protective magic to block, and then look for a way to break through the siege."


    "Well, you do your own thing, don''t worry about my safety." Amelia said calmly, "I know what is written in the Auror''s defense manual."


    The captain of the Auror team remembered that the current Minister of Magic was originally the Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the Auror Office was under her jurisdiction. Of course, she knew how to cooperate with the Aurors'' actions next.


    So he put his mind at ease and raised his wand first-


    "Protego totalum!"


    The surrounding Aurors raised their wands with him, and a series of protective spells were chanted from their mouths:


    "Protego Horribilis."


    "Salvio Hexia."


    "Fumos."


    "..."


    As the Aurors chanted spells one after another, a solid transparent barrier appeared around them, and a mist rose up quickly, blocking the sight of the Death Eaters and werewolves.


    "These protective spells should be able to dy for a while, but they can''t stop the Dementors." The Auror Captain quickly instructed his men around him, "Line up, the Aurors in the middle of the team are responsible for using the Patronus Charm to stop the Dementors, and the Aurors on the periphery are careful to guard against poisonous spells that are missed by the protective magic!"


    Before he finished speaking, a dense rain of beatings fell on the protective shield, and the partially deformed sharp ws of the werewolf tore the barrier, making a harsh friction sound.


    Then, the unique cold breath of the Dementors drilled in from the periphery, apanied by a gloomy "crackling" sound, and negative emotions came to the face.


    The Aurors who had been prepared quickly cast the Patronus Charm to form a silver barrier.


    However, the threshold of the Patronus Charm was too high in the past. Most of these Aurors were not as good as the students Drac trained casually at Hogwarts, and no Auror could use theplete version of the Patronus Charm.


    These barriers were only formed by a piece of silver mist, and the best spells were just the prototypes of some animals.


    One or two Dementors might be a little afraid of this Patronus Charm, but this time, almost all the Dementors who defected from the entire Azkaban Ind came here.


    Their dark aurasbined together to create a considerable resistance to this iplete Patronus.


    As for the Aurors on the periphery, they need to concentrate all their attention to repair the shields that are broken or torn from time to time in time, and they are overwhelmed by the spells that prate the barrier and have no time to care about anything else.


    Amelia sighed softly when she saw this scene.


    "Forget it, just focus on dealing with spells and werewolves, and leave the Dementors to me." She said to the Aurors, "Have you found your shorings? If you can return to the Ministry safely, increase your training for me. Your strength is obviously not enough now!"


    As she spoke, she raised her wand high.


    A small silver badger jumped out from the tip of her wand, passed through the silver barrier jointly constructed by the Aurors, ran in the air, and rushed towards the group of Dementors.


    The full version of the Patronus Charm is indeed the nemesis of Dementors. This group of dark creatures subconsciously began to hide away from the silver badger... Under Amelia''s control, the badger quickly expelled the Dementors from the protective magic.


    After eliminating the threat of Dementors, most Aurors breathed a sigh of relief and turned to concentrate on blocking the attacks of Death Eaters and werewolves.


    The scene was deadlocked for a while.


    "This won''t work. Staying in one ce will only limit our own steps." The Auror Captain frowned and said solemnly, "They can call for other reinforcements at any time, and we are trapped here without any supplies."


    "Well, be prepared to break out." Amelia nodded, "The magic level of the werewolves here is mostly average, and they can be used as a breakthrough point."


    "I know." The Auror Captain nodded.


    He carefully exined the precautions to the other Aurors around him, and then they quickly lined up and opened a hole in the protective shield from the direction of the werewolves.


    Most of the werewolves were still tearing at the shield frantically, and suddenly there was no resistance in front of them, which made them stumble.


    The next moment, a waterfall-like spell gushed out from the opening of the shield, instantly defeating arge number of half-beast werewolves.


    Then, Amelia followed a group of Aurors, casting light body spells and speed-up spells on herself, while quickly passing through the crowd and running out of the fog created by the smoke screen spell.


    While the Death Eaters and the dark creatures they allied with had not yet reacted, they almost broke through the encirclement and approached the boundary set by the anti-apparition spell...


    However, Amelia and the others stopped at thest moment.


    "That group of rubbish is really unreliable, and they can''t even deal with a few Aurors!" A crazy witch stopped in front of them and cursed with dissatisfaction.


    Behind her stood a group of wizards in gray and ck robes. Both their attire and behavior proved their identity-the core group of Death Eaters.


    "Betrix, why are you here?" Yaxley rushed up from the back and asked the leading witch.


    "You are useless!" Betrix cursed, "The Dark Lord called us here to do the finishing work to ensure that everything is foolproof. Who knew that so many of you couldn''t even control their people?"


    Yaxley looked a little ugly.


    Of course, Amelia and the Aurors led by the Auror Captain looked even uglier.


    The Aurors had never thought that Voldemort would attach so much importance to the new Minister of Magic that almost all the core Death Eaters would be dispatched...


    And Amelia knew more. She knew that the person Voldemort attached importance to was not her, the Minister of Magic, but Drac, who had disrupted his ns several times.


    The alliance between the Ministry of Magic and Drac was something Voldemort did not want to see, so he had to ensure that this operation was foolproof!


    After being blocked by Betrix and other Death Eaters for only a moment, the werewolves, Dementors and other dark creatures behind caught up again, forming a more solid encirclement than thest time.


    Moreover, after the addition of the core Death Eaters, the opponent''s cutting-edge forcespletely surpassed Amelia and the captain of the Auror team, and the Ministry of Magic fell into aplete disadvantage.


    "How do you want to escape now, Bones?" Betrix smiled nervously and said to Amelia, "I advise you to surrender now, maybe you can suffer less torture."


    "Okay." Amelia also smiled kindly and slowly raised her hands.


    Be was stunned for a moment, as if she didn''t expect that the newly appointed Minister of Magic would be more spineless than Fudge.


    However, the next moment, Amelia, who had raised her hands halfway, suddenly waved her wand violently, and a dazzling red spell instantly shot towards Betrix.


    Be fell to the side in a panic, barely avoiding Amelia''sa spell, but another Death Eater behind her was hit and fell to the ground.


    "Damn bitch, you dare to y tricks on me!" Be screamed and stood up from the ground and wanted to rush to Amelia.


    But the Auror Captain stood in front of her first.


    "Ms. Bones, we will stop them here, you find a chance to leave!" He said loudly.


    Amelia also knew that this was not the time to shirk responsibility, so she nodded and walked around Be''s side, and the wand in her hand continued to release powerful light.


    Few of the core Death Eaters could receive her spell, and she broke through the obstacles in front of her and came to the end of the Death Eater team...


    Just when Amelia was about to Apparate to evacuate first, and then call more Death Eaters back to rescue the Auror team, a masked figure stood in front of her.


    "Get out of the way!" Amelia shouted.


    At the same time, a sharp petrification spell was shot at the masked Death Eater.


    However, unlike the previous unstoppable effect, this spell was easily deflected by the masked Death Eater, and then another spell was shot from his wand at Amelia.


    Amelia''s eyes became serious, realizing that she had met a top-notch dark wizard.


    The spells were stirred back and forth, and the two people quickly fought several times. Amelia became more and more frightened... She found that the Death Eater on the opposite side was not weaker than her strength, and was even stronger.


    There were only a few Death Eaters with such strength, and they were all on the list that Lucius Malfoy gave to the Ministry of Magic.


    However, Amelia had no way to match the person in front of her with the Death Eaters on the list...


    "Wait, you are...?!"


    Suddenly, Amelia opened her eyes wide.


    Lucius did give out a name, but that name was guaranteed by Dumbledore, so it was excluded... However, the Death Eater guaranteed by Dumbledore canpletely match the masked man in front of him!


    Seeing Amelia''s expression, the masked Death Eater frowned.


    He seized Amelia''s w and cast another fiercea spell.


    Amelia was shocked and did not react in time. When she wanted to recite the spell to resist, it was toote...


    At the critical moment, a man with a goatee appeared in front of Amelia, and he opened a pair of ck wings behind him, blocking the masked Death Eater''s spell behind him.


    "Are you okay, Ms. Bones?" the man asked.


    "I''m fine." Amelia let go of her worries and looked at the winged goatee man in front of her. "You are... Count Drac''s subordinate, Mr. Te?"


    "I''m d you still remember me." Te smiled and retracted his wings. "I was waiting for Mr. Lupin and his team to act together in Romania. I was dyed for a while and camete."


    "Leave it to us next!"


    Then he looked at the sky that was suddenly blocked by heavy clouds - that was the weather spell that Lupin cast to facilitate the vampires to act during the day.


    In the sky, countless wings pped, almost covering the sky.


    Countless vampiresnded from the sky and met the group of enemies who belonged to the dark camp.


    And the werewolves led by Lupin also found those werewolves who were self-degrading and associated with the ck wizards, and taught them a lesson with the mentality of cleaning up the door.


    Unlike the werewolves who voluntarily transformed themselves into half-beasts to increase their strength and also increased their brutality, the werewolves led by Lupin were fighting for the same dream, working hard to live in a magical world that does not discriminate against werewolves in the future.


    They all held wands and dressed appropriately, which formed a sharp contrast with the werewolves who were half-dressed and had scarlet eyes. If you don''t know clearly, you might think it was a group of Aurors teaching a mad werewolf a lesson.


    A handsome and tall vampirended in front of Amelia, retracted his wings, and greeted her.


    "Long time no see, Ms. Bones." He smiled, "How are Susan and the others doing recently?"


    "Cedric? It''s been a while since Ist saw you." Amelia saw the boy in front of her and smiled happily, "Susan and your Hufflepuff friends are all doing well. It seems that you are living well in Drac Castle?"


    "Well, Professor Drac takes good care of me, and other vampires are also very friendly... Of course, I think it''s because of Professor Drac''s face." Cedric smiled, "But now is not the time to reminisce, let''s get rid of those Death Eaters first!"


    "Of course!" Amelia nodded gently and raised her wand again.


    The situation on the field seemed to change in an instant, and the bnce of victory gradually tilted towards Amelia and the others...

 Chapter 308 - 308 Snape’s Choice

    <h4>Chapter 308: Snape''s Choice</h4>


    "End this battle quickly, be careful they call for other support."


    The Auror Captain waved his wand at a Death Eater, rolled on the ground to avoid a spell, and came to Te and said.


    His left arm was hit by a spell from Betrix, and it hung weakly on the side of his body, but his spirit was very excited.


    "No problem!" Te nodded.


    He spread his wings and flew into the air, opening his hands downward.


    A circle of red light slowly spread across the venue.


    Then, Te looked at Cedric, "Cooperate with me, Cedric, your blood is purer!"


    Cedric has not changed his habit of using magic for so many years, and is still using his wand to cast various magics he learned at Hogwarts. He only remembered his current identity when he heard Te''s reminder.


    He quickly raised his hand, and a brighter red light spread from his hand, brushing over the heads of all the vampires present.


    The low- and middle-level vampires seemed to be injected with chicken blood, with red light shing in their eyes. They became extremely excited in an instant, and their physical fitness was also greatly improved.


    The Death Eater camp, which was still struggling to hold on, finally couldn''t withstand the sudden surge of pressure and was instantly defeated. Countless figures were knocked to the ground and unconscious...


    Amelia Bones put down her wand and walked to Betrix who was tied to the ground by the Binding Curse.


    "We have gained a lot. There are many confidants of the mysterious man here." She said to an Auror beside her, "Take them back to the Ministry of Magic. Maybe we can get some secret information."


    "I tell you, Bones, you can''t get anything!" Be stared and roared angrily, "The Dark Lord wille to rescue us at any time, and then none of you can escape!"


    "Don''t worry, the Ministry of Magic will keep a good watch on all of you." Amelia said indifferently, "We won''t let you continue to do evil."


    However, at this moment, the anger in Be''s eyes suddenly disappeared, and an ecstatic smile appeared on her face.


    Amelia''s alertness suddenly aroused, and she turned her head subconsciously.


    She saw a ck mist falling from the sky,nding on the ground, and turned into a bald, noseless skull-like image.


    "I heard... the Ministry of Magic will keep a good watch on my servants?" Voldemort said to Amelia with a gloomy face, "So the Ministry of Magic is indeed mixed up with Drac''s disgusting vampire forces, right?"


    "Voldemort..." Amelia tightly grasped her wand, her face extremely solemn.


    A person''s reputation is like a tree''s shadow. When Amelia personally faced this dark demon that the entire magic world feared, it was impossible not to feel extremely nervous.


    She never thought that it was not enough for Voldemort to send his confidants to intercept her, but he actually chose toe to the scene in person to confirm whether the operation was sessful...


    Facing such a powerful dark demon, they could not take away the core Death Eaters, and it was a problem whether they could get away safely. It was more likely that Voldemort would catch them all in one fell swoop.


    "Mr. Te, take Cedric away first and tell Count Drac about the situation here!" Amelia took two steps back and shouted, "I will try to stop him, and the others will choose different directions to retreat. As many as can leave!"


    Te''s eyes were also very solemn.


    He pulled Cedric with him, ready to use the vampire''s unique Apparition method to break through the surrounding anti-Apparition spell and leave the scene.


    "No one wants to leave!" Voldemort''s gloomy voice sounded first.


    Without seeing Voldemort move, Te found that his body seemed to be out of control, and he could not cast any magic or make any movements.


    Cedric was a vampire transformed by Drac himself, and his situation was slightly better, but he was far from grown up. He could only turn his arm with difficulty and hold the wand upright in front of him, but he could not recite anyplete spell.


    "This vampire looks familiar," Voldemort walked to Cedric leisurely, with a bit of curiosity in his eyes, "The boy who went to Riddle''s grave with Potter?"


    His malicious scarlet eyes narrowed.


    "I see, Drac turned you into a vampire, right?" Voldemortughed sinisterly, "He is indeed a hypocritical guy, on the surface he is your professor, but in fact he is selecting talented subordinates for himself..."


    Cedric''s face flushed red, and the veins on his face were constantly beating.


    "You are not allowed to say that about Professor Drac!" He broke through Voldemort''s suppression for a short time, and aa spell shot out from Cedric''s wand.


    A trace of surprise shed across Voldemort''s eyes, and he raised his wand to remove thea spell in front of him.


    "Vampires are really interesting, they can increase the magic power of a young wizard who has just reached adulthood so much..." He said thoughtfully.


    Then, Voldemort''s eyes were filled with anger again, "But forget about using this power to deal with me. I am no longer the same as before. I can easily defeat Drac even if I meet him face to face!"


    "Come on, I''ll send you on your way first, and soon I''ll send Drac to see you!"


    He waved his wand¡ª¡ª


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    At the moment the green light came on, Cedric''s body suddenly moved sideways a few feet.


    The light of the Kedavra curse hit a tattered werewolf behind Cedric. The werewolf''s smug grin froze on his face and he fell heavily to the ground.


    The Aurors and vampires present suddenly felt that their bodies could move, and the heavy pressure on their bodies disappeared...


    The next moment, a ball of golden-red me lit up.


    Dumbledore''s white hair was like a clear white cloud in the dark weather covered by stratus clouds, swaying in the wind.


    "Albus Dumbledore!"


    Looking at the white-haired figure that suddenly descended, Voldemort''s eyes widened, as if he was about to spit out angry mes.


    "How is it possible? How could youe so timely! I clearly blocked all the channels of information!" He roared angrily, "Tell me, are there any undercover agents of you and Drac among the Death Eaters!"


    Voldemort nced around with resentment and suspicion, sweeping through the eyes of every Death Eater.


    All he could see was the incredible and confused eyes of his servants, not the panic and dodge of being exposed.


    "Severus, is it you!" Voldemort turned his eyes to Snape, who was wearing a mask on his face.


    The n to snipe Amelia Bones waspleted recently. All the Death Eaters involved in the n stayed by Voldemort''s side. The dark allies such as werewolves and dementors were notified before the action began.


    In other words, there was only one person who could pass the message to Dumbledore in time, and that was Severus Snape, who had been an undercover agent in Hogwarts for a long time to prevent being exposed.


    Moreover, Snape''s brain lumency was also quite good, and Voldemort knew that he could hide from his Legilimency investigation.


    So the person who betrayed Voldemort was about to be revealed.


    However, Snape''s eyes showed a trace of confusion, as well as the grievance and resentment of being misunderstood.


    He knelt on one knee and said in a firm voice: "Master, please understand, I have never betrayed you!"


    Dumbledore, who was opposite Voldemort, also showed a look of surprise and anger on his face. He looked at Snape and asked: "Severus, are you on Voldemort''s side?!"


    Snape was silent for a while, but still slowly said: "Sorry, Headmaster, but I have been a Death Eater from beginning to end..."


    "Severus, I trusted you so much!" Dumbledore shook his head disappointedly, "I didn''t pursue your past as a Death Eater, and I wanted you to take over as the headmaster of Hogwarts after retirement... Unfortunately, you still didn''t reform after all."


    He suddenly raised his wand and shot a swift spell in the direction of Snape.


    Voldemort subconsciously raised his hand to stop the spell, and his brain fell into a state of shutdown.


    ''So it''s really not Severus who betrayed me? '' He felt a little confused and thought in confusion.


    Theoretically, Snape is more likely to betray, but it is not impossible for others to betray. What if they have some advanced alchemical equipment that can break through the blockade and pass the message?


    Moreover, Dumbledore seems to be really angry. If it is just acting, he should not use such a powerful spell on Snape, and Snape should not have a quarrel with Dumbledore in public...


    With such a true statement, he haspletely lost the opportunity to continue to be a professor at Hogwarts.


    Voldemort couldn''t figure it out, so he decided to ignore whether Snape was a traitor or not, and it was more important to get rid of Dumbledore first.


    "Dumbledore, I know... Drac is not around this time." He said viciously, "My current strength has been improved again. I will make you regreting to me alone!"


    "Whether you regret it or not, you will know after you actually fight." Dumbledore said calmly, "There is no need to involve other people. If you want to fight with all your strength, change positions with me."


    Then, the two people turned into a ball of golden red me and a gloomy ck fog respectively, and flew into a deep mountain nearby.


    As soon as Dumbledore''s figure appeared from the me, he immediately waved his wand and transformed the trees of the entire mountain around him into big hands, grabbing the ck fog with great speed.


    Voldemort''s figure also emerged from the ck fog.


    He waved his wand, and a roaring red me rolled out of his wand, instantly engulfing the wooden hands around him, and becamerger andrger after engulfing the trees.


    Soon, the Fiendish me reached the height of several people, and its form kept switching between giant snakes, fire dragons, evil eagles and other giant beasts. Every time it switched, its size would be a little bigger, and finally it actually formed a small hill of fire.


    Dumbledore looked solemn, turned his wand, and mobilized the water of ake at the foot of the mountain.


    Theke water was all raised, and almost the entireke was drained.


    The emerald greenke water formed a water tornado that connected the sky and the ground, colliding with the Fiendish me.


    At the same time, Dumbledore chanted loudly:


    "Fiem!"


    Under the dual effects of water and the breaking spell, the Fiendish me was gradually suppressed and did not engulf the entire hill.


    However, Voldemort''s figure had approached Dumbledore without knowing when, and took advantage of his unpreparedness to shoot a Cruciatus Curse at his back.


    Dumbledore quickly sensed the danger from behind, and instantly Apparated to adjust his position, suddenly appearing behind Voldemort, and also shot a sharp spell.


    Voldemort''s eyes became sharp, and he also Apparated and disappeared.


    The two people disappeared and reappeared one after another, treating Apparition, a magic that other wizards would worry about splitting up when they used it asionally, as amon movement of body, and moved from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain in a short time.


    "Is this the level of you holding the Elder Wand?" Voldemortughed, "You should abdicate, old thing, I am the most suitable wizard to be the owner of the Elder Wand!"


    "You are too obsessed with power, Tom, letting you get the Elder Wand will only harm you!" Dumbledore responded.


    "I''ve had enough of your preaching, Dumbledore!" Voldemort shouted, "Now we are in a life-and-death duel, put away your professorial habits! Be serious!"


    Dumbledore and Voldemort fought again, and the beams of magic between the two wizards were like a hail of bullets, and they actually created the momentum and light effects of two huge armies fighting.


    In the end, both of them seemed to have lost the desire to test each other, and chose the life-or-death confrontation of magic power at the same time-


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    "Reducto!"


    A green and a white spell collided with each other, and everything was silent. The sound of the whole world seemed to disappear when the two spells met...


    The light in the sky also dimmed, and it seemed that only green and white light were left in the world!


    Voldemort and Dumbledore''s faces gradually turned pale, and their hands holding the wands trembled violently...


    In contrast, Dumbledore looked calm, as if he was ready to die with his opponent; while Voldemort seemed a little flustered. He had no idea that after borrowing the power of the god of death to improve his strength, he still couldn''tpletely surpass Dumbledore.


    The two of them were deadlocked for a long time.


    At this moment, a Death Eater with greasy long hair and a sallow face walked slowly to the top of the mountain where the two great wizards were fighting with heavy steps.


    Voldemort and Dumbledore noticed him at the same time.


    Now the two of them have used up all their magic power and have no time to deal with others. The appearance of a top wizard can be thest straw that breaks the camel''s back and end this battlepletely...


    "Severus, are you here to help me?" Voldemort said with difficulty, "It''s time to prove your loyalty... Come on, attack Dumbledore, haven''t you never betrayed me? Prove it to me!"


    Snape was silent.


    Dumbledore sighed slowly and looked at Snape with deep blue eyes.


    "Severus, please." He said softly.

 Chapter 309 - 309 Dumbledore and Grindelwald’s reunion

    <h4>Chapter 309: Dumbledore and Grindelwald''s reunion</h4>


    Hearing Dumbledore''s weak request, Snape remained silent, as if brewing some emotions.


    He stared at Dumbledore for a moment, and deep disgust and hatred emerged in the rough lines on his face, all of which were revealed in Voldemort''s eyes.


    Then, Snape raised his wand and pointed it directly at Dumbledore¡ª¡ª


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    ...


    The green and white that filled the entire world disappeared.


    Voldemort smiled ecstatically, while Dumbledore widened his eyes, his expression seemed to be lonely, disappointed and unbelievable...


    But only Snape could see that in the depths of Dumbledore''s deep eyes, there was relief, satisfaction and liberation that Voldemort could never understand.


    Snape''s lips trembled, and he held back the tears that were about to burst out, forcing himself to recall the deepest and heaviest pain that Voldemort had felt when he went to Godric''s Hollow to kill Lily, and not to let the hatred and disgust change in his expression.


    Fortunately, Voldemort was in boundless ecstasy and didn''t notice Snape''s pain at all. He just thought his trembling lips were the joy of revenge.


    The flow of time seemed to be extremely slow. The three people present had different emotions, but their eyes were fixed on the strange killing curse beam mixed with a little blue light, watching it like a hand stretched forward, climbing towards Dumbledore''s heart inch by inch...


    ...


    Before Voldemort''s ecstatic expression fell, suddenly, a blue-ck me rose up around Dumbledore and formed a circle.


    If you look down from a high ce, you may feel that this circle of blue-ck mes is like a gas stove invented by the Muggle society.


    A skinny old man who looked as old as Dumbledore stood between Snape and Dumbledore, facing the killing curse mixed with a little blue...


    Endless wildness and rebellion surged in his eyes, and he waved the wand in his hand with a movement that was not proportional to his body shape-


    The killing curse was suddenly picked up and disappeared silently into a mess of trees.


    "Long time no see, Albus..."


    The old man who suddenly blocked the killing curse looked at Dumbledore, with a faint anger and a slight sense of satisfaction in his eyes, but more of it was a nostalgia that could not see the end.


    "Gellert..." Dumbledore stared at the figure in front of him, his eyes showing surprise beyond his expectation for the first time, "Why...why did you..."


    "Why did Ie here, right?" Grindelwald smiled lightly and asked softly, "Do you really think that my eyes can''t see such an important moment?"


    Dumbledore was silent for a while, and then heughed.


    "I should have thought of it earlier. Professor Drac released you from Nurmengard for this purpose." He said, "You are the only one who can see through my n..."


    Then, Dumbledore put on a happy smile on his face, "But why didn''t you return to your appearance fifty years ago as in the newspaper?"


    "It''s just to prevent you, an old man, from losing face." Grindelwald sneered, "And if Ie to see you in my youth, wouldn''t it be a generation lower than you?"


    Dumbledore smiled and shook his head.


    He knew that Grindelwald actually just wanted the two of them to look like they were in the summer a hundred years ago, like a pair of inseparable friends at that time.


    "You are... Gellert Grindelwald?!" Voldemort''s shocked voice rang around the two of them.


    Grindelwald turned his head and looked at the ugly snake face without a nose.


    "This is the dark devil kid you told me about in the letter, right?" He ignored Voldemort''s meaning at all, but looked at Dumbledore and asked.


    "Yes." Dumbledore nodded slightly.


    "You said... we have been fighting for a lifetime, can we have a chance to fight together?" Grindelwald asked the old man beside him with a lot of interest in his eyes.


    Voldemort''s heart was suddenly startled and his face sank.


    Although he was a little inted with his current strength, he had no confidence in dealing with two great wizards at the same time, especially since these two people were the spiritual leaders who once led an era.


    "Severus, let''s go!" Voldemort gritted his teeth and finally chose to retreat.


    He swung his clothes, and a ck mist enveloped Snape''s figure, taking him away from the mountaintop full of traces of duels.


    "You two wait! I don''t believe you two old guys from thest century can live for a long time!"


    "I can wait!"


    ...


    After Voldemort left, Dumbledore seemed to rxpletely and fell to the side weakly.


    Voldemort, who had obtained the power of the god of death, had finally reached a higher level of strength, but Dumbledore was already very old and was far from the strong body he had when he was young.


    He insisted on holding on to Voldemort until the end, and had almost exhausted all his strength.


    Grindelwald supported his shoulders beside him, and the wild and unruly expression on his face faded, and became very gentle instead.


    "You are still the same as before, always trying to take all the responsibility on yourself." He chuckled and said, "How is it, did I dy your n?"


    "Actually, it is halfway done... At least Severus''s actions havepletely won Voldemort''s trust."


    "Tsk, nting undercover agents, an old trick."


    "But it works as well as before..."


    "Let''s not talk about that. Do you want to go to the cafe we ??used to go to for a drink?"


    "I really miss it... That one is still open?"


    "It''s closed, but I found the owner''s descendant and asked him to reopen the cafe ''friendly''."


    "Well... let''s go."


    "..."


    ...


    At the foot of the mountain on the other side, the Death Eaters who came to attack the current Minister of Magic lost Voldemort''s support and were firmly controlled by the Ministry of Magic, which had a great advantage in strength.


    Amelia Bones and the captain of the Auror team were pacing back and forth in front of the Death Eaters who were tied up, checking the number of Death Eaters.


    "It seems that one person is missing." Amelia frowned slowly, "Is Betrix LeStrange here?"


    The Auror Captain was stunned for a moment, and quickly ordered his men to count the list of Death Eaters who participated in the attack again, and concluded that Betrix was indeed not controlled by the Ministry of Magic.


    "Can she escape in this situation?" Amelia swept her eyes over the Aurors present and severely reprimanded, "How did you pass the Auror assessment?!"


    The Aurors knew that they were in the wrong, and they all lowered their heads and silently epted the scolding.


    "Ms. Bones, I found the Auror who let Betrix LeStrange run away." The Auror Captain stepped forward and said to Amelia.


    "Let hime over!" Amelia said coldly.


    The Auror Captain waved his hand behind him.


    A young Auror trembled and walked in front of Amelia, pinching the corner of his clothes nervously, and his tone was also stuttering.


    "I remember you, an Auror who has just been employed for a year." Amelia nced at the young Auror and said coldly, "But being young is not a reason for you to let the Death Eaters go!"


    "Exin it, Lai Strange was clearly tied up by the Binding Curse just now, why did you let her go?"


    The young Auror''s face flushed with anxiety, and he kept shaking his head.


    "I... I didn''t mean to let her go, someone saved her!" He stammered, "Just now a man who looks a bit like Lai Strange suddenly appeared beside me and attacked me with the Disarming Curse..."


    "Then... Then he took this opportunity to take Lai Strange away. When I picked up the wand, the two men had disappeared... I was afraid of the punishment from the Ministry, so... So I didn''t dare to notify you immediately..."


    Hearing the young Auror''s exnation, Amelia frowned and looked at the Auror Captain.


    "A man who looks simr to Lai Strange, is there such a person on the list of Death Eaters?" she asked.


    "I''m not sure either," the Auror Captain shook his head, "I just remember that Betrix Lestrange is from the ck family... Are there any other Death Eaters in the ck family?"


    "It seems not." Amelia said, "Anyway, if your arm is fine, take half of the Aurors to search around and bring her back as soon as possible!"


    "She may be hiding a very important secret of the mysterious man, we can''t just let her go..."


    ...


    In the deep mountains, in a dense forest, a handsome young man with ck hair was carrying a woman who looked a bit like him and had a crazy expression on her back and running fast, avoiding the detection spells flying around from time to time.


    "Are you Regulus?" Betrix looked at the ck-haired young man in front of her in astonishment, her eyes full of disbelief, "You disappeared for so many years, we all thought you were dead!"


    "In fact, I am dead." Regulus took a few deep breaths and said hurriedly, "There was an ident at that time, and I was drowned in ake... The Dark Lord found me some time ago and turned me into a thinking corpse, giving me the opportunity to serve him again."


    Betrix reached out and touched the skin of Regulus''s arm in surprise, and indeed felt a cold and dark breath.


    She immediately believed Regulus'' words.


    Because in Be''s heart, Voldemort was the only one in the world who could use the deadly magic of corpses to perfection.


    However, Be still had a question in her heart.


    "But why don''t you fight with us?" She asked a little angrily, "If we can add your fighting power, maybe there is a chance to turn the situation around!"


    "My mission is different from all of you." Regulus shook his head, "I am specially arranged by the Dark Lord to protect you!"


    "Protect me?" Be opened her mouth wide, her expression was extremely surprised, and her face was morbidly flushed, "The master is so good to me... He has to send someone to protect me?"


    "To be precise, it is to protect the things in your hands." Regulus ruthlessly interrupted her fantasy and said stiffly, "The Dark Lord should have given you something ''extremely important'', am I right?"


    The redness on Be''s face faded a little, but she was still very excited.


    "Yes, the master entrusted me with the ''incredibly important'' thing because he trusted me!" She said excitedly, "Even when I was in Azkaban, I kept it well!"


    "That''s fine." Regulus said, "We can''t let anything go wrong with the Dark Lord''s things, so we have to protect the custodian of that thing!"


    Regulus breathed a sigh of relief.


    Some time ago, Drac called Lucius to meet him and exchanged information between them.


    Regulus discovered that Voldemort had given one of his Horcruxes to Lucius Malfoy for safekeeping... and even when Lucius was the most favored, he was not Voldemort''s most trusted servant.


    He immediately realized that there was probably another Horcrux that Voldemort had also given to his servant for safekeeping.


    And that person is most likely the person whom Voldemort has trusted the most from the beginning to the end, and is also Regulus'' cousin - Betrix Lestrange.


    So he thought of a way to infiltrate the Death Eater camp again, trying to get Be''s words and get another Horcrux.


    Until today, Regulus finally found a perfect opportunity.


    "To be on the safe side, let''s go and take out the Dark Lord''s thing." Regulus said to Be, "We need to find a more suitable ce to keep it to prevent idents."


    "You can tell me where the thing is kept, and I will take it back... Now your target is too big, and only I, the ''non-existent person'', am the least conspicuous."


    Although the reason is very sufficient, Regulus'' words still aroused Betrix''s vignce.


    "I kept it well, why did you take out the master''s things?" she asked loudly, "What if something goes wrong on the way to transfer it, wouldn''t it be even more dangerous!"


    "Be, I dared to let you move that thing because of the Dark Lord''s instructions." Regulus reacted quickly and immediately made up a reason, "You should know that the Dark Lord''s thoughts were connected with Harry Potter some time ago. The Dark Lord suspected that Potter had sensed the location of that thing..."


    "He didn''t even tell me that this happened!" Be''s vignce rxed a little, but she still didn''t let go easily, "I must go and get the things that the master gave me!"


    Then, she looked at Regulus, "Regulus, when I go to take that thing, you must cover me well."


    Hearing Be''s n, Reguluspletely rxed.

 Chapter 310 - 310 What will be the last Horcrux?

    <h4>Chapter 310: What will be thest Horcrux?</h4>


    Betrix and Regulus avoided the Aurors who were searching, slowly found the boundary of the Anti-Apparition Charm, and then disappeared into the bushes together.


    The next moment, the two appeared in Diagon Alley.


    "Listen, Be," Regulus pulled Betrix to a hidden corner and whispered, "You must cover your face. Now the Ministry of Magic''s wanted posters are posted everywhere, and others can easily find you."


    "What if they find out?" Betrix said disdainfully, "This group of people poses no threat to us at all."


    "But they will expose our situation here, and the elite Aurors wille at any time!" Regulus emphasized, "In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, at least change your appearance."


    He was worried about his carefree Death Eater cousin.


    Before Voldemort''s Horcrux was obtained, Regulus had to ensure that Betrix was not caught by the Aurors of the Ministry of Magic, otherwise the Horcrux would definitely not be obtained, and his n would be in vain.


    This feeling of being in an enemy camp but having to protect the enemy is not very pleasant indeed.


    Under Regulus''s persuasion, Betrix finally covered her face with a scarf, and the two walked together to Gringotts Wizarding Bank on the north side of Diagon Alley.


    Originally, wizards with their faces covered were verymon in Diagon Alley. After all, the adjacent street was Knockturn Alley, where all kinds of groups mixed together. Many wizards who did illegal transactions, dark wizards who studied ck magic, and even dark creatures such as ghouls and liches did not like to show their faces.


    However, now is a time of war. After Amelia Bones came to power, Aurors were arranged to stand guard in ces with extremely dense wizard poptions such as Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley to check the masked wizards in the alley at any time.


    Fortunately, the Aurors in charge of the inspection were not elite, and were easily deceived by Regulus''s Confusion Spell, and Be let Luca go.


    The two walked all the way to the tall snow-white marble building in the north.


    The door of Gringotts Wizarding Bank faces Diagon Alley, and a white stone staircase leads to two shiny bronze doors. Next to the door stood a goblin in a scarlet and gold-studded uniform.


    Unlike the heavily guarded Diagon Alley, Gringotts ims to be the safest ce in the entire wizarding world, iming that no one can steal anything from them, so the order here is as usual.


    In addition, the goblins in the bank don''t care whether the people whoe here to withdraw money are heroes or criminals.


    They have only one attitude towards wizards - that is, customers of different levels.


    Sure enough, the goblin guarding the bronze door didn''t even look at Be, who was masked, and directly let her and Regulus into the bank.


    After entering the first door, there was an inner hall. The two continued to walk in, passed another silver door, and then entered a tall marble hall.


    Hundreds of goblins sat on high stools behind a long row of counters, weighing coins with copper scales, examining gems with eyepieces, or hastily recording inrge ount books. There were countless doors in the hall, leading to different vaults.


    Regulus and Betrix walked towards an older goblin, who was examining a thick piece of gold through a lens.


    Betrix stepped forward.


    "I want to enter my vault." She pulled off her mask and said coldly.


    "Oh, you are... Mrs. Strange!" The goblin seemed to be startled, her face was very surprised, "I thought you were wanted now..."


    "Does my being wanted have anything to do with whether Ie here to withdraw money?" Betrix said coldly.


    "Of course it doesn''t matter!" The old goblin hurriedly said, "You are a distinguished tinum member of Gringotts, and you can enjoy Gringotts'' most extreme service at any time."


    As he said that, he took out a narrow feather pen and began to register on a piece of parchment.


    "Do you have... identification?" The old goblin asked as he wrote.


    Betrix handed over her wand.


    "Oh, yes, I see," said the old goblin behind the counter, looking down at Betrix''s wand, "It is indeed your wand, in that case..."


    He pped his hands, and a slightly younger goblin came over.


    "I want to use the jingle piece," the older goblin said to him.


    The young goblin left quickly, and soon brought a small leather bag to the older goblin, which seemed to be full of jingling metal.


    Jingle pieces are a magical instrument unique to Gringotts-


    High-security vaults in banks are usually guarded by dragons. These dragons have been "trained" to reflexively associate the sound of jingle pieces with the pain they have suffered and leave the vault they are guarding.


    Grillotts'' goblin employees use this method to enter specific vaults.


    "Okay, then please follow me, Mrs. Strange." The older goblin said, jumping off the stool and being blocked by the counter. "I''ll take you to your vault."


    A momentter, he appeared at the end of the counter and trotted towards them, the contents of his small leather bag still jingling.


    The old goblin led Regulus and Betrix into a side door, and sat on a small car on the track, turning around along the maze-like corridor, turning sharply between variousrge and small stctites, and speeding deep underground.


    After passing a thief-proof waterfall and reaching an unknown depth underground, the old goblin began to shake the jingle.


    A huge fire dragon was tied in a fairly wide space, preventing people from approaching the four or five deepest vaults there...


    The noise of the jingle echoed between the stone walls, amplified many times, making people''s ears hurt. The fire dragon let out a hoarse roar and trembled backwards.


    The old goblin didn''t seem to like the sound very much. He frowned and hurried to a crack in the wall, and pressed his palm on a wooden board beside the metal vault door. The vault door disappeared, revealing a hole.


    The hole was filled from the ground to the ceiling with gold coins and golden wine sses, silver armor, furs of various exotic animals with spurs or wings, potions in bottles, and a skull still wearing a crown.


    "This is..." Regulus looked at the countless treasures and couldn''t help but widen his eyes, "Have you robbed the ck family of all their wealth... How can a married woman like you get so much?!"


    He almost exposed the fact that he had seen the ck family''s vault not long ago, but fortunately he reacted in time - the ck family vault is now controlled by Sirius ck, and has contributed a lot of operating funds to the Order of the Phoenix.


    Betrix must have been angry about this.


    "I can''t find you, and Sirius ck, that traitor of the family, doesn''t deserve the family property!" Betrix said disdainfully, "So isn''t it natural for me to go to the old house and take some things to offer to the Dark Lord?"


    Regulus frowned, and was very angry in his heart, but he remained calm on the surface.


    He reached out to one of the golden dinner tes, vaguely remembering that this kind of tableware used to be everywhere in the old ck house, but now there are few of them.


    "Don''t touch it, especially you!" Betrix suddenly shouted and pped Regulus''s outstretched hand back.


    "What''s wrong?" Regulus frowned and looked at her, "I, Regulus ck, can''t touch these family inheritances?"


    "I don''t care if you touch these useless things or not, I''m afraid you will die here!" Betrix said angrily, "It is cast with a fire spell and a replication spell, anything that touches it will burn and replicate."


    "You are a corpse with a physique. If you are drowned by the things that the replication spell turns into, I''m afraid you will be burned into a mummy by the fire spell!"


    Regulus took two steps back in fear, away from the deadly treasures in front of him.


    Fortunately, Betrix personally brought him to this vault. If someone else came here to look for Horcruxes, they might be buried in the treasure by the two spells of duplication and fire if they were not careful...


    "Don''t stand so far away,e and help me." Betrix said irritably, "It''s really troublesome. I have to recite the breaking spells on these things one by one. I don''t know when I can get the things that the master gave me."


    ...


    Two hourster, Regulus and Betrix walked out of the bronze door of Gringotts tiredly.


    "What are your ns next? Where do you want to put the master''s things?" Betrix asked nervously, holding a golden cup tightly in her arms, "I think we can hide it in our abandoned bunker..."


    However, before she finished speaking, a group of wizards appeared in front of her unconsciously, and surrounded the two siblings in the center.


    Betrix looked at the wands held tightly in the hands of those wizards and the uniform uniforms on their bodies, and suddenly realized that something was wrong.


    "You leaked my information?!" She turned her head and looked at the old goblin who sent them out, and screamed angrily, "Why did the Aurors of the Ministry of Magice here to block us?"


    "Don''t be angry, honorable Mrs. Strange, weren''t you safe inside Gringotts?" The old goblin put on a weird smile on his face and said sarcastically, "We Gringotts only guarantee financial security, but we don''t guarantee that customers will be safe after leaving the house..."


    "If you want to me, you can only me your unreasonable Ministry of Magic... If we don''t agree to cooperate with them, Gringotts will be forced to close."


    Betrix''s face turned blue, and she angrily pulled out her wand from her sleeve and pointed it at the Aurors who surrounded her.


    "I should have thought that these cunning goblins never thought about keeping their promises!" Betrix said bitterly, "Regulus, let''s rush out together before the top fighters of the Ministry of Magic arrive! These Aurors can''t stop us!"


    "No problem." Regulus nodded and also pulled out his wand.


    A Stunning Spell shot out from the tip of his wand-


    The next moment, the spell hit Betrix''s back squarely.


    Betrix opened her eyes wide in surprise, and used up herst bit of strength to turn around and saw Regulus nodded to the Auror Captain in front of him, and then walked in front of her.


    Betrix could no longer control her confused brain and closed her eyes. Before shepletely fainted, she felt a cold hand pulling out the golden cup that she had been holding tightly against her chest...


    ...


    "Is the Horcrux in Betrix Lestrange''s hand really Helga''s cup?"


    In Drac''s castle, Drac yed with the exquisite golden cup in his hand.


    There were two finely processed pure gold handles on this golden cup, and a beautiful little badger was engraved on the cup.


    "Thank you for your hard work this time, Regulus." Drac looked at Regulus ck who was sitting next to him and smiled at him, "It''s not easy to deceive Betrix Lestrange, right?"


    "It''s okay, after all, I rescued her from the Aurors at the most dangerous moment." Regulus shook his head.


    Then, he asked curiously: "Mr. Drac, you seem to have guessed that Be is holding the Hufflepuff cup?"


    "It''s easy to guess, actually." Drac said happily, "It''s easy to tell from the Horcruxes found before, Rowena''s crown, Szar''s locket, the Gaunt family''s resurrection stone..."


    "Even that rtively ordinary diary has a very uniquememorative significance. I asked Tom Riddle, who was born in the diary, and he said that it was that diary that recorded the whole process of him discovering that he was a descendant of Slytherin."


    "Obviously, Voldemort likes to collect souvenirs. He likes to collect powerful souvenirs. Magical and historically significant items. His pride, his sense of superiority, his determination to gain a stunning ce in the history of magic, all prove that Voldemort would carefully select his Horcruxes, preferring items worthy of this honor..."


    "What''s more, he has obtained the souvenirs of Rowena and Szar. I don''t think he can resist looking for Helga''s things to make one of his Horcruxes..."


    "If I didn''t know that Godric''s sword was in the belly of the Sorting Hat, I even think Voldemort would make that sword into a Horcrux."


    Drac looked at the golden cup in his hand that he hadn''t seen for more than a thousand years, and suddenly raised the corner of his mouth with some yfulness.


    "Voldemort is really in a difficult position. He presented all the things of his old friends to me. Not only that, he even let Albus collect the three Deathly Hallows."


    "Let me count... We have got Riddle''s diary, Rowena''s tiara, Szar''s locket, Helga''s gold cup and the Gaunt family ring, a total of five Horcruxes."


    "If Voldemort wants to divide his soul into seven pieces, then there is still one Horcrux left to be obtained..."


    "What will be thest Horcrux?"

 Chapter 311 - 311 A way to replace the Grim Reaper

    <h4>Chapter 311: A way to rece the Grim Reaper</h4>


    Unexpectedly, it didn''t take long for Drac to learn about thest Horcrux.


    "To Professor Drac: Please pay attention to Voldemort''s wand¡ª¡ª"


    Drac took the letter sent by Dumbledore and looked at the elegant handwriting on it with some surprise.


    "I noticed that during the two battles with Voldemort during this period, he used twopletely different wands; we all know that Voldemort''s wand is of the same origin as Harry''s, and he cannot control the situation when the two wands touch each other."


    "So in the battle in the Department of Mysteries, Voldemort used the wand of a subordinate to avoid unexpected situations. I can clearly see that the wand was not convenient for him."


    "However, during the battle with Voldemort on the British border not long ago, I saw him using a wand that was quite suitable and powerful for him... I have used the power of the old wand as much as possible, but I was surprised to find that the power of Voldemort''s wand was not much different from that of the old wand."


    "Severus said that Voldemort recently had a brand new wand. The wand was made by Ollivander for him temporarily, so he may not be too interested in the old wand. "


    "Although I don''t agree with the second half of Severus''s words, it is undeniable that the reference significance of the first half is very important-even if Ollivander''s skills are very superb, he still finds it difficult to make a powerful wand that is not much different from the old wand. "


    "Therefore, I think Voldemort himself made some changes to the wand. "


    "In addition, during my battle with Voldemort, he protected his wand very well, especially resisting the contact between the wand and the fierce fire, which ispletely different from his previous habit of using the wand as a spellcasting tool at will. "


    "Combining these evidences, I reasonably specte that Voldemort made his new wand into a Horcrux. "


    "I hope Professor Drac can know the above information. ¡ª¡ªA. D."


    The message of this letter is actually very simple, but the amount of information contained in it is not small. Drac read it repeatedly several times.


    First of all, if Dumbledore''s inference is true, and if Harry''s ident is excluded, then Voldemort''s sixth Horcrux was made recently.


    Can he bear the loneliness and wait for decades to make a Horcrux?


    Or does the manufacture of Horcruxes have too great an impact on the maker, and Voldemort dared not continue to make Horcruxes for quite a long time?


    Even with Drac''s knowledge reserve of more than a thousand years, he didn''t know much about the taboo knowledge of Horcruxes - after all, he had no interest in pursuing immortality at all, and would only feel bored with such things...


    In fact, in the entire magic world, even in the history of the magic world, there are very few wizards who know Horcruxes very well.


    So far, the only two recorded Horcrux holders are the despicable Herbo and Voldemort. They both have a great influence on the magic world and are difficult to bepletely eliminated...


    "It''s really troublesome..." Drac pinched his eyebrows and swung Dumbledore''s letter back and forth, "Where can I find someone who knows enough about Horcruxes and can tell me these things without reservation?"


    He originally wanted to go to the secret realm on the top of Mount Olympus and force Herbo to tell him the secret of the Horcrux.


    However, Herbo''s experience of borrowing the power of the god of deathst time made Drac give up this idea.


    If Herbo was forced to borrow the power of the god of death again, and his power surged again, the secret realm created by Andros might have problems again.


    Then... who else would know Horcruxes like Voldemort and Herbo?


    Drac suddenly stopped swinging the letter-


    He thought of someone he didn''t want to see for a thousand years.


    That person had received almost all of Herpo''s inheritance, so he should have enough knowledge about Horcruxes.


    ...


    Deep in the Forbidden Forest northeast of Hogwarts, there is an ancient ruin hidden in the mist.


    This is the pce built by Szar Slytherin himself. Luna, Harry, Ginny and Rolf had mistakenly entered here together. It was in this ruin that Rolf and Harry established a good friendship.


    Of course, they didn''t know that they had onlye to the surface of the ruins, so they found almost nothing of value.


    The dome was pierced, and the moonlight leaked down. The illumination spell and the dim moonlight clearly reflected the fine dust flying in the air, the dense spider silk covered the corners, and the mottled and peeling wall paint remained on the inner wall...


    Drac walked into the dpidated pce silently and waved his hand gently.


    The floating dust and the fine spider webs swaying in the breeze disappeared instantly, and the pce seemed to have returned to its tidy appearance in an instant.


    A strange spell came out of Drac''s mouth.


    The ground here suddenly began to shake, and the ground in the center of the hall sank into a big pit. Circles of spiral steps extended to the deepest part of the pit, leading to the bottomless abyss.


    Of course, Drac had no intention of taking the steps, and jumped down from the outside of the pit...


    Green torches lit up one after another in the depths of the pit, illuminating the dim space.


    "Brad, I''ve been waiting for you for a long time."


    In the depths of the pit, a statue as tall as a person suddenly moved and said in a vicissitudes of life, "If I''m right, a thousand years should have passed..."


    The statue had an old, monkey-like face, with a sparse long beard that almost dragged to the hem of the wizard''s robe made of stone, and two gray big feet stood on the smooth floor deep in the pit.


    He held an ancient scepter in both hands, his back was hunched, and his expression was very mysterious.


    "Why are you so idle?" Drac walked closer and kicked the scepter in the statue''s hand to the side.


    The statue lost its support and staggered, almost falling on its face...


    "It''s been so long since west met, why are you so disrespectful?" The statue steadied itself and said a little depressed, "I am at least a great wizard with great reputation and a good reputation..."


    "Good reputation?" Drac''s mouth twitched, "I think it means you will be infamous forever? The academy you founded has be a training base for dark wizards, and now the most annoying dark devil is also iming that he is your descendant. How can you have any reputation?"


    "What did you say?" The statue frowned its stone-carved eyebrows, looking a little dull, "What''s the matter? How can they learn like me... I only left some ck magic inheritance to my descendants, but I didn''t let the students of the academy do the same!"


    "Who asked the people of Slytherin College to take you as an example." Drac chuckled and shrugged, "Sure enough, there is something wrong with you." Like founders, like college students. "


    "Forget it, let''s not talk about this." Szar Slytherin changed the subject abruptly, "Tell me what to do, I''ve been waiting for you here for a thousand years... Why did you wait until now toe to see me?"


    "I suggest you reflect on yourself." Drac looked at the ugly statue of Slytherin and curled his lips in disgust, "You made yourself look like a ghost, I didn''te to see you just to avoid the only image you have in my eyespletely copsing..."


    "Tsk tsk, this decision is indeed very wise... Although I knew you made yourself like this, it''s still a bit scary to see such an ugly thing talking with my own eyes!"


    Slytherin: "..."


    He subconsciously wanted to wave his scepter, and then found that the scepter had been kicked into the corner by Drac.


    So Slytherin could only wave his fist in the air and shouted angrily: "What do you know? I''m dedicating my youth to the study of magic!"


    "Dedicating youth?" Drac curled his lips andughed, "I think you are just fascinated by Helbo''s powerful ck magic... You were not like this in the early days. Although you also yearn for powerful power, you will not lose your mind for power."


    "Why, do you also want to pursue immortality?"


    Slytherin opened his mouth and then fell silent.


    Drac shook his head gently, walked to the side of Slytherin''s statue, and knocked on his hard shoulders and back in Slytherin''s dissatisfied eyes, with an interested look in his eyes.


    "One thing is beyond my expectation." Drac said with interest, "I thought I would see a residual soul or a body made by magic... I didn''t expect that this is just an ordinary statue?"


    "Yes." Slytherin nodded slowly, "It is simr to the nature of the magic portrait, but it leaves more thoughts..."


    Drac''s hand that was knocking on the statue also stopped suddenly.


    "So... you didn''t make a Horcrux?" he asked softly.


    "I wanted to do it originally." Slytherin shook his head and sighed, "Although I have been influenced by you and have no great interest in immortality... but you understand me, the pursuit of stronger power is something I can''t refuse at all."


    "Why haven''t I heard that Horcruxes can enhance power?" Drac frowned, "I only know that it will split the soul and make people mentally retarded."


    "Ahem... I won''t be mentally retarded." Slytherin was choked by Drac and had to exin, "Horcruxes can''t actually increase the power of the user, but they are the only way tomunicate to another level."


    "I found a record in the ruins left by Herbo, which recorded all of Herbo''s feelings when making Horcruxes... He saw another world through the state of being extremely close to death when splitting his soul."


    "You mean... he saw the world of the god of death?" Drac asked suddenly.


    "You haven''t made a Horcrux, how do you know this kind of thing?" Slytherin looked at Drac in surprise.


    "I identally discovered a channel to the God of Death..." Drac said calmly, "It''s not important, continue your story."


    "It''s not important?" Slytherin shouted, "I have been looking for so many years, and I only found the only way tomunicate with the God of Death, which is to make Horcruxes. In the end, I gave up... But you told me that it''s not important?!"


    "It''s really not important." Drac said, "I entered the world of the God of Death directly with my soul and body. If it weren''t for special circumstances, I would nevere back. Is this really what you want?"


    "That''s exactly what I want!" Slytherin said affirmatively, "Brad, haven''t you ever thought about it? Why can the three Peverell brothers fight against the God of Death through the Deathly Hallows?"


    "What do you mean?" Drac looked at Slytherin in confusion.


    "What I mean is that the Death God himself is not actually irresistible. He can only mobilize countless powers from another level, which makes him so powerful!" Slytherin said, "Herbo wrote a sentence with regret: If he had not made a Horcrux, he might have found a chance to rece the Death God!"


    Slytherin''s words were shocking, and Drac was a little stunned by what he said.


    "Rece the Death God? Are you kidding?"


    "I''m not kidding." Slytherin shook his head and said, "Herbo''s records are very detailed. The Death God is just a dark creature that gained power from another level in ancient times. His function is to guide the stranded souls to go on."


    "ording to the long-termmunication between Herbo and the Death God, this Death God seems to be dissatisfied with the long-term idleness, and has a perverse idea to infiltrate the power into the magic world-so he deliberately left loopholes for the departed souls. This is probably the reason why ghosts exist."


    Drac frowned even tighter.


    "So you and Herbo both want to rece him?" he asked doubtfully, "What''s the point of recing him?"


    "It''s always irresistible to experience a stronger and more special power." Slytherin sighed, "Herbo was closely watched by his old rival Andros, and he took great pains to suppress him."


    "And I have other selfish motives - Barrow and Helena have be ghosts and are stranded in the magic world. I amrgely responsible for this because of my poor teaching... I want to give an exnation to Rowena who passed away."


    "In that case, Szar, why didn''t you choose to make a Horcrux in the end?" Drac asked again, "Leaving only this "A statue that can''t carry much thought, this is not in line with your style..."


    "If I use the Horcrux to survive, you and Godric willugh at me for a long time." Slytherinughed at himself, "Forget about Godric, he died a long time ago, and I can''t hear hisughter... The problem is that there is a guy like you who can''t die, so I have to think about it carefully."


    "As for recing the god of death, simply making a Horcrux can''t do it-"


    "Herbo once regretted making a Horcrux, because when he chose to borrow the power of the god of death, he was marked by the god of death, and he could never rece it further..."

 Chapter 312 - 312 It’s time to end

    <h4>Chapter 312: It''s time to end</h4>


    Slytherin''s statue told Drac a lot about Horcruxes and the Grim Reaper, which were the results of his lifelong research as the founder of the great Slytherin Academy.


    Drac remained silent, not knowing what he was thinking.


    "If you hadn''te to see me, I would have told you these things a long time ago." Slytherin said with someints, "I exist as a statue for this matter, you really made me wait for a long time!"


    "So, you have been waiting to tell me these things all these years?" Drac nced at Slytherin''s statue and said thoughtfully, "Could it be that..."


    An amazing idea emerged in his mind -


    "Could it be that you want me to fulfill your wish to rece the Grim Reaper for you?" Drac''s eyes shrank suddenly.


    "Ah, you are indeed my good friend. You really understand what I mean!" Slytherin stroked his stiff beard and said with satisfaction, "Of course, it depends on your own ideas."


    "Don''t I know you? Unless something canpletely arouse your interest, no one can convince you."


    Drac raised his eyebrows in surprise and stared into Slytherin''s eyes.


    Slytherin also stared at Drac with meaningful gray stone eyes.


    "I am indeed a little interested... Tell me in detail?" After a moment, Drac suddenlyughed happily, "It has been difficult to find any fun in the magic world in recent years. It might be more interesting to be a so-called god of death."


    Slytherin''s two stone palms pped suddenly, making a crisp sound.


    "Okay! I knew you would be interested!" He said happily, "The conditions for recing the god of death are actually very harsh. The first point is to collect all three Deathly Hallows!"


    Drac was stunned for a moment, and suddenly a thought-provoking smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.


    "What''s wrong? Do you think it''s difficult?" Slytherin saw Drac''s expression andforted him, "Don''t worry. Although it is difficult for a wizard like me to collect all three mysterious Deathly Hallows in just a hundred years, you are different..."


    "Brad, you have countless time. As long as you pay more attention, you will be able to collect all the Deathly Hallows sooner orter! So you don''t have to worry about it at all."


    "I''m not worried." Drac shook his head with a smile, "I just... suddenly want tough."


    "Want tough? You are such a strange guy." Slytherin looked at Drac with a strange look, and continued, "We must have the protection of the three Deathly Hallows to exert our original strength in the world where the God of Death is-"


    "The ce where the God of Death is has a great suppression on the people in the world. The energy there It will limit the flow of magic, affect the rity of the mind, and continue to erode our bodies. "


    "The Deathly Hallows can resist this: the Elder Wand can restore the flow of magic, the Resurrection Stone can protect the holder''s mind, and the Invisibility Cloak can resist the continuous erosion of the outside world... These functions may not be seen in the world, but they will be extremely obvious in the realm of the God of Death."


    "ording to rumors, this is a product specially created by the three Peverell brothers to fight against the God of Death after they had a conflict with the God of Death... But before the three of them had time to gather the three Deathly Hallows in one person''s hand, they were divided and broken by the God of Death."


    "In the end, only Ingnotus Peverell, who had the Invisibility Cloak, escaped the pursuit of the God of Death, but he was no longer able to fight back, and finally could only pin this hope on future generations..."


    Hearing Slytherin''s story, Drac fell into deep thought.


    ording to Slytherin, recing the God of Death has almost be an inevitable thing.


    First of all, Drac is indeed very interested in this legendary character in the magic world, and when he went from the Death Hall in the Department of Mysteries to the world of the God of Death, he did have a grudge with the God of Death, so it is quite reasonable for him to take revenge;


    Secondly, many of Drac''s friends, descendants and other close people need someone to guide their souls-


    Dumbledore wants to go to the Lost Realm at the cost of his own life to guide Harry back; Helena Ravenw, as a ghost soul, needs the power of the God of Death to guide her to salvation; even Andros''s soul attached to the Patronus can be said to have nowhere to go and no home...


    If Drac can rece the God of Death, then these problems can be solved.


    "By the way, there is one more thing." Slytherin suddenly added, "I think there is something you may need."


    He pointed to the corner, where there was a scepter that Drac had just kicked aside.


    "See that walking stick? Actually, it''s Herbo''s Horcrux... Herbo thought he had disguised it well and put it in his warehouse like an ordinary collection. But I recognized it at a nce."


    Looking at Drac, whose eyes were slowly widening, Slytherin said proudly:


    "After all, I have epted Herbo''s inheritance. I am embarrassed to destroy the Horcrux that he relies on for survival..."


    "It''s okay to give it to you. I entrust you to help protect it. Even if you do something to it, it''s just because I don''t know people well. It has nothing to do with me!"


    ...


    In a valley in the west of Ennd, there is a small vige.


    There is a small square in the center of the vige, and in the center of the square is a war memorial carved out of stone.


    There are several shops, a post office, a bar, and a small church. The stained ss radiates jewel-like brilliance across the square.


    It was drizzling in the sky. Drac walked in the rain without an umbre, but every drop of rain would automatically tilt and scatter when approaching him, and then fall on the stone paved ground.


    Drac passed by a few Muggles who were in a hurry and came to the monument in the center of the square.


    The monument suddenly changed. It was no longer a square obelisk with names engraved on it, but a statue of three people -


    A man with messy hair and sses; a woman with long hair, beautiful and gentle appearance; and a baby boy sitting in his mother''s arms.


    The raindrops gently hit the tops of their heads, and then magically slid down their shoulders without leaving a drop of rain on their bodies.


    Drac looked at the statue of the family of three with interest, and it was easy to recognize who was carved here: the man with messy hair looked too much like Harry, except that there was no famous lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.


    The statues of these three people were spontaneously cast by local wizards tomemorate the first defeat of Voldemort.


    This is Godric''s Hollow, the most famous one among the semi-wizard settlements.


    This vige in southwest Ennd is the birthce of Godric Gryffindor, the founder of Gryffindor College, and the ce where the wizard goldsmith Bowman Wright forged the first Golden Snitch.


    During the 100 years that Drac was sleeping, this ce was still the pir of the current wizarding world. It was where the great wizard Albus Dumbledore once lived, where Dumbledore and Grindelwald first met, and where Voldemort was first defeated...


    Drac walked around the statue and walked to the cemetery behind the church opposite.


    There is a narrow door at the entrance of the cemetery, and rows of wet tombstones stand on the wet soil.


    One tombstone seemed to have been cleaned recently. There was no weeds around it, and it was not covered with moss like other tombstones. Instead, it was very clean and tidy. There was also a bunch of white flowers blooming in the rain in front of the tombstone.


    Drac''s eyes condensed slightly, looking at the ck tombstone-


    "Kendra Dumbledore, and daughter Ariana."


    There is also a motto engraved below: Where the treasure is, there is the heart.


    "Is this why you want to find the Resurrection Stone?" Drac looked at the tombstone, thinking.


    When Dumbledore first saw the Resurrection Stone from Voldemort''s hands, he was very upset; when Drac gave him the Resurrection Stone after Riddle absorbed it, he studied this Deathly Hallows for a long time.


    Drac thought of the scene he saw in the Mirror of Erised five years ago.


    A young girl, who seemed to be Dumbledore''s sister, should be the child named Ariana Dumbledore on the tombstone... She was Dumbledore''s lifelong regret, and Dumbledore pursued the Resurrection Stone for Ariana.


    Drac sighed softly.


    Then, he did not linger any longer, took a step forward, and instantly appeared in a small garden full of shrubs and flowers, and knocked on the door of the small vi in the middle of the garden.


    "I''m here, wait a moment..." The voice of an olddy came from inside the house.


    After a while, the door opened with a creak.


    An olddy wearing an old ck shawl poked her head out from behind the door. She was short, with sparse and pale hair, and the wrinkles on her face were almost connected.


    The olddy raised her head and looked at Drac, who was smiling faintly outside the door, with turbid eyes. She looked a little confused at first, and then the turbidity in her sight seemed to disappear instantly, and she looked at Drac with wide eyes.


    "You... who are you?"


    "Long time no see, Bathilda." Drac chuckled.


    "Is it really you, Mr. Drac?" Bathilda Bashat asked in surprise, "I can''t believe you are still the same as you were more than a hundred years ago..."


    Bathilda Bashat was also a member of Nics mel''s Phoenix Embellishment Book more than a hundred years ago, and had an internship at the Alchemy Association for a period of time.


    At that time, Nics mel was only more than 400 years old and had not yetpletely retired. He would go to the Alchemy Association from time to time to stroll around and give advice to young people; Drac would often go with him to see if there was anything new.


    It was at that time that Drac met the young Bathilda Bashat.


    "Well, Bathilda, Nico told me that Albus is staying at your ce recently, right?" Drac asked, "If he hadn''t mentioned that Grindelwald was also staying at your ce, I wouldn''t have thought that Grindelwald was actually your great-nephew."


    "Ah, you mean Gellert, he seems to be getting along well with Albus recently." Bathilda Bashat said with a smile, "They were both young and energetic guys back then, but now they are both old men with white hair... Only Mr. Drac is still the same as before."


    "Okay, I won''t reminisce with you for now." Drac interrupted her memories with a smile and said, "I have something to do with Albus."


    "Oh! I almost forgot it''s raining outside." Bashat opened the door, "Come in!"


    Drac followed her into the living room, and his eyes were attracted by a bow-shaped chest of drawers behind many candles.


    There were many photos on the chest of drawers, and after the candle mes jumped up, the reflections flickered in the ss and silver frames of the photos.


    In a photo at the back, there are two young men with high spirits, one with blond hair and the other with red hair. They stand together and smilezily at Drac in the silver frame.


    Drac picked up the photo.


    "Good evening, Professor Drac."


    In the living room, Dumbledore, with white hair, came over and greeted Drac.


    Dumbledore seemed a little surprised to see the photo in Drac''s hand.


    "Oh, this seems to be a photo from a long time ago." He said, "Professor Drac seems to be very interested in it?"


    "This golden-haired man should be Grindelwald, right?" Drac asked with interest, "I saw him in the Mirror of Erised in front of you five years ago... Tsk, you two have a really good rtionship."


    "Ahem..." Dumbledore almost choked on his own saliva and coughed twice, "Professor Drac, it''s not a good habit to peek into other people''s privacy... and that was a long time ago."


    Suddenly, another white-haired figure walked out of the house.


    "Drac, what did you just say?" Grindelwald asked, with a strange light shing in his eyes, "You mean, in Albus''s Mirror of Erised..."


    "Gellert, this matter is not important!" Dumbledore interrupted him abruptly and changed the subject, "Instead of being curious about these trivial matters, I suggest you go back to the house and continue to study the Deathly Hallows."


    Grindelwald looked at him, and the expression on his face became very yful.


    "Is that so? I understand." He smiled happily and said to Dumbledore, "s, when will you change your stubbornness, Albus?"


    Dumbledore had a nk expression on his face, and ignored Grindelwald''s thoughts at all, but looked directly at Drac.


    "Professor Drac, what is the matter with youing to see me this time?" he asked.


    "To be precise, I came here not only to find you, but also to find him."


    Drac nced at Grindelwald, "There is a way to solve Potter''s problem, and to deal with the threat of Voldemort... But I need some help from you two..."


    "In addition, I need to borrow the three Deathly Hallows for a while."


    "It''s time to put an end to all these troubles."

 Chapter 313 - 313 Voldemort was backstabbed again

    <h4>Chapter 313: Voldemort was backstabbed again</h4>


    On the evening of September 1, 1996.


    At the Hogwarts opening dinner, Professor McGonagall, as always, came to the front of the auditorium with the clean and tidy sorting hat and a round stool, ready to start the annual sorting ceremony.


    But the chair in the middle of the professor''s seat was empty, and no one was seen.


    The new little wizards standing on one side of the auditorium and the students sitting at the four long tables all looked at the chair that belonged to the Hogwarts headmaster with curiosity, wondering why Dumbledore, who was always punctual, did not attend today''s sorting ceremony.


    "What did Dumbledore do today?" Ron turned to Harry and asked, "I remember he always came early, saying that he liked to admire the lively appearance of the new students."


    "Not sure." Harry shook his head, "But a few days ago Dumbledore asked me to go find an old professor... Did you see the position of the Potions Professor? That''s Professor Horace Slughorn."


    "So he is the professor who reced Snape?" Ron nodded suddenly, then said indignantly, "I knew Snape was not a good person. Dumbledore trusted him so much!"


    "That''s right I wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor will be. "Harry looked at the empty chair next to Professor Flitwick with some anticipation, and murmured, "Do you think... Professor Drac wille back?"


    "I don''t think so..." Ron hesitated, "I heard from my father that Professor Drac is doing something big, and Dumbledore seems to be involved, but I don''t know what he is doing."


    "It''s probably rted to Voldemort..." Harry said uncertainly, "I hope their things go smoothly."


    "You two be quiet, the sorting ceremony has begun!" Hermione suddenly lowered her voice and reminded them in a low voice.


    The two then realized that Professor McGonagall had already called out the name of the first freshman with the parchment.


    "..."


    Dumbledore finally came to the auditorium until the end of the sorting ceremony.


    He didn''t even have time to sit down, so he stood in front of the big chair in the center of the professor''s seat and began his routine headmaster''s speech.


    "Good evening, everyone!"


    Dumbledore smiled kindly, opened his arms as if to embrace the entire hall, and said the same instructions as in previous years:


    "Administrator Filch asked me to tell you that this year, students are absolutely prohibited from bringing any joke products purchased from Weissley Wizard Wheezes."


    "Students who want to join the school Quidditch team, report your name to the dean as usual. After Mr. Lee Jordan graduated, we are still looking for a new Quidditchmentator. Those who are interested can also sign up with the dean."


    Then, he showed a look of regret that looked fake at first nce.


    "It''s a pity that our Defense Against the Dark Arts professorst year, Professor Dolores Umbridge, will not be able to continue teaching everyone''s Defense Against the Dark Arts ss this year!"


    There was a warm cheer from the audience, and some young wizards threw their hats up excitedly.


    Especially Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, the two houses that were most targeted by Umbridge. The students of the two houses were as excited as Weissley fireworks that were about to explode.


    Hogwarts has suffered from Umbridge for a long time!


    Dumbledore watched this scene with a smile, and pressed his hands down. The hall gradually quieted down.


    Then, Dumbledore''s face became a little heavier, and he said slowly:


    "Also, Professor Severus Snape... for some reasons, will not continue to serve as the professor of Potions this year. This school year, we are very happy to wee a new professor of Potions - Professor Slughorn!"


    Horace Slughorn stood up and bowed to the audience.


    His bald head gleamed in the candlelight, and his big belly in a vest cast arge shadow on the table.


    "Professor Slughorn is a former colleague of mine. He agreed to return to his old job and serve as the professor of Potions." Dumbledore introduced.


    Except for the long table of Slytherin, students from other colleges cheered no weaker than when they heard the news of Umbridge''s resignation.


    The Ministry of Magic has put Snape on the wanted list. All the young wizards know that Snape is now a Death Eater and haspletely be Voldemort''sckey.


    Any student with a sense of justice despises Snape, not to mention that Snape''s reputation in Hogwarts was already very bad... Only the Slytherin purebloods who admire Voldemort felt a little regretful, and seemed to want to be Death Eaters with their dean.


    Harry nced at the Slytherin table and did not find his long-time enemy Malfoy. He only saw the two huge bodies of Crabbe and Goyle sitting on the left and right of Theodore Nott.


    He then remembered that Draco Malfoy had applied for a leave of absence and was hiding in a safe house with his father who had taken refuge with Professor Drac.


    Looking at the enthusiastic and cheering young wizards, Dumbledore''s eyes showed a few traces of sadness.


    "This year, Slughorn will temporarily serve as the headmaster of Slytherin College." Dumbledore sighed softly, and then said, "As for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor..."


    He looked around the hall, "The position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is temporarily vacant. A new professor wille to Hogwarts Castle at thetest in a week."


    Dumbledore looked at the vacant position next to Professor Flitwick, and his thoughts drifted elsewhere for a rare time-


    If everything goes well, Snape''s undercover career will bepletely over in a few days.


    At that time, Voldemort''s curse on the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor will also dissipate, and Dumbledore can also satisfy Snape''s wish to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and let him change his position.


    Amid the noisy discussions, Dumbledore withdrew his thoughts and cleared his throat.


    He waited for a few seconds to make sure everyone waspletely quiet before continuing:


    "Everyone in this hall knows that Voldemort and his followers are stirring up trouble again, and their power is growing."


    When Dumbledore spoke, most of the students in the hall were in a tense and distressing silence.


    However, Theodore Nott, Crabbe, Goyle and others did not even look at Dumbledore, but talked among themselves, as if they felt that the headmaster''s words were not worth listening to.


    "I need to emphasize that the current situation is very dangerous, and everyone in Hogwarts needs to be extremely cautious to ensure their own safety." Dumbledore did not pay attention to the small movements of the audience and continued to speak.


    "The castle''s magical defenses were strengthened during the summer vacation, and we have received new and more effective protection, but every one of our teachers and students must still be vignt at all times and not take it lightly."


    He paused and emphasized: "Especially the first three days after school starts - this is the most impetuous time for all of you."


    "I require you to strictly abide by every safety rule set by the teacher, no matter how annoying those rules may be - especially the rule that you must not get up and go out after lights out."


    "I urge you to report to the faculty immediately if you find any abnormal or suspicious situation, whether inside or outside the school. I believe that you will restrain your behavior for the safety of yourself and others!"


    Dumbledore''s blue eyes swept across all the students, and the serious expression on his face turned back into a faint smile.


    "Well, your beds are waiting for you, as warm andfortable as you expect. Your top priority now is to get a good rest and prepare for tomorrow''s ss."


    "So, let''s say ''good night''!"


    ...


    Three dayster, nearly a hundred miles southwest of London, Stonehenge.


    The dawn sun is slowly rising from below the verdant horizon, illuminating the endless green ins inch by inch, and the red-orange light drives the dark blue night from the sky, bringing bright skylight.


    In the distance, ant-sized figures appear one after another on the edge of the endless grasnd.


    Although these figures are extremely smallpared to the Stonehenge, which can reach tens of feet in height, they gradually gather into a vast ocean, as if to submerge all the boulders.


    "Who is it! Who is it!"


    In the magic shield in the middle of Stonehenge, Voldemort roared angrily at his sleepy subordinates around him.


    As soon as he woke up from his sleep, he realized that something was wrong. He tried to Apparate to a distant ce to investigate what happened, but found that the entire Stonehenge was covered by the Anti-Apparition Charm.


    Obviously, the other party came prepared.


    "Why! Why did Dumbledore know our base?" Voldemort roared helplessly and furiously, "Tell me, how many Dumbledore''s undercovers are there among the Death Eaters?!"


    The Death Eaters suddenly woke up from their sleep, and their faces showed confusion and fear.


    They didn''t understand why the Dark Lord started to get angry early in the morning, until they heard the iconic "bang" sound of the Apparition getting closer and closer, and then they realized that the danger was approaching...


    The enemy used the Anti-Apparition Charm to restrict the Death Eaters from escaping, but they coulde to the battlefield to support them through the corresponding Apparition.


    The Death Eaters could not escape, and could only watch the encirclement on the in be thicker and denser...


    Voldemort couldn''t figure it out.


    It was clear that after being backstabbed several times, he carefully checked all his subordinates countless times with Legilimency, and did not find any Death Eaters who were unfaithful.


    However, he had just driven away arge number of Muggles at Stonehenge, and the base he carefully built was easily discovered by Dumbledore again.


    Voldemort originally nned to gather all his allies together to raid Hogwarts Castle and catch Dumbledore off guard - now, this n has basically failed.


    He felt like a clown, with every move under Dumbledore''s surveince, but he still couldn''t find the undercover hidden among the Death Eaters...


    "Master, I have investigated, and Dumbledore brought a lot of people." Snape strode to Voldemort''s side and reported to him, "The Aurors of the Ministry of Magic, the Order of the Phoenix, the International Confederation of Wizards, and even Drac''s vampire n, the werewolves led by Lupin, and a giant..."


    "I think they are likely to start a decisive battle with us."


    Voldemort nced at Snape, and there was a trace of relief in his eyes.


    Fortunately, he still has a capable and reliable subordinate like Severus, who can make people feel more at ease when doing things.


    Since Betrix Lestrange and many Death Eaters who were dispatched in previous operations were captured by the Ministry of Magic, Snape has be Voldemort''s most trusted and relied-on subordinate.


    After all, this Death Eater who had been lurking in Hogwarts for more than ten years had proved his loyalty by personally reciting the Killing Curse to Dumbledore! And his excellence is obvious to all!


    Even the most loyal Death Eaters, not everyone has the courage to attack Dumbledore, the great wizard.


    "Give orders, let everyone prepare for battle!" Voldemort nodded and said viciously, "The forces we have attracted are no less than those brought by Dumbledore!"


    He looked at the boulders crawling on the vast in around him, with a sinister smile on his lips.


    If you don''t pay attention, perhaps no one will notice.


    These big stones crawling on the ground in the Stonehenge are rising and falling from time to time... as if they are breathing!


    ...


    Just when the battle near the Stonehenge was about to break out, a tall figure with light golden hair appeared on the top of Mount Olympus.


    Grindelwald, who had restored his image to that of a middle-aged man, stood proudly on the snow-capped peak shrouded in mist, with a wild smile on his face, staring at the magic circle hidden in the mist in the sky.


    That was the entrance to the secret realm built by Andros.


    Grindelwald stretched out one hand to tidy up his long light golden hair that was blown by the mountain wind, and in the other hand he yed with a scepter of ancient shape, with a particrly conspicuous teasing on his face.


    Suddenly, the mountain wind stopped.


    He waved his hand suddenly, and a powerful spell sted towards somewhere in the mist.


    The next moment, a hexagram magic circle surrounded by circr light appeared at the ce where Grindelwald''s spell was bombarded, and it kept turning.


    Grindelwald tossed the scepter in his hand and stepped into the magic circle leisurely.


    ...


    While Dumbledore and Grindelwald were in their respective positions, Drac appeared in the Death Hall of the Department of Mysteries, the British Ministry of Magic.


    On his pale and slender left index finger, he wore a ring iid with a diamond-shaped ck gemstone, and in his right hand, he held an elder wand with seven protruding branches.


    Drac''s figure was hidden under an invisible cloak, and his shadow could not be found in the Death Hall.


    With his sight unimpeded through the invisible cloak, Drac looked at the dark gray curtain swaying gently in the stone archway in front of him, with an unprecedented seriousness and solemnity, which waspletely different from his usual indifferent and casual appearance.


    "There is still half an hour left, Albus, Grindelwald, you two must not let me down..."


    Drac took out a pocket watch from his pocket, nced at it, and said softly.

 Chapter 314 - 314 Step into the curtain

    <h4>Chapter 314: Step into the curtain</h4>


    On the in where the Stonehenge is located, the two groups of people havee into contact in an instant.


    At this moment, many huge rocks lying on the ground suddenly moved.


    With roars and earthquake-like tremors, one giant after another staggered up from the ground, waving sticks that were longer than the heights of several wizards present.


    "Hahahaha... Golgomat, did you see that? There are many Aurors outside who have persecuted your tribe!" Voldemortughed and said to the tall giant leader beside him, "Take your giant subordinates to get rid of them!"


    The giant, whose body was almost as big as the tallest boulder, grinned cruelly and rushed out first waving a stick.


    As the giants stepped heavily, the ground emitted bursts of violent roars, and the wizards in the distance seemed to be standing on a trampoline, almost unable to control their movements, and fell to the ground in a mess.


    "Grop, can you hold those big guys back for a while?" Hagrid turned his head with some concern and nced at his half-brother. "Don''t force yourself. Just hold them back a little."


    Hagrid''s height of more than ten feet (3.5 meters) was almost twice that of an ordinary person, butpared with his brother, Grop, Hagrid became much shorter.


    However,pared with those giants as tall as Stonehenge, Grop looked like a dwarf.


    Grop didn''t know whether he had no fear or wanted to make his "dwarf" brother happy. He patted his chest and roared towards the group of big guys who were at least several heads taller than him.


    "Don''t let Grop fight alone. Let''s cover him together!" Nymphadora Tonks in the crowd saw this scene and shouted loudly to the Aurors around her.


    As her voice fell, a group of colorful spells shot at the giant''s rough skin.


    But their offensive had no effect.


    Even without obvious magical abilities, giants are very powerful magical creatures - they have strong raw power proportional to their amazing size, and their rough skin can withstand most wizards'' spells, and sometimes they are even more resistant than dragon scales.


    "A bunch of idiots, hit their eyes!" stor Moody shouted angrily, "Did you learn the Defense Against the Dark Arts in vain?"


    The nearby Aurors wanted to say that when they were in Hogwarts, they didn''t have a reliable Defense Against the Dark Arts professor like Drac, and their defense skills were indeed learned in vain...


    But now is obviously not the time to discuss such things.


    The young Aurors began to attack the giant''s eyes, and then the spell gradually took effect.


    However, the giants not only havebat power, but also cause trouble to the wizards brought by Dumbledore. Even if they are knocked unconscious, they can overwhelm a group of tiny wizards with their huge size and huge weight.


    "This won''t work. The size and strength gap is too big." Moody shouted loudly, "Bring some less useless Aurors who can use the Levitation Charm to throw these big guys aside!"


    "Instructor Moody, the Death Eaters on the opposite side are also not weak. We can''t spare so many elite Aurors." Tonks walked over quickly and answered anxiously.


    "We can''t just watch these things fall on our heads!" Moody shouted angrily, "You guys stop those Death Eaters, I''ll deal with these giants myself!"


    "I said that we should have killed these stupid guys in thest war, but it''s a pity that old Barty didn''t agree at the time. Now you''re suffering!"


    While mumbling, Moody walked towards a falling giant with his crutches and raised his wand.


    However, before he could recite the spell, a petite figure suddenly appeared from the team on the ground and kicked the fallen giant...


    Moody''s intact eyeball widened, and even the other magic eye was a little straight-


    He saw that the giant''s body seemed to vite thew of gravity, and flew out in an instant, hitting another giant behind him heavily, and knocked the giant to the ground.


    "Leave these big guys who have power but nowhere to use it to us." Selina pped her two wings, one ck and one white, and waved to Moody on the ground, "You guys deal with those Death Eaters well!"


    One by one, the high-level vampires pped their wings and flew up, rushing towards the aggressive giants.


    Although not every vampire has the huge power of Drac and Selina to directly fight against the huge giants, several high-level vampires together are enough to deal with one or two.


    After all, the vampires have been recuperating for many years, and their number is still greater than that of the giants who have been killing each other for many years.


    ...


    When the battle was in full swing, Dumbledore brought the Horcrux Riddle to Voldemort who was standing at the highest point of Stonehenge.


    "Dumbledore, how dare you face me alone this time?" Voldemort stared at the figure in front of him and said gloomily, "Drac and Grindelwald will note to help you?"


    "Or do you think I am the old me... and think you can deal with me alone?"


    Voldemort''s eyes suddenly became sharp, and he raised his wand: "Dumbledore, who gave you the courage!"


    Dumbledore took a deep look at the wand that Voldemort was holding tightly, and then smiled with satisfaction.


    "I know, Tom, you are very strong now." He chuckled and said, "So I am not alone, I have helpers."


    Voldemort''s child suddenly shrank.


    He looked around nervously at first, and then he breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that Drac and Grindelwald were not nearby.


    "Dumbledore, is he the helper you are talking about?" Voldemort pointed at the Horcrux Riddle andughed, "This defective product that I split?"


    "But this defective product of mine... now has a moreplete soul than yours." Riddle took two steps forward and looked at Voldemort, with the handsome and ugly faces facing each other, "Why do you look down on me?"


    "But you are just a defective product made by me after all!" Voldemort sneered, "I won''t give you a chance to rece me!"


    "Then let''s wait and see." Riddle said coldly.


    "Okay." Dumbledore smiled kindly and said, "Since you look down on my helper, let''s see the truth with your hands... Do it!"


    Voldemort stared at the Horcrux Riddle leisurely, with disdain in his eyes, obviously wanting to see what threat his Horcrux could pose to him.


    The next moment¡ª¡ª


    "Expelliarmus!"


    The spell was not spoken by Riddle, but from behind Voldemort.


    In an instant, the wand in Voldemort''s hand was thrown up uncontrobly and caught by someone behind him.


    Voldemort turned his head in disbelief and saw Snape holding the wand made into a Horcrux, looking at him with hatred.


    "Severus, how could you..." He had actually sensed Snape''s arrival, but his attention was focused on himself, and he did not take any precautions against his most trusted subordinates.


    "Sorry, Lord Dark Lord, I was the one who informed Dumbledore of this base." Snape''s lips trembled, but his tone was extremely cold, "I am also the undercover you have been looking for!"


    "This is impossible... You used the killing curse on Dumbledore, why did he still dare to believe you?!" Voldemort roared in anger.


    He tried to use wandless magic to take back the wand in Snape''s hand, but another powerful force blocked Snape.


    "Don''t you understand yet, Tom?" Dumbledore stepped forward and said calmly, "Because I was the one who asked Severus to use the Killing Curse that time... I''m sorry to disappoint you. Who said I only have one helper?"


    Voldemort was furious, and the anger in his eyes seemed to be bursting out.


    Voldemort couldn''t believe that his most trusted subordinates had betrayed him, and united with hispletely rebellious Horcruxes and his greatest enemies to surround him at the top of the Stonehenge.


    Looking around, there were Death Eaters and allies of the dark camp everywhere, but they were all suppressed by the people brought by Dumbledore. No one had time to care about him, let alone Voldemort''s predicament above.


    The dignified Dark Lord, at this moment, was like a lonely man.


    "Hehehe... Even if I''m alone, so what!" Voldemortughed in anger, looking at the three people around him with a crazy look, "Don''t think that the three of us together can help you seed!"


    Two balls of dark mes suddenly burned in his eyes.


    ...


    On the other side, in the secret realm of Mount Olympus.


    The towering and majestic Mount Olympus turned upside down, hanging far above the sky.


    And below the inverted Mount Olympus is a majestic and elegant building with a strong ancient Greek style, standing on a t ground like water.


    In addition, there is a silver giant as tall as Mount Olympus, standing next to the building as if it connects the sky and the earth.


    "Are you the wizard that Drac introduced to help me?"


    A tall man wearing a white robe-like outfit and bare shoulders stood beside Grindelwald, looking at Grindelwald with a suspicious expression.


    "Are you here too early? To be honest, I don''t need help at the moment." Andros said, "Drac helped me eliminate Herbo not long ago. He is still in the recovery period. As long as there are no more idents, he will need a few years to recover."


    "Is that so?" Grindelwald raised his mouth, "But what if I need him to recover now?"


    "Wait, don''t mess around!" Andros was startled, "I finally waited for some rest time, there is no need to continue fighting with Herbo during the rest time; besides, it is not up to you whether he recovers or not..."


    Before Andros finished speaking, he saw Grindelwald took out an ancient scepter from behind.


    The next moment, the dark energy hidden in the entire secret realm suddenly fluctuated, and Andros''s huge patronus was dimmed by the sudden manic energy.


    "This...what is this thing in your hand?" Andros asked in shock, "Why can it rm Herbo who is recovering like this?"


    "You will know in a moment." Grindelwald smiled and looked into the depths of the ancient Greek building.


    A momentter, an illusory soul body of uncertain brightness emerged from the darkness and flew rapidly to the side of Andros and Grindelwald.


    The look on his face was extremely horrified, anxious, and even panicked.


    "Tell me, where did you get this scepter?!" Herbo asked Grindelwald in panic, "Give it back to me, and we can discuss any conditions you have!"


    "Anything can be negotiated?" Grindelwald smiled yfully.


    "Yes, everything can be negotiated!" Herbo nodded heavily, "As long as you give it back to me."


    Andros saw Herbo''s panicked look, and now he fully understood what this scepter represented.


    "You can''t give it to him!" He tried to dissuade him. "Aren''t you on Drac''s side? If we return the Horcrux we finally found to Herbo, we may never get rid of him again..."


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Andros, the invincible one." Grindelwald chuckled. "Drac and I have already discussed it. You don''t need to say anything. Just watch from the side."


    Then, he turned his eyes to Herbo: "If I say that I want you to borrow the power of the god of death, will you agree? The kind that borrows to the maximum extent."


    "That''s impossible," Herbo shook his head. "Every time I borrow power, I will pay a huge price, not to mention borrowing to the maximum extent... You can ask for anything else. I have everything you want in my treasure house!"


    "Tsk, I''m not interested in your collection." Grindelwald''s face fell. "Since you don''t want to discuss it with me, forget it."


    He spread his palm, and a ball of ck fire instantly ignited in his palm.


    "Say goodbye to your Horcrux, despicable Mr. Herpo." Grindelwald blew at the scepter with contempt.


    "Wait a minute!"


    Herpo hurriedly shouted: "Wait a minute! I promise, I promise your request, quickly put away the Fiendfyre!"


    Grindelwald raised the corners of his lips, pinched the Fiendfyre that was about to touch the scepter between his five fingers, but did not let it disperse.


    "Then, don''t you need to show your appreciation?" He looked at Herpo.


    Herpo gritted his teeth, but finally sighed helplessly and closed his eyes.


    When he opened his eyes again, there were two gloomy, dark mes burning in his eyes...


    ...


    "It''s time."


    In the Death Hall of the Department of Mysteries, Drac looked at the hands of the pocket watch pointing to the Roman numeral "VI" and exhaled a long breath.


    Then, he took back the pocket watch neatly, arranged the invisibility cloak on his body, and held the old wand tightly in his hand.


    He took a step into the floating curtain on the stone archway.

 Chapter 315 - 315 Change the world

    <h4>Chapter 315: Change the world</h4>


    One step out, change the world!


    The scene behind the curtain is exactly the same as thest time I entered. The first thing thates into view is arge umbre-shaped, curled, leafless sea of ??flowers.


    Countless Lycoris radiata spread all over the dark earth, and the red petals are like waves.


    The sky is dark gray, there is no sun in the sky, and a faint lightes from nowhere, and a gloomy world appears before my eyes.


    At the end of the sea of ??flowers, there are towering peaks in a row. A tall figure sits on a throne of bones. There is a ck cloak hanging behind him, and countless skull-shaped phantoms are piled up at the bottom of the cloak.


    However, unlike the first time I saw it, at this moment, the dense skulls on the death cloak are screaming in pain, and countless ck flocs of energy are spit out from the mouths of the skulls, connecting to the void that I don''t know where it leads to.


    Feeling the constant fluctuation of power from the Death God transmitting to the outside world, Drac smiled.


    He knew that Dumbledore and Grindelwald had sessfullypleted their respective tasks.


    "Then, leave it to me next."


    Drac slowly stepped forward, ying with the Elder Wand that he had snatched from Dumbledore with a disarming spell.


    This wand only recognizes the strong, and if it is not done this way, it will not be able to exert its true power, so Drac and Dumbledore had a not-so-fake match - Dumbledore, who had long passed his peak, had a total amount of magic power that was originally inferior to Drac, so the handover ceremony of the Elder Wand was rtively smooth.


    This time, Drac, wearing an invisible cloak, walked all the way to the close of the throne of bones, and the Death God sitting on the throne of bones suddenly raised his head, revealing a pair of dark gray eyes without any focus.


    "Who is it?!"


    He asked in a hoarse voice, his face almost devoid of flesh and blood, made only of dry skin and bones.


    "It''s been a while since west met, Mr. Death." Drac chuckled and casually said under the cover of the invisibility cloak, "I''m here to collect the debt you chased awayst time."


    Death''s dark gray eyes were stained with a touch of ck, staring at the ce where the voice came from.


    "It''s you! The kid from the vampire nst time." He said coldly, "You really picked a good time. It seems that you have made a lot of preparations. You can even find my invisibility cloak... Wait!"


    In Death''s cold voice, his tough confidence suddenly wavered a little, "You actually collected all three things?"


    "Are you scared?" Drac asked yfully, spinning the Elder Wand between his fingers.


    "Afraid?" Death let out augh like the collision of metal and iron from his throat, "You may not understand the gap between us. The life of me and your world has never been on the same level. This is far from beingpensated by your little things!"


    "Really?" Listening to the strong deration of the Death, Drac raised his mouth with interest, "Then why are you in a hurry? Since the gap between us is so big, shouldn''t you just stand still and let me beat you?"


    Fire shed in the cold eyes of the Death.


    "Blood n, you are provoking me." He said coldly.


    "Didn''t you say that we are not on the same level?" Drac chuckled, "If the gap is really as big as you said, you won''t be hurt no matter how I do it... Or are you bluffing?"


    The voice of the Death froze.


    The dark sky became even darker than before, with thick ck clouds piled up thickly, and an ugly face that looked like the god of death looked down at Drac.


    The bloody river water between the countless mountains around surged rapidly, and rows of huge waves with a fishy smell rose and fell one after another, carrying countless hideous skeletons out of the cage, and the rough bones wrapped in chains almost touched the sky, intertwined with the faces in the sky.


    The heavy pressure was all on Drac, as if the weight of the world was so heavy that it was almost suffocating.


    "Tsk, stingy guy, you can''t take a joke at all." Drac frowned, then sneered and shook his head.


    A pair of ck, wide wings supported by several sharp bones spread out behind him, and Drac slowly flew into the air under the pressure of the world.


    The invisibility cloak lost its invisibility function at some point, and turned into a fluid covering Drac''s skin, sharing the oppression of the entire world and resisting the constant erosion;


    The resurrection stone shed rhythmically on the ring, gradually turning into the same color as Drac''s wine-red eyes, protecting his thoughts and spirit;


    Drac slowly and steadily waved the old wand, drawing a circle beside him¡ª¡ª


    A full moon quietly emerged in the world that was about to fall into darkness, dyeing the dark clouds covering the sky and the scarlet river water that swept the earth with a touch of silver light.


    Drac slowly rose into the air in the light of the full moon, his silver hair moving without wind, his dark wings covering half of the moonlight, and casting a deep and lonely shadow on the blood-stained ground.


    A silky-soft blood flowed behind the wings, turning into a bright red stream, winding in a graceful arc outside the dark moonlight, and meandering in the direction of Drac''s slender fingers.


    The bloody silk-like stream kept flowing and swirling, and the full moon was quietly suspended... confronting the dark clouds and the scarlet river water of this world.


    Before Drac''s magic was fully formed, the dark clouds and the scarlet river water had already pressed down like mountains... Not just like mountains, but there were really thirteen mountains covered with corpses pressing down!


    "Boom--"


    The blood-red stream hit the scarlet river, the bright full moon shone on the dark clouds, and Drac raised one hand to hold up the ovepping mountains...


    Although the spells of Drac and the god of death seemed to bepletely disproportionate in size and momentum, the situation of the two sides was strangely deadlocked together-


    The ovepping mountains stagnated, the streams and rivers stopped flowing, the dark clouds stopped rolling, and even the light from the full moon stopped in half, no longer illuminating a bit more!


    "What did you do?" The hoarse voice of the god of death sounded in the dark where the moonlight did not shine, mixed with astonishment and confusion, "Why is my power suddenly out of control?"


    Drac smiled softly.


    He released his left hand holding the mountains, gently pped his wings, lightly bypassed the still blood-red stream, and flew to the other side of the full moon.


    The chaotic environment that was originally emitting bursts of roars has now be silent, as if all sounds have been lost in an instant, isting any medium for sound transmission, and the silence is terrifying.


    "When I first came to this world, I was actually thinking about one thing..."


    Drac''s voice rang out in the silence, without an echo, but it seemed particrly loud and harsh.


    "I was thinking, as a dark being, can I use the energy here in turn?" He said calmly.


    "I once asked a friend to do an experiment to determine the difference between several different kinds of dark energy - it turns out that there is no difference. In other words, all darknesses from the same source."


    "Not long after, I learned that there is such a world of death."


    "The conclusion is obvious. This is the source of all darkness in the world. Since I can control the dark energy in this world, I should be able to control it here..."


    "When the three Deathly Hallows eliminate the interference of this world''s authority for me, then the darkness here should be divided into half for me!"


    Drac suddenly raised his hand and snapped his fingers -


    The red river surged back, the mountains returned, and the clouds retreated!


    Almost in an instant, he took over half of the control of the world from the god of death, driving the attack originallyunched against himself and returning it to the god of death on the throne of bones!


    The god of death never thought that such a scene would happen. Caught off guard, he and his throne were crushed under the mountain by thirteen mountains.


    Under the violent impact, a huge crack appeared on the entire ground, tearing open a canyon of ten thousand feet, and there seemed to be scarlet waves surging in the depths of the canyon.


    "How could you...how could you control the power of this world in a short time?" The throne of bones rose from the bottom of the scarlet canyon, and the god of death sat on the throne and asked in a somewhat embarrassed manner.


    "Maybe you don''t believe it, but I have used this power many times." Drac smiled happily, thinking of the mark in his gloomy wooden wand that could control darkness.


    "But so what?" The god of death said hoarsely, "You can only take away half of the power of this world at most, and at most you can only coexist with me here... I don''t see what you can do to me!"


    "Wrong!" Drac''s smile became more and more yful, "Have you forgotten, Mr. Death? Before I entered this world, you lent your power to two wizards in the world!"


    The god of death''s withered gray eyes suddenly shrank.


    He hurriedly drove the countless skulls under his cloak, trying to cut off their power connection with the outside world.


    "Don''t struggle, Mr. Death. It''s not easy to take back the borrowed power." Drac said with a smile, "Especially now that I have deprived you of half of your power, it will be very slow to take it back by force."


    "Those two guys are a bit bad, but it cannot be denied that they are extremely outstanding and powerful wizards, and they can be undisputedly ranked among the top few in the history of the entire magic world."


    "How can they easily return the power they borrowed to you?"


    Drac chuckled and waved to the God of Death.


    "Goodbye, Mr. Death."


    A powerful force that could not be surpassed, carrying the power of half the world, crushed the God of Death.


    The God of Death tried to mobilize the power he still had in his body to resist, but in the end he could not resist the gap in power with Drac... Gradually, the power of the God of Death was like being slowly crushed by a millstone, bing weaker and weaker.


    As one grew stronger, the other grew weaker, and the pressure on Drac became stronger and stronger.


    Drac gradually realized what the so-called "Death God" was - it was just a dark creature that could control dark energy.


    The first time the Death God saw Drac, he felt disgusted with his identity as a vampire - because as the purest dark creature, Drac was almost the only one who had the opportunity to control the dark energy here.


    The Death God felt a strong threat from Drac.


    As for Herpo and Slytherin, who originally wanted to rece the position of the Death God, their wishes were actually wishful thinking from the beginning... If they were not born dark, they could not control the energy here, nor could they truly be the "Death God".


    The figure on the throne of bones turned into tiny dark spots of light, crushed and crushed into powder, and this space soon lost the signs that the "Death God" had ever existed.


    The skulls on his cloak fled in all directions, jumped into the scarlet river, and merged into a group with countless skeletons; the bones spliced ??together on the throne of bones struggled desperately, and seemed to want to go with those skulls.


    Drac waved his hand, letting the skeletons return to their original state and jump into the river.


    Then, he slowly walked into the sea of ??red spider lilies, looking at the earth that had been restored to its original state after a great battle, and the dark gray gloomy sky.


    "It seems to be over?"


    It is indeed over.


    Drac sighed deeply.


    The previous god of deathpletely lost the mark left in this world, and now the person who actually controls this world of death is Drac.


    Drac felt the endless dark energy around him, as if he was using his arms and fingers, just like the magic power in his body; the surrounding mountains, rivers, ground and even sky seemed to change in his mind.


    Drac''s mind moved, and he habitually snapped his fingers-


    The entire vast world suddenly changed, the scarlet river and countless skeletons merged into argeke, thirteen sword-like mountains turned into a castle standing by the scarletke, there was a small room in the castle, and a few red spider lilies were inserted on the windowsill of the room...


    Drac appeared in the room, sitting behind a desk, leaningfortably on a soft armchair.


    "After living for so many years, the mostfortable ce is such an office in Hogwarts." He closed his eyes and whispered softly.


    He snapped his fingers again.


    The power originally lent to Voldemort and Herbo was forcibly taken back. Through the connection between this power and the present world, Drac saw the interesting panic expressions of Voldemort and Herbo when they suddenly lost their power.


    He also saw that although Dumbledore and Grindelwald were surprised for a moment, they each seized the opportunity and sessfully captured Voldemort and Herbo.


    Voldemort''s soul was even weaker than Riddle''s Horcrux, and was absorbed and merged by the Horcrux he made, and lost consciousness; Herbo''s scepter was burned by the Fiendfyre, and Andros took the opportunity to use the Patronus topletely annihte his fragile soul...


    At this point, the n to rece the god of death can be considered aplete sess.


    Drac retracted his gaze and took out a delicate hourss with a light golden color hanging on a golden ne from his pocket.


    "What a trouble, I have to go back again."


    He looked at his gloomy wooden wand with an inexplicable expression.

 Chapter 316 - 316 Go back three years and fill a hole

    <h4>Chapter 316: Go back three years and fill a hole</h4>


    Draczily stood up from the armchair, walked to the door of the office, and stretched.


    Then, he opened the door and walked out.


    I don''t know when the door of the office became a bridge between the living world and the realm of death. When Drac went out, he came directly to the Death Hall of the Department of Mysteries, behind which was the old stone archway.


    The dark gray curtain was still swaying gently, but for Drac, the world behind it had lost its original mystery and became a power that he could control at will...


    The previous Grim Reaper was a dark creature born in the world of death. There was no essential difference between him and the skeleton creatures trapped in the Blood River and the Bone Mountain. He could not enter the living world directly, so he could only make trouble in a roundabout way for a long time.


    The birth of magical products such as ghosts and dementors was rted to this.


    It was for this reason that the previous Grim Reaper had a strong hostility towards Drac when he first saw him... Why could a pure dark creature be born in the living world and have the ability to move in two worlds at the same time?


    Of course, now he has no chance toin about such a thing.


    Drac was toozy to think about such boring things. He now had to fill a small hole that had existed for several years in his future and past timeline...


    The Death Hall was still the same as before.


    The light was dim, square, and the center of the stone arch was sunken, looking like a huge stone pit, about twenty feet deep; stone steps surrounded the whole room, like stone benches, gradually descending one level at a time, and each level was very steep.


    There were several doors on the high ground, leading to other different rooms in the Department of Mysteries.


    Drac took a step and appeared in front of one of the doors, pushed open the door, and walked into a long and narrow rectangr room.


    The ce was full of dancing lights, and the whole room was shining like a gem. All kinds of time-rted equipmentpletely filled the room, and various pendulum clocks, quartz clocks, pocket watches, wristwatches and other clocks were ced everywhere.


    Several silent people were working indoors, but they didn''t notice Drac at all, and didn''t even notice anything unusual, and they were still working in the Time Hall.


    Drac passed by one of the silent people and came to the center of the Time Hall.


    There was a huge crystal jar shaped like a clock, and bright light came from it from time to time.


    The shape of the jar was like a big clock, and its interior was constantly producing a dancing bright light - in the crystal water inside, there was a small, bright gem-like egg floating.


    When the egg was lifted up by the bright water flow in the bell jar, it suddenly broke, and then a small hummingbird appeared from it; once the hummingbird appeared, it was lifted to the top of the jar by the water flow so that it could spread its wings and fly at a high ce without liquid covering it.


    But every time it wanted tond on the water to drink water, its feathers were wetted by the water flow, and then magically brought back to the bottom of the jar, and sealed in its egg again...


    This process was repeated over and over again.


    The hummingbird in the jar is also getting younger and younger, until it enters the state before birth, and then it is born again from the egg and grows up again, and the cycle continues endlessly...


    "So this is the container for time energy, right?"


    Drac looked at the bird trapped in the time loop inside the bell jar with interest, and raised the time converter in his hand.


    This time converter was taken from the Time Hall in the third year of being a professor at Hogwarts... After all, it was not very authentic to always use Hermione Granger''s time converter at that time, and the time energy was not enough.


    "Come on, borrow some time energy." He casually hooked his finger, and a part of the liquid in the bell jar was divided and poured into the hourss of the time converter.


    Once it entered the hourss, the liquid condensed into gravel and gradually filled the entire hourss.


    Then, Drac turned the hourss and made it spin rapidly.


    Each time converter was cast with an hour reversal spell by the Silent Man in the Time Hall. Every time the hourss turned, time would go back one hour.


    With the help of Drac''s fluctuations and sufficient time energy, the hourss turned more than 20,000 times in the blink of an eye-


    Drac flew backwards rapidly in the state of time reversal, with all kinds of vague clouds and strange shapes passing by his eyes, and something knocking in his ears.


    He was a little impatient with the long time-space shuttle process, so he took a step forward, directly broke through the flow of time, and instantly came to the time point he wanted to go.


    In the summer of 1994, a quiet morning.


    Drac''s figure was still in this shiny time hall of the Department of Mysteries, but the Silent Man around him had changed and fainted on the ground.


    Looking at the slightly messy environment around, it can be roughly seen that a battle had just taken ce here, but the battle seemed to be one-sided, and the Silent Man had no power to fight back at all.


    It can be seen that a door on the side of the Time Hall was still open.


    Behind that door,pared to the radiant light of the Hall of Time, it was particrly dark, and bursts of death breath came out from the crack of the door.


    Drac was very familiar with this death breath, butpared to the situation three yearster, the death energy now could not bepletely controlled by him.


    Drac shrugged and was about to walk towards the side door leading to the Hall of Death, but just halfway there, he suddenly remembered something:


    "Oh, I almost forgot, I have to hide my identity!"


    He excitedly used the Elder Wand to point at his ck and red robe, and the clothes turned into a gorgeous red cloak.


    Drac put on the long hood behind the cloak on his head, and also put on a pair of gloves of the same color on his hands, without a trace of skin exposed outside, and then he walked into the door of the Hall of Death with satisfaction in this outfit.


    ...


    The Hall of Death was not empty at this time.


    A silver-haired, ck-and-red-robed, handsome vampire was standing in the center of the sunken Death Hall, about to step into the stone archway leading to the realm of death.


    "You don''t want to go in there at this time." Drac said with interest.


    Suddenly hearing Drac''s voice, Drac three years ago stopped and turned back in surprise.


    His expression was surprised at first, and then he became speechless.


    "I can hardly imagine that I will be so bored one day." Drac three years ago said with a strange expression, "Do you have to dress like this? Anyway, I know who you are."


    Drac looked at him with some amusement and thought this scene was quite interesting.


    He knew that his past self knew who he was, but he still pretended not to know and yed the game of guessing his identity with him... Even Drac knew exactly what would happen next, but he still had to go through it again.


    It was unexpectedly interesting!


    "The form still has to go through." Drac said happily.


    "... As long as you are happy." Drac three years ago crossed his arms and pulled the corners of his mouth, "Then tell me, why don''t I want to enter there at this time? In fact, you should know that I really want to walk into that archway."


    "It''s not time yet." Drac said vaguely, imitating Dumbledore''s way of speaking like a riddle man.


    "But why can''t you make it clear?" Drac three years ago twitched a little at the corner of his mouth, "I can''t imagine that I will be a riddle man like you one day."


    "There are many things you can''t imagine!" Looking at the past self''s frustrated look, Dracughed with interest.


    What happened next was the same as three years ago, and the two kept talking.


    While chatting with his past self, Drac quietly used a trace of the authority of the god of death and left a mark on the gloomy wooden wand.


    This mark can not only help the past Drac slightly control the power of the previous god of death, but also serve as a coordinate to help Drac find the past self''s position in the realm of death.


    In fact, thetter function is the most important, because Drac is fully aware that his past self will not be able to resist curiosity and suddenly step behind the curtain of the stone arch.


    So he must pull his past self back from that side in time to prevent the previous god of death from doing something dirty.


    "So... what is inside this?" Drac three years ago looked at the curtain swaying gently on the stone arch and asked softly.


    "The curtain is constantly swaying without wind, because there are lives dying every moment in the world." Drac exined casually, but he knew in his heart that the critical moment was approaching.


    "And in this space, the stone steps that gradually descend around the four sides mean the gradual aging of life... Haven''t you figured it out yet? What kind of ce is the world behind the arch?"


    Drac three years ago turned his head, and a sh of realization shed in his eyes.


    "I didn''t expect that this arch is so important that I would find a way to travel back in time to stop myself from entering." Past Dracughed, "But have you ever thought that the more people dissuade me, the more I want to go in and take a look!"


    Before he finished speaking, he suddenly turned around and stepped decisively into the dark gray curtain inside the arch.


    Drac looked at this scene with amusement, and had no intention of stopping it at all.


    It''s also good to let the past self meet the god of death. At least when he seizes the position of the god of death next time, he will have some understanding of another world and will not bepletely in the dark.


    It''s just that Drac three years ago thought that the future Drac didn''t react, so he let him enter the door. This is quite interesting.


    Drac "tsk" and sat bored on a stone step, waiting for the moment when the past self tried to activate the teleportation magic toe back...


    A few minutester, Drac snapped his fingers.


    The authority of the God of Death from the future invaded the curtain on the stone archway, forcibly took away part of the power of the current God of Death, and connected the present world with the Dark Moon in the realm of death¡ª¡ª


    The next moment, a dark moon appeared in the Death Hall of the Department of Mysteries.


    Through the light and shadow of the dark moon, Drac vaguely saw a tall skull face sitting majestically on a throne of bones, with an extremely surprised expression.


    "Enjoy your time as the God of Death. In a few years, you will disappear from this position."


    He smiled and waved to the God of Death after the dark moon, weing himself back from another world three years ago...


    ...


    After dealing with the small problems on the timeline, Drac returned to the autumn of 1996.


    Although he went back to the past for a while, it was not even a minute for the time three yearster. Dumbledore and Grindelwald had just finished fighting.


    Drac thought for a moment, took a step forward, and instantly appeared in the secret realm on the top of Mount Olympus.


    The ck air here disappeared, but many ancient Greek buildings were charred ck, and there were many broken and damaged ruins. It seemed that the fierce fire just now was burning very fiercely.


    "Andros, has Herpo been solved?" Drac shouted to the silver giant.


    "Solved, pletely solved!" Andros, wearing a robe and half of his shoulders exposed, walked out from the giant''s chest andughed, "The grudge that hassted for thousands of years can finally end!"


    Andros looked extremely happy. Although the legendary invincible Andros has been happy since Drac met him, he has never been as happy as today.


    The silver light of the giant''s patron saint was brighter than ever, as if it had unlimited power.


    However, Andros''s soul became extremely illusory, and it seemed that it might disappear from this world at any time...


    "I can finally give back all the faith and magic potential I owe to the Greek magic world." Andros smiled with satisfaction, "The future here will finally not be ascking in talent as it is now."


    The ancient buildings around him gradually turned into light spots, and the space of the secret realm gradually fluctuated and could copse at any time.


    Andros smiled, and his figure became more and more transparent.


    "Andros, you have stayed in this world for too long." Drac said softly, "If you lose your power like this, you will be a weak remnant soul, unable to transcend..."


    "I can find two choices for you - if you choose to stay, you will be a soul that is more stable than a ghost, and you can walk freely in the world."


    "Sure enough, I was right about you. I knew you could seed." Andros smiled and looked into Drac''s eyes, "Then... what about the other choice?"


    "Another choice..." Drac''s eyes dimmed a little, and he said slowly, "If you choose to go on, I will send you through the Lost Land and leave this world."


    Andros'' figure became more transparent, but his smile seemed more satisfied.


    "In fact, you know what I will choose, don''t you?" He said with a smile, "You should know best that death is just another brave journey... In fact, I have kept smiling for thousands of years, and I am already very tired."


    "I should take a break too."


    "Yes, you should take a break." Drac sighed deeply.


    He stared at Andros''s face and snapped his fingers gently.


    "Then I respect your choice." Drac said.


    Andros''s extremely transparent figure suddenly turned into a beam of light and slowly rose into the air.


    As the secret space copsed, the sky outside appeared in front of everyone present, a blue and exceptionally bright sky.


    Andros''s light flew higher and higher, smaller and smaller, and finally disappeared in the distant sky, leaving only a whisper with a smile -


    "Thank you, my old friend, Drac."

 Chapter 317 - 317 Deathly Hallows ending

    <h4>Chapter 317: Deathly Hallows ending</h4>


    "Walk together?" Grindelwald''s voice sounded beside Drac.


    After the secret realm copsed, Andros turned into light and disappeared. With the strength of Drac and Grindelwald, they would not be troubled by this broken space. They easily broke through the space disturbance and came to the top of Mount Olympus.


    Drac looked at Grindelwald, who had regained his white hair and old face at some point. Unlike the messy look when he first met him, the groomed white hair was as bright as the snow on the top of Mount Olympus in the sun.


    He nodded and walked on the ridge of the snowy mountain with the old man who was once a powerful figure but now had white hair.


    The wind on the top of the mountain was very strong and cold, but the two of them seemed to have no chill at all, and they stepped lightly on the dry snow.


    "So it seems that you have sessfully reced the position of the god of death, right?" Grindelwald said in a vague tone as he looked at the light that disappeared in the blue sky.


    "Yes." Drac nodded, "But I don''t think my life is any different now, as if nothing has changed."


    "How could that be?" Grindelwald smiled softly, and his expression rarely showed a little awkwardness, "For example, I have something to ask of you now... This was impossible before."


    "Oh?" Drac became interested, and the corners of his mouth curled up, "Tell me, what can the notorious Mr. Grindelwald ask of me?"


    Grindelwald stopped and was silent for a while.


    Drac also stopped and looked at him with interest.


    Then, Grindelwald said with some difficulty: "You may have heard that Albus and I used to have a very good rtionship, a very good one... but then we broke up again, in the summer ny-eight years ago."


    "Well, I have heard some of your stories. Nico told me part of it." Drac nodded and said, "I heard that there was a difference in ideaster?"


    "Not entirely." Grindelwald said, "In fact, our ideas were very consistent at the beginning. The phrase ''for the greater good'' was proposed by Albus, and I like this phrase very much."


    "So, why did you break up againter?" Drac asked curiously.


    "It was a fuse, a serious fuse." Grindelwald sighed and said in a heavy tone, "If that matter is not resolved, our rtionship may not be able to return to the past."


    He turned his head and looked deeply at Drac, "Although I don''t want to admit it, this is indeed a serious knot between the two of us."


    "So... the help you want me to help is rted to this fuse?" Drac said thoughtfully, "Tell me in detail."


    "Yes, mentioning this matter has to talk about Albus''s sister who died that summer." Grindelwald said slowly.


    "At that time, we were both ambitious and eager to find the three Deathly Hallows and be the masters of the Grim Reaper... Hehe, Albus''s brother, Aberforth, was very disgusted with our ambitions and thought that Albus should stay to take care of their Obscurus sister."


    "Yes, Albus''s sister Arianna was bullied by Muggle children, so she suppressed her desire to use magic and became an Obscurus. It was this incident that made Albus want to rule the Muggle world with me at that time."


    "Later, Aberforth''s obstructive words angered I, we had a duel... No one expected that Ariana just came out of the room and saw this scene, and the silent power in her body exploded. "


    "It''s funny that this incident made Albuspletely stay away from any power from then on. He was only willing to stay in Hogwarts as a headmaster with no ambitions. Even the position of President of the International Confederation of Wizards was just an honor..."


    "Ariana Dumbledore became a thorn in Albus'' heart and a wall between the two of us... ...If we don''t tear down this wall, we will never be able to reconcile. "


    Grindelwald said casually: "Drac, you are now the real ''master of death'', should there be a way to find Ariana''s soul?"


    "You overestimate the status of the so-called ''god of death''. It is just a dark creature with the ability to guide the souls of the dead." Drac shook his head, "It seems that the souls that died a hundred years ago have long gone to who knows where."


    "So even if you have mastered the three Deathly Hallows, you can''t be omniscient and omnipotent?" Grindelwald was silent for a moment, and then said softly, "It seems that we were too naive when we were young."


    "I don''t think you need to worry about this problem." Drac suddenlyughed, "It''s better to say that you are also confused by the authorities..."


    "ording to my idea, Albus may still miss his sister, and even keep this incident as a warning to himself, but he will not stay in the past forever."


    Grindelwald was stunned, and an inexplicable emotion gradually emerged in his eyes.


    "Let''s go. Albus''s case is over." Drac snapped his fingers and summoned a moon that didn''t look dim in the sunlight. "There must be a solution to this. There''s no need to dwell on the past. We have to look forward!"


    The moonlight moved, covering Drac and Grindelwald in the shadow.


    ...


    The moonlight appeared in a small, dark, and very dirty room.


    Drac stepped out of the moonlight and couldn''t help but frown. He subconsciously floated in the air without letting his feet touch the dirty ground.


    There was a strong smell of sheep here, and thick dirt umted on several bay windows, and the light from outside could hardly prate.


    Some candles were lit on the rough wooden table. At first nce, you might think the ground waspacted mud, but when you stepped on it, you found that the dirt that seemed to have been there for centuries was umted on the stone floor.


    "What kind of ce did Albus choose to be so disgusting." Drac snapped his fingers in disgust.


    The next moment, the filth in the whole room was swept away, revealing the stone floor that had not seen the sun for hundreds of years. The sunlight shone in from the window that suddenly became clean and transparent, almost blinding the eyes of the tall, thin, gray-bearded old man behind the counter.


    "Walter f... what did you do?!" The gray-bearded old man behind the counter angrily threw the dirty rag into a ss of unknown color and yelled at Drac, "You havepletely destroyed the environment that the Pig''s Head Bar is famous for!"


    "And do you know that my customers are already used to the dirty environment here, and I don''t need to clean it at all - now it has be like this, I have to work several times more!"


    Drac looked at the old man who was so excited that he foamed at the mouth, and his mouth twitched.


    "Grindelwald, help me confirm, this old guy is Albus''s brother?" He turned his head and looked at Grindelwald who walked out of the moonlight behind him, "Although there is nothing wrong with his blood and appearance, but this character..."


    "He is indeed Albus''s brother - Aberforth Dumbledore." Grindelwald looked at Aberforth and nodded slowly.


    Aberforth was still cursing, but when he saw Grindelwald walking out from behind Drac, his furious look froze instantly, and the expression on his face instantly turned cold.


    "Get out, I don''t allow you to enter the Hog''s Head Inn." Aberforth said coldly.


    "Why, this bar is closed?" Grindelwald teased, "How can a bar owner drive customers out?"


    "I am the owner of this bar, I can do whatever I want, you don''t care whether I do business or not!" Aberforth''s face became colder, "Get out!"


    "Calm down, Aberforth." Just as Grindelwald was about to make a few more jokes, another voice sounded from upstairs, "They are here to find me..."


    "Come up, Professor Drac, Gellert." The voice shouted to Drac and Grindelwald.


    Drac looked at Aberforth with interest, and then walked up to the second floor of the bar leisurely.


    Grindelwald did not provoke the angry Aberforth again, and went upstairs with Drac.


    At the top of the stairs is a living room with worn carpets and a small firece. Above the firece hangs arge oil painting, in which a blonde girl looks at the house nkly and tenderly.


    Dumbledore was waiting for them upstairs, his eyes never leaving the little girl in the painting.


    "It looks like Professor Drac has seeded." Dumbledore said softly when he heard footstepsing upstairs.


    "Yes, it went smoothly." Drac snapped his fingers again, cleaned the sofa by the firece, and sat on it without hesitation. "I also saw the situation over there... So, Voldemort''s consciousness has disappeared, right?"


    "Indeed, our n is basicallyplete." Dumbledore said, "The next step is to deal with the soul fragment in Harry''s body, and everything wille to an end."


    "Harry is already in the sixth grade, and he will be an adult in a few months."


    "We all know that when Harry bes an adult, Lily''s blood magic will also be invalid at the same time. If you want topletely solve Voldemort''s soul fragment, it may be safer to do it before Lily''s protective magic expires."


    Dumbledore talked to himself, and seemed not to notice that Grindelwald stood side by side with him, looking at the little blonde girl in the portrait together.


    Her eyes were the same as Dumbledore''s, as clear as the sky.


    "Albus, we..." Grindelwald hesitated for a moment, opened his mouth but didn''t know what to say.


    After the short-livedmon goal of getting rid of Voldemort was over, the biggest problem between the two returned to the beginning - Ariana''s death was ultimately a disaster brought by Grindelwald.


    "Wait a minute, Grindelwald, put your business aside for now." Drac suddenly interrupted Grindelwald, "I suddenly remembered that I still owed Dumbledore a few things."


    Grindelwald and Dumbledore were both stunned for a moment, looking at Drac in confusion.


    "Did you forget, Albus, I borrowed three things from you before I left." Drac chuckled, took out a fluid-like light invisible cloak from the void, and handed it to Dumbledore.


    "Potter''s invisibility cloak, fortunately, was not damaged by me, so please help me return it to him."


    Then, he took off a ring iid with a ck gem from his index finger.


    "The Resurrection Stone was passed down from Cadmus Peverell, andter passed to the Gaunt family, the family of Szar''s wife. In theory, it should belong to Riddle."


    Drac smiled, but threw the ring to Dumbledore, "You keep it for Riddle first, and you can use this ring to do some things that need to be done."


    "If I''m not mistaken, this portrait should have been drawn after Ariana''s death? The spirituality is obviously insufficient, and it is not something that the painter can easily restore... But if we have the Resurrection Stone as a reference, it should be fine."


    "It can be regarded as allowing Ariana''s soul to survive in another way."


    Dumbledore''s eyes gradually brightened, and Grindelwald beside him also showed a hint of joy.


    In any case, as long as Ariana''s spirituality can be restored in the portrait, at least it can ease the grudge between him and Dumbledore, and even Aberforth, whose rtionship has always been at a freezing point, may change.


    "Finally, there is this Elder Wand."


    Drac took out the elder wand with seven protruding branches and yed with it casually. "I''ll keep this for myself. You should have no objection, right, the two former owners of the Elder Wand?"


    "Of course, Professor Drac, you took it from me by force." Dumbledore smiled.


    "That''s good." Drac shrugged.


    He directly opened a space channel and threw the Elder Wand into the endless blood river in the realm of death.


    In this way, no one will be able to collect the three Deathly Hallows and pose a threat to the position of the God of Death...


    Just then, a footstep came up from downstairs.


    The three of them turned their heads and looked at Aberforth who walked upstairs with an indignant look on his face.


    "You three, stop celebrating!" Aberforth shouted, "There arerge gatherings of Dementors and Inferi outside again. I really don''t understand what you were busy with before!"


    However, Drac, Dumbledore and Grindelwald didn''t seem to be surprised to hear the news.


    They looked at each other andughed, which made Aberforth look puzzled.


    "I can''t believe he couldn''t help it so soon?" Drac raised his mouth and stood up from the sofa.


    "Let''s go, Albus. After solving this matter, the Potter you have been thinking about canpletely get rid of Voldemort''s soul fragments!"

 Chapter 318 - 318 King’s Cross Station（End of article）

    <h4>Chapter 318: King''s Cross Station£¨End of article£©</h4>


    Drac, Dumbledore and Grindelwald walked out of the Hog''s Head and came to the streets of Hogsmeade.


    In the distance, a dense crowd of people appeared at the end of Hogsmeade Vige, which had already flooded the tracks of Hogsmeade Station and moved eastward towards Hogwarts like zombies.


    Not only that, the originally clear sky seemed to be filled with dark clouds, the atmosphere was particrly depressing, and endless negative emotions fell from the sky, wiping out the smiles on everyone''s faces.


    "Look, who just said that Voldemort has been dealt with?" Aberforth said in a sarcastic tone, "The number of Inferi and Dementors this time is far greater than any previous time. Could it be that a dark demon more powerful than Voldemort suddenly appears?"


    "That''s hard to say." Drac smiled with interest and turned to look at Dumbledore: "Well, Albus, how do the Inferi and Dementors on both sides divide the work?"


    Dumbledore looked at the Hogwarts Castle in the east, his face also smiling, and he seemed to be in a good mood.


    "It seems that there is no need for us to take action there, right?"


    Drac and Grindelwald also looked over the uneven roofs of Hogsmeade and looked at the tall main tower of Hogwarts.


    Under the influence of the Dementors, in the dark sky, a faint silver light prated the dense group of Dementors and dispelled a circle of negative emotions of fear and sadness.


    Then, two more silver lights shone out.


    The silver light became more and more, gradually converging into a torrent as bright as the Milky Way.


    A bright stag rushed to the front of the torrent, followed by an otter and a Jack Russell terrier, and then a horse, a hare, a swan, and foxes, wild boars, cats and other animals running in the torrent...


    In addition to these tangible patronuses, there are countless half-solid and half-illusory silver lights and endless silver mists apanying them.


    Facing such arge number of Dementors, a single patronus may seem powerless.


    But when half of the students in the castle have learned the Patronus Charm, the momentum of the patronus will be no less than that of the Dementors.


    "Unconsciously, the children have grown up, and it''s time for them to be independent." Dumbledore looked at the silver torrent, wiped his eyes, and said with emotion.


    "Sometimes I really thought they were freshmen who had just enrolled. They were more naughty than each other. Minerva kept nagging me to manage them well..."


    "Why do you suddenly miss the past?" Grindelwald interrupted him with a smile, "Then I want to tell you how I spent those fifty years in the tower."


    Seeing that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were about to start reminiscing about the past, and Drac looked like he was interested in listening to the story, Aberforth next to him couldn''t stand it anymore.


    "What''s wrong with you three?" Aberforth said impatiently, "The Inferi and Dementors are here, and you three don''t want to find a way to solve them, but instead miss the past here? Is this the time for you to miss the past!"


    Dumbledore woke up from a dream, as if he had just remembered the business.


    "I''m old, and I always like to recall the past." He shook his head with some shame, and said softly, "Don''t worry, Aberforth, this matter will be resolved soon."


    Then, Dumbledore looked at Grindelwald, hesitated for a moment, and handed over the resurrection stone ring on his finger.


    Grindelwald looked at the ring handed over by Dumbledore, and his expression was dazed for a moment.


    "Gellert, you take the resurrection stone first, and the piece of Inferi will be handed over to you." Dumbledore saw that Grindelwald did not move, and reminded him, "I remember you were good at necromancy."


    "Well... I used necromancy to resurrect a little unicorn at that time, and you and Newt destroyed it." Grindelwald came back to his senses, gently took the ring, and replied casually, "No problem, it''s just some low-level Inferi."


    "Professor Drac..." Dumbledore turned his head and looked at Drac again.


    "Go and do what you need to do." Drac nodded, "I''ll watch in the dark, don''t worry."


    Dumbledore finally put his mind at ease and raised his arm to his side.


    A fiery red phoenixnded on his arm, and took Dumbledore with it, turning into a golden red me and dissipating on the spot.


    Grindelwald looked at Dumbledore''s departing figure, tightly holding the Resurrection Stone Ring in his hand.


    Then he chuckled softly, turned around, and faced the group of Inferi that had already entered the scope of Hogsmeade Vige and caused amotion.


    Now, only Aberforth and Drac were left at the door of the Hog''s Head.


    "Why do both of them have missions, but you don''t?" Aberforth looked at Drac who was still standing there, and asked in confusion.


    "Who said that?" Drac nced at him, "My mission is the most important, understand?"


    "So what is your mission?" Aberforth asked.


    "My mission..." Dracughed happily, and turned back to the Hog''s Head, "First, have a ss of your best drink to calm down!"


    Aberforth: "..."


    ...


    When Dumbledore arrived at Hogwarts Castle, the Dementors in the sky had been dispersed.


    A figure was standing at the gate leading to the hall of Hogwarts, pacing back and forth anxiously.


    "Tom? Why are you not going to Minerva''s office? What are you doing here?" Dumbledore asked in surprise when he saw this figure. "Aren''t you here topete with Severus for the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor?"


    "That''s right, but aren''t there arge number of Dementors invading?" Riddle looked very worried. "I think this Dementor invasion is by no means idental. There must be someone behind it."


    "I feel it''s necessary to show my ability in front of you and Headmaster Minerva through this incident. In order to investigate the person behind the Dementors, I searched carefully near the castle and finally found a suspicious trace!"


    "Did you find the suspicious person?" Dumbledore''s face was Became serious, "Where is he!"


    "When I found him just now, he was deep in the Forbidden Forest." Riddle said in a deep voice, "But even though I absorbed the soul fragments of Voldemort, I haven''t digested itpletely, and my strength is still a step away from being a great wizard..."


    "Therefore, I am not sure I can deal with that suspicious person alone, so I muste here and wait for you and Professor Drac toe!"


    "Tom, you did a good job!" Dumbledore said seriously, "Wait for me here for a while, I will exin this to Minerva, and then go with you to find the suspicious trace."


    After that, Dumbledore was about to walk to the marble staircase leading to the second floor next to the entrance courtyard, when Riddle called him from behind again.


    "Headmaster, is Professor Drac nearby?" Riddle asked, "Should we wait for him to go together, it would be safer..."


    "Professor Drac has his own things to do and has no time to return to Hogwarts now." Dumbledore shook his head, "Don''t worry, with the two of us together, most situations are enough to deal with. There is no need to trouble Professor Drac."


    Riddle nodded gently.


    "I see." He said.


    ...


    A few minutester, Dumbledore hurried down from upstairs and came straight to Riddle.


    "Are you ready, Tom?" he asked softly.


    "I''m ready here, Headmaster Dumbledore." Riddle nodded.


    I don''t know if it''s an illusion, he feels that Dumbledore seems to have changed his temperament in just a few minutes. The mysterious and vicissitudes of life on his body seem to disappear, and instead be... seem to be a lot younger.


    ''Maybe he has exined the school affairs to Professor McGonagall and rxed a lot. ''He could only think so.


    Then, Riddle led the way, and Dumbledore followed him quietly, and they walked into a gloomy cypress deep in the Forbidden Forest.


    "This is it, Mr. Headmaster." Riddle pointed to a dark symbol carved on the cypress in front of him, and said slowly, "Look at that runic symbol, isn''t it strange..."


    Dumbledore frowned, walked towards the thick cypress in front, and looked at the ck runic characters that seemed to be constantly jumping.


    "This is..."


    His eyes seemed to be sucked into the runic characters, and a trace of confusion appeared in his eyes.


    At the same moment, Dumbledore didn''t see that Riddle behind him suddenly raised his wand¡ª¡ª


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    A dazzling green light prated the darkness of the Forbidden Forest and hit Dumbledore''s back squarely...


    The old man fell weakly and heavily on the ground covered with pine leaves like a big doll. The sses on his face broke into two pieces, and his eyes were wide open. It seemed that he could not imagine that the attack came from behind.


    Riddle panted heavily, looking at the fallen old headmaster, and couldn''t believe that he seeded so easily.


    For some reason, although he achieved his goal, he had the illusion that something had left him...


    "Tom, you are still obsessed."


    In the silent Forbidden Forest, a voice suddenly broke the silence of the air.


    Riddle turned his head suddenly, his eyes full of disbelief.


    "How is it possible! You are not..."


    "Tom, do you really think you are hiding well?" Dumbledore, with silver hair, walked out from the other side of the Forbidden Forest and said with a heavy expression.


    Phoenix Fawkes stood on his shoulder,bing his golden and red feathersfortably.


    "When Professor Drac told me that you learned to repent, I realized that you were back on your old path." Dumbledore looked deeply into Riddle''s eyes, "The Tom Riddle I know may change his position, but he will never repent for what he did..."


    "Not to mention, many of Voldemort''s actions were not done by him in your eyes... Why do you repent for him?"


    "At that time, Professor Drac already understood that you were able to piece your soul together with the help of the power of the god of death, and the price might be to offer part of the soul fragments to the god of death after the sess."


    Riddle''s child hole shrank violently, and it was obvious that he had not recovered from the shock.


    He looked at Dumbledore, who had been hit by the Killing Curse and fell to the ground, in disbelief. He saw that old face twitched a few times, and the wrinkled skin gradually became smooth, the white hair became ck and messy, and a lightning-shaped scar appeared on the forehead...


    "Harry Potter?!" Riddle was horrified to see Dumbledore''s face turned into Harry, and he couldn''t believe his eyes at all, "How is this possible..."


    Then he turned his head suddenly and questioned Dumbledore: "Did you feed Harry the Polyjuice Potion?"


    "Is this your responsibility as the headmaster of Hogwarts? Let your "Your students will take the killing curse for you!"


    "Tom, don''t you realize it yet?" Dumbledore said calmly, "After Voldemort cast the killing curse on Harry seventeen years ago, he identally left a piece of his soul in Harry''s body, and Harry became a special Horcrux at that time..."


    "Ha, I know!" Riddle smiled sarcastically, "Just because of this, in order to kill me, you must let your students be buried with me, right? The great wizard who protects the magic world is indeed worthy of his reputation!"


    "You think too much, Tom, Harry will be fine." Dumbledore said softly.


    "I was hit by a killing curse, and you told me he would be fine? !" Riddle sneered.


    "I don''t need to lie to you." Dumbledore shook his head.


    ...


    At this moment, Harry stood up in a silent space.


    It was a huge round ss roof, gleaming in the sunlight high above his head; there was silence all around, only a strange thumping and whimpering sounding from the mist nearby...


    Harry stood there and slowly turned around, and the surrounding scenery seemed to appear before his eyes.


    Arge and vast space, bright and clean, a hall muchrger than the Great Hall, with the clear ss dome above. The hall was empty, with only him, except for -


    He saw the thing that made the strange sound.


    The thing was shaped like a naked child, curled up on the ground, with red and rough skin, looking like it had been peeled off, shivering under a seat, stuffed there randomly, struggling to breathe.


    Harry felt a little scared and took two steps back.


    Although the thing was small and weak, a familiar, evil and terrifying breath came from its body from time to time...


    "You came at the wrong time."


    A voice suddenly rang in the silent space.


    Harry turned around suddenly and saw Professor Drac with silver hair walking towards him, with brisk steps and an interested look on his face.


    "Professor Drac?" Harry asked in surprise, "Where am I... and why do you say I came at the wrong time?"


    "Because I just cheated a bottle of good red wine from a miser, but you were cursed at this time." Drac moved a chair from somewhere and sat down, motioning to Harry, "Sit down."


    "Yes, I seem to have been cursed by Tom..." Harry said with aplicated expression, "When Dumbledore told me to cooperate with him to do something, I thought he was joking."


    Then, Harry suddenly widened his eyes.


    "So, professor, you are dead too?" he asked in astonishment.


    "What nonsense are you talking about?" Drac nced at him, "I hope I can die, but I can''t do it at all, unfortunately..."


    "But...then why are you here, isn''t this heaven?" Harry asked.


    "Heaven?" Drac curled his lips, "I feel like the ce I went to before is more like hell... Well, to be precise, this ce should be called the Lost Realm, which is the narrow space between life and death."


    "The Lost Realm?" Harry looked around in confusion.


    "Yes, Lost Realm." Drac nodded, "Riddle has your blood in his body, and has absorbed a small part of the spell left by your mother when she died for you. When Voldemort created this body, he believed that this would make him fearless of the powerful guardian magic..."


    "But in fact, this will only form a cycle between you, a cycle in which no one can kill anyone."


    "Riddle inherited the body created by Voldemort, so he is also trapped in this cycle - he can''t really kill you, he can only drive your soul to the narrow space between life and death now."


    "But... I always feel that this ce is like King''s Cross Station." Harry said, "but it''s much cleaner and emptier, and I can''t see the train."


    "King''s Cross Station?" Drac looked around with interest, then nodded affirmatively, "Yes, everyone sees different things when theye here. Maybe in your impression, King''s Cross Station just gave you a deep impression."


    "After all, that station is also the door that leads you to the real wizarding world, right?"


    Harry nodded gently.


    "So, how did you get here, professor?" he asked, "Did you also get hit by the killing curse?"


    "That''s not the case." Drac shrugged, "I collected the three Deathly Hallows, defeated the previous Death, and became the current one."


    Harry''s eyes widened, dumbfounded.


    "You...you''re not kidding?" he asked stutteringly.


    "Do you think I''m kidding?" Drac asked back with a chuckle, "If you hadn''te to this ce, I would definitely not tell you about this."


    Harry suddenly became excited.


    "I can''t believe that the legendary Death has be my professor!" He shouted excitedly, "Then even if another Voldemort appears in the future, do I not have to worry?"


    "I''m the Death now, and you''re not afraid of me?" Drac asked in surprise.


    "Why should I be afraid of you, Professor?" Harry said with a smile, "You are the most popr Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts!"


    Drac was stunned for a moment, then he also chuckled.


    "Yeah, you are right." He chuckled and his mood became very good.


    "Professor, tell me quickly, what does it feel like to be the god of death?" Harry asked curiously next to Drac, "It must be very powerful."


    "No feeling, not much different from before." Drac sighed and said depressedly, "I thought it would be fun to be the god of death, but I was so disappointed..."


    "And as a vampire, I might be able to find a chance to die if I look carefully, but now I have be the god of death, I can''t die at all!"


    "I dare not think about it, how boring I will be in the next few years..."


    Drac copsed in the chair, and suddenly felt that his future was bleak.


    Looking at this scene, Harry wanted tough a little, but felt it was not appropriate, so he could only purse his lips tightly, his face flushed.


    "Forget it, the more I talk, the more depressed I am. I won''t talk to you anymore." Drac stood up from the chair with a stern face and snapped his fingers.


    Harry saw that the strange thing under the chair was instantly burned to ashes.


    "The soul fragment of Voldemort in your body has been solved." Drac pped his hands, as if he had pped a mosquito to death, "Now you can go back, don''t stay in the Lost Land for too long."


    "But... how should I go back?" Harry asked.


    "Well, let me think..." Drac thought and said softly, "Since you said we are at King''s Cross Station, then I think you can... for example... get on a train?"


    Harry turned his head and saw that a train seemed to have really appeared in the fog nearby, exactly the same as the Hogwarts Express.


    ...


    Harry woke up and fell face down on the ground, and the smell of the Forbidden Forest hit his nose.


    He felt the cold, hard ground and many thick pine needles under his cheeks, and felt the corner of his sses that was knocked crooked when hended piercing his temple. There was no part of his body that didn''t hurt. The ces hit by the killing curse felt like being hit by an iron fist.


    He struggled to move, barely got up half of his body from the ground, and vaguely saw two people confronting each other.


    "Harry, you''re back?" Dumbledore''s voice reached Harry''s ears.


    The sses on his face were suddenly repaired by a silent repair spell. Harry put on the sses and saw Dumbledore''s kind smile and Riddle''s stunned face.


    "Why... why did you not die after being hit by the Killing Curse?" Riddle asked in astonishment, "This is unfair. Last time, your mother''s protective magic was there. What''s the reason this time?"


    "It doesn''t matter." Dumbledore said softly, "Tom, it''s over. You have to admit that you have no chance to be the next Dark Lord."


    "No! It''s not over yet!" Riddle shouted unconvinced, "There is one thing I haven''t told anyone. After absorbing Voldemort''s soul, I have already reached the magical strength of a great wizard. Now I am definitely stronger than you!"


    "What if I am included?" Another white-haired old man appeared in the Forbidden Forest and stood side by side with Dumbledore.


    With the help of the Resurrection Stone, it won''t take him much time to deal with those corpses.


    "Grindelwald." Riddle''s face darkened. "Do you think two great wizards can stop me? At worst, I can only leave two soul fragments and sacrifice all the other souls to the god of death... He will be willing to lend me power!"


    "Puff--"


    A shrillugh came into Riddle''s ears.


    He turned his head and saw Harry covering his mouth, trying hard to hold back hisughter.


    "What are youughing at?!" Riddle asked angrily.


    Harry waved his hands quickly, but his body was still trembling, obviously unable to stopughing.


    He turned his head again to look at Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but found that they were also full of mocking smiles.


    "How dare youugh at me?" Riddle growled angrily, "I think you don''t understand how powerful the power of the god of death is!"


    "Then go and borrow it quickly, we''ll wait for you here." Grindelwald sneered maliciously.


    "You wait!" Riddle said gloomily.


    His eyes were filled with dark mes, trying to connect with the realm of death.


    However, the next moment, the ck mes in his eyes went out.


    Riddle was stunned. He tried to connect again, but this time the ck mes did not even burn.


    "What''s the matter? Can''t you borrow power?" Grindelwald sneered, "You don''t think about improving your own strength, but always want to rely on external things. People like you will suffer sooner orter."


    Dumbledore took two steps forward and sighed.


    "It''s over, Tom." He raised his wand.


    ...


    Without the power of the god of death, how could Riddle be the opponent of the well-prepared Dumbledore and Grindelwald?


    He didn''t struggle for a few minutes, and was tied to the thick trunk of a cypress tree by Dumbledore''s Transfiguration.


    Dumbledore held the wand and looked deeply at Riddle in front of him, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.


    "Albus, you''ve been a good guy for too long. Maybe you''ve forgotten how to kill people?" Grindelwaldughed wildly and patted Dumbledore on the shoulder. "Leave this to me."


    He raised his wand suddenly-


    "Avada Kedavra!"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!